February was an active month in our community and we want to share all the events with you.

Hopefully, everyone enjoyed Valentine’s Day and remembered their loved ones. Gloria Ek was fortunate to have her son, Curtis, visit. We always count our blessings when family comes. We would like to take this opportunity to thank Gloria Ek for serving as our community communication liaison via e-mail. She also deserves accolades for her involvement in the COP program for these many years. Thank you, Gloria.

We held our annual meeting on 2/16 and the following residents were elected to our board: Greg Van Brunt-Pres., Steven Ledewitz – V. Pres., Allan Nash- Treas., Howard Weiss-Sec. and David Kennedy-POA rep. We wish our board good luck as it tackles the is-sues to help Waterford flourish.

Greg Van Brunt, Pres., would like all residents who have any concerns to call Amy Higgins, APM(561-588-7210 ext. 216) or e-mail her at: [email protected]. She will endeavor to resolve the problem within a 24-hour period. She will also be at the front entrance office, at the gate, every Thurs., 1-3PM.

A big “thank you” to Sidell Levine, Chair, Bernice Friedman, Susan Farber, Karen Rabinowitz, Cathy Goldenberg, Gloria Ek, Pam Koles, Carolyn Ruston and David Kennedy, our social committee, for an excellent pool party on Sun., Feb. 21, catered by Chef Costco.

The food was delicious, the multiple tables and chairs offered a cafe atmosphere and neighbors were happy to share the latest news and gossip with one another. On a sad note, Cathy and Rod Goldenberg are mourning the loss of Cathy’s father, Gaetano Ro-mano, after a long illness. Mr. Romano died of Feb. 25th surrounded by his loving family.

Jack Shilling was feeling poorly but is doing much better, Marilyn Miller, daughter of Gloria, had a fall and is walking around with her arm in a sling and Angela Laskowitz required stitches in her arm from a fall she had as well. Best wishes for a speedy recovery to all.

Please keep us informed of events in your life so that we can share you news with your friends and neighbors.

Our best wishes for a happy St. Patrick’s Day, Easter and Purim.

The theme of this column came to mind recently when I went through some personal disappointments and found myself crying over them. I have cried over many serious losses in my life, but not over some-thing like lost opportunity or regret. Where was the strength I thought I had! And while I chided myself for foolish behavior, the tears flowed. Big revelation; I felt better back in control, hopeful and ready for a second beginning. Conclusion? It is all right to cry – and that applies to men and women.

Misconceptions about crying is that it is a sign of weakness. Crying is stigmatized by both sexes. If she cries it’s because she is unstable or weak or seeks at-tention. If he cries he’s a wimp, a pansy, or not manly enough. These generalizations encourage both sexes to submerge and cover up their feelings.

People who ignore sadness, pain, insult, fear, even overwhelming joy and pride, cheat themselves of an important facet of life. Crying isn’t a sign of weakness; it’s a sign that you are human and mindful.

According to an article in the January 2016 “Centenniel Quill,” crying has several positive effects:

Tears remove toxins that build up from stress.

Crying can elevate mood. It lowers a person’s manganese level. Manganese causes emotional disturbance: anxiety, nervousness, aggression.

Crying lowers stress. Suppressing tears contributes to high blood pressure, heart problems, and pep-tic ulcers – all stress-related illnesses.

Tears release feelings. They release negative emotions as well as happy, joyous ones. They drain the overflow, and create a more stable emotional state of mind.

Crying is therapeutic. It stimulates our brain’s endorphin release, the “feel good” hormones that act as a natural pain killer.

Crying helps you connect with others. Being vulnerable is the best way to connect with a partner,  friend, or group. The ones who matter will appreciate how up front you are.

Weeping helps you accept a loss. Losing a family member, friend, partner, or even a pet is one of the worst things a person can go through. Words often do not suffice. But time with dear friends and family do.

Some quotes on the subject:
* “Tears speak more eloquently than ten thousand tongues. They are messengers of overwhelming grief, of deep contrition, and unspeakable love.”

* “Tears are the words my heart uses to explain whenever my smile can’t cover my pain.”

* “Perhaps our eyes need to be washed so that we can see life with a clearer view.”

