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Meditation SIG
Functional Meditation-- 3 Part Series Presented by Jacquie Wollins
Moderator: Sally Ekaireb
Monday, June 1, 4:30-5:10
Monday, June 8, 4:30-5:10
Monday, June 15 4:30-5:10
with Open Chat Room starting at 4:15 p.m.
This period of social distancing is a great opportunity to get quiet and meditate.
Jacquie
Wollins will present
content from her
Functional Meditation
course to establish a foundation to this meditation practice.
We are in stressful times, and we all react differently. Starting from
the beginner perspective, Jacquie will lead you to your meditative state
,
to a place where you can find refuge and appreciate your strengths and vitality while taking away the mystery of meditation
.
There will be three successive programs in this series.
You will learn how to get to your
Alpha meditative state
and develop your skill and achievement for easy access.
You will also learn how to use your meditative state, that's
where the "functional" aspects come in
.
Jackie has been teaching
Functional Meditation for many years at OLLI. This practice is based on the Silva Method and incorporates different aspects of the Feldenkrais Method.
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Link to Join Zoom Meeting to join on June 1:
Meeting ID: 726 8736 4915
Password: 531629
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For questions and the link for this series, get in touch with Meditation SIG contact: Sally Ekaireb:
skekaireb@gmail.com
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Plant-Based Living SIG
In this group we provide information and support for anyone interested in following a more plant based diet along the lines of Drs. Dean Ornish, Caldwell Esselstyn, Joel Fuhrman, Neal Barnard, John McDougall, Michael Greger, etc. and T. Colin Campbell, PhD.
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Link to Join Zoom Meeting:
Meeting ID: 758 2443 6316
Password: 9ufryF
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For questions, get in touch with the SIG contact:
Bonnie Wheeler
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MemoryCare Education Series:
For Families and Caregivers
Thursday,
June 4,
2 - 3:30 p.m.
MemoryCare is holding an online forum designed for caregivers and family members who want to learn more about how to care for themselves and their loved one affected by dementia.
A series of speakers will present information on
MemoryCare is a nationally recognized program for dementia care located at Givens Estates in Asheville.
The community-based, nonprofit, charitable organization is uniquely focused on serving the whole family. In 2018 MemoryCare
served more than 1,000 people living with dementia and 3,500 of their family caregivers
.
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Dave Erb
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Western North Carolina (WENOCA)
Sierra Club Webinar
"Electric Vehicles:
The Future Is Now"
with Dave Erb
Thursday,
June 4,
7-9 p.m
Dave will explain why vehicle electrification is an essential part of the path to a sustainable transportation system. He will address some of the extensive mis- and dis-information that dominates the public discourse about electric vehicles. Ample time will be allotted for questions.
In his four-decade automotive engineering career focused on energy and emissions, Dave developed vehicles using gasoline, diesel, biodiesel, alcohol, natural gas, electric, and hybrid electric powertrains. From 1995 to 2004, he created and taught a three-day professional development short course on "Design of Hybrid Electric Vehicles" for the Society of Automotive Engineers.
Dave authored the first chapter of David Hrivnak's "Driving to Net 0: Stories of Hope for a Carbon-Free Future." This is a collection of 15 first-person accounts of families combining solar houses with electric vehicles and other sustainability strategies. Recently, he has published several blog posts on "Demystifying EV Charging" on the Southern Alliance for Clean Energy website,
cleanenergy.org
.
This webinar is free and open to everyone.
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The Forum SIG - Virtual Edition!
Friday, June 5, 1 p.m.
Online
Topic:
June 5 - Integration or disintegration: The Importance of Cooperation Among Countries Around the World
June 12 - What are the effects of Trump's "war on the deep state" - congress, executive agencies, and the
media?
June 19 - Fake news: How can traditional freedom of expression survive?
June 26 - How can we help Asheville recover from the current situation?
July 3 - Current events and selection of topics for July.
The weekly Forum encourages a free-flowing dialogue designed to enrich and expand participants' thinking on a wide variety of topics; the group frequently focuses on current events. All OLLI members are welcome to attend. Contact
Beth Johnson, the Forum SIG coordinator, to get a link for the meeting: johnson1ea@earthlink.net
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How We Are Coping:
OLLI Members Report
Social Un-Distancing One Day at a Time
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Perry Sprawls
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Perry Sprawls writes to us about what he calls "Social Un-Distancing," an activity
that is "helping folks think about something other than the virus and find pleasure and fulfilment in a very positive way.
It is now being promoted in several church activities and at Given Highland Farms.
It should be of interest and value to OLLI members and readers."
