039 Bloom Time

Pride in My Community:It’s Apple Blossom Time in Winchester, VA

It is time to get out your pink and green, the colors of the Shenandoah Apple Blossom Festival® - pink for the blossoms and green for spring. Held in Winchester - located in the Shenandoah Valley - each spring nearest the first weekend in May, this event has been around since 1924. 

Yes, 1924! Along the way, it has been said that coming to the Festival was to travel “along the trail of pink petals” through the valley’s orchards. This is the 88th Festival (a few years during WWII the Festival was put on hold). For all these many years, we live each year in “the land of pink and green.”

Since its beginning, the Festival has grown and now is a nationally known event. Cited by such llustrious publications as Fodor, USA Today, National Geographic, Southern Living and Time magazine, the community’s Festival reputation continues to grow. I am proud to be a part of it as I watch our small city of some 25,000 swell to ten times its size with over 250,000 visitors to who come to celebrate. 

What was a one-day event with a parade to celebrate the apple industry, the Festival is now a ten-day event with over 42 activities for all ages. Some 2000 volunteers with a love of community make all this happen. A full-time staff of four with Executive Director John Rosenberger, the Bloom (as it is affectionately known) is coordinated from the Bloom office. (Parenthetically, Rosenberger is the perfect Executive Director. He grew up with the Festival in his blood. He was a little page in the Queen’s Court in 1956. The celebrities that year included Bert Parks, Cyd Charisse and James Cagney! Not a bad start for our leader!)

The Festival has amazed me since I was little. So many memories at different ages. I remember sitting on the curb on the parade route watching the feet of the marching bands go by, gazing up at the girls on floats in “Cinderella” dresses. I might have been five years old. Oh, how I wanted to be part of it all. This was likely my first goal in my life! Be in Apple Blossom somehow, some way!

There are two parades. The Firefighters Parade and the Grand Feature Parade (Friday night and Saturday afternoon, respectively) are listed among the largest and best in the country.  


One source, Consumer Traveler, thinks the Grand Feature Parade may be the third largest in the country after the Rose Bowl and Macy’s Thanksgiving parades. (I’m thinking maybe Mardi Gras might beat us in size though not in quality – just a personal opinion.) 

So, again, working on my goal to be part of the Festival, I disastrously joined my high school marching band. I was not a great sax player, but good enough to manage my ambition. The disastrous part is that I did NOT enjoy having to play for home football games. Two years were one year too many. BUT I got to march in the parades!!

Celebrities have always been a huge part of the Festival. Gene Barry (did you know Bat Masterson is back on TV?) and Ed Sullivan are some of the first I remember as a little girl. 1964 was a banner year for me. I danced on the steps of Handley High School in the pageant presented when the Queen of the Festival was crowned. Luci Baines Johnson was the Queen and her parents were there with her. First time I shook hands with a President! Lucille Ball was the guest celebrity. Still shaking my head over what security measures the city and Festival officials had to take to pull this off – and did – without a hitch! In 1975, another Presidential visit, Gerald and Betty Ford came along to see their daughter, Susan, as Queen XLVIII.

Moving back to Winchester after college, I volunteered to do whatever I could for the Festival. Cleaning floats was actually fun. You have to start somewhere! Met a lot of great people! The community members that one might not meet otherwise became Festival friends. Some of us see each other only at Festival events, others become close friends. 

Being a chaperon for visiting groups of escorts for the princesses in the Queen’s Court was a challenge. Often the escorts were from military academies. The weekend with parties and pretty girls was a treat to be thoroughly enjoyed to the fullest by these young men. I need not elaborate. We adults stayed alert!

Entertaining during the Festival is a privilege AND a great excuse to get one’s house in order. That painting and planting one thinks about in the spring but don’t get around to doing actually gets done! We had a luncheon for the 75th Festival with past Queen’s Court maids of honor and the Queen, Katherine Luckinbill, and her parents, Larry Luckinbill and Lucie Arnez visiting as well. That was a memorable day. So many friends to see, their parents, and their children – Bloom generations get established!

There have been many famous folks in town – The Carter Family, Patsy Cline, Wayne Newton, Dan Aykroyd, Mary Tyler Moore, Brenda Lee, Pat Boone, Crystal Gayle, Whitey Ford, Willie Mays, Hank Aaron and George Hamilton are ones that come readily to my mind.   May I repeat that more than names, it is the spirit in the community enjoying the midway, the smell of cotton candy, the frying onions, the antique cars and crafts, the 

 wine fest, the carnival, races (10K and a kids’ mile) and dinners and luncheons and an

apple pie baking contest and a firetruck rodeo and black tie dances and square dances and a disco party that make Apple Blossom so very special. The Festival takes over the whole community. Without the police force and sheriff’s department, the city works department, and the many volunteers we couldn’t do what we do so well. The support of businesses, individuals, the medical center, and Shenandoah University is philanthropy at its finest. Makes me a bit sentimental and a lot proud.

