Welcome!

Sign up for membership in the Academy for Lifetime Learning by paying the $25 per semester membership fee. This fee entitles you to sign up for as many courses as you like, but please read the schedule carefully as class times sometimes overlap.
Register early, as classes fill up quickly. You will be notified by e-mail that you are enrolled. If a course that you want to take is full, you can sign up to be placed on a waiting list. Should a spot later become available for you, you will be contacted to see if you are still interested in taking the class.
If you register and then find you cannot attend, please notify the Registrar so that the seat can be made available for another member.
You can register here or by mail.
Some classes have an additional fee for materials and/or facility use. These fees are shown in the class description. In such cases, add the additional fee(s) to the $25 semester membership fee and pay the total amount with your registration. For example: $25 semester membership fee plus materials/facility use fee(s) totaling $20 would be a total payment due of $45. Your registration is not complete until total payment is received, so if the roster fills with additional paid registrations before your check is received, you will be moved to the waiting list.
You can browse through the courses below or download a PDF of the course descriptions here.
Thank you for your interest in the Academy for Lifetime Learning.

2023 Fall Semester Course Catalog

(Click on any category or class title in the list below to go directly to that item in the catalog.)

SATISFYING YOUR ARTISTIC APPETITE

Beginner Knitting
Instructor: Nancy Stairs (na ncystairs57@gmail.com)

Students will learn knitting vocabulary, basic stitches, and how to read knitting patterns.

Four Sessions: Tuesdays, September 12, 19, 26, and October 3, 10:00 a.m. – Noon
Location: Franktown United Methodist Church, 7551 Bayside Rd., Franktown
Materials Needed: Participants will need to bring knitting needles size 7, 8, or 9 (best for a beginner) and a skein of inexpensive yarn. Nancy will have small amounts of yarn available for practice.
Class Limits: Minimum 4, Maximum 6

Nancy Stairs is a basic knitter who learned to knit in 1967 at a yarn shop in Cortland, NY. She has made sweaters, hats, scarves, and jackets. She prefers less complicated patterns that do not require charts.

Bite-Sized Book Club
Instructor: MaryKay Mulligan (grammarrules@verzon.net)

Too busy for a long book? Join a book club that reads short stories. We will read two or three short stories a week to analyze, react, and enjoy.

Five Sessions: Fridays, October 13, 20, 27, and November 3 and 10, 1:30 – 3:00 p.m.
Location: Commonwealth Senior Living, North St., Onancock
Materials Needed: Best American Short Stories of 2022, edited by Andrew Greer. The book is available online and at the Book Bin. The class used the first half of the book in the spring semester.
Class Limits: Minimum 5, Maximum 10

MaryKay Mulligan Is a reader, a writer, a teacher, and a sociologist. She loves words.

Discovering Your Own Voice
Instructor: Whit (Scott Whitaker) (esteph20@gmail.com)

Students interested in creative writing will participate in workshops designed to strengthen, challenge, and unpack your writing, whatever the genre or content. Writers of all experience levels are welcome.

Six Sessions: Wednesdays, September 6, 13, 20, 27, and October 4 and 11, 4:00 – 5:30 p.m.
Location: Eastern Shore Community College
Note: Students should have a positive attitude, access to email, a computer or word processor, and a writing utensil.
Class Limits: Minimum 5, Maximum 9

Whit is a writer from Virginia whose work has been published in Michigan Quarterly Review, Beestung, Conjunctions, and other places. They are a member of the National Book Critics Circle and an educator. Their novel of weird fiction, Mulch, is available from Montag Press.

Fabulous French Film
Instructor: Peggy Swan (peggyswan@verizon.net)

The group will watch a French Film, Intouchables, a 2011 comedy-drama with English subtitles, followed by a discussion after the movie. The film is about the relationship between a handsome, wealthy quadriplegic man (Francois Cluzet) and his ex-con caregiver. It is based on a true story.

The instructor will give some background so students will understand the start of the film and point out some French expressions of particular interest. Students can ask to pause the film to ask a question or for clarification.

One Session: Tuesday, October 10, 10:00 a.m. – 12:30 p.m.
Location: Instructor’s home near Onancock. Directions will be emailed to participants before the session.
Class Limits: Minimum 4, Maximum 7

Peggy Swan is a former French teacher and a current licensed counselor who loves everything French and any topic of psychological interest.

Music and Art from the Baroque:1600-1750
Instructor: Lee Jordan-Anders (ljordananders@gmail.com)

This class will explore some of the common elements in music and art from the Baroque period (Session 1), then look specifically at instrumental music (Session 2), keyboard music (Session 3), and vocal music (Session 4) from the era. Each class session will include both a broad survey of the topic as well as a closer, more in-depth look at one work of art and one piece of music.

