For Unto Us a Child is Born

Unto Us a Son is Given

The Restful Resident

Volume 1, Number 12 Chesterbrook Residences Newsletter December, 2021

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Notes from the Editor The next Chesterbrook Carbon Footprint Climate Group Meeting is

Monday, December 20, 2021 at 1:30 in the Card Room.

Excerpted from Our Children’s Trust, April 19. 2019

To some, climate change is just a hoax; to 11-year-old Levi D., cli-

mate change is a reality.

“Climate change has impacted my life by causing more se-

vere hurricanes that have damaged the barrier island and

caused flooding, beach erosion, and other damage. We had

flood waters up to our doorstep after a hurricane…We

have had to evacuate our home two years in a row.”

Levi is a young activist and one of the 21 youth plaintiffs who filed

a constitutional climate lawsuit against the United States govern-

ment in 2015 in the U.S. District Court for the District of Oregon.

A fight for life, liberty, and freedom, Juliana v. the United States, is

supported by the nonprofit Our Children’s Trust, an Impact Fund

grantee.

The plaintiffs are suing the United States government for its active

participation in causing climate change, thereby violating their con-

stitutional rights. They demand a science-based, national climate re-

covery plan that would end the reign of fossil fuels and lead to

swift decarbonization.

Levi joined the lawsuit after experiencing

the effects of climate change firsthand in

his home state of Florida. “I saw the sea

oats that I helped plant on the beach

get washed away…I have also seen

red tide and thousands of dead fish.

Red tide is worsened by rising sea and

air temperatures.”

In This Issue:

Notes From the

Editor

Executive Di-

rector’s Report

A Spirituality to

Grow Old By

Poem: ‘They’

A Bit O’Fun

with Bill

McShea

Meet our Staff

Residents &

Staff Birthdays

Photo Pages:

Chesterbrook

14 Anniversary

Resident’s In-

terview

Winnie’s

Birthday Photos

The Editor’s

Hangout

Published once each month

Dick Bowling, Editor

Pree Robertson, Proof Reader

Ann Cook,

Weekly Supplement, Editor

For monthly Newsletter submissions

Bring articles, poetry, and other media to Apt.

147, or dickbowling777@gmail.com.

Bring Weekly Supplement submissions to

Apt. 235 or acookonwheels@msn,com

The Restful Resident Chesterbrook Residences Monthly Newsletter

P. 2:

P. 3:

P. 4:

P.5

P 6.

P. 7:

P. 8-9

P. 10 –

11:

P. 11

P. 12:

Levi D.

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As we enter December, I strongly want to avoid getting sucked into

the stressful aspect of the season. If I had to ask a word of the month

for December, I would pick tradition. The meaning of the word tradi-

tion of course involves the passing down from generation to genera-

tion of beliefs and rituals. Truly, tradition is never more prevalent than

during this holiday season. Indeed, both religious beliefs and familial

patterns of activities dominate the season. Traditions are very power-

ful. They give us a sense of security, of belonging, of order and pattern.

The Chesterbrook traditions are all the things I’m looking forward to.

I wish everyone a wonderful holiday season.

This school year 2021-2022, we have 12 students and 4 staff members from the David Career

Center assigned to Chesterbrook Residences. Chesterbrook has supported the Center for

the past 12 years and our students work in all

different departments here.

HE JOHN DAVIS CAREER CENTER WAS FOUNDED

IN1983 AT Marshal High School and serves stu-

dents aged 18-22 years who have disabilities that

require in-

struction fo-

cused on life

and career

skills to make

them employ-

able or prepare them to successfully participate in some lev-

el of community life. The Center provides instruction in

multiple settings, including: community worksites, such as

Chesterbrook; direct classroom instruction and community

based instruction. The Davis Career Center strives to meet

the independent living and career educational needs of all

students regardless of their personal challenges.