For specifics on this year’s events, celebrities and Queen, visit www.thebloom.com. (Hints: Natasha Bure is the Queen Designate (daughter of Candace Cameron),and Kevin Jonas, Lee Greenwood, and Marcus Allen will be in town.) Forty-plus events and ten days to enjoy it all--and we are a friendly town – “get your Bloom on” and celebrate with us in “the land of pink and green.” You are cordially invited. Please come.




[Photos/logo in this blog are from the Apple Blossom archives with the express permission of Shenandoah Apple Blossom Festival®]

SavvyBroad Glenne        

038 Getting Outside

Finally walking again

After a long, contentious winter, spring is finally here. Taking a walk in the great outdoors is a reality with warmer temps and sunshine. Sometimes it felt like warm weather would never come.

Walking is a great exercise for those of us with a higher numbers of decades.  Slow or fast, walking keeps us upright, mobile, and helps with weight.

 Distance is totally up to you.  I try to reach 3 miles but sometimes make it to 4 or 5, depending on the aches and pains of the day.

Try to hit a few streets or areas where there is a little elevation to get the heart rate going. Then settle into flat terrain to catch your breath. 

I never tire of looking at the neighborhoods or park areas I pass. I can always make up stories about why a house is for sale, what is going on at certain construction areas, is that a new car in that driveway, and when will the projects really be finished.  I guess that puts me in the realm of the elderly ladies who always keep track of the comings and goings of the neighborhood.

Of course, my musings are definitely of a” higher” order that make for blog topics, Facebook postings, and conversations with friends, especially when a local business has shut its doors. That often happens in a matter of days with very little warning.

I have missed my daily treks as the weather kept me inside and sent me to the gym. While the treadmill is a nice alternative, it is much more interesting to take to the sidewalks and roads.

Not sure what it was about this winter that made it so despicable, many people say the same thing.  We are glad it is over and look forward to warmer days.

Don’t forget walking shoes and socks as a must for taking to the walking trails.  Take a good look and bask in the great outdoors!

 Frances

037 Funny things

Interview Stories

My recent blog posting concerned interviewing applicants for library positions. I have interviewed many job candidates and have been interviewed for a few jobs myself. In stressful situations, funny things happen.

I always felt that asking a candidate to perform a task related to the job was a good interview tactic. When scheduling the interview, I would give the individual a heads upon what task we would ask him or her to complete. 

Was it a successful technique or stress that discovered bookkeepers who could not do math or writers who could not write a coherent paragraph? . . . They didn't get the job!

A candidate for a library job that entailed teaching students how to use the library was asked to prepare a five-minute presentation on an assigned topic. She misunderstood the topic that I had described in a phone call. When the appointed presentation time came, we discovered the mix-up, and she said she would wing it. So she gave a five-minute talk on how to use an index to research the topic “suicide in rats.” We thought she did a great job on explaining the index but we were distracted by visualizations of rodents trying to off themselves . . . She did get the job!

I had scheduled one applicant for a day-long interview and put him up in a local hotel the night before. The scheduled time came but not the candidate. When we called him at the hotel to inquire why he was a half-hour late, he said he was running a little slow but would be there shortly. He had a five minute walk across campus to reach the library and did make it fifteen minutes later . . . He did not get the job!

Humor is not always appreciated in interviews. I was interviewing for a library job in at a large metropolitan university. I was struck by two things on my way to the interview. The first was that the sidewalks and streets in the area immediately outside the campus were painted with hundred of arrows all pointing to area shops and restaurants. The second was the gorgeous green marble in the first floor of the library—it seemed to be a ceremonial area since all that was there were elevators leading to the functional part of the library.

I went through a series of interviews and meetings that culminated with a grilling by six staff members as we all sat around a large conference table. They were interesting in some of the writing and research that I had done on way-finding in libraries. “What would I do to help people find the library after they entered the huge marble lobby?” I much too quickly wise-cracked, “I’d paint arrows on the floor, similar to the ones on the streets” . . . I didn’t get the job—I had insulted the sacred green cow !

At an institution where I once worked there was a new college president who was from the business world and wanted to learn about academia quickly. One thing he tried was talking to every candidate for every faculty job. Obviously this idea did not last too long but long enough for me to bring an applicant over for a brief meeting.

I barely knew him myself so I was a little nervous when sitting down with the big boss. We had some general chit-chat and then he said to the female applicant, “Tell me about yourself—are you married, do you have kids?” I jumped in “You can’t ask that!” ( I had been thoroughly trained by the college Affirmative Action Officer. He obviously had not.) . . . I kept my job and she got the job!

Sometimes habits or gestures can completely derail an interview. Another staff member and I were interviewing a woman with very long, very attractive curly hair. Each time she answered a question, she would put her hand and arm under her hair, toss her head, and flip up her hair. After a few questions, I don’t think we heard the answers . . . we were too busy waiting for the lift and flip! Unfortunately, we could not keep the experience to ourselves and for weeks after, anyone (long, short, or no hair) who wanted a cheap laugh only had to go through the lift and flip motion. . . . She did not get the job and not just because of the hair thing!

