announcements congratulations to our new 2020 boards! gaz.pdfpurchasing one of nancy’s cards can...

Board Meetings:

VCA: 1/6/2020 @ 7PMFRCA: 1/22/2020 @ 7PM

2020 Souper Bowl All through January, we’re collecting soup and non-perishable

items at the Center, with one box for NFC, another for AFC. Let’s see which team wins!!

2019 Volunteer Appreciation Luncheon onFriday,January17@Noon.

Friday Night Dance Specialsreturn everythirdFridayfromJanuarythroughJune,attheCenter,6:30-9PM,BYOB, Live music!

Valentine’s Day LuncheonEnglish Tea Fascinators not mandatory! Friday,February14. If you haven’t signed up, be sure to do so!

ANNOUNCEMENTS

www.fallsrun.org Fredericksburg, Va. JANUARY 2020

Left to right: Ed Kappler , Treasurer; Elaine Diepenbrock, Vice President; Keith Morgenheim, President; Cathy Catalano, Secretary, (newly elected). The one At-Large position is currently vacant.Photo by Anita Deegam

Back row, left to right: Gina Closs, Vice President (newly elected); Rick Chevrette, President; Beth Kelley, Treasurer; John Deegan, Director (newly elected); Front row, left to right: Paula Keefe, Director; Connie Block, Secretary; Christine Nace, Director (newly elected).Photo by Bob Nace

VCA

FRCA

Congratulations to our new 2020 Boards!

Happy New Year from the Gazette staff!

2 Falls Run GAZETTE January 2020

© 2020FallsRunCommunityAssociation

Falls Run GazetteThe Falls Run Gazette is the official publication of the Falls Run Community. The magazine, distributed to all Falls Run resi-dences, is published monthly 11 times per year, with a combined July-August issue. Story ideas or articles can be submitted to the Gazette Committee Chair ([email protected]).Committee Chair:

Susan Smart

Committee Secretary: Nancy Bevilacqua

Editor: Susan Smart

Staff writers: Nancy Bevilacqua Bob Chapin Murray Corliss Astrid Dick Pat Donohue Joan Frank Carolyn Harmon Susanne Lazanov Susan Smart

Staff photographer: Carolyn Harmon

Advertising manager: Lara Lewis

[email protected]

Falls Run Community AssociationPresident: Rick Chevrette

[email protected]

General manager: Dominic Klepic, (540) 899-9958 [email protected]

Activities director: Lara Lewis, (540) 371-4563 [email protected]

Type of Violation as of 12/9/2019

Occurrences Throughout Community

Shrub trimming 4

Plastic/fake flowers 2

Remove weeds front flower area 2

Modification not permitted 2

Paint/Repair wood trim 1

FRC Violations as deemed by Management

New Board Aspirations■ My recent position on the Villas Board of Directors has given me

another way to give back to our community. Out of all the volunteer positions I have held, this will be the most challenging. I am anxious to start my three-year term with the hope that I can work closely together with the board members to work as a team and strive to help our community grow.–CathyCatalano

■ I am proud and thankful that I was elected to the Falls Run Board of Directors. During my two-year term, I hope to work closely with the Board team to protect the beauty and welcoming atmosphere of our community and keep the amenities pleasant and suitable for our residents. It is my desire to promote transparency of Board action and instill confidence in the residents that the Board serves the community’s best interests.–GinaCloss

■ After completing six years as President of the Villas Board of Direc-tors, I decided that another way in which I could continue to serve our community was by running for a seat on the FRCA Board. As a Board member and community leader, I am committed to continually being open and transparent in communications and working to the best of my ability to sustain and enhance the quality of our community. I am deeply appreciative of the confidence and support extended to me by friends and neighbors in electing me to office. –JohnDeegan

■ I look forward to continue serving on the FRCA Board for the next two years. I have met so many wonderful people and have enjoyed serving as the board liaison to the Gazette and Travel Committees. The Board has many important decisions this year to keep our community the type of place where others choose to reside. Input from residents is necessary to ensure we are making the best decisions for all. –ChristineNace

January 2020 Falls Run GAZETTE 3

In memoriamIn memoriamJoanLacey

TheFallsRunCommunityextendssinceresympathytothefamilyonthelossoftheirlovedone.

In 2003 they moved into their new home.

Nancy continued to work until 2008 but also joined The Falls Run Players, a theater group run by residents Kay and Chuck Martin. She remembers fondly participating in the wonderful three act plays they directed. She also joined the Martins’ Improv group which Nancy herself has reestablished since the Martins retired from this endeavor.

