Event Types: Social

This month we will read Anxious People by Fredrick Backman. From the #1 New York Times bestselling author of A Man Called Ove comes a charming, poignant novel about a crime that never took place, a would-be bank robber who disappears into thin air, and eight extremely anxious strangers who find they have more in common than they ever imagined.

Looking at real estate isn’t usually a life-or-death situation, but an apartment open house becomes just that when a failed bank robber bursts in and takes a group of strangers hostage. The captives include a recently retired couple who relentlessly hunt down fixer-uppers to avoid the painful truth that they can’t fix their own marriage. There’s a wealthy bank director who has been too busy to care about anyone else and a young couple who are about to have their first child but can’t seem to agree on anything, from where they want to live to how they met in the first place. Add to the mix an eighty-seven-year-old woman who has lived long enough not to be afraid of someone waving a gun in her face, a flustered but still-ready-to-make-a-deal real estate agent, and a mystery man who has locked himself in the apartment’s only bathroom, and you’ve got the worst group of hostages in the world.

Each of them carries a lifetime of grievances, hurts, secrets, and passions that are ready to boil over. None of them is entirely who they appear to be. And all of them—the bank robber included—desperately crave some sort of rescue. As the authorities and the media surround the premises these reluctant allies will reveal surprising truths about themselves and set in motion a chain of events so unexpected that even they can hardly explain what happens next.

Rich with Fredrik Backman’s “pitch-perfect dialogue and an unparalleled understanding of human nature” (Shelf Awareness), Anxious People is an ingeniously constructed story about the enduring power of friendship, forgiveness, and hope—the things that save us, even in the most anxious times.

Byrde + the b the is pleased to announce an exhibition of paintings by the contemporary abstract artist Matt Wood.

The artist states “I am often asked about what drives my work. To that I can only answer this – I have to create; it is like breathing for me. Art is how I interact with the world. My thoughts, my experiences, my reactions, and my hopes are all mediated through my canvas or my lens, and I find that for me it can’t be any other way. My art is a reflection of my life.” For additional information please contact Byrde the b 10 Titus Rd Washington, CT

860 619 0422
Matt Wood “Recent Paintings” Dec 10-Mar 4, 2023
Opening reception Saturday Dec 10 from 4:00-6:00pm
Hours Tues-Sat 10:00am-6:00pm
www.byrdeandtheb.com

Byrde + the b the is pleased to announce an exhibition of paintings by the contemporary abstract artist Matt Wood.

The artist states “I am often asked about what drives my work. To that I can only answer this – I have to create; it is like breathing for me. Art is how I interact with the world. My thoughts, my experiences, my reactions, and my hopes are all mediated through my canvas or my lens, and I find that for me it can’t be any other way. My art is a reflection of my life.” For additional information please contact Byrde the b 10 Titus Rd Washington, CT

860 619 0422
Matt Wood “Recent Paintings” Dec 10-Mar 4, 2023
Opening reception Saturday Dec 10 from 4:00-6:00pm
Hours Tues-Sat 10:00am-6:00pm
www.byrdeandtheb.com

Tragedies seem so much part of daily life that many of us are fatigued, afraid, and depressed by what feels like a downward spiral that scatters hope like tumbleweed. Mass shootings. Climate change. Innocent lives lost to political, police, or domestic violence.

The inimitable apocalypse often seems to be stalking each one of us.

But even as it often feels that everything is getting worse, some find the resilience to stand on the precipice of disaster and marshal the hopes and dreams we still have to affect change and make life better, proving we should be more optimistic about our collective futures.

​In its next program, Common Ground with Jane Whitney will profile changemakers who are living proof that progress is possible – and is already happening all around us, even if most of us don’t acknowledge it. They will discuss how stories about disaster so often eclipse the inspirational, describe how they managed to change the world, and outline ways all of us can contribute to our communities and countries.

Register here

The Judy Black Memorial Park and Gardens is hosting a Football Watch Party on Sunday, February 12th at 6 pm where football fans and their families and friends are invited to cheer on their favorite team in front of three jumbo screens inside the park.

Bring your best tailgate blankets, chairs, beverages and coolers to enjoy the big game. Guests can bring their own food or purchase barbeque fare from a food truck that will be on-site for the game.

This event is free and open to the public.

Byrde + the b the is pleased to announce an exhibition of paintings by the contemporary abstract artist Matt Wood.

The artist states “I am often asked about what drives my work. To that I can only answer this – I have to create; it is like breathing for me. Art is how I interact with the world. My thoughts, my experiences, my reactions, and my hopes are all mediated through my canvas or my lens, and I find that for me it can’t be any other way. My art is a reflection of my life.” For additional information please contact Byrde the b 10 Titus Rd Washington, CT

860 619 0422
Matt Wood “Recent Paintings” Dec 10-Mar 4, 2023
Opening reception Saturday Dec 10 from 4:00-6:00pm
Hours Tues-Sat 10:00am-6:00pm
www.byrdeandtheb.com

The Moon Dance is back after a brief pandemic hiatus! Join us for our annual fundraiser and celebration on Saturday, April 29th, 2023 at the Washington Town Hall. There will be a wine and whiskey bar, plentiful hors d’oeuvres, desserts, a silent auction, and dancing to The New Desperation. All proceeds will go to WEC’s environmental projects and student scholarship fund.

WEC is a local non-profit organization dedicated to protecting the environmental quality of the Town of Washington and beyond through advocacy, leadership, education, and collaboration. Please check out our website at wec-ct.org to learn more and to find out how you can get involved!