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Did You Know?
A solstice is an astronomical event that happens twice each year, when the tilt of the Earth's axis is most inclined toward or away from the sun. The name is derived from the Latin sol (sun) and sistere (to stand still), because at the solstices, the sun stands still in declination; that is, the apparent movement of the sun's path north or south comes to a stop before reversing direction.
Pagans called the Mid-summer moon the Honey Moon for the mead made with fermented honey that was used in nuptials held on the Summer Solstice.
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About the Author
Howard is a graduate of Georgetown University and holds a Certificate in Financial Planning. He has 13 years' experience in the financial services industry and specializes in helping people realize their goals through thoughtful and deliberate management of their financial resources. A lifelong Washingtonian, he currently lives on Capitol Hill with his wife Erica and their daughter Tali.
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Do you know the signs of a stroke?
The Center for Disease Control reports that early detection and treatment of a stroke is crucial.
What to be alert to:
· Sudden numbness or weakness of the face, arms, or legs
· Sudden confusion or trouble speaking or understanding others
· Sudden trouble seeing in one or both eyes
· Sudden trouble walking, dizziness, or loss of balance or coordination
· Sudden severe headache of unknown cause.
If you think someone is having a stroke, you should call 911 immediately. ____________________ |
Remembering
Jennifer Schoechle
Jennifer will be greatly missed by the many dozens of students who have held a brush, charcoal, or pencil in her classes. An instructor for the past 10 years, she will be remembered for her passion for painting and for her dedication to teaching the fine arts.
Insisting that her students' work receive public attention
Jennifer threw herself into organizing student art shows at local galleries with great zeal. Her advice on and support for construction of The Plum Center Gallery space was invaluable. Jennifer received her Masters of Fine Arts at George Washington University. She maintained a full-time focus on portraiture in addition to teaching numerous painting, pastels, and drawing classes.
"Peacock," oil by J. Schoechle
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Contact Us
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About the Author
Deborah Hammer
Deborah has served as a teacher, autism specialist, and administrator in public and private schools for the past 18 years and has conducted numerous workshops for school staff, parents, students, and the community. She has twice been the recipient of the Educational Leadership Award from the ARC of Northern Virginia. She is an adjunct professor at George Mason University for Autism Spectrum Disorders. Deborah also serves as co-chair of the Northern Virginia Transition Coalition.
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Instructors Make Good News
Dianne King has been teaching a host of popular cooking classes for some 20 years. When she isn't teaching, she's a television producer, cultural anthropologist, and editorial consultant. She's also a big advocate of community cookbooks - and yes, she offers a cookbook writing class, too. Read the Fairfax Times for a cool article on this dimension of her life.
Another instructor landed in the Express, a rag much in demand at Metro stations and high traffic sites. Shannon Mikush teaches Become a Washington DC Tour Guide when she's not leading spellbound tourists around the city. Add this fascinating article on your must-read list. ______________________
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A 'good' landing is one from which you can walk away. A 'great' landing is one after which they can use the plane again.
Learn from the mistakes of others. You won't live long enough to make all of them yourself.
Stay out of clouds. The silver lining everyone keeps talking about might be another airplane going in the opposite direction.
Reliable sources also report that mountains have been known to hide out in clouds.
Always try to keep the number of landings you make equal to the number of take offs you've made.
You start with a bag full of luck and an empty bag of experience. The trick is to fill the bag of experience before you empty the bag of luck.
Good judgment comes from experience. Unfortunately, the experience usually comes from bad judgment.
Remember, gravity is not just a good idea. It's the law. And it's a law that is not subject to repeal. ________________________ |
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Lizette is a mindfulness coach and hypnotherapist with an active practice in Northern Virginia. She offers clinical hypnosis, Neuro-Linguistic Programming, energy medicine, and movement therapy. Lizette is certified through International Association of Counselors and Therapists and the National Guild of Hypnotists. Active Meditation is her signature technique for living a healthy, happy and fulfilling life. For more information, view her
website www.bodyrules.com.
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Greetings!
We've just passed the summer solstice when days are at their longest and nights are their shortest - at least in the Northern Hemisphere. It depends on your particular vantage point. In Chile the Summer Solstice arrives in December.
In this issue we take a look at different vantage points - making retirement decisions, photographing places, and transforming emotional states - to enhance our experience.
Enjoy your vantage point this summer.
Your friends at ACE
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Decisions: Social Security Benefits
Which option makes more cents?
by Howard Pressman, ACE instructor
Thinking of filing for Social Security benefits before reaching full retirement age? Think it's a no-brainer? Well, not so fast - there are a few things to consider.
You're eligible to begin receiving your benefits as early as age 62 but the benefits will be permanently reduced. Someone born between 1943 and 1954 who takes benefits beginning at 62 will receive only 75% of their full benefit. Yes, you'll be receiving payments for a longer period of time, but there's a break-even age. For a person born in 1950 with $100,000 in pre-retirement income, that age is 79. If you think you'll live past 79, then delaying your benefits makes sense.
On the flip side, if you think you aren't likely to live that long, then taking benefits earlier is indeed better. Wait - what about your spouse? If you're the higher earner waiting longer makes sense. If you die first, your surviving spouse has the choice of taking the larger of either their own benefit or yours. So think about your spouse as well when considering taking Social Security early.
Howard teaches classes on financial strategies and Social Security planning and is a Certified Financial Planner® practitioner with Egan, Berger & Weiner, an independent financial planning firm in Vienna.
Securities and Investment Advisory Services offered through ING Financial Partners, Inc. Member SIPC. Egan, Berger & Weiner, LLC is not a subsidiary of nor controlled by ING Financial Partners, Inc.
