If you are like most Asbury residents,

Transcription

1 March 2017 Volume 24 Number 2 A NEWSPAPER FOR ASBURY METHODIST VILLAGE Residents, Associates, Families & Friends Carlee and Howard Hallman Co-Author New Book Debbie Hedges Debbie Hedges Becomes AMV s Associate Executive Director By Jan Garman It is the perfect marriagebetween my passion for older adults and my desire to branch out and serve all the residents on the campus. This is what attracted Debbie Hedges to the role of Asbury s Associate Executive Director, which she will be assuming at the end of March. Early in her career, Debbie felt the call to work with older adults. After receiving a BA with a major in social work from Hood College in 1995, she completed her Master of Social Work degree at the University of Maryland at Baltimore in 1996 and started her career as a social worker at AMV s Wilson Health Care Center. An article in the November 1998 issue of Village Life describes Debbie as someone who always goes above and beyond. Going above and beyond prompted Debbie to study to become a licensed clinical social worker, then a licensed nursing home administrator and finally a preceptor, one who is board approved to train new administrators. She became Wilson s director of social services and then its operations manager before Continued on page 2 By Jan Garman, Diamond If you are like most Asbury residents, you probably have memories of agonizing over a possible move to a Continuing Care Retirement Community. When is it time to go? Which one should I choose? Will I be happy there? What can I bring? What do I have to give up? These questions may well have been interspersed with a fair amount of grief in giving up a home that held so many memories. Unlike most of us, AMV residents Carlee and Howard Hallman wrote prayers as they were going through the process and turned them into a book. Moving On: Prayers for Relocating to a Retirement Community ($9.90, amazon.com) is now available in a paperback or on Kindle, a boon for readers who want larger type. The book may be ordered from amazon.com or directly from Howard and Carlee in Diamond 719. You can also view the prayers online at prayersformovingon.org. Happy St. Patrick s Day from the Gift Shop By Jean Hubbell, Villas For a far back as the 1930 s, the Asbury Gift Shop has been a part of our campus in one form or another. Housed in the Wilson Heath Care Center since the late 1970 s, this month the shop will be celebrating St. Patrick s Day with an assortment of cards and collectibles, including a well-dressed Irish teddy bear to greet visitors as they arrive. Located in the inner lobby entrance of the Wilson Health Care Center, the Gift Shop is staffed completely by volunteers and all proceeds go to the Benevolent Care Fund. That means no buyer s remorse here only the knowledge that your purchase will go to help others. As for the history of the shop, it began when Asbury consisted of just the Home (now the Administration building) and it was operated by residents. As the campus grew Carlee and Howard Hallman proudly display their new book, Moving On. The book s cover features a beautiful photo of the Hallmans Asbury garden. This is particularly appropriate because what the couple found and more buildings were added, the shop was relocated to Wilson Health Care Center and staffed by volunteers from both on and off campus. The shop has gifts for all occasions, but the most popular items difficult to part with was their garden. Howard writes about it in a prayer entitled Backyard Cathedral. Continued on page 9 are beautiful greeting cards at reasonable prices and all sorts of edibles from sugar-free candy to cookies, crackers and other snacks. It is a pleasure to work there and see family or friends bring a resident to the shop. Buying is not required, but most leave with at least a small bit of candy. For the gift shop to continue we need new volunteers to sign up to replace those who no longer can do the job. Some of our workers have been with us for over 25 years. If you would like to join the happy group of volunteers for the gift shop, or find out more about working there, stop by and leave your name and number and our buyer in charge will contact you. Oh, back to St. Patrick s Day Named for the foremost patron saint of Ireland, this day of cultural and religious celebration marks Continued on page 4

2 In the Gallery The Rosborough Cultural Arts and Wellness Center is home to an ever-changing gallery of arts and handiwork created by our residents. Stop by and see what s new. With 12 display cases to look at, there s something for everyone to enjoy. Here s a sampling... Sculpture, June Walker, Diamond Japanese pigments, Fujiko Kakefuda, Wallace Photo: Heddy Haruhika Photo: Heddy Haruhika Four of the Asbury clowns, from left, Sally Byrne, Pam Parmer, Jennifer Holt and Alice Johnson strut their stuff. Asbury Clowns Abound By Ann Utterback If I didn t know better, I d swear a clown car pulled up to the Asbury gate and dropped off a carload of new recruits. Last October, despite all our best recruiting efforts, the clown troupe had dwindled down to four active clowns attending the bi-monthly birthday parties at Wilson Health Care Center. It was beginning to look like we d have to disband. Asbury Clowns have been on the Asbury campus for over twenty years so this was a grim prospect. I mentioned our situation to Cheryl Patterson in the Wellness Center, and she said, Oh, I know several ladies who would make great clowns. A few phone calls later, Alice Johnson and Jane Reiser had signed on. Then Becky Griffin, from water aerobics, joined the group even though she is not a resident. The clown group was overjoyed. The real surprise came a few days later when Jane Reiser ed me the news that three more clowns wanted to join: Sally Byrne, Pam Parmer and Jennifer Holder. Just like the little clown car, new clowns just kept coming! At our yearly luncheon in February we had twelve clowns in attendance. The best thing about having more clowns is that now we can visit Wilson every week of the month. Now clowns will visit the bistros and lobbies after lunch to entertain Wilson residents on the weeks that don t have birthday parties. Plans are in the works for songs to sing and possibly short skits to perform. We re all happy that as clowns we can bring more joy to the Wilson residents. It s not unusual for nurses to tell us a resident reacts to us when they rarely react to anyone else. What a joy this is! If you re reading this and thinking you d like to join in the fun as a clown, we certainly have a red nose for you. With our larger group most of us only clown one hour a month so it s a modest commitment. To find out more, give me a call at x5923. VILLAGE LIFE Asbury Methodist Village 201 Russell Avenue Gaithersburg, MD General information: Website: Village Life brought to you in part by Editor-in-Chief Pam Brown Neighborhood Coordinating Editors Anne Porter, Mund Marilyn Gaut, Trott Jan Garman, Diamond TBD, Wallace Joan Dunlop, Edwards-Fisher TBD, Park View Maria E. Roberts, Courtyard Homes Marolyn Hatch, Villas Resident Staff Courtyard Homes: Peter Cascio Diamond: Jan Garman, Barbara and Tony Barnard Edwards-Fisher: Joan Dunlop, Dorothy Harris, Luella LeVee, Phil Sze Mund: Anne Porter and Bob Tedesco Park View: Duane McKenna Trott: Bettie Donley, Copy Editor; Jeanne North, Hal Gaut, and Becky Ratliff Villas: Marolyn Hatch, Jean Hubbell, Margaret Sugg, and