 He describes his practice: "Over the years we all have become 'socially distanced' from many friends and family from the past because of relocations to different communities after school, with careers, because of families, retirement, and maybe more desirable climates and living conditions. Those include many old friends, work colleagues, distant family members, and others with which we shared common interests or activities.
"A common bond now is 'we are all in this together' with many restricted activities and social isolation. It is a time when reconnecting with others, especially those from the past, and not our current social contacts, will provide many pleasures and rewards.
For me it is now a daily practice. I begin each day by thinking about who will be my 'person of the day.' I then contact them usually by e-mail, but phone calls or occasional letters also work. A special emphasis is to express interest in their life and activities and our shared experiences.
"Sometimes sending along a photo adds a special touch. These renewed connections can also result in discussions and sharing of ideas, information, and resources that bring opportunities for intellectual engagement for all.
"It is the replies received that often convey the appreciation for being thought about and reached out to that makes my day...One day at a time."
We love the stories of our kind, creative, and resilient members. Let us know what you are doing to stay busy, engaged, and connected at this time. Send us an email at cfrank@unca.edu
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How We Can Help:
Community Volunteer Needs
We know that OLLI members are for the most part over 60 and therefore considered particularly susceptible to COVID-19, even as organizations and businesses begin to re-open. We suggest that before you sign on for any volunteer opportunity that you gain a full understanding of the precautions that will be taken to protect volunteers and diminish spread of the virus.
Become a Reading
Tutor
with Read to Succeed
Asheville/Buncombe
OLLI's Civic Engagement Committee Chair Kathleen Mainardi writes with the following request from Read2Succeed, a group the committee partners with.
Did you know that children who aren't reading on grade-
level by the end of 3rd grade are 4x more likely to drop out
of school? You can help close the literacy achievement gap
and give students both the skills and confidence they need to
succeed in school and life. Become a volunteer reading tutor
with Read to Succeed Asheville/Buncombe and work one-to-one with a kindergarten-third-grade student in one of our local Asheville City or
Buncombe County schools 1hour per week. Young students are going to need literacy support more than ever following the COVID-19 crisis, and you can make a difference!
To learn more about this unique opportunity and upcoming volunteer training dates, contact Julie Claywell, Volunteer Coordinator, at julie.claywell@r2sasheville.org /
OLLI member Judy Mattox has written with the following request from the Buncombe County Schools for volunteers:
School Lunch Volunteers
are needed
June 4 -- Aug 7, 2020, Monday through Friday at l
unch time. Volunteers serve for one hour, plus time for set up and cleanup.
Buncombe County School System prepares and delivers hot lunches to designated high poverty neighborhood sites, for volunteers to distribute free to children ages 2-18 and to the disabled.
Online background checks are required of all volunteers. A training video of 40 minutes with 6 questions is required.
Two people can adequately cover the feeding site.
Contact: Judy Mattox, judymattox@sbcglobal.net, 615-584-4570, Ann McLellan, annmclellan1@gmail.com, 828-350-9005
We appreciate the spirit of OLLI members who want to help, while we urge caution as we learn to live with the virus.
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Staying Together Apart
We realize that we would all like things to be "back to normal" as soon as possible, to be back in our "home away from home," especially at this beautiful time of year. We also realize that the best way to stay safe is to stay home except for essential travel. We here at OLLI are trying to make the most of this challenging time by finding ways to use technology like Zoom and social media platforms to stay connected and to understand "creative retirement" in new ways. We encourage you to try all of these new ways to capture a feeling for our OLLI community even while we have to stay apart.
We all look forward to being back together at the Reuter Center, but until then, we want you to feel connected and to continue to look to OLLI for great opportunities to learn "together apart."
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Dear OLLI Members,
Managing to live with COVID-19 can be all consuming. This week's news, however, has reminded us that the virus is not the only challenge we live with. All across the country there were expressions of outrage following the death of George Floyd after he was handcuffed and pinned down by a police officer. The incident of Christian and Amy Cooper's confrontation in Central Park reminded us that we must address seriously the consequences of white privilege. We reached the "grim milestone" of 100,000 people lost to COVID-19, and locally we had to confront the deaths of 14 people in long-term care facilities as the result of the virus. Across the country the economic impact of the virus is severe, and our local economy, so heavily dependent on tourism, has taken a hard hit. Some thinkers believe it may take years to rebound. Here at UNC Asheville and at OLLI we continue to consider what our fall term will look like, how we all remain vital and important institutions that have the possibility to transform our town, region, state, nation, and world, while we manage the health and safety of our community.
