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Brooks-Howell HomePhone: (828) 253-6712VOL. XXXVIII No. 4266 Merrimon AvenueAsheville, NC 28801-1218Web-Site: http://www.brooks-howell.orgNANCY GARRISON, Executive DirectorJuly-August 2013A Summer TankaThis is my summerThe silence of Mount PisgahAh, such is that viewLand of God’s Kingdom fulfilledThat is my heart’s longing cry.–John Krummel, former resident
From Our Administrator-Summer greetings to everyone. So far our spring and summer have been verynice-- except for an over abundance of rain.This summer for seven weeks we are hosting five seminary students and theirprofessor. They are interacting with our residents, which is the best training theycould get. They are also learning about the new idea of home churches. We arehonored once again to have fifteen deaconess candidates with us for two weeks with Dr. Eleanor MoodyShepherd teaching the class. Another piece of good news is that Deaconess Becky Looter is feeling muchbetter and will be here with her candidates several days this week. Becky is the Executive Secretary of theOffice of Deaconesses and Home Missioners. Becky will also have the chapel services on Thursday. Welove having company.I have been telling you about our new bus, and this week we had a photo sent to us of week ten of theconstruction. Each bus is made to a client’s specification and as a result it takes about fourteen to fifteenweeks. We will send a picture when it arrives.We have a new addition to our Brooks-Howell family. Jane Sutlive, who arrived on June 27. Janeserved in Sarawak. (See her story on p.3.) Also new to our family from the local community are WillardHutchins, Dorothy Bull, Gow Low, who joins his wife who is already here, and Mary Mason.We lost Mrs. Eleanor Foster, Mrs. Agnes Jones, Mrs. Helen Meyers and Reverend Edward Ehresman.Nancy GarrisonExecutive *******************************Have you discovered that the Serendipitor may be seen on line–in color? Find the Brooks-Howellwebsite at http://www.brooks- howell.org. You will find it every two months by the end of the first week,starting in January. Or, subscribe for the Western North Carolina Conference United Methodist Women’snewsletter. Look at the bottom of the first list on the left, and you will see “Brooks Howell Serendipitor.”If you decide to stop the paper subscription, please inform the editor (Esther Megill) atesthermegill453@gmail.com and your name will be removed from the mailing list. You will help save thetrees, and the cost of printing and postage2
Welcome–She says it was a rich and satisfying life, and shemade no sacrifices, but received much love. Sheworked herself out of a job and returned toBirmingham and cared for several members of herfamily as she worked in a Birmingham hospital.Jane Sutlive, our new residentJane was born in Thorsby,Alabama, a town that isunique because its earlyresidents had migratedf r o m S c a n d i n a v ia ncountries. Jane’s ancestorshad come through Canadain search of the land oftheir dreams and had foundShe returned to Thorsby and helped preserve itsScandinavian history and heritage. The UnitedMethodist Church there was her primary focus, andshe came to Brooks-Howell on June 27, 2013 as amember of our family.–Ann Janzen*A former resident.it in Thorsby.Another New Friend for Brooks-HowellJane’s grandfather was Norwegian and had startedthe first bank in Thorsby. As the Depression beganto wind down, her father, who was a teacher, hadthe opportunity to secure a better job by movingthe family to the large city of Birmingham andworking for the U.S. Postal Service as a clerk.Jane grew up there and graduated from AsburyCollege in Wilmore, Kentucky and trained inlaboratory technology.Hoagie was a real love, notjust to me but also to many ofthe residents here at BrooksHowell. He went to the Hopfor his favorite doggie icecream on Memorial Day buts ta rte d ha ving s e v e r ebreathing problems that night.PandaDuring the late 50s, the Methodist Church hadreached out in mission to “Lands of Decision,”countries which had not been evangelized, whichincluded Sarawak. Jane’s brother was teaching inthe Theological School there and working with theIban people. A doctor spoke with him about thedesperate need in Sarawak’s hospitals forcompetent laboratory technicians and other trainedworkers. Her brother relayed the call, and Janeanswered