Dr. Maryam Dadkhah, Health and Nutrition Specialist, Reviews How Lifestyle Changes Can Help Prevent and Manage Chronic Diseases,
October 4 and 11, Fall Term
By Doris Bloch, Support Group/Chat Line Coordinator
As noted in a recent E-News, OLLI is launching a group to support those OLLI members who are caregivers for any family member or friend that is exhibiting symptoms of dementia or memory deficit, although we are 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!
This is a project in its infancy, and we look forward to hearing from you. We are holding our introductory meeting on the afternoon of Tuesday, October 31 (Halloween). We will log onto the OLLI Chat Line at 3:45 for 30 minutes and probably just introduce ourselves and talk about the direction for the group. (The meeting ID for the 24/7 Chat Line is included in the OLLI daily schedule, sent out every weekday morning by 7:30.)
It is envisioned that we will convene the support group one afternoon every second week, on Zoom, and initially take approximately 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 practical sides of caregiving. If there is enough interest, the group may eventually morph into a club/ongoing activity. This will give us an email list of registrants so we can send notices and links, and have a dedicated Zoom meeting slot.
Please contact Doris Bloch (dbloch50@hotmail.com) or Nancy Klein (nklein4@gmu.edu) if you are interested in participating in the group, or if you have suggestions or questions.
You don’t want to miss OLLI’s Holiday Party—the season's biggest event! When: Friday, December 1. Where: The Country Club of Fairfax at 5110 Ox Road, Fairfax.
Starting at 11:30, there will be socializing and a cash bar, with lunch served at 12:15.
A musical performance and door prizes will entertain us afterward.
For lunch, choose chicken marsala, pasta primavera, or spinach salad with grilled chicken as an entrée. All meals include beverages and dessert. You can indicate your choice of entrée and pay the $50 fee when you register on the OLLI portal (Event 1203). Registration ends on Monday, November 14.
Don’t wait—reservations are taken on a first‑come, first‑served basis. OLLI members are encouraged to bring guests.
By Norma Jean Reck, Coordinator, Theater Lovers’ Group
Ragtime, a musical genre popular in the early 1900s, is basically a hybrid of European and African music. It is said to be the truly American form of music. As such, it is a fitting backdrop for Ragtime, the award-winning musical set in New York in the early 1900s, to express the melting pot of styles and cultures of the various peoples who built our country with the hope for a brighter tomorrow.
The Theater Lovers' Group (TLG) will see the Sunday, November 12,2:00 matinee of Ragtime at Signature Theater, 4200 Campbell Avenue, Arlington. We will have lunch at a nearby restaurant in Shirlington before the show (so we can drive home during daylight hours).
Tickets are $81, $98, and $123, depending on the location. To purchase tickets, go to http://www.sigtheatre.org or phone 703-820-9771. Tickets go fast.
Please email Norma at njreck@cs.com to sign up with the group. Remember guests are always welcome!
Reminder: TLG will see the Sunday, November 5, 2:00 matinee of On Golden Pond at the Vienna Community Center with the Vienna Community Players. Tickets are $16. They can be purchased online at viennatheatrecompany.org. or at the theater on the day of the performance. We will go to dinner after the show. Please email Norma to let her know you will be joining us.
The October 2023 Photo of the Month theme was Animals in the Wild or the Zoo. We selected George Bradshaw's photo, "Red-winged Blackbird," which may also be viewed at this page. To view other photos by members of the Photography Club, visit the club's photo website.
-- By John Olsen and Edward Marion, Photography Club Co-Coordinators
Ralph Youngren, an enthusiastic member of OLLI since fall 2006, mainly on the Reston campus, passed away on October 17, 2023. His main passion was architecture, and it was in that field that he built his career.
Ralph and his wife Ann moved to Reston upon his retirement. They lived in Chicago and Michigan. He had visited Reston in the 1960’s shortly after its creation by Robert E. Simon and admired the planned community, never imagining that he would retire in Reston! His older son paved the way, moving to Reston and starting his family there.