The more I interviewed candidates, the more I was convinced that instinct and a lot of luck resulted in some of the best hires. Silence is probably the interviewer's best tool. When candidates try to fill the silence, they sometimes reveal things about themselves. It seems many really want to tell you how bad their last boss was! 

I tried very hard not to hire people just like me but to look for complementary strengths. I especially liked candidates who had researched the institution and came with questions of their own. 

I liked doing job interviews—people are so fascinating . . . and funny!

Trish      

036 Random Thoughts

Random Thoughts & Questions

A Personal Log

Hi, there, savvy friends. No ranting this week. I am sharing with you some items from my list of questions and thoughts I have been compiling since we “broads” decided to start our blog. Some I had thought would turn into a whole blog, but aren’t of enough depth. 

Such as they are, I hope some of them will make you laugh, others provoke conversation, and yet others will appear just plain weird. (Maybe this will be true because I am bit of a comedian with sociological/psychological interests and, sometimes, just off the wall.)

Have you ever thought about these: 

1.  Do you ever get absolutely amazed at the words that come out of your mouth that you did not know you would say? I do. Sometimes, it is so pithy and erudite, I am proud of my brain. Other times, I can’t believe that I didn’t duct tape my mouth!

2.  Why both ISIS and ISIL? (Warned you that this is random!) I worry about this. So, reading the NY Times, I have come to conclusion that the first IS = Islamic State and the second IS = Iraq and Syria. Those who call it ISIL include the area known as the Levant which includes Syria, Lebanon, Jordan, Egypt and Israel. Now I am really worried about this which leads me to the next thought/question?

3.  What the heck is Netanyahu up to? Even the New York City Jewish community is divided. And I must read more about him as his name does not say JEWISH to me. This leads me to our Congress –

4.  We have two term Presidents – why not two term Senators and Representatives? I wish the Pew Research Center would study this. Would it be better or worse if terms were limited? It’s certainly not good now!

5.  Reality TV – why is it so popular? A decade ago, I remember conversations about how this fad would pass. It was a cheap way for producers not to have to pay stars. Now I am hooked on Dancing with the Stars, The Bachelor, and cooking competitions. What’s the explanation? Is it that these reality contestants are the American dream updated--anyone can make it?

        6.  Which arm rest is mine? 

           In the theatre, on the plane? 

           I am left-handed and need to know this!

7.  Animals can get nervous and depressed. Do they ever commit suicide?

9.  Are there now or were
there ever B-sized batteries?

8.  Robert Durst! If you haven’t been reading about him, it’s the best true crime murder mystery around! Check out the TV series called “The Jinx.” OH, MY!

10.  Walt Disney Studios give children false expectations and hopes. Not everyone gets a prince. Disney tales should be balanced by Grimm Fairy tales with “grim” messages. Life is not always “happily ever after.”



11. Should marriage vows be changed to reflect the times? “Forever” does not seem to be as long as used to be. Half of all marriages end in divorce and 40% of mothers are unwed. Need I continue?

12. HEALTH - Exercise is good; portion control is necessary. I wish bacon, eggs, coffee, and chocolate would get resolved. And what’s all the “new” info on breast milk?



13. I think cancer is hereditary – as least the genetic tendency toward. Am I right or wrong?

14. Why do I still worry about my 35-year-old daughter? She’s had her act together since she was 17, but I still worry. 

When she and her husband went to Africa on safari this winter, I stayed up all night watching their flight on flight tracker. Like that did a LOT of good!!



15. How do people really see me? Would they ever tell me the truth? I worry about this sometimes, and other times, I don’t care at all!

16. I do not like the beach. Most people do. I don’t like sand or strange things in the water. I do not like camping. It’s too much like work and there are bugs. Wonder what percentage of people agrees with me? Not many, likely, as hot weather activities seem to be thriving. Besides, why did Noah let those two mosquitos on the ark?
17. Jealousy. I am green with envy about people who grew up with a passion in their lives and pursued this career successfully. I still don’t know what I want to do when I grow up, but I keep the doors and windows open.

18. Teenagers. I don’t think they are any worse than they have ever been. Schools and rules have changed. People are more likely to sue if something happens. Teens actually have less freedom than we did in the 1960s and 1970s. Back in the 400s B.C., Socrates was worried about teenagers. Seems nothing has changed. He said, and I paraphrase, they love luxury, ignore authority and are lazy. Civilization will be ruined. 

19. Dog lovers and cat lovers. I am a dog lover. (Remember Mad Max, my wonder dog?). I admit consider cats arrogant flea bags. What is it in our personalities that make us choose one pet over the other? 

20. Mothers and daughters. Fathers and sons. I do not want to be like my mother, but people tell me I am more like her as I get older. OH NO, OH NO, OH NO!!! I think I need therapy.





There you go! Hope you savvy folks enjoyed some of these. I m continuing my list. If you liked this, let us know and some more will be shared. It’s a long list! I could have added bad grammar, but I think that gets a whole blog – SOON. I would sign up for the grammar police (if only it existed)! 

Thanks for reading.

Glenne