Happy Tuesday, Village members and volunteers! 

This newsletter is now returning to a monthly schedule, arriving on the second Tuesday of each month. Look for the next newsletter on December 8.

We will continue to bring you helpful information, activities of interest, and music videos along with amusing, cheerful, and feel-good stories each month. If you have ideas, funny videos, or pointers to share, please send them to villagewwnewsletter@gmail.com so we can share with the group.

Thanksgiving Gatherings Will Be Different This Year

We all enjoy getting together with family and friends during the holidays, but this year is more complicated due to the recent surge in COVID-19 infections. The following are some suggestions from the Center for Disease Control (CDC) to help keep us healthy.
 

Hosting a Holiday Gathering

If you will be hosting a celebration, follow the CDC tips for hosting gatherings. Below are some additional considerations for doing this:

• Host outdoor activities rather than indoor activities as much as possible. If hosting an outdoor event is not possible, and you choose to host an indoor event, avoid crowded, poorly ventilated, or fully enclosed indoor spaces. Increase ventilation by opening windows and doors to the extent that is safe and feasible based on the weather.
• Host activities with people from your local area as much as possible. Indoor gatherings should be limited to 10 attendees or fewer based on Washington County Phase 1 requirements.
• Provide or encourage attendees to bring supplies to help you and others stay healthy—for example, extra masks (do not share or swap with others), hand sanitizer that contains at least 60% alcohol, and tissues.
• If you are planning in-person holiday gatherings with people outside of your household, consider asking all guests to strictly avoid contact with people outside of their households for 14 days before the gathering.

Attending a Holiday Gathering

If you will be attending a celebration that someone else is hosting, review the CDC considerations for attending an event or gathering. Below is some additional guidance for attending an in-person holiday gathering:

• Stay home if you are sick.
• Outdoor activities are safer than indoor activities. If indoors, open windows to encourage adequate ventilation.
• Bring extra masks (do not share or swap with others), hand sanitizer that contains at least 60% alcohol, and tissues.
• Consider strictly avoiding contact with people outside of your household for 14 days before the gathering.

Upcoming VWW and VNW Events

We hope you'll join us for these upcoming events!

Come share stories, jokes, and make new friends. Everyone is welcome!

Join the Zoom meeting at https://us04web.zoom.us/j/71630485791 or call 253-215-8782 (audio only).

This informal training/webinar will include a discussion hosted by West Linn Lake Oswego (WLLO) Village member Suanne Jackson, who is a certified trainer of the Positive Approach to Care curriculum.

The session will begin with a video of someone who is aging normally, as well as a video of another person in the same scenario who is not aging normally. After a discussion about the differences between the two, we will look at the many types of dementias. In addition, we will explore some conditions that can look like dementia but are not.

Email info@wllovillage.org for Zoom info.

The topic will be "Personality Cults."

Join the Zoom meeting at https://us02web.zoom.us/j/86366674028.

The topic is “Artificial Intelligence and Data.”

Policymakers in many countries are developing plans and funding research in artificial intelligence (AI). The European Union, other Western countries, and Brazil have adopted regulations that grant users greater control over their data and require that firms using AI be transparent about how they use it.

You can request topic pages be emailed to you ahead of the meeting. A video will be shown at the beginning of the meeting, then everyone will take turns sharing opinions about the topic. You are welcome to participate in the discussion or just listen.

Send an email to vwwactivities@gmail.com to RSVP and receive topic materials.

Join small group conversations exploring topics of interest to older adults. New thought-provoking topics are discussed each session. Sponsored by Viva Village, Beaverton City Library, and Washington County Disability, Aging, and Veteran's Services.

Email vivavillageevents@gmail.com or call 503-746-5082 to RSVP and receive the Zoom link.

There was so much interest in the film that preceded “Priced Out” that North Star Village has planned another Documentary and Discussion evening.

Join us to watch “NorthEast Passage: The Inner City and the American Dream,” which is the first film about gentrification in Portland's Albina neighborhood.

Please email lizkennedy@wscribe.com to RSVP.

The holiday season is generally thought of as a time of joy and love, but for far too many people, it’s a time of loneliness. Some people live far from family and miss seeing their loved ones this time of year; others dread going to holiday parties without a partner and end up staying home. This year due to the pandemic there will probably be more people spending the holidays alone.

For those who feel a sense of loneliness, holidays can be a time of additional stress. Here are some suggestions to consider.

Be good to yourself. Taking special care of yourself can help you to feel better and enjoy your solitude more. You can take a relaxing bath and give yourself spa treatments, curl up with a good book, enjoy a hobby, or learn something new.

