As the summer months end, I am hearing that several OLLI members traveled abroad or spent time at the beach. This is an indication that we are moving towards normalcy after COVID. I am sure all of us are looking forward to the great array of classes waiting for us in the fall. I signed up for ten classes and it was hard to choose. That is one of the reasons that I like OLLI Mason so much. Our members have input on the subjects that they are interested in learning more about, and then phenomenal instructors are recruited to teach those subjects. But you already know that.
The thing that I missed most is seeing my friends and meeting new people in the classroom. We were fortunate to keep our programs going with Zoom during the worst of the COVID pandemic and OLLI will continue to offer Zoom and hybrid classes. I realize that we are not completely out of the woods with COVID variants, but there is hope with a new vaccine that is expected to be ready for distribution in September.
I encourage those of us who can do so to come back to class and enjoy the social aspects of OLLI. The social events and clubs make OLLI a unique and multifaceted experience and not just an online course provider. With in-person classes, we are able to see people before and after class and laugh and talk about what we learned. It is so much more fun than looking at each other in boxes on a screen. Besides, members who come to campus get a hot cup of OLLI coffee, making the experience even more enjoyable! This is encouragement enough for me to get out of my pajamas and get dressed for class so I can mingle with friends.
The Health Advisory Team has given us guidelines on returning to in-person learning—masks are optional, but encouraged. Those guidelines are even more cautious than those at senior centers in this area. For those of you who feel more comfortable wearing a mask, please do so. It is my hope, as OLLI president and an OLLI member, that we can get back to normal as soon as possible. It has been a long road and it is time for us to move on.
The Tallwood Book Club will continue to meet via Zoom on the 2nd Friday of each month at 2:30. The September 9 selection is Lillian Boxfish Takes a Walk by Kathleen Rooney.
In October, we will discuss Oh William! by Elizabeth Strout.
In November, the selection is Klara and the Sun by Kazuo Ishiguro.
Join Us for a spontaneous OLLI event, September 11.
As part of our OLLI social activities program (newly named “Diversions”), we are proposing a spontaneous outing to hear the Virginia Chamber Orchestra (VCO) perform a concert at Meadowlark Gardens in Vienna. For one month in fall and another month in spring, the VCO offers a series of free outdoor concerts each Sunday afternoon and OLLI members can readily take advantage of an hour or two in a beautiful setting, relaxing and listening to classical music on the lawn, or, if lucky enough, under the shade of a tree.
Meadowlark Botanical Garden, located on Beulah Road, is a 90‑acre park with three lakes and lovely plantings. There is a charge to enter the park: $3 for those over 55, but no charge for the concert itself. For more information visit websites: Meadowlark Gardens link; VCO link.
The concert on September 11 is billed as a guitar quintet performance and the program, featuring pieces by Beethoven, Bach, and Piazzola among others, is listed on the above VCO website. It runs from 3:00–4:00, but you can arrive earlier, listen to the musicians tune up, and grab a good viewing and hearing spot (shaded, if possible). No OLLI registration is required.
I will be there (Doris Bloch, dbloch50@hotmail.com) in the entrance area to welcome you to the gardens and, if so desired, gather OLLI members together. Note that you will want to bring a blanket or folding chair and likely some water. Once you stake out a spot, you are free to stroll around the gardens until the concert begins. The concerts are held in the area of the Korean Bell Garden, and it is a downhill walk of five to ten minutes to get there.
In the event of rain, check the VCO website to see if the concert will be held. Hoping to meet and greet lots of OLLI members on the 11th.
By Marilyn Harriman and Bob Heyer, Board Members and Walk & Talk Club Coordinators
Great News! The walking group is starting up again as the OLLI Walk & Talk Club. Our objectives are to
Meet new and old friends and talk along the way
Explore trails familiar to us as well as new trails
Get in walking exercise as we enjoy nature and friends
Fairfax County has many interesting parks and neighborhoods that are worth exploring, some that you may have walked and others you haven’t.
We will start between 8:00 and 10:00 on weekday mornings, with walks being 45 minutes to one hour in length. Times will be set to allow walkers time to attend their classes. Time permitting, we can have lunch afterwards. Walking dates will be scheduled based on interested walkers’ availability during a given week.
