Tuesday's Treasures

On Tuesday's we are going to take a trip down memory lane with some "remember when" photos and stories submitted by our students. It could be photos from a high school prom; a nostalgic look at a 1950's TV program or a collage of photos that were just taken last week. If you have memories, old or new, you would like to share, send them to me at mxw8110@yahoo.com.


Cherry Blossom Time!
Where flowers bloom so does hope.
- Lady Bird Johnson, Public Roads: Where Flowers Bloom


Roger Slover, who took these lovely photos at the Dallas Arboretum, gives us a bit of a commentary saying, "'Cherry Lane' is a panorama of four images and is used as the top three slots in the nine frame 'Views on Cherry Lane'. The left and center slots of the center row of the nine frame are one image, as are the center and right slots of the bottom row."

Who can estimate the elevating and refining influences and moral value of flowers with all their graceful forms, bewitching shades and combinations of colors and exquisitely varied perfumes? These silent influences are unconsciously felt even by those who do not appreciate them consciously and thus with better and still better fruits, nuts, grains, vegetables andflowers, will the earth be transformed, man's thought refined, and turned from the base destructive forces into nobler production. One which will lift him to high planes of action toward the happy day when the Creator of all this beautiful work is more acknowledged and loved, and where man shall offer his brother man, not bullets and bayonets, but richer grains, better fruit and fairer flowers from the bounty of this earth.

- Father George Schoener (1864 -1941), The Importance and Fundamental Principles of Plant Breeding

These are a couple I took at the Dallas Arboretum as well---really, Dallas Blooms is not to be missed folks!

With a few flowers in my garden, half a dozen pictures and some books, I live without envy.

- Lope de Vega

In the cherry blossom's shade there's no such thing as a stranger.

- Issa

Special thanks to Roger Stover for sharing his great images with us.

Capture the Moment Monday

This week the blog will be sharing images of Spring. If ever there was a good subject for Capture the Moment Monday it would be pictures gathered by seniors at a time like Dallas Blooms!

Dallas Blooms

Ralph Waldo Emerson said, "Earth laughs in flowers." How right he was! If you want a real treat, and you live in the area, head for the Dallas Arboretum. It is quite simply--MARVELOUS!

Flower beds to die for, fountains, garden sculpture, a wonderful gift shop and the fascinating Degolyer house to tour. And tour we all did--my husband and I went Friday and ran into four of my students, all taking pictures!



I plan on dedicating most of this week to a celebration of our Arboretum in spring combined with the photographic talents of my senior students.

Roger Slover used a number of his excellent photos to create some collages. Being a friend to our blog, he has kindly agreed to share them with us.

Roger said, "Dora and I each shot about 140 images Friday. I sampled a color from each of the five images in "Colors of Spring" to form the frames, rather than use what could have been a distraction. I also used image resize to help when I cropped the 5 originals."



I just had to use "Fernando" in the middle of "Faces of Spring" after getting rid of a couple of crowding trees; he looks better isolated against the blue sky.



Can you believe this is more fun than taking digital shots thru a microscope--this will make sense to my former co-workers at TI-DLP!"

Below is one of the images I took of my husband in front of an impressive "Fernando the Bull." Pardon the hat Texas fans!



Take the family or go alone--it is glorious!

Tomorrow on the blog--cherry blossom time!

I will be the gladdest thing

Under the sun!

I will touch a hundred flowers

And not pick one.

~Edna St. Vincent Millay, "Afternoon on a Hill"

Special thanks to Roger Slover for sharing his fine photography with us!

Saturday Star Review

The year 2009 brought many mixed blessings along with it. For our blog, that year featured many interesting images and stories. Since we have more and more new people befriending our blog, sometimes on Saturday we will be doing a review of some of the offerings from our first year.

Six Generations

This is one of my own images. It is my mother when she was two or three years old. The other women are her mother, her grandmother, and her great grandmother. Looking at this image, I can feel their presence across the generations.

In this picture my mother is 83. The other women are my sister, my daughters and me.