* “God didn’t promise days without pain, laughter without sorrow, sun without rain. God did promise tears, strength, and good friends to give us com-fort.”

* “Ever had a memory sneak out of your eyes and roll down your cheeks?”

* “The deep sorrow or great joy that has no vent in tears may make other organs weep.”

* “When you were born you cried. And the world rejoiced while your mother shed tears of joy.”

What is for dinner? A question we hear or ask just about every day.

What is for dinner? What if you did not know where your next meal was coming from. What if you did not have warm clothes, blankets or air conditioning for those very hot Summer days!

What if your children and elderly parents went to bed hungry each day!

As we live and enjoy our life in Aberdeen, hundreds or perhaps thousands of people living close by in our town of Boynton Beach are without food and a place to live. Less than 2 miles from our homes, down Boynton Beach Boulevard is the Soup Kitchen of Boynton Beach. Many of our neighbors and friends are consistent volunteers there.

Dee started volunteering there three years ago. When her husband Ed, saw how good Dee felt helping these families and individuals, he started volunteering once a week as well.

Living in the middle of such affluence we sometimes forget that not everyone is so fortunate. Ed refers to what they do as a “Stress Buster.” Now Fred and Linda have also started to help. Many others followed.

Local businesses are very helpful by donating food items, clothes, blankets, and much needed funds. The Sun Sentinel reported a study that shows the benefit of helping others less fortunate, often having lower rates of depression and higher level of physical wellbeing.

The next time you are asked what is for dinner think of what you can do to help your less fortunate neighbors as well.

If you are interested to talking to Dee and Ed email me and I will put you in touch … judit.unger7@ gmail.com.

The Club is always initiating a few new and en-gaging activities for its members. Recently COLOR WAR attracted the enthusiastic participation of 400+ members in innumerable events over 3 weeks, end-ing with a super reception and closing ceremony. Coming early next month ABERDEEN ON STAGE will be presenting “The Best of Times!”, a musical Broadway review in the 60s, 70s and 80s, performed with our own talented club members. Last year’s performances were sold out and we expect the same results this year. We look forward to seeing more productions by ABERDEEN ON STAGE in the near future.

Have you heard of Aberdeen’s DANCING WITH THE STARS? You must have! It was the newest fun event at the Club. Three male club members and three female club members, were selected as novices on the dance floor. They volunteered to take months of dance lessons from professionals and then to dem-onstrate their dancing at the Club event with their professional teacher/partners for the coveted “Mirror Ball Trophy.” We will give you the results in our next issue.

Despite the constant bickering and disagreements on television, in our newspapers and the internet about the national political scene, here at the Club peace reigns this time of year when an election is held for positions on our Board of Directors. This year three candidates were elected, to wit: Richard Haar and Jay Levine were reelected and David Hollander was elected. Congratulations with our best wishes for success!

What else has been happening at the Club lately? Club activities have been as busy as ever. Some of the activities not mentioned previously include the Ladies’ Golf Member/Guest Tournament (one of the most successful), followed by the Men’s Golf Member/Guest Tournament and the conclusion of the Adam & Eve Golf Club Championship. Both of the Member/Guest Tournaments were presented mag-nificently.

Tennis members had the St. Patrick”s Tennis mix-er and Round Robin. The Club held a Table Games Fair to assist members to learn or refresh game skills in various card games. The Lynn U. Conservatory of Music held its annual Concert at Aberdeen again with its ever-talented musicians in another exciting evening of fine music. “Play for Pink” Day with golf, tennis and cards dedicated to Breast Cancer Aware-ness held in February with fantastic participation by our members was the most successful charitable event ever held at the Club!

Late March and April bring the Easter Egg Hunt and an Easter Extravaganza Dinner and the celebration of Passover with a Seder Dinner. Another Show-time Series will be presented with Jimmy Keys entertaining. The Men’s Golf Club Championship and the Women’s Golf Club Championship Tournament swill be started with the Finals to be completed. The Women’s Closing Day and the Men’s Closing Day Tournaments are also scheduled for April. For Tennis players the Battle of the Sexes will be followed by an Exhibition BBQ at the Beach Entry Pool. Clubs and Classes will be continued.

