November/December 2024

Director’s Comments

What are the traditions we pass along? We’re entering the holiday season, with all the decorations, gatherings and food that we share – and a seemingly endless variety of special family recipes. Our family has “Tomato Pudding” that is required at our feasts. Is anyone going to ask me to share the recipe?! I expect not…

Considering the traditions and habits you follow can provide a meaningful rear-view look of where your life has taken you. Are you continuing to serve the foods of generations back, celebrate holidays from a culture where you visited or lived, or have some self-determined reason to gather people together? Is there something you recall experiencing that you would like to revive and share with others?

The feeling that comes from repeating experiences and events marks time in our lives. Whether it is a sports team you cheer for, a reunion of friends, or your own birthday, we develop habits and routines that enhance the moments – special clothing, music and activities. Halloween, for example, has changed quite a bit over the decades – it’s not just a child’s holiday anymore. And what would our ancestors think of Black Friday?

Here's a holiday that makes a difference for non-profits everywhere: Giving Tuesday. The Yellow Springs Community Foundation has become an essential partner in this generous day of support. We are asking this year for donations to support funds to hire a driver for our new shuttle bus. By the end of this year we will have our twelve passenger van which can help bring more people to join fun, meals, classes and events at YSSC. Please consider donating on December 3, or anytime!

As we gather life experiences, we decide what traditions and routines work best for each of us, letting go of some and acquiring new ones along the way. YSSC does this, as our activities have changed over the years to suit the community’s wishes and what we could sustain. Sometimes a class that is supposed to be a one-time experience catches on and the group decides to keep it going. The routine weekly gatherings of classes and activities develop their own culture and build a sense of community. When someone is missing for a week or two the group feels their absence. 

Please look through our newsletter for activities or events you might like to try. We’d love to help make new memories with you. Aside from our activities, about 25% of our members make meaningful connections by serving as selfless volunteers. The impressive list of those who helped during 2024 (see below). We honestly could not function without the help of each person. 

Thank you, also, for generous donations to our Community Connections Annual Appeal. We hope to reach our $65,000 goal by the end of the year. Oh, the YS ball drop…there’s a great tradition!!

 – Caroline Mullin, Executive Director

937-767-5751 x 101, cmullin@ysseniors.org

Thank You! 

We’ve had a really great response for this year’s “Community Connections” Annual Appeal campaign. In honor of our 65th Anniversary, we want to raise $65,000. There’s still time to give...

ysseniors.org/donate 

Use the buttons below to visit our website for the most up-to-date information about our classes and groups.

Community Colloquy Series

3rd Thursday, 7 pm

The Senior Center hosts monthly guests to share their expertise and knowledge with the community. 

Nov 21: “Connecting Despite Our Differences – How to navigate the holidays with those we don’t agree with” with speakers Diane Diller and Len Kramer.

The Colloquy will not meet in December.

Programs meet in the Great Room and on Zoom. All are welcome. To get the Zoom link, register on MyActiveCenter.com, call 937-767-5751, or email info@ysseniors.org.

Day Trips

Westcott House Tour, Thurs. Nov. 7, 10 am–noon 

We’ll take a guided tour of the historic Frank Lloyd Wright Westcott House. The tour is $17 per person, with payment due BEFORE the day of the tour. Maximum of 14 people. Please note there are some accessibility issues given the historic nature of the home; there are steps to navigate. The tour lasts approximately 1.5 hours. To register, contact Maggie ASAP. 10 am is the start time for the tour. Meet at John Bryan parking lot at 9:30 am sharp to carpool. 

Dayton Arcade “Holly Days,” Thurs. Dec. 12, 4–7 pm

Holly Days is an annual holiday event at the Dayton Arcade. We will carpool and spend time strolling the arcade, ending the evening with dinner at the Wheat Penny restaurant. Please RSVP by Friday, Dec. 6 so Maggie can make a reservation. Meet at John Bryan parking lot at 3:30 to carpool.