Put them together and there are 6 generations of us in one image!

George Bernard Shaw said, “Life is no brief candle to me. It is a sort of splendid torch which I have got a hold of for the moment, and I want to make it burn as brightly as possible before handing it onto future generations.”


Have a great day!

Internet Magic Fridays

Jane Booras is the Editor of numerous newsletters including our Campus Times. She will be sharing how you can find whatever you need - photos, clipart, information, maps, phone numbers - on the Internet.


Look out! I have a computer, and I know how to use it!

Well most of the time anyway.

But don’t ever think that people who know how to use computers never have problems with them, because they do. That goes for the software resident on the computer itself, and websites on the Internet. There are always mysteries in cyberspace and I’m sure there always will be.

If you’re just beginning to use your computer and explore the Internet, be patient – with the computer and with yourself. Not all those funny little messages appear because of something YOU don’t know. We all get them. The dilemma is, how do you deal with them?

First, be sure your computer is protected by a firewall. To learn what a firewall is and why you need one, go to:

http://www.microsoft.com/protect/computer/firewall/faq.mspx

Click on each question and the answer appears. You’ll see that you can also find out if your computer already has a firewall installed.

Next, you must have anti-virus protection. Antivirus software is a computer program that detects, prevents, and takes action to disarm or remove malicious software programs, such as viruses and worms. You can help protect your computer against viruses by using antivirus software.

Computer viruses are software programs that are deliberately designed to interfere with computer operation, record, corrupt, or delete data, or spread themselves to other computers and throughout the Internet. You don’t have to go to the store to buy these programs. You can download them from the Internet once you have chosen the right program for your computer.

To help prevent the most current viruses and spyware, you must update your antivirus software regularly. You can set up most types of antivirus software to update and scan your computer automatically.

There are many well-known anti-virus software packages available, usually for a pretty reasonable annual fee. Two of the best known are Norton® and McAfee®. There are also a few free anti-virus programs available. Do some research on Google and by talking to other computer savvy friends about which one is the best for you.

And, of course, identity theft is also a big concern. Here are links to some good articles from Microsoft about anti theft computer protection:

http://www.microsoft.com/windowsxp/using/security/expert/honeycutt_spyware.mspx

http://www.microsoft.com/protect/default.mspx

Just remember, you should never go to the Internet without first making sure your computer is protected with both a firewall and anti-virus protection. Promise!

Lifelong Learning Thursday

Nancy Merz Nordstrom, author of Learning Later, Living Greater: The Secret of Making the Most of Your After 50 Years will share the benefits of Lifelong Learning on Thursdays.

LEARNING LATER, LIVING GREATER:

The Secret for Making the Most of Your After-50 Years.

Lifelong Learning in Your Later Years…

A Health Club for Your Mind, Body, and Spirit!

Continuing our discussion of lifelong learning through meaningful community service…

According to the Wall Street Journal, a growing number of mature volunteers are seeking positions that offer something more–more influence, more authority, more power. They are taking leadership positions in volunteer organizations ensuring that their skills, wisdom and knowledge are being utilized to the fullest.

A 2008 estimate by the Independent Sector says that the dollar value for volunteer work is $20.25 an hour. Given that number, can you imagine what an incredible resource the 76 million Baby Boomers will be to our society, if only a modest number of them engage in community service work? If that’s the case, than what this generation of older adults will give back to society far outweighs what they will take out, thereby negating the doomsday economic predictions of what the retirement of the Baby Boomers might mean to our society.

Lifelong learners who are already offering their skills to the public sector, however, have set a wonderful example for the coming wave of older adults on how to engage in community service.

To set the stage for the further exploration of community service, in future blogs I’ll give you some concrete examples of how these current-day lifelong learners engaged in meaningful volunteerism. We’ll also talk about the many aspects of community service, and give you resources to help you decide how community service can fit into your life and your goal of being a complete lifelong learner.

THURSDAY’S THOUGHT…
According to one lifelong learner, Volunteering is one of the best ways people over 60 can contribute to their own well-being. So very, very true!

