Vol. 7 No.7 July 1980

A Long-To-Be Remembered FourthWhat a happy coincidence it is that Independence Day falls on the fourth of July,

enabling us to celebrate our national holiday by spending the long summer day in theoutdoors.

In years gone by, after the colorful morning parade, we would go off to picnic ingreen parks or launch a boat on blue waters. We might even attend a baseball game orvisit a fireman's fair. But however much we enjoyed our pleasant daytime activities, itwas the evening that gave us the satisfying climax to this delightful day -- a fireworksdisplay.

With the dark came at last the set pieces, those wonderfully magical pictures thatare the climax of a fireworks show--pinwheels, bicycles, representations of Niagara Falls,battleship silhouettes outlined in colored lights, a burning house complete with firemento put out the fire.

Oos and ah's greeted each new picture and then came the wild burst of applause asthe image of the Stars and Stripes waved in triumph. Finally the crowd gave a

cumulative sigh of satisfaction as they said good-bye to along-to-be remembered Fourth of July and started contentedlyon their way home.

Thanks to Jim Moore and John Mattern, Hawthorne'sJuly 4, 1980, will also be a gala day. The program will startwith the raising of our National Colors outside the clubhouseat 8:30 a.m. Games will take place in the morning until noon.

They will begin with fun contests on the marina lawn, aTurkey Shoot at the shuffleboard courts, a Golf PuttingContest on the greens, and Barnyard Golf at the horseshoepits.

Contestants can rack their brains with Guessing Gamesand The Spelling Bee in the Clubhouse. Also,billiard fans can try their skill.

Afterward a picnic box lunch in the barbecuearea will be a welcome respite before the watergames start around the swimming pool. We hopethis will be another long-to-be-rememberedFourth of July!

- Marie L. Richardson

by Bernice Martin, Program Director

Remember when you were employed andidentified with the company for which you wereworking? You probably attended many cocktailparties and found yourself, cocktail glass in hand,standing in a crowded room of strangers. Thenone of those strangers approached you with theinevitable question: what do you do or whatcompany are you with? Even worse (beforewomen's liberation) what does your husband do,as though a female was not capable of beinganything or doing anything on her own.

Times have not changed drastically. Whenattending gerontological conferences ormeetings, invariably at the first session we areasked to identify ourselves. How is this done? Ofcourse, you have a name tag on so everyoneknows your name. However, social practicedictates that I say, I'm program director atHawthorne-at-Leesburg. If I am at a localmeeting that will suffice; if I'm a distance awaythen I go on to explain that it's an unparalleledadult community and give a brief description.Everyone else does the same thing. Theydescribe the company or organization for whichthey work or give a "job description." Let's notforget we are identifying ourselves. I have evenheard' people describe themselves as "retired."

What a sad commentary this is on our socialsystem. I'm told in other parts of the world this isnot an accepted social practice.

We are talking about identification; a retiredperson should not lose his or her identify. Wenever had it, if in fact we think of ourselves onlyas a "position" with a firm or organization andnot as a unique individual. Let us not think inthose terms, even though politicians and ourgovernment agencies seem to lump all personsover 65 into a category of "certified olderpersons." Under that generalization we can evenlose our individuality if we're not careful.

Henceforth when I attend a meeting and theunusual request is made to "identify ourselves," Ishall respond with, "I'm 5'4" tall, I weigh 125pounds I have short silver hair, I like to swim,garden,' travel and play backgammon. I'mhappily married and, oh yes, just incidentally,I'm program director at Hawthorne."

When you are asked to identify yourself,don't be gUilty of saying the obvious. We are allindividuals and unique personalities.

Wanderlust Strikesat Hawthorne

Never let it be said that a successfulchairman at Hawthorne rests on his laurels. Astriking example of this is Dick Ray, genialChairman of the Hawthorne Travel Club, ablyassisted by co-chairman Charlie Mason. Thesetwo dynamos flanked by their wives Mary andKathryn, who monitor and check the variouslists, have prepared a lineup of trips and cruisesto suit everyone.