Understand that you are not alone. Many people wish they could be with family but can’t. Likewise, many people long for closer connections with friends or may find themselves feeling isolated during the holidays. While it may be uncomfortable to feel lonely, it’s also OK to feel this way. Talking to others who may share your feelings (either via the internet or in real life) can help you to feel less alone in your situation.

Rethink your expectations. Part of why holidays feel lonelier for many people is that our society has high expectations for this time of year. Realize that few peoples’ lifestyles truly measure up to “movie standards” of perfect living. Shift your focus to all the great things you do have in your life. Reach out to a neighbor or friend who may enjoy your company this year.

Get connected. Whether you’re saying hello to neighbors, exchanging friendly words with people at the grocery store, or picking up the phone and calling an old friend you haven’t spoken to in a while, reaching out to people and strengthening bonds can help you feel more connected and less lonely.

Cultivate gratitude. One easy antidote to the feeling that you’re missing something is to cultivate feelings of gratitude for what you already have. Try to focus on the good people in your life like friends, family, neighbors, and even pets. You can also focus on things you really value in your life, like your work, your hobbies, or even your potential.

According to Psychology Today, gratitude is the expression of appreciation for what one has. It is a recognition of value independent of monetary worth. It is an affirmation of goodness and warmth that is spontaneously generated from within.

This social emotion strengthens relationships, and its roots run deep in evolutionary history—emanating from the survival value of helping others and being helped in return. Studies show that specific areas of the brain are involved in experiencing and expressing gratitude. Brain scans of people assigned a task that stimulates expression of gratitude show lasting changes in the prefrontal cortex that heighten sensitivity to future experiences of gratitude.

Give to others. One way to feel less lonely during the holidays is to donate your time to a cause you believe in. Helping others can fill you with feelings of love and pride. It also can remind you of all you have to be grateful for, and even connect you with others who share your passion. You will be part of something larger than yourself, and you’ll be immersing yourself in the true spirit of the holiday season.

Julian lives in Aloha and joined Village Without Walls (VWW) last fall when he started to have eye trouble. He was introduced to VWW by his neighbor Jennifer Hanson when VWW was in the planning stage and he helped her with some computer work. Julian is a believer in the Village movement and his brother-in-law started a Village in Petaluma, California.

Julian was born in London, England. His father died in 1939 before World War II. His mother was going to the U.S. for vacation to visit the New York World’s Fair and decided to bring nine-year-old Julian with her. When war broke out in Europe, they could not return home to England.

The family went to live in Boston and eventually became United States landed immigrants (permanent residents). His mother met and married Julian’s stepfather, who was in the U.S. Army and deployed to the South Pacific from San Francisco. Before the war ended, Julian and his family relocated to San Francisco.

Julian earned his Bachelor of Arts in Business Administration from San Francisco State University and worked in sales for an offset printing equipment company. He married, lived in Daly City, California, and had three children. His wife died in the 1970s and he started his own business in security devices for computers.

Julian moved to Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada for five years but it was too expensive to retire there. Since his son lived in Portland, he moved back to the United States, retired, and bought his home in Aloha. His daughters live in San Francisco and Columbus, Georgia. He has four grandchildren and ten great grandchildren.

Julian no longer drives because of macular degeneration. Before the pandemic, he was getting around on the TriMet Lift bus and was enjoying ballroom and social dancing at Elsie Stuhr Center, Elks Club activities, Pop Symphonies, and Keller Broadway plays. He has recently upgraded to Member Plus so he can now schedule rides to medical appointments with Village Without Walls drivers.

Embracing Your Hidden Talents

How often do we work to hide the things that we were told, long ago in childhood, make us “weird”?

After years of keeping his own unique abilities under wraps, contortionist Troy James finally shared his special talents with the world. Since then, his life has changed completely. Read his story and see if it inspires a new twist on your own!

Video of the Month: Fanfare for the Common Man by Aaron Copland

Alternate Relativity

Are you or is someone you know experiencing isolation or loneliness?

Isolation and loneliness can be dangerous for seniors anytime, but right now the stakes are higher than ever. The Oregon Senior Peer Outreach Line (1-833-736-4676; se habla español) and the Oregon Senior Loneliness Line (503-200-1633) are available at any time for older adults experiencing loneliness and isolation. 

That's it for now. Stay home, stay healthy!

And don't forget: send your favorite videos, classes, articles, and practical tips to us at villagewwnewsletter@gmail.com.