Four Sessions: Fridays, October 6,13, 20, 27, 10:45 a.m. – 12:15 p.m.
Location: Eastern Shore Community College
Class Limits: Minimum 8, Maximum 20

Pianist Lee Jordan-Anders is Professor of Music and Artist-in-Residence Emeritus at Virginia Wesleyan University in Norfolk, VA, where she served on the faculty for 29 years, teaching classes in aesthetics, listening, music theory, chamber music, and applied piano. Lee was the Music Director and Conductor of the Orchestra of the Eastern Shore from 2009 to 2014 and taught at the Governor’s School for the Arts in Norfolk from 2014 until 2019. She continues to perform frequently both as a soloist and collaborating pianist.

Photography: Take Control of Your Digital Camera
Instructor: Helen Putre (hputre2@gmail.com)

You set your digital camera to Auto because all those dials, buttons, and menus are mysterious and daunting. Usually you’re satisfied with the results, but sometimes the picture you get isn’t at all what you were hoping for.

Is that a description of the relationship between you and your digital camera? If it is, then this course can take you off Auto and teach you to use the controls on your camera to put you, not the camera, in charge of the photographic process and the results.

Four Sessions: Tuesdays, October 10, 17, 24, and 31, 2:00 – 3:30 p,m.
Location: Northampton Free Library, 7745 Seaside Rd., Nassawadox
Materials needed: Students should bring their digital camera and, if possible, its manual.
Note: This course focuses on digital DSLRs and mirrorless cameras. It does NOT cover cell phones or film photography.
Class Limits: Minimum 2, Maximum 6

Helen Putre has been fooling around with cameras since she was a teenager, but she didn’t become serious about photography until a little over10 years ago when she inherited a fancy DSLR and didn’t know anything about it except how to turn it on and push the shutter button. Since then, she’s learned a lot both from other, more experienced photographers and from a lot of experimentation and practice with her camera. She enjoys sharing what she’s learned and helping others to expand their own photographic horizons.

Fun with Watercolor
Instructor: Susan McGuire (susan.mc q uire1@icloud.com)

Let’s debunk the myth that watercolor is hard! Together we will put paint and water on paper with a brush and turn out magnificent work that is all your own. After four weeks you will gain the confidence to continue on your own with great results. It’s all up to you.

Four Sessions: Thursday, September 14, 21, 28, and October 5, 10:00 a.m. – Noon
Location: Room 104, Historic Onancock School, 6 College Ave., Onancock
Materials Fee: $45 (Add to your $25 semester membership fee and include with your total payment.)
Additional materials needed: Bring masking tape, a gaterboard or cardboard piece about 16″×20” to use as a board, a clear plastic or glass jar (about large peanut butter size), and a roll of paper towels.
Note: As the information is progressive and cumulative, the instructor asks that you please not register if you cannot attend all four sessions. Taking the time to catch people up to speed is not fair to the others.
Class Limits: Minimum 8, Maximum 10

Susan McGuire has been painting for more than 30 years, taking many courses over that time. She exhibits and sells her watercolors locally and online.

Wax Worx
Instructor: Guy Shover (Guyshover3@gmail.com)

Guy Shover will guide students through one of the first steps of his method of getting to a Bronze sculpture: working and sculpting with wax. Students will create a small wax sculpture and get a brief introduction on how the lost wax process works.

Four Sessions: Mondays, September 18, 25, October 2, and 9, 9:00 – 11:00 a.m.
Location: Studio 109, Historic Onancock School, 6 College Ave., Onancock
Materials: Instructor will provide all the materials.
Note: Wear clothes which you are willing to get dirty.
Class Limits: Minimum 3, Maximum 5

Guy Shover has been working with wax since 1989. He has mastered the method of casting wax and uses it as his primary sculpting medium for making maquettes in various sizes which later will be cast in bronze through the lost wax method. He is the Master Patineur at Turner Sculpture in Melfa, VA.

Studio Visit: Chatham Flower Farm & Milby Barn Studio
Instructor: Kate Fitzpatrick (chathamfarm1770@outlook.com)

Visit a working artist’s studio! Kate works primarily in oil and watercolor. She can take the students from the start of a watercolor piece en plein air to small oil studies or a much larger final painting.

Milby Barn (1891) is a historic building that has been renovated to accommodate the Fitzpatricks’ specialty cut flower business, events, and art shows, including the Eastern Shore of Virginia Artisans Guild Tour. Chatham Flower Farm is a working farm with history dating back to 1679. The home is dated from 1690 to 1820. It is an important piece of history for the Shore and the town of Pungoteague.

One Session: Thursday, September 21, 1:00 p.m.
Location: Chatham Flower Farm & Milby Barn Studio, 31094 Boggs Rd., Painter
Note: Be aware that the Fitzpatricks have cats, chickens, and dogs—all friendly. The studio is located upstairs in the barn, so participants must be able to climb a flight of stairs. There are no restroom facilities in the studio barn, and there is no wheelchair or handicap accessibility on the property as this is a working farm.
Class Limits: Minimum 6, Maximum 20

Kate Fitzpatrick is a working artist. She and her husband own and operate Chatham Flower Farm & Milby Barn Studio. They are Certified Naturally Grown, Certified American Grown, and members of The American Dahlia Association. Chatham Flower Farm is a historic farm and home dating back to 1679. It is referenced as both Chatham and as Milby Place in local historical books.