On August 22 and 23 a group will bus toSt. Augustine. Holiday Inn will be headquarters.A clambake and a tour of the city make this ashort, easy jaunt to the oldest city in America.

In September a bus trip is planned toCharleston, North Carolina, and Savannah,Georgia, concentrating on points of historicinterest.

October will bring a three day weekend toClearwater. It is still in the planning stages butpromises to be most entertaining.

"Oktoberfest Afloat" will depart October25th with 60-odd Hawthornites aboard for eightdays of fun, Bavarian style. Ports of call includePuerto Plata, St. Thomas, San Juan, and CapHaitiin.

November will feature a Thanksgiving trip toFt. Lauderdale from the 26th to the 28th. BahiaMar Hotel will house the large group expected totake advantage of the attractions offered.

A Christmas Holiday trip to Pinehurst,North Carolina, will provide all the amenities ofthe season plus golfing facilities. The year willend with miles of planning, departures andarrivals at destinations far and near. But 1981looms on the horizon with more exciting trips, sokeep your luggage handy!

-Anna K. Merlino

Penn Notes StaffEditor Elnora BolanAssociate Editor Bernice MartinPhotographers John Tienken,

Don ComunaleStaff Margaret Albro,

Mary Elizabeth Caldwell, Joe Feol,Anna K. Merlino, Roland Mernitz,Marie Richardson, Edith Schipper

Livin' Is Easy"Summertime and the Livin' is Easy" during

the months of June, July and August.Everything slows down in deference to the hotweather. Native Floridians who are used to itsay, "It takes awhile for new residents to becomeacclimated." They realize one must move slower,almost to the point of laziness at times.

The sun rises without fail each morning,quickly dissipating the early morning dew ormist. By noon the streets seem deserted; it's thentime for siestas. By mid-afternoon the rumble ofthe drums of thunder can be heard,accompanied by flashes of lighting and finallytorrents of rain, abating as suddenly as theybegan.

Man, beast and nature are benefited by thecoolness which follows. Evenings are longerduring summer, perfect for sports enthusiasts.The gloriOUS sunsets are appreciated by art

MorningIn your wildest dreams could you imagine

the awe with which you would behold the varietyof texture and richness of color on our earth ifyou had just landed from the moon?

This morning as I opened the drapery andlooked out to greet a new day, I did behold thewonder of it. I saw the brightness of lush greengrass, the lighter green of the candle-like newgrowth on the evergreen trees, the bright colorsof the blossoms of nodding tulips next door andabove it all the light and shadow of fast movingclouds above the pale green of the newly leafingtrees.

This all flashed through my mind in onethrilling, all inclusive glance and it seemscumbersome to use so many words to tell it

At that moment nothing was common oreven familiar. It was sheer delight, new andfresh. I am sure it was God's message for thehealing of my "sometimes" jaded, fragmented,everyday spirit.

There was none of the monotony norhumdrum that at times colors my attitudes. Theview isn't just out of my window, but in theinfinite variety all about us as long as we see ablade of grass, the blossom of a flower or hearthe song of a bird.

Could the "rushing by" (to get "there," nomatter where that is - physical, emotional or justmental gymnastics) be the robber of inspiredliving?

- Mary Elizabeth Caldwell

It's Summerlovers. And it's a relief to know you won't haveto water the lawn every other day. Also we arefortunate indeed to be living in the modern ageof air-conditioning, enabling us to carryon withvery little discomfort.

Some Hawthorne residents habitually departeach summer; to travel to far-away places; visitrelatives or to stay at "second homes" on a lakeor in the mountains. So it means that manyactivities are discontinued.

Of course, our pool is the most popularplace in summer. Bingo Night, card games andthe Saturday night dances at the Clubhouse willcontinue, as well as some bowling leagues andshuffleboard.

The two "big" events always looked forwardto are the 4th of July celebration and the"Vodvil" show, to be held this year on July 29th.

