march 2020 march 2020 the colors of devotion march ...liza minnelli (entertainer) – march 12, 1946...
TRANSCRIPT
The Trumpeter
The Colors of DevotionMarch 1 and 2 bring India’s most famous Hindu holiday, Holi, which is known as the “festival of love” or the “festival of color,” but it is really a festival that celebrates the victory of good over evil. Hindu scriptures tell of the arrogant
Demon King Hiranyakashyap, whose own son, Prahlad, refused to worship him in favor of Vishnu. The Demon King called on his sister Holika to sit with Prahlad atop a burning pyre. Thanks to Prahlad’s prayers to Vishnu, he survived, but Holika, who thought herself immune to the fire, was consumed. It is through this story we learn how the virtues of goodness, faith, and devotion are used to conquer forces of evil. This story is so important that before this holiday was called Holi, it was called Holika after the Demon King’s sister.
The first day of Holi sees the ritual burning of pyres, with celebrants daring to race through the flames, hoping to emerge as unscathed as Prahlad. The fire purifies the spirit, proving one’s devotion and reaffirmig the triumph of good over evil. But the story of Holi does not end here. The second day of the holiday is perhaps the most well-known. On this day, celebrants gather in massive crowds and throw colored powder at each other. This practice, too, has its roots in Hindu mythology.
The supreme deity Krishna fell in love with the goddess Radha but was concerned that they would be a poor match because his skin was blue. Krishna’s mother advised him to paint her face in order to erase their differences. Like Krishna, celebrants joyfully paint each other in a rainbow of colors, erasing any and all notions of caste or ethnicity. During this celebration, it becomes nearly impossible to recognize others, so all are loved equally. Furthermore, colored powders are often made of crushed medicinal herbs such as bilva, haldi, kumkum, and neem. Throwing these healing herbs is reminiscent of the healing nature of the holiday—the power of spring and the vigor, purity, youth, and playfulness of the spirit.
March Birthdays In astrology, those born between March 1–20 are Pisces. Friendly and selfless, Fish are always willing to help others with their hearts on their sleeves. Thanks to an intuitive understanding of life, Pisces make deep connections with other living beings. Aries’ Rams are born between March 21–31. As the first sign of the zodiac, Aries are energetic and assertive initiators. With bravery, zeal, and speed, they jump headfirst into life, confident that they can navigate any challenges. Desi Arnaz (actor) – March 2, 1917Knute Rockne (coach) – March 4, 1888 Lou Costello (comedian) – March 6, 1906 Yuri Gagarin (astronaut) – March 9, 1934 Liza Minnelli (entertainer) – March 12, 1946 Hank Ketcham (cartoonist) – March 14, 1920 Wyatt Earp (cowboy) – March 19, 1848 Fred Rogers (actor) – March 20, 1928 Marcel Marceau (mime) – March 22, 1923 Gutzon Borglum (sculptor) – March 25, 1867 Reba McEntire (musician) – March 28, 1955 Warren Beatty (actor) – March 30, 1937
Don’t Fear the Ides
It was William Shakespeare, via his play Julius Caesar, who warned that the Ides of March, on March 15, were cursed. Indeed, while Caesar was murdered by a group of political
conspirators on March 15, the Ides of any month are not particularly evil or ignominious. The words Ides, Kalends, and Nones are terms used to describe any month’s phases of the moon. Ides simply means the first full moon of the month, so in reality the Ides of March technically takes place this year on March 31. Likewise, the Kalends marks the month’s first new moon, which is on March 17, and the Nones is the moon’s first quarter, on March 24. Far from cursed, March’s Ides were particularly joyful because they also heralded the new year.
