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In Asheville, amid the mountains of western North Carolina

(Photo by Janet Moore)

Did You Know? The Monarchs are migrating. Look up during the

next couple of weeks and you’ll see them floating

on the updrafts on their way to Mexico. This is a

good time to stop by the Pollinator Garden. You may well see

them feeding on the blossoms of fall blooming asters.

We have lost nearly three billion North American

birds since 1970. Put another way, this equals 29

percent of the birds that occupy this continent

with us. Not a bird lover? You still need to be

concerned. Birds are indicator species that help us measure

environmental health. Read more at

https://www.nytimes.com/2019/09/29/opinion/three-billion-

canaries-in-the-coal-mine.html.

We have at least three hawk species here at

Crowfields. The largest is the red shouldered

hawk. It nests in the oak tree behind Cluster E.

The next is the Sharp-shinned hawk. It’s about

the size of a crow and flies low to the ground.

The smallest is the Cooper’s hawk. It’s about the size of a blue

jay, but good luck telling them apart. For help, go here:

https://www.audubon.org/news/a-beginners-guide-iding-coopers-

and-sharp-shinned-hawks

CROWFIELDS

CHATTER

October 2019

INDEX:

Did You Know – page 1

Safety Message from the Board –

page 2

BOD Meetings – page 2

Committee Reports – page 2

From the Editor – page 5

Activities & Events – page 6

The Open Book – page 9

Out & About – page 10

Garden Gal – page 10

From the Kitchen –page 12

Doings Around Town – page 13

Calendar of Events – page 14

************************ Edited & Published by Janet Moore.

If you have ideas or an article or

picture for The Chatter, please

contact Janet at 778-9300 or

mp341683@gmail.com

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Important Safety Message from the Board

It has been reported to the Board that some people are driving the wrong way around the island in front of

Cluster S. They are using the north route as a short cut into the parking lot rather than going down to the

end of the island to make the turn. Recently, a resident who was leaving her mailbox was almost hit by a

car entering from the wrong way because she was not expecting a car to be coming from that

direction. Therefore, we are asking you to please stay in the right lane as you pass the island before an

accident happens.

CCA Meetings for September and October 2019

BOD Meetings BOD Work Sessions

October 1 @ 4 p.m. October 29 @ 4 p.m.

October 10 @ 4 p.m. – Called meeting to

vote on flood insurance and revisions to

the vehicle policy

November 5 @ 4 p.m. November 26 @ 4 p.m.

Reminder: The new email to use when contacting BOD members is Crowfieldsbod@gmail.com.

Committee Reports Bylaws Committee

The Board of Directors has scheduled a Special Membership Meeting for Thursday, October 10, 2019 at

4:00 PM for the purpose of voting on the issues of Flood Insurance and Vehicle rules.

At that meeting, the Bylaws Committee will ask Owners to vote on minor amendments to two Rules

passed at the July Members Meeting, as well as one rule that was tabled for more study, and one new

amendment requested by the management office staff. The amended portion of each proposed change is

in Bold Type:

A. GENERAL:

11. Feeding wildlife, other than songbirds from an elevated bird feeder, is prohibited. Bird feeders may

only be placed at the rear of the Unit. Hummingbird feeders are permitted in both the front and rear

gardens.

Reason for amendment: Hummingbird feeders do not drop seeds, so they present no problem for our

Grounds Staff.

*/*/*/

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F. PETS:

1. Dogs and cats are not allowed to run at large, and must be kept on a leash and under the full control of

a responsible adult when outside in the common or cluster areas.

Reason for amendment: After the meeting, Bylaws was contacted by three Residents who actually do

walk their cats on a leash. We feel they should be able to continue to do so.

*/*/*/

7. Dog owners are required to provide a copy of their dog’s current rabies vaccination record to the

property management office when the dog arrives in Crowfields, and again each time a new vaccination is

received. Dogs must be registered with the City of Asheville. A copy of the registration must be provided

to the management office within 30 days of the animal’s residence.

Reason for deletion: Two Owners expressed concern at the Members Meeting regarding the dog license

portion of our original proposal. The BOD has approved the deletion of that portion of the proposal. The

deleted information on the dog license process has been placed in the Owners’ Guide so that Residents

can have access to the information.

