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from The Foothills Focus - Zone 2 - 12.29.2021

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Music conservatory registering new students

BY FOOTHILLS FOCUS STAFF

Jubilate Conservatory of Music is registering students for the 2022 spring semester classes. Beginning violin, choir and voice classes and advanced string ensemble will begin the week of Jan. 17 on weekdays after school in the Arizona Room at Desert Foothills Library.

Jubilate (pronounced joo-bi-latte) is a Latin word that means “joyful.” Classes at Jubilate Conservatory emphasize healthy, joyful group participation.

Reading music is a component that oftentimes falls to the wayside in music lessons, said founder Laya Field. Carrying this musical deficiency can restrict a person’s ability to perform with others, compose music, or play any new music not learned in a lesson.

At Jubilate Conservatory students are guided into reading music very early on in their studies, she said. In a silly camp song atmosphere, students joyfully support one another in their learning process.

Saturday music classes are offered to students free of tuition and include Jubilate orchestra and musicianship class, a general classroom music course for young children. Scholarships are available for qualifying students interested in afterschool classes or private lessons. Jubilate Conservatory of Music is supported by Kiwanis of Carefree. Contact Laya Field at 480-9936147 for more information.

Jubilate Conservatory of Music teaches students to read music very early on in their studies.

(Photo courtesy of the Jubilate Conservatory of Music)

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Desert Foothills Library events are aplenty

BY FOOTHILLS FOCUS STAFF

Desert Foothills Library has scheduled a multitude of interesting events for January at its building, 38443 N. School House Road, Cave Creek.

For more information, call 480-488-2286 or visit dfla.org. RSVP at dfla.org and all programs are free, unless otherwise noted.

Featured programs

Double Your Social Security, Other Retirement Income, & Reduce Taxes 10:30 a.m. Saturday, Jan. 15 Dr. Harold Wong earned his Ph.D. in economics at UC Berkley and was the guest expert on over 400 TV and radio shows. He has educated thousands of attorneys and CPAs on advanced tax and financial strategies. Reservations required.

The Beatles: The Solo Years with Vinnie Bruno

10 a.m. Friday, Jan. 21 Vinnie Bruno discusses the solo post-Beatles careers of John Lennon, Paul McCartney, George Harrison and Ringo Starr, including their musical collaborations and “The Beatles Anthology,” released in the late-1990s. Reservations required.

Estate Planning Made Simple

10:30 a.m. Saturday, Jan. 22 Stephanie and Mike Maloney cover the basics of estate planning, including various corresponding documents and how to use them. Reserve a spot at eventbrite.com.

#EnrichingYourCommunity Happy Hours

4:30 p.m. Tuesday, Jan. 25 Celebrate the library as 91% of its funding comes from donors and supporters. Reservations required.

VITA Tax Program

Tuesdays and Thursdays February 1 to April 15 The IRS and Masters of Coin-sponsored Volunteer Income Tax Assistance (VITA) program offers free tax help for low to moderate income families, elderly persons, persons with disabilities, and limited English speaking taxpayers who need assistance in preparing their own tax returns. IRS-certified volunteers provide free basic income tax return preparation with electronic filing to qualified individuals. Call 480-488-2286 to schedule an appointment. Forms to be filled out are available for pick up prior to appointment. Please bring social security card, all 2021 tax forms, 2020 tax return, and photo identification card. Registration begins Jan. 1.

Weekly programs

• Craft N Chat 1 to 3 p.m. Mondays Join crafting enthusiasts weekly for companionable creating and conversation. Any portable craft is welcomed.

• eBook and Online Database Help

11 a.m. to noon Tuesdays Downloading eBooks and eAudiobooks can be easy through the library’s digital collection. Weekly, the library hosts an informal drop-in class about apps like Libby or Cloud Library. Please bring a device and have the library card ready. For Apple users, your Apple ID will be needed.

• MahJongg 103: Unsupervised Play

1:30 to 3:30 p.m. Thursdays Groups, individuals and recent students of MahJongg 101 and 102 lcan play here. The cost is $5.

• Alcoholics Anonymous

5 to 6 p.m. Thursdays Alcoholics Anonymous meetings are held at Desert Foothills Library on Thursdays.

Monthly programs

• Death Café 12:30 to 2:30 p.m. Wednesday, Jan. 5 Death Café is a gathering to talk about death and dying. The aim is to increase awareness of death to help people make the most of their lives. Death Café does not promote beliefs, agendas or products, nor is it a bereavement or grief support group. Info: deathcafe.com

• Chapter2Books Monthly Sale

All day Friday, Jan. 7, and Saturday, Jan. 8 These monthly sales offer prices lower than Chapter 2. It takes place throughout the store, the Jones/Coates Room, and the patio, weather permitting. Chapter2Books Monthly Sales are offered on the second Friday and Saturday of every month. Books are also available on Amazon. Volunteers are needed. Call the library.

• Music at the Movies

2 p.m. Thursday, Jan. 13 Music enthusiast Annis Scott discusses “Finian’s Rainbow.”

