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TINSELTOWN TALKS: JUDITH O’DEA | RECIPE WONDERS: HARVEST PIES

FALL 2020

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Harvest Love Bake up some delicious autumn memories

INSIDE

VETERANS HISTORY PROJECT Preserving Veterans Voices

A SACRED CALLING End-of-Life Doulas

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O A K H A M M O C K AT T H E U N I V E R S I T Y O F F L O R I D A ® If you’re ready to revisit some of the best times of your life, there’s no better place than Oak Hammock at the University of Florida.

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Schedule a tour to take a closer look at our community by calling 352.548.1024 or visiting www.OakHammock.org.

Where Living, Learning and Nature Meet.

5100 S.W. 25th Blvd. | Gainesville, FL 32608 | 352.548.1024 | www.OakHammock.org A Not-For-Profit Community Affiliated with the University of Florida. The University of Florida is not responsible for the financial or contractual obligations of Oak Hammock at 88174 PRAD STM 032019 the University of Florida, Inc. Copyright © 2019 Oak Hammock at the University of Florida®. All rights reserved.

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Text ER to 32222 for average ER wait times.

Message and data rates may apply.

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CONTENTS FALL 2020 • VOL. 21 ISSUE 02

44

Tapas C lassifieds

Photography by Ericka Winterrowd

columns

departments 6

ON THE COVER – Apples and pumpkins and pies, oh my! Celebrate autumn by baking up some delicious memories. Enjoy three recipes that will leave you craving just one more slice.

Happy fall, y’all!

21 Crossword Puzzle

12 Farm Tales from Mother Hen

35 Tinseltown Talks

by Nick Thomas

40 Embracing Life

features 8 The Veterans History Project Preserving Vet Voices

BY JOANNA GREY TALBOT

16 Recipe Wonders Harvest Pies

BY CYNTHIA WINTERROWD

22 A Second Calling End-of-Life Doulas

BY MARLOWE STARLING

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26 Sewn With Love COVID-19 Face Masks

BY MARLOWE STARLING

by Donna Bonnell

7 Reading Corner Review by Terri Schlichenmeyer

30 Harvest Traditions Crops & Communities

BY ADDISON PEZOLDT

36 Sunshine Go Away Pandemic Story Project

BY DARLA KINNEY SCOLES

WINNER!

Congratulations to the winner from our SPRING 2020 issue…

Joseph Miller from Gainesville, Florida

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STAFF œ CONTRIBUTORS

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Published monthly by Tower Publications, Inc.

www.seniortimesmagazine.com PUBLISHER

Charlie Delatorre charlie@towerpublications.com PRODUCTION DIRECTOR

Brian Knepp brian@towerpublications.com EDITOR-IN-CHIEF

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Ericka Winterrowd editor@towerpublications.com Fax: 352-416-0175 EDITORIAL INTERN

Dana Bryan ADVERTISING SALES

Visit seniortimesmagazine.com or call: 352-372-5468

JOANNA GREY TALBOT is the marketing director for the Matheson History Museum and the author of the blog “Florida Revealed: Dispatches from the Land of Publix, Citrus, and Alligators.” joannagtalbot@gmail.com

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CYNTHIA WONDERS WINTERROWD is an award-winning writer who was raised in Illinois and lives in Gainesville. She is proud to be a “Gator Mom” of three daughters, all UF graduates. Cynthia loves sharing family recipes that have been passed down in her mother’s handwritten cookbooks. recipewonders@gmail.com

MARLOWE STARLING is a journalism major at UF minoring in wildlife ecology and conservation. She loves reading, learning about world cultures, speaking French and finding ways to travel. marlowe.starling@ufl.edu

For more advertising information including rates, coverage area, distribution and more – call or visit our website at: www.seniortimesmagazine.com MAILING ADDRESS

4400 NW 36th Avenue Gainesville, FL 32606 352-372-5468 352-373-9178 fax The articles printed in Senior Times Magazine do not necessarily reflect the opinions of Tower Publications, Inc. or their editorial staff. Senior Times Magazine endeavors to accept reliable advertising; however, we can not be held responsible by the public for advertising claims.

Senior Times Magazine reserves the right to refuse or discontinue any advertisement. If you would like to discontinue receiving Senior Times Magazine please call 352-372-5468 for assistance. © 2020 Tower Publications, Inc. All rights reserved.

ADDISON PEZOLDT

S EN D CA L EN DA R S U BMISSIONS TO:

is a journalism major at the University of Florida. In her free time, she enjoys reading, practicing yoga and exploring new eateries in Gainesville. akpezoldt@gmail.com

4400 NW 36th Ave., Gainesville, FL 32606 or events@towerpublications.com

DARLA KINNEY SCOLES fell in love with the process of putting a story into print during a high school journalism class. Oodles of years, one husband, three daughters and multitudinous stories later, she’s still in love with it all. That, and dark chocolate. darlakinneyscoles@gmail.com

Submissions will be published based on space available in the magazine. Recurring events must be free & open to the public. Paid events must be open to the public. Unique events that occur regularly such as classes, seminars and networking events will be published at our discretion. Religious organizations may post events only if the event promotes the arts, or is a fundraiser where 100% of the proceeds go to another, non-religious, non-profit organization. Events that are political in nature may not be approved.

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CANCER AWARENESS

TAPAS œ Fall 2020

October is known by many as Breast Cancer Awareness Month, but almost every month is designated as the awareness of multiple forms of cancer.

November is Lung, Carcinoid, Pancreatic, and Stomach Cancer Awareness Month, as well as National Family Caregiver Month.

TURKEY TIME

September is National Potato Month!

George Lerner invented and patented Mr. Potato Head in 1952, according to burlingamepezmuseum.com. The toy was based on an earlier toy called “make a face.” In 1953, he was paired with Mrs. Potato Head.

Lerner’s toy originally used actual fruits and vegetables, but in 1964 Hasbro produced a plastic potato with each kit. With that change, the

prongs on the face pieces became less sharp because there was no need to puncture food. Then, in 1987, Mr. Potato Head gave up his pipe and became the official ‘spokespud’ for the American Cancer Society’s Great American Smokeout. Mr. Potato Head was the very first toy to be advertised on network television.

“SEPTEMBER” is in more film titles than any other month.

Some September songs & movies: “September Morn” – Neil Diamond “Wake me up when September ends” – Green Day “September” – Earth, Wind & Fire “September Dawn” (2007) “Come September” (1961) “The Last September” (1999)

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It seems as soon as November hits everyone has his or her sights set on the delicious turkey that will come at the end of the month. According to CNN.com, 91% of Americans eat turkey on Thanksgiving, there are four towns named Turkey in the U.S., and the largest turkey ever weighed was 86 pounds.

To top it all off, Benjamin Franklin wrote in a letter to his daughter that he thought the turkey should be our national bird instead of the bald eagle because it was a “much more respectable bird.” We Americans truly do love our turkey.

VETERANS DAY AND RAYMOND WEEKS

The first official celebration on Nov. 11 with the name Veterans Day took place in Birmingham, Alabama in 1947, according to va.gov. Before this date, Veterans Day was known as Armistice Day and was held to honor World War I veterans, until Raymond Weeks (a World War II veteran) came up with the idea to expand the holiday’s reach and honor all veterans.

Armistice Day officially changed its name to Veterans Day in 1954.

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BOOK REVIEW BY

TERRI SCHLICHENMEYER

White Hot Light: TwentyFive Years in Emergency Medicine

BY FRANK HUYLER c.2020, Harper Perennial $16.99 / $21.00 Canada / 272 pages

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ou don’t want to talk about it.

Sensitive topic, that’s it. Brings up memories you don’t care to examine, things you aren’t willing to confront in your mind. No, what’s done is done, there’s no going back, and you don’t want to talk about it. At least not until, as in the new book “White Hot Light” by Frank Huyler, you do...

After more than two decades working in emergency medicine, you might think a doctor has seen it all. Done it all,

maybe, but Frank Huyler still seems to be surprised at what the human body can endure or accommodate, and still support life.

He sometimes seems surprised at himself.

After that long in the ER, a doctor is seasoned. He makes fewer young-doctor mistakes, but the curiosity he once had still exists. He knows that the new crop of residents and interns are too young to have seen diseases that devastated populations a couple generations ago. He has confidence in his own reflexive actions when the job demands it, but even in the comfortable center of his career, he’ll never stop second-guessing or what-iffing.

Could he have saved the beautiful boy with skin marred by a small blue hole on the right side of his belly? The boy’s tender age reminded Huyler of his own son, bringing back memories of the night his boy was born.

Or what about the son who’d been injured in war, and the father whose name Huyler never learned?

