Weekly Conversations Continue – October 12 MYSTERIES
By Brenda Bloch-Young and Doris Bloch,
Co-Moderators
Continuing our Wednesday Conversations series, we (Team Bloch) will moderate a Zoom discussion on Wednesday, October 12 at 4:00, where any and every OLLI member is most welcome to join us to talk about our chosen topic: Mysteries (of all sorts, e.g., novels, movies, TV shows and series, podcasts, audiobooks). We foster an informal interactive experience, and we want to hear from you, OLLI members. Share your favorites. No registration needed; participation is totally open and spontaneous. Check the Daily Schedule or just use the OLLI Chat Room meeting ID.
Mystery Novels, Movies and TV Shows: What are you reading? Watching? Who’s your favorite character or characters? Recommendations welcomed. Should OLLI provide a future class on mysteries? Is anyone currently writing a novel or have you done so in the past? Do you want to tell us a Halloween-related story? Please share with us.
Heads up for the following week’s conversation: October 19: Where In the World Would You Most Like to Live?
Each week, we pre-select a topic and advertise it in the OLLI E‑News, the OLLI E‑Blast, and the OLLI Daily Schedule email (so it will be “in your face” and hard to miss.) If you have a suggestion for a topic that will be of interest to members, please do send it to one of us: (Bblochyoung@gmail.com or dbloch50@hotmail.com). We love receiving your suggestions.
Check your Daily Schedule for the Zoom link each Wednesday and plan on some social time with Team Bloch (who are totally unrelated in case you were wondering.)
By Bob Heyer and Marilyn Harriman, Board Members and Walk and Talk Club Co-Chairs
The OLLI Walk and Talk Club will take its next trail exploration to Lake Newport in Reston on Tuesday, October 11. Starting at 8:00 from Browns Chapel Park, 1686 Browns Chapel Road, walkers will navigate a 2.4-mile path. If you’d like to join us on this or future walks, contact Marilyn Harriman at mlwharriman74@gmail.com or Bob Heyer at rheyer@verizon.net.
On September 27, twelve club members found the “Hidden Pond” in the West Springfield park at the end of Greeley Boulevard, where many frogs and turtles swim daily.
The nature center in the garden provides guidance, maps, and displays of wildlife, pavilions, and trails. We ventured down the paths and found a basketball court, children’s jungle gym, an amphitheater, an open field for activities, and a meandering stream to follow through narrow pathways.
The tracks were marked with foot-long color strips on the trees along the narrow path. We traversed up and down the rolling hills and froze at times to see the deer feeding and moving about. As we transitioned to different color paths, we had to be alert for tree roots on the path and tree markings.
It was a most pleasant and refreshing hour walk seeing the beauty of the woods and meandering stream, but we could have spent a couple of hours exploring more.
3rd Saturday, October 15 In Person and Via Zoom Favorite iOS Apps and Cross-Device Synergies (Including Windows!) Learn in 30: Scan QR Codes for Windows Apps
The Computer Club (OLLI Personal Computer User Group, or OPCUG) will meet with its partner, the Potomac Area Technology and Computer Society (PATACS), on Saturday, October 15, in person and via Zoom. You must observe OLLI/George Mason health protocols (see this link) if attending on campus. Program activities begin at 1:00; the Zoom session usually opens at 12:45. Coffee and soft drinks will be available; details on individually packaged snacks are being worked out.
Favorite iOS Apps and Cross-Device Synergies (Including Windows!) – presented by Gabe Goldberg
Though iPhones/iPads come with numerous/assorted native (built-in) apps, they're also "blank slates," ready to be customized (and filled!) with one's personal selection/collection of apps. How do you find/select the (relatively) few to use from the bazillions in the app store? And how do you know how much storage and data each app is using? This presentation will explore the app store for browsing/selecting/installing apps, tour a few of Gabe’s favorite apps, describe app management tools, and show some useful screen shortcuts. He will highlight apps from his iOS/iPadOS experience; most, or equivalents, are also available for Android devices. Note: everyone has their own favorite/essential apps, so be ready to mention a few of yours!
