When you look up at the sky on a summer day, do you see a duck, a bunny or a fair weather cumulus cloud? This presentation is all about clouds – how they develop, what they are made of, the distinguishing characteristics of different types of clouds and what they may tell us about the weather. We will learn the 10 basic cloud groups and how they can combine to create stunning skies. The sky is the limit when it comes to unique and truly remarkable cloud forms.

Start your week at Oasis with coffee and treats, followed by live music and the story behind it.  Oasis Musical Mondays are underwritten by the Robin Fields Memorial Fund. From 1958 to 1964, New York’s Brill Building became the new hub of professionally written pop music. Numerous teams of talented young songwriters created an astounding number of hit tunes for performers such as the Shirelles and the Drifters. We’ll take a close look at the background of some of the songwriters such as Carole King and Gerry Goffin to see what made them so successful. Then, we’ll perform some of their best songs for you. (More Musical Mondays:  see class #110, 150, and 190)

Modern downtown Rockville has a rich African-American history. This walking tour will include spots related to enslavement and the stark injustice of lynching; a once-thriving Black community in the heart of Rockville; education as a valued means to better lives; and a milestone civil rights victory by the legendary Thurgood Marshall. In all, we’ll cover about four city blocks. Participants are responsible for their own transportation and will meet in front of Rockville Memorial Library, 21 Maryland Ave. (Metered on-street parking or time-ticketed parking in Garage A, entrance off Maryland Ave. opposite the library; Rockville Metro station 2 blocks away.) Rain date: April 17, same time.

Please join us for Oasis Volunteer Day at A Wider Circle. A Wider Circle’s Essential Support program provides basic items for the home to our neighbors seeking to rise out of poverty.  Volunteers help sort donations and stock the showrooms where clients select their items. With the help of volunteer groups like ours, A Wider Circle is able to furnish 10-20 homes free of charge each day for our neighbors in need. Volunteers will meet at A Wider Circle and receive a tour and orientation at the start of the visit. A Wider Circle is located at 9159 Brookville Road, Silver Spring, MD 20910.  There is no onsite parking for volunteers except those with mobility concerns.  Directions for parking nearby in the neighborhood and a volunteer waiver will be emailed to you before the event. Please wear closed-toed shoes (sneakers are best) and family-friendly comfortable clothes (no political messages). The Center is not fully temperature-controlled, so please dress for the weather. Limit:  20

Can Grace find happiness again at age 72?  If you have read any novels by Matt Haig, you will have a good guess at the answer and the magic in his approach to fiction – not that your guess will detract from your enjoyment of his latest.  Grace is a retired English “maths” teacher, alone, who moves to Ibiza when left a house.  Please read the book so you can participate in our structured, facilitated, Zoom discussion.  (Note: Please join the meeting at 3 pm if you would like some assistance using the features of Zoom.  Otherwise, join us at 3:15 pm for the start of our discussion.)

The son of a Minnesota Congressman, 25-year-old Charles Lindbergh achieved global fame when he piloted the Spirit of St. Louis across the Atlantic on a non-stop, solo flight. His subsequent life was one of drama and also controversy, as the kidnapping of his son filled newspapers in the early thirties, as did his objection to the United States entering the Second World War prior to Pearl Harbor. Although blocked from active military service, Lindbergh was able to aid the Allied war effort in many ways as an advisor, a role he would continue after the war. The class will discuss many aspects of Lindbergh’s career, including his reflections on the role of technology and the environment, along with his complex personal life.

In this presentation, we will discuss an event which history somehow overlooked: the attempt by a brave band of soldiers and civilians to overthrow Nazi rule in Munich, Germany, with the intention of handing the city over to the approaching Allied armies. This account is based largely on first-hand information provided by German Captain Rupprecht Gerngross, leader of the rebellion, as well as recent international research. The class details not only the planning and execution of the 1945 revolt, but also looks at its predecessor – the Munich-based anti-Nazi student underground, the White Rose.

Smartphones and social media are meant to improve our lives and help connect people. Because of their proliferation and constant presence phones sometimes hamper our ability to be fully present with those that we love. Given that phones provide a constant influx of information they can be overwhelming and, at times, depressing and anxiety producing. We'll talk about ways to use phones so they serve our individual purposes while also being mindful of their pitfalls. This program is generously supported by the Frederick H. Bowis Community Fund.

The son of a Minnesota Congressman, 25-year-old Charles Lindbergh achieved global fame when he piloted the Spirit of St. Louis across the Atlantic on a non-stop, solo flight. His subsequent life was one of drama and also controversy, as the kidnapping of his son filled newspapers in the early thirties, as did his objection to the United States entering the Second World War prior to Pearl Harbor. Although blocked from active military service, Lindbergh was able to aid the Allied war effort in many ways as an advisor, a role he would continue after the war. The class will discuss many aspects of Lindbergh’s career, including his reflections on the role of technology and the environment, along with his complex personal life.

In this presentation, we will discuss an event which history somehow overlooked: the attempt by a brave band of soldiers and civilians to overthrow Nazi rule in Munich, Germany, with the intention of handing the city over to the approaching Allied armies. This account is based largely on first-hand information provided by German Captain Rupprecht Gerngross, leader of the rebellion, as well as recent international research. The class details not only the planning and execution of the 1945 revolt, but also looks at its predecessor – the Munich-based anti-Nazi student underground, the White Rose.