Reynolds Homestead COLLEGE FOR OLDER ADULTS 2013 Spring Term - April 15 - May 24 The College for Older Adults (COA) is a program for persons aged 50 and older who share a love of lifelong learning. The program offers each person the opportunity to take “serious” or “fun” classes, meet new friends, broaden their scope of interests--or even share their own knowledge with others. Memberships in COA are $50 per term and all persons ages 50 and older are eligible for membership. You may enroll in as many classes as you like during the term of your member- ship. Registrations are due by April 12. NOTE: Some classes may be limited in class size, and enrollments will be on a first come-first served basis. Art classes have additional fees. Fitness classes do require a release form, but that release DOES NOT have to be signed by a physician. Your signature is sufficient. Spring Term Class Schedule Very Beginning Drawing and Sketching Greg Arens, Instructor Mondays 9:00 a.m. - 10:30 p.m. Local artist Greg Arens is the perfect instructor for those who’ve always wanted to learn HOW to draw, but just never had the chance to learn the technique. This class is designed for the true beginner and non-artist who would just enjoy spending some time sketching, learning how to “eye” objects for drawing, and finding out more about drawing techniques. Nothing to be afraid of here, this is just a fun sketching class! A $10 materials fee is required, but will provide everything you need for the class. Taste Test the Master Food Volunteer Program Amanada Wingfield, Coordinator Mondays 11:00 a.m. - 12:30 p.m. This course is designed for those who work as food volunteers for their churches, the Reynolds Homestead, and other agencies. Offered by Virginia Cooperative Extension, the program will feature guest speakers on subjects such as food safety, nutrition basics, food science fun, volunteer food opportunities, and techniques of food demonstration. This free class is highly recommended for anyone interested in food safety, especially volunteers who work with food. Developing Survival Skills - Learning the Basics Chad Lange, Instructor Mondays 11:00 a.m. - 12:30 p.m. Have you ever been lost in the woods and weren’t sure how to deal with it? Or maybe you just always wondered how to start a fire without matches - and how DO you tell what time it is and what direction you’re going in? Nature Freaks, a local outdoor education company, is offering a wilderness survival class featuring basic survival skills using primitive and modern technology. With each class you will explore a different aspect of surviving in the woods. Chad will offer hands-on, personalized attention while developing your physical and mental ability for wilderness survival and natural disasters. Come be a nature freak and learn skills in trapping, edible plants, direction of travel, shelter building, fire & water. 10 students maximum. An excellent class for those who love to hike and camp in the wild. This class is REQUIRED for anyone planning to participate in the Wilderness Survival Weekend. Pictured: Fall 2012’s survival skills class. Dance for Fitness Deana Dehart, Instructor Mondays 1:00 - 2:30 p.m. Please note the time change from previous terms! Dancing is a great way for people of all ages to get and stay in shape. Besides being fun, dancing has many positive health benefits including improving flexibilty, strength, and endurance. For anyone of any fitness level. This class requires a new physical release form. Legends of Local History: The Historic Home Various Speakers Tuesdays 9:00 a.m. - 10:30 a.m. The Virginia Association of Museums and the Governor of Virginia have partnered together to proclaim 2013 “The Year of the Virginia Historic Home.” To celebrate, our local history theme this spring will feature historic homes in and around the local area. Learn about Smithfield Plantation, which once stood on the edge of the western frontier, Stoneleigh Estate in Henry County (pictured), and more of the legendary estates in our area. COLLEGE FOR OLDER ADULTS, cont. Morning Stretch and Tone April Pendleton, Instructor Tuesdays, 11:00-12:00 p.m. Work on toning and stretching with concentration on upper body strength, light cardio, and toning abs. Bring a towel, 2-3 lb. hand weights, a workout ball and a mat. Let’s get toned up before the summer swimsuit season begins! This class requires a new physical release form to be completed. Beginning Rug Hooking Anita Bailey, Instructor Tuesdays, 12:30-3:00 p.m. April 16, 23 and 30. (3 weeks only!) Anita learned to hook rugs from her aunt, Bernice Weaver Dorris, whose work was on exhibition at the Homestead during January and February. This 3-part class will begin with the basics of dyeing, drying and stripping, assembling the rug, and finishing it off. Each person will make an original piece about 11” x 14” to learn the technique. A $10 materials fee is required, but this will supply all materials needed for the class which is limited to 15 participants. Creating Edible Fruit Arrangements Melanie Barrow, Instructor Tuesday, May 7 12:30 - 2:30 p.m. Have you seen those commercials on TV and thought, “I could learn to do that!”