For anyone interested in joining us at the Club, call our Director of Membership, Rose Cizner, at the Club office at 738- 4903, ext 325.

So it’s March and before we know it one quarter of this year will be behind us. There’s much to do this month, including tax preparation. Therefore, we should all take the time to be grateful for so many people and things that have taken place in our lives to date.

To start, let me (if I have not already done it,) welcome Cathy and Mike Andrasko to Dorchester. If you haven’t met them, take the time to do so. Other pluses included Iris and Saul Levine becoming the warm and fun spot for lots of company from NY and CT. While the LeVines were busy with company, Harvey and I were busy cruising to the islands and Harvey was celebrating another fabulous birthday with family and friends. “Birthdays are good for you: the more you have the longer you live.” We are celebrating 56 years of making each other feel so special. Can’t ask for more than that! In our family, our daughter, Tracy Beckerman, humor columnist and author will be chairing the Erma Bombeck conference for writers from all over the country. It is quite the event each year.

We would like to take the time to wish Rita Zide a complete get-well and to Maxine Bender, who also had some surgery. Alan Katcher, hope your shoulder is on the mend. They miss you on the golf course.

March brings along the annual meeting of the Dorchester HOA. It is at that time that we will hold our election of officers for the coming year. It is our hope that we will have a large turnout and lots of people who want to participate in continuing to make this a wonderful Aberdeen community in which to live. We will keep you updated as to the results of this election.

Well, as we go through a period of gray skies and lower than usual temperature, which affects our dispositions, we need to remember: “You may be only one person in this world, but you may also be the world to one person.” So enjoy every day

This has been a very difficult time for me. My husband of 56 years, Stan Hyman, passed away. He was a “most happy fella” and a man with a love of people and animals. I thank, with my whole heart, all my friends and neighbors who have been there for me and my family.

Now for Sterling news: Happy Birthday to Ruth Rabinowitz, Sheila Hyman (me), Carol Finkel and Dot Shaker. We are not all the same age, just the same month.

I am sorry to report that Fran and Robert Lovett lost Fran’s father. They had to fly north for burial, but they are back at home now. I think we have had enough sadness in our community. We now need some happy news. If you have any happy news (or news) kindly e-mail me at [email protected].

Take if from one who knows!

Aging is inevitable, intractable, and for some, frightening! It is a fact of life that needs to be dealt with; some of us do that better than others. For those who deal with it as “a state of mind,” aging opens doors to new experiences, new views of the world, opportunities to accomplish things never tried before, new friends, a fresh start … For those, for example, who become solitary, vegetate in the solitude of their homes after losing a spouse, who refuse comfort or support or advice, life can easily become a trial rather than a triumph. We are given a choice … move, create, become productive, or wither on the vine. The choice is yours to make!

“This is a new phenomenon. I’m seeing a new breed of people living with vitality at such old ages,” said Gropper, who remains just as vital herself.

A writer, teacher and the former director of the Center for Lifetime Learning at Palm Beach Community College (now Palm Beach State College), Gropper started taking notes on the seniors at her Lantana assisted-living facility who remain vibrant and engaged with the world.

She has a few rules for inspirational aging. Above all, she said, try to view the inevitable losses of aging through a prism of optimism, curiosity and humor.

Here are some more:

Find companionship. “Loneliness is a huge problem in old age,” said Gropper. If you don’t live in a group setting, you have to make an extra effort to find friends through a senior center, library group or religious organization.

Exercise the body every day. Gropper walks whenever she can and takes a yoga class three times a week.

Use your brain. “The greatest fear among seniors is not being able to function mentally,” she said. So she and her neighbors go to lectures, concerts and the theater. “After, hold discussion groups and talk about what you’ve seen,” she said.

Keep your sense of humor. At this age, life is tenuous, but “we can afford to laugh,” Gropper said. “Sometimes, we have to see the humor in a situation or sit down and cry, but a quick quip or witty remark is a good defense against depression.”

Plan your day, every day. Filling the day is a great challenge for people at this stage of life, but having the time to explore new adventures is a bless-ing. Get out of the house as much as possible. “You can have a fuller life than when you were younger because your time is your own now. If you’re not feeling well, get yourself to a comfy chair and read something uplifting.”