The Executive Director’s Report

Davis Center students at work preparing the Dining Room for Residents’ Lunch

JOHN DAVIS CAREER CENTER

Vijay Maharajan

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A Spirituality to Grow Old By I was born and raised in Huntington, WV in a loving family, but we never had much money. As

a boy I delivered newspapers, did gardening, mowed lawns, and shoveled snow to earn mon-

ey—trying to “keep up with the Joneses.” I wanted to have Weejun loafers and Madras shirts

to look cool! But my Mom wanted me to be the first person in our family to attend college –

so half of all the money I earned went into a College Savings Account.

When I went to VA Tech to study Landscape Design, I had no idea what to expect. One thing I

did not expect was to meet students who talked about God as a friend. I was raised going to

church every Sunday, but to me Jesus was just a good teacher and role model. These students

helped me understand the Good News, and I came to know God personally. He brought new

purpose, pardon, and peace into my life, which has continued for 54 years.

As a senior at Huntington High School, my English teacher was the same one my father had 25

years earlier! Miss Sweetland Oxley made us learn ten new words each week, and when I use

one of these words, I often think of her. But I also think of her when I reflect on the Twenty-

third Psalm, which she had us memorize with other classic poetry.

You and I are like sheep in so many ways—we can easily get lost, or get confused, or get prob-

lems we can’t solve. The LORD wants to be our Shepherd because he loves us and desires the

best for us. He promises to guard us with his rod against all enemies and evil. He also promises

to guide us with his staff—to lovingly lead us to green pastures and still waters that will restore

us. I sure need this, so I find myself turning to Psalm 23 a lot.

I also need the Good Shepherd’s help for some of the dark valleys in my life. I can easily be-

come critical or controlling. My wife has chronic health problems which pull her down. My son

is separated from his wife and children. My daughter was recently re-married and is not in

church. My neighbor with two young daughters has Stage 4 cancer. And the needs go on…

But I never need to fear—for Thou are with me. My Good Shepherd is with me, beside me, and

He promises to walk with me until my last day.

Whether you’ve memorized Psalm 23 or not, I encourage you to read it aloud as a prayer. Em-

phasize the words “my,” “mine,” “I” and “me”—which are used 17 times in this short psalm!

And be reminded that you are a very special sheep to God,

our Good Shepherd.

Corky Eddins is Assistant Pastor at Christ Church Vienna, an Anglican church which just celebrated its 10th Anniversary. He enjoys growing and sharing both plants and flowers with friends. Also watching British mysteries with his wife, and cooking!

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They

They are still here

still alive

in me

I feel their warmth

they’ve never left

never abandoned me

l am never alone

but they count on me and this is why

I get up every morning

to my assignments

and wake up every night to take notes

of their whispers

to make sure that I don’t disappoint them

for that is why I am here

it’s too much and too hard

for my aging shoulders

so they hand me some talent

against pain

so that I get up when I fall

they are all here

and will be

for as long as I am

Photo by: Joy Wagner niece of our resident

Mary Drakoulis).

Henry Grynberg

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A

Well-Planned Retirement

Outside England’s Bristol Zoo is a parking lot for 150 cars and 8 buses. For 25 years, its

parking fees were handled by a pleasant attendant: The fees were for cars: $1.46. For buses:

about $7.00

Then one day after 25 years of never missing a day of work the attendant didn't show up.

The zoo management called the city and asked it to send them another parking agent. The

council did some research and replied that the parking was the zoo's own responsibility.

The zoo advised the council that the attendant was a city employee. The city council re-

sponded that the lot attendant had never been on the city payroll.

Meanwhile, sitting in his villa somewhere on the coast of Spain, or France or Italy, is a man

who'd apparently had a ticket booth installed completely on his own and then had simply

begun to show up every day, commencing to collect and keeping the parking fees, estimated

at about $560 a day for 25 years.

Assuming 7 days a week. This amounted to just over 7 million, and no one even knew his

name.

A Married Couple Talking On The Phone A married couple are talking on the phone:

Wife: Where are you?

