TREE-mendous TIMES IN THE VILLAS · genealogy work headlining documentation of Joanne Coe, a...

October 2015Volume 22 Number 8

Residents, Associates, Families & Friends www.asburymethodistvillage.org

A NEWSPAPER FOR ASBURY METHODIST VILLAGE

TREE-mendous TIMES IN THE VILLAS

By Carol Dennis, Villas

Bright and early on a hot September morning, the huge crane arrived to remove an enor-mous old worn-out oak tree that towered

much too closely over the villa on the corner of our court. What a grand project! Those of us in the court who wanted to venture forth that day had duti-

Strathmore Society at Asbury Starts a

New SeasonOctober 16, 2015 - Rochelle Rice, jazz vocalistDecember 18, 2015 - Griff Kazmierczak, jazz trumpet and violinFebruary 19, 2016 - Carmen Balthrop, AIR mentor - present-ing our first opera! These will be well-known arias. April 15, 2016 - Ari Allal Trio (classical)May 20, 2016 – Seth Kibel with vocalistJune 17, 2016 - Christylez Bacon and Wytold

Village Life Arts & CraftsBy Judy Bankson, Park View

Do you ever wonder what your neighbors are doing? Or why

they always seem so busy and happy? What gets friends up in the morning and eager for the day to come? Sometimes it is their involvement with helping others in the many ways Asbury residents volun-teer to help others. Some-times it may be musical or artistic expressions; or craft projects, fiction or non-fiction writing or genealogy research.

We invite you to come to Park View, which is celebrating its Ten Year Anniversary the second week of October. The kick-off event in this celebration is an Arts and Crafts Show held in the Park View Club Room. The room will be filled with

many items created during the years 2005 to 2015. Some but not all of the Eberhard model masterpieces will be on display. In addition, three lovely Taima oil paintings, Brams acrylic paintings, poems, posters, Villforth photographs, a ginger-

bread house, exquisite weav-ing, needlework, many quilts and an overflowing Author’s Table full of books written and created within the homes of Park View residents. There will even be a display of some genealogy work headlining documentation of Joanne Coe, a Mayflower descendant. All of these interesting and lovely pieces will be shown to the piano music of four Park View musicians.

You won’t be disappointed, and will be very welcomed as

you browse tables of words, imag-es, notes, and stitches of Park View. Please join us on Tuesday, October 13 from 1:00 to 7:30 pm and on Wednesday, October 14 from 10:00 a.m.to 1:30 p.m.. We hope we’ll see you there.

Photo: Stan Silverberg

Happy 104th Birthday to

Ed Lombard!On September 9, 20015 Ed celebrated his 104th birthday with a full house of friends at Kindley Assisted Living.

Tapestry By Liz

Mckenna

Photos: Carol Dennis

Above, Climbing. Below, Sawing

Loping

Continued on page 11

2 October 2015 Village life

VILLAGELIFE

Asbury Methodist Village201 Russell Avenue

Gaithersburg, MD [email protected]

General information: 301-330-3000Website: www.asburymethodistvillage.org

Village Life brought to you in part by

EditorLinda Williams Aber

Director of Communications301-216-4106

[email protected]

Resident EditorsAnne Porter, MundMarilyn Gaut, Trott

Mac McCullough, DiamondMercer Cross, Wallace

Joan Dunlop, Edwards-FisherAl Tholen, Park View

Maria E. Roberts, Courtyard Homes Bill Brown, Villas

Tom McIllrath, Kindley

Resident StaffCourtyard Homes: Peter Cascio

Diamond: Mac McCullough, Jan Garman and Hal Garman

Edwards-Fisher: Joan Dunlop, Dorothy Harris, Luella LeVee, Trudy Meissner and big hugs

to Betty Goen!

Mund: Gil Snyder, Jack Brinley, and Bob Tedesco

Park View: Duane McKenna, Anita Taylor and John Eberhard

Trott: Bettie Donley, Copy Editor; Lois Lord, Jeanne North, Hal Gaut,

Joan Brubaker, Becky Ratliff, Jack Hutchings, and Dr. Bob Hartman

Villas: Carol Dennis, Dan Muller, Jean Hubbell, Marolyn Hatch;

Tiiu Kera and Bill Brown.

Wallace: Keith Steele and Phyllis W. Zeno

Design/Layout:Mina Rempe @ Electronic Ink

Printing: Chesapeake Publishing Corp..

Village Life is published by Asbury Methodist Village

Communications Department

“The mission of Village Life is to provide timely, interesting and entertaining news about the lives, concerns and activities of the peo-ple who reside, work and volunteer at Asbury Methodist Village.”

I was interested in the recent article by Jean Hubbell in the Sep-tember issue of Village Life. Her comments about life in Saudi Arabia brought to mind our family’s stay in Jidda, 1954-55.

My husband, Bob, was a Foreign Service officer and we lived in an air conditioned house in a fenced-in compound outside of the city. I wondered how intolerable it must have been for the Saudi women in their abeyas, encased in black from head to toe—especially in the heat and humidity of the summer season.

When my husband and I took

our two little daughters to a nearby beach, we wore bathing suits.

The Saudi women in their abeyas sat in the sand, possibly envying us Americans. Their husbands and sons cavorted in the cool water of the Red Sea. Once, my tall, handsome husband was taken aback when a carload of young Muslim girls drove by the compound. They actually lift-ed their face veils and gave him the “eye.”

One of Jidda’s government offi-cials had four wives (permitted). At two of the elaborate parties given by the wives, it was interesting

to see how fast the Saudi women guests removed their abeyas once they arrived.What a surprise to see unveiled elegant gowns and jewel-ry!

Of course, once the party was over, it was back to their black gar-ments.

It seemed that Moslem women might have been considered sec-ond-class citizens. And when they gave birth, it was no surprise that they wanted a son.

—Rita Wysong, Trott

IT COULD HAPPEN TO YOUBy Duane McKenna, Park View

Hello Grandma-- this is your grandson. Yeah, I’m all right. Well no, I’m not. I’m

in the Leesburg jail. Had one too many beers last night and crashed my car. Broke my nose – no, they say it will be okay but I flunked the breath test and the police took me in. They gave me a lawyer. He says he will call you. His name is Diaz.