Was there any way to help the immigrant woman who couldn’t keep appointments, or the one who came in with cancer so advanced that he could see her bones? Or the thousand people brought back from overdoses – could they be saved? Or the suicidal, or those whose stories are learned from police or EMTs – or those whose stories he’d never learn? There were so many heart

attacks he’s seen, so many last breaths, so many survivors left to mourn, which is where his experience steps in.

Experience puts a callus on a doctor’s pain. But it should never numb his reverence for life.

“White Hot Light” is not a pretty read. Not at all, but it’s a beautiful one.

If that sounds like a bit of a riddle to you, here: the stories that author Frank Huyler tells are gnashingly ragged, but the language he uses to tell them is breathtaking, in a soft-grass-and-rollinghills sort of way. Devastating anecdotes, gorgeous prose.

Don’t let that scare you off, though, because this isn’t just a book on illness and death. Huyler also extends deep appreciation for colleagues here, and that’s tinged with frequent awe. He’s well-traveled and grew up overseas, so

we peek through a window at places and practices we’ll likely never know. We see frailty that’s strangely comforting.

Indeed, this is a hard read, but you’ll be spellbound – especially if you’ve ever consulted an MD, or think you might some day. For practicing or retired doctors, nurses, or medical support staff, “White Hot Light” is a must-read you’ll want to talk about. s Terri Schlichenmeyer has been reading since she was 3 years old and she never goes anywhere without a book. She lives with her two dogs and 11,000 books.

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VET VOICE

The Veterans History Project Preserving the Voices of Our Veterans

Written by Joanna Grey Talbot

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veryone has a story to tell. Everyone has a history.

It’s important for each of us to share who we are and what we have experienced and witnessed. Very few of us will have a documentary made of our life but that doesn’t mean we can’t contribute to the greater understanding of our collective history.

One way that a person’s life experiences can be remembered is by giving an oral history interview. The Oral History Association defines oral history as “a field of study and a method of gathering, preserving and interpreting the voices and memories of people, communities and participants in past events. Oral history is both the oldest type of historical inquiry, predating the written word, and one of the most modern, initiated with tape recorders in the 1940s and now using 21st-century digital technologies.” One of the simplest ways to define it is through the BBC’s History Hour podcast tagline – “History told by those who were there.”

One of the country’s top oral history programs is based right here in Gainesville. The University of Florida is home to the award-winning Samuel Proctor Oral History Program (SPOHP). It was founded in 1967 by Dr. Samuel Proctor, who taught at the University of Florida for 50 years and became one of the top scholars of Florida history among many other achievements. He passed away in 2005. As the late Dr. David

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Colburn once said about Dr. Proctor, “No one has done more to advance the history of the state and the University of Florida.”

The Samuel Proctor Oral History Program has conducted over 8,000 interviews and works to “gather, preserve, and promote living histories of individuals from all walks of life.”

Under the umbrella of SPOHP are multiple ongoing projects, including the Veterans History Program.

The Veterans History Project (VHP) was founded in 2000 in partnership with the American Folklife Center at the Li-

“History told by those who were there.” brary of Congress. SPOHP was approached by the Library of Congress to collect oral histories from World War II veterans to add to the national Veterans History Project database. According to the American Folklife Center’s website, any veteran “who served in the U.S. military, in any capacity, from WWI to the present, regardless of branch or rank, and are no longer serving are eligible” to have their oral history interview added to the database. seniortimesmagazine.com

The Veterans History Project (VHP) was founded in 2000 in partnership with the American Folklife Center at the Library of Congress. SPOHP was approached by the Library of Congress to collect oral histories from World War II veterans to add to the national Veterans History Project database. Pictured here is Henry and Clair Patterson (WWII).

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The Veteran History Project’s research topics include a range of military conflicts, including oral histories of veterans from World War II, the Korean War, the Vietnam War, military operations in Central America, the Gulf War, Iraq and Afghanistan conflicts, and more.

SPOHP’s Veteran History Project has grown beyond World War II veterans to now include veterans of the Korean War, Vietnam War, military operations in Central America, the Gulf War, Iraq, Afghanistan and more.

VHP is staffed almost completely by volunteers, including its passionate coordinator Ann Smith. Smith is a former nurse and Director of Nursing Service at North Florida Regional Medical Center. After she retired in 1995, she began looking for something meaningful to become involved with. In 1998 she began as a transcription volunteer for the Samuel Proctor Oral History Program and after years of service she was asked

by Director Dr. Paul Ortiz to coordinate the Veterans History Program.

Smith said that what kept her coming back as a volunteer was that “the story of anything told by the person who lived it is extremely gripping. I began by being entranced by the stories of the Seminoles in South Florida. It is hard to argue with the person who can describe a scene as a firsthand observer.

Putting together 100 first person stories of the same time and place is memorable—nothing like the two-page account in my high school textbook.”

To date Smith has personally conducted over 100 interviews for the Veterans History Project, Alachua County history and early history of UF’s College of Nursing. About 13 volunteers assist her with the project but none are more passionate than her to ensure that history, as seen through the

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eyes of our veterans, is collected and preserved.

Every interview is special to her, but one of the most memorable was with World War II veteran, Purple Heart recipient and community leader Robert Gasche. Gasche passed away in 2019, but his legacy is living on through the organizations he founded and supported. He chartered the Milton Lewis Young Marines unit, was a member of the Iwo Trio with Clif Cormier and Clair Chaffin and the Marine Corps League, and also served on the City of Gainesville Beautification Board.

Smith conducted the interview with Gasche in the kitchen of the 1867 Matheson House in Gainesville.

“I will always remember his story of landing on Iwo Jima as a young Marine. He described, in a very matter-of-fact voice, that they had trained in Hawaii for their anticipated landing.

This was on a hard, sandy beach. When they were ordered to climb down the rope ladders of the ship with their 60-pound pack on their backs, they hoped to land in the landing craft with the high waves moving ships and landing craft. He told of the mutilated Marines in the water and on the beach. As he stepped foot on the beach, he sank into what was the volcanic ash from Mount Suribachi on the island of Iwo Jima,” she said.

“He described it as quicksand sucking you into the volcanic ash. Of course, this eliminated the possibility of digging a foxhole for safety from the fire coming from the Japanese who were dug in the mountain above the beach. This was the time and place of the famous depiction of the raising of the Amerseniortimesmagazine.com

The broad scope of the Veteran’s History Project collection is owed to the determined work of its volunteers, led by coordinator Ann Smith and the entire team of dedicated community members who generously donate their time and energy.

ican flag [on Mount Suribachi]. Bob described how he had witnessed this, even though it was not his outfit that raised the flag.”

Every veteran who tells their story, especially in an oral history interview, is directly impacting our understanding of history. Academics, researchers and those simply interested in history can easily access the transcription and audio of each interview done by the Veterans History Project by visiting UF’s George A. Smathers Library and the American Folklife Center’s online database. After an interview is completed by a Veterans History Project volunteer it is transcribed and reviewed.

The final product is sent to Smathers Library for digitization and a copy is also sent to the veteran. The audio is shared with the American Folklife Center’s Veterans History Project to be added to their website: www.loc.gov/vets.

SPOHP also hosts public programs throughout the year to further the dialogue. Director Paul Ortiz believes these programs are important because they “are designed to promote the rich histories we’ve gathered and demonstrate SPOHP’s commitment to keeping history alive and promoting dialogue between generations of elders and youth alike.” s

If you are a veteran that is interested in giving an oral history interview or you would like information about volunteering, please contact the Samuel Proctor Oral History Program at (352) 392-7168.

SPOHP is an award-winning, social-justice research center engaged in experiential learning initiatives all over the world. Their team of student researchers, interns, volunteers, and staff are dedicated to gathering, preserving, and promoting living histories of individuals from all walks of life.

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MOTHER HEN IS PROUD TO BE A “BABY BOOMER” RAISED ON A FARM POPULATED BY DOGS, CATS, CHICKENS, DUCKS, GEESE, HORSES AND COWS. THE WISDOM SHE GAINED WHILE GROWING UP IN THE COUNTRY CAN’T BE FOUND IN BOOKS. YOU CAN CONTACT MOTHER HEN AT motherhenfarmtales@gmail.com.

Grandmas and Grandbabies

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ith the arrival of fall my thoughts always turn to memories of family get-togethers that celebrate the season. First comes Halloween with the cute little trick or treaters dressed up in their adorable princess or scary monster costumes. Next comes Thanksgiving, the traditional holiday meal shared with family and loved ones. When I remember those special times, I always think of the precious moments with my grandmother. It also brings to mind the holidays spent with my mother and remembering what a wonderful grandmother she was to my young daughters.

