Osher Lifelong Learning Institute

ENews July 25 2025

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OLLI E-News July 25, 2025
Print a condensed pdf copy of this newsletter, two web pages per sheet of paper.
OLLI Board of Directors meeting, July 18, 2025

July 25, 2025


Editor of the Week: John Nash
Table of Contents

Alerts & Notices

The next issue of OLLI E-News will be published Friday, August 1; the regular deadline for submission of items is Tuesday, July 29, at 6:00.

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From the Desk of the Executive Director



By Lisa Mariam, Executive Director


Did you know that you may pay your membership dues over the course of the year:  $37.50 per month or $112.50 quarterly. Please contact the Registrar at [email protected] or 703-544-0085 to arrange for an installment plan.

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Did you get your 10,000 steps today? Did you know that it’s an urban legend? It originated in Japan in the 1960’s as a marketing slogan for a new pedometer. It’s still good for your health but what actually is the sweet spot? How Many Steps Should A Senior (80-Year-Old) Walk Each Day? - Village Walk.
(From the Healthcare Advisory Workgroup)

The History of Tallwood

 

By Paul Howard, OLLI Member and Former OLLI President


OLLI Colleagues:

An interesting history article/newsletter from the Fare Facs Gazette of Summer 2004 is available at the following link: [https://www.historicfairfax.org/wp-content/uploads/2012/05/HFCI23-2004.pdf]. It discusses the history of the site that OLLI now occupies at Tallwood, historical owners, and most interesting, the private school that once occupied the site. Based on the time-frame of its existence, I've always suspected the school was a 'segregation academy.' 

Of particular interest is the discussion of the building we call 'Tallwood Cottage.' George Mason University allowed OLLI to begin using the cottage in 2010. Mason had a research project on computer security based there before our use, with extensive local area network (LAN) cabling throughout, and two 200-amp electrical service feeds for the building. Mason took down a wall and removed a closet so that, for several years, we had an extra classroom that could accommodate 20-25 folks. Ultimately, the need for staff offices ousted the classroom and kitchen use for club activity.

Smallwood—fondly known as the 'potty barn'—was on the north end of the Tallwood House discussed in the article. I believe Mason planned renovations of that building for OLLI use and then discovered massive termite damage, so that portion of Tallwood House accordingly was demolished.

Corrected Link for Memoir Available at Amazon

  

By Margie Wildblood, Author and OLLI Member


Last week’s E-News reported on the publication of my recent memoir Because He Loved Me, and included a link to an Amazon site for the book. Although the text of the site covered the English text for the book’s title and content, the site was a Spanish language page. For Amazon’s English language page on the book, please use the following link:  Because He Loved Me: A Story of the Transformative Power of True Love: Wildblood, Margie Crowe: 9798992527605: Amazon.com: Books. You also may go to: https://www.amazon.com, and copy this number 9798992527605 into the search line.

Thank you for your interest.

Poet's Corner

Courtesy of the Poetry Workshop

Older Ladies

They spread out onto wooden pews
in their woolen suits and crepe dresses
not too flashy. Their shoulders were comforted
by fox stoles with beady-eyed faces.
Mother whispered Don’t touch.
Leather closed-toe pumps squeezed
their moleskinned corns. Gloves
shielded their roughened hands.
Beside them squatted their matching
pocketbooks with handkerchiefs
receipts, remnants of hard-earned wages
and candies wrapped in cellophane.
When my cousin’s grown son asked
if I had a butterscotch or peppermint
I realized I had become an older lady.
               –Carolyn Wyatt

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Arts & Music at George Mason
Performances July 25 through August 2


By Shelly Gersten, OLLI E-News Staff Writer


For tickets for either Center for the Arts Concert Hall (CFA) or Hylton Center, call 1-888-945-2468. You can also buy tickets online through the event calendar (see links below) or visit the venue's box office. For more information, see the CFA ticket page or the Hylton Center ticket purchase page.

Dr. Linda Apple Monson produces a periodic “Notes from the Director.” This email is full of information on interesting online performances by the students and faculty of the School of Music. If you would like to receive these bulletins, just sign up at this link to stay in touch. Also, the Center for the Arts has a website, Mason Arts at Home, which has a calendar of online events and access to many past performances.

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At the Fairfax Campus Venues

(25-26 Season subscriptions to Great Performances
now on sale)

Mason String Camp Final Concert
Sat Aug 1, 2:15
Center for the Arts Concert Hall
Admission: Free
Mason Student and Faculty Performances

(see music.gmu.edu for additional student recitals)

No performances

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At the Hylton Center (Manassas Campus)

The Creative and Performing Arts Center: Space School Musical
Sat, Jul 26, 10:00 and 2:00
Gregory Family Theater
Admission: Free.