Luann Mostello Wallace: Patty King, Arthur Forrest and Phyllis W. Zeno HEDGES Continued from page 1 becoming its assistant administrator. In 2013, she assumed the helm of Wilson as its administrator. In early 2016, Debbie decided that it was time for her to look at the next season of her career, to branch out beyond long-term care and to serve the campus as a whole. Her successor at Wilson will be announced as soon as the interviewing process is completed and a decision is made. Debbie s philosophy is that there is always a need for fresh eyes. We all add our piece for the greater good, she says. Debbie grew up in Wheaton. She is married to Jason Hedges, who is the IT person for Glenstone Museum in Potomac. She is the mother of 15-year-old Samantha, a student at Damascus High School, and the stepmother of 16-year-old Noelle, a student at Thomas Jefferson High School. She describes herself as a homebody, someone who likes to cook and bake, read and garden. She also frequents the gym and does yoga to relieve stress. She and Jason feel blessed since both daughters enjoy spending time with their parents, so they travel to the beach and amusement parks together as a family. This summer, the family anticipates a trip to California because Noelle has expressed interest in visiting colleges there. The family also supports Greyhound rescue, which means adopting Greyhounds that no longer race and face the prospect of being put down. They are involved in advocacy to stop the inhumane sport of Greyhound racing. The last greyhound they rescued has since passed away and they are anticipating the arrival of two new Greyhounds next month. As far as Asbury Methodist Village is concerned, Debbie says, I feel very blessed to be here and to be able to serve in a greater role. Every person I have met has been warm and supportive and generous in their time for sharing their knowledge. I am grateful for that. The greater Asbury community looks forward to welcoming Debbie in her new role. Design/Layout: Mina Electronic Ink Printing: Chesapeake Publishing Corp.. The mission of Village Life is to provide timely, interesting and entertaining news about the lives, concerns and activities of the people who reside, work and volunteer at Asbury Methodist Village. 2 March 2017 Village Life

3 A Visit to the National Museum of African American History and Culture By Marilyn Gaut It s one of the hottest tickets in town and on Feb. 6, a group of 50 Asbury residents traveled to and toured the African American Museum in Washington, DC. I m sure each visitor could write his or her own personal reflections of the experience, but I m going to share the experience of my husband, Hal, and myself. We visited all levels of the museum, but we really explored two exhibits: African American history, starting with the 1600 s; and the contributions of African Americans to sports, the arts, government, military, sciences, medicine, and more. One of the new bits of information we learned was that Benjamin Banneker was responsible for finishing the layout of Washington, DC that L Enfant had begun. Being from Michigan, we were intrigued to find out that the Michigan legislature passed a law to integrate Michigan schools in the 1800 s. (It doesn t mean that all schools complied). It also said that Covert, MI had integrated its schools a century earlier. We were also reminded that there were Africans who came to America other than those in slave ships. Many came into the West along with other nationalities. A view of the Washington Monument from the museum's Metal of Honor gallery. We heard wonderful singing and hurried to better enjoy it. It was a group of teenagers from Pretoria, South Africa, singing in front of the Oprah Winfrey Theater. We felt very fortunate to have the opportunity to hear them. It is easy to get a bit lost as the building covers a large area with lots of exhibit halls with some twists and turns, but there are people there to help. One laughingly told us we had been to her area already. Another took us to a hall we wanted to see again that featured the pictures and names of service men and women who had received the Medal of Honor. A mother was pointing out a narrow window to her children that the building in the distance behind the Washington Monument was Arlington Cemetery, where many of these people were buried. There are various ways to get from one level to another: elevators, stairs, ramps, and in the upper levels, escalators. It s tiring, but there are chairs and benches where people can sit and watch video. We stopped for some lunch and spotted Villa residents Bill and Cathy Brown, so went to sit with them. When they left, a gentleman joined us who turned out to be on the board of directors of the museum. We had a nice conversation with him and then it was time to continue our tour. There was no way to see everything in one day and we all agreed that it was well worth our tired feet and legs. Lenny Hines: Farewell and Full Speed Ahead By Hal Gaut By the time you read this you will be well aware that the office on the other side of the elevators from the Williamsburg Clothes Closet will never be quite the same. Yes, it s official. Everything Lenny Hines, Asbury s Director of Plant Operations & Maintenance, has retired -- for the second time. Lenny maintains the primary reason for this retirement was to fulfill a commitment to his wife that they would get some quality time with their grandchildren in and around Virginia Beach. (That being said, I have a strong suspicion that it was deliberately timed to avoid having to deal with the switch from heating to cooling.) Most of us don t realize that 13 years ago Lenny sacrificed a two-hour (on a good day) commute from his home in Fredericksburg, VA to Washington, DC, to accept a one-block walk between his front door and his new office in the Administration building. The only experience he brought to the job was 20 years in various positions in the Navy (1 st retirement), 13 years taking care of facilities at Suburban Hospital and a few other shorter tours. A few years ago, when I was doing a stint as Council Chair, I would attend monthly Quality Service Boards Meetings where we would highlight problems and the assembled office directors would add them to their to-do list. It struck me that a favorite expression of the administrative Lenny Hines takes a break while preparing for his second retirement. chair was action item Lenny. This prompted me to see just how many hats he wore. The heating-cooling changeover wasn t even the tip of the iceberg. A quick look at our staff directory reveals his overview of capital projects and renovations, electrical/fire protection, procurement (at least most of it) and maintenance support from clogged toilets to emergency power, to failed appliances and occasionally shutting off our water for both residents and associates. What it does not show is his responsibilities for preventative maintenance. It also does not reflect his responsibility for contractors such as BrightView that maintains our beautiful grounds and shovels us out (well maybe not this year), and the Xerox staff that operates the copy center. And of course, there are special contractors such as roofers, pavers, painters, elevator repair folk, Comcast, etc. (It s ironic, but while he lives outside the fence, his proximity to campus lets him share weather emergencies or power outages or the like, right along with the rest of us.) There isn t much in his shop with which he hasn t had hands-on experience. During his 20 years with the Navy he experienced practically every type of facilities engineering, both above and below decks. He rose to Senior Chief, eventually receiving a commission, and retired as a Lieutenant. One of his assignments was the E-4 Electrical Division Officer on sea trials of the nuclear-powered aircraft carrier USS Vinson CVN-70. During that time he had the pleasure of working for Admiral Rickover. (But that s a story unto itself.) Lenny says Asbury gave him a whole new perspective on what retirement living can really be like. We re going to miss him (at least twice a year) but maybe we ll have a new ambassador down in coastal Virginia. Village Life March