My father’s mother lived just down the country road from us when I was born. Following my birth, my mother spent the first week after leaving the hospital at grandma’s house while she regained her strength. I’m sure there was a lot of bonding going on during that first week of my life. My Grandma Bessie loved all of her grandbabies so much, and from this early bonding I felt very safe and cozy whenever I was with her. As I grew older, we had many quiet times together—me, on her lap as a little girl while she taught me how to chain stitch with a crochet hook, or sitting together at the kitchen table playing a game of “Fish.”

My mother’s mother was ill most of her adult life and unfortunately lived an

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hour away in a sanatorium. We didn’t get to spend a lot of time together, but when we did it made lasting memories for me. In the summer we would have

picnics on the hospital grounds, and I remember her holding me on her lap while gently fingering my long, braided hair. She told me I was beautiful, and I never doubted that in her eyes, I was.

My mother lived in the country, a farmer’s wife. We spent carefree summers in her home while my chicks were growing up. She always shared her love of nature with the girls, instructing them how to plant seeds and grow a

garden. She introduced them to beautiful creatures such as the hummingbirds, butterflies, bunnies and deer that frequented the woods outside her front door. Every trip to grandma’s house also involved baking cookies from scratch or rolling out pie dough with a rolling pin.

For the occasion they were each given a hand-sewn and hand-embroidered apron that grandma made especially for them.

I am now blessed to be a grandmother, too. I have two beautiful, smart, and witty granddaughters (in my humble opinion) who live in South Florida, which is about a four-hour drive away.

Thanks to COVID-19 I haven’t seen them since last May. Normally I would have had numerous trips to see my sweet baby girls by now, and felt their little arms around my neck and their butterfly kisses on my cheek. However, I’m beginning to think I won’t be seeing them until at least the beginning of 2021. What a sad and lonely holiday season it will be for many grandparents this year. It is one of the heartbreaking results of this pandemic that is seldom spoke of: the separation of families—and in particular grandparents from their grandchildren. I wonder what long-reaching consequences will be visited upon these children in the future? The unconditional love of a grandparent is so instrumental in building self-confidence and character.

When my first-born granddaughter arrived, I was blessed to be in the delivery room and hear her first cries. I remember her locking eyes with her father, and the joy that filled the room was electric. When it was my turn to hold this precious gift from God, my heart swelled with joy and gratitude. At the moment I held her in my arms, I gazed into her eyes with total unfiltered love, and I saw reflected back in them the generations that came before her—the wonderful people that went into making seniortimesmagazine.com

her who she was born to be.

In my experience there is something very special about the link between a grandparent and their grandchild. I believe it stems from the deep connection that flows between them in some almost supernatural way. The grandparent can see their ancestors carried on into another generation, and the grandchild feels this special bond instinctively.

In the days that followed my granddaughter’s birth, just like my mother did with me those many years before, I stayed on with my daughter to help her rest while I took some of the early morning hours with the baby. I remember rocking her to sleep as she nestled on my chest. Close to my heart, she was comforted hearing my heartbeat. The bond that was created in those early morning hours still exists today…even with COVID, even with masks and social distancing between us, she still remembers her Nana and asks her mother to call me when she’s had a happy day at school. The connection still exists.

My second-born granddaughter was less than a year old when COVID came along and changed our world. We had a few precious months to start the bond, but we have some catching up to do when this is all behind us. I am sure, though, that her big sister will tell her all about Nana when that time comes. Of this I am certain: grandparents are given a special gift with the birth of each grandchild. We are given a second chance to nurture a child, and to shower them with our love and the wisdom we have gained through the years.

What could be a better gift than that? s

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AF F O R D AB L E D E NT UR E S.CO M Fall 2020

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Smooth Sailing at SunState Federal Credit Union It has been said that you can’t stop the waves, but you can learn to surf. So as challenge after challenge has washed over all of us this year, SunState Federal Credit Union has gladly held tight to our board and learned how to ride the waves. We’ve adapted. And through expansion of some of our services and creative solutions from our staff, SSFCU has discovered some wonderful new ways to serve our community that we might not have tested. In every challenge, we’ve found an opportunity.

At SunState Federal Credit Union, safety and security are our top priority. So to honor our commitment to both, we expanded our drive-thru services to provide the same trusted services in a new and convenient format.

“We recently had a member who was thrilled that we were able to open a money market account for her in under five minutes right in our drive thru lane,” said Vice President of Marketing Robert Hart.

Employees have been shifted to provide space for social distancing, and we’re following CDC protocols by providing face masks and encouraging hand washing and sanitization

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for the safety of our staff and our members. It’s all part of our continuing approach to customer service and reliability.

“Our new protocols display our commitment to meet our members’ needs and their safety, as well as the safety of our staff,” said Carol Tucker, Regional Director of Member Experience. “These past few months have taught us to be more flexible and nimble in decision making. We’ve become more compassionate, understanding and diligent. Like our members we are all in this together.”

SSFCU has been a leader in online services for years, but over the past month we’ve shifted resources to be seniortimesmagazine.com

able to provide an even more robust virtual experience. We’ve cross-trained staff members and reconfigured our phone services to ensure that even the remote SunState experience has the personal touch our members have come to expect.

We’ve extended our phone service hours, and our members can also schedule virtual appointments to speak online face-to-face with a representative to open a checking or savings account, apply for an auto or personal loan, and credit cards.

“Our call back option has decreased members’ wait time as well,” said Daryl Pressley, AVP of our Centralized Lending Center. “They don’t have to wait on the phone to talk to someone. We will simply call them back without them losing their spot in line.”

Daryl said the past few months have been rewarding and challenging, but he’s been proud of the sense of community between SunState staff and its members.

“Through this pandemic we have had opportunities to help members in ways we never thought possible. We are our member’s advocates, and if we can help them financially, we will do everything we can,” Daryl said. “We want members to know that we are here for them. Our goal is to serve them, whether that is by saving them money on their loans, or whether that is helping them through a difficult time due to COVID. We are here to serve the members. We can serve members digitally, or in person. Just know we are here to serve.”

So as we look toward the horizon, know that although we can’t see what lies ahead, your team here at SunState Federal Credit Union has embraced the tides as they have turned. And we will be here for our members and our community as we ride this out together.

Find out more in person or online at SunStateFCU.org today.

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352-381-5200 www.sunstatefcu.org Fall 2020

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Cynthia Wonders Winterrowd ’s

RECIPE WONDERS FOOD ST Y LING & PHOTOGR A PH Y BY ERICK A WINTER ROWD

H A RV E S T P I E S

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’m sure most of you have recipes passed down from your family, and those recipes bring back memories of your childhood. It’s impossible to take a bite of those special dishes without a flashback to a loved one or special event from the past. These recipes I am sharing with you in this issue do just that with our family.

To give you a little history from my upbringing, my mother, Ronelva Wonders, was known for her pies. There was always a fresh pie or two out on the kitchen counter or in our refrigerator “just in case someone stopped by.”

I grew up with the smell of fresh pies baking in the oven as the familiar aroma I came home to after school. My father and I didn’t realize that this was not typical in most homes. I hate to admit it, but we actually were very nonchalant regarding her pies, and often passed on dessert after dinner — unthinkable! It

was kind of like having the Rembrandt of pie making living in our home, with us being blind to the beauty (and flavor) we were exposed to on a daily basis! Not discouraged by this, however, my mother made pies for the sheer joy of making them. Nothing deterred her. As a young woman she even started at daybreak making fresh pies for a nearby country restaurant. Perhaps that is where she became renown for her pie baking.

It is my pleasure to share with you two of my mother’s pie recipes, as well as a crust that is always light and flakey. I hope you will give them a try to experience the joy of pie baking and the joy of autumn, just as our family has for generations...

RONELVA’S PUMPKIN PIE TIP: To “scald” milk, you cook it in a saucepan on your stove at medium-high.

Just before it comes to a boil you will notice

a skim forming at the top. At this point, remove from the heat and add to the recipe’s ingredients. Do not allow the milk to come to a full boil.

INGREDIENTS: 2 cups milk (scalded) 2 cups solid pack canned pumpkin (not pumpkin pie mix) 2 eggs (beaten) ¾ white sugar 1 tsp. cinnamon ¼ tsp. allspice ¼ tsp. ginger ¼ tsp. nutmeg dash salt METHOD: Preheat oven to 450 degrees. In a bowl, put the pumpkin and beaten eggs.

Mix. Into another bowl, put the white sugar, spices and salt. Mix. Combine the dry ingredients with the wet ingredi-

Cynthia Wonders Winterrowd is an award-winning writer who was raised in Illinois and lives in Gainesville. She is proud to be a “Gator Mom” of three daughters, all UF graduates. Cynthia loves sharing family recipes that have been passed down in her mother’s handwritten cookbooks. recipewonders@gmail.com

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ents, and mix well.