For more information on Learning Later, Living Greater visit http://www.learninglater.com/ You can purchase Learning Later, Living Greater at http://www.amazon.com/

Till Next Time…

Age in Place Wednesday

On Wednesdays, Laurie Orlov, tech industry veteran, writer, speaker and elder care advocate will be sharing her insightful research on how seniors can safely and successfully live independent lives in the home of their choice.

Technology Connects, Protects Seniors

Products for an aging -- but plugged-in -- population address brain fitness, social networking, personal monitoring, and the concerns of caregivers.

By Michael Greene, InformationWeek March 23, 2010 URL: http://www.informationweek.com/story/showArticle.jhtml?articleID=224200102

Technology emerged as a major theme in the 2010 Aging in America conference in Chicago from March 15-18, the largest annual national gathering of senior service providers.

Products displayed at this year's event, and at the follow up Boomer Business Summit on March 19, reflect advancements in the fields of brain fitness, social networking, home monitoring, and caregiving.

Perhaps the greatest fear related to aging is loss of cognitive abilities. Studies suggest that seniors who consistently participate in mentally stimulating leisure activities maintain higher levels of intellectual ability and significantly reduce the risk of dementia.

Dakim, one of the industry's leading providers of turnkey hardware/software solutions for brain fitness exercises at senior facilities has announced a new software-based product for home use.

According to Charles Robinson, Regional VP of the Midwest, BrainFitness software shipping in early April is superior to typical stimulating activities such as crossword puzzles or Sudoku because it crosstrains the brain in six cognitive dimensions. These include: long- and short-term memory, computation, visual spatial orientation and critical thinking.

Perhaps most importantly, the program tracks and adjusts to the senior's level of mental ability, thereby keeping the activity engaging. The CD-based product is listed for $349 and requires the user to have only minimal experience with a traditional PC or Mac interface.

Home and personal monitoring also continue to advance. BeClose has announced a product that connects motion sensors throughout a home with automatic alerts sent to family or other caregivers when unexpected patterns are detected (lack of movement throughout the day, excessive bed rest, etc.). A Web portal allows customized tracking of different types of events with automated alerts for each interested family member or caregiver.

Other companies focus on different slices of the same space by placing sensors directly on a person's body. Wellcore's product is a clip-on device about the size of a small beeper.

HaloMonitoring uses a band around the chest or waist. Unlike many remote alerts that require a manually press of a button to notify others to a problem, these products use accelerometers to analyze movement and automatically determine if a fall has occurred.

Given the reluctance of many seniors to let others know about accidents, even when they are injured, automated notifications can be a lifesaver. Gaining a senior's compliance to wear a monitoring device can be a challenge, however.

For families involved in the day-to-day activities involved with caregiving, there are a number of new tools, such as eCareDiary.com to help in the tracking and coordination of responsibilities relating to long term care. Developed by people who personally faced the challenges of caring for aging family members suffering from debilitating disease, the site provides a set of simple tools.

They include: the sharing of health related documents and a calendar that enables family members to track appointments and key medical information. Discussion boards and blogs that allow caregivers to connect with each other, share tips, and provide support during what can be a long and emotionally challenging period.

Tuesday's Treasures

On Tuesday's we are going to take a trip down memory lane with some "remember when" photos and stories submitted by our students. It could be photos from a high school prom; a nostalgic look at a 1950's TV program or a collage of photos that were just taken last week. If you have memories, old or new, you would like to share, send them to me at mxw8110@yahoo.com.

Delicious!

How about these? I was just talking to one of my students about the importance of us seeing the marvelous work that is being done by our age group. There is no time to sit in your rocking chair and retire from life. You have too much to share!!

This is from one of my Collage Class students. What a lovely collage! The gentleman's daughter goes to Dallas blooms once a year with her students. He was with them, fortunately had his camera with him and took these images. Then he had them available to use this year in our Collage class. The moral being, the best camera is the one you have with you!