Happily Joe’s parents are out of the country, sparing them this ordeal.

Hello -- this is Rob Diaz. I’ve been appointed your grandson’s lawyer. Do you know him?

I’m his grandmother -- is he all right?

He’ll be fine, ma’am, he just needs one thousand dollars to bail him out of jail. Listen carefully, ma’am. Here’s all you have to do. Send me a Mon-eygram for one thousand dollars.

You will get it at 211 Frederick Avenue just down the street. Ten

$100 bills from the bank, then off to Frederick Avenue.

Reading the fine print and fill-ing out the Moneygram form is not easy, but the lady accepts it with the money and gives us our receipt. When we get home we will try to reach Joe on his cell phone and let him know we have sent his bail.

Hello Joe? Hi Grandma -- you okay? Yes, but how about you? Are you

still in jail? Grandma -- I’m at work. I’ve been

here since eight. You told us you were in an acci-

dent! Grandma, who told you that?

Someone else called you! Grandma -- You’ve been scammed!

Letter to the Editor

Ho, Ho, Ho!By Marilyn Gaut, Trott

Do you have the Christmas spirit yet? The boxes for the Elves Day gift dona-

tions will be out in each of our buildings or neighborhoods the first of November. Ideas for gifts will be on the boxes. Flyers with these ideas will be available for Elves Day representatives at the Guild’s Fall Celebration on Octo-ber 20.

And it is time to think about what you would like to do to be a Santa’s elf. Of course, there is the filling of bags on Elves Day, Dec.16, 9:45 a.m. in the Commu-nity Rooms at Rosborough. But Santa has to do a lot of prep work too. Collecting gifts, wrapping those not wrapped, and then sort-ing. If you put a tag on a wrapped gift telling what it is and if it’s for a man or woman, then wrap-

pers will not have to unwrap and rewrap to know in which sorting box to put it. To help before Dec. 16, call Blanch Messerly at 3127.

Santa is gearing up, so I’m sure he is looking forward to some help.

Photo: Hal Gaut

Mike and Phyllis Skiba (Park View) doing an inventory of what we have in Santa’s workshop. More needed and

you are needed too!

Village life October 2015 3

REFLECTIONS ON HALLOWEEN TRICK OR TREATING

By Jean Hubbell, Villas

Do you remember going trick or treating? I grew up in northeast Washington, D.C., almost to the

Maryland/D.C. boundary line. I was about eight years old and in that area trick or treat-ing was something new. My older brother (by two years) had heard of it and wanted to give it a try. My mother consented but brother was to take me with him and

he also had a couple of neighbor boys along. It was a new experience for our neighborhood, evidently, as we knocked on doors; when the owner answered, we sang out “trick or treat” and received puzzled expressions in return. That called for an explanation. We explained to the neighbor at each house what it meant and they were all good natured and having not prepared candy treats or any other kind, gave us each some pennies or a nickel. That was the beginning.

From there it grew. Each year more and more children went trick or treat-ing and the costumes became important. Mostly they were homemade and had some kind of mask. The custom grew and so did my brother and I. Later I married and moved to an apartment in nearby Maryland for a year and there were lots of children coming for treats.

Then we moved to a house in Rockville where for forty-eight years we were the ones giving out the treats. That involved new experiences. It was a “starter home” community with lots of young children and some older ones who decided they knew a good thing when they saw it. We enjoyed

the young ones but high schoolers without costumes and armed with pillow cases to hold their treats came from neighborhoods far removed from ours. One group of older ones came all the way from Baltimore. Fortu-nately, they did not return the next year.

It was fun to dress up and greet the little ones whose parents or older siblings were waiting on the sidewalk near the door. They had cute costumes and small containers to hold their treats and were a delight to see. But one year I ran into a difficulty. I dressed

as a bad witch and cackled a bit at the kids, most of whom didn’t care as long as they got a treat. The front door was at the edge of the small

living room of our house and we had a fireplace on the other side. This Hallow-een we had a fire going and to create the atmosphere, a huge black kettle was on the hearth. It all went well until one little girl

looked at me questioningly as I cackled at her and told her she looked just the

right size to fit into my cauldron - cack-le, cackle, cackle. Would you believe she let me pick her up and carry her across the room and stop in front of the fire-place -- and what then? I had to get out of that one so finally I cackled “oh dear, you are too BIG after all! I can’t use

you!” and so I returned her to the front door and gave her an extra treat. I did have to wonder about the mother on the sidewalk but since she could see into the room, perhaps she was comfortable with it all.

She knew me from other activities I was involved in with our Civic Associa-

tion. We both shared a laugh over what had happened but I don’t think anyone

would try something like that in this day and age.

When I first moved to Asbury eleven years ago I missed seeing the young ones, but in the old neighborhood, all those young chil-dren had grown up and many had moved away. Now it is fun to celebrate Halloween with dressing up for parties here on campus and indulging in treats among fellow resi-dents. I wonder if it is as much fun for the children now as it was in those early days.


By Anita Taylor, Park View

My simple message about water and food: “Eat food grown in water sufficient

places” raises complicated ques-tions.

The topic this month: nuts—liter-ally. They are high food value for those free of allergies. We probably ought to eat more. But that conclu-sion is too simple. We need to ask, Where does the growing nut con-sume water?

Sadly, almost all almonds and wal-nuts consumed in the U.S. grow in California. And while cashews CAN be grown in Florida none are com-mercially produced anywhere in the U.S. Few pistachios eaten in the U.S. grow here, but of those that are? 98% come from California. The other 2%? Arid Arizona and New Mexico.

Need I repeat that ground water levels there are dropping, precipi-tously in California?

Two nuts, pecans and peanuts, can meet the standard of not borrowing ground water from future genera-

tions. Note the CAN. Most commer-cial pecans traditionally came from Georgia, a usually water rich state and one not currently depleting its underground water. BUT now, large quantities come from California and Arizona. Pecans also traditionally come from Texas, Oklahoma and Kansas. I hear you say, “Wait, last month you told us those states are depleting their ground water,” and I respond, I warned you, this issue

is complicated. The pecan tree is native to the eastern (wetter) sec-tions of those three states, where many producers harvest from trees that pre-existed you and me . . . and replacement trees grow along side the adults. One needn’t plow prai-rie (again) or cut woods, or irrigate the desert for these pecan “fields.” Nor do they tap the diminishing Oglala aquifer under the plains.