There were some more positive developments. Yesterday NASA and SpaceX launched the first manned space flight from U.S. soil since the space shuttles were retired in 2011, and Bob Behnken and Doug Hurley have docked safely at the International Space Station. All across the country and in our own community, yesterday marked graduation day for high school seniors, including my daughter, who moved to Asheville at the beginning of her fourth grade year and attended Claxton Elementary, Asheville Middle School, and the School of Inquiry and Life Science of Asheville at Asheville (SILSA) High School. Yesterday's graduation was not typical. We drove in a car line and let her off as she received a diploma cover (the challenges with printing plants mean that she will receive the actual document in the mail), got a greeting from Principal Nicole Cush, had a few photos taken, and then we drove away. Wonderful teachers and staff cheered congratulations and created a genuinely welcoming experience. We listened to the commencement speakers on the car radio, and were particularly impressed with
this address by SILSA salutatorian Danielle Hanna, who recognized not only the thrill of what is to come but the obstacles this group of young people has faced, born in the wake of 9/11 and ending their senior year of high school in the midst of a global pandemic which meant that they missed the ritual of ending this chapter of their lives.
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SILSA Class of 2020 Graduate Emma Gordon Fauber
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I hope you will forgive my including this image of my daughter. Given the strange circumstances of the graduation, we decided to drive around town and visit some local landmarks for photos. We went to all the schools she attended (even though the Asheville Middle School she attended has been torn down). We took a photo with the masked figure of Jenny Lind that is part of the
Wake installation on the South Slope. We posed with the beautiful spire of Asheville High School as our backdrop in another. We stopped at the murals of Joan of Arc and Dolly Parton (what better role models?) in West Asheville. And we ended at the silo in the River Arts District, with its mural by Ian Wilkinson. We drove by this landmark every day on the way to high school, and noted the evolution from "Good Vibes" to "Stay Weird" to "Stay Home" to "Stay True." And perhaps that evolution is one that expresses the strange times we live in as well as any other. Everywhere we stopped people greeted us with congratulations that warmed the heart of an 18-year-old and her parents. While this week presented many hopeless, helpless moments, high school graduation in Asheville presented some truly inspiring moments and reason to think there is a possibility that we all might know better and do better.
We have opportunities to continue to learn, to adapt, to protect ourselves and one another, and potentially to become stronger through collegiality and intention. We remain truly thankful for the wonderful community we create together, even when we are apart. We miss you and are eager to gather together again.
Catherine Frank
Executive Director
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The Leadership Is In
Tuesday, June 2,
2-3 p.m.
We are entering a new phase of our programs that is at least temporarily very different from our familiar territory. We want to find new ways to hear what you are thinking and to talk about our OLLI community's plans, our hopes, and our challenges. We were so grateful to have 30 of you join us on the first call that we thought we would offer another session.
We will hold additional sessions with OLLI staff and leadership and hope also to invite guests from the rest of the university to share their ideas about planning for the future. You don't have to have a question or idea.
Feel free just to stop by to say hello.
We want to know how you are thinking, feeling, and coping, and to stay connected to the organization that we create together.
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Our brave summer instructors |
What's Next for College for Seniors
We hope that everyone who registered is getting ready for the first day of school for Summer 2020 College for Seniors courses. Everyone should have received an email inviting you to an introductory meeting.
And we know that some people have good questions about how and why we structured registration for courses as we did.
Cick here to read more about our thoughts as we structured this summer's process.We realize that this summer was and is an experiment for all of us. Many decisions were based on trying to predict and manage what was unknown. We will continue to assess what works well. Questions and concerns help us to improve our processes, so we appreciate them.
We are working with the university to make the best possible decisions about what our fall term might look like. Nationally, almost 30% of OLLI programs have made the decision to operate with only remote learning possibilities. About 23% have made the decision to offer some online and some in-person learning. About 47% (OLLI at UNC Asheville among them) have not yet made a decision. No one has made the decision to open with face-to-face instruction only.
We recognize that UNC Asheville will reopen for undergraduate education, beginning on Monday, August 10 and ending the fall term on Friday, November 20. Our university's senior staff and emergency operations team are managing a staggering number of decisions and details to maintain the university as a vital and important institution in our community. University leaders have to manage best and worst case scenarios that include enrollment numbers, finances, and state appropriations. They are working with guidance from the UNC System, UNC Healthcare, MAHEC, and Mission Health to make good decisions about safety protocols based on the best available data and our community's capacity to care for people who contract the virus. They are designing classrooms for social distance and safe entrances and exits, designing and ordering masks and hand sanitizers, creating protocols to serve food and manage libraries, and planning how to manage spikes in cases. They even have to figure out how to manage restrooms so that we all work together to maintain the health and safety of our community as a whole.