Nancy is gifted with artistic ability, as well, which she has utilized creatively in her scrapbooking over the years. Her favorites are the book she presented to her first granddaughter upon her high school graduation and two subse-quent books that she gave her two younger granddaughters

Who Knew:Nancy Abbate ByPatDonohue

Nancy Abbate was born in Arlington, Virginia and raised in Falls Church. She has one sister and one brother. Nancy went to The College of William and Mary where she majored in English. It was here that she met Marshall through a college friend. After fifty-two years of marriage they remain grateful for that fortuitous introduction!

Nancy and Marshall have two children: a son who resides in Pittsburgh, PA and a daughter in Woodbridge, VA. When their youngest child reached school age, Nancy decided to continue her education and was awarded a degree in Special Education from George Mason University. The family resided in Stafford County where Nancy taught elementary special education classes for thirty years.

In 2002 Marshall retired. The Abbate’s interest was piqued when they noticed an advertise-ment for Falls Run. They decided to wait until a model was built before committing to investing in this new community. That deci-sion would cost them an additional $20,000 as prices rose that quickly!

on their tenth birthdays. She entitled the latter, “The First Ten Years of Your Life through Gram-my’s Eyes,” and they are truly love letters to the girls.

With the remaining materials from her scrapbooking, Nancy devised a brilliant plan. She would begin a greeting card business and donate all the profits to The Fredericks-burg Area Food Bank. To date her contributions total $4,800! Her Falls Run neighbors are her most ardent customers. She sells her cards at a very reasonable cost and they are unique and charming. For just one dollar extra she will design a custom card created to one’s specifications.

Anyone interested in viewing or purchasing one of Nancy’s cards can reach her at (540)368-3173 or email her at [email protected]. By supporting Nancy’s entrepre-neurial efforts you and your less fortunate neighbors in the Freder-icksburg community will emerge the winners!

Tax time is coming soon!

AARP will help with your returns at the library. Make your appointment early!


For more information please contactLara Lewis

(540) 371-4563 [email protected]

At Mary Washington Orthopedics in affiliation with FOA, our highly skilled physicians and staff bring local expertise to you and your family. We customize treatment plans that are focused on your specific needs and goals to help you live life with less discomfort and resume the activities you love, offering a wide range of orthopedic focuses including:

With the expertise of Mary Washington Healthcare, you will find a consistent and collaborative approach to your health, meaning that if you need other specialty care, our team will work together to ensure you have the best experience possible.

Leave your pain behind. One step at a time.

• Joint replacement• Trauma and fractures• Head and neck

• Foot and ankle• Physical therapy• Sports medicine

Mary Washington Hospital has been named a five-star hospital for joint replacements by Healthgrades.

Practices.mwhc.com

3310 Fall Hill Avenue Fredericksburg

4710 Spotsylvania Parkway Fredericksburg

90 Greenspring Drive Stafford

Orthopedic Physician Appointments: 540.372.4221

Physical Therapy Appointments: 540.479.4764


I was going to quit all my bad habits for the new year ...

... but then I remembered that nobody likes a quitter.

Every New Year’s Eve, I look forward to a good show at Time’s Square ...

... and year after year, they drop the ball.

ByPatDonohue

It all began the day we were born. The learning curve was gargantuan, as everything we accom-plished was new. How delightful all those new discoveries must have been! Our responsibilities, however, were minuscule or non-existent.

Then we moved on to the next new stage — the school years. Now we had responsibility. There were assignments and exams and extra-curricular prac-tices. We were preparing for the next new beginning.

That occurred when we became self-sufficient. Now we were supporting ourselves with jobs and, perhaps, supporting an entire family. These were the busiest years of our lives. We had mortgages or rent to pay, school expenses for our children, preparations for retirement and some had ageing parents to consider.

Life Stages and New Beginnings

A Credit Card Just for Christmas ByBobChapin

Another holiday has come to passAnd the credit card is beckoning.How did the balance get so high?But now’s time for reckoning.

With the toys for all those toddlersAnd the newest craze of the dayWe make a deep guttural soundAnd the piper wants his pay.

Today’s attitude is unlike yesteryearWhen credit cards were not invented.Now our wallet carries an assortment – And our grandparents call us demented.

The attitude is buy what you need,Just put it on the nice looking card.We wonder how we got so accustomedAnd why we BOTH have to work so hard.

Finally it happened, that day we anticipated for so long. We retired! How will we deal with this new beginning? Maybe we will travel, dabble in a new hobby, play with the grandchildren, put up our feet and relax. After all, these are “The Golden Years,” aren’t they?

Margaret Mead, the renowned anthropologist, stated that our greatest wasted natural resource is our group of senior citizens. What a sad commentary! Do we want to participate in that population? We are now experts in some areas. We have accumulated enor-mous knowledge over the years. Let’s vow in 2020 to begin anew by choosing at least one area in which we share our talents and engage our interests.