• International Film Series: Women Directors with Gary Zaro

2 p.m. Friday, Jan. 14 The Danish film “After the Wedding” will screen before a discussion with Gary Zano. Reservations required.

• Little Known Stories of WWII with

Gary Zaro

2 p.m. Friday, Dec. 17 Gary Zaro discusses the 2001 film “To End All Wars.” Reservations required.

• Puzzle Exchange

9 a.m. to 5 p.m. Friday, Jan. 28 Drop off gently used puzzles and pick out a new one for free. Offered on the last Friday of every month. All ages and skill levels encouraged.

Literary programs • Literate Foodie Club

12:30 p.m. Monday, Jan. 3 This month, cooks prepare recipes related to and discuss “Kitchen Yarns: Notes on Life, Love and Food” by Ann Hood. Bring food bank donations. Questions: Dana Rakinic at danarakinic@gmail.com or Jan Kruse at jan-kruse@cox.net. Registration is required. Cost is $10.

• Memoir & Essay Writers’ Group

1:30 p.m. Thursday, Jan. 6 Novice and seasoned writers meet monthly to read stories aloud and receive constructive feedback. Participants should bring one to two pages of humorous or serious prose to share. club. Weird, odd and unique books are chosen for discussion. This month it’s “Gold Dust Woman: A Biography of Stevie Nicks” by Stephen Davis, at The Creek. Reservations required.

• Library Book Club

10 a.m. to noon Thursday, Jan. 13 10 a.m. to noon Tuesday, Jan. 25 This month, “The Discerning Eye” by Carol Orange is discussed.

• Literary Salon

10 a.m. Thursday, Jan. 20 The book to discuss has not been released yet. Call the library for information.

Health and wellness programs

• Caring for the Caregiver 10 to 11:30 a.m. Monday, Jan. 3 Hospice of the West facilitates this program.

• The Healing Pathway

9:30 to 11 a.m. Mondays Jan. 10 and Jan. 24 This open-ended grief support group offers practical tools and supportive conversation.

• Gentle Chair Yoga

11 a.m. to noon Mondays Through a slow flow of poses coordinated with the breath, participants will strengthen their heart, bones, balance and sharpen the mind. Marina Kachur leads the group. Kachur’s contact information is 480-510-6572 or yokama14@ gmail.com. The cost is $10 cash, paid to instructor at each class.

• Tai Chi : Qigong for Everyone

9 to 10 a.m. Tuesdays Tai chi and qigong is a self-care practice that improves balance, flexibility, brain plasticity, inner peace and overall wellness. Bina Bou is a senior trainer at IIQTC. She has been sharing the ancient practice for over a decade in the community. To learn more about her classes, visit mindfocusbodyqi. com or email her at bina.b75@gmail.com. The cost is $10 cash, paid to instructor at each class.

THE FOOTHILLS FOCUS | THEFOOTHILLSFOCUS.COM | DECEMBER 29, 2021 2022: Time for a Personal Reset?

CHURCH COMMUNITY CONNECTION Pastor Ed Delph

Foothills Focus Columnist

Pastor Bill Johnson says: “We need to remain childlike. Children don’t dream of being insignificant.” We need to be reminded of this during these crazy, nonsensical times. Children start off seeing life beautifully and innocently. But eventually, life gets to them, molds them, holds them, and hurts them. So often, temporary negatives become permanent negatives, and lifetimes are spent searching for significance in all the wrong places.

Recently, I found a short story my son, Matthew, wrote when he was about 10 years old. It illustrates how children don’t dream of being insignificant. The story is called “The Bass.” If you think fishermen have big fish stories, wait until you read Matt’s fish story:

“One day, I went fishing with my dad at Big Daddy Lake. Now, this lake did not get its name from some old fogey. No, it has bass the size of the state of Alaska. Well, anyway, I was using a crankbait as big as my head, and I cast it about twenty feet. I reeled in the fish. It was a little dinky bass.

While dad thought about how I caught it on my “hipper”-size crankbait, I cast my lure again toward a big rock. This rock was not a pebble. It was a huge, mega-size bone-crushing rock. Well, I started reeling it in, and I felt a nibble. WWWWAAAHHHH!!!! Dad! Matt! AAAHH! SPLASH!!! Blurb, Blurb.

Then I saw it. It was huge! It dragged me through the weeds and rocks. (The rock part kind of hurt.) Then I saw a tree, grabbed it, and I hung on for dear life. I started reeling the bass in. Finally, I got him close enough to

see DELPH page 16 LIBRARY from page 14

• Gentle Yoga

11 a.m. to noon Wednesdays Gentle Yoga strengthens the heart, bones, balance and sharpens the mind. Marina Kachur leads the class. Bring a yoga mat and a blanket. The cost is $10 cash, paid to instructor at each class. Kachur’s contact information is 480510-6572 or yokama14@gmail.com.