Husband: At home, love.

Wife: Are you sure?

Husband: Yes

Wife: Turn on the mixer

Husband: (turns on the mixer) rvveereeeeve...

Wife: OK, my love goodbye.

Another day:

Suspicous wife: Where are you?

Husband: At home, love

Wife: Are you sure?

Husband: Yes

Wife: Turn the mixer on

Husband: rvveereeeeve...

Wife: OK, love, goodbye

The next day, the wife decides to go home without notice, and finds her

son alone; and asks him: “Son, Where is your father?”

Son, “I don't know. He went out with the mixer...”

A Bit O’ Fun With Bill Mc’Shea

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M Y NAME IS LORNA RODEROS-

GOMICUA. I'm from the Philippines. I

first came here to the United States in

2004 with my two daughters,

three years old and nine years

old respectively. We came as im-

migrants and lived with my par-

ents and siblings in Rockville, MD.

My husband followed us here to

the United States in 2010. But he

decided to go back to the Philip-

pines after nine months of living

here and we followed him after

the school year ended in 2011.

My eldest daughter graduated with a bachelor's

degree in Information Technology and my

youngest graduated from senior high school,

both from De La Salle University-Dasmarinas,

while living in the Philippines. My husband and I

decided to let our eldest daugh-

ter come back here and pursue

her career in IT in October 2019.

Just this past June, my youngest

daughter and I moved back here

to the States bringing along with

us my eldest daughter's pet dog.

My husband decided to stay be-

hind to take care of his company

though. Now, I live in Alexandria,

VA and presently work as a part

time Private Duty Aide and a part time Wait

Staff here at Chesterbrook Residences.

Ann Cook Dec 1

Jack Dale Dec 17

Dee Custer Dec 20

Rachel Farris Dec 28

Nancy O’Reilly Dec 28

Hoai Ho Dec 9

Jose Granados Dec 20

Anastacia Tapia Dec 25

Meet Our Chesterbrook Staff

Lorna Roderos-Gomicua, Dining Room

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H ELLO, MY NAME IS DIANA

TARR MOORE; I was born in

Medellin, Colombia,

(South America) and we lived

there until I was 3 ½ years

old. My father’s name was

Louis Tarr; my mother’s name

was Carmen Ceballos. My

father was a radio engineer

working with cables and

radio telephone. My mom

was a homemaker, and I had

two sisters.

We were living in the Panama Canal

Zone; when I was about five years old,

we had gone to the beach. We were

coming back on a country road and at

that time, cars didn’t have seat belts.

My sisters and I were sitting in the

back and I was playing with the door

handle. All of a sudden, the door

popped opened. I fell out and landed

on my stomach, but the car continued

to proceed down the road. My sister

saw me fall out and she said to my

father—we called him Sweetie—

”Sweetie, Diana fell out of the car!”

And he said, ”Don’t tell stories like

that.” But she yelled back, ”But she did

fall out. ” Then he stopped the car,

came back and took me to the hospital.

Another thing that happened when we

were living in the Canal Zone

happened while I was going to

kindergarten. We had a stray red and

white cat we called Peter

Pan. We would let him out

at night and when he

wanted to get back in again

he would jump up on the

screen, shake it, and make a

big racket so we would let

him back in.

We left the Canal

Zone to go to Lima, Peru

and when we returned

back there nine years later,

we resumed living in the same house.

As we were walking down the hill one

day, guess who comes up to meet us?

Peter Pan! And he continued to live

with us again.

I went to a couple of grade

schools: one was Villa Maria Academy in

Peru, the other was in Gloucester,

Massachusetts.

When we lived in Gloucester I found it

was very cold and icy. I was skating on

the ice one day, fell down, and couldn’t

get up. These three boys came along

and saw me, and instead of helping me

up they, one by one, kissed me on the

cheek; then they helped me up and I

was so humiliated.