But I want to go one step further … I want to pro-mote the use of your brain power to make your older years exciting and interesting and rewarding. Many of us had high level, successful, productive careers before we retired; at the very least, even if that was not so, we came to retirement after many good years. My aim is now to give back, to be as useful and hard-working as I was when I worked … to have people see me perform, not “as good as someone my age,” but as someone who is respected as doing a damn good job. And doing that job (or jobs) … thinking, analyzing, organizing, listening, presenting … keeps the brain alert. That, to me, is the secret of the aging process. Go out and do something that will stimulate that brain. Volunteer at a meaningful site, join clubs and organizations and take active roles in them, enroll in adult classes, teach your skills to others (knitting, photography, creative writing, computers, etc., whatever you were great at in your former life). Get on a committee, go to meetings, write a book, put together a volume of poems or recipes, start a social – group. How about writing a column for the Aberdeen Times! The point is, you must use your brain to keep it alive and healthy … it will even help overcome some of the physical problems that beset us.

To everyone, best wishes for a happy holiday season and a healthy New Year.

Every year about this time an election is held for positions on the Club’s Board of Directors. The board makes the policies and rules governing the activities of the Club, whereas the General Manager and his staff implement those policies and rules throughout the year. This year has been no exception. The board has worked tirelessly throughout the year to make the Club the outstanding country club it is today for which we are all grateful. But the composition of the Board is always subject to change for one reason or another. Last month there were five outstanding candidates for three board positions, some running for reelection and all with new ideas and goals for the Club. Voting took place during the month of February. The successful candidates will be joining the board, a board that has been creative and forward-looking to successfully attract new members to our Club. They will be devoting their full time to Club matters on an almost daily basis, sacrificing their personal time to effectuate the enhancement of the Club in all respects. Results of the vote when known will be forthcoming.

What a beautiful season we are having at Aberdeen with the weather up north being so wintry with snow, icy roads and cold winds. Of course we have not experienced near-perfect weather, but what we have had here is relatively good. Everything is popping at the Club; our members have been enjoying a variety of activities that are so easily accessible. The outstanding activity last month and ending early February has been the Aberdeen second Color War, participated in by about 400 + members. It offered friendly competition, teamwork, community spirit and good sportsmanship. Careful planning was evident with activity levels divided for gentle, moderate and very active games with card games, bocce, apache relay, swimming, volleyball, dodge ball, tennis and golf events. Color War started with a torch-lighting ceremony and ended with a closing ceremony dinner. Congratulations to all our participants! Gold won the SING but black won the WAR!

What else did we do last month at the Club? We might have attended the Super Bowl Dinner Party to watch two of the NFL’s finest teams fight it out between Carolina and Denver. The Ladies’ Bridge Member Guest Tournament was followed by the popular Sweetheart Bridge Tournament and the Valentine’s Day Dinner Dance with Center Stage playing. “Play for Pink Day” with separate tournaments for golfers, tennis players and card players engaged members in a multitude of activities for Breast Cancer Awareness Day to financially support Breast Cancer research with very successful results. The novel Adam and Eve Club Championships for full Golf Members and for Limited Play members and the Aberdeen Cup and a Mixed Doubles for tennis members were planned. Family Bingo Night preceded by dinner was a success as always. Showtime with The Turnstiles was presented featuring the ultimate tribute to the exciting music of Billy Joel. In the latter part of the month, the Club held an Open House for all Club members to celebrate a recent important victory for the Club. Also in the latter part of February, another Children’s Holiday Activities Week was held with golf clinics, tennis clinics, game room games, movies and ping pong for resident and visiting young children.

Scheduled for March are the Annual Men’s Golf Member/Guest Tournament and the Ladies’ Member/Guest Golf Tournament well as the Adam & Eve Club Championship Finals. Tennis players will play in the St. Patrick’s Day Mixer Round Robin. A much-heralded event will be “Dancing with the Aberdeen Stars”, with club members being required to participate for months in professional dance training at a Boca dance studio with private dance lessons in preparation for the March event. Sounds interesting? The Table Games Fair has been rescheduled for early March for current card players or other to learn games for a fun day at the Club. A new Singles group has been formed at Aberdeen. Again we welcome the Lynn U. Conservatory of Music Concert with its talented musicians for a performance at the Club open to all Aberdeen residents and their guests. Rounding out the month’s activities will be the Easter Egg Hunt and the Easter Dinner Extravaganza. And wait until you hear about April’s events in the next issue!