Studio Visit: Is It Too Late To Create?
Instructor: Marge Bradach (magpienow@aol.com)

We will explore the creative spark we had and develop a way to rekindle that spark. A simple art piece will be completed.

One Session: Wednesday, November 1, 1:00 – 2:00 p.m.
Location: Room 113, Historic Onancock School, 6 College Ave., Onancock
Materials Fee: $5 (Add to your $25 semester membership fee and include with your total payment.)
Class Limits: Minimum 3, Maximum 4

Marge Bradach began her art journey after retiring to the Eastern Shore. She dreamed of doing art and made that dream come true. Marge has been involved in painting, sculpting, and jewelry making for the last 10 years and is very happy that she took the plunge.

Studio Visit: Storytelling
Instructor: Phyllis Ward (wardwaterfront@yahoo.com)

If you’ve read JUMPCUTS: Snippets of My Life in Television and have questions for the writer of any kind, come on over. Happy to talk about any of the content of course, but you might be more interested in the process. Or come even if you just want to get a scientifically proven six second hug!

One Session: Thursday, September 28, 3:00 – 4:30 p.m.
Location: In Onancock. Directions will be given to participants before class.
Note: Street parking in front of hedges and also in front of house.
Class Limits: Minimum 6, Maximum 8

JUMPCUTS recounts one woman’s 25 years of television adventures. Phyllis Ward shares how she started, where she traveled, and what this producer, director, and writer learned about herself and the world. Ward eagerly head-butted her way into television at a time of glass ceilings and unequal opportunity for women. Her leftover hippie ways served her well as she traveled the world. From hiding in an East German closet with Jane Pauley, to negotiating cows with a Maasai laibon under the night sky in Africa, to quizzing John Glenn about his favorite view from space, Ward’s snippets from her life in television are often surprising and frequently amusing. JUMPCUTS is available at the Book Bin.

Studio Visit: An Afternoon at the Simply Fresh Flower Shop
Instructor: Cyndi Downing (cannonpoint@verizon.net)

Come spend an afternoon with Cyndi and other fellow flower enthusiasts. Cyndi enjoys sharing her love of floral design and how it became her passion. Discussions will touch on the value of foraging for materials and East vs. West styles of design, including the history and demonstrations of each. Participants will end up with a Make It, Take It to try out their design chops using their own vase or container.

One Session: Thursday, October 5, 1:00 – 4:00 p.m.
Location: Simply Fresh Flower Shop, near Onancock. Directions will be given to participants before class.
Materials Needed: Vase or container and clippers
Class Limits: Minimum 4, Maximum 10

Cyndi Downing retired after 30 years in education. She is a self-taught flower arranger, learning from many different professional arrangers and local experts. She now enjoys a cottage business called Simply Fresh: Flowers for Events and Home, working from referral or commission for special events and weddings creating custom floral design.

Studio Visit: Introduction to Sculpture
Instructor: Janis King(Jdhking52@gmail.com)

A brief overview of the principles of figurative sculpture and the techniques will be discussed. Examples of figurative sculptures and classical vs. modern proportions will be shown. The student will then have a short sketching session followed by a hands-on modeling experience.

One Session: Thursday, October 12, 1:00 – 4:00 p.m.
Location: Janis King’s Studio, near Onancock. Directions will be given to participants before class.
Materials Needed: Janis will provide clay, tools, paper, and drawing pencils. If the student prefers their own sketch pad, etc., they are welcome to bring those to class. This class is an intro/demonstration class; therefore non-fired clay will be used. Most sculpture classes take 5 sessions to achieve a finished piece.
Notes: Optional smock/ large shirt suggested if old clothing is not worn. The class is not messy, but it is better to be prepared. Bring a snack and a beverage. We will be taking breaks.
Class Limits: Minimum 4, Maximum 8

As a self-taught, 2-dimensional artist, Janis King began taking classical sculpture classes 25 years ago from Holly Silverthorne, a prominent sculptor and teacher in Chester County, PA. Her clay sculptures are kiln fired with a painted, glaze patina. For her old world Santas, she primarily works in paper, clay, and mixed medium.

EXPLORING NEW PLACES AND PERSPECTIVES

Exploring Reiki and GIM (Guided Imagery and Music): How and Why These Two Healing Modalities Can Improve Your Health
Instructor: Sheila Sheppard (sheila@palomawellness.com)

Complementary holistic therapies like Reiki and music therapy are now becoming integrated into patient care in many hospitals around the world. Why? Because they work!

This workshop with instructor Sheila Sheppard provides an overview of Reiki and GIM (Guided Imagery and Music) and how and why these healing modalities can improve your health. Studies show that Reiki relieves pain, decreases anxiety/depression, accelerates healing, and could improve quality of life for several conditions, including cancer, surgery, and addiction. GIM offers music as a “container” for healing that allows trapped emotions to leave the body and invites helpful and often inspiring insights to emerge. Topics covered include the heart’s electromagnetic field, the parasympathetic nervous system, the mirror neuron system, and the impact of stress hormones on our immune systems.