Asbury Towers Retirement Community
MARCH 2020
March 2020
Celebrating March
Birthdays
Residents 2 Freda Paris
9 Walter Wilson 9 Lloyd Cooper
19 Joanne Kissinger 19 Joanna Mills
31 Marilyn Clearwaters 31 Richard Cline
Staff 1 Darby King
2 Morgan Trivett 3 Carla Wilson 9 Kelci Rogers 10 Ruth Cox
10 James Wilson 11 Malaressa Patton
14 Donna Walls 16 Michelle Linton 21 Cristina Resnick 22 Katie Robinson 24 Kathy Morlan
26 Cody Long 28 Beverly Layne
ASBURY TOWERS STAFF Executive Director Rod Jackson, ED
Medical Director Dr. John Savage
Director of Nursing
Bobbi Jo Evans [email protected]
Business Office Debbie White
Chaplain Jim Staggers
Community Relations Vicki Jones Rice
Dining Services Anita Onken, RD
Environmental Services Candy Price
Human Resources Kris Beck
Life Enrichment Julie Dozier, QMCP
MDS Cecilia Tincher, RN, MDS
Maintenance Supervisor Jake Hodges
Social Services Gwen Tucker, MLD
WELCOME NEW RESIDENTS
Norma Allan Paul Ford Iola Miller
Sarah Huggler Larry Miller David Cox
WELCOME NEW STAFF
Ashley Dickerson-Housekeeping Carrie Callahan-Housekeeping
Please if you see any of these residents or staff,
stop and make them feel welcome!
Daylight Saving Time Begins on Sunday, March 8, 2020
Remember to set your clocks an Hour ahead before you go to bed
Saturday night!
Puzzled
Well, I stayed up all night Tryin’ to think what to write Don’t want to write an ode
‘Cause my brain’s on overload Can’t write about trees and flowers ‘Cause that would take me hours!
Can’t write about girls & boys ‘Cause I don’t have the talent or poise
I’m starting to feel sorta blue ‘Cause I can’t think of anything new
Can’t write something stunning ‘Cause I’m just not that cunning
Guess I’m just not a poet And after this you’ll all know it!
Now I think it’s high time I gave up on this rhyme So I’ll just say good-bye
With a tear in my eye ‘Cause try as I might
I can’t think what to write!
God Bless Everyone!
~Sharon Sheridan
“The air is like a butterfly With frail blue wings.
The happy earth looks at the sky And sings.”
~ Joyce Kilmer
Egg-ceptional Spring Traditions With the arrival of spring on March 19 comes all the holidays and traditions associated with the end of winter: religious traditions like Passover and Easter, and Nowruz, the Persian New Year. All of these celebrations share an important symbol: the egg.
For millennia, the egg has been an exalted symbol of birth, rebirth, and hope. Ancient Egyptians told stories of the sun god hatching from an egg. Sometimes the sun was considered an egg, laid each day by Seb, a cosmic goose and god of the earth. In Hinduism, the egg represents the makeup of the universe. The shell is the heavens, the white is the air, and the yolk is the earth. In the Persian story of creation, Good and Evil are locked in an epic battle. When Evil is hurled into an abyss, Good lays an egg, which represents the universe, with Earth suspended from the heavens as a halfway point between Good above and Evil below. Eggs have always been a symbol of the beginnings of the universe and life itself. No wonder that after the long dark of winter, with the return of the sun, eggs are revered as harbingers of life.
When Jews sit together for the Passover seder on March 30, an egg will adorn the seder plate as a symbol of the ritual offering to the Temple in Jerusalem. Furthermore, the egg symbolizes—you guessed it—life itself. For Christians, Easter is a holiday celebrating the resurrection of Jesus Christ, so using an egg as a symbol of rebirth was a natural choice. The traditional color to dye Easter eggs is red, symbolizing the blood Jesus shed on the cross. In Macedonia, congregants bring their red eggs to Easter church services, and when the priest proclaims, “Christ is risen,” it is customary to eat the egg as a ritual breaking of the Lenten fast. Elsewhere, in Iran, Persians prepare for their new year, Nowruz, by preparing their ceremonial table, the haftseen, with symbolic foods and objects, including painted eggs representing fertility. All over the world, people will be looking at eggs in a different light
March Food Committee will meet on March 9th at 10:30 a.m. in the Founder’s Lounge. 2020 Resident Council Members are: President: Vice-President: Linda Collier Secretary: Jeanne Shillings Resident to the Board: John Baughman Everyone from the Village and Asbury Towers are always welcome to attend.