If you would like to walk or lead a walk around Fairfax trails and neighborhoods weekly or biweekly, please contact Marilyn Harriman or Bob Heyer, and we will place you on the OLLI Walk & Talk distribution list to receive emails for scheduled walks. In addition, be sure to register for the OLLI Walk & Talk Club, Fall 2022 at the member portal.
Our first scheduled club walk will be in the South Run area on September 12 at 8:00. A second walk is scheduled for September 19, 8:30 starting from the Tallwood campus.
By Michele Romano, Health Advisory Committee Chair
Reminder: mark your calendars! Don’t forget to sign up for 1205Z: ‘COVID-19 Update’ which will meet on September 12, 2022, at 1:00. You won’t find it in the catalog as it is a between-term class. You may register using the member portal.
It has been almost three years now since COVID‑19 arrived on the scene. We’ll look at where we were, where we are, and where we are headed—and how all this affects us at OLLI.
Then, what about long-haul COVID? We’ll go over Center for Disease Control (CDC) and Fairfax County risk levels. We’ll review CDC and Mason protocols. I’ll have a list of calculators and websites for you. This will be recorded, but you might want to have your cellphone cameras ready to take pics of any slides you are interested in or otherwise capture the screen. My email is tufax2@gmail.com if you have any questions now or later.
By Brenda Bloch-Young and Doris Bloch, Co-Moderators
Starting Wednesday September 14 at 4:00, Brenda Bloch-Young and Doris Bloch will moderate a weekly Zoom session, where any and every OLLI member is most welcome to join us to talk about our chosen topic. It is designed to be both a learning experience, a getting-to-know-you experience, and just a friendly outlet where we can all relax and relate. No sign-ups needed; participation is totally open and spontaneous.
Each week we will pre-select a topic, and advertise it in the OLLI E‑News, the OLLI E‑Blast, and the OLLI Daily Schedule. We have brainstormed on a number of subjects, but 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 suggestions.
The first conversation will be devoted to discussing word games based on apps, mainly, but not exclusively, those played on cell phones. We have a list of games; perhaps you can contribute a few more for us OLLI puzzle-mad folks. If you haven't tried playing one of these games as yet, join us to understand why we are hooked.
Check your Daily Schedule for the Zoom link each Wednesday and plan on some social time with the Bloch women (who are totally non-related, in case you wondered.)
If you have questions, contact one of us at the email addresses shown above.
By Toni Acton, Board Member and Member Services Committee Chair
Social activities are coming back to OLLI, and we’re starting with our OLLI-Wide Kick-Off Coffee on Thursday, September 15, at 10:00 at Tallwood. For all those who have missed seeing their friends in person, this is your chance. And for our new members, what a wonderful opportunity to get to know other OLLI members, both old and new. There will be great food provided by our Hospitality Committee (all individually wrapped per the OLLI health guidelines) and, for the first time in two years, coffee and water will be available. Masks are optional. We want you to feel comfortable, especially if you haven’t been on campus recently.
There will be an opportunity to learn about any changes in OLLI operations and facilities, presented by our executive director and the president of OLLI-Mason, with plenty of time for questions. We’ll even have a tour of the Tallwood facilities for our new members, including the infamous “Potty Barn.”
Please join us on September 15 – register for event 1201 via the member portal or contact the registrar at ollireg@gmu.edu.
3rd Saturday, September 17 In Person and Via Zoom Thinking About Building or Buying a New Computer? Learn in 30: Lessons Learned Using Spotify to DJ My 50th High School Reunion
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, September 17, in person and via Zoom. If attending in person, you must observe OLLI Mason health protocols (see this link). Coffee and soft drinks will be available; details on individually packaged snacks are being worked out. Program activities begin at 1:00; the Zoom session usually opens at 12:45.
Thinking About Building or Buying a New Computer? – Presented by Roger Fujii
Given the upcoming announcements of new central processing units (CPUs) and graphics cards, the introduction of double data rate 5 (DDR5), and the graphics processing unit (GPU) pricing crash, now is a good time to think about building a new computer. Even if you don't want to build it yourself, knowing what the parts are will be useful in evaluating whether the price is good for what you are getting. The talk will cover the components needed and some potential pitfalls.
Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute (RPI)-graduate Roger Fujii is a PATACS technology guru and has been helping OLLI with knotty technical issues since 2006.