Reopening OLLI at the Reuter Center would require that we manage all of these details and consider the risks and rewards for the OLLI demographic. We have to consider that we will be operating with a staff of five people and would have to determine how best to use the effort and energy of everyone to be best prepared for a wide range of scenarios.
We have asked our instructors and curriculum committees to plan for a scenario not only with a limited face-to-face instruction but potentially to continue with only remote instruction in the fall.
We know that many of you will be disappointed if we cannot gather face-to-face. It is likely that many will not feel comfortable returning to shared public spaces, particularly people over 65 and those with underlying medical conditions, as long as there is no cure and no vaccine for COVID-19. Some people have already told me that if the university opens we should open, even if we have a very different financial model and different epidemiological concerns. I have been so grateful for the positive and entrepreneurial spirit that we are seeing from committees who persuade instructors to give this a try and for the people who participate in our Zoom Café meetings to get comfortable with new technology.
Our staff has been dedicated to creating a community of people who have had the ability to gather in person to learn and connect in a beautiful space made possible by the generosity, vision, and tenacity of staff, volunteer leaders, and members of the NC Center for Creative Retirement. We can still dream big and be part of a community of learners, even if temporarily that may look different than populating the Reuter Center. We will always strive to preserve the best of who we are, and we are learning all the time about the possibility to add new communities and tools to the work we do. Thanks so much for your patience and creativity as we enter a new phase of lifelong learning.
Stay tuned. Stay positive. Stay together apart.
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Sharing the Talents of OLLI Members
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Nurse Log in Olympia National Park, Washington State, photo by Guy Lawrence |
Click here to read poems by Dick Horvath, Kim Hayes, Bill Swarts, and Tom Milroy.
This week, I was particularly struck by the image of "nurse logs" in the poem by Bill Swarts. As I quickly read the term, I thought BIll referred to the records that nurses keep, a "log" of temperatures or medications, perhaps reflecting the challenging times we live in. If you are interested to learn more about the ways that
fallen and decaying trees provide nutrients and area for new trees and shrubs and thus become "nurse logs," you might want to
click here to enjoy this article from the American Forests website. John Palka, who describes himself as
"a neuroscientist who loves plants and ponders big questions" on his blog "Nature's Depths" also explores the phenomenon of "nurse logs." Thanks to Bill for making poetry out of a process in nature and for reminding us of the dynamic ecology that continues.
Many thanks to OLLI members Jay Jacoby and Nelson Sartoris who compile this weekly showcase of the work of our talented OLLI poets. We have asked each of the poets to give us a short biography and to tell us why they have chosen to share their specific poems.
Please keep sharing stories of how you are staying in; just send them to me at cfrank@unca.edu. We want to know how you are staying safe and learning. Pictures and even videos are encouraged. We would love to hear from you.
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This Day in Sports History
by College for Seniors Instructor Larry Griswold
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Usain Bolt |
May 31, 2008: Jamaican sprinter Usain Bolt ran 100 metres in 9.72 seconds at the Reebok Grand Prix meet in New York City for a new world record. Eleven weeks later he won the gold medal at the Summer Olympics in Beijing with a new record time of 9.69 seconds. Exactly one year later he lowered his time to 9.58 seconds which is the current record at the World Athletics Championship in Berlin.
After defeating the Philadelphia 76ers in
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Moses Malone blocking the shot of L.A. Lakers player Kurt Rambis |
six games in the 1982 National Basketball Association (NBA) championship final round, the two teams
met again in the 1983 finals. This time the Sixers came with an 8-1 record in the playoffs, and with a 115-108 win at the L.A. Forum swept the Lakers in four games
for their first NBA title in 16 years. 6'10" Moses Malone led the Sixers averaging almost 26 points and 18.5 rebounds per game in the finals.
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 NC Stage Virtual Summer Programming
Mind the Gap: An Inter-generational Theater Program
NC Stage and WNC AARP are partnering to bring Mind the Gap to Asheville!
North Carolina Stage Company summer programming is going online -- Join NC Stage theatre artists for a virtual intergenerational program for teens and adults over 60 via Zoom! The program will take place between June 8 - June 12. Participants will meet for approx 2 hours a day for 5 days and engage in a mix of activities to get to know each other and create together.
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Mind the Gap programming pre-COVID19
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Access to internet, a device that supports Zoom, and a basic ability to use the platform will be necessary.
Folks interested in participating will need to fill out an application and final participants are selected through an online group interview. The program is free and the only requirement is a commitment to the time and respect and generosity in learning about others.