*/*/*/

J. POLICY REGARDING RE-SALES OF CROWFIELDS CONDOMINIUMS:

3. The Property Manager may help Owners with information on recent sale prices, appraisals and tax

valuation. This information is available in the management office.

Reason for deletion: Requested by Charles and Gayle. A real estate agent is more qualified to handle this

sort of work, and the management office is running out of storage space.

*/*/*/

The Bylaws Committee wishes to thank all who have participated in the Phase 2 Rules and Regulations

process.

Aileen Estra, chair

Carol Schmidt

Diane Martin

Katherine Soderquist

Activities Committee Helen Eill

MESSAGE RECEIVED…Results from the Clubhouse questionnaire are in. Here’s what we learned.

You would like more lectures, particularly by other residents (Bill Spellman, presenter extraordinaire, are

you listening?); more social and holiday events that bring people together such as Halloween, Valentine’s

Day and St. Patrick's Day; educational events presented by residents and more films, particularly musicals

and golden oldies.

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Want to get involved? Here’s who to contact:

Cultural Events and Interesting Outside Speakers, Book Discussion---Fran Myers

Out and About Carpool Opportunities---Bonnie Gordon

Aging in Place and Community Building Events; Calendar---Helen Eill

First Friday, Movie Nights, Simple Suppers (really not Activities Committee) and everything that

needs doing---Carol Schmidt

Parties and Fun--- Formerly Adrienne Williams*

Crafts and Conversation--- Virginia West

Men's Coffee---Mike Herzoff, Randy Langley

Bocce---Gil Estra

Hand and Foot Cards---Virginia West

Chair Chi---Maggie Crowell

Fifth Friday BYOL---Jocelyn Baumgarten

Potluck Suppers--- Formerly Adrienne Williams*

Games, Games, Games---Geri Silliman

Crowfields Writers---Elizabeth Addison

There are always helpers like Valerie Larrea and Bobbi Ray, Nancy Costello. We all support one another

and pitch in when we're needed.

MESSAGE SENT…Do you have an idea for a program? Do you know a neighbor who would do a

presentation? Would you do a presentation? Will you be responsible for one social event (with help)? Do

you want to show movies that you like? Will you be a member of the Activities Committee?

Our commitment to our responsibilities anchors us in this community, makes it easy and comfortable for

us to call Crowfields home. Call someone on the Committee to become involved.

(*Please note that Adrienne Williams finds that she can no longer carry on with her work on the many

activities that we have all appreciated. She will help and advise anyone who will take one on.)

From The Crowfields Neighbors Committee

The Crowfields Neighbors Committee continues to serve our community in many ways. However, the

designated telephone was not being used enough to justify the cost. So, we are no longer using it. If you

need help from Crowfields Neighbors please call Alice Magee at (804) 690-0032 or Nancy Costello at

(828) 778-6723.

It is important in emergencies and for safety purposes that the office has a key to all our units. If your unit

has two keys (deadbolt and doorknob), the office should have both.

The office should have a Medical Emergency Form on file for each resident. A copy of this form should

also be attached to the unit’s interior electrical box. The Medical Emergency Form can be downloaded

from the Crowfields website.

We need volunteers from the community to give rides and provide occasional meals to those who have

temporary needs. If you wish to be placed on our volunteer list please contact Alice Magee (804) 690-

0032 or Nancy Costello at (828) 778-6723. The time commitment is entirely up to you.

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**A Work of Thanks to Crowfields Neighbors**

“Thank You” for all your support during my recuperation from pneumonia. Your loving hands provided

many wonderful meals and was very appreciated. All of you helped my recovery. I am now up and

functioning and it feels GREAT!!!

Diana (and Cal) Christopherson

The Website Committee

It’s not just our clusters that are getting a new look –– so is the Crowfields website. The updated, sleek

format will not only appeal to us, but will be an attractive introduction for the home-seeking public. We

will be unveiling the new site soon.

As before, there will be two sides to it, the public side and the residents’ side. It will be easier to navigate,

and it will have some handy new features like a search box. The site will be more user-friendly and more

secure too. When we launch, you will receive an invitation to create your own username and password.

Be watching for more information on the rollout soon.