Participants will experience a brief GIM “journey” at the end of class, in which participants are guided into alpha and theta brain states while recorded music is played.

Two Sessions: Wednesdays, October 4th and October 11th, 5:30 – 7 p.m.
Location: Paloma Wellness, 23 Market St., Onancock
Notes: Comfortable clothing is recommended. Please limit artificial fragrances.
Class Limits: Minimum 4, Maximum 14

Since 2016, Sheila Sheppard has offered Reiki and GIM (Guided Imagery and Music) healing services to the Eastern Shore of Virginia community through Paloma Wellness, her wellness practice in Onancock. She also offers live sound healings playing violin and using singing bowls, and coordinates community wellness events and classes. A graduate of the College of William and Mary, Sheila majored in English, Art, and Music, and received her Reiki and GIM training through Barb Davis of Turning Point Counseling, Trainings and Workshops in Richmond, VA, and the Atlantis Institute of Consciousness and Music. Sheila is also one of three owners of Foggy Place Cafe, where people come together for good food, coffee and tea, and Eastern Shore-inspired art and gifts.

Tour Revealing Invisible History Sites of African Americans in Cape Charles
Instructors: Nancy Campbell/Will Raivel (nscamp36@gmail.com)

Learn the untold history of segregated African Americans in Cape Charles, VA. Begin the tour at a Cassatt Cottage where a brief introduction and overview of the tour will be given. Golf carts will be provided to take participants to each of the 12 tour sites.

One Session: Thursday, September 28, 10:00 a.m. – early afternoon
Location: Meet at 10:00 a.m. at 501Tazewell Ave., Cape Charles
Notes: Participants must be able to walk short distances and be able to step up into a home. Lunch on your own will follow tour. If you need suggestions for lunch, ask your tour guides or the drivers of your golf cart.
Class Limits: Minimum 10, Maximum 20

Will and Nancy are both retired educators who are enjoying the good life in Cape Charles. They have been able to participate in many ALL adventures and want to give back.

Overview of Eastern Shore Regional Library & Heritage Center
Instructor: Miranda Wisor (mwisor@espl.org)

Participants will receive a detailed tour of the new library and learn about the variety of educational and entertainment resources available at their library. Attendees will also learn about the robust collection of primary resources available from the Heritage Center.

One Session: Thursday, November 9, 10:00 a.m. – Noon
Location: Eastern Shore of Virginia Regional Library & Heritage Center, 24313 Bennett St., Parksley
Class Limits: Minimum 1, Maximum 10

Miranda Wisor is the Director of the Eastern Shore Public Library System. She holds a Masters Degree in Information and Library Sciences from Clarion University and has worked in academic and public libraries for over 19 years.

The Power of a Positive Mindset
Instructor: Betsy Seybolt (betsy@betsyseybolt.com)

This class will cover the benefits of taking small steps, the benefits of a gratitude practice, the benefits of habit stacking, the benefits of the high five habit, and the benefits of a growth mindset.

Five Sessions: Tuesdays, September 12, 19, 26, October 3, and 10, 10:00 – 11:30 a.m.
Location: Ker Place, 69 Market St., Onancock
Materials: Instructor will provide handouts.
Class Limits: Minimum 5, Maximum 25

As a Certified Women’s Coaching Specialist, Betsy Seybolt believes that taking small steps toward your goals every day will yield big results from your hard work. Having clear goals and maintaining healthy habits can provide the basis for making progress. She will cheer you on and guide you on your journey back to the version of you that you lost somewhere along the way.

FOOD FOR THOUGHT

“Can We Talk?”
Instructor: Kim Miles (kmmiles01@gmail.com)

Calling a few Conservatives, Libertarians, Liberals, and Independents! This two-session workshop will seek to give the participants a view into the values and thinking of each other in honest conversation about what we believe and feel. The goal will be better understanding (not agreement) among participants about why we hold the views we do and where they came from.

Disputes about beliefs will not be challenged, but insight will be sought about what led to such beliefs. Differences will be recognized and commonalities highlighted.

Two Sessions: Fridays November 3 and 10, 9:00 – 10:30 a.m.
Location: Eastern Shore Community College
Class Limits: Minimum 8, Maximum 12

Kim Miles, the class moderator, grew up on the Shore, has friends of all stripes, and is concerned about the tone and substance of the political and cultural divisions which exist in our society. He professes no particular expertise in knowing what the answers are.

Grief and Grieving
Instructors: Linda Lang (lindalang@theopen-door.com) and MaryKay Mulligan (grammarrules@verizon.net)

All of our lives will be affected by loss at some point. This workshop will help in understanding, accepting, and surviving grief. Our classes will explore the real and the imagined, the ambiguous and the specific. You will learn a variety of techniques to honor your own experiences, as well as ways to move with and beyond them.