Then we have the lowly but

laudable peanut, fitting here even though not really a nut. Peanuts are good for adults and children who still love PBJ sandwiches. To me, almonds, cashews pecans, pis-tachios and walnuts all taste better. But when I remember peanuts are produced throughout the usually water-rich east and southeast, and that almost no commercially dis-tributed peanuts use desert ground water. . . . how can I choose my beloved almond butter?

As with beef, most individuals can make these choices relatively easily. And here, too, we need to lean on Sodexo: be sure the pecans they serve & cook with do NOT come from California; substitute peanuts & pecans for other nuts in recipes.

When large-scale agricultural pro-duction began in the deserts, per-haps it was forgivable ignorance to think they could be irrigated to raise non-native food crops with no harm. But if today we continue to support that industry, we are willful-ly taking precious water from future generations. That fails the steward-ship test.

Green Matters

A NEW SEASON FOR THE BELOVED COMMUNITY by Jan Garman, Diamond

School has started and with it the Beloved Community Ini-tiative (BCI) programs have

taken off full-steam ahead! The BCI’s new part-time coordinator, Alex Moran, who was highlighted in September’s Village Life, was wel-comed with a party at the season’s first Advisory Committee meeting on September 4. Meeting attendees also heard a presentation from the International Cultural Center. BCI’s Advisory Committee meetings are held the first Friday of the month at 9:15 in the meeting room in the Human Resources wing of the Administration Building. The BCI can’t promise a party every month, but the meetings are always informative and are open to anyone who wants to find out about the greater Gaithersburg community and the BCI in particular.

On Saturday, September 5th, two buses, an Asbury bus and a sleek black bus rented by Identity, one of the BCI’s community partners, pulled out of the parking lot of Gaithersburg Elementary School at 8:30a.m.. On board were students from Gaithersburg and Summit Hall Elementary Schools, along with par-ents, student helpers from Watkins Mill High School, Asbury residents, AMV’s Administrator of Residential

Living, Mia McFarland, Asbury Com-munities staff and staff from Iden-tity, bound for the National Book Festival in downtown Washington. A good time was had by all as chil-dren and adults were able to hear from some of their favorite authors, play games (visiting booths from all 50 states and four US territories was a favorite) and picnic together in a little park across from the conven-tion center.

The Latina Moms English Con-versation Group, which meets every Wednesday morning that school is in session at 10:00 in Arcadia Place, began on September

8 after its summer hiatus. Eighteen moms showed up eager to converse with Asbury residents. Sydney Stash from the City Parks and Recreation Department also showed up to help the moms register their children for after-school programs. Peg Vert and Winnane Kreger, Asbury resident coordinators, always welcome vol-unteers.

Also beginning after a summer break was SHARE, a conversa-tion group of Asbury residents and Gaithersburg High School students. This group meets in the Edwards-Fisher Library at 3:00 p.m. every second Wednesday

of the month. Participants share fellowship, stories and refresh-ments. Newcomers are welcome at any time.

On September 11, the mentor-ing program resumed. Comprised of 3rd, 4th and 5th graders from Gaithersburg Elementary School and their mentors from AMV, this group meets every other Friday dur-ing the school year. This year, the group welcomed four new mentors, Polly Conley, Luella LeVee, Ruth Muller and Georgene Rasmusson. Marcus Barnes led games, children and mentors ate together in the Crawford and Hefner dining rooms and gathered for a program under the direction of Wesley Seminary interns, Ashley Lawter and Rebecca Goltry and Coordinator, Alex Moran. Residents who wish to be a part of the mentoring program by donating extra dining points can do so by using the forms at either the Crawford Dining Room podium or the podium in the Hefner Dining Room.

Once again, the BCI is participat-ing in the Youth and Law Enforce-ment Summit to be held at Gaithers-burg High School and Bohrer Park on October 16th. Hal Garman is on the planning committee. Marcus Barnes will be overseeing games, and BCI members will be register-ing participants.

Water — Installment Two: It’s Nuts

The fun starts here for Beloved Community mentors, and excited participating students from the local schools gather for the BCI

programs at Asbury.


Buster and Jack Holbrook brought home prizes from the Montgomery County Agricultural Fair

By Keith Steele, Wallace

During the week of August 17 Michele, the concierge at Hefner, was not at her

usual station. It was because of her family duties at the Montgomery County Agricultural Fair where her sons were showing their animals.

Michele was not raised on a farm, but spent considerable time, on her grandfather’s farm and was in 4H at the time as are her two sons, Buster and Jack. She, her husband, who also goes by the name of Buster, and two sons live on a 29-acre farm near Mt. Airy, MD. They raise both beef and dairy cattle. Her husband, the two boys and Michele run the whole operation.

The boys entered seven animals in the fair. There is a lot of work that has to be done continually with the

animals all the time they are at the fair. The animals must be kept clean, milked, groomed to perfection for

judging, fed and cleaned up after. Someone had to be there all night long. Then, of course, the animals

at home had to be taken care of. So you can see there was plenty of work for all, including Michele.

Three Ayshire Heifers and four Holsteins were taken to the fair to be judged. The oldest son, Buster, won a Grand Champion ribbon with his Ayrshire and Jack received a Reserve Champion ribbon for his Ayrshire. There were also some firsts and seconds and thirds received for the Holsteins. We congratulate the boys for their good showings. They may be attending the State Fair in Timonium and would like to go to the Frederick County Fair.

So as you can see, Michele was not on some wonderful vacation at some resort. She was working! By the way, when I was interviewing Michele I did not ask her if she wore her high heels at the fair.

Elections for Mayor, Three City Council Members to be Held November 3www.gaithersburgmd.gov

If you are new to Asbury, wel-come to the City of Gaithersburg. On November 3, 2015, Gaithers-burg voters will cast their ballots for Mayor (to fill the two-year balance of term of former Mayor Sidney A. Katz) and three at-large members of the City Council, who will each serve a four-year term. The terms of office for Mayor Jud Ashman and Council Members Cathy Drzyzgula, Neil Harris and Ryan Spiegel expire in November. The next election for Mayor and two City Council mem-bers will be Tuesday, November 7, 2017.

