Linda Lindberg

The six coffin-sized rectangles, painted blue on a McDonald’s parking lot in west Fairfax County, get a few curious glances from busy families these days. This is the spot where some of the first soldiers killed in the Civil War were buried 160 years ago.

Do you think you’re too old to grow additional brain cells? Think again! In AARP Virginia’s Six Pillars of Brain Health program, presented virtually by AARP Virginia Community Ambassador Rebekah Dailey, attendees learned how they can take charge of their brain health and improve their quality of life at any age. Throughout this interactive presentation, attendees shared information about what they are doing to help keep their brains healthy.

When Pamela Cressey was appointed as City Archeologist for Alexandria, Virginia, in 1977, she found the city that called itself “America’s most historic city” primarily focused on historic sites related to George Washington and Robert E. Lee, both of whom played important parts in the city’s history. The city was proud of its past, but what was missing in a city with a 30% African American population was information about its African American history.

The Virginia Aquarium and Marine Science Center in Virginia Beach, one of Virginia’s many treasures, was featured on June 16, 2021, on AARP’s Virginia Treasures series. Educator Rachel Clark introduced attendees to the denizens of two of the Center’s aquariums, both of which are reproductions of actual marine habitats in the waters off Virginia’s coast.

One of Virginia’s many treasures is the Virginia Living Museum in Newport News. On July 14, 2021, Dr. Kelly Herbst, Astronomy Curator for the Museum, took attendees on a trip through our solar system in a presentation of AARP’s Virginia Treasures series.

AARP Virginia's recent Tuesday Explorers event featured a virtual tour of the National Portrait Gallery in Washington, D.C.

The Virginia Treasures series recently highlighted the Virginia Zoo in Norfolk.

In his book Stolen: Five Free Boys Kidnapped into Slavery and Their Astonishing Odyssey Home, University of Maryland historian Dr. Richard Bell recounts the harrowing tale of these boys, including their escape to freedom. On April 28, 2021, during an Osher Lifetime Learning Institute (OLLI) virtual lecture, Bell used the saga of the boys as an example to educate listeners about the Reverse Underground Railroad. This OLLI lecture was one of a series of free events presented in collaboration with AARP Virginia and George Mason University.

Rounding out November as Caregivers’ Month, AARP Virginia’s Lily Liu hosted Melissa Andrews of LeadingAge Virginia on November 20, 2020, in a Caring Conversations discussion on Dementia Friendly Communities.

2020 is only half over, but so far it has been a year of many unexpected hardships, changes, and adjustments to our normal way of life. Resilience is the capacity to overcome difficulties, and in a timely webinar on June 24, Dr. Madelyn Blair shared insights with about 30 participants on how to achieve personal resilience.