Learn in 30: Lessons Learned Using Spotify to DJ My 50th High School Reunion – Presented by Mike Pafford
This ‘Learn in 30’ has Mike Pafford back again, to tell us about his lessons learned in using his Spotify premium account to provide the background music at his recent 50th high-school reunion. In February, Mike gave a longer, detailed presentation on how he ‘thought’ he might use Spotify to do this. In this, much shorter, talk, he’ll let us know what he really did; what went right; what went wrong; and what he learned from the experience. Bottom line: this really turned out to be an example of “If I can do it, anybody can!”
Mike Pafford is a retired systems engineer, having had careers in the Navy and at Johns Hopkins Applied Physics Lab. Previously, he presented a fascinating session about a cross-country trip in an electric vehicle.
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 in – 301-715-8592.
By Linda H. Harber, Friends of Mason Music President
The Mason music we love is back live for fall semester. I am very excited and looking forward to the Sunday, September 18 Grand Piano Celebration at 3:00 in the Center for the Arts Concert Hall. It is a favorite for opening the musical season—can’t wait. Dr. Linda Apple Monson will perform with faculty and student musicians for an extraordinary celebration.
Mason’s Arts by George is the following Saturday, September 24. This tradition features a potpourri of all the diverse and wonderful talents within the College of Visual and Performing Arts at Mason. The special evening is back for the first time since before the pandemic.
Join the Dewberry Music School again October 12 for a Mason Symphony Orchestra Concert, October 15 for the Fall Choral Festival Concert, and October 17 for the Mason Wind Symphony & Symphonic Band Concert. These are all in Mason’s Center for the Arts!
Please let me (lharber@gmu.edu) know if you want to be on the Friends of Music at Mason (FOMM) email list for newsletters and Friday Musical Moments. Careful reading of (and responding to) upcoming newsletters may even win you a parking pass for the Mason Pond Deck—great parking for these upcoming events. There is also free parking in lot K on campus.
The Use of Masks to Reduce the Risk of Respiratory Illness (e.g., Influenza, COVID) in Indoor Community Settings
By Christine Narbut, Health Advisory Workgroup Member
There are many variables to consider when deciding about the need to wear a mask at a public indoor setting. Understanding the purpose of a mask and the types of masks available is important information to have when making the decision. Masks primarily are designed to protect the wearer from contracting a respiratory disease from someone else. Secondarily, it can also prevent you from passing the disease to someone else if you currently have active illness.
There are many types of masks available on the market, but only one type of mask is certified by NIOSH (National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health) to protect the wearer from contracting a respiratory disease. That is the N95 mask.
Loosely woven cloth products provide the least protection, layered finely woven products offer more protection, well-fitting disposable surgical masks and KN95s offer even more protection, and well-fitting NIOSH-approved respirators (including N95s) offer the highest level of protection. The Centers for Disease Control (CDC) continues to recommend that you wear the most protective mask you can that fits well and that you will wear consistently.
There are many different brands of N95 masks. All have a flexible metal nose bridge that can be molded over the nose, and bands that go over and behind the head, which improve the fit. The fit can be evaluated by breathing out in the mask and feeling for air escaping under the eyes and around the cheeks and under the chin. If air is felt in these areas the mask is not the best fit. Here is a link to the CDC Guide for use of your N95 mask.
Your personal health and vaccine status as well as the level of disease in the community also determine whether wearing a mask is recommended. Please consult your physician about your risk and the recommendation for your participation in OLLI classrooms and at social events.
If you have questions or comments, please contact Michele Romano, Chair, Health Advisory Workgroup, tufax2@gmail.com.
What are OLLI Program Planning Groups and What Do They Do?
By Camille Hodges, Humanities and Social Sciences/Current Events Program Planning Group Cochair
So happy you asked! OLLI program planning groups are OLLI member volunteers responsible for reviewing and selecting course proposals each quarter. There are thirteen program planning groups, each responsible for a specific topic. You will find them listed in the Table of Contents of each OLLI catalog. The members meet regularly to brainstorm ideas for course presentations, discuss possible presenters, create courses, and contact instructors for future classes. In addition, each program planning group reviews course proposals submitted independently by interested persons who desire to share their expertise. Courses are discussed with and confirmed by program associates who keep track of classes and determine their scheduling.