Important DatesOctober 19

Deadline to register to vote with Montgomery County Board of Elec-tions

October 25

Early voting at City Hall – 9 a.m. to 2 p.m.

October 27

Early voting at City Hall – 3 p.m. to 8 p.m.

October 28

Last day to request an absentee ballot by mail. Apply in person at City Hall after this date.

October 31

Early voting at City Hall – Noon

to 5 p.m.

November 3

ELECTION DAY – Polls open 7 a.m. to 8 p.m.In the past, Hefner Auditorium has been the polling place for Asbury residents as well as for Gaithersburg residents in this district. We were required to alert the election board of any possible changes to the polling place late in 2014. Because we did not yet have the construction schedule for the Hefner building, and were not confident that the Auditorium would be finished by November, we moved voting to the Rosborough Community Rooms. So, to cast your vote on November 3, please go to the Rosborough Community Rooms between 7:00 a.m. and 8:00 p.m.

Are You Registered to Vote? City residents who are registered

to vote in Montgomery County are automatically registered to vote in City of Gaithersburg elections. The deadline to register for this election is Monday, October 19, 2015.

For information contact the Mont-gomery County Board of Elections at 240-777-VOTE (8683) or visit www.montgomerycountymd.gov.

Voting OptionsPolling places can be found on the

election page of the City’s website or by using the mapping applica-tion under the “About Gaithersburg”

tab. Note that there is a new poll-ing location this year for residents in GAO3.

If you won’t be around on Elec-tion Day, or if it is simply more con-venient, you have options other than going to the polls on November 3.

Applications for an absentee ballot will be available beginning October 2 and can be downloaded online, picked up at City Hall, or requested by mail by calling 301-258-6310.

This year Gaithersburg will be holding three early voting days. Regardless of your precinct, you are invited to cast your ballot at City Hall before Election Day. City Hall is located at 31 S. Summit Avenue in Olde Towne.

Sunday, October 25

9 a.m. – 2 p.m.

Tuesday, October 27

3 p.m. – 8 p.m.

Saturday, October 31

Noon – 5 p.m.

Candidate & Voter InformationAll households in the City will

receive a Voter’s Guide in mid-Octo-ber, with statements from the can-didates and more detailed informa-tion about the election. It will also be available online. About a week before the election, registered vot-ers will receive a sample ballot and polling place information.

After the first week of October, Candidate statements will air peri-odically on GTV, Gaithersburg’s municipal cable station, viewable within City limits on Comcast and RCN Channels 13 and Verizon FiOS Channel 25. The statements can also be viewed on the City’s YouTube channel at www.youtube.com/user/CityofGaithersburg.

Preliminary election results will be posted on the City’s website, Facebook and Twitter pages and on GTV after the votes are tallied on November 3. The results are prelimi-nary until certified by the Board of Supervisors of Elections on Novem-ber 4.

For more information visit www.gaithersburgmd.gov or contact the Elections Clerk, Lauren Klingler, at 301-258-6310 or [email protected].

Michele Holbrook, Her Family and the Montgomery County Agricultural Fair

6 October 2015 Village life Village life October 2015 7

Yeah? Well... Whatever!

It’s a funny thing about speech habits. You fall into certain patterns without realizing it. You know, there are those people who say “you know” all the

time. If you knew, they wouldn’t have to tell you.I remember my high school English teacher, Miss

Brasswell; whenever we’d start a sentence with “Well,” she’d snap, “Three wells and you could be a well dig-ger.”

Which brings me to my point..I was talking to my daughter Linda on the phone the other day.

“I’m really upset with Leslie,” she complained about her sister. “Ever since she moved to England, she’s become such a snob about the English language. I feel like Liza Doolittle with Henry Higgins.”

“Really?” I asked. “What’s her problem?”“Well,” replied Linda, and a picture of Miss Brasswell

flashed through my mind...”well, she said she hoped I

wouldn’t be offended, but she noticed I’d been using the word ‘yeah’ a lot. Have you noticed me doing that?”

“Yeah?”“Yeah, you’ve noticed?”“No, I was asking a question.”“Well, do I?”“Well, yeah, so what did you say to her?”“I said I’d watch it.”“So what did she say?”“She said, ‘whatever.’”“Whatever? What kind of answer is that?”“Yeah, well I guess it means, forget it.”“Yeah? Well, whatever.”“So did I tell you I was attacked by a pit bull last

week?”“Yeah?”“He opened quite a wound. I didn’t get a shot or

anything. I hope I don’t get rabies or something. Do you think I’ll have any bad results?”

“I don’t know. Do you find yourself saying ‘yeah’ a lot?”

“Yeah!”“Get a shot!”“Yeah?”“Well, whatever.”

Z-Notes

By Phyllis W. Zeno, Wallace

This Month in the Gallery

The Rosborough Cultural Arts and Wellness Center is

home to an ever-changing gal-lery 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 this month’s

sampling of art.

Fanny PantelisDiamond

Crochet and Knitted Animals

Barbara CarlsonMund

Photograph

B y Jan Garman, Diamond

One doesn’t have to live at Asbury very long before becoming aware of fellow residents either boarding Asbury buses

or big Eyre buses for an excursion off the Asbury campus or disembarking from such a trip. How do these trips happen? They happen because of the hard work of either AMV’s Travel Committee or of Shannon Babb, Asbury’s Lifestyle Office Coordina-tor.

The resident-run Travel Committee has been in existence since the 1980’s. Currently, Vivian Otto is the most senior member of the committee, hav-ing taken AMV travelers on 155 trips since 1998, including European, US and local cruises; week-long bus trips; and day trips. For her many years of service, Eyre Travel is hosting a reception in her honor in November. Since she has reached the milestone of “90 years young,” she is no longer run-ning overnight trips but still takes music lovers to the Strathmore Center for the Arts for concerts by the Baltimore Symphony Orchestra. She also will lead a trip to the Barnes Art Museum in Philadel-phia on October 21, another to Central Union Mis-sion in Washington, DC on November 6, and a trip to the Miracle of Christmas show at the Sight and Sound Theatre in Pennsylvania on December 4th.