4 By Dan Muller When I was trying to think of something to write this month, I asked Ruth for ideas. She responded: What about all of those cords? What was she talking about? After a few more hints, I finally figured out she was referring to my electrical cable collection which is neatly draped over a rod in the back of the storage room. That got me thinking about all the wonderful stuff that I have stored in that room. It s A Guy Thing I was fortunate in that when I moved to Asbury, my Villa had a large storage room in the basement. This is a room dedicated to many items accumulated in a lifetime of fixing things. On a well-organized pegboard, there are various sized hammers, saws, pliers and wrenches. Tucked into cabinets a r e assorted screws, nails, tapes, gluing compounds, paint brushes and partially used cans of paint. Along the back wall, I have my assortment of electrical cables. These were used to con- nect speakers to amplifiers, TV monitors to receivers, etc. By latest count, I have nearly 100 of these cables. In addition to tools, I have my collectibles such as irreplaceable Beta and VHS tapes featuring trips and activities taken years ago with my family. Unfortunately, the players for showing them failed some time ago, and I haven t gotten around to having them fixed. On shelves next to them is a 10-inch analogue TV and my collection of automobile magazines. I also have the tools used for repairing my beloved 1952 MGTD roadster, Fiat Abarth Zagato coupe, and Studebaker Avanti. I sold the cars years ago, but I can find pictures and information about them in the hundreds of neatly catalogued magazines. I ve been at Asbury for about fifteen years and have hardly touched any of this stuff. Intellectually, I know I should get rid of it, but emotionally, I can t bear the thought of doing so. Do any of you have some helpful advice? I need to sign off now. There s a light bulb that needs changing, and I have to call maintenance. Costuming a show is not as easy as you might think, especially when a major part of the cast is frogs. You see, the theme of our show, Once Upon a Village: The Musical!V, is based on the fairy tale where a princess kisses a frog, and he turns into a prince. Although all the men at Asbury are princes, very few of them were frogs to begin with. Making frog costumes for eight of them was quite a challenge. Even though Arlene Lyon, our costumer, had appeared at an ATV party totally clad in a frog costume that she had made from scratch, creating another eight frog costumes was something else. Helen Hansen was first to rally to the cause. She asked the Williamsburg Clothes Closet to set aside any frog-green clothing that came into the Closet, and by October, the ladies in Williamsburg had gathered two full-size bags of green blouses, sweaters, skirts and pants which Barb Woodward delivered to my apartment. Arlene sorted through the bags and compiled the possibilities. But over the next few months, Barb delivered four more Williamsburg bags of green clothing. Now my closets were overflowing but no apparent frogs. I began searching the internet for frog costumes and discovered a whole new line of pajamas named onesies, which opened the door to an amazing variety of characters from Batman and Wonder Woman to dinosaurs, gorillas and a picture of a cute girl in frog pajamas. With Halloween behind us, the prices dropped radically, from $50 to $36, then $29, then in China to $21.24 at a company named Milanoo. A Z-Notes By Phyllis W. Zeno, Wallace A Fly on our Frogs charming Chinese sales rep named Steven Shi began a correspondence with me in somewhat halting English, and he agreed to send a sample and pay the shipping himself. After I went ahead and placed the order, it suddenly occurred to me that I hadn t seen an opening in the front of the suit. What if our men had to spend several hours in these outfits? How did I gracefully write in my broken Chinese, Will there be flies on our frogs? I had already placed the order. With great trepidation, I awaited delivery of our first frog. Could we cut into the frog s white stomach and cover the opening with a lily pad? If there was a zipper in the back, could a man wear the frog suit backwards? Oh, the hours of worry over nature s call! But then, one week before Christmas, DHL Express delivered one frog suit from Chengdu, China, via Singapore, Hong Kong, Cincinnati, Washington and Gaithersburg. And here it was at Asbury with buttons down the front! Our worries were over! There s a fly on our frog! Not only that, but Steven Shi has reduced the price to $15 a frog, and that s toad-ily awesome! And now you re all invited to Once Upon a Village on May 5 and 6 in the evening, or Sunday afternoon, May 7, in Rosborough Theatre, where eight of our frogs will hoppily introduce you to The Delicate Art of Frog Kissing. GIFT SHOP Continued from page 1 the death date of St. Patrick. He is given credit for bringing Christianity to Ireland in the 5 th century, CE. According to Encyclopedia Britannica, at the age of 16, Irish raiders hit his home in Britain and carried him off to slavery in Ireland where he spent six years as a herdsman until he was able to escape back to his family in Britain and join the priesthood. Not sure how all that morphed into green beer and goofy hats, but there you have it. Happy St. Patrick s Day! 4 March 2017 Village Life

5 News You Can Use March is the Month to Celebrate Caregivers By Jean Hubbell There are many caregivers busy with their clients here on the Asbury Campus. You might see one taking a wheelchairbound resident for a walk on a pleasant day talking with someone on the Kindley deck or sitting by a bed and providing companionship for a resident at the Wilson Health Care Center. They do so much and often get so little recognition, so I m especially glad a special day has been designated to appreciate what they do. Most of us may not give much thought to what these caregivers do until you need them. Eight years ago, I had the opportunity to find out first-hand when I became ill to the point of needing help to survive. Asbury s head nurse at the time, along with a representative of an agency listed in information from Wilson, met at my villa with my eldest daughter and made the decision to try caregiving at home instead of transferring me to Kindley Assisted Living. It was a life-saving decision and I am here writing about it eight years later. I am ever thankful to those who were willing to try the experiment. In my case, no reason was ever found for my illness except perhaps a delayed reaction to the loss of my husband the year before. In any event, caregivers Cynthia and Elsie came to be with me twelve hours on the day shift