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Perfect for a patio party
I love salads, all manner of salads. Just about any protein mixed with freshly washed and spun dry greens tastes great  this time of year. Salads can be anything we want them to be. I like adding fruits such as blueberries, strawberries, or raspberries to my salads along with toasted walnuts, pine nuts, or almonds. Then top everything off with grilled sliced chicken, steak or some spicy grilled shrimp. Add a cool iced drink - now that's good eats!
These recipes go well together for a great summer dinner.
Bangkok Chicken Salad
1 lb. boneless, skinless chicken breast halves
½ cup chopped fresh mint
¼ cup peeled and minced fresh ginger
3 large cloves garlic, minced
1 large jalapeno chili, minced
¼ cup soy sauce
3 tablespoons lime juice 3 tablespoons honey
3 teaspoons Asian sesame oil
1 head Napa cabbage
3 oz. dried rice noodles
2 cucumbers, peeled, halved, seeded, and sliced
2 cups shredded carrots
6 green onions, chopped
Rub the chicken breasts with oil, season with salt and pepper and grill just until the meat is cooked through to a temperature of 163-165 degrees. Remove from the grill and let cool, then shred the meat and set aside.
In a bowl, stir together the mint, ginger, garlic, chili, soy sauce, lime juice, honey, and sesame oil. Set aside. Remove
eight outer leaves from the cabbage and set aside. Cut out the core and then finely shred the remaining leaves; you should have about 4 cups. Set aside. Bring a large saucepan three-fourths full of water to a boil. Add the noodles and cook until tender, about 4 minutes. Drain, rinse under cold running water, drain again. Cut in 2-inch lengths.
In a large bowl combine all except the cabbage leaves, mix well, then let sit for 20 minutes to allow flavors to blend. Now line a large serving bowl with the 8 cabbage leaves. Mound the salad in the center. Serves 8 as a first course and 4 as a main course. Adapted from Williams-Sonoma's book, Fresh and Light.
Vanilla and Mint Iced Tea
5 cups water
1/3 cup firmly packed fresh mint leaves, plus 4 small springs to use as garnish
1/3 cup sugar
½ a vanilla bean split lengthwise
4 orange-spice tea bags
Ice cubes
In a saucepan over medium-high heat, combine the water, mint leaves, and sugar. Using the tip of a sharp knife, scrape the vanilla seeds from the bean halves into the pan, then toss in the bean as well. Bring to a boil, stirring to dissolve the sugar. Remove from heat, add the tea bags, cover, and let steep for 10 minutes. Strain through a fine-mesh sieve into a pitcher or jar, pressing firmly against the tea bags with the back of a spoon to extract as much flavor as possible. Return the vanilla bean to the tea. Cover and refrigerate until well chilled at least 4 hours. Serve over ice; garnish with mint. Makes 4 servings.
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Disability remains a mystery
by Deborah Hammer, ACE instructor
Autism is a pervasive developmental disability, meaning that children begin showing symptoms by age three which are related to their development, especially social interaction and communication. Autism is diagnosed more frequently in boys than girls.
Autism has a wide degree of severity. Some people need only minimal supports to learn, live, and work independently. Others may require help throughout many areas of daily life. Like all other humans, people with autism have various interests, talents, strengths, and weaknesses. Autism is only one aspect of who people are as individuals.
Some common characteristics of autism include:
Requiring sameness and routine
Being over or under sensitive with one or more senses
Repeating certain words or phrases over and over
Having a hard time making and keeping friends
Avoiding eye contact
Displaying repetitive behaviors and restricted interests
Many strategies can help those with autism learn social, communication, and coping skills. With support from family members, teachers, and members of the community, people with autism can enjoy a high quality of life.
Deborah teaches a class, Autism Spectrum Disorder and the Community.
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Caught in the Eye of the Lens
June-July 2010 photography exhibit
Vic Blandburg has only been teaching a year and already he's generated a following. A number of students opt to repeat his course to refine their technique and try new approaches, and will join Vic once a month - outside of class - to hang out together. So when he offered to organize an exhibit, students jumped at the chance to show off what they've wrought from the camera under his tutelage.
Vic attended the Art Institute of Pittsburgh to study photography. He moved into a career in television, netting one  Emmy award and three Emmy nominations. He has two photography coffee table books to his credit: Gods Beautiful Earth and Shadows. When he's not teaching photography classes and a beginner's videography course, he's busy freelancing. Visit his website VRB Photography to view his work.
Thirty photographs by Vic and his students are on display at The Plum Center Gallery until August 2010. Stop by during office hours for a peek, or come to the reception and meet Vic and his camera-happy students in person.
Vic Blandburg and Students' Photography Show
The Plum Center | 6815 Edsall Road | Springfield, Virginia
Reception: Saturday, July 17, 2-4 p.m.
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Nervous, Anxious, or Panicked?
A palliative better than a pill
by Lizette Ayala, ACE instructor
These intense, unpleasant sensations can cause great distress over time, not only emotionally but physically because frequent episodes of nervousness, anxiety, or panic drain the body of vital nutrients. They cause breathing problems, tight muscles, and the heart to be overworked. The opposite is true in states of serenity, focus, and mindfulness. The breath is calm, the heart pumps normally, and the body moves with greater ease. This allows maximum circulation of nutrients and oxygen to the brain which can then allow you to think clearly and address your priorities. Your mind and body cannot heal until the emotional associations that cause symptoms of anxiety have been shifted. An effective mindfulness-promoting practice, Active Meditation, can break these harmful response patterns and create a sense of serenity.
The use of imagery, a major part of Active Meditation, is the fastest, most effective way to dismantle frightening associations that can paralyze even the most confident person. The entire practice takes less than 10 minutes a day with positive effects that last a lifetime.
Lizette teaches Active Meditation for the Active Mind. |
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