Historic New England and the Lincoln COA invite you to a lecture and slide show on Wednesday, April 24 at 11:30 am at Bemis Hall followed by a Special Access Tour of the Codman House, 34 Codman Road, beginning at 1:30. Using original letters from Historic New England’s Codman archival collection, the talk and tour will highlight the artistic friendship between Edith Wharton and Ogden Codman that spanned more than 40 years and resulted in the publication of The Decoration of Houses, a classic manual of interior design. Registration is recommended by calling Historic New England at (617) 994-6690. The lecture at Bemis is free to all. The tour is free for Lincoln residents. Non-residents may attend the tour at a cost of $10 for Historic New England members and $15 for non-members. This program is supported in part by a grant from the Lincoln Cultural Council, a local agency which is supported by the Mass Cultural Council, a state agency.

The Commons in Lincoln, Right-at-Home In Home Care and Assistance, and the Lincoln Council on Aging invite those with dementia and their family, friends, and caregivers to the free Lincoln Memory Café on Thursday, April 25 from 9:30 am to 11:00 am in the main building of The Commons in Lincoln. This month, the Café presents Joel Light and Dan Moore in “Fill My Heart with Song.” This program consists of animated show tunes and familiar songs. The goal of the Café is to offer an opportunity for elders and their care partners to spend relaxing fun and social time together. Each session features entertainment or activities, social time, and delicious refreshments. Future Cafés will be held on the fourth Thursday of each month from 9:30 am to 11:00 am at the Commons. It is helpful, but not required, to sign up by calling the Council on Aging at (781) 259-8811. For information, contact Amy Gagne of Right at Home In Home Care and Assistance at (781) 275-1400 or amy@rightathomecare.com.

Whether you have never gotten a ticket or you are concerned about your ability to drive safely, the AARP Smart Driving Course can help. This course, held on Thursday, April 25, from 10:00 am to 3:00 pm at Bemis Hall, will help you better understand updated technologies in new vehicles, give a refresher on rules of the road, and show you how to compensate for age-related changes in vision, hearing and response time. There is no test and no actual driving. Anyone who attends the entire session will receive a certificate that may reduce the cost of your insurance. The cost is $15 for AARP members and $20 for non-members. Bring a lunch! Please call the COA at (781) 259-8811 to sign up today.

Would you like to know more about your medications and avoiding harmful interactions? What to do if you miss a dose? Is a generic ok? Come to Bemis Hall on Thursday, April 25 from 2 to 3 pm when Bob Moura, Director of the Pharmacy and Clinical Services at Emerson Hospital, will be here to have one-to-one consultations to answer your questions and concerns about your medications. Please call the COA at (781) 259-8811 to sign up for your 15-minute appointment.

Have an IPhone or IPad? Andy Payne will be at Bemis Hall on Friday, April 26 at 9:30 am to give information on the operation and features of iphones and ipads and answer questions. If you have tips, bring those, too!

More people are using internet-based tv instead of or in addition to cable. What is it? What does it cost? Can you watch your cable favorites on it? Come to Bemis Hall on Friday, April 26 at 11:00 am to hear Andy Payne talk about internet-based tv and answer your questions!

Celebrate the 200th anniversary of Herman Melville’s birth by enjoying a free performance of Sailing Towards My Father by actor Stephen Collins on Sunday, April 28 at 2:00 pm at Bemis Hall. Sailing Towards My Father is a one-man play about Melville (1819-1891), author of the whaling epic Moby-Dick, from youth to old age, concentrating on his evolution as a writer and his complex relationship with God, his family, and Nathanial Hawthorne. Stephen Collins performs one-man shows and teaches courses on historical figures like Melville, Walt Whitman, Robert Frost, James MacNeill Whistler, and Shakespeare. This program is supported in part by a grant from the Lincoln Cultural Council, a local agency which is supported by the Mass Cultural Council, a state agency.

Come to Bemis Hall on Monday, April 29 , at 12:30 pm when Richard Boynton discusses “Planet Earth.” Earthquakes, volcanic explosions, tsunamis, solar storms – what is happening in our world? Although it seems that we have been beset with a rash of recent global disasters, in fact many of these have been occurring for eons, often more severely than now. Richard Boynton, former rocket scientist and president of an aerospace company, will give down-to-earth explanations of these natural phenomena. He will discuss plate tectonics, noting that 250 million years ago the Earth was a single land mass, and the 11 year cycle of sun storms, set to peak again in 2023. Boynton will also produce irrefutable evidence of global warming. Richard Boynton is an engineer, a writer, a musician, and an artist. The COA provides beverages and dessert. The lectures last about an hour, including a question and answer period. Participants are welcome to stay after the program to continue their discussion.