- Margaret Albro

Day of RestThere came on fine Sunday a rap on the

door.We greeted a couple with children galore.They hugged us and kissed us and said we

looked fine.The kids wanted pop and the parents had

wine.

They mentioned it wasn't their favorite labelBut soon it was time to set lunch on the table.Small talk was impossible, what with the

noise.The girls were determined to out-yell the

boys.Our T.V. was turned to a deafening pitchAnd all afternoon we watched "Wanda the

Witch"But finally they said they'd be traveling far,So more hugs and kisses then out to the car.They mentioned some names that we didn't

recall--Aunt Jenny and Denny and Sue's cousin

Paul.They'd tell all the family they saw the

McDillons --It's too late to tell them that we're the

McQuillans.- Ethel McQuillan

Places of Serenity -- Via CanoeShep and Grace Shepard have pursued

their hobby of canoeing for more than a halfcentury. Their paddling has taken them over7,500 miles on 80 different canoe trails in 18states and two Canadian provinces. They'veowned and paddled many canoes, wood,canvas-covered, aluminum, even a 32-footSeminole dugout. In their canoeing they'vedeveloped a world of quiet serenity forthemselves, rapport with nature and a sense ofkinship with habitants of the wilds.

Since coming to Hawthorne, the Shepardshave covered 1,914 miles in their canoe,principally on the Palatlakaha River and LakeHarris. Their paddling here is not a means ofgetting hither and yon, so much as it is a dailyvisit to private worlds of their own.

White SpringsWhite Springs, Florida, just 112 miles north

of Hawthorne, was treasured by Florida Indiansfrom the earliest times. It was here they came torecuperate from wounds of battle and to ease thepains of rheumatism and stiffened joints. Duringthe early 1800's, and through the early part ofthis century, the Springs became famous forhaving curative values. Indians as well as whitescame to the spring for safety as legend saysanyone within the perimeter of blaze markscircling the area was safe from harm.

Today it is the site of the Stephen FosterMemorial which honors the composer of "MyOld Kentucky Home," "Beautiful Dreamer,""Suwannee River," "Darling Clementine," andother songs which captured the hearts ofAmericans.

The Suwannee River begins in the murkywaters of the Okeefenokee Swamp which liesacross the Florida - Georgia border. It curlsaround the high ground where Osceola and hischiefs plotted the Second Seminole War andwhere the Stephen Foster Memorial now stands.

On occasion they will visit a site on LakeHarris which is ringed with tall cypress trees. Ithas a lovely sandy beach. Back in the junglewhich comes nearly to the water's edge, there isa double stand of banana plants, some sportingimmature bananas. The Shepards drift throughthe stately cypress trees and between. cypressknees as they look upwards into the vaultedarch formed by interlacing branches high abovethe water. The quiet and stillness is all-pervasive,a perfect place for contemplation or meditation.In short, they've found a "cathedral" of theirown, fashioned by Mother Nature, and peculiarlytheir own.

On other occassions they will drift silentlyinto a cove past a statuesque sentinel perched ona stump, a large blue heron, who has becomeaccustomed to their presence and pays littleattention to them. At another point Shep willwhistle to his friends, certain ospreys. He andGrace have watched this pair as they built theirnest, hatched their eggs and fed their young.

Sometimes they will drift quietly into a coveto watch the water surface movement. They canoften tell if big fish are pursuing smaller ones, orif an alligator is about to snatch a gallinule or alimpet. There have been times when they'veseen an alligator lunge forward with a hugesplash to clamp jaws onto a large turtle crushingthe hard carapace as though it were eggshell.

Shep speaks of an instance in the marshesat the mouth of the river when a motionless blueheron suddenly exploded into action with loudsquawking to warn all nearby that an alligator,with murder in his heart, was lurking in themarsh grass.

Grace has eyes like an eagle. She spots birdfriends in the tops of trees a mile away. On thevisit to their private domain Grace saw a dozenanhingas resting and preening high in the treetops. The anhinga is usually a loner and notoften seen in the tree tops. Grace assumed it wasthe mating season for this species.