WEEKLY EVENTS Church Service every Sunday at 1:00 pm in the Lobby
Movies every Monday at 1:00 pm in the Lobby Cards every Wednesday at
1:30 pm in the Main Dining Room Manicures/Music every Wednesday at
3:00 pm in the South Dining Rm Vespers are on every Thursday at
6:30 pm in the Lobby Bingo every Saturday at 1:30 pm
in the Main Dining Room
Special Events of the Month
2nd Coatesville Choir in Lobby at 6:30 pm 3rd Out N About in Town leaving lobby at 1pm 5th Greg Anderson in lobby at 1pm 5th Western Social in Main at 2pm 6th Walmart Shopping leaving lobby at 1pm 7th Johnathon on Piano in Lobby at 2:45 pm 10th Bite of Town to Inn at DePauw leaving at 11:00 am 10th White Elephant Bingo in Main at 6:30 pm 11th Mike VanRensselaer in Lobby at 1:30 pm 11th March Birthday in Main at 2:30 pm 12th Dollar General Trip leaving lobby at 1pm13th Doug DeBaun in Lobby at 1pm 13th Friday the 13th Social in Main at 2pm 14th Chuck Reeves in Lobby at 2:45 pm 17th St Patty’s Day Social in Main at 2pm 19th Tom Wright in Lobby at 1pm 19th Spring Social in Main at 2pm 20th Chicago Group in Lobby at 4pm 24th March Bingo in Main at 6:30 pm 25th Out to Lunch to Mayberry Café in Danville 26th Dollar General Trip leaving lobby at 1pm 27th Country Side Drive leaving lobby at 1pm 31st Out N About Town leaving lobby at 1pm
Look for more activities on your calendar and on TV channel 2 for additional activities throughout the month of March.
Look at the sparrows; they do not know what they will do in the next moment. Let us literally live from moment to moment.
– Mahatma Gandhi
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Join us on March 10th at 6:30 in the Main Dining Room for a White Elephant Bingo
Game. Please bring a wrapped gift with you.
Join us on March 24th at 6:30 p.m. in the Main Dining Room for our monthly bingo
On March 25th we will have a lunch outing to Mayberry Café in Danville. We will leave the lobby at 10:30 a.m. Anyone who would like to go please, sign up on the sheet on the bulletin board. See Sandy or Julie with any
questions
A grandfather was walking through his yard when he heard his granddaughter repeating the alphabet in a tone of voice that sounded like a prayer. He asked her what she was
doing. The little girl explained: “I’m praying, but can’t think of exactly the right words, so
I’m just saying all the letters, and God will put them together for me because He knows what
I’m thinking!”
Wear Green to celebrate
St. Patrick’s Day on March 17th at 2:00 pm
In the Main Dining Room
March Performers
March 5th, we will have Greg Anderson in the Lobby at 1:00 pm entertaining us with his musical skills at the piano. March 11th, we will have Mike VanRensselaer in the Lobby at 1:30 pm. He performs with guitar, banjo and sings folk style songs. March 13th, we will have Doug DeBaun performing in the lobby at 1:00 pm with classical country songs on his guitar. March 19th, we will have Tom Wright in the lobby at 1:00 pm crooning the oldies! Come and enjoy! If you have any questions, please call Julie at Extension 117.