it as a “3,” along with LorraineGribbens*, who went as a pharmacist.After twenty-four hours, it was determined that hislittle life of sixteen years was drawing to an end.Ann Janzen and I were with him as he drew his lastbreath. I had planned to wait several weeks beforegetting another dog, but that weekend theRutherford County Humane Society stated theywere having severe economic problems and theyneeded help. Hoagie was a rescue and would havewanted me to help another dog have a great life.Panda was found in a stone quarry with her puppies.She is about 2 ½ years old and a real love. GailHipkins went with me to bring her home. She isgoing to Obedience Class and is adapting well. Shehas lots of new friends and looks forward to gettingacquainted with all of you. Some of her friends hada Welcome Home Party for her on July 6.–Jorie RueggerJane returned to the states and after deepcontemplation applied to the Board to return toSarawak. While there she worked in the labs andmet the needs in administration and in the Ibanchurch. She built friendships with nationals andher life was enriched by the challenges she met.3
became residents of Brooks-Howell Home onOctober 1, 2005. He attended St. Paul’s UnitedMethodist Church.In Memory-Edward T. EhresmanSept. 7, 1920Surviving are his six children, Mary Alwine and herhusband, Terry; Patricia Swanson; Carol Ruminskiand her husband, Joe; Ruth Harris, David Ehresmanand his wife, Sharon; and Hope Adams and herhusband, Terry.Also surviving are elevengrandchildren and ten great-grandchildren.June 5, 2013Edward Ehresman wasborn in Leola, SouthDakota, the son of Konradand Katharine Ehresman.He gr a d u a t e d f r o mWestern Union College(later Westmar College, nolonger in existence), inLaMars, Iowa, in 1942 andreceived his Masters ofDivinity from Evangelical Theological Seminaryin Naperville, IL, in 1947.Ed will be missed by many and fondly rememberedfor his love and examples he set.Library Highlights—A number of new booksare on the library shelvesfor your perusal.Middle Church by BobEdgar.President JimmyCarter hails it as “Astirring call to Americanbelievers who resent theirspiritual beliefs being co-opted for a politicalagenda contrary to their faith.”The Terror of Tellico Plains. The memoirs of RayH. Jenkins, a legendary East Tennessee lawyer whoserved as special counsel to the U.S. Senatecommittee investigating the rancorous ArmyMcCarthy quarrel in 1954. Lots of local Tennesseehistory.Giving by Bill Clinton tells of the multiple channelsavailable for service in our needy world.In The Clearing—poems by Robert FrostSeveral Maisie Dobbs mysteries by JacquelineWinspear from the era of WWI.ALL OF THE ABOVE NAMED ARE LOCATEDON THE “New Books” SHELF.Ed married Mabel Mullikin Ehresman on June 6,1946. Their union was blessed with five daughtersand one son. Ed and Mabel were married for 69years before her death on March 30, 2012.Ed served Evangelical United Brethren/UnitedMethodist Churches in North and South Dakota,Kentucky and North Carolina for 51 years,including years spent at Red Bird Mission asminister, Assistant Superintendent and ExecutiveDirector (1958-1984).He found particularpleasure in working with young people and servingrural churches. He was a servant/leader in thecongregations and communities where he lived,often helping with farm work, economicdevelopment, educational opportunities and healthcare facilities. He was always in the middle of anyactivity in the churches. Until his “retirement,” heserved 2- 4 c o ngregations in each areasimultaneously. Once he retired, he served onlyone church at a time.Ed and Mabel retired to Fairview, North Carolinain 1984. In retirement he found great fun inreading and playing with his grandchildren. They(Continued p. 5)4