In 2007 he and and his wife went on a Fall foliage trip in Massachutsetts, Maine, New Hampshire, Vermont and Rhode Island. How about that for color watching! We did this collage in template form in class and he applied his own images to it. The combination of 5 images fairly jumps off the page!

I do so appreciate my students allowing me to share their work!

George Bernard Shaw said, "Imagination is the beginning of creation. You imagine what you desire, you will what you imagine and at last you creat what you will."

Photo Tips Monday

Dave Berry, Director of the Photography Department at Computer School for Seniors will be sharing his insightful Photo Tips with you every Monday for Capture the Moment Mondays.

Dave & Patti's Carribean Cruise--Part 1

Patti and I went on a Cruise to the Southern Caribbean just a few weeks ago. I am going to do a blog post each week covering each of our stops on the cruise, so here is week #1…Puerto Rico. In the coming weeks I will cover Barbados, St. Lucia, Antiqua, Tortola and St. Thomas.

We flew into San Juan, Puerto Rico a day ahead of the ship’s departure. We always do this to have a day to relax and unwind before boarding the ship. Travel days can really stress and tire you out, plus the weather in Dallas is so unpredictable, we have found it just makes trips start off better by leaving here a day ahead of time.

Puerto Rico is a beautiful island with much to enjoy and photograph….

There are historical sites like El Morro Fort with 18 foot thick walls rising 140 feet from the sea(completed in 1589) which was used to defend San Juan’s harbor against pirates. It is a maze of tunnels, dungeons, barracks and ramps.




Old San Juan’s cobblestone streets with beautiful window boxes filled with colorful flowers, magnificent cathedrals and fountains and narrow streets, are a photographers paradise. You never run out of things to capture with your lens. There are casinos and historic hotels alongside new modern resorts, there is a rainforest too and if you enjoy tours, the Bacardi Rum Factory is here (they produce 100,000 gallons daily).


If you listen carefully in the early evening hours, you may hear the sound of the tiny coqui frog. It is a very popular creature throughout the island and enlivens the evenings with its timid ko-kee sound from which it get its name. The coquies begin to sing when the sun goes down at dusk, singing all night long until dawn.

The island sells many items depicting this popular little frog and if you look closely you may get to see one. We were fortunate as there were some in the bushes around the hotel swimming pool making their music.

We stayed at a hotel right on the beach, our room faced the ocean and we had a balcony on the 16th floor looking straight out to the beautiful blue water. We took a walk along the beach, it was a gorgeous day and the light was perfect for me and my cameras. Sometimes you get so focused on catching that perfect shot, that you forget you are standing at the oceans edge and a little wave catches you by surprise! Luckily I had shorts on! We happened upon a couple that had just gotten married and they were taking their wedding pictures on the beach, quite a picturesque spot too, except the brides dress and the grooms shoes and pants were getting pretty wet! I caught some gorgeous shots of them standing on the rocks surrounded by the swirling waves.

We had dinner that evening in a great Italian restaurant and retired early, getting lulled to sleep by the sound of the waves…I could get used to this!

Sunday morning came and we boarded our ship, the beautiful Caribbean Princess. We will soon arrive at our first port, Barbados. So stay tuned for our next stop--See you in Barbados !!!

Thanks to Dave and Patti Berry for sharing their trip and photos with us. If you have a travel experience to share be sure and let us know so we can blog about it!

Saturday Star Spotlight

Seniors are doing a lot of exciting things and we're looking forward to featuring their impresssive accomplishments every Saturday in our Star Spotlight.

Fun and Unique

One of my favorite assignments for the Photoshop Elements Collage Class I teach for seniors here in Dallas is the "Nine Square Template." I always enjoy the the interesting combinations my students come up with to make each template unique.

This first one is done by Charlie Vinson, and as you can see there is a soft edge around each flower image. Then a straight edge around the subject of the collage, Doris, his mother-in-law, to make that picture stand out just a bit.



Here in Dallas we have an Arboretum that is truly beautiful. Each Spring and Fall they really spruce the place up and many people visit them. Here is a nine-square collage done by Ray Bolton from his visit there. It shows a nice representation of the many features this lovely spot has to offer.