Two Sessions: Wednesdays, October 4 and 11, 10:30 a.m. – 12:30 p.m.
Location: Linda Lang’s home near Belle Haven. Directions will be given to participants before class.
Note: Students are welcome to bring lunch to the second session if they would like to continue the discussion after class.
Class Limits: Minimum 5, Maximum 10

MaryKay Mulligan is a sociologist specializing in the issues that confront us over the course of the life cycle. She has taught about mourning and grief using both her academic perspective and her personal experience.

Linda Lang is a therapeutic yoga and meditation teacher, formerly a clinical instructor in the Department of Psychiatry at the George Washington University School of Medicine where she also was on staff at their Center for Integrative Medicine. She specializes in difficult diagnoses and chronic conditions. She teaches classes and workshops on embracing change and transition.

Meditation as a Natural State of Being
Instructor: Linda Lang (lindalang@theopen-door.com)

Meditative states are natural, and the wide variety of meditation practices is fascinating. Learn classical methods to expand your awareness and to build emotional stability and spiritual connection. Feel the benefits for yourself as you release obstacles (limitations, criticism, and judgment) and open to the richness of equanimity, the peaceful presence of an objective mind.

Two Sessions: Wednesday, November 8 and 15, 10:30 a.m. – 12:30 p.m.
Location: Linda Lang’s home near Belle Haven. Directions will be given to participants before class.
Class Limits: Minimum 6, Maximum 14

Linda Lang conducts ongoing programs on embracing change and transitions and finds meditation to be an exceptional path to self-discovery by seeing the world around and within us with wonderment and curiosity.

Untwist Your Thinking
Instructor: Peggy Swan (peggyswan@verizon.net)

Students will learn how to untwist “Stinkin’ thinkin’,” otherwise known as automatic negative thoughts (or, in shrinkspeak, cognitive distortions). Yes, you have them—but you might not know how to outfox them or untwist them. Yes, I have them too. Topics will include distorted thinking such as labeling, catastrophizing, and shoulding.

Four Sessions: Tuesdays, October 17, 24, 31, and November 7, 10:00 a.m. – Noon
Location: Peggy Swan’s home near Onancock. Directions will be given to participants before class.
Class Limits: Minimum 8, Maximum 14

Peggy Swan is a Licensed Marriage and Family Therapist who enjoys teaching and taking ALL classes. She teaches in an informal and sometimes humorous style and encourages class discussion and participation. She and her students usually enjoy the camaraderie as well as the class material.

SCIENCE AND TECHNOLOGY

Apple iPhone Tips and Techniques
Instructor: Nancy S. Campbell (nscamp36@gmail.com)

In this interactive class, you will learn tips about your Apple iPhone. Come prepared to share a relevant tip or just listen to others; the choice is yours.

One Session: Tuesday, September 26, 11:00 a.m. – Noon
Location: Northampton Free Library, 7745 Seaside Rd., Nassawadox
Materials Needed: Student must bring his/her personal Apple iPhone.
Class Limits: Minimum 5, Maximum 8

The instructor has a doctorate in education, and her most recent work experience was at Delaware Technical Community College. When she was an instructor there, she was required to keep current with technology. Since acquiring an iPhone, she has become proficient in its use.

The Electric Vehicle Revolution: The Difference Between Hybrid and Electric and How They Work
Instructor: Rob Creel (rcreel@buchanansubaru.com)

Some form of electric vehicle is in your future. This class will provide a brief history of electric vehicles (EV), explain the difference between hybrids, plug-in hybrids, and EVs, provide the pros and cons of EVs, and explain charging options for EVs and plug-in hybrids. Information on the part that the California Air Resources Board plays in this evolving technology will be provided. About 60 minutes of information will be provided, allowing time for questions and an opportunity to take a short test drive of the Subaru Solterra, if desired.

One Session: Friday, October 27, 9:30 – 11:30 a.m.
Location: Eastern Shore Community College
Class Limits: Minimum 10, Maximum 22

Now the Sales Manager at Buchanan Subaru, Rob Creel started working in the auto industry as a salesperson for Toyota in 2007. Toyota is an industry leader in Hybrid technology and offers great experience with alternative fuel technologies. Rob is enthusiastic about this topic and will help us all understand what is ahead in our lives!

Know Your Enemy: Ticks of the Eastern Shore
Instructor: Ellen Stromdahl (ellen.stromdahl@gmail.com)

Ellen Stromdahl will discuss tick safety and tick-borne disease prevention by (1)understanding a bit of tick biology, (2)recognizing tick habitat, (3)learning tick seasonality, (4)using repellents, and (5)removing ticks promptly.

We will look at real ticks. Ellen hopes that participants will bring any ticks they have collected to the class. (See note below.)

One Session: Friday, September 15, 10:45 a.m. – 12:15 p.m
Location: Eastern Shore Community College
Note: Participants are asked to bring any ticks they have—those that have been removed from themselves, family, friends, or pets, or those collected from the environment. Put them in jars or baggies or on packing tape. Keeping them in the freezer will kill and preserve them until the class.
Class Limits: Minimum 4, Maximum 20

Ellen Stromdahl is an entomologist and until her recent retirement led the Department of Defense Human Tick Test Kit Program (“MILTICK”) of the Defense Centers for Public Health at Aberdeen Proving Ground, MD. The program identifies and tests ticks removed from DOD personnel and is one of the largest and longest-running tick surveillance programs in the US.

