A Room of One's Own Alexandra Borrie Tuesday, November 1, 2011 at 12:30 p.m. Playing the role of Virginia Woolf, Alexandra Borrie will deliver a condensed version of several lectures, given to several womens' colleges in England during the mid 1920's and published under the now famous title A Room Of One's Own in 1929. Woolf herself describes the work as " a trifle...written with ardour and conviction". It is that and a good deal more, addressing a woman's need for money, time and a private space in which to create art. Location: Liberman-Miller Lecture Hall, Women’s Studies Research Center, Epstein Building, Brandeis University Contact: Rosa Taormina, taormina@brandeis.edu, http://go.brandeis.edu/wsrc

Dr. Matthew Raider will discuss the parallels between near death experiences and the experiences of meditators in the past and today. Sponsored by the Friends of the Waltham Public Library, this event is free but seating limited. Call to reserve at 781-314-3425 ext 2 or online under "Events Calendar" at waltham.lib.ma.us.

Celebrate orchid blooming season. Hundreds of orchid plants are for sale, including many hard-to-find varieties. Visit the greenhouses and enjoy gorgeous floral colors, shapes, and scents. Among the many varieties on display and for sale are cattleyas, laelias, oncidiums, Paphiopedilum, and Phalaenopsis. Their long-lasting and showy blooms make orchids a dramatic addition to any indoor environment and this adaptable species can be grown in a variety of home conditions.

More than eighty members of the Waltham Mills Artists Association and Lincoln Studios will open their studios to the public. These artists work in a wide range of media including sculpture, painting, glass, printmaking, textiles, film and video. Parking at RTN Credit Union 600 N. Main Street.

More than eighty members of the Waltham Mills Artists Association and Lincoln Studios will open their studios to the public. These artists work in a wide range of media including sculpture, painting, glass, printmaking, jewelry, textiles, film and video. Parking at RTN Credit Union 600 N. Main Street.

Returning to the Old New World, Part 2 Ludmila Shtern Tuesday, November 8, 2011 at 12:30 p.m. This presentation summarizes my observations of the changes that have taken place in Russia since the demise of the Soviet Union. I will share my experiences in the literary and political worlds from 1990 to the present. I will also read from my new book on this topic. Location: Liberman-Miller Lecture Hall, Women’s Studies Research Center, Epstein Building, Brandeis University Contact: Rosa Taormina, taormina@brandeis.edu, http://go.brandeis.edu/wsrc

Join the Ligue Francophone of New England for "An Evening of History, Music and Food" at the Waltham Public Library. Dr. Helene Day will provide the history via her illustrated lecture "Who Was Wilfrid Laurier?" Monsieur Roger L'Heureux will provide folkloric pieces on his accordion. Sponsored by the Friends of the Waltham Public Library, this event is free but seating limited. Call ahead to reserve 781-314-3425 ext 2 or online under "Events Calendar" at waltham.lib.ma.us.

What was it like to live in the dark with only candles to light your way? Led by a guide in period clothing, this special evening tour of the beautiful Governor Gore mansion will explore life before the electric light. Free parking. Capacity limited. Advance tickets suggested. To order, call: (781) 894-2798.

Join a guide dressed in period costume who will use the famous author's words to describe life in the Regency era while touring the beautiful 1806 Governor Gore mansion. Capacity limited. Call for tickets.

Don't miss Mimi Braverman on Degas. The noted art historian and adjunct lecturer with the MFA will detail the exhibit co-organized by the Museum of Fine Arts, Boston, and the Musee d'Orsay in Paris. Sponsored by the Friends of the Waltham Public Library, this event is free but seating limited. Call to reserve 781-314-3425 ext 2 or online under "Events Calendar" at waltham.lib.ma.us.

CD Audio-Play Launch and Talk/Performance: ‘Perceval & the Grail’ Diana Durham and Alexandra Borrie Tuesday, November 15, 2011 at 12:30 p.m. Narrated by the opinionated sorceress Morgana, this retelling weaves original insights into the 12th century from over a decade of study and explains in simple terms the meaning of the Grail. The story is comic, fast-moving and relevant to women and men of all ages and backgrounds. We will present excerpts, summarize the story and explore its meaning. Location: Liberman-Miller Lecture Hall, Women’s Studies Research Center, Epstein Building, Brandeis University Contact: Rosa Taormina, taormina@brandeis.edu, http://go.brandeis.edu/wsrc

Wine expert Paul Malagrifa will be offering a selection of popular wines from the early 19th century as well as some wonderful contemporary wines. Taste the fine wines in vogue in Gore's day in the beautiful surroundings of Gore Place.

The Long Street: a Visual Journey Emily Corbato Thursday, November 17, 2011 at 12:30 p.m. This presentation draws upon several series of photographic detours taken while traveling to different places. In these explorations ordinary experiences become fanciful, curious, and sometimes profound. I have selected images, some with texts, from many portfolios, creating a photographic trip through ideas and image. This detour will include work from Alcatraz, Terezin, Lebanon, Peru, “Mother’s Apartment”, new work-in-progress, recent images from Plum Island as well as other surprises. Location: Liberman-Miller Lecture Hall, Women’s Studies Research Center, Epstein Building, Brandeis University Contact: Rosa Taormina, taormina@brandeis.edu, http://go.brandeis.edu/wsrc

You don’t need a greenhouse to grow orchids. Success can be achieved on your windowsill. Learn the essentials of growing orchids; media, light, water, temperature, fertilization, selection and repotting are taught by Lyman Estate Greenhouse Manager and horticulturist, Lynn Ackerman.