and twelve hours on the night shift. On weekends, Angeline and Julianna filled in. Later, as my health improved and hours could be shortened, I added Felicite and Marilou to my list. I still keep in touch with them occasionally. And, I ve kept a twoday per week caregiver schedule for help with off-campus appointments, shopping and such. There are truly no adequate words to say how much these caregivers have meant to me and my family. I refer to them as my lifesavers. I am delighted when I get a surprise visit from one of them in the neighborhood with another client, but taking time for a short visit with me. I like to remember them with a card on their birthdays and at the very least express thanks for all they do sometimes the very lowliest of help, but always there. The companionship can be healing in itself and I still look forward to my two days a week to enjoy breakfast to begin the day, and lunch to end the time with my caregiver. I am very happy to know that there is a special day, March 3, to honor caregivers. Don t wait for just one day, though express your thanks every day when you have the chance. Thank you to our caregivers! The Asbury Tree Database Needs Your Help By Peter Cascio In 2009, two Gaithersburg Boy Scouts, Nick and Ross Holcomb, sought to earn their Eagle Scout final credit by doing an inventory of all the trees on Asbury s 130 acres. It took them two years working under the encouragement and guidance of our Evan Haynes. They named, numbered and tagged some 3,800 trees. Needless to say, they each made Eagle Asbury Campus Happenings Scout. The database that resulted from the Holcomb brothers efforts will soon turn eight and needs an update. Many of the numbered tags attached to the trees are falling off due to weathering and the expansion of the tree trunks. New trees and a handful that were missed eight years ago also need to be added. If you can help, contact a member of the Wildlife Habitat Team or the Building, Grounds & Environment PAC. Be Part of the 2017 Asbury Arts & Crafts Show! By Bernie Smith Share your creativity with the community at our annual arts and crafts show. Residents may submit one piece of original artwork not to exceed 30-inches in width or length, including the frame. Those entering photographs will be allowed to enter 2 photographs that are framed and ready to hang. Craft pieces will include needlework, quilts, afghans, crochet and knitted pieces, carvings, sculptures, pottery, woodwork, and models, mixed media and a stand-upframed adult coloring book page. Applications will be available the week of March 20 th and due no later than April 13 th. You will be asked to bring your artwork to Parker Hall on the morning of May 1 for the opening on May 3 at 1:30 PM. By Jeanne North The best things in life are free. So goes an old song, but here at Asbury some of the best things on campus really are free or offered at minimal cost. If you ve missed the fliers, bulletin board notices or didn t catch the calendar on AVTV, here s a partial rundown of what s happening during the next few weeks. Movies, Music, Dance and more March 10: The Duffy School of Irish Dance performs at Parker Hall, 5:00 pm. Contact Shannon Circo, X6255. March 17: Strathmore Society at Asbury features jazz vocalist Lena Seikaly at the Rosborough Theater at 7:30 pm. Contact Belinda Degboe, X6444. March 23: Author Tom Glenn launches his new novel, Last of the Annamese, at Rosborough from 2:00 pm to 4:00 pm. Glenn will speak, sell and sign books. Contact Shannon Circo, X6255 April 7: Cherry Blossom Luncheon Cruise on the Potomac River. Busses depart Asbury at 10 am and return at 3:15 pm. Cost is $105 per person. Contact Nancy Brown for details, X5839. April 30: The Gaithersburg Chorus Spring Concert at the Rosborough Theater, 7:30 pm. Contact Shannon Circo, X6255. Osher Classes: The spring semester includes a series on Gypsy music and culture and the films of Alfred Hitchcock. Classes run through May 8. Final deadline for registration is April 6. Contact Belinda Degboe, X6444. Health and Wellness March 9: Panel discussion, Good Samaritan: How We Can Help Each Other, at Rosborough Theater, 10:30 am. (Sponsored by the Health and Wellness PAC) Contact Belinda Degboe, X6444. March 21: Ask the Doctors: Navigating Urologic and Gynecologic Health Issues, Holy Cross Germantown Hospital, 6:30 pm 7:30 pm. (Transportation provided.) Contact Shannon Circo, X6255. March 23: Speechreading is the topic of this installment of the Healthy Hearing series, presented by the University of Maryland. Contact Belinda Degboe, X6444. Village Life March

6 Meet Gordon Lim Blue Note Bistro Supervisor by Jan Garman, Diamond The Blue Note Bistro celebrates its second birthday on March 16, so what better time to introduce you to Gordon Lim, the Bistro s supervisor. While TV s fictitious bar, Cheers, was the place where everybody knows your name, Gordon is the real bartender who knows everyone s name. He started at Asbury on Feb. 7, 2015 to oversee the Blue Note s opening the following month. AMV had never operated a bistro before, so it was up to Gordon to make it work, and make it work is what Gordon has done. Sometimes it works too well as there are times when it is filled to capacity with diners waiting for tables. There are many reasons for its success. The casual atmosphere and the pub-style food coupled with drinks filled a need for residents and their families, but a big part has to do with Gordon s friendly personality, his knowledge of everyone s name and his desire to accommodate each resident s needs, traits that Gordon has passed onto his staff. Gordon was born and raised in Hollywood, FL. His Korean-Chinese grandparents came to this country from South Korea long before Gordon was born. He has a 96-year-old grandmother and cousins still living in Florida, but when it was time for him to start college, his immediate family came to this area so that he could attend the University of Maryland, Baltimore County, where he majored in information systems and minored in hospitality. Gordon s father became a partner in a construction business and his mother has Gordon Lim worked in hospitality for 25 years. His parents have since moved to Columbia, MD, while Gordon and his younger sister, who is still in school majoring in fashion, live in Bethesda. Gordon s first job after graduation was with an information systems company, but his first love was hospitality and when the firm closed down two years later, he decided to pursue a career in hospitality. He became a food and beverage manager in several establishments and earned his bartending license. He ended up with the Hilton chain in several of its franchises and it was while working at the Rockville Hilton that he met Evaristo Gustines (Asbury s Chef Gus ) and Carlos Castillo, who were part of the Hilton food and beverage team at that time but now serve as general manager and director of operations of Asbury s Dining and Nutrition Services, respectively. When Asbury started looking for someone to run the bistro, Gus and Carlos contacted Gordon. At the Blue Note, Gordon is in charge of the staff, making sure that everything runs smoothly. He makes all the alcohol purchases and confers with the Blue Note s chef on menu offerings. He credits his parents with teaching him to work hard and do his best and to respect others. He tries to model this behavior for his staff. I always recognize residents by their names, he