• Meditation with Reiki Healing

1 to 2 p.m. Wednesdays Jan. 5 to Jan. 19 Discover the power of healing through guided meditation. The program is led by the Rev. Dr. Karen Cimaglia, rockinvibs21@ gmail.com. The cost is $10 cash, paid to instructor at each class.

• Reiki Healing

1 to 2 p.m. Wednesdays Jan. 12 and Jan. 26 Learn and explore through a variety of energy healing methods, including Reiki. The program is led by the Rev. Dr. Karen Cimaglia at rockinvibs21@gmail.com. The cost is $10 cash, paid to instructor at each class.

• Yoga Fusion

Noon to 1 p.m. Thursdays Join Elizabeth Boisson for an intermediate-level course of Yoga Fusion. The class starts with breathing exercises, and continues with stretching, Vinyasa or flow yoga and then standing sequences. The class ends with 5 minutes of Savasana. Boisson can be contacted at 480-363-5275 or evboisson@ yahoo.com. The cost is $10 cash, paid to instructor at each class.

• Longevity, Healthy Aging and

Regeneration

11 a.m. Friday, Jan. 21 Learn about the habits of those who have lived into “extreme old age.”

• Nutrition Over 50

Noon Friday, Jan. 21 Learn and discuss nutrition and how it changes with age. Discuss healthy food options and a menu for a week. Learn the philosophy behind fasting and intermittent fasting, create a plan to change your eating patterns. Led by Rev. Dr. Karen Cimaglia. She can be reached at 602-721-7714 or rockinvibs21@gmail.com. The cost is $10 cash, paid to instructor.

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grab him. Bad idea on my part. Weeeeeeeee! It was awesome. I saw the boat. I grabbed the boat and the fish and climbed in.

I told dad to get the “weigher.” The bass weighed 600 pounds. Dad and I went back to the fish dock, and I won the bass tournament. Then, we went home and sat down to think about how I did it. Dad is still acting a little weird. I think it damaged his brain thinking that I caught a bigger bass than him. The end.”

Well, you just looked through the eyes of Matthew, who has a big imagination and an even bigger positive attitude.

As Pastor Johnson said, children don’t dream of being insignificant, especially 10-year-old Matt. It does mental and emotional harm to us adults to hate, gripe, become wounded, bitter, cynical or lose our joy. It’s even worse to lose our childlike trust and perspective. Friedrich Nietzsche said, “He who fights too long against dragons becomes a dragon himself.” The most brutal prison to escape can be one’s mind.

Jesus addressed this idea in Matthew: 18. He wanted the people living through the dark times to look at life through the eyes of a child. Jesus didn’t mean they should be childish. Instead, he suggested that to enter the kingdom of God, we must become trusting like a child. Otherwise, complex adult issues like those mentioned will paralyze us. To the pure, everything is pure.

When truth, simplicity and purity come, dragon people can’t see good or God anymore. They lose trust in God, and they lose their perspective. God is there, but they can’t see God at work on their behalf.

Wise but trusting people see God in both the good and the bad. The mature Christ followers and people see God in pleasures and palaces and the barnyards and stables of life. When wise people follow a star and find a stable, they look for God in the stable and find Him. That takes seeing things the way God sees them by looking through the eyes of a child.

God chose to become a baby, not a “razzle, dazzle” form of a king, politician or entertainer. But, given time, that baby proved more potent than the whole Roman Empire. John Maxwell wrote about this truth from a writer penned many years ago. Read on:

“A century ago, men were following with bated breath the march of Napoleon and waiting feverishly for news of the war. And all the time, while in their own homes, babies were being born. But who could think about babies? Everyone was thinking about battles.

“In one year, there stole into the world a host of heroes. Gladstone was born in Liverpool, England, and Tennyson at Somersby. Oliver Wendell Holmes was born in Massachusetts. The same day of that same year, Charles Darwin made his debut at Shrewsbury. Abraham Lincoln drew his first breath in Old Kentucky, and the birth of Felix Mendelssohn enriched music in Hamburg.

“But nobody was thinking about babies. Everybody was thinking about battles. Yet, which of the battles of 1809 mattered more than the babies born in 1809? When a wrong wants righting, or a truth wants teaching, or a continent wants opening, God sends a child to do it.”

So, what does “childlike” look like for us adults and teenagers?

“Trust God from the bottom of your heart; don’t try to figure out everything on your own. Listen for God’s voice in everything you do, everywhere you go. God’s the one who will keep you on track. Don’t assume you know everything, Run to God, not from God.” Proverbs 3:5-7.

This 2022, birth the baby of a personal reset. Don’t allow current events to rob you of the awe and wonder of life. The year is new, why not you too.

Ed Delph is a noted author of 10 books, as well as a pastor, teacher, former business owner and speaker. Ed has traveled extensively, having been to more than 100 countries. He is president of NationStrategy, a nonprofit organization involved in uplifting and transforming communities worldwide. For more information, see nationstrategy. com. Ed may be contacted at nationstrategy@cs.com.