Crowfields Chatter

Not to be outdone, The Chatter will be sporting a new look very soon, too. Stay tuned. In addition,

Valerie Knisley and Jean-Marc Braem have graciously agreed to gather information about new residents

at Crowfields. This is a Chatter feature that many of you have requested. We are indebted to Ellen James

for doing the leg work while Mary Damore was editor. Now Valerie and Jean Marc will be taking that

over. They have developed a simple template that will enable the Chatter staff to introduce newcomers to

the larger community. We will try to match Mary Damore’s stellar record of getting The Chatter out by

the first of each month. But we are volunteers, and life happens, so we are aiming for distribution in or

around the first.

From the Editor:

It is officially autumn, although the temperatures sure don’t feel very autumnal. Cooler weather

will eventually come our way, but when is anyone’s guess. As for the trees, they are on their own

schedule. Sugar maples, dogwoods and sourwoods are already turning and acorns are beginning to fall, all

of which means that the Crowfields staff is busy keeping up with Mother Nature. Some of these jobs

aren’t so obvious, so I wanted to bring them to your attention.

An Ounce of Prevention. Putting a fresh coat of paint on the leading edges of steps throughout

the property and re-numbering the parking and visitor spaces. They are also painting the visitor

spaces to the curb’s edge to make it is more visible when pulling a car into the space.

Pool Time. Staff work hard to be sure the pool and the area around the pool clean and neat, for

the comfort of the residents. This happens every morning during the week prior to the pool

opening.

Acorns, Acorns, Acorns. With it being so dry, fall acorns are already starting to drop. Some of

the grounds crew have been using the blowers to remove the acorns from the walkways. This is no

one-and-done job. Sometimes it takes going around the same area up to three times a day. Just call

the office if you have an area that is becoming a hazard from falling acorns and tree litter.

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Fall Clean-Up. The grounds crew have been helping out with back gardens. This time of year

things can get a bit overwhelming, but the staff is doing their best to keep up with their day-to-day

tasks and individual gardening requests.

Leaf Season. The staff is gearing up for leaf season. Soon they will be working constantly to keep

the leaves from overtaking all of us. But first we have to get the equipment cleaned and checked

out so everything is in good working order. The cool days are just around the corner and although

we have a good supply of seasoned wood, which residents can request, they will be collecting

dead trees on the property, cutting them into logs and preparing them for use.

We all appreciate the hard work that Charles and his team do throughout the year. So take a moment when

you see them to say thank you. It is always appreciated.

I recently read an opinion piece in the Sunday New York Times entitled The Beauty of the Ordinary by

Pico Iyer. In it the author poses an intriguing question. “How might we be enchanted by discovery’s

opposite – routine – and find in constancy a stimulation as rich as novelty provides?”

What does such this question have to do with autumn? Everything, claims

Iyer. “We treasure autumn days as reminders of everything we must not

take for granted.” For those of us who live at Crowfields that means

tending this beautiful corner of the world we are privileged to inhabit. We

are, after all, only its current caretakers. It means showing appreciation to

the many people who make our life here pleasant and congenial, from the

staff to the volunteers who serve on our board and others who work

quietly behind the scenes enriching our lives and helping us when we’re down.

It also means taking a moment to fall in love with autumn, again. Iyer closes with this. “I am more

enamored of the fall, if only because it has spring inside it, and memories, and the acute awareness that

almost nothing lasts forever. Every day in autumn – a cyclical sense of things reminds us – brings us a

little bit closer to spring.” To read more of this lovely, thought-provoking piece, click here: https://www.nytimes.com/2019/09/20/opinion/aging-marriage-autumn.html.

So as the days get shorter and the temperatures really do drop, we can find joy in knowing that we are one

day closer to spring (March 19, 2020). In fact, by the end of October we are 140 days closer, but who’s

counting?

Janet Moore

Upcoming Activities and Events

Save the Date 2019 Crowfields House Tour, 1-4 p.m., Saturday, Oct. 5

Four of our neighbors have generously offered to open their homes. They are all beautiful and full of

creative ideas and examples of gracious living at Crowfields. There is no particular order in which to

tour. Start at the home nearest to you and continue to the next on your list. In that way we will avoid

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crowding in any one unit. Watch for the balloons. Your guests are welcome, but must be accompanied by

a resident. Please hold by the hand any child that you may have with you.

427 Drive, Fionnuala Jones -- Randy and Fionnuala Jones had been coming to Asheville for the past

thirty years from their home base in Florida. They had the opportunity to buy #427 from friends who were

looking for a bigger home in Biltmore Forest. They were thrilled to have a place within drive-able

distance that would eventually be a perfect retirement home. Upon retirement Fionnuala renovated the

basement and completed all cosmetic and maintenance projects before moving permanently to Crowfields

in January this year.