? Well, now you really can! This is an easy way to add a fun dimension to birthday and dinner parties, or just supper tonight! $7 materials fee is required, but that purchases all of your materials and you will leave with a completed edible arrangement. Class is limited to 12 participants. Introduction to Pilates Rebecca Adcock, Instructor Tuesday, May 14 12:30 - 1:30 p.m. This class is designed to be a beginner’s introduction to Pilates, a body conditioning routine that helps build flexibility, muscle strength, and endurance in the legs, abs, arms, hips, and back. If everyone enjoys the class, we will offer a 6-week version in the fall. This class requires a new physical release form to be completed. Knit Your Own Ruffle Scarf Shirley Keene and Patricia Jones, Instructors Tuesday, May 21 12:30 - 3:00 p.m. This technique is so simple, even a beginning knitter can do it! The secret is the type of yarn that is used - a ruffle yarn that is prepared in such a way that a simple knitting stitch will turn it into a scarf that turns heads and elicits compliments everywhere. There is no additional fee, but participants should bring a pair of #10 knitting needles and a skein of Starbella or Sashay yarn (Shirley will also have some available for purchase for $5). These yarns can be found at Walmart, A.C. Moore or Michael’s. Bring your own so you can have a scarf just your way! Spring Hiking Wayne Kirkpatrick, Coordinator Wednesdays 8:45 a.m Our most popular COA class is back with hikes that incorporate some new ideas this term! Our hikes are always fun and informative, and we’ll continue to make them enjoyable. This term’s hikes include a tour and urban hike in Martinsville, the Laurel Hill Trail, a driving tour of the famous Rock Churches, Moore’s Wall at Hanging Rock (hopefully without the deluge this time!), the Danville Riverwalk, and the 3rd leg of the Rock Castle Gorge Trail which we have never hiked. Each hiking group will meet at Walmart at 8:45, and an alternative meeting place will be provided as well. A full schedule and information will be provided upon registration. Please register for hikes individually. This class requires a new physical release form to be completed. Tai Chi for Beginners Sharon Mason, Instructor Thursdays, 9:00 - 10:30 a.m. This ancient art is designed to revitalize, circulate and balance the natural vital energy of body and mind through slow, careful, simple and gentle flowing movements of arms and body. Coordinated with breathwork and visualization, Tai Chi helps release stress and blocked energy through strengthening and toning the muscles responsible for coordination and control. This class is designed to leave you calm, centered, refreshed, and prepared to meet the challenges of your day. Suitable for those of any skill level. This class requires a new physical release form to be completed. Registrations and membership fees must be received by April 12. After that date, registration will be $60. Creative Non-Fiction: Stories from Your Life Beth Ford, Instructor Thursdays, 11:00-12:30 p.m. It is time to put your memories to paper – for posterity or simply to enjoy the remembrances of your life. Even if you have previously participated in one of Beth’s classes, this course will help the blossoming writer take the tales of his or her past and bring them alive! No writing experience is required, but a desire to experiment with writing styles and to share writings within the class is encouraged. A goal for this class will be for each student to finish up with a collection of at least a dozen memories that helped make one’s life unique. With the upcoming Reynolds Homestead Bicentennial in 2014, we will take one class and spend the time writing about poignant memories, funny experiences, or special moments the student has had at the Reynolds Homestead. If the students are willing, these stories will then be shared with folks outside the class in a special Bicentennial publication. Class size will be limited to 12 students and early registration is recommended. TED Talks: Lunch and Learn Julie Walters-Steele, Facilitator Thursdays, 12:45-1:30 p.m. TED Talks are video presentations that focus on big ideas with the potential to spread and inspire others – and even change the world! The videos generally run 13-20 minutes and then the group will discuss afterwards….it should be lots of fun and a great opportunity to share ideas with others. Based on a survey from last year’s COA participants, these are the topics that will be covered: 1. April 18: Could the Sun Be Good for Your Heart? Our bodies get Vitamin D from the sun, but as dermatologist Richard Weller suggests, sunlight may confer another surprising benefit too. New research by his team shows that nitric oxide, a chemical transmitter stored in huge reserves in the skin, can be released by UV light, to great benefit for blood pressure and the cardiovascular system. What does it mean? 2. April 25: Your Health Depends on Where You Live. Where you live: It impacts your health as much as diet and genes do, but it's not part of your medical records. At TEDMED, Bill Davenhall shows how overlooked government geo-data (from local heart-attack rates to toxic dumpsite info) can mesh with mobile GPS apps to keep doctors in the loop. Call it "geomedicine." 3. May 2: The World’s Killer Diet. Stop wringing your hands over AIDS, cancer and the avian flu. Cardiovascular disease kills more people than everything else combined -- and it’s mostly preventable. Dr. Dean Ornish explains how changing our eating habits will save lives. Dean Ornish is a clinical professor at UCSF and founder of the Preventive Medicine Research Institute. He's a leading expert on fighting illness -- particularly heart disease with dietary and lifestyle changes. 