Pour the above pie filling into your prepared and waiting unbaked pie crust.

(If you feel your ingredients are more than your pie dish can hold, you can easily make a small “scrap pie” using left over pie crust scraps.) Now put your pie into the preheated 450 degree oven for about 15 minutes.

This will “set” the crust. Then turn the oven heat to 400 degrees. When the crust edge is brown, and the center of pie puffs up, test for doneness with a table knife inserted into the center of pie. If it comes out clean, it is finished. If knife comes out with pie mixture sticking to it, leave the pie in at 350 degrees until it firms up. Test again in 10 minute increments.

If you are short on time for holiday preparations, there are pre-made pie crusts located in your grocers refrigerated biscuits and cookie dough section. They are very good, and make pie preparation a breeze!

If you are a traditionalist, try the recipe for Flakey Pastry, made from scratch (located at the end of this article).

APPLE PIE Fall is when apples ripen and are just asking to be put into a pie! You can find them in abundance at your farmer’s market or in the grocery store, of course. Apple pie is a perfect finish for your Thanksgiving meal. For this recipe you will want a nice crisp apple, such as Granny Smith or Red Delicious. If apples lack tartness, sprinkle them with one tablespoon lemon juice after slicing.

INGREDIENTS: 6 cups tart apples (about 7 apples, thinly sliced) 1 cup sugar 2 Tbsp. all-purpose flour 1 tsp. cinnamon Dash nutmeg and salt 2 Tbsp. butter METHOD: Have your pastry dough ready to roll out.

In our humid climate, I put the dough in the refrigerator while I prepare the filling. This

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makes it easier to handle when rolling it out.

In a large bowl combine the sugar, flour, cinnamon, nutmeg and salt. Peel your apples and thinly slice them. Put your sliced apples in the sugar mixture and combine thoroughly, which will coat the apple slices nicely.

At this time you will use the pastry dough you prepared in advance. Take half of the amount and form into a ball. Lay the dough on a floured surface and roll out the dough to fit into the pie tin/plate. Before adding the fruit filling, add about one tablespoon of flour, sugar and the spices (combined) into the bottom of the pastry, distributing lightly with your fingers.

This will help absorb the juices from the apples as they are baking. Next cut up two tablespoons butter and distribute across the top of the apples.

You will then add the top crust that you roll out the same way, or you can make a lattice woven top crust. You will

find directions on how to do this in the crust recipe at the end of this article.

Once the top crust is in place and you have trimmed and fluted the edge, sprinkle top of the pie with sugar and cinnamon (combined). I usually fold strips of aluminum foil around the edge of the crust, to guard against over browning. Bake at 400 degrees for 55 to 60 minutes. Check to make sure apples are done with a toothpick, then serve while slightly warm.

Delicious with a scoop of vanilla ice cream!

FLAKEY PASTRY This is a very easy pastry dough to make from scratch. Once you have worked with it, you will find that pie making is not as difficult as you thought. Remember to handle the dough as little as possible, and to not add too much flour when rolling out.

INGREDIENTS: 2 cups all-purpose flour 1 tsp. salt ½ cup shortening (Crisco) 6 Tbsp. (approx.) icy cold water

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METHOD: First stir the flour and salt in the bowl. Measure the shortening and “cut” it into the flour mixture, until it resembles small pea-sized lumps. When “cutting” the shortening into the mixture, you can use a pastry blender which is a tool made especially for this task. If you don’t have one you can use two table knives (one in each hand) and slice through the mixture until you achieve the coarse crumbs. Remember not to handle the pastry mixture during the process. This will make it turn out “tough” instead of light and flakey.

Next you will sprinkle in about six tablespoons of icy cold water, mixing after each addition. You may add more water if necessary to achieve the right consistency in the dough.

You want to achieve dough that is flexible and moist, but not sticky. Weather and humidity does affect pastry, and the more you practice at it the better you will become at achieving the desired result. When it is the right consistency, you can briefly use your hands to shape it into a ball and put it into the refrigerator while you prepare the filling.

After the filling is prepared and waiting, remove the dough from the refrigerator and divide in half. Form this into a ball with your hands and put it onto a floured surface. Dust the top with flour and also coat your rolling pin with flour. Work the

rolling pin from the center outwards until you have a circular form slightly larger than your pie tin. Fold half of the rolled out pastry back over the rolling pin and lift gently to the pie tin. Fill the pastry with your pie filling, and bake according to the recipe’s directions.

Some pies require a top crust, which you can roll out as above and cover the entire top of the pie. Lift the rolled out dough over to the pie in the same manner. Cut the excess dough from the edge of pie tin. Moisten top and bottom of the dough where they come together, and press firmly. Then “flute” the edges to make a decorative ruffle by squeezing between your thumb and fingers. Cut slits or pretty patterns on the top crust before baking to allow steam to escape during the baking process.

NOTE: If you desire a basket weave top crust, roll out the top crust as above, but cut vertical strips of uniform width through the circle of rolled out dough. Starting with the longest strips, begin with one strip going crosswise vertically and horizontally on the center of pie.

Continue in this pattern moving outward in each direction, moving the previous strip under or over the next strip until you have achieved the basket weave. When you have reached the outer edge of the pie, cut off the excess dough along the edge. Moisten the top and bottom edges and

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press firmly together. This attaches them so that they stay together while baking.

Then proceed to “flute” the edges with your fingers to make a ruffled edge.

Now this may all sound intimidating, but it really isn’t. I have just written down each step in detail so that you can achieve great results. Remember that pie making, like everything in life, gets easier the more you do it. Before you know it, you will be whipping up pies for the sheer joy of it, just like Ronelva!

Happy Thanksgiving from our family to yours! s

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22

RESTING IN PEACE

A Sacred Calling End-of-Life Doulas Story by Marlowe Starling Photography by Nicole Guillen

“What should I do?”

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hose words sat like cliffhangers on the lips of her father in his dying days. But as Lee Wilbershied sat at his bedside, she realized something more about herself: She wasn’t afraid. She was at peace. And she understood, both as his daughter and as a human, that this moment of transitioning toward the end of his life — or perhaps the beginning of a new one — was sacred.

Doulas are commonly known for their work bringing life into the world, helping mothers as they give birth. As the cycle of life suggests, these doulas believe that death is an equally sacred process. End-of-life doulas like Wilberschied are trained to help clients and their loved ones before, during and after the dying process through a variety of services. Now, a group of six doulas have banded together to bring awareness to their unique work.

“We understand that there are issues and there’s sadness and there’s pain, but if we can work to smooth that process, I think that’s really valuable work.”

When we think about death, we may envision Death personified: a skeletal figure enrobed in heavy black cloth, a scythe at his side. Doulas, however, work to shift that narrative. Although they understand that they can’t eliminate grief,

22 Fall 2020

sorrow or heartache, they can help people focus on death as a beautiful process. “We are really focused on helping people have a good death, and by that I mean as good as possible,” said Elisabeth Cherr, founder of Gainesville-based Day Is Done Doula. “We understand that there are issues and there’s sadness and there’s pain, but if we can work to smooth that process, I think that’s really valuable work.”

Although each doula offers her own set of services, they boil down to three categories: advanced directives (planning out one’s ideal death); vigils (the 24-48 hours before death); and after-death care or grief support for families. Other services include calming techniques like guided imagery, where a doula might help a client envision peaceful scenes, or legacy work, which involves reflecting on one’s life thus far.

“Legacy project is so key because it’s our story, it’s what we were here for, it’s people in our lives, it’s just what makes us human,” said Gainesville doula Shanti Vani. She notes that end-of-life doulas can offer simple gestures like companionship, offering to spend time however the client wishes: playing board games, watching a movie, or perhaps just talking.

“Someone listening, really listening, can make a profound difference when it comes to end of life issues,” said end-of-life doula Anna Rahman.

Doula Anna Schwait, founder of Compassionate Care Now in Gainesville, said she aims to “honor death as we honor life.”

She emphasizes that doulas cater to the client’s wants and needs, regardless of whether the client is spiritual or religious.

That’s why planning one’s death ahead of time is important, she said, so the doula will know about any music, chants, rituals, ambience, or other aspects a client may wish to have seniortimesmagazine.com

End-of-life doulas Shanti Vani (left), Lis Cherr and Lee Wilberschied (right) have made it their mission to give people the peaceful and honorable deaths they deserve. “It’s probably one of the most fulfilling things in my life,” Wilberschied said. “It’s a privilege to have this time with someone who is along that path.”

