- The summer term has started! Remember to wear your name tags and to say Hello to anyone whose name tag has a red dot...they're new members! Make them feel welcome. And the front office is the place to go to pick up your new name tag if you just renewed your OLLI membership.
- All members are welcome to enjoy ice cream and conversation, Tuesday, July 2, at 1:15 in the lounge at the Loudoun campus.
- The next issue of OLLI E-News will be published Friday, July 5; regular deadline for submission of items is Tuesday, July 2, at 6:00
OLLI President's Message June 28, 2019 By Bill Taylor, President
I have appointed Rosemary Lubinksi as chair of the Outreach Committee. I want to thank Camille Hodges, who is stepping down, for her service as chair during the past year.
I have also appointed Rita Way as chair of the ad hoc committee for OLLI's 30th anniversary celebration.
Please give Rosemary and Rita your full support as they undertake these important responsibilities. Thank you.
We’re completing the first week of the summer term and hope you’re enjoying all the courses you’ve signed up for. There are some great courses being offered this summer.
If you find your schedule has changed since summer registration, remember you can drop a course or a trip, allowing others on a waiting list to enjoy the activity. And there are still some great courses and events available that will help you round out your summer activities.
Sadly, summer will be gone before we know it and with it our summer OLLI program. But brighten up – we’ve got a fall program lined up that will blow you away! Just wait for our fall catalog in August.
You will always find good things happening at OLLI!
In the May 10 E-News, six OLLI photographers were recognized for having photographs accepted in the Ninth Annual Joseph Miller Abstract Photography Competition. Now you can see those photographs exhibited in the OLLI Social Room Annex.
According to a definition, abstracts are nonrepresentational and do not rely upon recognizable subject matter, but rather consist of colors, tones, shapes, and textures. Abstracts are the poetry of photography and like other works of art, are felt as well as seen. Some consider abstracts difficult to master or even to understand because of the lack of a subject to “carry” the image.
Stop by and see the creative accomplishments of some of the terrific OLLI photographers. And should you desire, you can always attend the OLLI Photo Club, which meets at 9:40 the second Friday of each month. You can learn more about photography and help improve your skills. And maybe next year, your photograph(s) will be selected for the Miller Abstract Photography Competition!
Many OLLI class attendees have commented on the perceived long drive from Reston to the Loudoun campus. I suggest the following alternative driving route.
Take the FAIRFAX COUNTY PARKWAY north, to cross Route 7 (with its two lights) and CONTINUE northbound. The road name changes to the ALGONKIAN PARKWAY.
Continue as the parkway heads west. Turn LEFT on POTOMAC VIEW Road (route 637) southbound, turn LEFT on COTTAGE Road, make an immediate RIGHT turn into the KOHL's parking lot, and then a LEFT turn at OLLIE's Bargain store and the La-Z-Boy store. The George Mason Loudoun Campus, 21335 Signal Hill Plaza, is the brick building ahead on the right, across from La-Z-Boy. Here is a map: https://info.gmu.edu/wp-content/uploads/LoudounMap_2019.pdf.
Driving here in northern Virginia can be frustrating, due to the thriving tech sector with thousands of employees having varied schedules. With our four-lane highways, I suggest driving as much as possible in the RIGHT lane, letting the speed demons and lane switchers pass you by. I hope this helps. Try doing a preview drive a day or so before heading to an unfamiliar location. Get to know the features and traffic patterns.
(Editor's Note: This article appeared in the E-News on April 5. It still may be helpful for members enrolled in summer term classes.)
The Walking Group has resumed our walking schedule and we want to invite all interested OLLI members to join us on our journeys. Our last walk was on June 12 and we covered a good portion of the Mason campus, with a refreshment stop at the Johnson Center food court. We walked about two miles in total and had a great time learning about the campus and about the interests of the group.
For summer term, we plan to walk weekly near the Tallwood campus before the 9:40 class. After the term is over, we will vary our locations and times, always with the goal of providing sociability as well as exercise. Our dates are variable, so if you want to find out when and where, please sign up for the group on the OLLI member portal and receive our messages. Everyone is welcome and we know that walking is what all the doctors order to keep us in tip-top physical and mental condition.