444 Drive, Chuck and Sarah Smither -- When we moved from New Orleans to Asheville in 1987, we

fell in love with our hillside garden and mountain views in North Asheville. But after 32 years, the time

has come to move to one-level living and flatter terrain. We feel very lucky to have found our light-filled

villa with its charming perennial garden, lovingly created by the previous owners (Ed and Jan Smith), and

we moved in last winter. We have made only minor changes, including adding a new coat of paint

throughout to help highlight our art, and replacing the carpet with hardwood floors to match what

was already in the living and dining rooms. We are thrilled with our new home in beautiful

Crowfields. We love the neighbors and the neighborhood!

449 Drive, Charles and Susan Peele --Between hurricanes Jose and Maria in 2007 we sold our home on

the Outer Banks of NC and made out way to Asheville. After looking at many communities, we found

the lovely park-like setting of Crowfields with lovely landscapes and gardens and spacious homes.

Although our unit had not been updated since it was built in 1978, we could see potential. It was time to

downsize, leaving behind our beach decor and adding a touch of modern and traditional. Our home is

reflective of our love for travel and the beach. Art work from local Hatteras artists and pieces from our

travels have a special spot in our sun room where we often sit and enjoy visits from our solo turkey who

we have named Gravy. Another special piece of art was discovered here in Asheville and hangs in the

stairway. Why special? The artist's name is Elliot--a family middle name of both Susan and Charles,

daughter and granddaughter! The kitchen was designed for Susan's love of cooking and of course every

guy (Charles) needs a "man cave". Welcome to Our Home!

451 Drive, Douglas and Sandra McKinney --We had a home in Biltmore Forest for 31 years that had

become too much to keep up, and we have a home on Keowee where our five children and 10

grandchildren like to go, so we needed to downsize. We had always liked Crowfields for the 37 years we

have been in Asheville since starting our insurance business, so when we found the one story end unit we

decided it was perfect for us. We did not like some of the floor plan and decor of the unit, so we decided

to gut the unit and start over. We moved some doors, added a laundry room, put in a completely new

kitchen with an appliance package that includes a compactor and ice machine, as well as new cabinets and

quartz counter tops. We put in new hardwood floors and a two-sided fireplace and put new granite around

it as well as hand-painted tile. We customized both bathrooms with decorative tile and granite counter

tops and enlarged the master shower.We added area rugs in every room. We have been very pleased with

the reconstruction and are continuing to add artwork throughout the unit. Thank you very much for the

opportunity.

Save the Date Will She or Won’t She?

The Queen has been invited to our own Downton Abbey Tea. October 8 may be day of too

many commitments (which of us hasn't had one of those) and she might not be able to

come. Then again, she just might make it. Dress up in your 1920's Downton-ish duds (or

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don't) and come find out if we're on her 'A' list or not. Queen's attendance or not, we'll enjoy our tea and

scrumptious treats when we get together at the Clubhouse on Tuesday October 8 at 2:00. PLEASE

RSVP TO NANCY CASH at ncnancy@charter.net

SAVE THE DATES: October Movies @ 7 p.m.

Monday, October 14

Rocketman - This musical bio-pic embarks on the spectacular journey of Elton John in his rise to fame.

OR

Crazy Rich Asians - Rachel follows her longtime boyfriend, Nick, to his best friend's wedding

Singapore. Excited about visiting Asia for the first time but nervous about meeting Nick's family, Rachel

is unprepared to learn that Nick has neglected to mention a few details about his life.

Monday, October 28

Crazy Rich Asians

OR

South Pacific -- One of the most powerful musicals of all time. Like so many works by Richard Rogers

and Oscar Hammerstein, its message is as relevant today as it was when the musical first appeared on

Broadway in 1949.

Save the Date Interior Decorating and Safety, October 22 at 3:00 p.m.

We know about the dangers of area rugs and small, loose objects that can cause us to trip. Lisa Wood is

an interior decorator with good ideas for us. She has knowledge of products and practices that can

beautify our homes and help us to age in place sensibly. Don't miss this dynamic speaker who has

interesting information for our community.