In Falls Run there are so many ways to do this. All committees are in need of new members. Our sense of accomplishment and participation will be its own reward. As a result, Margaret Mead’s wasteland will be diminished, at least in our vibrant 55+ Active Community!


ReportedbyDennyDunklee

The other day a Falls Run resi-dent came to the table where several men and I were seated and asked for assistance.

“I hope you fellows can help me,” she said. “A few days ago, I went to work leaving my husband in the house watching TV as usual. I hadn’t gone more than a mile down the road when my engine conked out and the car shuddered to a halt. I walked back home to get my husband’s help. When I got home, I couldn’t believe my eyes! He was in the bedroom with a neighbor lady making what I perceived to be a kind of

Notable Notes: “Stuff Overheard (mostly fictional)” at the Falls Run Community Center’s “eternally dynamic table”

passionate interaction. I’m 55, my husband is 61 and we have been married for twelve years. When I confronted him, he tried to tell me that he heard a lady scream, went into the back yard and came to her rescue but found her uncon-scious. He carried the woman back to our house, laid her on the bed, and began CPR. When she awoke, she immediately began thanking him and kissing him and he was attempting to break free when I came back. I told him that I might leave him if I ever see him with other women again. He was let go from his job six months ago and he says he has been feeling increasingly

depressed and worthless. I love him very much, but ever since I gave him the ultimatum, he has become increasingly distant. I don’t feel I can get through to him anymore.” After finishing her story, she asked us in a tearful voice if we could please help.

After a quick consultation around the table we told her that a car stalling after being driven a short distance can be caused by a variety of faults with the engine. We suggested she start by checking that there is no debris in the fuel line. If it’s clear, check the vacuum pipes and hoses on the intake

Notable Notes Continued on page 7, column 3


ByLaraLewis,ActivitiesDirector

Our committees and the FRCA and VCA Boards worked hard during 2019 for the Falls Run Community. As a result of the work of the Travel and Social Committees, there have been a few changes to the Adminis-trative Resolution 17-04 (now 19-03) that covers Community Center Rules and Regulations. The Travel and Social Commit-tees worked with me to create and simplify the ticket procurement process for our travel and social related activities across the board.

Have you ever been at the Center at 6 AM to sign up for a popular event? Does it remind you of the Black Friday Madness? Wait, just kidding: our residents are more courteous and orderly than that image creates. But you get the idea—it’s extremely busy just as the Center is opening for busi-ness. Our concierge staff work hard to accommodate every-one’s needs and are sometimes stretched on event sign-up days. In an effort to alleviate the long wait periods during high demand travel and social event sign-ups, ticket procurement will now begin at 9 AM and end 30 minutes prior to center closing, every day that the center is open for busi-ness, regardless of the potential popularity of the event (Section 7.1.2). This is one of two changes being made that may impact you.

What’s New This Year? Administrative Resolution Changes and Community Center Rules & Regulations

The second is to the number of tickets a household may purchase (Section 7.1.3). Currently, each household is entitled to purchase four tickets per household regard-less of the number of residents living in the home. This is being changed to allow one ticket per activity card holding resident in the home during the initial two-week sign-up period. Single member households will still be entitled to purchase two tickets during the initial sign-up period. Should an event sell out during the initial two-week period or should a member want addi-tional tickets for non-resident guests, a wait list will be created.

Both the Travel and Social Committees were created to provide entertainment and travel opportunities for the residents of the Falls Run Community and their focus is to ensure that our residents get first priority before extending the invitations to non-resident guests. As the current Activity Director, I’d like to encourage you to remember to sign-up early for events so we’re not faced with the unpop-ular decision to cancel travel and social related events due to lack of interest. The Travel and Social Committees work hard for you and have a wonderful calendar filled with fun social activi-ties and trips galore each year.

Notable Notes Continued from page 6

manifold and check all grounding wires. If none of these approaches solves the problem, it could be that the fuel pump itself is faulty, causing low delivery pressure to the carburetor float chamber.

We hope this helped her. She looked confused when she left. Let the record show that the table tried! However, we later remem-bered that we’d forgotten to tell her to check the spark plugs.

Coasting Down the HillByAnonymous

Frosty is the morning;But the sun is bright,Flooding all the landscapeWith its golden light.Hark the sounds of laughterAnd the voices shrill!See the happy childrenCoasting down the hill.There are Tom and Charley,And their sister Nell;There are John and Willie,Kate and Isabel,—Eyes with pleasure beaming,Cheeks with health aglow;Bless the merry children,Trudging through the snow!Now I hear them shouting,“Ready! Clear the track!”Down the slope they’re rushing,Now they’re trotting back.Full of fun and frolic,Thus they come and go.Coating down the hillside,Trudging through the snow.