Other Travel Committee trips catering to residents’ interest in the arts are trips to Arena Stage in down-town Washington led by Carol Watkins and those to Olney Theater led by Norma Barr and Beryl Miller. Rae King leads a group who attend Sunday afternoon performances of the National Philharmonic Orches-tra, an ensemble dear to Rae’s heart as it was started here in Montgomery County in the 1980‘s. They are in the middle of their current season. Watch for

notices in March for the new season.For history buffs, Shirley Mallory is leading a Har-

riet Tubman tour to Cambridge, MD on October 8th. Many residents also enjoyed a Grand Illumination Tour to Williamsburg last December and one to Baltimore’s Inner Harbor, also run by Beryl. Other members of the Travel Committee include its chair, Allen Beach; Dick Vert, and treasurer, Peter Maroulis, and Bill Hook, assistant treasurer.

The Lifestyles Department, under the direction of Shannon, is planning a trip on December 11th to Frederick for dinner at Dutch’s Daughter followed by a performance at the Weinberg Center for the Arts of “The Nutcracker.” Shannon has taken residents

on a number of trips including performances at the Kennedy Center, exhibitions at the Phillips Col-lection and the National Gallery, and to Nationals games. Shannon meets with the Travel Committee so that she and the residents can coordinate rather than duplicate offerings. Shannon explained to this reporter that if a resident really wants to go on a trip, they should get their application in early as sometimes trips fill up. On the other hand, outside bus companies will not refund deposits within 30 days of the departure date, so sometimes canceling a trip may become necessary if 30 days out, it looks like there won’t be enough travelers.

How does one find out about these trips? Watch for notices on the bulletin boards in all living units; many units have special areas for trip notices. Watch AVTV (channel 975) or check them out on www.myamv.org. Information for trips run by the Lifestyle Department can be found on AMTV, on www.myamv.org or by calling x6255 and pressing the trip option. You may also sign up with Shan-non ([email protected]) to receive emails about upcoming trips and/or pick up detailed informa-

tion just inside the front door of the Rosborough Center. Shannon and members of the Travel Com-mittee always welcome residents’ trip suggestions. In the meantime, HAPPY TRAVELING!

By Marolyn Hatch, Villas

We at Asbury have strong feelings and happy mem-ories about our homes.

We appreciate the romantic clichés describing home: “a man’s home is his castle,” “home is where the heart is” and “home sweet home.” How cheery!

Having spent several weeks in Scot-land viewing old historic, architec-tural “home” sites, we were in awe of what centuries of people have called home. It

was a hearty man or woman who planted faith and heart in these iso-lated, forbidding dwellings. The most intriguing homes were the Iron Age brochs often attributed to the Vikings. They are unadorned, win-dowless, isolated, dry-stone (no mor-tar) structures of locally harvested, stacked, rock slabs. Up to 15 meters in diameter and comprising two coni-cal walls that rise to heights of 13 meters, closed at the top with a

type of lintel or grass. Between the walls are stairs and small chambers. The larger brochs had second floors of wood so people didn’t have to sleep with the sheep. And we worry about dust mites!

Eventually, castles or fortresses replaced the broch as both a defen-sive and family shelter. The old cas-tles were well-fortified, stone struc-tures with ramparts, secret passages, twisting backstairs and moats used as much for fire suppression as dis-

couraging marauders. Dungeons were rare in Scotland as prisoners’ only value was ransom or trade. No need to offer housing for long!

Being of the home is where the heart is gender, I had to struggle with the idea of living in places so iso-lated, stern, damp and foreboding. Of course, some restorations of later cas-tles showed painted fresco ceilings depicting Biblical stories, pantries of china, silver and gold. But even in

ASBURY TRAVELS

Fran and Marty Blenderman enjoyed the Wellness Department trip to see the Frederick Keys play ball.

Home Sweet Home

Stalker Castle

Photo: Marolyn and Jay HatchFalkland Castle weapons room

Continued on page 11

Shetland Oldscatness Broch


Your Questions about Geriatric Primary Care AnsweredJesse Sadikman, MD, a board-certified family

physician, has been in practice in Montgom-ery County for 11 years. He is a member of

the medical team at Holy Cross Health Partners at Asbury Methodist Village. The practice provides high-quality primary care to seniors—Asbury Methodist Village residents and non-residents, as well. In this column, Dr. Sadikman answers some commonly asked questions about primary care—and provides a few tips to help keep you healthy this season.

What is primary care medicine?

Primary care is a field of medicine that con-siders patients in a holistic way—the medical, social and emotional aspects of care. I think of a primary care physician as the quarterback of the team who coordinates care. Family physicians, internists and geriatricians are all primary care physicians.

What is the difference between a general pri-mary care practice and one that focuses on the

care of older adults?

A primary care practice that specializes in the care of seniors is staffed by a team of physicians and other health care professionals who have the skills and experience to treat the unique needs of older adults. They understand that older patients have different goals and life perspectives com-pared to younger adults—and they work in part-nership with patients to meet these priorities.

Older adults frequently have multiple health issues and need a physician with knowledge about how these conditions—and their treat-ments—interact with one another. A geriatric primary care physician also is experienced in managing the more complex medical issues facing older adults, and understands that these patients may respond differently to treatments—especially medications.

How can patients find a primary care physician who specializes in caring for older adults?

I think word of mouth is still the best way to find a doctor. Ask friends, family and other doc-tors you trust for recommendations. Check with your insurance provider and obtain a list of pri-mary care physicians specializing in older adults. Narrow down the list by nearby location and convenience—then phone them to learn more about the practice.

How can patients help ensure they select the right physician for them?

Interview physicians—and ask questions! Per-sonality is very often a big factor in making a choice. A simple conversation may be all it takes to determine if the doctor is easy to talk with and open to questions. What is the doctor’s profes-sional style: Does he or she encourage patients to be their own health advocates; how will test

results be shared with patients, and what does the doctor consider when making recommenda-tions for testing and treatment?

Of course, there are practical things to consid-er: insurance coverage, availability of home visits, the convenience of the physician’s admitting hospital and how they help patients find medical specialists or other services when needed. Find out if the office has after-hours coverage—and if the practice provides easy access to other ser-vices, such as blood tests and x-rays.

With fall in full swing and winter around the corner, what health issues should seniors be

on the watch for?