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Longtime friends Bob Lunior, left, and end-of-life doula Anna Schwait first met when they lived in Miami. Lunior says he views death as a “fact of life” rather than something morbid. He recently completed his advanced directives planning to sort out his final wishes.

around them in their final hours. She herself grew up in a community that had a complicated relationship with death.

A Miami native and daughter of Puerto Rican parents, Schwait said her family’s culture put extensive love and care toward the dying, but also viewed grief as burdensome for others. During the ‘50s and ‘60s, she recalls her community making rice and beans when someone was sick, and at least one person would stay by their side as a sort of sitting vigil, Schwait said. It’s part of what formed her own views of death: As a nurse at South Miami hospital, she volunteered to sit with the dying, finding beauty in bringing them peace.

Schwait’s longtime friend and client Bob Lunior, a 73-year-old Gainesville resident and retiree, recently completed his advanced directives planning. He said making death-wish plans was a good way to prevent any potential arguments from occurring among family members after he’s gone. “I definitely wanted to have something in writing how I wanted my death to be, what to do with my body — I didn’t [want to give] that responsibility just

24 Fall 2020

to my surviving family members,” Lunior said. With two adult children, he wanted to make sure a plan was in place for his cremation, where he wanted his ashes to go, and who would receive which of his possessions. “[Schwait’s] whole program addressed all of that and then some,” he said.

Lunior said he understands that anything could bring his life to a sudden end at any time. He added that he’s comfortable with the idea of his own death as a “fact of life.”

After seeing at least two friends pass away recently of different causes without plans in place for their deaths, he encourages others to take advantage of end-of-life doulas’ services. “I’ve been telling everyone 70 and older about it,” he said. “I just think it’s foolish to not [use an end-of-life doula], one being I don’t think you want to leave it to your family to have to take care of everything. It could be an enormous burden [on your loved ones].”

Even so, doula services are far from limited to the 65-and-older population, as Ashley Johnson knows. The seniortimesmagazine.com

33-year-old co-founded Loyal Hands in Orlando and has since become an integral member of the Gainesville doulas’ team.

“It’s not just strictly seniors — it could be a millennial, or someone that’s 17,” she said. “We don’t know what time we’re going to transition, but once somebody is privy to know their time is about to expire, they look at things in a whole new light.” Like the other doulas, Johnson believes firmly in the death-positive movement: A mission to take the scary out of dying and bring clarity to the process. “The more you know, the less likely you are to fear something,” she said, emphasizing the need for open conversations about death. “We’re not grim reapers.”

Now that COVID-19 has brought death to the forefront for everyone, she has noticed an increase in younger clients contacting her for advanced directives planning. “I know we try to ignore it (death) — we put it on the backburner until we have to talk about it — but now it’s in your face,” she said.

“COVID-19 is reminding us that life can change in an instant.”

Vani, founder of Roots and Wings in Gainesville, agrees that thinking about one’s own death sooner rather than later is ideal. “A lot of times we’re not thinking about this stuff, and then next thing you know, boom, you’re flat on your back and it becomes a crisis rather than a process,” she said. She explained that it’s usually best to sort out and organize those seemingly small details — like where important paperwork or keys are located — ahead of time to avoid panic when death is suddenly closer than we thought.

The coronavirus pandemic has also changed the way doulas interact with clients. In an age when families have been forced to say goodbye to loved ones via video calls on phone or laptop screens, Vani worries about elders who may not have family around at all. “I’m wondering if people are dying alone and no one notices they are missing,” she said.

Indeed, many doula services have been forced to go digital

in recent months. But Anna Rahman, who joined the doulas’ weekly meetings via long-distance video call while she was in her home country of Switzerland, sees a silver lining. “What has come as somewhat of a surprise to me is how easily zoom calls can be incorporated in these times,” she said. “Though many of us may feel a bit overwhelmed with many calls, it is also a tool that comes in very handy when otherwise distance may be a hindrance.”

As the Gainesville doulas have attempted to gain a strong foothold in the community, they’ve come together to form an informal sisterhood, as well as the North Florida Endof-Life Doula Association, Cherr said. Each doula brings her own set of skills and insight to the table: One may be more familiar with Native American rituals, another with Buddhist practices, or some with decades of nursing experience. Together, they play off each other’s strengths to best serve their clients. “You only die once,” Johnson said, “so you want to make sure that transition is the best as possible.”

Despite their diverse expertise, all of the doulas have one thing in common: They describe their work not as a job, but as a calling. “As a child, I gravitated toward reading the obituaries,” Johnson said. “I liked reading the histories of the people who had passed away.”

She discovered her calling to doula work when a close friend was diagnosed with stage 4 colon cancer. “I immediately shifted into that role of a doula without even knowing the whole basis of an end-of-life doula. I was helping her with major decisions,” Johnson said, like whether she wanted chemotherapy, knowing it could decrease her ability to have children. It was what inspired her to give that same support to clients as a doula. Her mission is to radiate positive energy and, as Mahatma Gandhi said, to “be the change you wish to see in the world.” s Fall 2020

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COVID MASKS

Sewn with Love Spreading Hope, Not the Virus, One Stitch at a Time Written by Marlowe Starling

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urrounded by colorful fabrics with the voices of Eva Cassidy, James Taylor and Ray Charles wafting in the background, Gainesville resident and retiree Shanti Vani found her solace. In the first weeks of the statewide coronavirus shutdown, the 69-year-old was confined to the walls of her home but that didn’t mean idle fingers. Vani decided to sew homemade, cloth masks for health care workers and others in need of personal protective equipment. “It was just one small thing I could do since I was confined at home anyway,” she said. “I’ve always been one to want to help people.”

On March 17, 2020, Florida came to a standstill. The governor ordered a statewide shutdown, closing all non-essential businesses and sending college students home. At the time, health care workers lacked adequate access to essential personal protective equipment, also known as PPE. This only added to the long list of items experiencing a nationwide shortage.

Vani was one of the dozens of sewists in Gainesville who donated their time and energy to create face masks as part of Gainesville COVID Masks, a volunteer sewing group. Soon, dozens turned into hundreds. From sewists and quilters to university students and city officials, people offered to run erands, donate money and help deliver PPE to hospitals and welfare facilities across Alachua County. With the help of the Alachua County chapter of Days for Girls, the Community Foundation of North Central Florida and its donors, the Cade Museum, the University of Florida, UF Health and others, Gainesville COVID Masks has donated more than 18,000

26 Fall 2020

masks and raised over $25,000 since March. Although the decreased urgency for masks has slowed production in recent weeks, the effort is ongoing.

“At our core, we’re a community that really cares and takes care of one another, so when this hit, and we knew we were facing shortages in personal protective equipment, people stepped up,” said Barzella Papa, President and CEO of the Community Foundation of North Central Florida, which works to promote and sustain philanthropy among local communities and to connect donors with their charitable

“When there was a time of need, they were able to pivot their entire business model and shift to respond to the needs of the community.” interests. “The philanthropic spirit here is just incredible,” she said. Papa said the foundation contributed more than $1.5 million toward local COVID-19 efforts. Donors Gladys Cofrin and Dan Logan gifted the foundation an initial $10,000 to help the group pay for startup costs and materials. Other institutions also offered their help. The Cade Museum offered its 3D printers to create face shields, and Days for Girls offered its building space and volunteers to help sew masks. “When there was a time of need, they were able to pivot their entire business model and shift to respond to the needs of the comPhoto by: Nicole Guillen

seniortimesmagazine.com

The Alachua County chapter of Days for Girls International, a nonprofit that delivers handmade menstrual products to girls worldwide, far exceeded its pledged goal of making 1,000 masks, surpassing 6,000 by August.

Chapter president Radha Selvester takes to the sewing machine.

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“I truly believe that our endeavors reduced the impact the pandemic had in Alachua County.” munity,” Papa said.

After Pegeen Hanrahan, former City of Gainesville mayor, and others posted on Facebook asking for help sewing masks, an overwhelming number of emails and volunteers came pouring in “overnight.” Hanrahan said she received more than 400 emails in one weekend, including requests for masks, messages from national and international companies and media inquiries from the state’s largest newspapers. Hanrahan, who was once a seamstress, said she was inspired by people she knew who were starting to sew face masks for those in need. “It just crossed my mind: I know so many people, and I have reasonable organizing skills, so why don’t I try to create a network of sewists?” she said. That’s when she started the Facebook group, and in less than a week, she was able to kickstart Gainesville COVID Masks.

