Welcome to the Minneapolis/St. Paul Chapter

The Minneapolis/St. Paul Chapter includes the seven county metropolitan area that includes Ramsey, Hennepin, Dakota, Washington, Carver, Scott, Wright and Anoka.

The Minneapolis/St. Paul Chapter is connecting women and helping them make the most out of their "50 years and forward" transition journey. While every woman's situations may be varied, we can all learn and find support from other women who are also experiencing change.

We are constantly reaching out to as many women as possible to make connections and planning as many events as we can.  We already have active Special Interest Groups and are now in the process of creating more Transition Peer Groups. For more information about the Minneapolis/St. Paul Group, please contact Steering Committee Chair Jill Goski at MSPChapter@TheTransitionNetwork.org.  

          Chair: Jill Goski  

November at a Glance  

Join us for upcoming chapter events ----

Thursday, November 12 - Get Connected

Wednesday, November 18
Wellness Wednesday - Bladder and Pelvic Floor Health

 Active Aging: Discover What’s Next for You
               with TTN Chicago Member and Author, Joy Loverde
                    THIS EVENT HAS BEEN CANCELLED AND REFUNDS WILL BE ISSUED

Let's Stay Connected!

MESSAGE FROM CHAPTER CHAIR JILL GOSKI

Please Join Us In Welcoming Julie Efta to our MSP TTN Leadership Team!

Our Leadership Team is excited that Julie Efta is bringing her time, creativity and abilities to our team. Julie has been a member of TTN since we first began creating a chapter and has been an informal leader and strong contributor all along. Julie participates in the full spectrum of TTN activities and events. She has been a regular attendee at quarterly programs and social events. Her welcoming and approachable presence have served as a catalyst for new members getting more deeply involved in TTN. She is a member of two Transition Peer Groups (TPGs), numerous Special Interest Groups (SIGs), our Chapter Caring Collaborative, and is always game for new events and activities. Julie is very creative and wins the award for the most ideas for new SIGs - I’ve stopped counting how many she has launched! She is also a good listener and can synthesize multiple perspectives into innovative opportunities. Our recent member survey identified our SIGs and TPGs as the most important components of our organization for connecting our members. Julie will be joining Erin Campbell to co-lead our SIGs. Our Chapter is truly fortunate to have this team of extremely talented women guiding our SIGs!

Please read Julie’s personal statement below to learn more about her and her perspective which will be assets to her work on our Leadership Team and for our Chapter Community!

My roots are a large farm family in northwest Minnesota about 10 miles from the Canadian border. After hopping around to different universities in different states, I graduated in Latin education from UNC Chapel Hill. I later received a certificate in ESL from Hamline. My family lived in northern England for 2 years and I taught at a university in China for one year. Travel abroad, nature, reading, writing, exploring and learning are key interests.

I'm a dreaming, introverted, listening connector and lifelong learner. When I feel attached and drawn to an idea or need, my creative impulses flow. I first learned about TTN through a Meet up group of women over 50. I was seeking new friendships, activities and opportunities to learn and share information. I was an early joiner because I saw potential in TTN and I loved the leaders. From one peer group and one book club we have grown to 3 peer groups and many special interest groups. In order to continue to grow and retain membership, we need more small group connections. From experience, I know that volunteering to lead and taking a chance on a new idea can be daunting, but it is worth the effort! This may be the longest winter ever. To stave off isolation and potential depression, Zoom meetings can enhance our lives and provoke new ideas and interests. What is your passion? What do you want to learn more about? What group could you join or form? All ideas are welcome. I am sure there is someone out there who would co-lead! We usually regret the things we have not done.