And another image from Ray Bolton that is just for fun. He created the texture for the background and then added pictures of mighty cartoon warriors. My grandson will love this one!

"As we grow as unique persons, we learn to respect the uniqueness of others." ~Robert Schuller

"Today you are You, that is truer than true. There is no one alive that is Youer than You." ~Dr. Seuss

Special thanks to Charlie Vinson and Ray Bolton for sharing their images with us on the blog!

Lifelong Learning Thursday

Nancy Merz Nordstrom, author of Learning Later, Living Greater: The Secret of Making the Most of Your After 50 Years will share the benefits of Lifelong Learning on Thursdays.

LEARNING LATER, LIVING GREATER:

The Secret for Making the Most of Your After-50 Years.

Lifelong Learning in Your Later Years…

A Health Club for Your Mind, Body, and Spirit!

Over the last year, we’ve explored both lifelong learning in the classroom and through educational travel as ways to enhance and enrich our “After 50” years. Now, let’s spend some time examining yet a third way, lifelong learning through community service.

The coming wave of Boomers are the “rebels with a cause” who brought enormous change to society in the 1960s and 1970s. Many of them, it is expected, will look to continue their pioneering social efforts into their later years.

The current population of older adults, most from the “Greatest Generation,” are already demonstrating their strong commitment to society by engaging in a wide range of civic endeavors. So, with that being said, we’ll now examine the connection between lifelong learning and meaningful community service-how lifelong learners get involved and help society better serve us all.

In earlier blogs, we talked about how becoming involved in lifelong learning can lead to other things. Meaningful community service is one of those “other things.” Lifelong learning, combined with meaningful community service, so engages all your senses that it produces a natural “high,” a feeling so unique and exquisite that you will find yourself looking for other ways to keep that exuberance a permanent fixture in your “After 50” years.

Meaningful community service, however, is different for each person. It’s all about engaging in whatever endeavor makes you feel complete and useful. It’s all about whatever activity enriches and stimulates you life. For some, meaningful community service might mean getting involved at higher levels with volunteer organizations. For others, something entirely different.

Whatever it means to you, however, you can be sure that by using your wisdom and experience, you can soar to greater heights and deliver even greater impact in whatever project you undertake. Volunteers routinely encounter new perspectives and ideas that challenge as much as they enlighten. Your involvement in meaningful community service will help add yet another facet to your lifelong learning quest.

Next week…More on Meaningful Community Service

THURSDAY’S THOUGHT…
Dr. Tom Dooley, the great humanitarian said, Dedicate some of your life to others. Your dedication will not be a sacrifice. It will be an exhilarating experience because it is an intense effort applied toward a meaningful end. Getting involved in meaningful community service will take your life in an entirely new direction.

For more information on Learning Later, Living Greater visit http://www.learninglater.com/ You can purchase Learning Later, Living Greater at http://www.amazon.com/

Till Next Time…

Tuesday's Treasures

On Tuesday's we are going to take a trip down memory lane with some "remember when" photos and stories submitted by our students. It could be photos from a high school prom; a nostalgic look at a 1950's TV program or a collage of photos that were just taken last week. If you have memories, old or new, you would like to share, send them to me at mxw8110@yahoo.com.

For Those Who Lived Through It!

One of the assignments for the Collage Class I'm teaching right now is creating a nine-square template where different pictures and text can be added. As always, I thoroughly enjoy what my students come up with.

The two images below address an unusual situation for Dallas...lots of snow!

This first collage is surely one you would stop and peruse! When Roger Slover agreed to let me use his work on the blog, I asked him to talk a little about it. Here is what he said:

"The top three squares show the increasing depth of snow over time.

The snow scenes were already gray. I chose the most colorful of the photos I had with red berries as a contrast and focal point in the middle of winter.

The scene at the 3 o'clock position was a chain link fence! The two lower corners were of snow falling at its heaviest to show the motion in action.