Prevention tops the list. It’s influenza season so make sure you get a flu shot. Also, ask your primary care physician whether a pneumonia shot is right for you.

Fall also is allergy season. While most of us can control symptoms with over-the-counter medi-cations, you should check with your physician before taking these drugs. The decongestant that helps control watery eyes and a running nose can also raise blood pressure—and pose some risk if you have hypertension. If symptoms per-sist for more than a few days, a call to your doctor also is in order.

Winter means cold weather that can keep us indoors—and more sedentary than usual. But don’t let that stop you from keeping mobile. A daily walk around your home—or a loop around the halls of your apartment building—can go a long way to keeping you limber until the spring. Keeping mobile also will help you improve bal-ance—and prevent dangerous falls.

For an appointment at Holy Cross Health Part-ners at Asbury Methodist Village, call 301-557-2110; Asbury Methodist Village residents dial ext. 5800.

OUR NATIVE PLANTS (12 of a series) VIRGINIA CREEPER

By Peter Cascio, Courtyard Homes

Parthenocissus quinquefolia is sometimes referred to as Ampelopsis quinquefolia,

Victoria creeper, five-leafed ivy or simply: five-finger. It has been confused with poison ivy and so we were taught when young:

Leaves of three, let it be Leaves of five, let it thrive. The five leaflets all join the leaf

stalk at the same point. It is native from New Brunswick to Manitoba, through Utah, south to Guatemala and eastward to the Atlantic.

It is a vigorous climbing vine that can reach 100 feet in the wild. It climbs smooth surfaces by means of tiny forked tendrils, the tips of

which bear a small adhesive disk. The same is true of its cousin from Asia, Parthenocissus tricuspidata (a.k.a. Boston ivy). Both are used on the sunny walls of buildings to help keep the interiors cool and both turn bright red variations in early autumn. The ‘three-point’ tri-cuspidata from Asia gave the Ivy League its name. The so-called “True” ivy, of the Hedera genus, climbs parasitically by means of little rootlets growing into the sur-face of its host. If ripped off a tree it can pull the bark with it, thus destroying the tree.

It is written that Native Ameri-cans used it as a remedy for diar-rhea, difficult urination, swelling

and lockjaw. That probably means that the whole plant without the berries was used as a tea because it is also written that the berries may be fatal if eaten. The symp-toms are: nausea, abdominal pain, bloody vomiting, diarrhea, dilated pupils, headache, sweating, weak pulse, drowsiness and twitching of the face (to name a few). Fortu-nately, however, the birds love ‘em.

What may be considered anoth-er negative attribute is a tissue issue. The sap of this plant con-tains raphides, which translate as needle-shaped crystals of calcium oxalate which penetrate the skin for a poison ivy type reaction (for those susceptible, of course).

To offset some of its harsher realities, it is the host to four of our native moths: the Virginia Creeper Sphinx, the White-lined Sphinx, the Pandora Sphinx and Abbot’s Sphinx.

Dr. Jesse Sadikman


Conversations about Being Mortal by Atul Gawande – Part 2By Jack Hutchings, Trott

The bulk of health care dol-lars in the U.S. is spent on our age group. Many of

these expenditures may do little or nothing to improve our lives. Dr. H. Gilbert Welch, in his book, “Less Medicine, More Health: 7 Assump-tions That Drive Too Much Medical Care,” states that people are being tested too much and being sub-jected to unnecessary treatments and procedures that may do more harm than good. Dr. Gawande in a recent article, “Overkill,” empha-sizes the same things.

Combating Over Testing, Over Diagnosis, and Over Treatment

Tests and treatments appropri-ate for the middle aged may be inappropriate for our age group. Misdiagnosis may occur when the normal values established with data from a younger age group are utilized in the elderly. The normal given for the Glomerular Filtration Rate [GFR], a test for kidney func-tion, is 120. A rate of 60 or lower

is considered indicative of Stage 3 of chronic renal disease. But kidney function declines with age, and half of older people have a GFR of 60 or less. Although a GFR of 60 is rarely a problem for us, we risk being diagnosed with chronic renal disease. New normal levels for older people for a number of

such tests need to be developed.When trying to make a diagnosis,

doctors are not well compensated for the time used in conversation or a lengthy physical exam. It is quick and easy to order an MRI or a CT scan. However these tests add expense to Medicare and/or insurance companies, and they require time and effort on our part. We must arrange for transporta-tion, and many of us have back problems that make lying on the hard examination table painful.

There may be other incentives for MDs to order tests, such as to insure protection against a future malpractice suit or because of outside pressure to use expensive imaging equipment. “Just in case” is not an adequate reason to take a test. We need to know the specific reason a test is being ordered and what the result would lead to. In other words – to what end? What difference will the results of this test make in our life?

Treatments appropriate for the middle aged also may be inap-

propriate for our age group. It is even safe to leave some malignant cells untreated in older persons - e.g. small cancers in the pros-tate. When significant treatment is proposed, we must ask for clear information of the time, energy, and duration the treatment entails. How does the expected result compare to the expected outcome without treatment? We want to know if the effort outweighs the gain. For example, renal dialysis was developed to keep a person with failing kidneys alive until a renal transplant became available. Subsequently it became recom-mended for anyone with poor kidney function. Dialysis requires a three- or four-hour treatment thrice weekly; a treatment which has debilitating side effects. Usu-ally the prognosis without dialysis is two years. Dialysis may extend life by three more months. If all our remaining time is consumed by undergoing an exhausting treat-ment, are three more months of life worth the effort?

By Maria Roberts, AMV Christmas

Fund Coordinator

The Christmas holidays are coming soon, and it’s time to renew an Asbury tradition of

43 years, the Christmas Gift Fund.Asbury Methodist Village has over

800 employees (“Associates”), all of whom work hard to make this a great place for us residents to call home. All of them appreciate a friendly ver-bal “thank you” from us from time to time. But, in addition, you may have thought it would be nice to give a more tangible expression of thanks.

At Asbury, it is a strict rule that no Associate may accept any gift of money, or anything of monetary value, from a resident. BUT, fortunate-ly there is one exception to that rule. Back in 1972, the residents initiated a new practice which has become a tradition: the collection by residents of contributions to a Christmas Gift Fund for employees. The collected funds are distributed to AMV employ-ees below the managerial level in proportion to each employee’s hours worked on campus.

