Submitted By: Lew Roth (Sheffield)

1. What starts with a T, ends with a T, and has T in it?

2. What do you throw out to use and take in when you’re done?

3. What can be written forward and backward and upside down and still be the same word?

4. There are 2 in a whole, 4 in a pair, 6 on a trio, and 8 in a quartet. But, what name is just one of me?

5. A boat full of people just went under a bridge and now not a single person is on it. How can this be?

6. Say my name and I disappear.

7. Why is the letter T like an island?

8. What gets wetter as it dries?

9. What is in seasons, seconds, centuries, and minutes, but not in decades, years, or days?

10. What always runs, but never walks … often murmurs or babbles, but never talks … has a bed, but never sleeps and has a mouth, but never eats?

11. What is special about the following series of numbers 8, 5, 4, 9, 1, 7, 6, 10, 3, 2, 0.

12. Forward I’m heavy … backwards I’m not.

13. How far will a blind man walk into the woods?

14. The more you have of it, the less you see.

I was married to Ed for 50 years, and never once was I asked to take out the garbage. After all, everyone knows it’s a man’s job. So it’s no wonder that it took me time to get into the routine of filling the heavy-duty black garbage bags, tying them up with those little thingamajigs, and then tossing them into the large garbage pails to leave out by the curb. And it was also a challenge to remember which days the garbage pails got picked up and which days the recyclables in their blue and yellow color-coded bins are collected.

One thing I do know for sure, however; that this is definitely not a job for a woman who has lovely manicured nails that she carefully polishes on a weekly basis. But in the scheme of my new life, taking the garbage to the curb is probably one of the easiest new responsibilities of my widowhood. (I said easiest, not nicest!)

It’s taken me time to get it right, but not without using every foul-mouthed curse word I’ve ever learned. I’m not proud to tell you that these words – which I would have washed my children’s mouths out with soap had they said them – have now become an intrinsic part of my vocabulary whenever I have to do something that I’ve never done before.

But I guess part of moving on is to learn how to deal with all the things that I never – in a million years-thought I should, could or would ever need to do.

PS. To help myself be more organized, I tacked a big sign on the garage wall to remind me that the days for garbage pick-up are Wednesdays and Saturdays; recyclables are only collected on Saturdays. I made the sign big enough so that I can read it without putting on my glasses. There is only one glitch in this smart plan of mine – I must remember to read the sign.

Bea Lewis is working on a book about widowhood. “Now That He’s Gone … A Widows Journey.”

Many times thru the past 16 years people have stopped me to ask how these very special Lynn concerts at Aberdeen actually came to be. So – the explanation.

Upon moving to Aberdeen 21 years ago, Herb and I became active attendees of the Harid Conservatory of Music in Boca Raton. At that time there were 31 exceptional music students and a handful of professors in residence, all sponsored, along with a ballet school, by a single sponsor. The sponsor subsequently withdrew his support of the music division concentrating his sponsorship on only the ballet school.

Luckily, Lynn U. which abuts Harid, needed a music department and gladly took all 31 students and their teachers. Thus, the Conservatory of Music at Lynn U. was born. The need for scholarship money to help Lynn support the students was obvious. Herb and I looked for ways to assist.

Seventeen years ago, a number of Aberdeen residents desired more culture here at the Club. At that time Herb was an executive on the Board of the Aberdeen Golf and Country Club and at my request he asked the Board to allow us to bring a concert by Lynn musicians to the Club. It was approved as long as there would be no expense to the Club. Leslie and Lew Roth, Una and Sol Elman, Herb and myself sponsored the first concert paying all costs and charging $18 per ticket. We begged our friends, their friends and their friends – friends to buy tickets and attend. Then as now, all checks for tickets were made out to The Conservatory of Music to be used for their Scholarship Fund helping the school continue to educate these fine young people and allowing them, if they so desired, to make music their life’s work. There were about 90 attendees the first year.

This year we have a sold out house and 10 sponsors supporting the concert.

Due to the success at Aberdeen we have brought this concert to other Country Clubs and Communities and presently raise over $70 thousand dollars a year.

The most wonderful part of this adventure is working with the young, super-talented musicians. The most difficult part for Herb and myself is watching our students graduate and leave the fold. Though we are very much in touch with many of the students we mentored over the past 16 years we feel the loss. I’m sure you can understand.

This has been “give back” time for Herb and myself and it gives us great satisfaction to have watched the Conservatory of Music at Lynn U. grow to 113 young artists and 26 world class performers on their teaching staff. Truly a labor of love!

John, a practicing lawyer in Tiverton, RI, has won a State Senate election and has been certified by the State Board of Elections as State Senator for District 11. This district encompasses the towns of Portsmouth, Tiverton and Bristol, RI. There are only 38 senators in the RI legislature. Congratulations to John and Barbara.