Hanrahan said she distributes masks to individuals in a brown paper bag, with the Gainesville COVID Mask logo and the recipient’s name written in Sharpie. One woman reached out to her with thanks. She said every time she looked at the bag she felt loved. Being one of the lead organizers of Gainesville COVID Masks — on top of a full-time job as a mother of three — has been challenging, Hanrahan said, but it also helps distract her from the heaviness of coronavirus news and data.

28 Fall 2020

It instead helps her focus on a positive solution. “My goal is to be of as much use as I can be,” she said. “It gives me a sense of purpose, in this whole terrible time that we’re all living through.” Alachua County has seen a total of more than 4,000 coronavirus cases thus far, according to its database, and 25 deaths as of August 6.

The Alachua County chapter of Days for Girls International, a nonprofit organization that makes and delivers reusable feminine hygiene products to girls in need, became a hub of activity for Gainesville COVID Masks when they offered its space and services to help produce and distribute masks. Days for Girls sewed and distributed nearly 6,000 face masks by the end of July, said Radha Selvester, the chapter’s president.

The volunteers made more than 1,100 masks over the span of just six days in April. “The funny thing was that while making hundreds of masks each week, we still kept up almost our usual amount of Days for Girls [menstrual] items,” Selvester said. “Many people had more time on their hands and were spending it sewing at home.”

Selvester cut thousands of 6-by-9-inch pieces of fabric for sewists to increase efficiency while she recovered from a three-month thyroid cancer treatment. “The day that Alachua County went into lockdown was the day I was officially seniortimesmagazine.com

off ‘quarantine’ from having taken a radioactive iodine pill to make sure there were no more traces of cancer in my body,” she said. “So immediately I was drawn into a mission to save everyone in Alachua County by making masks!” The nonprofit’s original pledge to make 1,000 face masks was quickly surpassed, she added, with their efforts contributing to a large chunk of the overall local COVID-19 volunteer relief effort. “I truly believe that our endeavors reduced the impact the pandemic had in Alachua County,” she said. “When there was a lack of PPE in the hospitals, we made up the gap. When Alachua County finally told residents to wear masks, many already had them from us.”

At the time of peak demand, more than 700 organizations and individuals had requested over 36,000 masks, Hanrahan said. Although volunteer availability and the need for free masks has decreased in recent months, Hanrahan said they aim to continue providing masks where needed in the community. Most recently, she received requests from several local high schools and elementary schools, which at the time this issue went to press were set to reopen August 24 both in-person and online in Alachua County.

In addition to cloth masks, volunteers also sewed UF Health masks made with special medical material Halyard H600, pioneered by UF anesthesiologist Dr. Bruce Speiss.

Instructions on the department’s website demonstrate how to sew two mask prototypes. These are primarily meant for health care professionals who aren’t required to have FDA-approved PPE, Hanrahan said. The masks can’t be washed, but baked at 165 degrees Fahrenheit or left out in the sun. Thus,

making it a less convenient option for casual use. UF Health has not announced another call for volunteers to craft masks, but that hasn’t stopped people like Vani from continuing to give back to the community.

Vani felt strongly about the mask-making initiative because she worked as a respiratory therapist for 11 years at Lake City Medical Center, a job she resigned from in March over disagreements about the hospital’s mask policy. As informal requests for masks from the community rolled in via Facebook, Vani continued sewing cloth masks on her own and donating them to people who couldn’t afford one. During a recent round of delivering Meals on Wheels to people in Gainesville — one of Vani’s many charitable hobbies — she said one woman came out of the house with her face covered by her T-shirt because she didn’t have a mask. Luckily, Vani had a spare mask in a plastic bag in her car to give her. “It was such a bond for us, just a feeling of commonality,” she said.

Of the many people she has helped during the pandemic, a single mother of two stands out the most. Vani felt connected to the young woman and her kids (all three of whom she said had asthma) because Vani herself was a single mother when she first moved to Gainesville decades ago, and she similarly suffered from asthma. “It just struck me as, here I am 40 years later, and there’s always that cycle of life,” she said.

“There’s another young mom needing to protect her children with compromised immune systems. The mask is a symbol of maternal protection, in a way. To me, it’s an actual physical manifestation of something spiritual, you know, that we all need to be safe.” s Fall 2020

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AUTUMNAL VIBES

Harvest Traditions Yielding Crops and Communities Story and Photography by Addison Pezoldt

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or many, autumn represents a time of comfort, a time for growth and a time for community. For local farmers, these months have an even greater significance: the harvest. Although one of the busiest and hardest times of the year for them, certain fall preparations and traditions make it worthwhile.

Ronnie and Jennifer Spencer are the proud owners of Hollow Oaks Farm in High Springs. While Ronnie has been in the agricultural and farming industry for almost 40 years, last year marks the first year for the Hollow Oaks Corn Maze.

Ronnie started out growing bell peppers and tobacco, but as farming has changed over the years, he and Jennifer decided to transition more into agritourism.

Ronnie said fall farming is harder than spring farming because it is more expensive, and the yield of the crop is smaller.

In Florida, the heat during the fall is harsh, and bugs and the weather have huge impacts on the crops.

Ronnie wanted to have a corn maze at the farm about three years ago, but it took some convincing for Jennifer. When they decided to have the corn maze for the first time last year, they also added a haunted hayride through the woods. “I was looking for something that I thought would fit in well for the community and there wasn’t really one in the area,” he said.

Hollow Oaks is a member of the Florida Agritourism Association, which promotes all kinds of agritourism and provides

30 Fall 2020

insurance for its members.

Jennifer said agritourism seemed like a viable alternative to the traditional type of farming Hollow Oaks had previously done, as it has become more popular in recent years. Building a corn maze and doing a haunted hayride for the community was new for them but provided a good opportunity to branch out to other avenues of farming. “We had the land, and we had what we felt like was a pretty good location,” she said.

Although the maze is called a corn maze, it is actually made up of sorghum, not corn. This keeps the Spencers from running into the issue of kids throwing corn at each other while in the maze. Last year, Jennifer had a game for people to play in the maze where they used their phones to find different points, and she plans to do it again. Ronnie also wants to add a baby corn crib for kids to play in.

Due to COVID-19, Ronnie and Jennifer plan to have extra sanitary precautions put in place as well, such as hand sanitizer and handwashing stations. While they do not expect it to happen this year, given the circumstances, the goal for the Hollow Oaks Corn Maze is to eventually have school field trips, where kids can come and have fun while also learning about agriculture. “That is sort of the driving force behind it now too, to educate kids about agriculture and the importance of it,” Jennifer said.

Noah Shitama and his team at Swallowtail Farm are also big seniortimesmagazine.com

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The corn maze at Hollow Oaks Farm provides families with a fun, outdoor adventure during the autumn months.

At Swallowtail Farm, Shitama and his team take care of all autumn harvest preparations by keeping equipment on-hand.

believers in spreading their knowledge of agriculture. While the farm currently only has a couple of summer cover crops in rotation, like Sunn Hemp and Iron Clay Peas, it is preparing to welcome its new group of apprentices for its apprenticeship program. This will be the farm’s twelfth season, and the eighth season with the program.

Each season there is an average of about five apprentices who generally arrive and stay from September to June. The program is a full-year commitment, and the apprentices live there during their stay. The apprentices arrive in time for when the farm starts going to markets in October. This year,

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there will be drive-thru pickups instead of the traditional markets due to the pandemic.

Shitama said the apprenticeship program is meant for its members to learn about the different kinds of things they do at the farm. Swallowtail Farm is a sustainable and biodynamic farm focused on community supported agriculture. While the farm does not sell meat, it has chickens, cows, pigs, bees and sheep on the property.

“There’s animals here [because] if you look at modes of production in terms of fertility, we don’t use any chemicals on the farm,” Shitama said. “All the fertility is basically animal or

seniortimesmagazine.com

Jenny Franklin grows a variety of fruits at High Springs Orchard & Bakery during the summer and autumn seasons. Franklin has several banana trees that grow together in a cluster, requiring little upkeep and a bountiful harvest. Her greenhouse hosts several plants common in Southeast Asia.

plant-based.”

Because the farm sells directly to its community, it grows many fresh crops year round. During the summer and fall, the farm tends to grow heat-loving crops like sweet potatoes, eggplant, radishes and baby greens. Even though the farm does not sell meat, it sells eggs produced from the chickens.

When they started the apprenticeship program, Shitama did not feel he was the most qualified to be a mentor because he did not have much experience with farming. Still, he felt it was important to teach about the sustainability practices of the farm for the apprentices to carry on with them. There have been about 40 apprentices who have come and gone through the program.

“There’s all kinds of ways people are applying what they’ve practiced here,” he said. “I feel like, in terms of sustainability,

you can’t really quantify that, but I feel like that’s probably the most impactful thing that we do. They’re all going out with a clear understanding that these things are possible.”