Save the Date Visit the Understory Lab, Wednesday, October 24

Professor David Ellum from Warren Wilson College addressed us a few months ago

telling us about the value of the plants in the understory. He has invited Crowfields

residents to tour his 'laboratory nursery' and see first-hand the kind of work that

he and his students are doing. His field is wildlife biology as it pertains to natural

indigenous growth. His particular project is identifying and promoting sustainable

agriculture that would allow small farms to produce crops that have commercial

value, thus preserving agricultural land.

We would meet at the Clubhouse parking lot at around 8:30 in order to carpool

to Warren Wilson College. After a tour of his work place and a question/answer

session, we have the opportunity to buy our lunch in the cafeteria. Dave is a really good speaker and an

engaging personality. If you can come along, please RSVP to Fran Myers at 274-0976 so that Dave

knows how many of us to prepare for.

Water Aerobics is Back Through the Middle of October

When: Tuesdays at 11:30 a.m. and Fridays at 1:00 p.m.

What: through the middle of October

Cost: $60 if you come twice a week; $30 if you come once a week.

Jeanne Harbison uses music and noodles to keep us moving in the pool. Work at your own pace in our

heated, chlorine-free pool. Water aerobics is a great addition to any exercise program.

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Chair Chi with Maggie is Back, Too

Meeting once again on Fridays at 11:00, this chair based exercise is deceptively

gentle. Emphasizing stretch and strength, Maggie Crowell's magic makes the

hour fly by.

The Open Book Aileen Estra

When I first began reading Lincoln in the Bardo, I had no idea what to think. Instead

of chapters, random lines of dialogue run higgledy-piggledy down the mostly white

page, anonymous and apparently disconnected from one another. Nothing made sense. Who were all these

people? Where was the plot? Where was the dramatic tension? For that matter, where was Abraham

Lincoln, and what the heck is a “bardo” anyway?

Note to self: Be more patient.

Lincoln in the Bardo is George Saunders’ first major work, although he is well-known and greatly

respected for his short stories. It took him ten years to write the novel, and it won the Booker Prize for

Fiction in 2017. The style of the novel is described as “experimental,” but perhaps “deconstructed” would

be a more accurate description. Or masterpiece.

The story—what there is of it—is based on a true event: In 1862, Abraham Lincoln’s beloved son Willie

died of typhoid fever, leaving the already overburdened President heartbroken. Lincoln visited his son’s

crypt several times in the week following the funeral. Witnesses, including the cemetery’s caretaker, saw

the stooped, mournful father sobbing as he cradled his dead child in his arms.

And that’s where reality shifts gears.

Using that pieta-like image of parent and child as a starting point, Saunders introduces us to a veritable

graveyard of souls, some newly departed and others residents of long standing. All are trapped within the

confines of the cemetery, suffering greatly in their grey, eventless world, and unwilling to accept the fact

of their demise. They call their caskets “sick beds,” and wonder when they will be able to return to their

former lives. This is the Bardo, the in-between place of waiting described in Tibetan Buddhism (Saunders

is a Buddhist.) Angels appear at intervals to encourage these lost souls to move on, but none do. They are

clinging to a life that no longer exists. The appearance of young Willie Lincoln in their midst is like a

drug to an addict, revealing the souls’ slow descent into madness, and their desperate longing to return to

their former existence.

Saunders’ novel is not a pleasant read, but it is a haunting one. It has been variously compared to Edgar

Lee Masters’ Spoon River Anthology, a James Joyce satire, Breugel’s Garden of Earthly Delights, and

Dante’s Inferno. To me, it most resembles a disassembled version of Thornton Wilder’s Our Town. Life is

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beautiful, Lincoln In the Bardo reminds the reader, but in the end, it moves on without us, and we are

obliged to move forward, embracing whatever comes next.

*/*/*/

(Crowfields Book Club meets on the 4th Tuesday of each month at 7:00 PM in the clubhouse. Our next

meeting is Tuesday, October 22nd. We will be discussing Circe, by Madeline Miller. Please join us!)

Out & About in October

(Unless another Leader/Contact listed, for more information, contact Bonnie

Gordon 828-773-1809.)