Ms Stromdahl’s research has focused on emerging human pathogens associated with US ticks, especially the lone star tick, the tick most likely to bite people in the Southeastern US. She is the author of more than 20 peer-reviewed journal articles on ticks and the eco-epidemiology of tick-borne disease. She has been invited to speak at numerous scientific conferences. She received her MS degree in entomology from the University of Delaware and is a Board-Certified Entomologist (BCE). She is a member of the American Society for Rickettsiology, the American Society for Tropical Medicine & Hygiene, and the Entomological Society of America. She currently serves on the Virginia Legislative Tick-Borne Disease Work Group, 2023.

The Scientific Naming of Plants
Instructor: Janet Rochester (jrochester25@outlook.com)

The class will explain how the binomial naming system provided an ordered system for naming living things. It also provided for the basis for identifying and classifying new plants and animals and for clarifying taxonomic relationships.

One Session: Friday, November 17, 10:45 a.m. – 12:15 p.m.
Location: Eastern Shore Community College
Class Limits: Minimum 8, Maximum 12

Janet Rochester has a BS in Botany and has had a lifelong interest in plants and natural history. She became a Master Gardener after retiring to the Eastern Shore in 2004.

FUN FOR MIND AND BODY

American Mahjongg for Beginners
Instructor: Toni Wright (k9frend@sbcglobal.net)

Learn the exciting and interesting game of American Mahjongg. Students will learn the suits of tiles and how to read the card and put together hands. The rules of the American Mahjongg League will be used for play. This class is for all those interested in playing, no experience or knowledge needed. You will be playing in only 4 classes.

Four Sessions: Tuesdays, October 24, 31, November 7, 14, 1:00 p.m. – 2:30 p.m.
Location: Commonwealth Senior Living, North St., Onancock
Notes: Instructor will provide all materials. Please be on time so that we can use our time wisely.
Class Limits: Minimum 4, Maximum 8

Toni Wright has been playing American Mahjongg for 7 years with a variety of groups and levels. This game is great for keeping the brain sharp and meeting new people. Her goal is to spread the enjoyment of the game and to promote this version of Mahjongg on the Eastern Shore. Two other players, Pat Fleck and Susan Carmody, will be helping with the class. Both have been playing American Mahjongg for a year after taking the class.

Bocce Ball 101
Instructor: Don McGavock (huntingcreek2@gmail.com)

There will be a discussion of the basic rules of bocce. Players will learn how points are awarded. After any questions are answered, we will pick teams and jump right into a game, which is the easiest way to learn how to play bocce. Everyone will receive a written page describing the complete rules of bocce.

Six Sessions: Thursdays, September 21, 28, October 5, 12, 19, and 26, 10:00 a.m. – Noon
Location: Commonwealth Senior Living Bocce Court , North St., Onancock
Note: Bocce balls will be furnished for the class to use.
Class Limits: Minimum 8, Maximum 12

Don is a veteran of Margo Digan’s ALL bocce classes. He says he couldn’t even spell bocce before he met Margo. The truth is that one can have fun playing bocce with only minimal experience and skills. One can even enjoy playing while holding on to one’s walker.

Kayaking Day Trip: Blackwater Paddling on the Upper Pocomoke River
Instructors: Ken and Sandy Schultz (ken@kenschultz.com)

Paddlers of novice ability can enjoy a delightful afternoon on the Pocomoke River north of Snow Hill. Learn river paddling, planning with the tides, how shuttling works with one-way river paddling, and transport issues; paddling techniques; safe boat handling; and enjoy nature observation in a cypress-flanked blackwater river.

We’ll be paddling on high tide or with the tide almost the entire way. There will be no whitewater or rapids, and half of the paddling will be done within the sheltered confines of the narrow upper Pocomoke River. The pace will be leisurely, and we expect to be on the water for approximately four hours.

The highlight is paddling through the scenic bald cypress-black gum swamp. The Pocomoke River from Porter’s Crossing to Snow Hill is home to an abundant array of wildlife and native plants, including many species of orchids and warblers. This tannin-stained waterway is steeped in early American history and is a most beautiful and tranquil place.

One Session: Friday, September 8. Meet at 11:00 a.m. at Byrd Park in Snow Hill, MD. (Rain Date: Saturday, September 9. Meet at 11:45 a.m. at Byrd Park in Snow Hill, MD.)
Departure Location: Byrd Park, 400 Deighton Ave., Snow Hill, MD. Sandy and Ken will shuttle people, boats, and gear to the put-in spot at Porter’s Crossing.
Notes
- There are no restroom facilities once we have launched.
- We will be on the water at the peak of the tide and paddle one way back to Byrd Park. Afterward, those who wish can gather locally for dinner and refreshments.
- The distance to be paddled is approximately 5 miles. While this is not a difficult outing for most individuals, if you have health issues, you probably should not participate. A general liability waiver form must be signed to participate. Please discuss concerns with leaders in advance.
- Participants must wear a life jacket (PFD) while paddling. Also wear appropriate outdoor clothing and footwear. Bring insect repellent, sunscreen, snacks, water, and perhaps a camera and binoculars.
- Bring a kayak, borrow one from Ken and Sandy, or rent one in Snow Hill from Pocomoke River Canoe Company (Pocomokerivercanoe.com). Rates for kayak or canoe rental will apply.
- Arrangements to transport your kayak can be made.
- You can borrow a boat, life jackets, and paddles from Ken and Sandy as available.
Class Limits: Minimum 6, Maximum 25