Jenny Franklin’s harvest traditions during the fall are a little different. At High Springs Orchard & Bakery, a you-pick farm where people can pick their own crops, Franklin’s fruit crops are already thriving during the summer. Franklin said while her biggest growing season is during the spring and summer, she harvests her crops in the summer and the fall.

From April through November, she has new fruits and herbs being produced every week.

During the summer, she has fruits like grapes and bananas that thrive in the warm climate. In the fall, her main crops are figs, persimmons and chestnuts. If she had it her way, Franklin would stop growing other crops and only grow figs. For her,

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growing one crop is easier to handle. Franklin said harvesting in the fall is difficult because all the farmers in the area are busy growing and harvesting vegetables.

“I am fighting for labor with everybody,” she said. “They need labor. I need labor.”

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When the market is good, Franklin also has a bakery where people can buy baked goods like muffins and sweet cakes.

Many of the bakery products use fruits that come directly from her orchard, but she does not do the baking herself.

Franklin usually has a baker on staff. However, there has not been high demand for her baked goods due to the coronavirus, so the bakery is not producing much now. Since March, Franklin has switched to making tea to sell instead.

Franklin has relied on Frog Song Organics to move some of her products at local farmer’s markets during the pandemic. The Downtown Farmers Market has moved to Celebration Pointe, which could bring Franklin some additional customers.

Although Franklin prepares to harvest for the fall, her passion remains with growing crops. For so many of these local farmers, working hard in preparation for and during the autumn means welcomed rewards and a job well done.

“It’s so rewarding to see fruit trees set fruits for you, and to see how it grows,” Franklin said. “Everybody can cook and bake, but growing is something very different. Either you can grow, or you can’t.” s seniortimesmagazine.com

Tinseltown Talks ‘Night of the Living Dead’ still lives for Judith O’Dea

by Nick Thomas

W

hen Halloween returns each October, so do the 50-year-old memories for actress Judith O’Dea who starred as Barbra in the 1968 horror classic “Night of the Living Dead” as one of several characters taking refuge in an isolated farmhouse under attack from flesh-eating ghouls. O’Dea remembers watching the film on the big screen for the first time when it premiered in her home-

town of Pittsburgh, where the film was also shot, although she recalls identifying more as an audience member rather than one of the cast.

$114,000, O’Dea said her final scene being

“I looked at myself and began critiqu-

all those ghoul hands grabbing at me, it was

ing my performance,” said O’Dea from Los

actually quite frightening and took me back

Angeles. “Then suddenly I found myself

to the fear I felt as a child when I saw Vincent

forgetting it was Judith O’Dea up there and

Price’s face fall apart in the [1953] ‘House of

became wrapped up in the storyline. That

Wax.’ That scared me so badly my folks had

was a wonderful indication of a powerful

to take me from the theater. Whenever I’m

story that could hold people’s attention.”

called upon to be frightened in a role, I just

think of that Vincent Price scene.”

Over the years, O’Dea has also learned

dragged from the farmhouse still haunts her.

“In your mind it’s all pretend, but you

get involved in the scene,” she said. “With

to look beyond the film’s horror scenes and

appreciate director George Romero’s film-

produced one of the classic lines in all hor-

making skills.

ror films, said to O’Dea’s character by actor

Another memorable scene from the film

“There’s a scene where I’m pressing the

Russell Streiner who plays her brother in the

button on a musical box which George was

opening cemetery scene shot at the Evans

shooting from the floor up,” she explained.

City Cemetery in Pennsylvania.

“He was shooting right through the box and

for a fraction of a second you see Barbra’s eyes

doesn’t come up to me and say, ‘They’re com-

which I thought was a beautiful artistic shot.

ing to get you Barbra!’” said O’Dea, laughing.

“I don’t think a week goes by that someone

Then at the end when it alternates between

still shots of the bodies and live-action, that

quote through all these years?

was a great effective use of the camera.”

thing that has changed my life so consider-

The film, says O’Dea, broke barriers in

So has she grown weary of hearing the “How could I be tired of hearing some-

the industry.

ably?” she said. “I love it when fans repeat

“As an independent movie made out-

the line to me. I feel so lucky to have been a

side Hollywood, it raised its own money

part of something that was so different and

which I guess you could call one of the first

has lasted so long.” s

Kickstarter’s for a film. It was also filmed almost like a docudrama – unusual for the

Nick Thomas teaches at Auburn University at

‘60s – and there’s no happy ending because

Montgomery, Ala., and has written features,

everybody died.”

columns, and interviews for over 850 news-

papers and magazines.

Shot on a shoestring budget of just

Fall 2020

35 35

36

COVID TALES

Sunshine Go Away Today Pandemic Story Project puts Experiences into Words Written by Darla Kinney Scoles

W

hen the global pandemic began to heavily appear in the news in the United States, I was in the midst of planning a surprise 90th birthday party for my father. Family members were scheduled to fly in from around the country to help him celebrate this milestone.

At that point, COVID-19 ending those plans seemed like a remote possibility — until it wasn’t.

aside the narrative of our journeys.

Sunshine Go Away Today helps individuals put their pandemic

experience into words with the hope that the collection of stories will serve as a place of healing, learning, understanding, remembrance and perhaps even warning in the years to come.

Visitors to the website can sign up to receive a list of thought-pro-

voking questions regarding the initial stay-at-home time period,

Soon, I was not only ordered to stay home, but I was battling a

subsequent life changes and to arrange a follow-up tele-interview.

flu-like illness and unable to get tested for the coronavirus. I was con-

Once that person’s story is transcribed and approved by the author, it

cerned not only for my own health, but I feared I could have exposed

is posted along with a photo to the website. All of this is done free of

my elderly parents to my mystery sickness as well. In addition, I was

charge, as the project is funded by donations alone. In addition, those

unable to assist them several days each week, as I previously did.

who want to only submit a one-word pandemic story are encouraged

Everything came to a grinding halt — except for my fears, anxiety,

to do so, by sending that word for publication as part of a word cloud

frustration, helplessness, introspection, uncertainty, anger, sadness,

to be added to the website at a later date.

need for information and desire to get all of this written down.

The site already includes experiences shared by the California

parent of a special needs child, a local-landmark small business

owner, a Florida retiree, a caregiver, and an Indiana parent working

to protect her immunodeficient child from a viral pandemic.

The COVID-19 pandemic is made up of millions of stories like

this, where life changed in what seemed like an instant and felt like it would never be the same again. Americans have been through a

shared - yet individual - experience and have been changed in ways

that only they can express. That’s why the pandemic story sharing

Dyson of her time in the hospital during lockdown with her special

project and website Sunshine Go Away Today was created.

needs daughter, Emily. “It was so numbing.”

As our country still reels from the effects of this deadly pandemic,

“I had never been, or felt, so alone,” said California mother Laurie

Emily, who required emergency surgery, was in the hospital a total

mourning the lives lost and continuing the process of opening back

of six days. Dyson, who was initially hesitant to take the non-verbal

up, this project serves as a place to pause and reflect on this time of

15-year-old to the emergency room, described those long days keeping

seclusion and survival before rushing forward and perhaps pushing

24-hour watch over Emily as incredibly lonely, hard, impactful and

36 Fall 2020

seniortimesmagazine.com

Fall 2020

37 37

38

life altering. Emily has had multiple hospital stays, but always with a team of family members taking turns staying with her. This time, only her mother was allowed to accompany the teen diagnosed with both Down Syndrome and Autism Spectrum Disorder.

“I literally aged,” Dyson said. “And I almost let her

die because of COVID-19. I was afraid of COVID-19 and so she almost died of a twisted intestine! COVID19 kills people because of fear, too. And so we die of something else because we fear going to the doctor or hospital because of a pandemic. But ultimately, my mom’s intuition saved her. Wow.”

“At age 64, I had come to accept that things were

changing rapidly every year,” said store owner Steve Rausch, “but nothing had prepared me to believe that a virus pandemic could change so much, so fast.”

As a small business owner, Rausch had not only his

family to think about, but the family store he and his brother co-own and its employees as well. Opening in 1954 by their parents, Colonial Photo & Hobby has been in the family - and an Orlando fixture - for 66 years.

“I had to wonder,” Rausch said, “would this be the

end of the store that was our family legacy?”

Thanks, in part, to the Payroll Protection Program,

the store is once again open and continues to serve the community as families now come in looking for hobby kits, materials, and other items that allow them to pursue activities at home together. Many express their appreciation for the local resource and its survival, Whether a household consists of an empty-nest couple caring for an elderly parent or a young family working to protect an immuno-suppressed child, COVID-19 changed lives in ways that beg to be documented. (Photos courtesy of sunshinegoawaytoday.com)

38 Fall 2020

seniortimesmagazine.com

! s r o t a G Go

Affordable Housing for Senior Citizens

having faced potential closure.