You can readily see why we are all so busy and happy here. For anyone who would like to join us, call and speak to our Director of Membership, Rose Cizner, at 738-4903, ext. 325 for further information.

As I sit down to write this, my final Ashford App, I would like to thank all of you who have read my column over the past few years, and also for the lovely comments many of you have given to me about it. I’ve really enjoyed sharing both my news and that of your neighbors. It’s been an absolute honor and a pleasure. I wish Leah all the best as she takes over from me, and I know I’m going to enjoy reading her contributions every month.

Our house here was sold much sooner than we anticipated, and by the time you read this, Chris and I will have moved into our half-finished home in Sheffield. Much work has already gone into the renovations, but there’s still a lot more to do, and for a while we won’t have a kitchen, which some women might consider a blessing. I guess I’m about to find out the joys of not slaving over a hot stove. Anyway, as long as I have my bedroom, laundry, and bathroom, complete with hair dryer, I think I’ll cope for a short while at least. I’ll probably be spending my days shoveling sawdust and passing tools up to the ‘worker.’

I’m looking out of my window at Mr. A our resident alligator, sunbathing in his reserved spot over at Waterford. He seems recently to have been joined in the lake by 2 other pals, one of whom just cruised past whilst we were eating lunch in the lanai. I’m really going to miss seeing these prehistoric creatures on an everyday basis and also the bevy of beautiful birds who often show up for a photo shoot. Miss Rosy Spoonbill arrived here for the season, flaunting her gorgeous pink outfit. She looked a bit lonely and even shy at first, but soon made friends with the Ibis family and had a long chat with Woody Wood Stork, probably about club rules. In fact the other day, there was a big bird convention with literally dozens of birds all congregated on the lawn. Maybe they were holding elections for Mayor of Ashford. I’d say there was no contest at all. Mr. GBH, great blue heron, was sure to win, as he’s obviously the boss around here.

The Color War dinner was a lot of fun, and I was very honored to be asked to play piano for the Gold Team’s song. Well done to them for winning, and congratulations to the Black Team for winning overall and taking the cup. The spirit of sportsmanship and camaraderie here at Aberdeen is really wonderful. I couldn’t think of a better place to live. We’re all so very fortunate.

Thank you all for your good wishes as we move over to Sheffield. It’s going to be a rather challenging period, as our son and family arrive to stay for 4 nights the weekend before we have to move out on the Thursday. They’d already booked their tickets before our house was sold, and plan to go on to Disney as a birthday treat for little Max who turns 5 on Feb. 15th. I’m trying to stay cool, calm and collected as I methodically go through our belongings, deciding what to pack in boxes and what can be donated to the VVA. It’s quite a task, as I’m sure you all know from past experience, but we all get through it.

I received this e-mail from Leah Keitz, your new News Reporter:

“Hello Ashford:

As Sylvia and Chris leave our wonderful village shortly to settle into another, we wish them the best of life in their new home. Of course we are sad that they are leaving here but know that we will still see them in our Aberdeen community. Good luck Sylvia and Chris.

Though a hard act to follow, Sylvia passes the baton on to me as the Ashford reporter for the Aberdeen Times.

My email is [email protected]. Feel free to send your news as of Mar. 1 for inclusion in the April issue.

Looking forward to hearing from you.

Sincerely,

Leah Keitz”

Congratulations to George and Lillian Spiro who celebrated their 73rd anniversary with friends and family on Feb. 7th. George was 19 and Lil was just 18 when they were married in 1943. George went into active service soon after, and the newlyweds were apart for 2 years. When I said that I’d never known anyone who’d been married for so many years, George replied. “Oh yeah, and we’re still shooting for a few more.” That’s the spirit! I’m sure that we all wish this lovely couple lots of good health and happiness for many more years together.