ByMurrayCorliss

The October 2019 FBI seizure of the painting “Winter,” by Gari Melchers, from the Arkell Museum in Canajoharie, NY was quickly picked up by national news outlets after the Times Union of Albany, NY reported the seizure. Why did the FBI seize this painting and who is Gari Melchers?

Just a refresher: The artist Gari Melchers and his wife Corinne moved to Belmont in Falmouth, VA in 1916. Gari and Corinne left Germany, where Gari was teaching art, in 1915 because of the start of WW I. Gari was born in Detroit, Michigan and at age 17 he left home to study art in Dussel-dorf, Germany and Paris, France. Prior to WWI, he had studios in Holland, Germany and New York City. He exhibited his paint-ings internationally, including at the Great Berlin Art Exhibition in 1900. It was here that art collector, philanthropist and publisher Rudolf Mosse purchased “Winter” from Melchers. Mosse died in 1920, and his wife in 1924, leaving the

The Theft of “Winter”

estate and business to their only child Felicia and her husband Hans Lachmann-Mosse.

The Mosse family was Jewish and published a liberal newspaper, TheBerlinerTageblatt, containing articles critical of the Nazi Party. The family was persecuted and fled Germany in 1933, surren-dering their businesses and their home, possessions and the extensive art collection.

“Winter” appeared in the MacBeth Art Gallery in New York in 1934 and was sold to Bartlett Arkell, the founder of Beech-Nut Packing Company. Arkell established an art museum in Canahojarie and hung the painting there, unaware that it had been stolen by the Nazi Party.

Felicia Lachmann-Mosse initially filed claims for the artwork after WWII. Finally, in 2017, the efforts to recover art lost when Jewish families were forced to flee Germany gained traction. The investigative unit of the Bartko/Zankel/Bunzel law firm has been working with the heirs and in 2017 contacted Joanna Catron, the curator of Gari Melchers Home and Studio in Falmouth. She was able to provide papers documenting Rudolf Mosse’s purchase of “Winter” directly from the artist and the reappear-ance of the painting in 1934 at the MacBeth Gallery sale. The painting is held in New York awaiting the determination by the courts of the rightful owner.


“Winter” v. “Skaters”BySusanSmart

Skaters (in pastels) and Winter (in oils) both depict rural scenes of young Dutch skaters carrying ice skates and a skating stick. The subjects of the paintings seem to be the same, but there are differ-ences that rule out either being a counterfeit. For example, in Skaters, the male appears to tilt his head towards the viewer, while in Winter both skaters are looking straight ahead.

In Skaters, the female is wearing a purple cloak and is carrying a green skating stick compared to the golden cloak and the red stick in Winter. If you look closely, you can see other differences in the paintings.

Joanna Catron, assistant director and curator of the Gari Melchers Home and Studio in Falmouth, Va., said “Winter, from the Arkell, was not the only version of the painting. Melchers often was his own inspiration…. He was known to copy or crib from

himself multiple times, which was common in the day,” Catron said. “… We have an exact pastel copy of PAFA’s Skaters…. [but] our pastel is much closer to PAFA’s than the Arkell version,” said Catron, “though not as impressive as the PAFA oil.” There is also a third version at Belmont that is not on display.

Winter is currently in an FBI storage facility in Albany, New York, while investigators track down the nearest Mosse relatives to return it to the family. It’s not believed that the buyer was aware of Winter’s illegal liquida-tion by the Nazis when he bought it in 1934. The Arkell Museum forfeited the painting to the FBI in September.

Sources:AdeleUphaus–Conner,The(Fredericksburg)FreeLance-Star,Oct23,2019;StephanSalisburyThePhiladelphiaInquirer(TNS),November12,2019;andTufayelAhmed,Newsweek(online)11/4/19.

A Nazi-looted painting by Gari Melchers that was believed missing for over 80 years and recently recovered by the FBI is almost identical to another painting on display in Philadel-phia. The PhiladelphiaInquirerreports that Winter bears an uncanny likeness to another Melchers painting, Skaters, which was acquired by the Pennsylvania Academy of the Fine Arts in 1901 and has been in the PAFA’s collection for over a century.

NARFE New Officers Installed for 2020The Falls Run National Association of Retired Federal Employees Chapter 2343 installed new officer’s on December 5, 2019 at their Seasons Greetings dinner. Maureen Nolet first Vice President of the district 8 NARFE chapters installed the new President, Rita Pinion, the new Vice President, Mary Owens, and reinstalled Treasurer Pam Center for the years 2020 – 2022. Falls Run residents contributed over $3,000 in October to NARFE “Alzheimer’s Lights On” campaign for Alzheimer’s Research. The amount is an increase of $1,000 for 2019. The residents contributed over a ton of food to S.E.R.V.E. organization. The residential

donations provided to these two campaigns by the NARFE Chapter 2343 exhibits the residents of Falls Run Community to be a true caring and giving community.