I used the berry color for part of the text to emphasize snow in Texas:"

As is often the case, I am "surprised by joy" as C. S. Lewis would say, with the variety that emerges when we do this simple nine-square template.

The next image, also of winter a winter scene, was done by Ray Bolton (he's just as good as we knew he was going to be Vicki!). The bottom six squares are all one picture. Then the top three squares are different pictures.

Sepia color was added in an adjustment layer above all the images. The text color came from one of the images in the collage. Then each square was stroked with that color. Finally the squares and text were stroked with off-white.

These two collages are exactly why I love my work!!! What a wealth of creativity we have in our age group!

I agree with Bo Bennett who said, "Enthusiasm is excitement with inspiration, motivation, and a pinch of creativity."

A special thanks to Roger Slover and Ray Bolton for allowing me to show their work!

Inspirational Sunday

Bill Witcher, co-founder of Computer School for Seniors will be sharing words of encouragement, inspiration and hope with you each Sunday.

The Lion Chaser's Manifesto

Our Pastor shared this with us a few Sundays ago. It's taken from The Community Fellowship’s series of Chase the Lion adapted from Mark Batterron’s In A Pit With A Lion on a Snowy Day.

Quit living as if the purpose of life is to arrive safely at death.

Pursue God-ordained passions.

Go after a dream that is destined to fail without divine intervention.

Keep asking questions.

Keep making mistakes.

Keep seeking God.

Stop pointing out problems and become part of the solution.

Stop repeating the past and start creating the future.

Stop playing it safe and start taking risks.

Expand your horizons.

Accumulate experiences.

Consider the lilies.

Enjoy the journey.

Find every excuse you can to celebrate everything you can.

Live like today is the first day and last day of your life.

Don’t let what’s wrong with you keep you from worshipping what’s right with God.

Burn sinful bridges.

Blaze a new trail.

Criticize by creating.

Worry less about what people think and more about what God thinks.

Don’t try to be who you’re not.

Be yourself.

Laugh at yourself.

Quit holding out.

Quit holding back.

Quit running away.

Chase the lion!

Saturday Star Spotlight

Seniors are doing a lot of exciting things and we're looking forward to featuring their impresssive accomplishments every Saturday in our Star Spotlight.

Thoughtful, Interesting and Classy

My collage class has started up again at the Community College where I teach. I have three classes where students create their own images, and many times they generously allow me to share these gems. Remember my students are all between the age of 50 and 90.

I have the privilege every semester of seeing how smart, creative and talented our age group really is. It never, ever ceases to surprise and delight.

This collage was created by Dora Slover. Here is how she explained her thinking when she created the collage:

"I chose my photographs to illustrate our vacation in Washington, DC last year.

I used the Washington munument and made it the center of interest because if you get to a point where you can see the monument when in central DC you can find yourself on the map. I then chose four of the major buildings in the central area. I tried to find four buildings with a columnar facade, but decided the Capitol was too important to pass up. The buildings on the left are the White House and the National Library. The buildings on the right are the Supreme Court and the Capitol.

Across the bottom row, I chose three photos of the Arlington Cemetery. The soldiers close the collage within a frame, and send the eye to the center photograph. When the eye follows the line of the tombstones it continues into the photo above of the Washington Monument, causing the eye to return to the top of the collage."

The informative text about this attractive collage makes viewing it richer and more interesting.

Special Thanks to Dora Slover for sharing her work with us.

I often think of my daughter's favorite quote when I'm viewing my student's work, "Promise me you'll always remember you're braver than you believe, and stronger than you seem, and smarter than you think." Christopher Robin to Pooh

Internet Magic Fridays

Jane Booras is the Editor of numerous newsletters including our Campus Times. She will be sharing how you can find whatever you need - photos, clipart, information, maps, phone numbers - on the Internet.




Sooner or later, most seniors probably get to the AARP website for one thing or another.