Gabe has had a long career in the software industry, including writing for AARP, industry and computer publications, and TheWashington Post. Gabe has been an Association of Personal Computer User Groups (APCUG) advisor for more than a decade, serving as that organization's liaison with user groups in eight states.
Learn in 30: Scan QR Codes for Windows Apps – Presented by John Krout
This presentation will describe how to obtain, install, and effectively use a free Windows application. You will learn how to save any presentation slide as a photo file on your Windows computer rapidly using a keystroke. If the saved image contains a QR code, then you can scan the QR code in the saved image later, at your own pace, after the presentation ends.
John Krout is a frequent presenter at our meetings on a wide range of computer, technology and photography topics, and author of many articles for the PATACS Posts newsletter.
To attend via Zoom’s cloud meeting service, beginning at 12:45, please click this link to join the meeting and use passcode 085407 (Note: enter passcode with NO spaces) or enter meeting ID 885 2504 2358 in the Zoom app and use the above passcode (preferred method) or dial 301-715-8592.
Mason Jazz Performances in October Include Happy Hour in Reston and More
By Darden Purcell, D.M.A., Mason Director of Jazz Studies,Jazz Voice
I have curated a series for the Reston Town Center and Reston Community Center, booking some of the best musicians in the area! This outdoor concert series is FREE and open to the public! Concerts are presented 5:00 to 6:15 outdoors at the Reston Town Square Park on Thursdays and will run through the end of October. Join us for this ongoing concert series!
Guitarist and Mason jazz faculty member Shawn Purcell will perform Monday, October 17 at Blues Alley to mark the release of his Origin Records CD "180." Performances are at 7:00 and 9:00. The album includes ten Purcell original compositions and one standard by the great Johnny Mandel. To purchase tickets: click here.
The Mason Jazz Ensemble performs its fall concert Wednesday, October 19 at 8:00 in Harris Theatre. This concert will feature outstanding soloists and will pay tribute to the great big bands of Duke Ellington, Count Basie, Dizzy Gillespie, Thad Jones, Rob McConnell and more! Tickets available at this link.
Join your OLLI friends for a wicked good time on Friday, October 21, 3:00-5:00 at the Tallwood campus for a fun Halloween party. Refreshments, including snacks, candy, and beverages, will be served.
Enjoy a range of entertainments:
Visit Ariana LightningStorm, a professional palm reader, for a five-minute private reading
Take a selfie with a celebrity, including George Washington, Audrey Hepburn, and Elvis
The Tallwood Book club, which meets via Zoom at 2:30 on second Fridays, has scheduled the following books for discussion:
October 14 – Oh William by Elizabeth Strout
November 11 – Klara and the Sun by Kazuo Ishiguro
December 9 – My Antonia by Willa Cather
January 13 – Year of Wonders by Geraldine Brooks
February 10 – The Handmaid's Tale by Margaret Atwood.
Event links will appear in the OLLI Daily-Schedule email. Join us.
The first brave yellow leaf
S
A
I
L
E
D
Pirouetting gliding
to land on the ground
Getting a front row seat
Awaiting the soloists and clusters
Who would soon show off their own
acrobatics
Here’s the marks
9.0 for innovative route
9.5 for enchanting collaborations
8.8 for dramatic landing
10.0 for pure pleasure
A fall flourish
before settling down
to rest together Susan Rexroad
Current vaccination policy for the Center for the Arts and Hylton Performing Arts Center is summarized as follows:
Audience members are not currently required to show proof of vaccination, or a negative COVID-19 test result for most events except when required by the event organizer or artist. If proof of vaccination or a negative COVID-19 test result is required for a specific event, it will be indicated on the webpage with event details.
Dr. Linda Apple Monson produces a periodic “Notes from the Director.” This email is full of interesting online performances by the students and faculty of the School of Music. If you would like to receive these bulletins, just sign up at this link to stay in touch. Also, the Center for the Arts has a website,Mason Arts at Home, which has a calendar of online events and access to many past performances. Information can also be found at CFA ticket purchase page, Center for the Arts YouTube Channel, or the Hylton ticket purchase page.