Brunch Bunch

1st Tuesday, 11 am

Let’s brunch together! Explore local and nearby restaurants and build community through sharing food. Either meet at John Bryan parking lot at 10:30 am to carpool, or meet us at the restaurant at 11 am. Please RSVP to Maggie one week prior if possible, so group reservations can be made. 

Nov 5: Rose Groute Creole Restaurant, 1881 S. Limestone St. in Springfield

Dec. 3: Taste of Belgium at The Greene, 10 Greene Blvd. in Beavercreek. Brunch to be followed by shopping at The Greene, for those who are interested.

December Holiday Social

Fri. Dec. 20, 3–4 pm

Get in the mood for holiday cheer with an afternoon of festive treats, trivia, and door prizes!

Third Thursday Potlucks

3rd Thursday, 11:30 am–1 pm

Join us in the Great Room for monthly potlucks. Please bring a side dish to share. 

Nov 21: Shamus Estep from the Department of Health will do an educational talk on radon safety. 

Dec 19: Karen Nelson will speak on solstice reflections and ways to prepare for a new year using creativity as a path towards wellness and peace. 

The YSHS Senior Luncheon is Thurs. Dec. 5. from 10:30 am–1 pm in the gym. RSVP by Dec. 2 to KLewis@ysschools.org or call 937-767-7224.

St. Paul’s Annual Senior Luncheon is Sat. Dec. 14 at noon. Contact Vicki Hooms at 937-360-4569. 

Draw What You See with Don Sak

Fridays, Nov. 15–Dec. 27, 2–3:30 pm, Great Room

Don will continue to offer this wonderful class for all levels for a 6-week session which is moving to Friday afternoons. Contact Maggie to register. 

The Artist’s Way Journaling Workshop 

Mondays, 10–11:30 am, starts Nov. 4, Fireplace Room

Join Debra Williamson on an 8-week journey to a more creative self, using Julia Cameron’s The Artist’s Way as your guidebook. Explore basic principles for tapping into your creativity during each session. Purchase the book prior to class, either at a local bookstore or Amazon. Contact Maggie to register.

Senior Singers with Bev Logan

Thursdays, Nov. 7–Dec 19, 10:30–11:30 am, Great Room

Calling all senior singers! Join Bev Logan for a choral singing group. Masking is optional. Music and programming will be determined by the group as it evolves. To sign up, please contact Maggie.

“Are We Americans” Performance

Monday, November 4, 6:30 pm, Great Room

This musical, written and directed by Maggie Heston, is set in the 1920s when women got the right to vote and why immigrant men came to America.

Fall Prevention Lunch & Learn 

Thurs., Nov. 14, 11 am–12 noon, Great Room

Jerry Shields from the Rehabilitation Institute of Ohio will share a 45-minute talk on fall prevention during lunch. Lunch from Jimmy Johns or pizza will be provided. Contact Maggie to sign up by Nov 11. 

Safer Homes and Safe Medication Practices 

Fri. Nov. 22, 11 am–12 noon, Fireplace Room

Sarah Badger from Goodwill Easterseals will provide FREE medication lock boxes, pill dispensers, safe medication disposal pouches, hot/cold pain management packs, and more. Specific info on medication safety will be provided.

Ukulele Christmas Singalong

Sun. Dec. 8, 2-3:30, Great Room

The Senior Center Tuesday Ukulele Class is hosting a Christmas carol singalong and open house. Lyrics will be projected so everyone can join the singing, or just listen. Anyone who has a ukulele is welcome to bring it. Cookies and good company will be provided. Enter at the red door by the carport. 

Other Ukulele Updates

Free beginner ukulele lessons are available Thursdays from 9:30–10:30, and reservations are required. The Tuesday morning Ukulele Class will not meet the last three Tuesdays in December and will start back on January 7, 2025. For info about classes, check Susan Wolf’s website TouristsGuideToUkulele.com or email her at mrsthewolfsweb@gmail.com.