4. May 9: How to Live to Be 100+. To find the path to long life and health, Dan Buettner and team study the world's "Blue Zones," communities whose elders live with vim and vigor to record-setting age. In his talk, he shares the 9 common diet and lifestyle habits that keep them spry past age 100. National Geographic writer and explorer Dan Buettner studies the world's longest-lived peoples, distilling their secrets into a single plan for health and long life. 5. May 16: The Art of Choosing. Sheena Iyengar studies how we make choices -- and how we feel about the choices we make. At TEDGlobal, she talks about both trivial choices (Coke v. Pepsi) and profound ones, and shares her groundbreaking research that has uncovered some surprising attitudes about our decisions. 6. May 23: Your Elusive Creative Genius. The author of 'Eat, Pray, Love,' Elizabeth Gilbert muses on the impossible things we expect from artists and geniuses -- and shares the radical idea that, instead of the rare person "being" a genius, all of us "have" a genius. It's a funny, personal and surprisingly moving talk. Bring your own lunch or let Julie know (jws@vt.edu) by Monday each week and you may purchase a boxed lunch for $7. Power Foods for the Brain: An Effective 3-Step Plan to Protect Your Mind and Strengthen Your Memory Lisa Martin, Instructor Thursdays, 1:45 - 3:00 p.m. Everyone knows good nutrition supports your overall health, but few realize that certain power foods can protect your brain and optimize its function, and even dramatically reduce your risk of Alzheimer’s disease. Now, New York Times best-selling author, clinical researcher and health advocate Dr. Neal Barnard has gathered the most up-to-date research and created a ground-breaking program that can strengthen your memory and protect your brain’s health. Join Lisa as she leads the group through this book study and shares innovative food and recipes made from “power foods.” Books available for $12 (must be pre-ordered). Wilderness Survival Weekend Chad Lange, Instructor 9:00 a.m., Saturday, May 18 - 12:00 noon, Sunday, May 19 Test those survival skills you have learned in Chad’s survival classes. You’ll camp out on the grounds of the Reynolds Homestead in your own homemade shelters, feed yourselves from what you gather, and survive a night in the woods! This class is only open to those who have previously taken one of Chad’s survival classes. Special Fridays Mom’s Flower Garden Basket Kimberly Clayton, Instructor Friday, April 19, 9:00 a.m. to 1:00 p.m. This basket begins on a six-inch round slotted base and incorporates techniques such as chase weaving, smocking, shaping and finishing. The handle is a twist-wrap technique that you shape as you wrap. Insert a vase inside the basket to hold water for fresh-cut flowers! There is a $10.00 materials fee for the class. Bring a bag lunch. Simple Beaded Jewelry Pat Coleman, Instructor Friday, April 26, 10:00 a.m. - 1:00 p.m. Experienced jewelry teacher Pat Coleman will lead the class in making a simple beaded necklace, bracelet and earrings. Each student should bring the beads that you would like to use, all other materials are provided. There is a $5.00 fee for additional materials. Painting Party : “Spring Landscape” Karen Despot, Instructor Friday, May 3, 9:00 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. Karen’s unique instruction will lead you step-by-step through creating this beautiful 16” x 20” spring masterpiece that you will be proud to hang in your home or even give as a gift! Karen will provide all materials including an apron. Bring refreshments if you like, this class is designed to have fun as well as paint! There is a $10.00 materials fee for the class. Birds of Virginia: Lecture and Birding Walk Christine Boran and Alyce Quinn, Instructors Friday, May 10, 10:00 a.m. to 2:00 p.m. This course for the beginning bird watcher will help you identify local birds that you should be able to observe in southwestern Virginia. Christine and Alyce will first do a presentation with handouts talking about local birds, their habitats, and how to attract them to your yards, followed by a bag lunch and then a hike through the Homestead property to see how many birds can be seen and identified. Everyone should bring a pair of binoculars. For those who would like to purchase the Birds of Virginia Field Guide, those can be pre-ordered for $11.50. Living More Greenly Kristin Hylton, Instructor Friday, May 17, 9:00 a.m. to 12:00 p.m. This course is an introduction to making and using effective, inexpensive household cleaners. With a few key products, you can make a switch to a cleaning regimen that is friendly to the environment, your health and your wallet. We will explore easy recipes for replacing your commercial household products and discuss other ways to make simple changes in your daily routine that will have profound impacts on your carbon footprint. Beginning Macramé Laura Wyatt, Instructor Friday, May 24, 9:00 a.m. to 1:00 p.m. JEB Stuart Art Show winner Laura Wyatt will teach her award-winning technique in beginning macramé and help you complete a beginner-level project. Macramé is a form of textile-making that uses knots rather than weaving or knitting. There is a $5.00 materials fee for the class.