says. Although residents have asked him to call them by their first names, he was taught by his parents to use their formal names and feels much more comfortable doing so. When asked what he does in his spare time, he replied that he had little spare time but he works out to keep in shape. He also works on his car and plays sports, especially basketball. He loves Star Trek, science fiction and mysteries when he has time to read. He says that he has no time for TV, but residents suspect that he absorbs some TV by osmosis as the TV is usually on in The Blue Note. Gordon told this reporter that I like it here, which is a good thing because the feeling is mutual. By Hal Gaut Since we re barely into a new year, it s appropriate to see what was covered early in the year in a previous issue of Village Life. I selected January 2000 at random or maybe because it was nice, round number. At any rate, right there on page 2, Scott Richardson, the executive director at the time, laid out a quick recap of what happened in the previous decade. So, for folks like me who want their history in easy doses, here is the Cliff Notes version of the major events of the 10 years before Y2K. In 1990, AMV was initially accredited by the nationally recognized Continuing Care Accreditation Commission. In 1991, the grand opening of the Diamond building kicked off with a ribbon-cutting ceremony. AMV was voted one of the USA s 15 Top Continuing Care Retirement Communities, by New Choices for Retirement Living magazine in WHCC got an extensive renovation in 1993, and phase I of the Villas was completed that same year. In 1994, WHCC received its first deficiency-free survey. AMV was reaccredited as a CCAV in 1995 and it also received an EAGLE award (I ll let you look that one up, it s impressive) that same year. Results of the first resident survey were implemented in 1996 and the PAC system was up and running. WHCC achieved its first accreditation from the Joint Commission on Accreditation of Healthcare Organizations in And the following year realized the completion of the Kindley building and the expansion of campus geriatric health services, to include such areas as rehab and physician services. The opening of an adult day care program and the occupation of the newly completed 419 (now Wallace) came in OK, there s a broad brush over one decade at AMV. There are eight million stories in the... Oops, sorry, that line is nearly as old as AMV and already a part of history, but I hope you get my point. What stories can your building tell about its life at AMV? If your building has appointed a historian (or archivist, or just somebody to keep an eye on interesting old stuff), please share it with them. P.S. I ve come up with a magic number and it is currently about 110. If you figure out the significance of it, give Hal a call at 5219 or shoot him an . (Along with your stories, of course!) 6 March 2017 Village Life

7 By Luella Nash LeVee, Edwards-Fisher Attending the Edwards-Fisher Council meeting for February was my first big event in a long time. (Following the flu, I had stayed at Wilson for a month.) It was Valentine s Day, so I wasn t surprised to see red items of clothing in the audience as well as an occasional piece of jewelry featuring red hearts. I smiled that I had remembered to wear my red jersey tunic (a standby for Christmas holiday events, too.) The main speaker, our new executive director, Rob Liebreich, was not wearing red but throughout his talk were evidences of his own passionate feelings. I m on a life s journey, like all of you, he opened and then told us of his educational background and his early work experience as well as things of a more personal nature. Rob stressed how he had grown up in Oregon, spending a lot of time with his grandparents, absorbing the details of their lives. He turned from his usual jovial self and grew solemn when he said, I sat at the ON LOVING ONE ANOTHER bedside by my grandmother as she passed away and this marked an important time for me; I knew that I would spend my life in this [senior living] industry, attempting to make things better for folks than they had been for Grandma. Now in his 15 th year in the senior living industry, Rob has been at Asbury since October. He moved his family to this area in September. AMV was the only application I made, he emphasized. Early on, I had researched what life would be like for a resident before my Uncle Bob came here. He made me aware of the lack of window washing [low, appreciative chuckle from the audience] and a few other things such as Sunday buffets as well as the big subject of capital spending. What was the plan? We were told there was no plan. I sensed what I was coming into. Here at Asbury, he continued, We already have a strong financial basis and a focus on education. We re surrounded by beautiful trees and we re applying for certification as a true arboretum. We want to build on a sense of community, not only within Asbury but in the greater community of Montgomery County. We must stress loving one another; Rob declared in his most serious tone. For instance, when a person of another race moves here, he or she will stay if they feel loved. So we are being intentional about it as we involve black churches in our endeavor to interest more African- Americans in moving here. In Seattle, I worked for Presbyterian Retirement Communities. Now I work at Asbury Methodist Village. I m Jewish. I married a Catholic. We have three children 11, 9, 6 years old. It s love that makes it work, opening ourselves up to love for one another. I want to make Asbury a place where folks want to move and continue to thrive, where we all have love and respect for one another. What Rob had to say what he is all about extends Valentine s Day to forever. Mac and Zil Say Again: Helpful Tips for Hearing Loss Join us on Facebook Facebook.com/ AsburyMethodistVillage By Joan Dunlop Tired of attending meetings and not hearing a thing? Not able to have an enjoyable dinner conversation? Perhaps you can catch a word or two, but are not able to attain any continuity of thought. Here are a few suggestions from both the listeners and speakers point of view: As a listener, try to focus all your attention on the speaker and not to be distracted by ambient sounds. Avoid distractions as you concentrate on the speaker and, if possible, choose situations with limited background noise. Don t hesitate to ask for clarification when the message isn t clear to you if the circumstances allow. Request that an unheard statement be repeated or rephrased. Curtail any extraneous actions that may deter your concentration. As a speaker, delivery should be clear, slow paced and distinct. Look for signs of cognizance or at least receptiveness on the face of your audience. Hopefully these suggestions will make your meeting attendance more fulfilling and your dinner conversations more stimulating. For further information please call Cathy Richards at the Wellness Center (ext. 6258) or plan to attend the Hearing Loss Support group sponsored by the Audiology Program in Arcadia Place on the first Wednesday of most months. For more information and to confirm dates, call Village Life March

