New and Continuing Members Shared Conversation at the Grab ‘n’ Gab Coffee Klatch Hosted
by Toni Acton, April 26 at Tallwood
May 3, 2024
Editor of the Week: Paul Van Hemel
Table of Contents
Alerts & Notices
Notice/Reminder: Please be aware that no OLLI staff will email you with a request to purchase a gift card or share banking information. Be suspicious that any such email is likely to be a scam.
The next issue of OLLI E-News will be published Friday, May 10; the regular deadline for submission of items is Tuesday, May 7, at 6:00.
From the Desk of the Executive Director Grand Opening of The Mather Lending Library
By Jennifer Disano, Executive Director
On April 29, OLLI Mason Board members and staff visited The Mather senior living community in Tysons, along with community partners, to celebrate the grand opening of The Mather library. Organizations like the Retired and Senior Volunteer Program (RSVP) of Northern Virginia, the Alan Cheuse International Writers Center, Fall for the Book, Watershed Lit Center for Literary Engagement and Publishing Practice, the College of Visual & Performing Arts (CVPA), and so many more, shared in the curation of The Mather’s beautiful new lending library. At the celebration residents learned about community connections and partner organizations, explored OLLI Mason offerings, and listened to an amazing presentation and performance by Dewberry School of Music Pianist Samuel Beckett Kim. Special thanks to Jen Morrow of Bards Alley for her expert work in the selection and stocking of the library shelves. Also, thanks to the The Mather staff for all their hard work! Kudos to everyone!
On Friday, April 26, a group of OLLI members enjoyed a docent-led tour of the US Capitol, one of the world’s most architecturally impressive and symbolically important buildings.
By Brenda Bloch-Young and Doris Bloch, Co‑Moderators
Continuing our Wednesday Conversations series, Team Bloch (Brenda Bloch-Young and Doris Bloch) will moderate a Zoom discussion on May 8 at 4:00.
The topic for May 8: How do we read cookbooks? A recent article in The Atlantic was titled, The Wisdom of Cookbooks. We don't often evaluate how we read a cookbook. The author suggested that many of us read a cookbook from cover to cover as we would a novel, savoring the cultural information and imagining the flavors of the ingredients, as well as the aromas in our kitchens. Some cookbooks present recipes as endearing as prose and others might represent a memoir of essays from the author. As an example, Alice Waters of Chez Panisse writes "handling living food is so inspiring and energizing it makes you want to cook."
Have you ever thought about how you read a cookbook? Do you have a cookbook that offers more than just recipes that you might want to share? We have a few suggestions for you.
Check your OLLI Daily Schedule for the Zoom link on Wednesday May 8 and join us to share your thoughts.
Thank you to everyone who donated their solar eclipse glasses to be collected and sent to Astronomers Without Borders. About 25 pairs of glasses from OLLI were dropped off at Warby Parker, the local distribution site. Their participation in the collection program ended on April 30, so OLLI will be removing our donation box.
On my usual walk in the park
I sometimes climb a circular path
to a look-out summit that offers a
panoramic view—a frame-by-frame
vista that I piece together with few turns.
It’s all there: the lakes, the children’s
playground, the greenhouse, and the
grove of old-growth oaks that shade a
forest path that meanders through the
native plant region.
All beneath an ever-changing sky that
shows no preference for the beauty below.
The view from above detaches me from
my ground-level cares and I forget,
for a moment, my mundane worries.
Instead, I savor the expansive view,
the spacious air, and the tranquil quiet.
I rest on a bench placed there for such
moments and inhale my surroundings,
feeling my belly inflate and contract—
just a few breaths more, before I make
my descent.
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 pageor 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 linkto 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.
Brian Ganz: A Chopin Recital
Sat, May 4, 8:00
A pre-performance discussion will take place in the Center for the Arts, 45 minutes prior to curtain.
Concert Hall
Admission: $48, $41, $29.
Manassas Symphony Orchestra: Laissez Les Bons Temps Rouler! Featuring Doreen Ketchens
Sat, May 4, 7:30
Merchant Hall
Admission: $30.