I find it a great resource for lots of interesting things other than health care and medication. Check it out at www.aarp.org, and just look at all the options! You’ll find articles, resources and links to almost every subject aimed at those of us over the age of 55, including:

• Travel
• Saving money
• Budgeting
• Reverse mortgages
• Volunteer opportunities
• Job searches
• Retirement destinations
• Public benefit programs
• Caregiving
• Grandparenting
• Love & relationships
• Video games
• …and more

In fact, AARP also hosts an “online community” of folks all over the country. It’s easy and FREE to sign up, and you’ll “meet” interesting people (again, over the age of 55) with whom you can exchange ideas and information. In short, their website is an easily readable fountain of information and fun.

Speaking of AARP, have you heard about their Silver Sneakers® program? If you own an AARP supplemental insurance plan, you can join the FREE Silver Sneakers fitness program. That’s right, a free gym membership. When my husband and I got the brochure in the mail, we could hardly believe it!

We went to http://www.silversneakers.com/, and entered our ZIP code. A map appeared that showed all the participating gyms and athletic clubs in our area. We chose a YMCA within a mile of where we live, signed up and are able to use all the services and equipment in the facility for free! We were treated like royalty (well, like paying members), and given a thorough evaluation and orientation, trained on how to use the equipment, and shown how to use their computerized exercise tracking system. They also conduct special exercise and aquacise classes for Silver Sneakers members. Recently, they added Curves® (a fitness facility created especially for women) to their list of participating facilities.

Hey, there are lots of ways to “amuse and abuse” yourself out there – starting with exercise!

Lifelong Learning Thursday

Nancy Merz Nordstrom, author of Learning Later, Living Greater: The Secret of Making the Most of Your After 50 Years will share the benefits of Lifelong Learning on Thursdays.

LEARNING LATER, LIVING GREATER:

The Secret for Making the Most of Your After-50 Years.

Lifelong Learning in Your Later Years…

A Health Club for Your Mind, Body, and Spirit!

In conclusion…

So here I am today, at age 64, working from my home office, and loving every minute. I’m busy spreading the word about the concept, benefits and opportunities of lifelong learning for older adults in any way I can; radio interviews, TV shows, press releases, the Internet, speaking engagements, you name it. And, I’m still working with Elderhostel running the Elderhostel Institute Network. My work gives my life real purpose, a daily challenge, and lots of outside contact and stimulation.

It’s been thirteen years since I took that educational travel program to Austria and Italy. That trip was a watershed moment for me, a real personal achievement, and a journey of self-discovery. What I found was that, with or without a husband, I had the ability to make a fulfilling life for myself, and for a woman raised to think of herself only as a wife and mother, that was a huge epiphany.

A program like this might be just what you are looking for. Not only are you learning and growing, you’re also having fun. If you’re a “newbee” traveler as I was, or even a more experienced one, you can rest assured that educational travel programs are the perfect way to begin an exciting new adventure. You are safe, well cared for and guided the entire way. Within a few days the group becomes a surrogate family, watching out for each other and providing support when needed. Educational travel really is the perfect way to travel.

Elderhostel says, The world is your classroom! What are you waiting for?

THURSDAY’S THOUGHT…
Eudora Welty, the award-winning American author said, “Through travel I first became aware of the outside world; it was through travel that I found my own introspective way into becoming a part of it” I give most of the credit for my new life after my husband passed away, to stepping outside my comfort zone and taking that very first educational travel program. After that, everything just fell into place. For more information on Learning Later, Living Greater visit http://www.learninglater.com/ You can purchase Learning Later, Living Greater at http://www.amazon.com/

Till Next Time…
Nancy Merz Nordstrom is Director of the Lifelong Learning Department at Computer School for Seniors (http://www.cs4seniors.com/)

Aging In Place Wednesday

On Wednesdays, Laurie Orlov, tech industry veteran, writer, speaker and elder care advocate will be sharing her insightful research on how seniors can safely and successfully live independent lives in the home of their choice.

Senior Citizens to Test
Digital Waters
in Upcoming Computer Class

by Amber Parcher Staff Writer
Gazette.net, Maryland Community Newspapers Online

The reactions from several senior citizens at Thursday's informal meeting about an upcoming computer class at the Holiday Park Senior Center ranged from dubious — "I heard something about a mouse. Can they use the computer too?"— to enthusiastic: "Will we be learning in Windows XP?"

