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December 2017 Newsletter

In This Issue
Annual Campaign 2017
Volunteers preparing the envelopes for the Annual Campaign
potluckUpcoming Events
 
Holiday Potluck Party
 
 

Saturday, December 9, 2:00 - 5:00  PM
Ashby Village Office, 1821 Catalina Avenue, Berkeley

Bring a savory or a sweet dish and something to add to the drink table. Wear something that is memorable, symbolic, or important to you. We will be taking photos and videos for those who want them.
   
Living Room Chat
 
 
 

Sunday, December 10, 2:00 - 4:00 PM
6363 Christie Avenue, Emeryville - ground floor Christie Room

Invite a friend to join us for our December "meet and greet" Living Room Chat! They'll have the opportunity to hear what Ashby Village offers to our members and volunteers, how it enhances their quality of life, and why it helps them develop peace of mind about the future. .
   
tamalpaLife Art Process - Sample Workshop    
 
Thursday, December 14, 2:00 - 3:30 PM
Ashby Village Office, 1821 Catalina Ave., Berkeley  
 
This workshop will preview a series of classes starting in the New Year. The Life Art Process explores and gives a voice to our personal stories through poetry, drawing, movement and other forms of personal expression.
  
improvImprov Group in January  
 
On January 5, 2018 from 3:15 - 3:45 PM, before the January Happy Hour, you will be treated to an improvisational performance by the Perennials, an experienced troupe of women in their 60's and 70's. Their mission is to engage a variety of audiences in light-hearted, joyous entertainment.
Retirement Workshop with UC Berkeley 

January 17, 2018, 1:30 PM - 4:30 PM
University Hall, UC Berkeley campus

Ashby Village and the UC Retirement Center collaborate to bring you a workshop based on key learnings from the Village's Retirement Transition Group.
GivingCulture of Giving 
Ashby Village Annual Campaign
 
For the Ashby Village community, 2017 has been a year rich in accomplishments. Thanks to our donors and volunteers, we continue to grow our community and support connections that illuminate our days. We invite you to give generously to our Annual Campaign. 

Affirm, with us, that the latter part of our lives are as vital as all of the other stages, and as deserving of friendship, stability and delight. Donate here
Legacy Giving
 
Our new Legacy Circle, which will recognize those who have made an estate provision to benefit Ashby Village, was inaugurated in mid-November.

Legacy Circle

If you would like to join this group and help ensure Ashby Village's future, call Andy at 510-204-9200 or send him an email.
ClaireVolunteers 
 
Intern Claire Zhang 
 
Currently a student a Berkeley Community College, Claire recently completed an Ashby Village summer internship. 

She  assisted with numerous tasks including database management and analysis for our reports and publications, and helping to produce office documents including the Village Voices Newsletter.  
 
 
Hearts Hearts N' Hands Thank You
 
"Thank you and the wonderful Hearts N' Hands volunteers that worked in my garden. All of the stories shared at lunch were full of  ❤️, and very interesting. What a terrific, creative group of people I had the pleasure  of meeting. 
Special thank you to volunteer Melissa Beidler for helping to make the project happen.

Ashby Village knows how to throw a successful, fun-loving garden party while providing the opportunity for volunteers to continue using their hearts & hands to give their gifts to make our world more beautiful.

In Gratitude,
Joy Thomas"
 
 PeopleAVPeople of Ashby Village
 
Tobey and her niece at the Holiday Party
Toby Klein

Shortly after moving to the Watergate in Emeryville, Toby joined the newly-formed Ashby Village. 

Within a year she had signed up 19 new members and decided it was time to start a neighborhood group that took advantage of the amenities at the Watergate. That's how the active Emery Bunch began.    

It's the rainy season but let's pledge to keep "On the Move"!

The evidence is compelling. Regular exercise is a major factor in keeping us healthy and independent. Recent new guidelines on high blood pressure make it even more important that we keep moving.

Ashby Village has made it easier to keep physically active. 
Check out one of these great INDOOR Ashby Village classes 
 
 
Wednesdays
10 AM "Stretch, Strength, and Dance" with Anne Aronov 
12:30 "Strength Training" with Pamela McKernan 
 
Thursdays 10 AM "Gentle Yoga" with Ada Lusardi, the Yoga Room 
 
Fridays 10 AM "Tai Chi Chih" with Faith Isaacs, Epworth Church 


Or...