8 BEAR WITH US By Margaret Sugg Bear Veazey took the road less traveled for his kind. I want to be a Villain! he shouted happily as he joined his Veazey parents, who moved last year to the Villas at Asbury Methodist Village. Bear, 25 years old and 3 feet tall, resides at Villa 540 with his clever mom, Rose, and her husband, Marshall. Rose dresses him up for every holiday and change of season. The cute little bruin has gotten lots of adoring comments from the postman, volunteer fire fighters and fellow Villains! At the moment he is all decked out for St. Patrick s Day all clean, Photo: Barbara Fletcher fancy and sparkly green! You can almost see him tip his green bowler hat to passersby. He was born in Oregon near a shop and a sawmill, hewn from cedar wood by a master carpenter wielding a chainsaw. Rose took one look at Bear and purchased him on the spot! The Veazeys later moved to Asbury s Villas. Bear, being the outdoor kind, has found his spot on his parents front stoop and patiently waits for his chance to show off his seasonal finery and tip his hat to neighbors and visitors alike. It may have been a slow start on the road less traveled, but completely worth every mile, says a totally happy Bear Veazey! In Memoriam Resident Residence(s) Date of Death Bhanumati Patil KAL/WHCC Floyd Brinley Mund Robert Lutz WHCC Winston Rollins WHCC Mrs. Ruth Bower Diamond Mrs. Corazon Vogt Kindley Mr. Donald Couchman Courtyards Mr. John Posey WHCC Margaret Longo WHCC Paul Eshleman Wallace Mahlon Hartley WHCC Mrs. Margaret Peggy Caffery Kindley Mrs. Rosyln Selman Trott /KAL Mr. William Hughes Trott Arthur Kresse Kindley Francine Pivinski Mund Bridget and Dick Zemlo show some of their handiwork. Turning Out a Hobby By Tiiu Kera Villa residents Bridget and Dick Zemlo came to Asbury with a fascinating hobby. It all started in Madison, WI, where they had settled after many relocations in their professional lives. Before retirement, the couple decided they needed a hobby that could be packed up and moved. Woodcarving fit the bill and for a number of years they enjoyed carving toy rocking horses, Pinocchio dolls and sculpting figures out of clay, most of which they gave away as presents. Their love of working with wood took a turn when they met their daughter s father-in-law, a doctor who had taken up wood turning to relieve the stresses of his demanding career. Starting with smaller objects such as turned ornaments in the shape of mushrooms or Christmas trees, the Zemlos saw the possibilities of creating Victorian kugel-style ornaments, with turned finials mounted on the tops and bottoms of baubles made of the skeletons of sea urchins. Soon robust branches, burls, and larger pieces of wood reached their lathes and became objects of art, such as platters with turnings on both sides, intricate bowls, marble-like vases, and fairy tale bird houses. Their turnings enhance the natural patterns of the wood s rings and exploit various imperfections to be highlights of a design, such as the stunning deep red-brown cherry burl bowl with the original bark still on the rim. They have also turned cedar, zebra, wenge, ash, and oak. Bridget often inserts sections of woven reeds between turned segments of a piece, with the most interesting outcomes. She also enhances pieces with enameled or fused glass medallions, formed in her jewelry kiln and carves and inks embellishments. The Zemlos developed their skills at places such as the John Campbell Folk School in Murphy NC, which started as a trade school for local artisans and now attracts hobbyists and professionals from far and wide. In Wisconsin, the Zemlos joined the Badger Woodturners, a local group that challenged its members to create objects on a theme or from various woods. Over the last 17 years, the Zemlos have owned eight lathes, maybe two or three at a time, and downsized to just two (his, a Delta, and hers, a Nova 3000), along with a grinder they have installed in in their Villa garage. Bridget also has a small kiln that she has used to make jewelry of art clay silver, but now uses it mostly for making the medallion inserts for wood pieces. Having settled in at their Villa, they are ready to connect with other woodturners at Asbury and the local community. 8 March 2017 Village Life

9 How the Asbury Gardens Came to Be by Jan Garman, Diamond With spring s arrival later this month and the Asbury gardeners planning for another season, it seems fitting to go over a bit of history of the gardens. I m indebted to Ted Holt, Co-Chair of the Garden Club, for sharing a piece about the early days of the gardens, written by Carole Wells, and an update written by Ted. As most residents know, The Asbury Methodist Home was founded on the farm known as Rolling Acres, more than 90 years ago. In the early days, the Home relied upon a large vegetable garden to supply its dining room with fresh produce. What residents may not know, however, is that until Trott was opened in 1972, Asbury was still renting out fields to local farmers to raise barley and other crops. Soon-to-be Trott residents Stabler and Lucy Freeland were the first to ask for a garden plot, which they started planting before Trott even opened. Stabler Freelander was a very resourceful gentleman and among other things instituted sales tables to share extra produce. At the north end of the present garden near the gate, there is a small plaque honoring him. Sharing far better than grocery store quality produce and fresh flowers continues to this day, and Ted Holt reminds us that it is one way that all residents benefit from the Garden Club. It also has benefited Asbury s Benevolent Care Fund, which has netted nearly $30,000 since Although the early Trott residents were happy with their new gardens, the field mice whose homes had been disrupted were not, and many of them found new homes in Trott apartments. These hearty Trott pioneers took the mice infestation in stride and held a contest to see who could catch the most mice, with the prize going to a blind resident, Alice Ware, who bagged sixteen! In the ensuing years, the gardens have had to be moved several times as new buildings have appeared on Asbury s campus. The first move came when Edwards-Fisher was constructed, and one unhappy gardener, Herman McKay, wrote: To that favored plot where the gardens grew and strawberries flashed red through the morning dew a yellow monster came on a day in late fall, slashed through the good earth, roots, blossoms and all. The most recent yellow monster slashed through the earth in the fall of 2007 in order to clear land for the Courtyard Homes, and the gardens were moved to their present location near the tennis courts in back of the Diamond building. Unlike the early gardeners who had to carry water by hand to their gardens and had their produce consumed by deer, the fifty present-day gardeners enjoy five water faucets with hoses and the protection of a high fence with locked gates. They also have storage sheds for their tools and outdoor bins for humus, topsoil, wood chips and plant refuse removal. They even have two SARA call boxes in case of emergency. One thing that has not changed over the years, however, is the joy that the gardens bring to the Asbury community. As the growing season progresses, look for notices about Garden Open Houses. MOVING ON Continued from page 1 In a poem entitled Places for Prayer, Carlee talks about her and Howard sitting on our swing saying goodbye to the birds, the bushes, flowers and the fountain that [Howard] put in. In other poems, they talk about their new Asbury garden. The swing is gone but they were able to bring their bench, their birdbath, their sundial and their hummingbird feeder. Carlee characterizes their new