1/23 2:45pm   Programs of interest at the Norfolk Public Library: Lighthouses of New England & the Northeast Lighthouses have a fascinating history and have held peoples' interest for centuries. Join Bill Patton for a slide presentation of lighthouses up and down the New England coast at the Library on January 29 at 7:00 p.m. Mr. Patton is a retired college professor and he has many stories to tell about lighthouses and the ships they help to guide and protect.. Here's a sneak peek: In 1846 a ship wrecked off the coast of Portland. Among those rescued was a young boy, John Fitzgerald, who later became the mayor of Boston and was JFK's maternal grandfather. This program is offered free of charge and registration is not required. Valentine Making Workshop Adults & teens are invited to attend this card making workshop, February 4th at 7:00 PM, led by librarians Sarina Bluhm and Kathy Astley. Give your loved ones handmade valentines that they will treasure for years to come. The library will provide the supplies... you provide the inspiration! Please call the library at 508-528-3380 to register. Cupid's Cool Craft Convention for Children The Jr. Friends of the Norfolk Public Library will host Cupid's Cool Craft Convention on Saturday, February 9, from 10:00 to 12:00. Jr. Friends supply materials and know-how for make and take Valentine's Day greetings, 25¢ and up. There will also be a bake sale. Drop in for some Valentine's Day fun. All proceeds benefit the Jr. Friends of the Library. Mind Body Motherhood: The Ocean Within You 5-Week Workshop Facilitated by Dr. Kumkum Malik A Mother's stress has been largely ignored in medical as well as psychological literature, when not actively minimized. New research suggests that a woman's stress response is markedly different from a man's, and needs very different interventions. When these are not provided, mother's suffer from stress related disorders such as sleep disturbances, constant fatigue, anxiety, depression, and that age old ``woman's problem,'' low self-esteem. The Norfolk Public Library will offer a five-week program starting Sunday, February 3, thru Sunday, March 2. This series will take a strength-based approach as its guiding principle, with tools to help mothers name, understand and begin to overcome the stresses of motherhood. Mothers will be invited to read short articles that present rich, insightful writing by women on motherhood, and to practice the mind-body tools they learn each week. The sessions will stress friendly conversation and a like-minded focus on making the most out of life. There will be five two-hour sessions, from 2:00 to 4:00 p.m. each Sunday. Each session will be divided into two segments: focusing on Feeding the Mind during the first half, and Strengthening the Mind-Body Connection during the second half. Session 1 Part 1: Feeding the Mind. The Myths of Motherhood. How Culture Reinvents the Good Mother. A broad introduction to the cultural practice of ignoring a mother's needs, and even her very existence. Part 2: Strengthening the Mind-Body Connection. Learning about the neuro-physiological basis of the Female Stress Response, and learning how to practice Breath Focus. Session 2 Part 1: Feeding the Mind. Teenage, or ``it's all about the boobs, baby.'' What we gained, and what was lost. Part 2: Strengthening the Mind Body Connection. Learning Body Scan Relaxation. Session 3 Part 1: Feeding the Mind. The Joys (and Aftermath) of becoming a Mother. Trying our best to be good mothers. Part 2: Strengthening the Mind-Body Connection. Learning Autogenic (self-hypnosis) Relaxation. Session 4 Part 1: Feeding the Mind. The Middle Years. Confusion, anger, and the road to growth. The Ocean Within. Part 2: Strengthening the Mind-Body Connection. Guided Visualization to access your inner voice. Session 5 Part 1: Feeding the Mind. A Mother's journey. You've come a Long Way Baby. Re-assessing losses and gains. Part 2: Strengthening the Mind-Body connection. Let's have fun and eat together! Dr. Kumkum Malik is a licensed psychologist. She is the founder of Dr. Malik & Associates, and maintains offices in Wellesley & Norfolk. Dr. Malik is also the founder of Amma (pronounced Uhmma), A Mother's Journey, an enterprise dedicated to helping mother's access their strengths. Dr. Malik brings over 25 years of experience to her work, along with a calm, deeply nuanced appreciation for the journey of life. She has specialized in working on Motherhood as a life journey, and wrote her Doctoral Dissertation on women's autobiographies, or ``women telling their life story in their own words.'' Dr. Malik is also a specialist in Mind-Body Medicine (how the mind and body interact in human behavior, emotions, and illnesses), as Fellow, Harvard Medical School, at Cambridge Hospital. Dr. Malik uses holistic approaches such as relaxation based therapies, deep breathing techniques, imagery based interventions, self-hypnosis strategies, as well as meditation based techniques. In addition to her doctoral degree, Dr. Malik has two Master's Degrees (Delhi University and the Harvard Graduate School of Education). She believes that her most valued credential is the humility she experiences when sitting with women as they make meaning of their complex lives. Currently she is immersed in helping mothers develop the tools to progress in their life choices, and connect with their own strengths. Her approach integrates careful attention to a woman's concrete life realities, with the impact of these upon her mind as well as her body. The Norfolk Public Library is pleased to be able to offer this series free of charge to all participants. Please call the library at 508-528-3380 to register. - Robin Glasser, Director Norfolknet.com your community, on-line