Use the Ashby Village guide "Getting On the Move in the Community" and try out some classes in the community. 
 
For example, the Senior Aerobics Class at the Albany Y held 11:00 AM Mondays, Wednesdays, and Fridays is "dynamite."         
 
 
Prefer to Get Outdoors? 
 
Join Claire Heinzelman every Monday morning 10 - 11 AM at Cesar Chavez Park for an easy and beautiful walk overlooking the Bay.  
 
For more challenging hikes 
join Audre Newman 

 
12/3/17 Tilden Lone Oak trailhead to Wildcat Peak (challenging) 
12/16/17 Arrowhead Marsh, easy and challenging choices 
1/13/18 Inspiration Point, easy and challenging choice
1/21/18 Redwood Park, challenging West Ridge Trail
 
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A Matter of Balance
 
Do you restrict your physical activity because of fear of falling? 
 
Join us for a Fall Prevention Program
 
Tuesday, January 16th 2018, 2 PM, Ashby Village Office
Ysela Jimenez, HCSA Guest Speaker 
 
This nationally recognized program will focus on the factors that contribute to falls and how older adults can reduce their risks. Every older adult is encouraged to attend.
 
Following this presentation, you will have the option of enrolling in a 6-week workshop, beginning in February 2018, which will provide more extensive information and exercises to improve balance and prevent falls.


Spotlight

New High Blood Pressure Norm to Affect Millions, New York Times,  11/14/17 
 ..."new guidelines for high blood pressure that means tens of millions more Americans will meet the criteria...and will need to change their lifestyles or take medicines to treat it."  
 
"Exercise may change the workings of brain cells and protect against dementia."...the current study 'provides more pieces of evidence that brain cells produced under running conditions are not just quantitatively but qualitatively different' than other neurons." While there is more research to be done, the author of this study says, "I think it is a very good idea for the sake of the brain to be moving and active." 
  NGInterest & 
Neighborhood Groups
 
December 5, 2:00 - 4:00 PM: Thousand Oaks Hamlet Mac Users Group at Thousand Oaks Neighborhood, 7 Menlo Place, Berkeley
   
December 21, 3:00 - 5:00 PM: Clarewood I-Group Workshop 
at Bob Reynold's house  

December 21, 4:30 - 6:00 PM:  Emery Bunch Trader Vic's Happy Hour at Trader Vic's, 9 Anchor Dr. Emeryville  

Check the  online calendar for all Neighborhood Groups events.

Ongoing Activities

For a complete listing of Ongoing Activities, consult the Ashby Village Calendar.


Monday, December 18, 2:00 PM - 4:00 PM
at Mary Jo Powell's home in El Cerrito
Email or call 510-204-9200.  
 
           
 

Non-Fiction Book Club 
Monday, December 18, 7:30 - 9:30 PM Emeryville 
For questions call Tobey Klein at 510-653-4205  
 
   

Science & Ideas Interest Group
Wednesday, December 13, 3:00 - 5:00 PM
Ashby Village Office, 1821 Catalina Ave. Berkeley                                               

 
StoryTeamFrom the Story Team
Jeanne Bamberger
 
photo by nancy Rubin
"I need to be busy and engaged. I used to say, when I wake up in 
the morning, I have to decide who I am. These days, it's more like I have to decide if I am!"
 
Jeanne continues to be passionately engaged in her lifelong study of music cognition and cognitive science.
bulletinBulletin Board 
Holiday Discount at Yaza

Yaza ( 1535 Solano Avenue in Berkeley) offers all Ashby Village members a 10% discount in December on all their clothes, which are handmade in the Kathmandu, Nepal workshop of the owners - two sisters who design all the clothes and fabrics.  The collection includes loose-fitting tops and jackets, sweaters, skirts, pants, dresses, and scarves as well as handbags. 