garden as our Eden in the midst of civilization. Other prayers deal with the practical as well as the emotional and spiritual, the anxieties of one partner being ready to move and the other not so sure, choosing a retirement community (Asbury becomes Evergreen Valley ), getting their home ready to sell, the aches and pains they accumulated trying to move furniture, deciding what to take and what to give away or sell, and finally moving in and adjusting to their new apartment. I found myself chuckling as I remembered similar experiences. Imbedded in the prayers is a deep faith in God s abiding presence and the Hallmans gratitude for their family and their friends, both their old friends and the new friends and experiences they encountered at Evergreen Valley. Each of the prayers is accompanied by a Bible verse, and some have references to hymns which Carlee added later as the couple prepared the prayers for publication. The book makes a nice gift for friends who may be contemplating a move to a retirement community or for oneself, since learning to live with change is a life-long process. Dolores OBrien Trott 208, X5210 Dolores OBrien was born and brought up in Staten Island, NY. She and her four sisters were the first generation of Rzymykowski s born in the U.S. to Polish-immigrant parents. Dolores married Joe OBrien and after starting a family, they moved to New Jersey. When Joe was offered a job in the growing computer industry, they moved to College Gardens in Rockville, where they lived a number of years. After a divorce, Dolores moved to Montgomery Village, and is now glad to be comfortably situated in her sunny apartment in Trott. In Rockville, Dolores worked at the Noyes Welcome New Residents Photo: Hal Gaut Center for juvenile offenders where she was an administrative aide with a lot of responsibility in helping adolescents prepare for release. She found the work under fine professional leadership to be immensely gratifying. It is clear that she invested a great deal of heart and time in working with these young people. She retired in Dolores has three children and two grandchildren. Her son Kevin lives in California, her daughter Kathy lives in Annapolis and her daughter Patty lives in North Bethesda. Her wonderful grandchildren are Molly in California and Chris in Annapolis We are glad to have you as a neighbor, Dolores. Becky Ratliff, Trott Village Life March

10 Mary and Bob Duvall Trott 711 x 5263 Who would have thought that a teddy bear had such power? When Mary Duvall saw the large, brown creature, wearing a necktie, residing in a rocking chair in the model apartment, it won her heart. You could just leave me alone with this bear! she joked to PJ Petkovic, the marketing rep who was her guide that day, and how was he to know that she collected teddy bears? But finally, when their tour of Asbury was over, PJ said, Oh, I have something for you, and gave her the fluffy bear, an animal that had once belonged to Karen Lawless, also of the marketing department. It is now a third member of the family living in Trott 711: Mr. Asbury, as Mary refers to it. Both Mary and Bob grew up in Montgomery County. She graduated from Wheaton High school, and Bob from Sherwood. Bob was in the Maryland National Guard when riots broke out in Cambridge, following the assassination of Martin Luther King. Bob was afraid it might disrupt their wedding plans just a few days later, Welcome New Residents Photo: Hal Gaut but luckily he and Mary were still able to hold the ceremony, with a honeymoon in Williamsburg. Being in the printing industry, however, with shift work, Bob was used to adjusting his life to his press room schedule, and he and Mary worked it out. She found employment as a guidance secretary in Montgomery Blair High School, doing reports for counselors, collecting records for students, assigning homerooms, and other business. There was an interlude for having children, and a son and daughter completed the family. Later Mary went to work for the Food and Drug Administration as a program analyst, doing a lot of reports, keeping track of the budget, cataloging books in the library and doing minor searches for various people. She worked with the Center of Devices and Radiological Health, and John Villforth (now a Parkview resident) was her boss, whom she remembers fondly. Mary enjoys reading and baking, and Bob used to spend some of his free time with a G-gauge or # 1 gauge train set in his basement much too large to bring to Trott. The Duvalls are lucky to have their children near them, however Anita in Germantown, who works with computers for the Food and Drug Administration, and Robby, or Opie as his friends call him, in Frederick, working for the Montgomery County traffic division. We welcome the Duvalls to our Trott community and hope they will join us for game nights and singalongs in the parlor and football on TV in our kitchen/club room, among other activities. Phyllis Naylor, Trott Jane Sanderson Diamond 806, x5777 Writing Nancy Drew mysteries and Bobbsey Twin books, as well as speeches for three different congressmen plus running the residence of the Governor of New Jersey are just a few of the milestones along Jane Sanderson s career path. A native of Short Hills, NJ, Jane graduated from Wellesley College and then moved to Georgetown, where she worked on Capitol Hill and wrote those congressional speeches. After her marriage, she moved back to New Jersey. It was while living in New Jersey that she began writing the Nancy Drew mysteries. The original Carolyn Keene (a nom de plume), whom Jane always referred to by her married name, Mrs. Adams, was still alive at the time. Mrs. Adams would come up with the story line and Jane did the actual writing. At this stage of the Nancy Drew saga, Nancy was traveling to exotic locales. So was Mrs. Adams. Jane, alas, stayed in New Jersey and wrote from there! Besides running Governor Kean s residence for eight years, she also gave some speeches for Mrs. Kean. Later, she Photo: Wayne Cleaver worked for some NJ congressmen. In 1998, she moved to Reston, VA and became the assistant to the head of the lower school at the Potomac School in McLean. While in New Jersey, she served as president of the Junior League and volunteered in the League s projects at the local hospital. Jane has maintained her interest in politics and has volunteered in political campaigns. She enjoys music and plays at the piano. She has also traveled extensively, including two trips to China. Her very best trip, however, she says occurred when she was a junior in college. She and two classmates spent three months traveling around Europe. They really did do it on $10.00 a day as a popular series of books at the time promised. When maintaining her Reston townhouse started to become a bit much, Jane began a year s search for a new home. She was drawn to Asbury s beautiful campus and its connection with Strathmore. Jane has a son, Douglas, who lives in New Jersey and a daughter, Jill, who lives in DC and four grandchildren. Jill s family visited her for the New Year s Day buffet. Her six and eight-year-old grandsons were impressed with such a large dining room and declared that they had never been in a dining room with so many grandmas. Jan Garman, Diamond Mary Reggin Mund 702, X 5189 Mary Reggin arrived at Asbury last October. She had been living in Florida for the past 20 years, but her three daughters, who all live in this area, persuaded her that