More than birds greet the Shepards as theyvisit their private little havens. As they coursedown the Palatlakaha, riverfront residents have acheery "hello" as a sendoff for their trip to theplaces of serenity.

And Hawthorne also joins in cheery "hello"to these unusual people for The Hawthorne BoatClub has named Shep "Boatman of the Year" asa tribute to his watermanship.

-Joe Feol

and bottom reminding us of a marble columnlying on its side.

Detecting the special touch of Villette and"Mac" Morgan, we learned from them that thedisplay will be changed from time to time tofeature other hand crafts and arts. How fortunatewe are in Hawthorne to have such a wide varietyof talented people willing to share the beautythey create, thus enriching our lives.

- Anna K. Merlino

Something New Has Been AddedWhile awaiting "our turn" in Hawthorne's

Marketing Office we spotted a new display casefilled with beautifully crafted articles, all made byHawthorne residents.

There were works in clay including areligious plaque, two koala bears withmischievous expressions, a plaque depicting aheron poised on a tree branch against the bluesky, two dolphin heads emerging from thewaters, a handsomely glazed pelican, a head ofLincoln, a finely molded wild goose landinglightly in the water, a pyramid and a vase ofmodernistic design. All these clay originals werefrom raw clay slowly manipulated and formedinto the desired object, then fired, stained andglazed until completed.

With woodcarving the craftsman creates anillustration in wood as in a bas-relief, or toaccomplish a sculpture in proper dimension todepict a variety of forms from abstract to realism.We saw a pair of baby shoes complete withlacings, a chain (carved from one piece ofwood), an elephant, a bas-relief of calla lilies,one of mushrooms and apples. Also attractingattention there were free standing two pelicansaffectionately holding bills, a row boat, an oldsea captain, a very expressive elderly manleaning on a cane, a horse defiantly reared onhis hind legs and a modernistic piece with freecircles around a cylinder with square blocks top

The InvasionEver since the play "Harvey" was performed

at Hawthorne there has been an influx of rabbits(real, not imaginary). Although evidently feral,they appear tame as they hop and frolic on thelawns in early morning. They are fascinatinq towatch, especially by animal lovers.

However, the rabbits seem to delight inmunching on the tender leaves of newly plantedflowers, much to the dismay and consternationof "beautiful surroundings" enthusiasts.

As everyone knows, rabbits breed rapidly sotheir population is increasing by leaps andbounds ( no pun intended). In the early days ofHawthorne there was indeed a fox that roamedaround freely for awhile, but since animals atHawthorne are a no-no, the ConservationDepartment finally removed it. Perhaps they cancome to our aid again in this new dilemna.

- Margaret Albro

That Mail Box PartyTwenty friends arrived with considerable

curiosity at our home on June 3. They had beeninvited to a "Mail Box Party." Margie indicatedon the invitations the party was sponsored byUncle Sam and H. E.W.

The guests settled down with refreshmentsas the clock ticked away. Everyone watched forthe mail. At 11:45 a.m. the little green mail truckarrived. The hostess and some of her friendsapproached the mail box which was decoratedwith red, white and blue ribbons.

There were many birthday cards and aspecial little brown envelope from theDepartment of the Treasury, Bureau ofGovernment, Financial Operations Division ofDisbursement. Margie waved this at the crowd,"It's my first Sociable Security Check. I'm 62,and that's why you were all invited to attend aMail Box Party."

She read her cards of congratulations fromvery prominent people, Jimmy Carter andU.S.A. with $500, (Rosey, and Amy sent $1.)Amos Henley sent $5, and G. William Miller,Secretary of Treasury, contributed $100. "Whatgenerosity and thoughtfulness," Margieexclaimed. (It was all play money of course.)

The question arose, "What if the checkhadn't arrived?" That had been taken care oftoo. An official letter from the Secretary ofTreasury stated, "Dear Margie: Here is somegood news and some bad news. The good newsis that the IRS has taken your first check asentertainment tax on your Mail Box Party. All ofus in Washington D.C. are delighted with yourgift which will enable us to balance the nationalbudget and help keep the folks at Hawthornehappy and busy keeping up with our numerousprograms and theirs too."