The public Wheaton center is holding a basic computer course March 6, and director Carol Fuente-Villa wanted to make sure potential students worked out all their bugs at the trial class before signing up.

It took awhile.

To senior citizen Frank Jose, the word commonly used to measure digital information sounds more like an unwelcome nighttime creature than a necessary part of the 21st century.

Jose is one of dozens of seniors who know they need to plunge into the world of computers and "Internets," but for one reason or another are reluctant to even dip in their toes.

Some, like Jose, had bad experiences in previous computer classes that gave them an aversion to the machines. Jose said he just couldn't successfully execute any tasks given to him on the computer.

For others, it's a lifetime of doing things their way —using a pen and paper.

But the repercussions of staying offline are starting to become more noticeable to doubters such as Jose.

"I feel like I'm disconnected from knowing what's going on," said Jose, a retired lawyer who once quit teaching a business course at Montgomery College because all of his pupils were proficient in computers and he knew nothing. "I have friends who won't contact you unless it's by e-mail."

And that's exactly why Fuente-Villa urged her seniors to sign up for the March class.

"You have a responsibility to yourself to give it a try," she said, likening the invention of the computer and its shockwaves on society to the invention of the printing press in the 19th century.

"The information you can have at your fingertips is so exciting," she told the group.

The six-week course will be hosted by the Rockville-based Jewish Council for the Aging, which trains senior citizens to teach their peers the fundamentals of computers.

Holiday Park's partnership with JCA represents a growing demand among seniors for computer lessons of all levels, said Mickey Gordon, the assistant executive director for the Jewish Council for the Aging. The council also holds classes in three other county locations: the Bethesda-Chevy Chase Regional Services Center, the Asbury Methodist Village in Gaithersburg and the B'nai Shalom of Olney.

In each location, senior citizen teachers run a wide variety of courses, such as basics —"For people who have never even seen or touched a computer" — to lessons on Microsoft Excel databases, social media and digital trading sites such as eBay, said Dana Hirsch, JCA's program specialist for productive aging.

Hirsch and Gordon said there is such a range among senior citizens' comfort levels with the computer.

Many seniors are already up-to-date on the latest technology and take classes to enhance their skills for a job, keep up with their children and grandchildren or just out of curiosity.

"They hear what's going on with computers and they just don't want to be left out," Gordon said.
Holiday Park Senior Center member Gail Roe is already ahead of the curve for a computer basics course. She can send and receive e-mail and has a faint understanding of Microsoft Word.

But she said she'd like to augment her skills by learning how to upload digital photos from her camera and use software to keep track of her schedule and integrate the computer into her daily life, the way millions of others already have.

"There might be a lot of things I could do that I'm not doing [on the computer]," Roe said.

And Jose?

Well, he'll give one class a try.

But only after Hirsch assured him he could receive a full refund if he wasn't impressed.

Tuesday's Travels

Many of us have traveled extensively. In my classroom I hear fascinating stories about places people people have visited. These stories are often accompanied by captivating images we can all enjoy on the blog.

Before Instead of After!

Now here is a novel idea that came up in one of my classes. One of my talented students did the collage you see below about a trip that is coming up, rather than one that is over!! Great idea, huh? It's also a great collage. Notice how the line of the train shows through the Banff and Winnipeg pictures:

Here is the itinerary for the trip shown in the image above:

They will start in Toronto and travel by rail for two days to Winnipeg, Manitoba.

After 3 1/2 hours in Winnipeg they will be off to Jasper.

From Jasper they will go by bus on Icefields Parkway to Lake Louise. Then they will go by snowcouch (see below) to Athabasca Glacier.

Next stop will be Baniff Alberta where they will get on the Rocky Mountaineer Train to Kamloops, British Columbia for one night. From there they will be off to Vancouver.

Wouldn't you love to hitch a ride with them!!