she needed to be closer to them and they selected Asbury for her. Mary was born in a small town in Oklahoma named Kaw City. She remembers that when she was around nine years old, her father broke his leg and was hospitalized for a while. One day, her mother took her to visit her dad and one of the nurses asked Mary if she would like to see more of the small hospital. She proceeded to give her a tour of the wards, the cafeteria, the operating room, etc. Mary was enamored of what she saw and vowed then and there to become a nurse like her new friend. After high school, Mary did enroll in the University of Oklahoma Nursing School and became a nurse. While she was a student there, she met the young man who would become her husband, Walter Reggin. He was studying to be a petroleum engineer, and they were married six months after graduation. He began his career in New York State, and ended up working in four different locations, the most interesting of which were the three years they spent living and working in Venezuela. Their daughters were young and attended a company school where they picked up a little Spanish. They were seven, five and three years old at the time. Walter and Mary retired while living in Maryland, but shortly after moved to Florida, where they bought a home. Unfortunately, Walter had a heart attack and died just two years after they arrived, but Mary stayed on for another twenty. She enjoyed swimming in her backyard pool, reading and gardening. She no longer gardens, but she still loves to read. In addition to her three daughters, Mary is proud to be a grandmother to eight children. Anne Porter, Mund 10 March 2017 Village Life

11 Welcome New Residents Sharing friends, family and vacations together for over 40 years, Lynne, Joe and Bob decided to actualize their joking comments about retiring together by sharing a house in Damascus, MD in Reading about AMV s Golden Girls sharing Villa 542 and the Villa s possibilities, they decided that they might have found a community where they could comfortably settle. That isn t to say that they have fully retired, as all three continue their very active lives as they start exploring AMV s options. Bob Duggan s first career was as a Catholic priest, ministering initially in a parish where Joe Rychlec was also serving, beginning both their friendship and house sharing. Gaithersburg s St. Rose of Lima Parish was his last parish, where he served for 20 years before retiring to a second career in leadership development and executive coaching. Born in Burma to an English mother and Burmese father, Lynne Rychlec emigrated with her mother and siblings to England after WWII, just as Burma began to explore its independence. Cold and damp London weather was a challenge compared to Burma, so four years later they were pleased to reunite with their father who left Burma to move to Montgomery County to join his family who were employees of Voice of America. She has lived here for most of her life since, marrying and raising a daughter. Following education at American University and University of Maryland, Lynne worked as a nurse for 30 years in a variety of specialties. Her last specialty was spent as the cardiac data manager in Suburban Hospital s cardiac surgery program, statistical work she greatly enjoyed until retiring in She has since become very active as a painter of miniature art and is on the board of directors of two local art organizations. In 1987, when Joe was faced with serious cardiac issues that would Lynne and Joe Rychlec and Bob Duggan Villa 574, X lead to his leave and retirement from the priesthood, he sought medical advice from Lynne, who had been a member of his parish. She helped him understand what he would be facing with cardiac surgery. This led to a growing friendship and their decision to wed. Joe served in three Maryland parishes, two of them with Bob, before spending the next 22 years as a data researcher for Westat in Rockville. As a priest, Joe had little exposure to computers and their complexities. Suddenly he was faced with what he felt was the most intense learning curve since he was five learning to navigate Photo: Jay Hatch and Dave Reiser the complex world of technology to produce statistical reports out of social, medical and educational data collections. Among his current retirement activities, Joe is most pleased with his on-going work of seven years as a Montgomery Hospice volunteer. He is also active in parish ministries at St. Rose of Lima church in Gaithersburg. All three are very pleased that living at AMV and the Villas is exceeding their expectations. They enjoy marketing Asbury to their skeptical friends who only know of Asbury as The Home. Jay Hatch, Villas James & Sara Torrence Wallace 509, X5529 From their residences in the Washingtonian Towers to Asbury Methodist Village, Jim and Sara Torrence have called Gaithersburg home for 47 years. Influenced by familiarity, friends and the sunroom model apartment, they moved from their home of 30 years on Garrett Drive to Asbury last October. They are both originally from North Carolina. Jim worked for the National Bureau of Standards (NBS) and the National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) as a nuclear engineer. He helped build the NBS nuclear reactor and was later operation manager of this research reactor. His daughter, Laura Kangas, lives in Boonsboro, MD. He has two grandsons, Collin, 16, and Holden, 19. Sara was a manager of conferences and special events for the NBS/NIST as chief of special activities. They met at one of her events at the National Museum of American History. She is the author of How to Run Scientific and Technical Meetings, a 900-page book, which has been used as a textbook in college courses. Photo: Arthur Forrest Much of their leisure time has been enjoyed on adventures away from Gaithersburg. They ve traveled on their own, with tour groups and have been members of the local Shillelagh Travel Club. They like the relaxed pace of river cruises. They have visited 97 countries or their territories, including 18 visits to France. Their early trips were archaeological destination trips to Egypt, Greece, Italy, Central America and Mexico. Jim and Sara have been on solar eclipse-viewing cruises seven or eight times, observing the eclipse, longest in duration of this century, on July 22, 2009, off of Iwo Jima. They plan to be in Franklin, NC, to see the 2017 eclipse, which will cross over the U.S. from Portland, OR, to Charleston, SC, in August. Sara has a twin sister, Jane, who is a Riji (master teacher) of the Sogetsu School of flower arrangement, and a member of Ikebana International. Jim and Sara have enjoyed traveling to Japan with the Ikebana International Group. Sara learned about fine wines as she coordinated conferences and other events. As a result, the Torrences have traveled to wine producing areas, and as members of wine tasting groups, they have become oenophiles and collectors of fine wines. Sara s fluency in French has been helpful in their travels, but Jim says, a map, a finger and a smile are of equal help. Kathy Hirata, Wallace Village Life March

12 A NEWSPAPER FOR ASBURY METHODIST VILLAGE Non-Profit Organization U. S. Postage PAID Rockville, MD Permit No Asbury Methodist Village Communications Department 201 Russell Avenue Gaithersburg, MD VILLAGE LIFE: A NEWSPAPER FOR ASBURY METHODIST VILLAGE Sunrise at Asbury Photo: John Villforth 12 March 2017 Village Life