-Morris Milner

Speakers 'Rest' On Their LaurelsThe Hawthorne Speakers Club gave its final

program for the season in June. The club hasbeen in existence for two years, and themembers are no longer mere fledging speakers.

Tree-Shaded BenchesThe benches in the medians here are a

welcome addition. Exhausted walkers and bikerscan seek surcease on a bench when theybecome tired or warm.

Each bench is placed in a spot dappled withshade from the trees to ensure a view as well ascomfort. They are very sturdy and should wearwell. Many of us will rest our weary bones hereas time goes on.

Fishermen at Lake Fountain near theswimming area have been patiently casting forfish from the bench by the lake. They areprobably relaxing more and hauling in more fish.

Thanks to Hawthorne management andColonial Penn for supplying a need whichenhances the beauty of Hawthorne.

Fascinatin' RhythmsThe Fun Dance in June was a great success

with 200 enthusiastic dancers present. "Kars"Karsner organized the dance for everyone wholikes to dance. Hawthorne is lucky to have"Kars" who is expert in all types of dancing andexercise. He taught at the University of Kentuckybefore coming here.

He presented a variety of rhythms soeveryone was able to take part at the dance.Karsner did the calling for the square dancing,quadrilles, mixers, and round dances. Therewere also ballroom fox trots, cha-chas andwaltzes.

Some of the numbers played were TheMillionaire Cha-Cha, Big Bad Leroy Brown,Rebecca's Round About, Windmill Quadrille,Headcouple Separate, Broken Sixpence, Mr.Saturday Night, Dancing Shadows, June Night,Roses for Elizabeth, The Desert Song, HappinessIs A Waltz, and many other pieces.

Kars is planning several more dances of thiskind for the next few months. At one dance wewill play tunes from the 20's and 30's to whichpeople can listen before the dance. We arelooking forward to a summer of fun!

All have tried their winqs this year to make a 20or 30 minute speech.

Some of the topics were New MedicalBreakthroughs, The Bamboo Stick, TheRomance of Copper, Practices in Education,Backstage at Hawthorne Theatre, NewspaperSlogans and Aerospace Technologies to SolveEveryday Problems.

As a matter of fact, almost everyone in theclub has done a great deal of speaking in thepast, but they enjoy renewing this ability.

An interesting feature of the meeting is theextemporaneous speaking.

Five speakers have been chosen torepresent the club in a presentation at theHawthorne AARP meeting in the fall. They areGeb Gebbler, teacher; Olan Kibler, dentist; JoeFeol, journalist; Al Casano, scientist and GeorgeMcClure, lawyer -- all retired, of course.

Having fun at the Fun Dance were Clyde andMary Sweet.

Roy Nelson, formerly a commercial artist, >exhibited several water colors in the show.

Water colorist Bill Lacy was a Hawthorne entrantin the Cancer Benefit Arts and Crafts Show.

Hawthorne artist Cherus Ullery participated inthe benefit exhibition, showing several of herpaintings.

Arts and Crafts ShowThe Arts and Crafts Show was held at

Hawthorne on June 27 and 28 by The AmericanCancer Society. Artists paid a fee to exhibit theirpaintings and crafts.

Friday night's showing was by invitation onlyto artists and their friends who were entertainedwith a wine and cheese party on the previewnight.

The show was open to the general public onSaturday for an admission charge. The proceedsfrom both days were given for the benefit of theCancer Society.

Artists from around the state exhibited theirwork and a record crowd was attracted. Amongthe Hawthorne residents exhibiting in the benefitevent were Bill Lacy, Roy Nelson, CherusUllery, Jerry Wilson, and John and RitaMoulden.

Midsummer Extravaganza on TapThe latest rumor wafted around Hawthorne

has it that the annual variety show for this yearhas some hilariously funny acts. This midsummerextravaganza is a special show involving thetalented and stage-struck performers here. It isgiven by everyone who likes to ham it up, singand dance, or wear costumes.