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For further details on any of the above events, see the CFA event calendar and the Hylton Center event calendar.

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Meetings & Clubs

Please note: OLLI Meetings and Clubs may currently take place in several formats: some are in person only, some are online only, and some are hybrid, meaning that they take place in person and are accessible online simultaneously. OLLI events and activities meeting online bear the identification "Z" in their course or event number (except clubs; you may need to check the OLLI calendar and daily schedule email for location and other event information). Refer to the university's coronavirus website for official university updates.

The following list covering the next two weeks is extracted for your convenience from the master online calendar maintained by the office. The list is accurate as of mid-week. Note: All OLLI members are welcome at, and encouraged to attend, meetings of the Board of Directors, committees and resource groups, kick-off coffees, etc. The OLLI office has sent (or will send) emails with links and meeting passwords to club members; you may also log in at the member portal and click on ZOOM CLASS LINKS.
 
Sat Jul 26 10:30 am Tai Chi Club – online
Mon Jul 28
 
 
 
 		  9:30 am
10:00 am
10:00 am
 4:00 pm
 4:00 pm		 What’s in the Daily News? – online
Board Game Club
Bridge Club
Family History/Genealogy – online
Chair Yoga and More – online
Tue Jul 29
 
 		  2:00 pm
 4:00 pm
 4:30 pm		 Chair Yoga and More – online
Mah Jongg Club – online
Tai Chi Club – online
Wed Jul 30
 
 		 11:50 am
12:00 noon
 1:30 pm		 Investment Forum
Chair Yoga and More – online
Dabbling Artists – online
Thu Jul 31
 		  3:00 pm
 4:30 pm		 Chair Yoga and More – online
Tai Chi Club – online
Fri Aug 1
 
 
 		  9:30 am
10:00 am
11:00 am
12:00 noon		 Crafts and Conversation
Mah Jongg Club
Homer, etc.– online
Chair Yoga and More – online
Sat Aug 2 10:30 am Tai Chi Club – online
Mon Aug 4
 
 		  9:30 am
11:00 am
 4:00 pm		 What’s in the Daily News? – online
Poetry Reading Club – online
Chair Yoga and More – online
Tue Aug 5
 
 		  2:00 pm
 4:00 pm
 4:30 pm		 Chair Yoga and More – online
Mah Jongg Club – online
Tai Chi Club – online
Wed Aug 6
 
 		 12:00 noon
 2:00 pm
 4:00 pm		 Chair Yoga and More – online
Memoir and More Writing Group – online
Spanish Club – online
Thu Aug 7
 
 		 11:50 am
 3:00 pm
 4:30 pm		 All the News – online
Chair Yoga and More – online
Tai Chi Club – online
Fri Aug 8
 
 
 
 
 		  9:30 am
 9:30 am
11:00 am
11:30 am
12:00 noon
 2:30 pm		 Photography Club – online
Crafts and Conversation (location TBD)
Homer, etc. – online
Cooking Club
Chair Yoga and More – online
Tallwood Book Club – online
Sat Aug 9 10:30 am Tai Chi Club – online

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About OLLI E-News

OLLI E-News was created by Rod Zumbro, who served as its editor from 2005 to 2013.

Editorial Staff
Chief Editor: Paul Van Hemel
Associate Editor: David Gundry

Weekly Editor Team: David Gundry, John Nash, Paul Van Hemel 
Proofreaders: Rebecca Jann, Susan Van Hemel, Thomas Appich, Martha Kossoff, Anne Hartshorn, Bonnie Becker, Carol McManus

Submissions: Members are encouraged to submit letters to the editor, letters to Ms. Ollie Ettakit (on etiquette matters), OLLI-related news items, articles, and photos. Submit material to: [email protected].
Deadline: Tuesday, 6:00, for that week's issue (Monday, 6:00, for letters to the editor); early submissions are greatly appreciated. Please limit articles to about 250 words.
Note: You can view past issues of OLLI E-News on the DocStore. To search the content of issues, use Search Our Site or put your search term in Google followed by "site:olli.gmu.edu/" without the quotes.

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OSHER LIFELONG LEARNING INSTITUTE
AT GEORGE MASON UNIVERSITY

4210 Roberts Rd. Fairfax, VA 22032-1028
Phone: (703) 503-3384
Email: [email protected]

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