A wide variety of faiths are rep-resented among Asbury residents and associates, and all faith traditions share the ethic of gratitude. Thus, we participate in the Christmas Fund as an act of gratitude, together as one community.

Here are the answers to some ques-tions you may have about the Fund:

Who receives a gift from the Fund? Every employee whose pay is below a certain level receives a gift, reflecting the wish expressed by residents when the Fund was started. Upper level bosses and those at man-agerial pay levels are not included.

How many employees receive gifts from the Fund? Last year each of 806 employees received a gift.

What kind of jobs do the recip-ients hold at AMV? The largest number are in the nursing depart-ment, mostly at Wilson Health Care Center but also at Kindley and those in Asbury home care who work on this campus. Another large group is in dining services, including cooks, dishwashers and wait staff. Others are in housekeeping, maintenance, transportation, security, AVTV, fitness

center, concierge-receptionists, laun-dry workers, and many others, seen and unseen.

How much does each Associate receive? Every eligible employee, full or part time, receives the same gift amount per hour worked in the preceding twelve month period. In 2014 that was about 22 cents per hour. A full- time employee received about $431.

How much should I give? This one you have to answer for yourself. Consider whatever amount will give you a warm feeling of having done your part in thanking our helpers, and will fit your budget. In your thinking, you might consider that a contribution of $1 per day amounts to $365. Or, if, for example, you may want to contribute $1 for the year to

each eligible employee in 2015 - that would amount to about $825. Again, your budget and your inner warmth will be your best guides.

How do I give? Anytime between now and November 25, make out a check to “CCAV” (which stands for Coordinating Council Asbury Village) and give it to the Fund representative in your building, or neighborhood, to the collector at Kindley or Wilson, or mail as appropriate. (Please see box.)

Please remember that checks should be made out to CCAV.

IT’S ONLY OCTOBER, but…

Courtyard Homes: Peter Cascio, CH-420Diamond: Art Rabenhorst, D-1009Edwards-Fisher: Emily Robin-son, EF-214Kindley: Collection box at recep-tion desk. Mail: Molly McFarland, 333 Russell Ave. Gaithersburg, MD 20877.Mund: Hank Beisner, M-603Park View: Bob Bowles, PV-78 Trott: Doreen Sexton, T-403Villas: Bill Brown, V-442Wallace: Carmine Castellano, Wallace-301Wilson: Alicia Robrecht, Admin-istration Office. Mail: 301 Russell Ave. Gaithersburg, MD 20877.General information: Maria Rob-erts, CY-437, 301-987-6986. [email protected]


Welcome New Residents

Mary Frances Edens Edwards-Fisher 514, x5861 A new Easter bonnet was far from

Fran Edens’ mind when she moved into Edwards-Fisher apartment 514 on April 3, 2015. Mary Frances, or Fran as she prefers, was born in Elizabethtown, Tennessee and received her degree from Milligan College. It was there that she met her future hus-band and embarked on a loving marriage of which three children, two girls and a boy, are the happy outcome. Raising the children with a fully committed, coaching father meant the family watched and enthu-siastically cheered at endless ball games.

Fran did social work in Tennessee before a move to North Carolina created the opportunity for continuing education. A master’s degree from Duke enhanced her career in education. Fran is the doting

grandmother of a girl as the family contin-ues to flourish.

Fran enjoys working crossword and jig-saw puzzles. She misses her bicycle out-ings which often covered ten miles. Read-ing a good book is one of her favorite pas-times. She volunteered regularly to tutor college-bound students.

When her husband died, Fran kept her-self busy, assuming many of his duties in caring for the family home. This became such a big task that she felt it was time to consider moving into a retirement com-munity. When the family recommended Asbury Methodist Village she visited the campus and decided to become part of the Asbury community. We Edwards-Fisher neighbors were delighted to put out the welcome mat.

—Joan Dunlop, Edwards-Fisher reporte

Shirley Bauer Mund 613,X4498

Shirley and her husband, Russell moved to Asbury and the Mund building in late July, 2015. They had been living in the metropolitan area for 60 years and moved to Asbury from Glenn Dale, Maryland, where they had lived for 55 years.

Shirley was born in Madison, Wisconsin. She and her mother and sister moved to Vermillion, South Dakota when she was 13 years old. She attended high school there and enjoyed working on the school paper, where she wrote many articles. Shirley attended the University of S. Dakota for two years and went on to the University of Maryland to finish up her B.A.

Shirley had met her husband-to-be when they were in the eighth grade in Vermil-lion. They were married in 1954 and pro-

ceeded to raise three young sons. Mean-while, Shirley was working on her Mas-ter’s degree in English at the University of Maryland, and then entered the doctoral program at the same university. One of the papers she wrote for that degree was published as “A bibliography of criticism of Katherine Anne Porter”. She completed the work for the PhD—“all but the dis-sertation.”

For 25 years, Shirley taught English, first at Anne Arundel Community College, and then at the U. of MD. She has a small body of published poetry and has written fic-tion for a pastime.

Her three sons are Steve, Jeff and Dan and she has five grandchildren and two great-grandchildren. She and her family attend the church of Absolute Monism.

—Anne Porter, Mund reporter

Ronald Bennett Edwards-Fisher 603, x3160While we were celebrating the glories

of Spring and even picking a May flower or two, Ronald Bennett was busy pick-ing an ideal location for his furniture as he settled into Edwards-Fisher apart-ment 603 on May 11, 2015. Born in Washington, DC, he studied architecture at the University of Cincinnati. During a summer break Ron returned to DC and saw an Arthur Murray ad offering train-ing for a professional dance career. He decided to sign up if only to improve his dancing skills and it was an ideal career move as he became a dance instructor until he was tempted to broaden his horizons.

Ron joined the United States Navy in 1962 and when his active duty was over his love of the dance compelled him to

leave the Navy, bypass architecture and share his artistic ability with others. At ease with his capable and professional dance partner, he became an East Coast Latin Dance Champion, performed for Vice President Walter Mondale, appeared on the Oprah Winfrey Show and repre-sented the United States in two dance championships. Ron was a member of the United States Olympic coaching staff in 1980 and 1984.

