This Saturday, April 27th, is my fantastic, 'nearly-everywhere' wife Kirsten's birthday. Not willing to be upstaged by my super-spouse, the Town of Natick has also selected that day as the first day of a two-day Earth Day All Around Natick celebration.
Organizers have filled the weekend with more than 30 activities. Sarallyn Keller, Sharon Kirby, and Sara Hanna from FCC are leading activities. My Weather Underground app currently forecasts excellent weather, so come out and enjoy.
Sharon will present a Buyer's Guide to EV on Saturday morning from 10:00 to 11:00 in our church Vestry. Sarallyn will host two activities on Saturday -- A Family Hike at Elm Bank from 10-11 am andKayaking on Dug Pond from 2 to 3:30 pm. On Sunday, from 2 to 3:30 pm, Sara will lead a walk along the Cochituate Trail, an opportunity for folks to learn about aquifers and our water supply.
An EV Petting Zoo in the church parking lot will coincide with Sharon's presentation. I was hoping to have fun with this by asking some of our aspiring AI Image-Generating Overlords to come up with an image for an EV Petting Zoo. Evidently, they are not that creative. The best they could come up with (on free AI image-generating sites) were cinematic images of futuristic-looking EVs and charging stations along a rain-soaked LA street at dusk. Cool, but meh.
It's only appropriate that AI failed to meet my challenge today, on Will Shakespeare's 460th birthday. It's good to have the man who coined over 3,000 English words and phrases 'out of thin air' (one of his phrases) in our corner when going up against our presumptive AI Overlords.
I was hoping for more from AI. I was thinking of an AI-generated photo of happy kids feeding AAA batteries to an orange Tesla Model X. At the same time, in the background, a distressed Elon Musk trips over an errant charging cord in an attempt to stop the kids from feeding his babies soulless DC kibbles. That would have been a nice pic for this week's musing. But the Earth Day Around Natick works just as well.
Don’t forget the big FCC Yard Sale on May the 4th (Be With You). We are collecting donations of stuff for the sale from 9-10 and after church this Sunday. If you have any questions, please call or text Gail Martin at 617-283-9180 or email Gail. You can find out what help is needed and sign up to help with the Yard Sale.
As always, feel free to contact me at Moderator@FCCNatick.org with any thoughts, concerns, or celebrations about FCC's life. Your voice matters.
See you in church, on Earth Day, and at the yard sale,
Lane
P. S. - It looks like I’ll be wearing Princess Leia hair buns unless someone has a Chewbacca costume they want to lend me.
EDITOR: We don't need AI...
In today's LINK ...
Moderator's Musings
Quick Links, worship info
LUNCH BUNCH, 4/25
Special Section: Earth Day around Natick (4/27)
Dancing for Our Mental Health, 4/27
Earth Day All Around Natick Events
Buyer's Guide to EVs, 4/27
Family Hike at Elm Bank, Kayaking at Dug Pond, 4/27
What's an Aquifer? Walk and Learn, 4/27
A Taste of Compassion, 4/28
Household Hazardous Waste Collation, 4/27
More Events (May-June)
Neighbors Helping Neighbors: NSC gala, 5/3
FCCN YARD SALE, 5/4 -- volunteers needed!
Walk to End Homelessness, 5/5
How to Host an Immigrant Family, 5/9
Opportunities to Volunteer:
Natick Affordable Housing Trust needs community input
Part of Earth Day and ECO Natick. At First Congregational Church Natick, 2 East Central St, entrance off the parking lot at the corner of Rts 27 & 135, handicapped accessible. Open to all, free. Presenter: Sharon Kirby.
Looking for an Environmentally Friendly Car? Join us for this 20-minute presentation followed by Q&A with various (EV, PHEV, Hybrid) car owners. We will cover car costs, car comparisons, and the range of Hybrids, Electric Vehicles and Plug-In Electric Vehicles. There are lots of choices and incentives available!
This overview is a great first step on your journey. Presenter’s cars will also be in the church parking lot to view: VW ID.4; Volvo PHEV.
Mental illness affects 1 in 5 Americans every year. If you or a loved one are struggling to live a fulfilling life due to conditions such as depression, anxiety, or PTSD, know you are not alone, and help is available. See resources below:
Download Natick 180 Resources
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First Congregational Church of Natick
2 East Central Street
Natick, MA 01760