“Literally everything has changed and

hug my daughter more. Who had any idea of all that could be lost due to a virus?”

the pace of change has increased and will continue to do so,” Rausch said. “Everything

seems to be shifting. You have to keep up so

you are ready. This pandemic has truly been

stories has been an important means of

an awakening for this small business owner.”

communication. Stories preserve. Stories

teach. Stories offer understanding. Stories impart wisdom. Stories calm fears, energize

Throughout history, the sharing of

“The last day we ventured out of our house

minds and awaken emotions. Stories speak

and into a store was March 9,” said Florida

truth. Stories paint a collective portrait of

artist and retiree Ann Morris. “I feel like I

life. And stories knit us together as they

have lost the entire year of 2020.”

weave their threads of thought and feeling

Morris and her husband, Jeff, have grocer-

through our lives as individuals and as a

ies delivered and order takeout meals from

Nation.

local restaurants. Both are healthy but know

that just their age is a risk factor. So now they

and hear stories of celebrities and outliers.

stay home and binge watch comedies, exercise

With Sunshine Go Away Today, I’m hoping

outdoors, eat leftovers, grow vegetables from

to collect the everyday-person narratives

seed, FaceTime their daughter in Boston,

that exist alongside those more famous

sanitize everything that comes into the house

ones. Staying at home and taking precau-

and long for the day when they can travel as

tions have a worthwhile purpose. So does

they had planned.

sharing what we discovered while there

and in the days since.

Morris said their neighbors — even some

Every day in the news and online, we see

family — do not really understand their

cautious practices and have made fun of the

before. s

couple’s drastic social distancing, calling it

ridiculous.

To read the full stories or to participate in

We need stories now more than ever

“Our daughter, however, is totally sup-

the project, check out: sunshinegoawaytoday.

portive of our self-imposed quarantine,”

com, or reach out to: t​ hepandemicismadeof-

Morris said. “When we are able, I intend to

stories@gmail.com.

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40

COLUMN œ DONNA BONNELL

Embracing Life Season of Change

P

lus ca change, plus c’est la même chose. Those epic words spoken by Jean-Baptiste Alphonse Karr, a French journalist and novelist of the 1800s, translate to “the more things change, the more they continue to be the same thing.”

Mid-March through August of this year felt like an eternity. During those long days in quarantine, I had time to reminisce and review my personal victories and shortcomings. Like everything in life, COVID-19 provided the proverbial yin and yang.

Embracing electronics was an unanticipated perk. Who would have ever guessed that, at age 66, electronic devices would enhance my life? Computers and smart phones were not completely foreign. I had somewhat kept up with technology. FaceTime chats with my grandkids quickly became beloved moments. Surprisingly, though, it was Sunday church services and meetings on Zoom that provided the biggest impact on my personal growth.

As a board member, I was asked to give a talk at one of our Sunday Zoom services. Regular readers know I am a writer, not a speaker. Initially, I voiced all of my lifelong paranoid excuses and declined the offer.

When I shared my anxiety with a trusted colleague, she cautioned me to think this decision through. Her gentle suggestion was to face my fear of public

40 Fall 2020

speaking from behind the comfort of a computer screen and a camera. Could it be possible that the pandemic created a perfect opportunity for me to achieve an unfilled five-decades old goal?

While I pondered my friend’s sincere advice, I was haunted by Karr’s centuries-old quote. The message became clear. The time had come for me to stop doing more of the same. I accepted the challenge to change and agreed to speak.

Preparing an uplifting message was the easy part. All I needed to do was to welcome the idea as a divine assignment, relax and patiently wait. A sign would manifest to let me know the intended subject.

It did not take long to receive the cue, as I was already living the answer.

Change. Unpredicted and unwelcomed changes were hurled at us at lightning speed during spring and summer of 2020, while we were numbed by our new normal. Wearing masks, social distancing and self-isolation mandates have consumed our conversations and lives. As I write this edition of Embracing Life, it is unknown what we will face this fall.

Many of us living in North Central Florida have always considered autumn our favorite season. We welcomed the cooler weather, feasts, festivals and football. It was our reward for enduring the horrendous heat and hurricanes.

Fall might be different this year. It may be remembered as the season of change.

My speech on Zoom was a giant step for me. Maybe COVID’s purpose was (and still is) to force mankind to pause for prayer, reflect and move forward with positive change. I am ending my column with how I began my church talk, by comparing a bit of half-century old history with today.

In 1968 Martin Luther King Jr. was assassinated. Americans were divided over our involvement in the Vietnam War. A presidential National Convention was held on Miami Beach. In a nearby neighborhood people protested. Their frustrations exploded over political, social and economic injustices. The National Guard was activated.

Fast forward to 2020. Do you see similarities? It is another election year.

There are protests, violence and racial concerns. The National Guard is being utilized. Students and teachers are armed with masks and face shields.

The more things change, the more they stay the same; unless we make a difference.

Happy fall! Make it a season of change. s Donna Bonnell is a freelance writer who moved to Newberry in 1983. She enjoys living and working in the town she now calls home. bonneldj@gmail.com seniortimesmagazine.com

Fall 2020

41 41

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We feel the best way to find and recognize local charities in our communities is by asking you!

The SunState Community Foundation is a 501 (c)(3) nonprofit organization that serves the communities in and around North Central Florida by promoting and facilitating philanthropy.

The Foundation was established to promote and provide charitable assistance that contributes towards the development, education and well-being of the communities, areas and residents of Alachua, Columbia, Dixie, Gilchrist, and Levy Counties in Florida. The foundation’s initial goal is to administer and fully fund the award winning Facebook Charity-ofthe-Month program. SunState Federal Credit Union started the program in 2013, but has turned over administration of the program to the foundation, with SunState Federal Credit Union acting only as a sponsor. This has been done in the belief that this path will ensure the program remains a strong and expanding community resource long into the future.

The SunState Community Foundation, Inc., provides donors/members opportunities to participate in the furtherance of the foundation’s goals in multiple ways. First, and foremost, the donors/members are providing funds to support the foundation’s charitable initiatives. Donors/members can also nominate groups for the Charity of the Month program, and then vote for the group of their choice. Donors/members are encouraged to participate and vote in the Charity of the Month program.

Ultimately, the voters choose where foundation donations go as part of the infrastructure of the program.

SunState Community Foundation, Inc. S PONSORSHIP LEV ELS AVA ILA BLE 1,000 CHARITY OF THE MONTH SPONSOR

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• Recognized on all 4 Entercom Communication stations, 30 times (120 total); KTK, SKY, WRUF and ESPN.

• Recognized on 2 of Entercom Communications stations, 30 times (60 total); WRUF and ESPN

• Recognized on the Charity of the Month Facebook Contest page, KTK’s Facebook page and Senior Times’ Facebook page.

• Recognized on the Charity of the Month Facebook Contest page, KTK’s Facebook page and Senior Times’ Facebook page.

• Mentioned in the Charity of the Month page in Senior Times Magazine.

• Mentioned in the Charity of the Month page in Senior Times Magazine.

300 NOMINATOR SPONSOR

$

• Recognized on the Charity of the Month Facebook Contest page, KTK’s Facebook page and Senior Times’ Facebook page.

• Mentioned in the Charity of the Month page in Senior Times Magazine.

100 RANDOM VOTER SPONSOR

$

• Recognized on the Charity of the Month Facebook Contest page.

• Mentioned in the Charity of the Month page in Senior Times Magazine

A project of the SunState Community Foundation, Inc. Presented by SunState Federal Credit Union, Our Town Family of Magazines and Entercom Communications

42 Fall 2020

seniortimesmagazine.com

COMMUNITY PARTNERS >> CHARITY OF THE MONTH

CH A RIT Y OF THE MONTH WINNER S MOST RECENT WINNING ORGANIZATIONS TO NOMINATE A CHARITY OF YOUR CHOICE OR TO VOTE FOR YOUR FAVORITE NOMINEES, VISIT:

www.facebook.com/SunStateFCU and click on “Charity of the Month”

MARCH 2020 WINNER

APRIL 2020 WINNER

MAY 2020 WINNER

JUNE 2020 WINNER

JULY 2020 WINNER

AUGUST 2020 WINNER

Carson Springs Wildlife

Center for Independent Living of North Central Florida

Chiefland Theatre

Gators For Refugee Medical Relief

Gentle Carousel

Bronson Eagles Quarterback Club Fall 2020

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