The ALL Pocomoke River kayaking adventure has been led by the Schultzes since 2014. This will be the 11th time they have led a trip on the Pocomoke River for ALL. They’ve led many paddling adventures locally as well as in New York and Pennsylvania. Sandy is a co-creator and coordinator of The Delaware River Sojourn, an 80- to-100-person week-long paddling/camping journey now in its 27th year.

Line Dancing: Beginner
Instructor: Sue Thatcher (suethatcher1@gmail.com)

Students will learn basic line dance steps and will combine them in a choreographed dance to a variety of music. Sue will teach the steps by section and will then combine the sections in a walkthrough of the dance. Then students will dance to the music. Many styles of music will be used.

Two Sections (sign up for one or both):
- Section One—Seven Sessions: Mondays, September 11, 18, 25, October 2, 9, 16, and 23, 1:00 – 2:00 p.m.
- Section Two—Seven Sessions: Mondays, October 30, November 6, 13, 20, 27, December 4, and 11, 1:00 – 2:00 p.m.
Location: Historic Onancock School, 6 College Ave., Onancock
Facility Fee: $10 for each 7-session section. (Add to your $25 semester membership fee and include with your total payment.)
Materials: Students should wear comfortable clothing and shoes that will slide easily on the wood floor. Cowboy boots are optional.
Class Limits: Minimum 10, Maximum 20

Instructor information follows the listing for Line Dancing: Experienced Beginner.

Line Dancing: Experienced Beginner (for those who have had some lessons and want to learn more)
Instructor: Sue Thatcher (suethatcher1@gmail.com)

Students will learn harder beginner line dances using basic line dance steps; however, the choreography will be more challenging than the beginner class. Sue will teach the sections of the dance and then combine them in a walkthrough of the entire dance. Then students will dance to the music. Many styles of music will be used.

Two Sections (sign up for one or both):
- Section One—Seven Sessions: Mondays, September 11, 18, 25, October 2, 9, 16, and 23, 2:15 – 3:15 p.m.
- Section Two—Seven Sessions: Mondays, October 30, November 6, 13, 20, 27, December 4, and 11, 2:15 – 3:15 p.m.
Location: Historic Onancock School, 6 College Ave., Onancock
Facility Fee: $10 for each 7-session section. (Add to your $25 semester membership fee and include with your total payment.)
Materials: Students should wear comfortable clothing and shoes that will slide easily on the wood floor. Cowboy boots are optional.
Class Limits: Minimum 10, Maximum 20

Sue Thatcher and her team, a.k.a. The Boot Scootin’ Belles, have been teaching line dancing on the Eastern Shore for several years. They enjoy sharing this fun dancing style with others. It is also a great way to exercise both your body and mind.

Mexican Train Dominoes
Instructor: Jan Andrejco (Rjandrejco@gmail.com)

If you know how to play Chicken Foot Dominoes, then Mexican Train Dominoes is a step up! If you don’t know the former, come learn the latter anyway. Step- by-step instructions will be given with plenty of practice. Simple directions will be emailed after the class. It is a great game to play as we enter the cooler, indoor hours of winter.

One Session: Friday, November 3, 10:45 a.m. – 12:15 p.m.
Location: Eastern Shore Community College
Note: If participants have a set of double 12 dominoes, please bring them. Sets will be provided if you don’t have one.
Class Limits: Minimum 4, Maximum 16

Jan enjoys playing games using strategy and has taught Chicken Foot Dominoes and Rummikub to the delight of the participants. She will also introduce you to a brief history of the game.

Pickleball 101
Instructor: Michael D. Bono (mkbono23420@gmail.com)

Students will learn the game of pickleball. All aspects of the game will be covered for a new player.

Four Sessions: Fridays, October 27, November 3, 10, and 17, 3:00 – 4:00 p.m.
Location: Randy Custis Memorial Park, Nassawadox (behind the fire station)
Facility Fee: $10. (Add to your $25 semester membership fee and include with your total payment.)
Note: All materials will be provided. Please wear athletic shoes and athletic clothing.
Class Limits: Minimum 1, Maximum 12

Michael Bono is a USAA Pickleball Member and a Professional Pickleball Registry Certified Pickleball Coach. He is a Health and PE educator in the Accomack County school system and has coached many other sports, including tennis. This is a wonderful opportunity to learn pickleball the right way.