BySusanSmart

Cold weather, rain, maybe snow and ice, are on the way. For our welfare, we need to take some steps to ensure our safety during the winter months. Here are a few tips:

1: Winterizeyourcar.Take your car to a mechanic to check on fluid levels, tire pressure, antifreeze temperature, battery life and brakes. Have a blanket in the car should you need it.

2: Before you leave the house, takeyourcellphone with you. Make sure it’s charged and you have the phone number of your car assistance company (AAA, Geico, etc.) and a friend or relative who can come to your aid.

3: Dressinlayers. In our part of the country we never know if the day will turn from warm to cold, cold to warm. Be prepared for cold in this season, but dress so you can remove a jacket or sweater and not freeze. Don’t forget the hat, scarf, and gloves.

4: Wearreflectiveclothing. It’s dark earlier and earlier, and cars turning out of driveways and streets can’t

Winter Safety Tipsalways see you in dark winter garb. Wear some-thing light colored or place reflective strips on your hat, jacket, boots or gloves.

5: Watchoutforice in driveways, parking lots, on sidewalks and outdoor stairs. If you have trouble with balance or use a cane, try to stay in until ice is melted – have a relative or neighbor put ice-melt on your walks, steps, and driveway. You can buy trac-tion devices to put over your shoes, with or without spikes, at sporting goods stores.

6: Prepareforstorms.Winter storms can cause power outages and we never know how long they’ll last. Have flashlights handy, warm footwear and clothing, and blankets. Use a battery-powered radio to get information, or your cell phone (which should be kept charged every day). If you have an electric stove, have food on hand that doesn’t need to be heated to be eaten.

7: Ifyoulivealone and you have to go out in inclement weather, let a friend or neighbor know where you’re going.

Sources:Basedon“StayingSafe,”TheFreeLance-Star,Sunday,September24,2017,pageA-18.

SubmittedbySusanSmart

Sitting on the side of the highway waiting to catch speeding drivers, a State Police officer sees a car puttering along at 22 MPH. He thinks to himself, “This driver is just as dangerous as a speeder!” So he turns on his flashing lights and pulls the driver over.

Approaching the car, he notices that there are five elderly ladies, two in the front seat and three in the back, wide-eyed and white as ghosts.

The driver, obviously confused, says to him, “Officer, I don’t understand. I was doing exactly the speed limit! What seems to be the problem?”

22 MPH “Ma’am, “ the officer replies, “You weren’t speeding, but you should know that driving slower than the speed limit can also be a danger to other drivers.”

“Slower than the speed limit? No sir, I was doing the speed limit exactly, 22 miles an hour!” the old woman says a bit proudly.

The State Police officer, trying to contain a chuckle, explains to her that 22 was the route number, not the speed limit. A bit embarrassed, the woman grinned and thanked the officer for pointing out her error.

“But before I let you go, ma’am, I have to ask, is everyone in this car okay? These ladies seem awfully shaken and they haven’t uttered a peep this whole time.”

“Oh they’ll be all right in a minute, officer. We just got off Route 119.”


ByBobChapin

The holidays are over and now, like kids on Halloween separating the good from the wretched, we concentrate on the re-gifted Christmas items. The transistor radio that was from Uncle Orin when we got married in 1968 somehow made its way through three generations and back to us. Still in its original box, it is now destined for eBay.

There is truth to the “ugly Christmas sweater.” My wife got one of the ugliest garments from a distant Aunt Nel – someone she met only once – but duty beckons and after all family is family – even if it is passing on a new item good-for-naught. The only fly in that ointment was Nel’s daughter said the sweater had been gifted to her 20 years ago.

The Time Honored Re-giftingThe set of hankies monogrammed with a T given to granddad, whose last name begins with a C, was from cousin Judy who still wears those 1960s-style pointed glasses frames. To aid in the kitchen was a revolutionary new chop–slice–dice boxed metal accident waiting to happen. This was disinherited by its original recipient and passed down from one person to another.

I always give tongue to those who send an item of clothing unsuit-able for them and eventually put aside with the promise that “one day we will pass this on.” Adding to the stigma of re-gifting – size and color don’t matter.

When a distant relative does not want to spend any more money than absolutely necessary, they search the attic or basement. But hold on! When complaining about

those hidden relatives with their items of wealth, we too have a designated area where we hope the occa-sion will arrive when we can unload our hoard of unused gifts and complete our shopping list.