I didn’t go to college but after I

graduated from high school in

Resident’s Interview

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Continued from Page10

Rockport, Mass. I attended a business

school in Gloucester.

I remember World War ll with its

blackouts, food stamps, and that we lived

without my father for almost four years

as he was working in Guantánamo Naval

base in Cuba during most of the war.

When I was growing up ,what I wanted

to be most was a spy or an FBI agent. I

also liked to listen to shows on the inner

radio like the Shadow—The Shadow

Knows—,Inner Sanctum Mysteries, and

various music programs.

I met my husband in St. Thomas, Virgin

Islands in October, 1951. His name was

Sid Moore; we were married for over 64

years. He was an officer in the Navy

specializing in Public Information and later

worked in the Department of Agriculture.

Because he was in the Navy, we lived in a

variety of cities, including Norfolk, VA,

Hartsdale, NY, New Rochelle, NY, New

Orleans, LA, the Great Lakes, IL, Groton,

CN, Subic Bay, the Philippines, Taiwan, and

Falls Church, VA.

I volunteered for various churches, the

Smithsonian Institute, and my children’s

schools teaching English to Latinos. I was

an exercise teacher for over 40 years and

I sang in various singing groups.

My husband and I had five children; two

boys and three girls and they have given

us 15 grandchildren and eight great-

grandchildren.

I have lived at Chesterbrook since August,

2020; my children helped me to find it. I

am comfortable and very happy here and

I like everything about it: the residents,

the staff, and so forth. The food is to my

liking and quite good. I have found the

staff at Chesterbrook to be very friendly

and helpful; everyone is very kind.

Happy 104th Winnie

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Last issue, I described the day Kathleen was born, our first Christmas in Louisville

singing Carols in Lincoln Park, being dazzled by Stewart’s Christmas windows deco-

rated with different fairy tales, and our Christmas without Mom. DB

War Stories: This may be going back in time a bit to when we were still liv-

ing in the brick house at Gethsemane. I was in the second grade at St. Cathe-

rine’s School, and Pearl Harbor had just been attacked the day before on De-

cember 7, 1941. I remember it was a cold morning in early December and the

four of us boys (Jimmy, Ben, Bob and I) were standing where the lane that led

to the Brickhouse joined Highway 52. We stood around stamping our feet waiting for Joe

Ayres’ school bus to arrive. There were also a number of men standing around there; this was

very unusual. They were talking about the war that was about to start. At that time, I didn’t

know what this meant, but the men seemed very angry and upset

When we moved to Louisville in January 1943, every morning I remember seeing maps in the

Courier-Journal showing the progress of the war. For some reason, I hated those maps. Like

most kids, I believed we were going to win the war, but those daily maps somehow stirred

something deep inside that made me afraid we might lose it.

World War ll Songs: On the lighter side, I remember my brother, Jimmy, bought us a record

by Spike Jones and his City Slickers and their wonderful rendition of Der Fuehrer's Face.

One of the lyrics went:

When der Fuehrer says ve is der master race

Sieg heil, Sieg heil right in der Fuehrer's face

Not to love der Fuehrer is a great disgrace

So we pfffft heil, pfffft heil, right in der Fuehrer's face.

Another World War ll Spike Jones record Jimmy brought home was 1942 Turkey in the Straw

written by Carson Robison. One of its lyrics went:

Oh, a monkey and a baboon sitting on a rail

Feeling mighty bad and looking kinda pale

A little yellow rat come sneaking through the weed

The monkey said, “Look, there's the feller we need.”

The rat climbed up and they all begin to grin

Along come a guy with whiskers on his chin

He kicked that rail and broke it with a crack

And that was the end of the Three Pal Pact.

Our cowboys ‘n Indians shoot ‘em ups almost immediately turned intowar

games between Nazis versus Americans . Bob, of course, had to make some

of us play Nazis—against our wills.

Growing Up in the South End Excerpted from the book by Dick Bowling