Library Highlights (Continued from p. 4)CHURCH RELATED MATERIALS:The 2012 Book of Discipline and the 2012 Bookof Resolutions located on thehighest shelfimmediately to the left of the entrance to thelibraryThe Social Principles of the UMC 2012-2016 anda copy of the Common English Bible, located onthe REFERENCE SHELF next to the windowsCHANGE OF LOCATION: All the biographiesare now on the BIOGRAPHY shelf by thewindows.–Jayne SmithJohn Smith, Dorothy Smith, Thelma McGraw,Mary GrubeNews From ResidentServices-Volunteer AppreciationOn Wednesday, June 12, a luncheon was heldto honor those from the Asheville community whovolunteer their time and services to Brooks-HowellHome.Some of the services these volunteersprovide are sewing; leading music and hymn sings;leading Body Recall exercise class; helpingresidents with correspondence; reading toresidents; helping with arts/crafts; playing theorgan for Chapel service; working in the GiftShop; inventorying our movie collection; andassisting with the White Elephant Sale.A big Kudos to these individuals who enrichthe lives of our residents!Mylah Johnson, Carol Gilham,Georgia Panchi,Samuel Owens, Nancy Garrison, Jordan Millington(Photos Debbie Pittman)--Tracey Owens, Activities CoordinatorCaption ContestAt the end of April we held a “caption contest.” Weposted six funny photos of animals. Residents and staffhad a great time coming up with captions for the photos.Twenty-eight people participated!Volunteers Who Were HonoredThe winners were:Photo 1 (kitten sitting with owls): “What makes youthink I was adopted?” Debbie PittmanVolunteers not shown: Bess Redmond, Patty Higgens,Maxine Schrader, Mary Jo Drake.Photo 2 (cat peeking through hole in paper bag): “It’sbeen Monday all week!” Sheila FreemanPhoto 3 (chimpanzee with hair sticking up): “You’resending me to Brooks-Howell Home?!” Ann Janzen5
(Continued p. 6)Brooks-Howell for five and ten years.Theresidents appreciate the faithful service of so manywho care for us.Caption Contest (Continued from p. 5)Photo 4 (baby polar bear whispering tomama bear): “Mommy, I have to make poo- poo ”Patricia Rolf5-Year Awards:Photo 5 (dog and baby kissing): “Youmight have tried some mints before we started thiskissy-face stuff.” Kathleen GoldsworthyPhoto 6 (Dachshund tracking blue paint onfloor): “You look upset – Is it the color, pattern,what – tell me? Kathleen GoldsworthyThere’s a rumor floating around that the CaptionContest will return sometime soon! Get ready formore captioning fun coming soon!–Alycia Johnson, Activities(L to R): Tiffany Lee, Nina Knighten, Chris Hemle,Maintenance,Alma Heine, Retina Halai, DannyDunmore. (All but Chris are in Food Service)Annual Employee Appreciation DayOn June 5 residents and employees “went to sea”for lunch. The room was decorated to resemble thesea, and several sea food items were part of theusual delicious lunch.10 Year awards:Jean Metcalf, nursing; Michael Lee, Sandy Harrison,Rosa Baxter, all food servicesThe event was the annual employee appreciationday, when our employees are honored for years ofservice.After the lunch Nancy Garrison,Executive Director, welcomed everyone, and thenBeth Swarthout (President of the local B-H Board),Nancy Garrison, and Carole Gilham presentedawards to those employees who have been at(Photos: Alycia Johnson)6
From Our Chaplain –Praying Through MusicWe sing hymns and listen to music, but how oftendo we pray the hymns or music?LaughterThe Brooks-Howell Spiritual Retreat on May 29provided two dozen residents the opportunity toengage in “ Praying through Music.”Casual observation of life at Brooks-HowellHome will make one aware of the laughter thatpervades our daily lives. Leon andSamuel’s jokes keep us laughing andDanny’s jubilant laugh helps makethe dining room a joyful place fordelicious meals and fellowship. Ourhalls echo with laughter every dayand most activities such as BodyRecall are intentionally filled withlaughter. Interestingly, we laugh alot at memorial services, which wasthe case at the recent Celebration of Life service forRev. Ed Ehresman, a man known for his humor.As I have begun to reflect on our freedoms asAmericans in anticip a tio n o f c e lebratingIndependence Day, I realize that laughter is anindication of one’s emotional and spiritual freedom.Brooks-Howell Home is a place of laughter becauseresidents and staff are free to laugh and so they do.Laughter springs forth from the inner peace and joyof a close relationship with God and harmoniousrelationships with others. Lives nurtured daily inGod’s grace are free from fear, anger and othernegative emotions that obstruct laughter.Thephysical ailments and limitations of aging persistbut do not destroy the joy of living in God’spresence and love.P a tty Higgins , amusician and neworganist for BrooksH o w e ll C h a p e l,skillfully guided us inawonderfulexperience of prayingmusic. She set thecontext of the manydifferent ways to pray(suc h a s b reath,action, lecto divino,e x a m i n e ,imagination) and