DebbyMossburgLedOLLI Walk & Talk Club Members on an Enjoyable Walk on the Pohick Trail, Springfield, with a Stop at Harvest Bakery and Café Afterward, October 6;
BobHeyer Photographer
By Michele Romano, Health and Safety Advisory Workgroup Chair
Yup. Now would be the perfect time to get those Covid and high dose flu vaccines. A good target date is no later than Halloween. It takes two weeks to build up immunity from vaccines and you want that protection going into the holidays.
*Spoiler Alert*—The vaccines will not prevent Covid or the flu. They are designed to protect you from getting seriously ill (hospitalization, death).
You can get both vaccines at the same time in different arms. If you have tested positive for Covid, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) recommends waiting three months before getting the new Covid vaccine. See Clinical Guidance for COVID-19 Vaccination | CDC for complete details.
It is not unusual to experience mild flu-like symptoms for a day or so after receiving any vaccine—often an indication that your body is mounting a strong immune response. If your symptoms are severe or you have any concerns, consult your healthcare provider immediately.
Which brings us to the new RSV vaccine. The CDC recommends that adults age 60 and over MAY receive the RSV vaccine, using Shared Clinical Decision-Making (SCDM) between you and your health care provider. Not everyone over age 60 needs the vaccine. The CDC notes that “even though it is acceptable” to give the RSV vaccine on the same day as other vaccines, patients may experience increased side effects. The CDC also found some studies showing a weakened immune response when the flu and RSV vaccines were given on the same day. Frequently Asked Questions About RSV Vaccine for Adults | CDC is a good place to start doing your homework. Take the time to click on each question. Some are meant for providers, but all are worthwhile. This is a new vaccine. Do not take anything for granted.
Please check both websites often. These recommendations can change on a dime as new research comes in. And, they often do. LIVE LONG AND PROSPER
By Doris Bloch, Support Group/Chat Line Coordinator
OLLI is launching a support group! It is intended to support those OLLI members who are caregivers for any family member and friend who is exhibiting symptoms of dementia, although certainly open to any interested OLLI member. In this effort, we have strong backing and cooperation with the George Mason University's School of Social Work (SSW), which has provided us with a facilitator! Thank you, Mason SSW.
You need not be a full-time caregiver or even a current caregiver to contribute your experiences and emotions to this group. You can share or lurk, as you wish!
Right now, this is a project in its infancy, and we look forward to hearing from you about what you would like. It is envisioned that we will convene the support group one afternoon every second week, that it will be on Zoom, and initially take over an hour of the open 24/7 Chat Line. The group’s focus will not be on educational materials, as OLLI has offered substantial course work on those aspects, but rather on the emotional and possibly the practical side of caregiving. If there is enough interest, the group will in the future morph into a club/ongoing activity, which will give us an email list of registrants where we can email notices and links, if so desired.
Our plan is to have our first meeting by the beginning of November. Please contact Doris Bloch (dbloch50@hotmail.com) or Nancy Klein (nklein@gmu.edu) if you are interested in participating in the group, or if you have suggestions or questions.
By Norma Jean Reck, Coordinator, Theater Lovers’ Group
A senior Mason film student, Panah Esfandiar Neshati, is casting for a role in a short film that he is directing, shooting October 20 and 21, 2023. The role is a Sergeant Parsons (male 40 - 70), an arrogant and reckless officer at the epicenter of a police brutality case. No monetary compensation. Meals will be served, and film credit given. To schedule an audition, email Panah at pneshati@gmu.edu. Feel free to pass the word to any interested friends.
Upcoming Theater Events
On Wednesday, November 1, the Theater Lovers' Group will go to see the 8:00 performance of Mel Brooks' musical Young Frankenstein at the Little Theater of Alexandria, located at 600 Wolfe Street, Alexandria, VA. It is a musical comedy (based on the 1974 film) and was nominated for three Tony Awards. Gay Alper has arranged for an optional pre-show dinner at 6:00 at Trattoria da Franco, which is walking distance to the theater. On-street parking should be available.
Tickets: A group rate is possible, so if you are interested in a fun, musical night out with fellow theater lovers, please email me at nreck@cs.com ASAP.
On Sunday, December 10, the Theater Lovers' Group will go to the 2:00 matinee performance of Quilters at the 1st Stage Theater, located at 1524 Spring Hill Road, Tysons, VA 22102. Quilters, a musical, is set on the frontier and is about the women telling their stories of their life on the frontier through the making of their patchwork quilts. The $35 tickets are now selling. Once they are sold, the tickets will be $55. We will go to Joon for optional dinner after the show. If you are interested in joining us, please email me at njreck@cs.com ASAP.
Remember that guests are always welcome!
P.S. Remember to sign up for our armchair Broadway theatrical adventure scheduled for Monday, November 13, from 1:00 to 2:30—Museum of Broadway. Victoria Cairl will come to us live via Zoom from the museum to walk us through the new, fantastic, interactive Museum of Broadway. You don't want to miss it.
The Computer Club (OLLI Personal Computer User Group, or OPCUG) will meet with its partner, the Potomac Area Technology and Computer Society (PATACS) on Saturday, October 21, in person and via Zoom. The Zoom session usually opens at 12:45.