Oct. 5 (Sat) Blue Ridge Orchestra at Lipinsky Auditorium at UNC-A. "The Young

Masters: Beethoven, Bach, and Weber" Tickets $15 at door or call the box office at (828)782-

3354. Carpool departs clubhouse at 6:30 for 7:30 performance.

Oct. 9 (Wed) Out to Lunch Fish and Chips at the Bonefish Grill. Carpool departs clubhouse at 12

noon.

Oct. 12 (Sat) Shredding Event (Free to public) Document shredding and drug take back, sponsored

by TRIAD Henderson. Flat Rock Village Town Hall, 10 Village Center Dr. 10 am to 12 noon

only. Document shredding is limited to 2 boxes/person, shredding is done on site with your

supervision. Drugs are limited to pills only, no needles or liquids. Sheriff's Office will supervise

disposal. Info @ https://www. hartandsold@gmail.com.

Oct. 21 - Nov. 4 The "Big Trip" to Italy and Greece. It's not too late to get onboard for our two-week

vacation in Europe. Although choices are now limited. We'll leave Asheville on Oct. 21 for New York,

visit the city for two days, then onto Venice. After three days in this beautiful place, we'll board the NCL

Star for a 7-day cruise to the Adriatic and the Greek Islands. We'll arrive back in Asheville Nov. 4 with

lots of stories to tell! Call Bonnie Gordon (828) 773-1809 for info.

The Garden Gal Aileen Estra

What a grand summer it has been—blue skies and bright sunny days, with just enough

rain to keep our lawns looking lush and green. I swear, our Crowfields campus gets

more beautiful with each passing day!

Down in the Community Garden, our residents have been hard at work harvesting bumper crops of

tomatoes and zucchini, and clearing their assigned plots in preparation for winter. A few adventurous

souls will plant winter crops like onions (first early or electric), shallots (echalote grise), garlic ((chasnok

red), broad beans (aquadulce claudia), peas (meteor or kelvadon wonder) and perpetual spinach. I know

of one resident who’s trying her hand at planting celery for the first time—it will be interesting to see how

her little experiment turns out come Spring.

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Now that all the hexagons in the Pollinator Garden have been adopted, the Grounds Committee has begun

the application process to register Crowfields as a Certified Monarch Butterfly Waystation. Many thanks

go out to our environmentally conscious residents for their contributions and support!

If you haven’t been down to the garden recently, take a stroll some sunny afternoon and check out all the

butterflies sipping nectar from the Joe Pye weed, mountain mint, purple salvia and mallow. And as an

added bonus, flocks of bright yellow goldfinches arrive daily to feed on the seedpods of

flowers whose blooms are spent. Nature makes use of everything—perhaps we humans

could take a lesson from the goldfinches!

The leaves are beginning to turn, and soon the air will grow crisp and cool. We’ll light

our fires, settle in under cozy throws with a cup of hot tea or a glass of bourbon. But until

that time comes, let’s revel in the warm pleasures of summertime, and give thanks for

the beauty that surrounds us so abundantly here at Crowfields.

PS: If you have adopted a hexagon, please remember to cut back your perennial plants and remove

annuals once your garden is finished blooming. That way, it will be ready for replanting next year. The

butterflies thank you!

We’re Painting!

It’s been years in the making, but at long last, Charles and the staff are

moving ahead with much needed siding replacement and painting. Clusters

S, U, and V are completed. It takes a great deal of work and many hands

from trusted contractors to remove damaged siding, replace with the new,

and prep it for painting. If you haven’t been to “three mile island” recently, this is a good time to see the

results of their hard work.

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From the Kitchen Gayle Connell

I make a lot of Indian food, and I frequently use cardamom in my curries. Cardamom has a

wonderful citrus flavor and it makes terrific shortbread. Try it and let me know what you think. GC

Cardamom Shortbread

Ingredients

3/4 cup all-purpose flour

2 teaspoons cardamom powder (you can find this at EarthFare, Ingles or Publix in the spice

section

1/4 teaspoon salt

1 stick unsalted butter, room temperature (1/2 cup)

1/4 cup + 1 tablespoon 10X powdered sugar

Instructions

Whisk together all-purpose flour, cardamom powder and salt in a small bowl, set aside.

Beat the softened butter and powdered 10X sugar in a medium bowl, medium-high speed, until smooth,

about 30 seconds.

Add the flour mixture all at once and beat on low speed, until well combined.