Register for classes and events at MyActiveCenter.com, 937-767-5751, or info@ysseniors.org

The Members Art Show

Nov. 7–Dec. 23

reception Fri. Nov. 15, 4–6 pm

Photo: “Fairy Door” embroidery by Bette Kelley

Greene County Council on Aging

Progressive Jigsaw Puzzle Party

There will be a Progressive Jigsaw Puzzle Party for the Pantry which will have music, refreshments, plenty of door prizes, and a few special prizes! The event is on Wednesday, November 6 from 12:30 to 3:30 pm at the Xenia Community Center, 1265 W. Second Street. Space is limited, registration by October 30 to reserve your spot by at 937-376-5486 or jeff.s@gccoa.org. Admission is a donation for the local Food Pantries, such as a box of cereal, can of tuna, or dried pasta and a jar of sauce.

2024 Holiday Gift Soiree

The Greene County Council on Aging’s Holiday Gift Soiree will be held on Wednesday, December 4 from 11 am–5:30 pm at the Xenia Community Center, 1265 W. 2nd St. in Xenia, next to the Council’s office. They are planning a special experience and the opportunity to purchase unique handcrafted items and homemade treats. The YSSC Staff will be going – if you’d like a ride, call 937-767-5751 or email info@ysseniors.org.

Other GCCOA Events

• Caregiver Support Group: Mondays, Nov. 4 and 18; Dec. 2 and 16 (first and third Mondays) from 6–7:30 pm at the First Presbyterian Church in Yellow Springs.
• Grief & Loss Group: Mondays, Nov. 11 and Dec. 9 (the second Monday) from 10 am–noon at Peace Lutheran Church in Beavercreek.
• Memory Loss, Dementia & Alzheimer’s Disease: Wednesday, Nov. 14 from 2:30– 4:30 pm at the Xenia Community Center (XCC) next door to the GCCOA Office.
• Medicare 101: Wednesday, Dec. 13, 3–4:30 pm at the Xenia Community Center (XCC) next door to the GCCOA Office.
• Legal Chat: Thursday, Nov. 21 and Dec. 19 (third Thursdays) at 2:30 pm at Peace Lutheran Church, 3530 Dayton-Xenia Road, Beavercreek. Enter at lower level door with awning. 

Contact GCCOA with questions or to register for these events at 937-376-5486 or email yourfriends@gccoa.org.

Calendar

Use the buttons below to visit the calendar our website or MyActiveCenter for the most up-to-date information about our classes and events.

To participate in virtual classes and events using Zoom, you must register through their account on MyActiveCenter. Zoom links are emailed to participants one hour prior.

Sound Advice

Expect the end of the world. Laugh. Laughter is  immeasurable.

Be joyful though you have considered all the facts…

      Practice resurrection.

 –Wendell Berry

Manifesto: The Mad Farmer Liberation Front (1973)

Here we are...that quadrennial point in our galactic travels where two disparate vectors converge. You needn’t use a sextant to confirm – you can feel it as surely as you might the ebb and swell of ocean tides. I’m speaking of that phase between October’s Hunter Moon and November’s Beaver Moon – a time marked by the receding turbulence of political debate and the riptides carrying us headlong into the hustle and bustle of the holidays.

In July, 2024, a Pew Research Center survey concluded that 65% of Americans always or often feel exhausted when thinking about politics, while 55% reported feeling angry. Meanwhile, the American Psychological Association found that nearly half of U.S. adults (49%) stated their holiday stress level increased sufficiently as to interfere with their ability to enjoy the season, many stating that the holidays “feel like a competition.” In consultation with the Mad Farmer, that appears to be a stratospheric increase in stress for, at least, 169% of the population. (I’ll leave it to you to fact check!)

One of my favorite cartoon philosophers, at this point, might simply exclaim, “Good grief!”