Contact Julie at: teacherjulie.efta@gmail.com

MESSAGE FROM CHAPTER LEADERSHIP
Submitted by Erin Campbell

• Find a core project because it gives us common purpose and a reason to be active and unified. This could be a fund raiser or a volunteer project.
• More successfully conduct marketing and ideally, we would have a Marketing Committee.
• Retain and recruit members. The Caring Collaborative has called inactive members and are sending postcards. We could also have ambassadors, one-on-meetings, and a buddy system.
• Expand our online offerings to include programming that would address health and be of interest to Meetup or working members.
• Improve our ability to utilize ZOOM

RECENT EVENTS

November 16, 2020
Fall Recipe Challenge
During November, 13 TTN members participated in the Fall Recipe Challenge which was sponsored by the Exploring Food SIG and led by Chef Maggie Wescott of the Alternative Dish. Participants were asked to cook with vegetables they may not have tried before and even varieties they had tried but were sure they didn’t care for. During the 2 weeks, via a Facebook page, the group shared their successes, adaptations, and mishaps and Chef Maggie coached the group each step of the way. The group explored the use of eggplant, spaghetti squash, fennel, mint, beets and other seasonal produce and agreed they learned new techniques and expanded their cooking repertoire. You can see a few of the group's flavorful and colorful creations in the pictures. (Some of the recipes the group tried are available at Chef Maggie’s website:  https://alternativedish.com.)
  Read more...



November 12, 2020
November Get Connected
On November 12, ten TTN members, and hosts Pat Burgraff and Jan Reisch met for an engaging Get Connected event.
 
After our check-in everyone shared a memory about when they “Felt at Peace.” Interestingly, most of us talked about family and being in nature.  “It’s the little things.” We ended with a discussion on other TTN events that had been attended by some of the group and the upcoming winter and how we plan to survive and thrive!
  Read more...



September 30, 2020
September Virtual Get Connected
Seven women gathered via Zoom to connect with each other. Thanks to Jan and Pat for stepping up to host this event. We had a chance to introduce ourselves and learn new things about each other. Then we shared something that renewed our spirits sometime during the past few months. The hour passed quickly and we enjoyed spending time with each other. Read more...



August 13, 2020
August Virtual Get Connected
Five of us participated in the latest Zoom Get Connected.  As usual, we covered a wide range of topics as we got to know more about each other.  For example, we exchanged info about our first big music concert, how we got introduced to TTN, our dreams, some of our travels, and our fears and experiences revolving around Covid.  And as usual, there were lots of laughs and the time flew by.

Thanks to Jean and bj for hosting.
  Read more...



July 20, 2020
Legacy Writing Workshop
Karen West, a fellow member of TTN, shared her skills in legacy writing via Zoom workshops for two evenings. She is a teacher of conscious aging and sage-ing with legacy writing part of her training by her mentor, Rachael Freed, who has written several books on legacy writing. Read more...



February 8, 2020
Home Sweet Home
Twenty-one women attended the winter quarterly program and learned valuable information from Della Johnson, TTN member and realtor, and Laurie Wrobel, Senior Move Manager and owner of Clutter 911. Read more...



September 7, 2019
Potluck Brunch Gathering on Golden Lake
On Saturday, September 7, fifteen women enjoyed a lovely morning at Debra's home in Circle Pines. Debra had invited Mary Jo Meadow to talk with us about mindfulness. Mary Jo is 83 years young and has been engaged in teaching mindfulness for over 30 years. She was a delightful woman and helped us understand the benefits of practicing mindfulness. We also enjoyed a potluck brunch and shared wellness tips. Thanks to Debra for hosting this lovely event. Read more...



July 13, 2019
"A Taste of Italy" Garden Party
On Saturday, July 13, 19 women gathered at Terri’s home in St. Michael for a Garden Party. It was a warm summer day and we sat in the shade of her backyard. Terri, Deb and Grace had organized a party with an Italian theme and everything planned matched the theme. This included the activities, the food, the online cooking demonstration, the decorations – even the wine and non-alcoholic beverages were from Italy. We appreciated the stimulating activities and the opportunity to connect with women we know and others who were new to us. It was a relaxing yet engaging event to savor. Thanks to Terri for opening her home and hosting this event. Read more...



May 18, 2019
CELEBRATE TTN Women Connecting, Creating, and Contributing
We were honored to have TTN Executive Director, Susan Collins, join us for our May 18 Celebration and get to know the wonderful women of our chapter better. We also were very excited to have Lorna Landvik join us for the afternoon and be our keynote speaker. Read more...