With that said, it is now time for me to open a small desert plate sized box. As I eagerly tear at the wrapping, I pulled a heavy, brand new never-used ashtray— the milky white glass kind with the imprinted words “Welcome to Niagara Falls 1960.” So check your cache and undoubtedly next year’s revenge will prevail as you chuckle and become a distant relative with another presump-tive reputation as a re-gifter.

UMW Great Lives ProgramByPatParkinson

The University of Mary Wash-ington provides cultural arts, music arts, education fun, enter-taining and interesting events to everyone in our area. Most events and entertainment are low cost, and events like Great Lives Lectures are free at the Dodd Auditorium. The presentation of cultural acts and food in November for the “Taste of Asia” event was only $5 with free parking.

Free to the Fredericksburg public beginning in January 2020 is the UMW Great Lives Lectures

there are 20 lectures so if you miss one, there are 19 more.

The website at http://www.umw.edu>greatlives>lecture 2020 shows the dates and topics. For years 2003 – 2019,

lectures are available online streaming via https://www.umw.edu>greatlives.lectures/archives. Some lecture topics this year are Ronald Regan, Tiger Woods, D-Day Girls, JFK/James Bond, Noted Pirates, Female Avia-tors, C. S. Lewis and more. Get together with friends and attend these free life-long learning events.

Great LivesThe 2020 William B. Crawley Lecture Series

(also known as The Crawley Great Lives Lecture Series). This is the 18th year of the January through April lectures held at Mary Washington Dodd Audito-rium (only 4 miles to downtown campus) from 7:30 PM on Tues-days and Thursdays. Each lecture includes a question and answer session as well as book signings;


BySusanneLazanov

In her 20s, Catherine Garrett knew she was a horrible eater. By the time she reached her mid-40s, she made some dietary improve-ments and believed that meant she was eating well. Given what she now knows, she understands she was sadly mistaken.

For the last five of her 25 years as a dental assistant, Catherine worked in a functional dental practice. Functional dentists consider the effects of diet, environment and lifestyle on dental health, the same holistic approach that functional medicine takes to the rest of the body. “In this practice, I began to see firsthand the benefits of people changing their life,” she says.

One Path to Optimum HealthAt age 55, Catherine, who had no genetic predis-position to breast cancer, was diagnosed with the disease. Eager for the best possible outcome, she began applying some functional medicine principles to her own life. For example, during the time when she was undergoing chemotherapy, she consumed homemade bone broth and green smoothies as well as good quality beef. “My doctor and I were amazed at how well I tolerated and responded to the treatment,” Catherine gratefully recalls.

After chemotherapy, radiation, a bi-lateral mastec-tomy and five years on an estrogen blocker, Catherine celebrated her cancer-free status by visiting a functional medical doctor. (Note: Not every functional medicine practitioner has an MD or DO degree.) After a thorough examina-tion and history-taking, as well as extensive blood testing, Catherine learned which substances, such as gluten, are toxic to her body. Now she avoids GMO (genetically-modified organisms) foods, instead seeking out grass-fed local dairy and meat products and organic produce whenever possible. Catherine believes that by taking these measures, eating “clean,” which means consuming foods as close as possible to their natural state and with the fewest number of ingredients, and taking prescribed supplements, she is listening to her body and feeding it what it needs. She also takes brisk daily walks, does a workout routine, meditates and practices restorative yoga.

While preparing delicious and nutritious meals at home has become her passion, Catherine also enjoys dining out. She admits that requires research, forethought and discipline; but estab-lishing relationships with local restaurant owners has made the process easier. “For those who make the effort, it is so worthwhile,” she says.

Since adopting this lifestyle, Catherine has noticed a significant improvement in how she feels as have family and friends who have followed her lead. “We are what we eat,” she says. “Feeding our bodies appropriately is critical as we age, especially if we have health issues.”

Celebrating 30 Years of Service!

As a member of the Falls Run Community and life long resident of Stafford County, my

knowledge and experience will work for you.

Andy Shannon & Associates

Realtors®

Office: 540-659-6136 Toll Free: 800-342-7703

Experience, Integrity,

Excellence


ByJoanFrank

“If you don’t read the newspaper, you are uninformed; if you do read the newspaper, you are misinformed.” —MarkTwain

“Computers make it easier to do a lot of things, but most of the things they make easier to do don’t need to be done.” —AndyRooney

“A celebrity is a person who works hard all his life to become well-known, then wears dark glasses to avoid being recognized.” —FredAllen

“The odds of going to the store for a loaf of bread and coming out with only a loaf of bread are three billion to one.” —ErmaBombeck

“Older people should not eat health foods. They need all the preservatives that they can get.” —RobertOrien

“Money won’t buy you happiness, but it will pay the salaries of a large research staff to study the problem for you.” —BillVaughan