What was life like 200 years ago? Find out how people ate, slept, worked, and played with a special tour just for kids! Explore the Gore Place mansion with a costumed guide and take part in fun activities and puzzles. $7, Designed for children 8-12 years old. Reservations are required by November 17 as space is limited. To reserve, email tamar.agulian@goreplace.org or call(781) 894-2798.

The Roads not Taken: Ego-Histoire or my Encounter with Three Women Scientists. (Two Nobel Laureates and a "Girl Interrupted") Pnina G. Abir-Am Thursday, November 17, 2011 at 12:30 p.m. This talk examines the overlapping careers of three women scientists by reflecting on how their careers and lives in science relate to the unfinished gender revolution of the 1970s, to each other, as well as to this historian author, who happens to share key biographical features with all three subjects. Two of these scientists are members of the first ever team of women Nobel Laureates in 2009 (for the discovery of telomerase and the role of telomeres in replication, aging, and cancer) while relating to each other as Ph.D. adviser and advisee. The third scientist was their predecessor, and actually the first woman to be hired in the Department of Molecular Biology at the University of California at Berkeley in the mid-1970s, prior to becoming part of the “leaking pipeline” of women in science. The essay concludes by highlighting the under-utilized synergy between the interests of wo/men scientists and wo/men historians in making both science and the world at large a more robust space of gender equality. Location: Liberman-Miller Lecture Hall, Women’s Studies Research Center, Epstein Building, Brandeis University Contact: Rosa Taormina, taormina@brandeis.edu, http://go.brandeis.edu/wsrc

) Enjoy a tour of the beautiful 1806 Gore mansion led by a guide in period clothing telling stories of how people entertained in the early 1800s. Capacity limited. For advanced tickets, call (781) 894-2798.

Businesses throughout the downtown show their Holiday Prelude creativity by decorating their windows for the season! Walk or drive through downtown Waltham and enjoy the displays. Have a favorite? We'd love to know. Email us your favorite(s) at discoverwaltham@gmail.com Windows will be judged by the DTI Committee members and winners will be announced before Christmas.

Celebrate Holiday Prelude with SAVINGS! There is something for everyone at Gourmet Pottery. Just say the magic word 'Fruitcake' before we ring up your merchandise and receive 10% off your entire purchase at Gourmet Pottery!

Mayor Jeannette A. McCarthy invites you celebrate the first evening of Waltham Holiday Prelude with the City's Annual Holiday Tree Lighting on Waltham Common. The Waltham High School show choirs will be on hand to get everyone in the holiday spirit with singing some holiday classics! Santa’s mailbox will also be set up on the Common for children to leave their letters to Santa during the holiday season (be sure to leave a return address on each child’s letter). Parents make sure to bring your camera to take your child’s photo on Santa’s lap in City Hall after the tree lighting is kicked off on the Common. The Waltham West Suburban Chamber of Commerce will have a table of information about the 4th Annual Holiday Prelude,the Waltham Tourism Website and the Watch City Card

Small Business Saturday is part of Waltham Holiday Prelude each year. Look for the American Express flyers on establishment doors or windows throughout the city. As an American Express customer, Am Exp will credit your account $25. when you use your card to shop on November 26th! Local business owners pay local taxes and give to many local charities. Keep your business local and show your support of Waltham businesses by shopping and dining local on Small Business Saturday, November 26th!

As part of the 4th Annual Waltham Holiday Prelude, The Tea Leaf will open at 9:30am for holiday shopping, tea, breakfast pastries, lunch,Afternoon Tea, etc. Please call for tearoom reservations. Mrs. Jessica Claus will, once again, visit The Tea Leaf from 1-3pm. Children are encouraged to bring their letters to Santa and Mrs. Claus will take them back to the North Pole. Please be sure to put return address on the letter so that Santa can reply! Bring your camera! Free candy canes, tea sampling and save 20% on your entire purchase of regular priced items!

Holiday Music Favorites, plus Swan Lake, March of the Wooden Soldiers, Harry Potter Suite. Holiday Singalong. Refreshments, Raffles, Cash Bar. Fun for the Whole Family during the Holiday Prelude! Show your City Card and get a free raffle ticket!

Coming to America: Success and Failure in the First Generation of Filene's Ann W. Caldwell Thursday, November 17, 2011 at 12:30 p.m. Catherine (Kay) Filene Shouse (1896-1994) never knew economic hardship. She had money all her life, thanks to the spectacular success of her father Lincoln Filene, and her uncle Edward, at the Boston specialty store William Filene and Sons. But the Filene money and famous name only partially explain the drive, soaring ambition, and powerful search for meaning through philanthropy that Kay brought to her long life in Washington DC. In this early chapter of her biography, I explore how much the backdrop of failure, poverty and even bankruptcy of her immigrant grandparents fueled Kay's determination. Location: Liberman-Miller Lecture Hall, Women’s Studies Research Center, Epstein Building, Brandeis University Contact: Rosa Taormina, taormina@brandeis.edu, http://go.brandeis.edu/wsrc

As part of Waltham Holiday Prelude, enjoy private shopping and light refreshments at 9:00am before Bon Worth opens to the general public. At 10:00am there will be a fall and winter fashion show of Bon Worth's latest arrivals!

Come in from the cold to a warm and festive historic setting decorated for the holidays! Warm up to the holidays with seasonal music by the Waltham Philharmonic Chamber Players while previewing sample exhibits about this national treasure in your own back yard. See more Waltham Holiday Prelude festivities at www.walthamtourism.com.