If you have any questions about the group (no medical questions, please), contact Doris Bloch at dbloch50@hotmail.com.
By Jim Dunphy, Chair, Working for Excellence - the Teacher Resource Initiative (WE-TRI)
Summer heat getting you down? Well, we have a great way to cool you off – think about teaching a class at OLLI in the winter 2020 term, from January 27 to February 21. We are especially interested in multi-session classes for the term. As a veteran of teaching at all three locations, I can tell you there is nothing more rewarding – and the great thing is that whatever your interest is, you can probably make an OLLI class out of it.
Course proposal forms are available at the OLLI registration/member page under the menu entry “BROWSE/TEACH @ OLLI MASON,” and are due to the office by July 29 for winter term. If you have any questions about teaching at OLLI, to include the administrative process, please contact me at dunphyjj@aol.com.
By Doris Bloch, Program Planning Committee Co-Chair
All OLLI instructors and planners who are involved in program planning at the Loudoun and Reston campuses were invited to attend a social reception at The Bungalow Lakehouse on June 10. There was a good turnout of both teachers and program planning members, many of whom had not met face to face before. It was an opportunity to find out what our Loudoun and Reston members and instructors feel is working and what could use improvement. We hope to host similar social get-togethers in the future. (Photos by Doris Bloch)
As many of you know, I was in pain,
So much pain, I needed to use a cane.
My right knee hurt just to walk or use stairs,
I needed a knee replacement—and your prayers!
To prepare me and my home for after my surgery,
I scheduled appointments with Physical Therapy.
I got a walker, a long shoehorn, and a reacher,
A chair with arms, a potty, a van, and two caring creatures.
My husband Rich was a great nurturer—
He dressed me, made my meals, fetched, and so on.
My dog Penny was by my side, never gone—
So I got plenty of care in my recovery.
The operation took only an hour and a half—
I got a new knee, 20 staples, and a nice nurse staff.
There’s a six inch scar, but that’s a small price to pay.
No more pain! I can walk again! Hip, hip, hooray!
For tickets for either Center for the Arts Concert Hall (CFA) or Hylton Center, call 1-888-945-2468, buy tickets online through the event calendar (see links below), or visit the venue's box office. For more information, see the CFA ticket pageor the Hylton Centerticket purchase page.
Gallery Exhibit: Jordann Wine
May 19 – July 9
Buchanan Partners Art Gallery
The Buchanan Partners Art Gallery is open to the public Tue-Sat, 10:00-6:00.
Disney's Aladdin KIDS
Fri, Jun 28, 10:30 and 4:00
Gregory Family Theater
Admission: $10 Adults; $8 seniors; $6 children.
The following list covering the next two weeks is extracted for your convenience from the master online calendar maintained by the office, with direct web links added when available. 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.
Sat Jun 29
10:30am
Tai Chi Club–TA-3
Mon Jul 1
9:30am
10:00am
10:00am
What's in the Daily News?–TA-1
Bridge Club–TA-3
Mah Jongg Club–TA-2
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, Leslie Vandivere,
Paul Van Hemel Proofreaders: Rebecca Jann, Susan Van Hemel, Linda Randall, Tom Appich, Roz Stark,
Jane Hassell
Backup Chief Editor: Alice Slayton Clark
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. Note: You can view past issues of OLLI E-News on the DocStore. To search the content of issues, use Search Our Site or put your search term in Google followed by "site:ollidev2.earthcare.com/" without the quotes.
but rather consist of colors, tones, shapes, and textures. Abstracts are the poetry of photography and like other works of art, are felt as well as seen. Some consider abstracts difficult to master or even to understand because of the lack of a subject to “carry” the image.
All OLLI instructors and planners who are involved in program planning at the Loudoun and Reston campuses were invited to attend a social reception at The Bungalow Lakehouse on June 10. There was a good turnout of both teachers and program planning members, many of whom had not met face to face before. It was an opportunity to find out what our Loudoun and Reston members and instructors feel is working and what could use improvement. We hope to host similar social get-togethers in the future. (Photos by Doris Bloch)
