I have my first in-person coffee shop event under my belt in 2023. 15 people came together to share in a Guided Mediation for the New Year. Now I’ve put together the upcoming COKANNA Community Coffee Shops for the next 4 months.
I know Covid is still here but I have to say meeting in-person is a refreshing change of pace. It’s a delicate balance between keeping physically healthy, and mentally & emotionally healthy. We all have to decide what we are comfortable with. And not judge the activities of others. Of course, it goes without saying, if you have any symptoms or have been in contact with someone who has Covid, it’s best to stay home.
Coffee Shop Venue
We have a new venue which is called the Richardson House. It’s the clubhouse for my condo community in Kanata. It’s a beautiful heritage building that has been refurbished. The venue has 3 levels and includes a kitchen, spacious sitting areas, and a wide open space upstairs. It’s perfect for many different activities.
Richardson House
The house is completely accessible with 2 accessible parking spots and a ramp to enter the building. Inside, there is an elevator and a spacious fully accessible washroom. Please note, the building is on a hill so able bodied guests do have to walk up the hill to the entrance in the back.
So, here are the events for February, March, April & May:
February
Galentine’s Day, an alternative to Valentine’s Day, is a day to gather with your friends, single or not, female or male, and celebrate the love of friendship. The official date is February 13th, but you can celebrate any time in February,
It originated in an episode of Parks and Recreation titled “Galentine’s Day (Season 2, Episode 16). Leslie played by Amy Poehler throws a brunch party celebrating her friends. The episode aired in 2010 and was seen by 4.98 million viewers. Hence, Galentine’s Day was born.
For a fun activity, I’ve invited Tarot Card Reader, Ilona Arends, to come and do a reading for each participant.
March
Who doesn’t want to look good in photos? Anna Epp is a talented local photographer celebrating 14 years of creating amazing portraits.
Her superpower is making people feel comfortable in front of the camera, and photographing those who truly don’t want to be photographed.
She’ll pass on her best tips and tricks for looking great whether we’re taking a selfie with our phone, someone else is taking our picture, or we’re on a live video call. Even if we think we’re not photogenic!
April
If you’re like me, I often wonder what my 15-year-old Jack Russell Terrier, Oliver, is thinking. And in fact, I have used the services of Julie Oliveira of Julie Pet Connect. She’s amazing.
Julie lives and works as an animal communicator, animal Reiki practitioner, and small animal massage therapist. Connecting with animals and discovering their personalities, needs, thoughts, opinions and humour is a great joy for her.
In this coffee shop talk, Julie will introduce you to what animal communication entails, as well as what is involved in animal Reiki and small animal massage therapy. She’ll explain the benefits and how the sessions work, and also give us a live demo!
May
Brenda Wilson is the founder of Creative Treats Club, a social enterprise for those who like to gather together to create. She supports Ottawa-area non-profit and charity organizations such as the food bank at Debra Dynes Family House and The Dementia Society of Ottawa and Renfrew County.
Brenda would love for you to participate in this Mother’s Day edition of her Truffles and Treat Boxes workshop. Truffle-filled boxes are a perfect gift to delight your mom and a thoughtful way to show appreciation to other mothers in your life.
You will learn how to make chocolate truffles and how to assemble several treat boxes which are perfectly-sized to hold your handmade truffles. Brenda supplies the treat box kits for all participants.
This will be a fundraiser for The Dementia Society of Ottawa and Renfrew County. Bring your $10 cash donation to this coffee shop event and your entire $10 will be donated to The Dementia Society.
And there you have it, the upcoming COKANNA Community Coffee Shop Events for the next 4 months. As you can see, the coffee shops are offered on different days of the week to accommodate your schedules as much as possible.
I hope you find one or all of them of interest and you’ll sign up early. We look forward to seeing you there!
Until next time,
~ Colleen
I’m a recovering Chartered Accountant and Breast Cancer Champion turned Fashion Designer. My COKANNA Canadian-made bamboo clothing is all about comfort and style. Giving back to the community is important to me so I support local breast cancer organizations who treat the whole person and not just the disease.