The birthstone for March is the aquamarine. Its color is
pale to medium blue, sometimes with a slight hint of green. Blue aquamarines are the rarest and most
valuable. The green stones are sometimes changed to blue by heating them in an electric furnace to 842°F
(450°C). Most aquamarines are found in Brazil. They are also found in Siberia, 2 Myanmar (also known as Burma), and parts of the U.S. The aquamarine gets its name from
the Latin term aqua marina, meaning “sea water.” The stone was associated with the god of the sea in Roman
mythology. Aquamarines were frequently placed in tombs of ancient Egyptian mummies to bribe the gods and
guarantee safe passage to the afterlife. In addition, King Solomon is said to have worn aquamarine in his
breastplate as one of the 12 holy gemstones.
Julie at Extension
al
Who Was St. Patrick Anyway? St. Patrick was a British bishop
who was the first to bring Christianity to Ireland. He lived in
Ireland for nearly 30 years, preaching the religious values of Christianity. It is said he used a
shamrock, the three-leafed clover, to explain the Holy Trinity to the
Irish people. To this day, St. Patrick is highly revered in the
Irish church.
10 Signs you’re doing well in life
1. You have a roof over her head 2. You ate today 3. You have a good heart 4. You wish good for others 5. You have clean water 6. Someone cares for you 7. You strive to be better 8. You have clean clothes 9. You have a dream 10. You’re breathing
Be thankful for the little things, for they are the most important.
Awaiting a Return to Capistrano
On March 19, the residents of San Juan, California, look forward to the return of special visitors to the old Spanish mission: cliff swallows. The return of the
cliff swallows to the San Juan Capistrano Mission is legendary. Hundreds of years ago, local shopkeepers drove away the swallows, which built mud nests on shops and homes. The displaced birds built new nests in the eaves of the old stone church, named for the warrior- priest Giovanni de Capistrano. Every year since the 1930s, the community has heralded the return of the swallows to Capistrano with great fanfare.
In recent years, though, the swallows have returned in decreasing numbers. Some people blame urbanization. For a century or more, the mission was the largest building in San Juan, a perfect target for the nesting swallows. As the population increased, more buildings were built, and swallows began to find alternate nesting sites. Things were complicated further in the 1990s when preservations performed a restoration of the church, the oldest continually used structure in California, and removed the mud nests. Cliff swallows are known to be attracted to places with old nests. The restoration, while architecturally important, discouraged the birds. That’s when the mission sought the help of a professional.
Dr. Charles R. Brown, professor of Biological Sciences at the University of Tulsa and cliff swallow expert, was charged with the task of luring the birds back to the mission. He has employed everything from broadcasting cliff swallow song to building an artificial wall of swallow nests out of plaster. The good news is that the birds have again been spotted in the area of the mission, even though they have not been nesting on the church. Yet every year on March 19, St. Joseph’s Day, the swallows are welcomed with the ringing of the mission bell, flamenco dances, food, and fanfare. Even if the cliff swallows aren’t ready to return to Capistrano, the locals are ready for them.
Making History, I Presume
David Livingstone may have been a Scottish missionary and physician, but he is most famous for his explorations of Africa during the 19th century. Livingstone was one of the first Europeans to see the Zambezi River and Victoria Falls, cross the continent from west to east, as well as witness the harsh realities of the slave trade, which made him a staunch abolitionist. Livingstone’s travels made him an international celebrity, and when he disappeared in 1866 on a search for the source of the Nile River, many feared him dead. American journalist Henry Stanley mounted an expediton to find him and departed the island of Zanzibar off Africa’s eastern coast on March 21, 1871. Eight months later, Stanley arrived in the village of Ujiji on the shore of Lake Tanganyika. It was there that Stanley saw a bearded white man and said, “Dr. Livingstone, I presume?” Stanley’s presumptuous words became as famous as the old explorer himself. A Slice of Pi
When one measures a circular object, it always turns out that its circumference, or the length around, is a little more than three times its width across—3.1415926 to be exact. This number,
known as pi, actually goes on forever. Scientists have calculated its value to more than one trillion digits past its decimal. But for the purposes of celebration, Pi Day is held on March 14, or 3/14, each year. The first Pi Day was organized in 1988 by physicist Larry Shaw, who worked at the San Francisco Exploratorium. The original celebration consisted of Exploratorium staff walking around in a circle and eating pies. Celebrations have evolved since then, including competitions to see who can recite the most digits of pi and Albert Einstein look-alike contests, thanks to that famous scientist’s birthday also falling on March 14. It’s a mathematical holiday Einstein likely would have been pleased to be a part of.