Remove dough from bowl and using a bit of additional flour (dough may be a bit sticky) flatten into a

disk, wrap well in wax paper or plastic wrap, and chill in the refrigerator for at least 4-6 hours (up to 2

days) to firm.

When you are ready to bake the shortbread, Pre-heat oven to 375 degrees F. Line a baking sheet with

parchment paper and set aside.

Remove dough from refrigerator, roll on lightly floured surface into a rectangle, you want it to be about

¼” thick. Cut into logs about 1” x 3” long and place on baking sheet, spacing evenly. Prick the dough

half way through with a fork in several places. Try not to pierce all the way through the dough. I like to

prick in down the middle three times but it is totally up to you.

Bake cookies in the middle rack of the oven for 20-25 minutes, until deep golden around the edges (turn

pan once halfway through baking)

You want these cookies to be crisp. Place pan on a wire rack to cool completely. Store cookies in an air

tight container for several days. They are wonderful with a cup of tea.

Alternatively, you could roll the dough into a log before chilling phase and cut into rounds.

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Doings Around Town

Julie and Fred Northrup will be performing Hayden’s Creation along with other members of the

Asheville Choral Society on October 12 at 4 pm at Central United Methodist Church.

Rosanna Kingston (433 Crowfields Drive) submitted this interesting community event:

Celebrate the Harvest with Seed Programs International

The Autumnal Equinox marks the beginning of the fall season, and many communities celebrate with

harvest festivals. These festivals focus on gratitude and a sharing of blessings and

one last hurrah before the cold season sets in.

Please Join Seed Programs International to celebrate and support for all the work done

to bring harvest worldwide.

Date: October 13th

Time: 4:00 pm- 7:00pm

Where: Ivy Creek Family Farm

390 North Fork Rd.

Barnardsville, NC

For more information about the farm visit ivycreekfamilyfarm.com

FOOD, MUSIC, and FUN

inspired by global harvest traditions

RSVP

Email Katie Sinn at katie@seedprograms.org

To learn more about Seed Programs International visit www.seedprgrams.org.

Carolina Bonsai Expo at The North Carolina Arboretum, October 12 from 9

a.m. – 5 p.m. and October 13 from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m.

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Activities & Events for October

Refer also to the online Activities Billboards and monthly calendars available on Crowfields Members website, which can

be printed if desired. For general activities questions, please contact Helen Eill or Bonnie Gordon. Contact persons for

specific activities are indicated in blue following the activity listing below. Updates and reminders for activities and events

are communicated via the Weekly Activities Reminder distributed by the Crowfields Office.

MONDAYS 8:00 Walkers (Helen Eill)

10:00 Men's Coffee (Mike Herzoff)

1:00 Pound

2:00 Crafts and Conversation (Virginia West)

7:00 Mondays at the Movies

10/14 Rocketman or Crazy Rich Asians

10/28 Crazy Rich Asians or South Pacific

THURSDAYS 10/24 @ 8:30 Trip to Warren Wilson College

10/24 @ 1:00 Crowfields Writers @ #506

1:00 Hand and Foot Cards

5:00 Bocce

TUESDAYS 11:30 Water aerobics -- 10/1, 8, 15

10/8 @ 2:30 Downton Abby Tea

10/22 @ 3:00 Decorating with Safety

10/22 @ 7 p.m. Book discussion – Circe by Madeline

Miller

FRIDAYS 8:00 Walkers

11:00 Chair Chi

10/4, 11 @ 11:30 Water Aerobics

10/4 @ 5:30 First Friday Social

10/11 @ 4:00 Games, Games, Games

10/18 @ 5:30 Potluck Supper

WEDNESDAYS 8:00 Walkers

11:00 Pound

1:30 Mah Jongg (Anne Simmons)

6:30 Simple Suppers

10/2 12 Bones – Ribs, BBQ, and fixings

10/9 Cinnamon Kitchen – Lamb chops,

chicken tika

10/16 La Caretta – Arroz con Mariscos

(grilled shrimp and scallops over rice)

10/23 67 Biltmore – Glazed meatloaf,

potatoes au gratin, sugar snap peas

10/30 Pomodoro’s – Chicken marsala,

mashed potatoes, Greek salad

10/9 @ 12 noon Out and About Fish and Chips Lunch

WEEKENDS Saturday 10/5 from 1-4 Crowfields House Tour

10/5 @ 6:30 Out & About Carpool for Blue Ridge Orchestra