Northern Virginia Ballet: Cinderella
Sun, May 5, 2:00 and 6:00
Merchant Hall
Admission: $35 Adult, $25 Senior.
Creative and Performing Arts Center (CAPAC): Crowns, A Gospel Musical
Sat, May 11, 2:00
Sun, May 12, 3:00
Sat, May 18, 2:00
Sun, May 19, 3:00
Gregory Family Theater
Admission: $30 Adult, $12 Senior.
Pied Piper Theatre: The Wizard of Oz
Sat, May 11, 2:00 and 7:00
Sun, May 12, 2:00
Merchant Hall
Admission: $30 Adult, $25 Senior.
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, but for the most up-to-date information, please view the latest forecast of coming events on our website (News/OLLI Calendar). Note: All OLLI members are welcome at, and encouraged to attend, meetings of the Board of Directors, committees and resource groups, kick-off coffees, etc., bolded below. The OLLI office has sent (or will send) emails with links and meeting passwords to club members; you may also log in at the member portal and click on ZOOM CLASS LINKS.
Sat May 4
10:30 am
Tai Chi Club – online
Mon May 6
9:30 am
4:00 pm
What’s in the Daily News? – online
Family History/Genealogy Club – online
Tue May 7
4:30 pm
Tai Chi Club – online
Wed May 8
1:30 pm
1:45 pm
1:45 pm
4:00 pm
Tallwood Book Club
Bridge Club
Spanish Club
Conversation with Team Bloch – online
Thu May 9
11:50 am
4:30 pm
All the News
Tai Chi Club – online
Fri May 10
9:30 am
9:30 am
9:30 am
11:00 am
11:00 am
11:30 am
1:00 pm
Mah Jongg Club
Photography Club – online
Crafts and Conversation
Classic Literature Club – online
Homer, etc. – online
Cooking Club – off-site
Stay Active and Independent for Life – online
Sat May 11
10:00 am
Tai Chi Club – online
Mon May 13
9:30 am
What’s in the Daily News? – online
Tue May 14
4:30 pm
Tai Chi Club – online
Wed May 15
1:30 pm
1:45 pm
2:00 pm
4:00 pm
4:00 pm
4:00 pm
Board Game Club
Bridge Club
Memoir and More Writing Group – online
Mah Jongg Club – online
Spanish Club – online
Conversation with Team Bloch – online
Thu May 16
11:50 am
4:00 pm
4:30 pm
All the News
Reston Book Club – online
Tai Chi Club – online
Fri May 17
9:30 am
11:00 am
11:00 am
2:30 pm
Crafts and Conversation
Classic Literature Club – online
Homer, etc. – online
Caregivers Group – online
Sat May 18
10:30 am
1:00 pm
Tai Chi Club – online
Personal Computer User Group
OLLI E-News was created by Rod Zumbro, who served as its editor from 2005 to 2013.
Editorial Staff
Chief Editor: Paul Van Hemel
Associate Editor: David Gundry
Weekly Editor Team: David Gundry, John Nash, Sheri Siesseger,Paul Van Hemel Proofreaders: Rebecca Jann, Susan Van Hemel, Tom 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: ollienewseditor@gmail.com. Deadline: Tuesday, 6:00, for that week's issue (Monday, 6:00, for letters to the editor); early submissions are greatly appreciated. Please limit articles to about 250 words. Note: You can view past issues of OLLI E-News on the DocStore. To search the content of issues, use Search Our Site or put your search term in Google followed by "site:olli.gmu.edu/" without the quotes.
Senior Volunteer Program (RSVP) of Northern Virginia, the Alan Cheuse International Writers Center, Fall for the Book, Watershed Lit Center for Literary Engagement and Publishing Practice, the College of Visual & Performing Arts (CVPA), and so many more, shared in the curation of The Mather’s beautiful new lending library. At the celebration residents learned about community connections and partner organizations, explored OLLI Mason offerings, and 
listened to an amazing presentation and performance by Dewberry School of Music Pianist Samuel Beckett Kim. Special thanks to Jen Morrow of Bards Alley for her expert work in the selection and stocking of the library shelves. Also, thanks to the The Mather staff for all their hard work! Kudos to everyone!