Time and Time Measurement—Presented by Lorrin Garson
Time controls our lives: e.g., when to get up, go to work, have lunch, plan birthdays, celebrate holidays, plant corn. These are the simple things. Time defines the length of a meter and our foot, yard, and mile. Time determines exactly where on earth we are located. "What is the time" is easy to answer—10:42. But "what is time"—is surprisingly complex and difficult to explain.
Lorrin Garson had a long career in technical publishing of chemical information. His presentations to our computer groups are famous for their thorough research and clarity.
Learn in 30: Vinyl LPs and Slinkies—Presented by John Krout
This presentation will explain the surprising way that vinyl can be affected by a phonograph pickup needle during playback, and how careful use will avoid damage. Typical frequent LP playback during college, when the presenter accumulated more than 250 LPs, can cause serious and permanent damage. You will learn about how that happens and how to avoid it.
John Krout is a frequent presenter at our meetings on a wide range of computer, technology and photography topics, and author of many articles for the PATACS Posts newsletter.
To attend via Zoom’s cloud meeting service, beginning at 12:45, please click this link to join the meeting and use passcode 206627 (Note: enter passcode with NO spaces) or enter meeting ID 860 6157 6830 in the Zoom app and use the above passcode (preferred method).
Playing board games can reduce stress, boost brain power, and protect against dementia. Do you like playing board games? Would you like to learn and play new games with your fellow OLLI members? If you answered yes to either question, please attend the OLLI Board Game Club interest meeting on October 17 from 1:15-2:15 in the Annex at the Tallwood Campus. The plan for this group would be to meet every two weeks at the Tallwood campus to play board games. If you are interested in joining this group but cannot attend the interest meeting, please send an email to timharwarth@yahoo.com and let him know that you would like to join this group. We hope to see you there!
Second Call: Do You Live in a 55+ Community? We Need Your Expertise!
By Debby Mossburg, Board Member and Outreach Committee Chair
This fall, the hybrid class Moving on Up is exploring a variety of options for senior living. We have a wonderful range of presenters from communities with a number of price points and levels of support. However, we have a huge gap when it comes to established 55+ communities where homes are primarily available only through resale. Thank you to all who answered my first request for participants, but we’d love to have a few more members willing to share their experience.
We are looking for people who own or rent a cottage, RV, single family home, duplex, four-plex, townhome, or condo in a 55+ community. So far, we have residents from Heritage Hunt, The Atrium, Hiddenbrooke, and Regency in Ashburn, but we’d love to have more communities represented.
Would you be willing to sit on a panel to share your insights about this lifestyle choice during our final class on November 6 at 2:15? We will have both in-person (Tallwood) and Zoom seats available for the panel. Please email debby.mossburg@verizon.net if you think this is something you might be willing to do. Thanks in advance!
On October 6 a band of OLLI members visited Ivy Hill Cemetery in Alexandria. Our guided walking tour was led by Catherine Weinraub, who has researched the history of the cemetery as well as the backgrounds of many of the cemetery's current "residents." It was interesting to hear tales about some of the movers and shakers of the past and their influence on area history. Perhaps most unique was a step into the underground vault that is on the property, where the accompanying photo was taken.
For tickets for either Center for the Arts Concert Hall (CFA) or Hylton Center, call 1-888-945-2468, buy tickets online through the event calendar (see links below), or visit the venue's box office. For more information, see the CFA ticket pageor the Hylton Center ticket purchase page.
Dr. Linda Apple Monson produces a periodic “Notes from the Director.” This email is full of 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.
Fri, Oct 20, 8:00
A pre-performance discussion will take place in Monson Grand Tier, 45 minutes prior to curtain. Concert Hall Admission: $48, $41, $29.
Please note: Although some physical meetings for clubs and activities are canceled, some may be meeting in person or, in a hybrid mode, both in person and online. 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 Oct 14
10:30 am
Tai Chi Club
Tue Oct 17
1:00 pm
4:30 pm
Stay Active and Independent for Life
Tai Chi Club
Wed Oct 18
1:45 pm
2:00 pm
4:00 pm
4:00 pm
4:00 pm
Bridge Club
Memoir and More Writing Group
Mah Jongg Club
Spanish Club
Conversations with Doris & Brenda
Thu Oct 19
1:15 pm
4:00 pm
4:30 pm
Science, Technology, & Health Program Planning Group
Reston Book Club
Tai Chi Club
Fri Oct 20
9:30 am
10:00 am
11:00 am
11:00 am
1:00 pm
Crafts and Conversation Board of Directors Meeting
Classic Literature Club
Homer, etc.
Stay Active and Independent for Life
Sat Oct 21
10:30 am
1:00 pm
Tai Chi Club
Personal Computer User Group
Tue Oct 24
1:00 pm
4:30 pm
Stay Active and Independent for Life
Tai Chi Club
Wed Oct 25
11:00 am
1:45 pm
4:00 pm
4:00 pm
Spanish Club
Bridge Club
Theater Lovers’ Group
Conversations with Doris & Brenda
Thu Oct 26
4:30 pm
6:00 pm
Tai Chi Club
Ethnic Eats Club
Fri Oct 27
9:30 am
9:30 am
11:00 am
11:00 am
12:00 noon
1:00 pm
Mah Jongg Club
Crafts and Conversation
Classic Literature Club
Homer, etc.
Photography Club
Stay Active and Independent for Life
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
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.
![](https://olli.gmu.edu/wp-content/uploads/2023/10/Walk-and-Talk-at-Pohick-Trail-Oct.-2023.png")