The scene behing the stage is intriguing too.All those hard-working technicians, and stagehands do a great deal to make the show asuccess.

The first Vodvil show in 1976 was directedby Dorothy Brachmann, who has been itsproducer and director each summer since. Thatfirst variety show brought out an audience of600. This was the first time so large an audience

had appeared in the Clubhouse. Dot and Dr. K.had optimistically anticipated an audience of300, so the last minute scrambling to drag out300 additional chairs can readily be imagined!

Cycling round for miles, making numberlessphone calls to prospective performers, not to I

mention encouraging the shy and reluctant, arejust part of what Dorothy does before the bignight.

Performers have rehearsals, and morerehearsals. Sign makers create, wardrobe peoplestruggle with costumes. Finally the responsiveaudience is waiting for the curtain to rise. Andbest of all, the ticket price remains unaffected bythe prevailing inflation!

- Martha L. Stewart

Fireworks for the FourthHawthorne resident Dean Russell know a

great deal about the excitement, pleasure andpatriotic fervor engendered by a fireworks show.He also knows how much work goes into thepreparation and production of such a displayand how carefully that work must be done.

When Dean's father retired from business in1938,he bought a lOa-acre farm near Rochester,New York. Farming was not, however, his chief

interest. What did engagehis attention was anavocation he had sharedwith his father beforehim: the designing,making and setting off offireworks. Dean grew upto share his father'sinterest and to help in the

process. Today he recalls with fondremembrance those fireworks-producing days.

They would start working on the Fourth ofJuly spectacle in August. They decided whatmaterials they would need for the following year.Then they sent off their order to the ImperialFireworks Company in Yokahama, Japan. Thesupplies came late in January.

The raw material for fireworks is notexpensive, the basic ingredients being blackgunpowder, brown paper to be made intovarious types of containers, and string which ismoistened and rolled in powder to form fuses.Chemicals are used to produce the reds, greens,and blues of the displays. Great care must beused in handling the explosive material, makingproduction slow and painstaking. Dean wasburned only once during the many years hehelped in this fascinating but dangerous hobby.

The Fourth of July fireworks were shown inFireworks Valley, a natural amphitheater on theRussell property. After fireworks were banned byNew York State it was necessary to obtain alicense to hold a show. The names of thoselicensed appeared in the local newspaper, and asa consequence about 5,000 spectators wouldappear at the Russell Fireworks Valley, causingtraffic congestion that necessitated the presenceof the sheriff, deputy sheriffs and state troopers.

As the evening dusk approached, theentertainment started with the release of roundballs which ascended to 1, 000 feet. There theywould open to set free a variety of toy figures.The figures, fish, donkeys, lighthouses andpeople, were made in Japan of colored rice

paper stitched by hand. As they floated to earthin the lingering twilight, children ran excitedlyfrom spot to spot to catch and keep them.

Red, white and blue hot air balloons werealso sent off into the sky, carrying glowing coalsof fire. For these a ball of excelsior was soakedfor a week in paraffin and then attached to theballoon with an asbestos chimney to prevent thefire from burning up the balloon. When theparaffin was ignited, the balloons soared awayand sailed through the darkening sky for severalhours before the fire died out.

Old GloryAt any place, in any land, on any ship at seaNo other flag in all this world

could mean so much to me.It leads parades on holidays

and waves to all the crowd.It thrills the youngest wide-eyed tot,

the oldest Vet so proud.In stadiums across the land

it soars above the dinTo comfort those who taste defeat

and cheer the ones who win.When presidents and statesmen die,

their times on earth too brief,Our dear flag drops to half its staff

and bows its head in grief.It mourns the men who gave their lives,

whose hearts were young and brave.It drapes the soldier's final rest

and marks the hero's grave.So as we pledge allegiance to this flag

we hold so dear.Remember those who gave their lives

to banish want and fear.Let's keep our land forever free,

give what we have to give,And strive to keep America

The place we love to live.- Ethel McQuillan