Please note: Although some physical meetings for clubs and activities are canceled, some may be meeting in person or, in a hybrid mode, both in person and online. OLLI events and activities meeting online bear the identification "Z" in their course or event number (except clubs; you may need to check the OLLI calendar and daily schedule email for location and other event information). Refer to the university's coronavirus website for official university updates.
The following list covering the next two weeks is extracted for your convenience from the master online calendar maintained by the office. The list is accurate as of mid-week but for the most up-to-date information, please view the latest forecast of coming events on our website (News/OLLI Calendar). Note: All OLLI members are welcome at, and encouraged to attend, meetings of the Board of Directors, committees and resource groups, kick-off coffees, etc. (bolded below). The OLLI office has sent (or will send) emails with links and meeting passwords to club members; you may also log in at the member portal and click on ZOOM CLASS LINKS.
Sat Oct 8
10:30 am
Tai Chi Club
Mon Oct 10
9:30 am
What’s in the Daily News?
Tue Oct 11
4:30 pm
Tai Chi Club
Wed Oct 12
1:45 pm
1:45 pm
4:00 pm
4:00 pm
6:00 pm
Bridge Club
Spanish Club
Mah Jongg Club
Conversations with Brenda and Doris
Ethnic Eats Club
Thu Oct 13
4:00 pm
4:30 pm
Reston Book Club
Tai Chi Club
Fri Oct 14
9:15 am
9:30 am
9:30 am
10:00 am
11:00 am
11:00 am
11:30 am
2:30 pm
Recorder Consort
Photography Club
Craft and Conversation
Grab ‘n’ Gab Coffee Klatch
Classic Literature Club
Homer, etc.
Cooking Club
Tallwood Book Club
Sat Oct 15
10:30 am
1:00 pm
Tai Chi Club
Personal Computer User Group
Mon Oct 17
9:30 am
What’s in the Daily News?
Tue Oct 18
4:00 pm
4:30 pm
Spanish Club
Tai Chi Club
Wed Oct 19
1:45 pm
1:45 pm
2:00 pm
Bridge Club
Mah Jongg Club
Memoir and More Writing Group
Thu Oct 20
4:30 pm
Tai Chi Club
Fri Oct 21
9:15 am
9:30 am
10:00 am
11:00 am
11:00 am
3:00 pm
Recorder Consort
Craft and Conversation Board of Directors Meeting
Classic Literature Club
Homer, etc.
OLLI Halloween Social
OLLI E-News was created by Rod Zumbro, who served as its editor from 2005 to 2013.
Editorial Staff
Chief Editor: Paul Van Hemel
Associate Editor: David Gundry
Weekly Editor Team: David Gundry, John Nash, Sheri Siesseger, Paul Van Hemel Proofreaders: Rebecca Jann, Susan Van Hemel, Linda Randall, Tom Appich, Jane Hassell
Submissions: Members are encouraged to submit letters to the editor, letters to Ms. Ollie Ettakit (on etiquette matters), OLLI-related news items, articles, and photos. Submit material to: ollienewseditor@gmail.com. Deadline: Tuesday, 6:00, for that week's issue (Monday, 6:00, for letters to the editor); early submissions are greatly appreciated. Please limit articles to about 250 words. Search E-News: You can view past issues of OLLI E-News at ENews Archives. To search the content within issues, use Search or enter your search term(s) in Google followed by “site:ollidev.earthcare.com/” without the quotes. An Amazon Smile Link appears here. When you shop using the Smile link designating OLLI as your charitable choice, we'll receive a 0.5 % donation, based on the value of your purchase.
I have curated a series for the Reston Town Center and Reston Community Center, booking some of the best musicians in the area! This outdoor concert series is FREE and open to the public! Concerts are presented 5:00 to 6:15 outdoors at the Reston Town Square Park on Thursdays and will run through the end of October. Join us for this ongoing concert series!