Yaza's owner has organized an Open House for Ashby Village members on Saturday, Dec. 9 from 9 to 11 a.m. with coffee, tea, and breakfast treats. 
Sharing experience on hip surgery

I am in the process of planning for hip replacement surgery, hopefully in January. I am interested in hearing from members & volunteers that have information to share with me  re: hip replacement surgery, recovery tips, how much help will be needed after surgery, etc. I would appreciated & welcome your sharing and advice!  Joy Thomas 510-525-1603    seajsun@yahoo.com
Held Over: Reframing Aging Photo Exhibit

If you missed this wonderful exhibit, you can still see it locally. It will be on view until December 30 at the North Berkeley branch of the Berkeley Public Library, before it moves to Corte Madera.
Chinese watercolor scrolls at Thousand Oaks Church - Dec 2, 12 - 4 PM

Visit this unique watercolor exhibit! All works were donated by artist  LIU Shu Xia, a member of the Calligraphy and Pen-manship Research for Seniors in Qingdao. Among many contestants in the region of city Qingdao Calligraphy and Penmanship competition, she was awarded first prize for her gifted creativity in "Resting under the Banana Tree." Paintings can be purchased at the exhibit (cash only).
March Madness

Miss your old workplace NCAA March Madness pool? Help start one by Selection Sunday--3/11/18--with Ashby Village!
Recommendation from member

I would like to recommend Patty Smith for consideration by Ashby Village members.  She does house cleaning for me, and I find her a responsible, mature individual.  She is looking for a position as "Housekeeper; Cook; Live-in Companion, run errands- do shopping."  She has  hands-on experience along with excellent references, and is perfectly suited for an Ashby Village member (or couple).  She is willing to commit to a 2-year agreement, with private room and salary to be negotiated.  She can be reached at (510) 478-6039. Member Joe Klems
Community Concerts at Epworth

Join us Sunday December 17 at 4 PM for the first concert of the new season, featuring the acclaimed Kairos Youth Choir in an eclectic program of winter favorites, both classical and modern.

All concerts are free and are held in the Sanctuary at Epworth United Methodist Church, 1953 Hopkins St., Berkeley.
Companionship Training on January 20

If you wonder how to respond to others who are isolated, alone and estranged, First Church Berkeley is offering a training workshop, led by Rev. Craig Rennebohm, to help you address this issue. 
Berkeley switched to a new emergency alert system
 
Will you be notified in case of an emergency?  The City of Berkeley has information and a link for signing up.

Liz Raymer, beloved Ashby Village member who designed and co-led the Member Support Team,  died unexpectedly on Nov. 1 in Oakland of an allergic reaction. As one friend put it, "It's hard to imagine the world without Liz in it."

Born in Vancouver, B.C. in 1930, she became a naturalized U.S. citizen in 1963, on the day of President Kennedy's assassination. After receiving bachelors and masters degrees in psychology from UCLA, she worked as a Head Start administrator, probation officer for teenage children, licensed marriage, family and child counselor, and in her years before retirement, as a counselor to HIV and AIDS patients.

Liz was the ultimate believer in community, offering her boundless energy and creativity to both the Berkeley Community Chorus (BCCO) for 23 years and to Ashby Village since just after launch. She led and participated in multiple AV teams--Social Care, Caring, Welcome and Orientation, and Program Leadership--and led the Living with Uncertainty (80s +) and Vision Impaired Interest Groups. She was always concerned with making sure that members became engaged and that those members in need were receiving AV services while still respecting the workload of busy staff members.  When she herself asked for services, volunteers spoke of her expressions of deep gratitude. She and her wife Ronnie generously opened their home for countless meetings and social functions.

Resourceful, smart, curious, unstoppable, indomitable, resilient, incredibly caring, with a special talent to make you feel special have been words used to describe Liz. She loved being with people, had a great sense of humor, and an open heart. Despite the challenges of having endured multiple joint replacements and failing sight, which eventually led to blindness, she always soldiered on and, true to her history of political activism, attended the Oakland Women's March in a walker.

Liz is survived by her wife, Dr. Ragna (Ronnie) Boynton, daughters Alexa, Robyn, and Julia; brother David Carter and sister Rosemary Hook. She is also survived by 17 children by marriage, 25 grandchildren and great-grandchildren, 6 nieces, 4 nephews and her guide dog, Finley.
Update

We've added a new "In Memoriam" section to the end of our weekly Coming Up at Ashby Village.
Thank you to all Ashby Village volunteers who contribute to the Village Voices newsletter: Richard Bermack, Charli Depner, Nancy Rubin, Cynthia Overbeck Bix, Gert Weil, Steve Scholl, Karin Evans, Lincoln Spector




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