Seated Yoga for Everyone
Instructor: Linda Lang (lindalang@theopen-door.com)

A gentle yet deeply rewarding class to build strength and improve posture and balance while protecting vulnerable joints. If you wish, there will be options to stand, with modifications and variations. Opportunities to continue to meet will be discussed after this session.

One Session: Wednesday, November 1, 10:30 a.m. – Noon
Location: Historic Onancock School, 6 College Ave., Onancock
Materials: Participants should bring a seat cushion or small pillow. Optional: yoga block if you have one, walking or hiking sticks.
Class Limits: Minimum 10, Maximum 20

Linda Lang is dedicated to helping people stay stronger longer, both physically and mentally. Her classes are compatible with physical therapy, have a yogic perspective, and include breathing exercises. She’s a yoga therapist, previously clinical instructor in the Psychiatry Department of the George Washington University School of Medicine.

PLAN FOR THE FUTURE

Estate Planning for Everyone
Instructor: Ginny Brown (GinnyBrown@vebrownpc.com)

Nothing is more important in estate planning than taking the steps to protect what you want to pass on to your heirs. Ginny will explain everything from how to avoid death taxes to protecting your assets from long term care costs. She will discuss the differences between trusts, wills, and powers of attorney. This seminar is a great way to check that you have all of your affairs in order so that you can stop worrying/wondering and start enjoying life!

One Session: Wednesday, December 13, 10:00 – 11:30 a.m.
Location: Eastern Shore Chamber of Commerce Building, 19056 Parkway, Melfa
Materials: Pen and paper for notes.
Class Limits: Minimum 4, Maximum 12

Ginny Brown has been practicing estate planning and elder law for many years. She can offer her clients trusts, wills, powers of attorney, etc., that best suit their present and future needs. She offers Medicaid protection, where appropriate, for asset protection. Although she does not provide financial plans, she is a certified financial planner and combines that knowledge with her legal knowledge to best assist her clients. Ginny was born and raised in Melfa, on the Eastern Shore, and practices in the Hilltop area of Virginia Beach. She regularly travels to the Eastern Shore to serve her clients.

Medicare Parts A, B, Supplements and Part C (Advantage Plans) Explained
Instructor: Jan Andrejco (Rjandrejco@gmail.com)

This class is designed to help people understand the parts of Medicare, what they have or what they are about to get (if they have not yet turned 65). Information on what each part covers and the cost for each part is explained. Even if you have retirement insurance from your job, you should still understand and compare that insurance to Medicare.

One Session: Friday, September 8, 9:00 – 10:30 a.m.
Location: Eastern Shore Community College
Class Limits: Minimum 4, Maximum 20

Jan has been working with people on the Eastern Shore for 5 years, in small groups and individually. She is not an insurance agent. Her goal is to help people understand the Medicare confusion so they can be better consumers and make good decisions on what is best for them.

Medicare Part D: Prescription Coverage
Instructor: Jan Andrejco (Rjandrejco@gmail.com)

Whether you are about to enter Medicare (nearing age 65) or are already in Medicare, this class will help you understand the prescription coverage and show you why you should shop for prescription coverage every year. Your Part D plan is not something you can purchase based on what someone else has purchased. Prescription coverage is based on your specific medications, your zip code, and where you shop for your prescriptions. If you need specific help after this session, individual sessions can be scheduled.

One Session: Friday, September 15, 9:00 – 10:30 a.m.
Location: Eastern Shore Community College
Class Limits: Minimum 1, Maximum 20

Jan has been working with Eastern Shore residents for the past 5 years, helping them to understand their Medicare prescription coverage. Most people have been able to find less expensive plans with lower co-pays after learning all of the ins and outs of prescription coverage.

Starting a Small Business: Activate the Vision
Instructor: Charlena Jones (Charlenajones77@gmail.com)

Activate the Vision is a business introduction course. Students will learn how to legally form a business and the start-up 10 steps that position their business for operation success.

One Session: Friday, September 15, 9:00 – 10:30 a.m.
Location: Eastern Shore Community College
Notes: Students should bring something for taking notes, an open mind, and a business idea. Students will benefit by already having a business idea in mind.
Class Limits: Minimum 5, Maximum 15

Information about Charlena Jones is found below after The Plain Vision.

Starting a Small Business: The Plain Vision
Instructor: Charlena Jones (Charlenajones77@gmail.com)

The Plain Vision is a business plan writing introduction course. In this course, students will learn the nine components of a business plan and how writing a business plan helps them think through key components.

One Session: Friday, October 6, 9:00 – 10:30 a.m.
Location: Eastern Shore Community College
Notes: Participants should bring something for taking notes. An open mind and a business idea are important. Students will benefit from already having a business idea that they are seriously considering pursuing.
Class Limits: Minimum 5, Maximum 15

Charlena Jones is an author and a certified business consultant with executive leadership experience. She helps mature-stage businesses overcome procrastination through adequate planning so that they can scale. Ms. Jones has over15 years of business experience and has worked with non-profits and small businesses in a variety of industries. Charlena is the owner of Vision Focus Business Consulting, LLC, a SWaM certified planning consulting practice.