Ron continues to keep busy season-ally by golfing in summer and skiing in winter. A bachelor, he reflects on his life and realizes that teaching others to find dance as an expressive outlet and an avenue for pure enjoyment is a truly satisfying life achievement. We Edwards-Fisher friends and neighbors are already enjoying his grace and rhythm.

—Joan Dunlop, Edwards-Fisher reporter

Photo: Bob Tedesco

Photo: Dorothy Harris

Photo: Dorothy Harris


Welcome New Residents

Hermione Fthenakis 349 Fellowship Circle,

Courtyard Homes, x6691Hermione’s Courtyard Home is well guarded

by a stone lion at the front door and twin bronze lions at the back. The latter are named Patience and Fortitude after the New York Public Library lions. Her home is decorated with stained glass in windows, door panels and transom headers. She had made stained glass windows for a Vic-torian style vacation home she and her husband built in Cape May, NJ. After he passed away in 2014, she sold the house, later discovering that the new owner had torn out all the stained glass – she recovered much of it and though it was damaged she lovingly restored and adapted it to its new location.

Hermione was born in York and grew up in Harrogate, Yorkshire which is one of the garden spots of England. After high school she worked in a research laboratory but yearned to fulfill two dreams: to see more of the world and to continue her education. She came to the US and worked for United Airlines, based in New York and San Francisco, a situation that allowed her to spend time in varied and interesting destinations.

After some time, her base of operations was changed to Washington. While flying to DC to arrange for housing, she found herself seated

next to a passenger whose work location was also changing from the west coast to DC. His right arm was in a sling from a skiing accident. Thus he had trouble cutting his food with one hand, so Hermione offered to help. When they landed he said, “I owe you a dinner for your kind-ness”; in this way began her acquaintance with Greek-born Emanuel Fthenakis, who would even-tually become her husband.

Hermione earned her degree in Architecture from the University of Maryland, a five-year course of study that she began part time while working for United. After graduation, she formed her own company, working mostly in residential exterior and interior design. Meanwhile she mar-ried Emanuel, a pioneer in the satellite commu-nications and aerospace fields, who became CEO of American Satellite Corporation and later of Fairchild Industries.

Eventually, Hermione decided to dedicate her-self to her lifelong passion for art. In addition to stained glass, she paints and makes jewelry. She has created oil painted panels depicting the dis-tinctive features of each American state she has visited and she is pictured here with the Mary-land panel in her front hall. Hermione hopes to complete one for each of the 50 states. Asbury neighbors will enjoy Hermione’s creativity as well as her friendly lions.

—Maria Roberts, Courtyard Homes reporter

such lavish style, it was noted that the “laird” went to bed wearing his breast plate armor as murder and mayhem stalked the slow national-ization of Scotland.

There seemed to be a castle every 20 miles, some in intriguing ruins and others still lived in by clan leaders who have most practically opened these formidable places to the public to help defray the cost of maintaining them. But Downton Abbey they are not!

But these castle homes, cold and drafty as they were, did not prepare me for the crofter home or Scottish Black House. Some say the black houses reflect the earlier broch vil-lage structures of stone long houses. Like those, they are constructed of 2 thick, stone-slab walls filled between with debris. They have no windows or chimney, only a central, smoky, peat-burning hearth, often one room of 15 x 10 or so feet adjacent to an equally confining place for livestock in winter. Such black houses were occupied until the late 1960s albeit their more modern homemaker may have had a piece of linoleum over the stone floor and hung pieces of fabric or a wallpaper-like covering

to the walls to give it some heart. These minimal shelters located in crofter villages provided shelter to subsistence farmers/herdsmen until Scottish law replaced the shelters with white houses offering real roofs and walls, windows and plain rooms. Animals not welcome.

The modern Scottish home may be a renovated ancient stone struc-ture or built of stone scavenged from earlier structures. With chim-ney pots ubiquitous to Scotland, the stone often is a deep grey from smoky coal fires. In rural area roofs may be of sod over slate. In the city, buying a home takes considerable planning. In Edinburgh, for instance, one cannot sign a purchase agree-ment until one has sold the first home. Home costs can be high so a starter home may be part of a house, a floor or apartment area that one hopes to add to when the rest of the house and money become available.

On returning home, I walked into my roomy Villa home and again expressed gratitude for living when and where I do. Home is absolutely where my heart is although Jay is welcome to think he is king of our castle.

HOMEContinued from page 7

Photo: Maria Roberts

fully removed our cars the evening before because the entire court was closed off to traffic. For the day, a flagman guided traffic around and past the worksite. Neighbors kept looking out to check on progress. Even neighbors from the Diamond building stood on their balconies to watch the coordination of the workmen. The project took the entire day. Each member of the crew knew his job and did it with dispatch. Here are some photos of

the splendid choreography involved in the climbing, loping and sawing of this grand old tree.

Ta Da! Jerry Dennis inspects where the tree used to be.

TREEContinued from page 1

Resident Residence(s) Date of DeathHwi Kwon WHCC 09-01-2015Victor Nedzelnitsky Courtyards 09-03-2015Patricia Stone Mund 09-07-2015Elaine Poms WHCC/Kindley 09-08-2015Albert J. Parlett WHCC/Wallace 09-10-2015Jane C. Martin Mund 09-11-2015Jennie E. Haller Mund 09-14-2015June McCoy WHCC 09-15-2015Mary G. Belliveau Kindley/Diamond 09-19-2015Lonna Williams WHCC 09-21-2015Virginia Wright WHCC/Mund 09-21-2015Paul Baltay Park View 09-21-2015Suey L. Der WHCC 09-24-2015Jane Elliott Braucher WHCC/Diamond 09-25-2015Evelyn H. Fine Edwards-Fisher 10-01-2015

In Memoriam


Asbury Methodist VillageCommunications Department201 Russell AvenueGaithersburg, MD 20877-2801

Non-ProfitOrganizationU. S. Postage

PAIDRockville, MD

Permit No. 4297A NEWSPAPER FOR ASBURY METHODIST VILLAGE

VILLAGE LIFE: A NEWSPAPER FOR ASBURY METHODIST VILLAGE

Service With a Smile…Marcia Dobson

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