St. Paddy’s Pastimes Debunked
They say that everyone is a little bit Irish on St. Patrick’s Day, and the world will be draped in green on March 17, when St. Patrick’s Day celebrations take place across the globe in honor of the patron saint of Ireland. But if you really want to celebrate the right way, be sure to take a look at these facts behind St. Patrick.
St. Patrick may be one of Ireland’s patron saints (along with St. Brigid and St. Columcille), but he was not Irish. Evidence suggests that he was, in fact, British. By some accounts, he was born with the name Maewyn Succat in either Scotland or Wales. Yet it is important to realize that even though St. Patrick may have been born in Britain in the year 390, at the time of his birth, Britain was occupied by the Romans. Thus, it is very likely that Patrick’s family was from Roman aristocracy. Indeed, Ireland’s precious St. Patrick may well have been Italian.
But don’t trade in Irish green for Italy’s tricolor green, white, and red just yet. The true color of Ireland might be blue. King Henry VIII flew a blue flag over Ireland during the 16th century. Knights of the Most Illustrious Order of Saint Patrick, a society of Irish knights founded by King George III in 1783, wore a light blue color known as St. Patrick’s blue. The Irish president flies a blue flag with a harp. So when did green become the color of Ireland? During the Great Irish Rebellion of 1641, Irishmen flew a green flag against King James. Green became the color of Irish nationalism and independence during the Irish Rebellion of 1798, a notion promulgated in the ballad “The Wearing of the Green.”
So whether you’re marching in Dublin, raising a pint of Guinness in New York, Irish dancing in Sydney, or eating corned beef and cabbage in Montreal, just remember that none of these pastimes come from the original St. Patrick’s Day. The Roman Catholic feast day was traditionally spent in quiet prayer, a far cry from the raucous celebrations of today.
The Boston Massacre
It was a cold, snowy night in Boston on March 5, 1770. Despite the weather, American colonists (calling themselves patriots) gathered outside Boston’s Customs House to taunt the British troops who had been stationed in the city to enforce newly decreed taxation measures. When the redcoats affixed bayonets to their rifles, the Americans responded by throwing snowballs and rocks. Moments later, shots were fired. Five Americans were the first fatalties of the American Revolutionary War in what would become known as the Boston Massacre. What is often forgotten in this episode of American Independence is how avowed patriot and future president John Adams, a lawyer, defended the British soldiers who were subsequently put on trial. Two of the eight were convicted of manslaughter, but for many Americans, justice was far from done. Paul Revere, famed for his midnight ride, turned the Boston Massacre into a provocative engraving, creating an effective piece of propaganda that helped turn Americans against the British. A Doll’s Life
March 3 is a special day in Japan. Hinamatsuri, known as both Doll’s Day and Girls’ Day, is a day to celebrate girls and pray for their health and happiness. The most interesting part of Hinamatsuri is the
elaborate dolls displayed on red-carpeted, stepped platforms. Families either buy a set of dolls when their first daughter is born or receive a set handed down from generation to generation. Sets include a male and female dressed in Imperial attire, representing the emperor and empress, accompanied by three court ladies, five musicians, and other court attendants. The dolls are arranged in order of importance from the top step down and displays are placed in the home for all to see. This tradition has roots in an ancient belief that dolls could attract and contain bad spirits. It was once common practice for the dolls, and any ill fortune, to be tossed into rivers and streams and washed away for good.
March 2020