thenintroduced us to two different models for usingmusic as a means of prayer.Patty chose awonderful variety of music that was organized intofour different types: chant, mass, hymn, andgospel/spiritual. With each selection we appliedone of the techniques, thus enabling us to becomefamiliar with each and to engage the music in aprayerful and much deeper way.For one afternoon, we stepped out of the ordinaryand into a sacred time of renewal. Residentscontinue to speak with gratitude about theirgleanings from the retreat. This gift will enable usto enhance our spiritual experience by doing morepraying with music, rather than simply listening toit.The article, “Laughter Is the Best Medicine,” inHelpguide.org, reminds us of the value of laughter.Laughter has a way of binding people together andhas many health benefits for body, mind and spirit.If any of us are lagging behind in this area,we are told that we can learn to laugh at any stageof life. Some suggested ways to start: practicesmiling when you see something even mildly–Bev Reddick(Photo: Debbie Pittman)(Continued p. 8)7
Cat’s Eye ViewHow to Catch a VoleFirst let’s clarify what a vole is. The picturesfound on the internet will give you a good ideahow a vole and mole look. What is thedifference between a vole and a mole?presence of a vole. Marcia is always surprisedwhen I pounce and bring a vole out of vines, leafy,or bushy ground cover.Next step of vole hunting is patient waiting, for theslightest movement of vegetation not caused bybreezes. Voles are tricky and fast. One second ofdistraction and they are gone. Not letting a rustle ofleaves by squirrels, or twitters of birds, ormovement by Marcia, break my concentration isvery difficult. Hunting voles is hard work. Theyoften get away. Determination brings me back toan area I believe is inhabited by voles again andagain. I find that humans, even my well-trainedcompanion Marcia, often lack the heart for the hunt.By the way, Marcia tells me my latest vole catchcount is 12. That, of course, doesn’t include theones that temporarily have gotten away.--Eliza Dolittle LongknightVoleLaughter (Continued from p. 7)pleasing, count your blessings, move towardlaughter when you hear it, spend time with fun,playful people, bring humor into conversations, anddeal with your stress because it impedes humor andlaughter.MoleVoles eat flower bulbs by digging in flowerbeds. As you can see, they look similar to amouse but they have webbed feet. Voles do notdig up mounds of dirt or eat the roots of grass asmoles do.The Bible seldom mentions laughter but joy is agolden thread throughout. We can all smile as weaffirm the words of Psalm 126:2 – Then our mouthwas filled with laughter, and our tongue with shoutsof joy; then it was said among the nations, "TheLORD has done great things for them." (NRSV)--Don Thurman, ChaplainOn to the hunt, voles move quickly and yet canbe very quiet when danger such as a cat is near.One has to be patient and extremely attentive toknow when a vole is present. My superior ear,eye, and nose senses and coordination give medistinct advantage over a human in detecting the8
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rendipitor is published six times during the year. It is sponsored by the Brooks-Howell Home and is written byand for residents, staff and friends. It focuses on people and current happenings here, features past and coming events,and points the way to creative Christian living. EDITORIAL STAFF: Esther Megill, editor; Joyce Anderegg, ElaineGasser, Ann Janzen, Pat Riddell, Tracy Owens, Nancy Garrison, Marcia Knight. Mailers: Barbara Markham & VirginiaMiller.RATE: 10.00 PER YEAR; SEND SUBSCRIPTIONS TO SERENDIPITOR, checks made payable toSerendipitor. Check your label for an expiration date. The Serendipitor is also available on the Brooks-Howell website(see the note below) If you decide to stop your paper issue, please inform the ]BROOKS-HOWELL HOMEU.S. POSTAGEPAIDPERMIT NO. 396NONPROFITASHEVILLE, NC266 MERRIMON AVENUEASHEVILLE, NC 28801-1218ADDRESS SERVICE REQUEST**10
she came to Brooks-Howell on June 27, 2013 as a member of our family. -Ann Janzen *A former resident. Another New Friend for Brooks-Howell Hoagie was a real love, not just to me but also to many of the residents here at Brooks Howell. He went to the Hop for his favorite doggie ice cream on Memorial Day but started having severe