Who can join a program planning group? Anyone interested in supporting a particular course topic may join a program planning group. We rely on personal and professional contacts and the ability to encourage people to present courses at OLLI. Program planning group members often work together to create, support, or present a class; many groups now meet via Zoom.
Keep in mind that no presenter receives monetary compensation for teaching at OLLI-Mason. Therefore, we are extremely grateful for each of our instructors.
For information regarding joining the Humanities and Social Sciences/Current Events Program Planning Group contact: Camille Hodges mimihodges4@gmail.com or Peggy O’Brien mazob@live.com.
For other OLLI program planning group information contact staff program associates: smorrow4@gmu.edu or nklein4@gmu.edu. Thank you.
Some older adults who want to “age in place” are showing renewed interest in renting a room in their home. They are looking for extra income, assistance with home chores, and other benefits. The Washington Post recently published an article about it: https://wapo.st/3JYlUz8. There was also a recent PBS News Hour home-sharing report that you can watch by clicking here.
As mentioned in these and other news stories, a number of jurisdictions around the county have set up third-party-arranged services to assist older homeowners with home sharing. Some programs help match older adults with similar age housemates, and some arrange matches with young adults. This service can arrange for background checks, advertising, problem resolution, and assistance with rental agreements, among other tasks.
The Fairfax County Board of Supervisors has recently asked its Area Agency on Aging to investigate setting up a home-sharing program here. The Fairfax Area Commission on Aging, which is an advisory committee to the Area Agency on Aging, is assisting in this task and is surveying the views of older homeowners in the area about home sharing. To let your views be known (whether or not you think home sharing would work for you), please click on this link to take a short, 6‑item survey.
Your responses will be anonymous.
The results will be shared with the Fairfax County Area Agency on Aging and the Board of Supervisors to assist them in their assessment of home sharing. Thanks!
The last sandwich was consumed
in the Little Purity Diner,
in the Bronx,
just before a tsunami
swept down 12th Street
and up 7th Avenue
to the park,
carrying everyone away,
everyone who was anyone,
leaving everyone else
with a sense of fair play.
Crying and mourning occurred,
of course;
it ebbed,
leaving the survivors
with a burst of creative energy.
The Bronx was reconfigured
along new lines.
It became the Miracle on 34th Street.
Everyone returned to speaking Bronxian.
Independence was declared from Manhattan.
High-rises were banned.
The park was expanded.
Queens was told to go live in its own dream.
As to Brooklyn,
it didn’t have the chutzpah to object,
living, as it did, in a state of Moonstruck.
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. Refer to the university's coronavirus website for official university updates; also, check the OLLI calendar and daily schedule email for event information.
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 Sep 3
10:30 am
Tai Chi Club
Mon Sep 5
9:30 am
What’s in the Daily News?
Tue Sep 6
9:30 am
4:30 pm
Annex Art
Tai Chi Club
Wed Sep 7
10:00 am
10:00 am
10:30 am
2:00 pm
Bridge Club
Mah Jongg Club
Tom Crooker Investment Forum
Memoir and More Writing Group
Thu Sep 8
10:00 am
11:50 am
4:30 pm
Special Events Program Planning Group
All the News
Tai Chi Club
Fri Sep 9
9:15 am
9:30 am
9:30 am
11:00 am
11:30 am
2:30 pm
Recorder Consort
Photography Club
Craft and Conversation
Homer, etc.
Cooking Club
Tallwood Book Club
Sat Sep 10
10:30 am
Tai Chi Club
Mon Sep 12
9:30 am
11:00 am
What’s in the Daily News?
Poetry Club
Tue Sep 13
9:30 am
4:30 pm
Annex Art
Tai Chi Club
Wed Sep 14
10:00 am
10:30 am
12:00 noon
4:00 pm
Bridge Club
Tom Crooker Investment Forum
Staff Pre-Term Meeting
Mah Jongg Club
Thu Sep 15
11:50 am
4:30 pm
All the News
Tai Chi Club
Fri Sep 16
9:15 am
9:30 am
10:00 am
11:00 am
Recorder Consort
Craft and Conversation Board of Directors Meeting
Homer, etc.
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.