“To keep your marriage brimming with love in the loving cup, whenever you’re wrong, admit it. Whenever you’re right, shut up.” —OgdenNash

“If you want to get rid of excess stuff, you can always do a good spring cleaning. Or, you can do what I do: move.” —EllenDegeneres

“I have left orders to be awakened at any time in case of a national emergency, even if I’m in a cabinet meeting.” —RonaldReagan

“Cats are born with their eyes shut. They open them at six days, look around, and

then close them again for the better part of their lives.” —StephenBaker

“A dog teaches a boy fidelity, perseverance, and to turn around three times before lying down.” —RobertBenchley

“I have been instrumental in banning bottled water on the set. It hasn’t gone that well, so I replaced it with tequila.” —HughLaurie

“Laughter and tears are both responses to frustration and exhaustion. I prefer to laugh since there is less cleaning up after.” —KurtVonnegut

“If your baby is beautiful and perfect, never cries or fusses, sleeps on schedule and burps on demand, you’re the grandma.” —TeresaBloomingdale

“Adults are always asking kids what they want to be when they grow up because they are looking for ideas.” —PaulaPoundstone

“Every morning I wake up and check my dreamcatcher and there is never a breakfast burrito in it, so what a ripoff.”—TimSiedell

“People are pretty forgiving when it comes to other people’s families. The only family that ever horrifies you is your own.” —DouglasCoupland

“It’s amazing that the older you get, the stronger the wind becomes, and it’s always blowing in your face.” —JackNicklaus

“The difficulty with marriage is that we fall in love with a personality, but must live thereafter with a character.” —PeterDeVries

“Internet browser: software that puts a message on your computer screen telling you that the Internet is busy and try again later.” —DaveBarry

“I have a two-story house and a bad memory, so I’m up and down those stairs all the time. That’s my exercise.” —BettyWhite

“Democracy means that anyone can grow up to be President, and anyone who doesn’t grow up can be Vice-President.” —JohnnyCarson

“Get well cards have become so humorous that if you don’t get sick you are missing half the fun in life.” —FlipWilson

In Praise of the Phrase


Broaden Your Horizons Close To Home

BySusanneLazanov

Do you love learning? Are you eager to meet like-minded folks? Do you need a flexible schedule? Then Mary Washington ElderStudy may be a perfect fit.

Mary Washington ElderStudy, an all-volunteer orga-nization that recently celebrated its 25th anniversary, has a membership of more than 350 retirement-aged people in the Fredericksburg area. Locally, it is affil-iated with the University of Mary Washington and nationally, with the Lifelong Learning Institutes and Road Scholar. As of Nov. 1, 40 Falls Run residents are members, and many of them also serve on Elder-Study committees and the board.

ElderStudy is designed by members to suit their interests. ElderStudy offers at least 45 two-hour sessions each semester on diverse subjects such as the arts, health, history, politics and travel. Most sessions are led by university faculty and other professionals, including health care providers, histo-

rians and US Park Rangers, and are held on the University of Mary Washington Stafford campus (near Walmart on Route 17) in a zero-step access building with abundant parking.

Sessions take place mainly on Tuesdays and Thurs-days, 10am-noon, or 1-3pm, with a 10-minute break. The full semester’s schedule appears on elderstudy.com or is available by mail.

Special programs include visits to area artistic, historic and scientific sites as well as tours of the art galleries at the UMW Fredericksburg campus and discussions of upcoming play performances at the university’s Klein Theatre. A book club reads and discusses nine books a year.

A nominal membership fee ($72/year or $40/spring semester for those joining after Jan. 1) entitles members to attend whichever sessions they choose. No sign-up is necessary, and seating is open.

Formoreinformationandamembershipform,gotoelderstudy.com,orleaveamessageat(540)654-1769.

AvisitfromaFallsRungreetercanprovideyouwithinformationaboutFallsRun,answeryourquestionsand,ifyoucareto,tellabitaboutyourselfsowecanintroduceyoutoourcommunityintheGazette,ourmonthlymagazine.IfyouwouldlikeavisitpleasecontactSusanne [email protected](540)310-4082,ifyouliveinasingle-familyhome.Ifyouliveinavilla,contactMurray [email protected](508)543-2082.

WELCOME NEW NEIGHBORS

Susanne Lazanov and Murray Corliss


byAstridDick

I’d like to introduce to you the birds you are most likely to see in Falls Run—in your yards and around feeders—during the fall and winter season. The poem on the right lists some that are common here, and the photo there is of a chickadee.

The Juncos are also known as snowbirds (photo at left) and they arrive in November and are gone by March. Other common feeder birds are: house finch, bluebird, wren, nuthatch, blackbird, and the pesky starlings that

come in flocks and inhale the food! The goldfinch does not leave the area, but changes color from vibrant yellow to an olive green/brown shade.