The new owners of 7215 Ashford Lane are Bruce and Sharon Sussman from Westchester County NY, and we wish them much happiness in their new home.

We congratulate our Board of Directors Committees for 2016, and thank them all for the excellent job that they do to keep Ashford running so smoothly and to such a high standard.

Well all that remains is for me to sign off and say that it’s been wonderful to be part of the Ashford community. Almost 5 years ago, you welcomed Chris and myself with open arms as ‘sunbirds’ from South Africa, in spite of our strange accent. We’ve had some really fun times together and made many good friends. Fortunately, we won’t be far away and I know we’ll see many of you at the club from time to time. Thank you so much for all for the kindness shown to us whilst we’ve been living here. I’ll never forget dear Irving Breiter who was president at the time, calling round to welcome us to Ashford on the day we moved in, bearing the traditional Jewish housewarming gift of bread, salt, sugar and a few coins. I’m still using the salt. As my parting shot, here’s a quote from Miss Amelia Earhart, “A single act of kindness throws out roots in all directions and the roots spring up and make new trees.” The Nobel Laureate, Isaac Bashevis Singer, who was a resident of Surfside, FL, also had something to say on this important subject, “Kindness I’ve discovered, is everything in life.” Such true and wise words. Have a great month of March!

Two important events have recently determined the officers for the Turnberry Isle Board of Directors and the Turnberry Isle Women’s Club. The annual meeting for our neighborhood was held in January to elect officers and inform the community of our continuing efforts to keep us healthy as an HOA. Two informative presentations were made at this meeting. Deputy John Ledford gave us tips on keeping ourselves and our properties safe. He was an excellent speaker with valuable information, presented in a friendly, engaging speech. We were also fortunate to hear from Elise Brown from the Palm Beach County Fire Department. As a paramedic, she gave us information on the Vial of Life and Yellow Dot programs. If you missed the meeting, all of this information can be obtained from the PBC Fire Department.

Following the business meeting and officers’ reports, the annual election of officers was held. The board members for 2016 are as follows: President, Larry Aronow; Vice President, Shelly Kamilow; Treasurer, Rosanne Abelles; and Secretary, Lynn Fernandez. Sam Klein will continue as POA representative and landscape chair. Rosanne Abeles and Sherry Morris will again represent Turnberry on the Fairway Lakes Drive Board of Directors. We also welcome Jerry Green to our Board as a new director. Thanks were given to Rick Finn, as long-time director, he is moving to Chicago. He will be missed. Also leaving the board is Jason Bolen, who served as Compliance Chair for the past 4 years. Many thanks to those who have served and to those who continue to serve.

Earlier in January, the Women’s Club held their very special installation luncheon at Benvenuto. In addition to good food and a beautifully decorated venue, the afternoon’s entertainment was provided by Ray and the Raylettes–a Motown style singer accompanied by his 2 young (and precious) daughters. They received a very enthusiastic response from our members.

Installed as officers at this luncheon were President, Anita Ostrow; VP of Functions, Barbara Pearlman; VP of Membership, Diane Mallow; VP of Programs, Maureen Kilar; Treasurer, Pat Cohen and Co-Secretaries, Maureen Kilar and Carole McRonald. Board members-at-large are Joyce Meltz, Good and Welfare; Sheila Van Wyk, Philanthropy and Mitzi Brown.

Book Club met in January to discuss Joshua: A Brooklyn Tale by Andrea Kane. Ably facilitated by Regina Green, the meeting was held at Barbara Pearlman’s home. Penny Altman was both facilitator and hostess for our February gathering and discussion of A Man Called Ove by Fredrik Backman. We can always count on Penny to bring her well-researched, knowledgeable perspective to any discussion.

Thanks to all those dedicated members who have kept this group together for seventeen years. Regina Green is the present chair, and we appreciate her leadership.

Finally, the list of activities continues with the Women’s Club visit to the Weiner Museum in February, chaired by Sandy Fisher. Next month’s article will detail that trip. We are currently gearing up for the annual Progressive Luncheon, planned for Mar. 9. Pat Cohen is chairing this event, which promises to be bigger and better than ever.