How do we limit the tumult? For starters, let’s stop doomscrolling the post-election analysis. Turn off – or reduce – time with social media. Take more walks – some alone to recollect yourself, others with friends and loved ones to help you recharge. Think ahead about gatherings and plan simple responses for “tricky” encounters and conversations. Don’t sacrifice your spontaneity or forget your genuine affection for those around you. And, of course, treat yourself with whatever helps de-stress you – read a book, ride a bike, reminisce with friends and family, or simply, stock up with the Halloween chocolate candies now on sale!

The Mad Farmer's Manifesto concludes with a list of fulminations with one declaration: “Swear allegiance to what is nighest your thoughts.” Sound advice, it seems, to help traverse all the aggravations, absurdities – and delights – along our chosen paths.

  – Robert Libecap, Transportation Manager

937-767-5751 x104, rlibecap@ysseniors.org

Medicare Enrollment

Hello! We are still in Open Enrollment season and you have until December 7 to review your prescription drug plan or Medicare Advantage plan and make changes if needed. It is important to review your plan, because coverages may change from year to year. I am available to assist you in reviewing your current plan, comparing options and signing up for a new plan. There is a form to fill out, prior to your appointment, that can be found at ysseniors.org/medicare by scrolling to the bottom of the page. If you don’t have access to a printer, you can stop by the Center and pick up a paper form.

Please be very wary of advertisements on the television and insurance mail you receive that appears to be from Medicare. These may actually be a marketing ploy trying to get a commission. The assistance you receive from the Senior Center is provided by OSHIIP volunteers and is unbiased, free, and not based on a commission. 

Last month at our Third Thursday Potluck some knowledgeable people from Kettering Health discussed blood pressure and some lifestyle choices to help us keep our blood pressure in the proper range. Kettering Health will also do monthly blood pressure screenings at the Senior Center if there is enough interest. Please let me know if you would like to have your blood pressure checked once a month here at the Senior Center.

 – Stephanie Lawson, RN, Support Services Manager

937-767-5751 x108, slawson@ysseniors.org

Been There...Done That

Feeling the pressure of doom and disaster? A strike that will leave us without toilet paper again, a volatile political environment, floods, fires, hurricanes, and high winds. I am reminded daily when I come to work at the Senior Center that the octogenarians, the nonagenarians and yes even a few centenarians have seen this before; some more times than they care to admit. They tell me to keep doing the good work and “it will all be ok!” Our good work here includes offering wonderful homemakers to help seniors remain in their homes by assisting with cleaning, cooking, running errands, and companionship. Please call and see if we can be of assistance to you.

 –Teresa Bondurant, Homemaker & Outreach Manager

937-767-5751 x107, tbondurant@ysseniors.org

A BIG THANK YOU

End of year thanks to volunteers – some work in the building, some lead classes, others drive passengers or make grocery deliveries. The over 4800 hours of unpaid labor provide much of the service of our organization. We apologize to anyone whose name was accidentally omitted.