Marion Drutman has something to “qvell” about too. Her grandson, Jordan, is now an associate producer on the Steven Colbert show on CBS. She tries very hard to stay awake till 12:30 AM to watch the show. Her granddaughter, Makena, is with a well-known advertising company and Nick, the youngest, attends Northwestern University. “ALL IS GOOD”

AS A REMINDER Mar. 22, 2016 – Annual Hampton Community Meeting I have been approached by several residents that are interested in forming a book club. Contact Connie Lamendola (336-4914) if the idea “rocks your boat.”

Susan Spillert is looking for year-round canasta players. Let her know if you want to join a game.

Our annual Hampton Luncheon is scheduled for Sat., Mar. 12, 2016. Last year’s luncheon was a huge success with 71 Hampton residents in attendance. I am looking forward to seeing all of you on that day.

Wishing all of our Irish and non-residents a most Happy St. Patrick’s Day.

By: Vince Marini (Moorings)

Rodney Dangerfield born, Jacob Rodney Cohen on Nov. 22, 1921 in Deer Park, Long Island was the son of Jewish parents, the vaudevillian performer Phil Roy Cohen and Dotty Titelman. Rodney, who left us on Oct. 5, 2004, for the big stage in the sky, was an American stand-up comedian and actor known for his catch phrase, “I don’t get no respect” and his monologue on that theme. His 1980 comedy album, “No Respect,” won a Grammy Award.

If Rodney lived in Aberdeen, there are times he might consider changing his catch phrase to “They don’t show no respect”. The “they” he would be referring to, are the “talking heads.”

I think he’d be talking about the few folks who cannot control the opening and closing of their mouths when someone else is speaking from the Bully Pulpit; whether it be the President of the Board of Directors, a member of the Board, the president of the POA, a member of the POA, the president or Chairperson of a Club or the Leader of a band, or anyone, who at that time, should have the complete attention of the audience, he or she is addressing.

We are referring to being “QUIET” for 10 or 15 minutes, when information being communicated is significant, important or interesting. We suggest “talking heads” show RESPECT for the person talking to them, and the folks who are trying to listen.

“I thought he retired from writing the column.”

I did and I will, however, since there was not enough time for someone to step up and prepare a column for this issue, I will take the opportunity for one last hurrrah!

Hats off to Marilyn Lubell and all the folks who worked so diligently with her, for producing, what turned out to be an OUTSTANDING CELEBRATION of the Moorings 30th Birthday. Kudos to MC Jack Miller, who is terrific whenever he has a mike in his hand. He did a superb job at this party, as did Eileen Hahn, who we can Crown as Mooring’s Historian. Eileen would be the ideal person to by-line future Moorings Matters columns in the Aberdeen Times. What say ye Eileen?

I would be remiss if I signed off without mentioning some folks who contributed mightily to the Moorings’s success as a great community for 30 years. A Tip of the Tam is well deserved for past presidents of the Moorings Board of Directors: Irv Albert, Lew Halley, Edith Steindler and Arthur McDermott.

Ciao, for real this time.

“Aberdeen’s volunteers advocating for Florida’s long-term care residents answer your questions regarding the health, safety, welfare, and rights of residents in long-term care facilities.”

By: Aberdeen’s Certified Long-Term Care Ombudsman: Sam Golden, Pauline Ogus, Ronnie Ostrow and Martin Weissman

Q: My father is in an adult family care home. An old friend of his who lives near the facility visits him regularly. The owner of the facility says that every time the visit is over, my father gets agitated and angry. Can I write a letter to the owner telling him not to let this family member visit with my father?

A: Your father has the right to visit with whomever he chooses, even if the visitor makes him agitated or upset. No one can place limitations on who can or cannot visit your father other than your father himself. If he were not capable of expressing whether or not he desires a particular visitor, the decision would then fall to his Power of Attorney or guardian.

Florida Statute states that visitations for residents of adult family care homes can take place between 9 a.m. and 9 p.m. at a minimum. However, special accommodations can be made if necessary.

Q: When my brother went into an assisted living facility, the administrator said that the facility had to be the one who took care of his money. He was an accountant for over 30 years. Are they allowed to do that?

A: According to the Residents’ Bill of Rights, residents have the right to “manage his/her own financial affairs unless the resident (or the resident’s legal representative) authorizes the administrator of the facility to provide safekeeping for funds.”

If your father has the ability and desire to manage his own money, he should be allowed to do so.

Ms. Stania Rodriquez is the District Ombudsman Manager for Palm Beach County Long-Term Care Ombudsman Program.

To ask for an ombudsman’s assistance, learn more about the program, or to become a volunteer ombudsman, call Stania at the Palm Beach County District Office at 561.837.5038 or toll-free at 1-888- 831-0404.