There are too many more to list but The Cornell University’s Department of Ornithology’s web site is a fun and educational resource and is a pleasure to explore: https://www.allaboutbirds.org/news. Once there, you can search for all kinds of informa-tion – and if you click on Live Cams, then Cornell Labs FeederWatch Cam you can watch winter birds feeding.

A note about bird food: Don’t get the cheapest, it contains a lot of waste, little sticks and other matter, as well as a lot of cracked corn. Most birds love sunflower seeds, and the smaller ones are attracted to niger (thistle seed). Choose the appropriate feeder for the type of food you are using.

The poem introduces the annual project “Feeder Watch,” a joint effort between America’s Cornell Lab of Ornithology and Canada’s Citizen Science Program. It extends to many other countries as well.

Common Feeder Birds of Winter Feeder Watch

bySueShaw,Cornell Lab of Ornithology, 2018-2019 Project FeederWatch

A Winter Morning--cold and stark-- The coffee’s hot, but it’s still dark! With pad and pen I sit and wait, Write down the time—write down the date…

And there--as daylight lets me see-- There in the shrubs--a chickadee! And then the juncos, finch and dove…Those feeder birds that we all love. The morning light grows ever stronger…The species list grows ever longer! Sparrows – white throat in the tree –There’s a titmouse--two…no, three!

The peanut butter log and suet –Draws woodpeckers -- they come to itAlong with nuthatch…red and white…The cardinal’s here – that bright delight!

My list goes on, and you might ask,Just what is this listing task?It’s “Feeder Watch” – you can join too,It’s fun, and helps our feathered friends too!

As the days and weeks go by,I’ll watch the feeders, trees and skyKnowing what I watch and seeIs better in reality than any program on TV!


ByBillArnst

Falls Run Neighborhood Watch is an all-volunteer community organization that works very closely with the Stafford County Sheriff ’s Office to protect the safety and security of all residents in Falls Run. It is organized into sixteen geographical zones, each of which is headed by a zone captain or captains. The zone captain is responsible for recruiting residents from within his/her zone to participate in walking and driving patrols covering the streets of the zone to identify suspicious individuals or activities and report them to Sheriff ’s deputies for enforcement action. Patrol personnel are not armed and are instructed not to confront suspi-cious individuals, but rather to report them to law enforcement personnel for action.

Each zone captain is in control of patrol personnel operating within his/her zone. The zone captain schedules the patrols and ensures that each patrol period is manned and active. Each patroller wears either a yellow baseball cap or reflective vest bearing the words “Neighborhood Watch.” One of the main security duties of the patrol is to identify garage doors remaining open after dark and to notify the resident either by telephone call, ringing the doorbell, or leaving a notice in the resident’s newspaper box of this fact. Patrol members also notify residents of non-func-tioning garage lights by leaving a notice in their newspaper box. Patrols also are responsible

Neighborhood Watch in Falls Runfor notifying community management of non-functioning street lights.

In addition to the patrols operating within each zone, Neighborhood Watch operates an over-lapping system of two driving patrols, one of which covers the streets

on each side of Ripplemead Way. Each driving patrol vehicle is iden-tified by a red and white magnetic sign on each side of the vehicle with the words “Falls Run Neigh-borhood Watch.” The driving patrols perform the same func-tions as the patrols operating within the individual zones. This overlapping system of patrolling practically ensures that anyone seeking to cause mischief or damage in our community can

never be certain when a Neigh-borhood Watch patrol may be active and able to observe.

The success of this patrol system depends on an adequate number of resident volunteers. Unfortu-nately, in a senior community such as ours, we regularly lose personnel to serious illness or just plain old age. We therefore trust in our zone captains to be active in meeting and recruiting new and younger resi-dents to replace them. To those of you who have moved into Falls Run recently, we urge you to be receptive to an approach by a zone captain and seriously consider joining this organization intended to keep our community safe and secure. Please contact Bill Arnst at 540-374-5566, or at [email protected].

Working in Your PJ’s bySusanSmart

It’s fun to sit around in our pajamas and slippers for half a day – or all day – reading the Gazette. But do we feel just a little guilty because we’re not being as productive as we were when we had jobs?Well, I have just the solution! You can be productive and be in your pajamas and slippers, with a cup of coffee and a donut too! The Gazette is always seeking new writers to volunteer a little time each month or so to help us out with new ideas and creativity. As we have requested in years past, we especially would like a few more men to help us out by providing a “guy’s” perspective on things in and around the community. Besides, what you’re interested in may well interest others at Falls Run. Give yourself a chance to be famous in your commu-nity and write for the Gazette! It’s actually fun, part of lifelong learning, interesting, rewarding and a wonderful contribution to your community.

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