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Let's Get Livable over Lunch: Facebook Live Interview Series
Home Sweet Home - I am always home!
Monday, June 1st, 12:00 - 12:30 p.m.
on the AARP Facebook Page
Join us for our second of an exclusive 8-week virtual series featuring AARP NC and community partners to learn how we can all play a key role in creating a sustainable, healthy community during the current COVID-19 pandemic.
Is your home the place where you want to be? If not, now is a good time to think about simple low-cost ideas as well as and higher-cost long term solutions that can help stay safely at home for years to come. Given our renewed commitment to aging in place, the COVID-19 crisis can have the unintended benefit of opening a small window of opportunity to plan ahead and begin to act affirmatively on our desire to remain in our homes safely and independently as long as possible.
Richard Duncan of the Universal Design Institute will share tips and best practices to make your home a safe and comfortable place to be quarantined. This event will be live on the AARP NC Facebook Page, let us know if you plan to come
here.
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Upcoming AARP Mountain Region Events
Weekly Series: Caregiver Chat: Virtual Connections
NEXT:
Tuesday, June 2:
June 2, 10 AM: Taking Care of You
Take time to check-in with yourself and learn from your body and emotions so you can reduce stress.
Tuesday, June 9, 10 AM: Yes You Can! Prevent Falls for Caregivers and Loved Ones
Stay safe and boost confidence through tips for fall prevention
Join us for a series of informal discussions with other caregivers and resource specialists in Western North Carolina. Each week provides a light-hearted message or experience, practical tips and an opportunity to informally connect with other caregivers.
Click Here to Register
, or call: 828-251-7441 (You can register for one or more)
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Wishing They Were Here
(Or in this case, wondering how to live with them)
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| Image of a bear taken in downtown Asheville in April 2020 |
We have included links to talks and articles by some of the notable speakers who have appeared at OLLI or UNC Asheville in these newsletters so that we remember the many resources our community shares. This week, we thought you might want a refresher about how to live with the bears in our community.
Over the years, OLLI and a number of our community partners, including the Elisha Mitchell Audubon Society and the Carolinas Nature Photographers Association, have offered programs about black bears. People who relocate to our mountains may be alarmed to see bears tipping over their trash cans or having a snack from a bird feeder on a deck. At the Reuter Center we have seen bears from our office windows as they raid the serviceberry (sarvisberry to some) tree in the upper parking lot or as they take a family stroll near our pergola. We have always taken a moment to watch and wonder, we haven't felt a real threat. All of us, however, have had friends who left human or pet food in an unlocked car that hungry bears have destroyed in order to forage.
Some of us are finding ways to exercise and unwind in nature, and it is apparent that it's bear season again. So we thought you might want to know about some resources that can help you understand and "learn to live responsibly with black bears."
Bearwise.org defines itself as
"the black bear program you can trust for sound information and smart solutions that help people, neighborhoods and communities prevent problems with bears." They have sections that outline how to respond if you encounter a bear, how to "secure food, garbage, and recycling" and the importance of removing bird feeders when bears are active.
Bill Lea was a speaker for the Carolinas Nature Photographers Association back in 2016. He has a website with some beautiful photos that remind us that every bear is unique and offers some links to information about his "bear advocacy.
Our time apart has helped put in perspective the many enriching experiences OLLI members enjoy both at the Reuter Center and throughout the university, and we hope you enjoy these reminders and begin to look forward to the time when we can again share these experiences in person.
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Food and Shopping Options
Special Shopping Hours and Delivery Options
 Who Is Still Offering Takeout?
Click here for the list of takeout and delivery options provided by the Asheville Independent Restaurant Association. Policies and processes are changng daily so it makes sense to call ahead to make sure that your favorite is still offering takeout (and if you order ahead, many places will bring your food curbside.)
We know that the restaurant industry has been part of Asheville's identity as we have made all of the top ten lists for travel destinations. Local businesses really appreciate your support to keep people employed and businesses running in these challenging times.
Farmer's Markets
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Join OLLIChat, the replacement for OLLITalk.
It's free for all 2019-20 OLLI members and easy to use. It's also a great way to stay connected as we are all trying to find ways to manage unprecedented challenges.
OLLIChat is an online community where OLLI at UNC Asheville
members may share information of common interest with each other. It is designed to look and function like the old OLLITalk.
Introducing OLLIChat Companion
Several times a week, the volunteers at OLLIChat send entertaining content to our subscribers - humor, old movie clips and games. The service is free. Please email
OLLIChatAVL@gmail.com
and a volunteer will reply and send you an invitation.
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