Joining OLLI was a delight for Ralph. He taught classes on architecture and the design talent of Thomas Jefferson. He also enjoyed many classes, All The News, Literary Roundtable, and especially all things Jane Austen and History.
He cherished the friendships he made through OLLI and was grateful for everything he learned through its classes.
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 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.
Metropolitan Jazz Orchestra with Christian McBride
Sat, Oct 28, 8:00
A pre-performance discussion will take place in Monson Grand Tier, 45 minutes prior to curtain.
Concert Hall
Admission: $50, $43, $30.
Keyboard Conversations® with Jeffrey Siegel: Power and Passion of Beethoven
Sun, Oct 29, 7:00
A pre-performance “Young Artists Musicale,” featuring piano students of Northern Virginia Music Teachers Association members, will take place from 6:00 to 6:30 in the main lobby.
Concert Hall
Admission: $50, $43, $29.
Silkroad Ensemble with Rhiannon Giddens
Sun, Nov 5, 7:00
A pre-performance discussion will take place in Monson Grand Tier, 45 minutes prior to curtain.
Concert Hall
Admission: $60, $51, $36.
David Amoroso: Belleza Brutal
Buchanan Partners Art Gallery
Through Nov 4
Admission: Free.
ARTFactory’s Rooftop Productions: Kinky Boots Fri, Oct 27, 7:30
Sat, Oct 28, 7:30
Sun, Oct 29, 2:00
Gregory Family Theater
Admission: $30 Adult, $25 senior.
Art of Life Charities: "Lifting Others Up" Gala
Sat, Oct 28, 6:00
Guests will be treated to a performance by American Idol finalist Aaron Kelly. Dinner, art auction, and more during an amazing evening that helps the community.
Tickets artoflifecharities.org/.
Old Bridge Chamber Orchestra: Beethoven and Mozart
Sat, Oct 28, 8:00
Merchant Hall
Admission: $20 Adult, $15 senior.
The U.S. Army Band Star-Spangled Spectacular with Christopher Jackson
Sat, Nov 4, 7:30
Merchant Hall
Admission: Free but tickets are no longer available. Audience members without tickets will be seated pending availability of open seats prior to the start of the performance.
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 28
10:30 am
Tai Chi Club
Tue Oct 31
1:00 pm
4:30 pm
Stay Active and Independent for Life
Tai Chi Club
Wed Nov 1
1:45 pm
2:00 pm
4:00 pm
4:00 pm
4:00 pm
4:00 pm
Bridge Club
Memoir and More Writing Group
Mah Jongg Club
History Club
Spanish Club
Conversations with Doris & Brenda
Thu Nov 2
4:30 pm
Tai Chi Club
Fri Nov 3
10:00 am
1:00 pm
Annual Town Hall Meeting
Stay Active and Independent for Life
Sat Nov 4
10:30 am
Tai Chi Club
Tue Nov 7
1:00 pm
4:30 pm
Stay Active and Independent for Life
Tai Chi Club
Wed Nov 8
11:00 am
1:30 pm
1:45 pm
4:00 pm
Spanish Club
Tallwood Book Club
Bridge Club
Conversations with Doris & Brenda
Thu Nov 9
4:00 pm
4:30 pm
Reston Book Club
Tai Chi Club
Fri Nov 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
Crafts and Conversation
Classic Literature
Homer, etc.
Cooking 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.
You don’t want to miss OLLI’s Holiday Party—the season's biggest event! When: Friday, December 1. Where: The Country Club of Fairfax at 5110 Ox Road, Fairfax.
Ragtime, a musical genre popular in the early 1900s, is basically a hybrid of European and African music. It is said to be the truly American form of music. As such, it is a fitting backdrop for Ragtime, the award-winning musical set in New York in the early 1900s, to express the melting pot of styles and cultures of the various peoples who built our country with the hope for a brighter tomorrow.
Tickets are $81, $98, and $123, depending on the location. To purchase tickets, go to 