Amy Achor

Ven Adkins

Susan Alberter

Dinah Anderson

Kate Anderson

Dave Anthony

Reena Appell

Sada Ashby Sutherland

Diana Atkins

Sue Augustus

Sarah Badger

Jim Bailey

Ryan Beach

Jill Becker

Anna Bellisari

Angela Beltran

Sara Beltran

Amy Bennett

Jack Bernstein

Shelly Blackman

Jane Blakelock

Annie Blanchard

Andree Bognar

Sherry Borke-Harding

Susan Bothwell

Bruce Bradtmiller

Bob Brecha

Karla Bristow

Andrew Brody

Jerry Buck

Kathy Buck

Debbie Bush

Deja Bush

Arati Cacciolfi

Mary Cargan

Berch Carpenter

Ralita Hildebrand Chambers

Diane Chiddister

Connie Collett

Robert Conard

Corndrinkers

Grant Crawford

Lisa Dalga

Ed Davis

Shiloh Deal

JoJo Dean

Maggie Dean

Nona Dean

Tom Degenhart

Mark Delozier

Simone Demarzi

Celia Diamond

Susan Doubt

Rosalie Douglas

Debbie Downey

Margaret Dunn

Tracy Elzy

Jim Felder

Dave Finster

Joy Fishbain

Susan Freeman

Scott Geisel

Kai Gerstein

Larry Gerthoffer

Misty Gill

Dave Goode

Cammy Grote

Wayne Gulden

Dayana Gutierrez-Monterrosa

Gayle Gyure

Lynda Hardman

Lynn Hardman

Amy Harper

Heartstrings

Luan Heit

Debbie Henderson

Melissa Heston

Kristine Hofstra

Anna Hogarty

Andy Holyoke

Beth Holyoke

Jack Horvath

Justin Howard

Lee Huntington

Bob Huston

Kim Iconis

Artie Isaac

Natalie Iseli-Smith

Kelli Jacob

Frank Jennings

Sandee Jessen

Jim Johnson

Judy Johnson

Ruth Jordan

Bill Kent

Jo Ann Kiser

Mia Knight

Peggy Koebernick

Michael Kraus

Melissa Kuhns

Yasmina Landaburu

Sally Lane

Fran LaSalle

Moira Laughlin

Pegeen Laughlin

Hannah Lawson

Stephanie Lawson

Barbara Leeds

Skip Leeds

Grace LeftHand-Jennings

Erin Leigh

Farzaneh Mader

Barbara Mann

Chloe Manor

Rebecca Mark

Velda Martin

Linda Mates

James Mayer

Matan Mazursky

Patty McAllister

Larry McKever

Megan Meier

Nancy Mellon

Marian Miller

Logan Moore

Anna Morlight

Caroline Mullin

Maxwell Mullin

Paul Mullin

Chris Murphy

Henry Myers

Sue Neff

Karen Nelson

Desiree Nickell

Harvey Paige

Jerry Papania

Cyndi Pauwels

Stephanie Pearce

Gabriel Potter

Julie Potter

Diana Quirk

Hope Reger

Roger Reynolds

Julie Howell Richardson

Marcia Ridgley

Dorothy Rike

Emma Robinow

Pat Robinow

Dee Rockwood

Jay Rothman

Randi Rothman

Libby Rudolf

Don Sak

Haley Sauder

Al Schlueter

Jalyn Scott

Linda Scutt

Linda Sikes

Talon Silverhorn

Neil Silvert

Judith Skillings

Jerry Sutton

Patty Tindall

Bobbi Treadwell

Greg Treadwell

David Turner

Holly Underwood

Aamil Wagner

Ahmad Wagner

Amani Wagner

Mary Jo Werthman White

Marianne Whelchel

Elizabeth Wiley

Debra Williamson

Susan Wolf

Lin Wood

YSSC Ukulele Class

Richard Zopf

Welcome NEW Members!

Viki Church

Ed Davis

Carol DeMaio

Jonathan Crocker

Brendan DeLacy-Egan

Laura Pardo

Thais Pardo

Sara Tipton  

Heartstrings Holiday Concert 

The musical group Heartstrings will present a holiday concert with festive holiday music at the Senior Center on Saturday, December 14 at 4 pm. The musicians, Mary Beth Burkholder, Sarah Goldstein, Linda Scutt, and Carol Van Ausdal, perform instrumental and vocal music from the Celtic, Appalachian, and Scandinavian traditions. There is a suggested donation of $20 at the door. All proceeds from the concert will benefit the Senior Center. Complimentary refreshments will be provided.

​The Yellow Springs Senior Center newsletter is published every other month, coming out at the end of the even numbered months. Copy deadline is the 1st of even numbered months. PDF versions of this and past issues can be found on the website.

All YSSC members also receive a hard copy mailed to their home. Memberships are $25 annually with $15 for each additional member and are due in January. Make checks payable to YSSC and mail to: YSSC, 227 Xenia Ave., Yellow Springs, OH, 45387 or use the button below to go to the website to pay with a credit card.

Email updates are sent weekly and the eNewsletter is sent every other month.