03-March 2014.Pub

HARARBOR LIGHT March 2014 PLYMOUTH H ARBOR ON S ARASOTA B AY • 700 J OHN R INGLING B OULEVARD • SARASOTA , F LORIDA 34236-1551 Community Connections Mean a New Home for a Treasured Antique Priscilla Doulton could see Kara grew up having a lot that her family was enjoying of fun in the pool room. the old pool table that had As budding young come with the house they women, they delighted in had just moved into in the attention from the Wellesley Hills, boys, whether they said it Massachusetts, outside of was interest in the pool Boston. The cue sticks, table or not. however, were just not in good shape. So off she The pool table held a went to a store in a nearby lifetime of memories and town that was having a sale. moved down with the “Sure we have pool cue Doultons when they sticks,” they had answered retired to Sarasota. when she called ahead to Phil Delaney, Priscilla Doulton, Mary Allyn & Harry Hobson Recently, Priscilla moved ask. What they failed to to a smaller home in mention was that they also had a rare gem on hand downtown Sarasota and wondered what to do with with which she would soon fall in love. this lovely antique. The large antique pool table that caught her eye when Her friend, Phil Delaney, Managing Director & she walked in was made of oak with diamond-shaped President at Northern Trust, thought that it deserved inlays of ivory all along the top border. The a home where many more would enjoy games of shopkeeper told her it was from the 1880’s and she pool for years to come. If she were to give the could see that it had real presence. It was beautiful, antique to an organization, where might it receive a Priscilla thought, and just the right gift for her fitting reception and welcome home? When the husband. idea struck Phil, Priscilla agreed, Plymouth Harbor on Sarasota Bay! It was perfect for them, but the “pool table” room in the house was not. This grand pool table was simply Now, this lovely table has a home of its own again, too large. Undaunted, Priscilla and her husband the cozy alcove in the newly renovated Club Room. simply added a room onto the back of the house to Accompanied only by two handsome spectator accommodate the new table. There was nothing more chairs for the watchful players and a cabinet for the than the pool table and necessary accoutrements in cue sticks, the table built by J.E. Came & Company the room they designed with three glass walls Billiard Makers of Boston now holds court at overlooking a wooded backyard and distant stream. Plymouth Harbor, welcoming all players. It sounds idyllic, but Priscilla says she doesn’t think Harry Hobson, President and CEO of Plymouth her daughters noticed the view at all. Bettina and Harbor, greeted both Priscilla and Phil, along with (continued on page 2) March 2014 Harbor Light Page 2 Community Connections Continued several Plymouth Harbor resident leaders and Ornamental carving seen on these pieces is lightly Trustees for the official christening of the pool table incised rather than deeply carved. Wood grains in its new home. Phil was given the honor of were often emphasized, with oak and cherry making the first break. frequently used in Eastlake pieces. The next time you visit the Club Room, take a moment to examine the oak grain in the veneer panels and the carved medallion details on the sides. We can appreciate the elegantly turned legs and the diamond ivory inlays. Bill Seiberling recently enjoyed a game of pool with Harry on the ‘new’ table. “I played a lot of pool in college and thoroughly enjoyed the game, but I haven’t played much since then,” said Bill. “I was very touched that Harry remembered pool as one of my favorite college pastimes and challenged me to a game. I had the biggest smile on my face!” Phil Delaney of Northern Trust Bank Mary Allyn, President of the Residents Association, and Bill Johnston, Chair of the Plymouth Harbor Foundation, proudly acknowledged this remarkable gift and thanked Priscilla for her generosity. “This gift is an amazing example of how our community comes together for the good of the whole,” commented Harry Hobson. “We cannot thank Priscilla Doulton and Phil Delaney enough.” The table is clearly following the Eastlake design style popular in American furniture making from Bill Seiberling (r) sharing a few pointers with Harry Hobson 1870 to 1890 during the later years of the Victorian era. The Eastlake furniture style as envisioned by And so ends the story of how a Sarasota community its namesake, Charles Lock Eastlake, came about in connection led to a generous contribution by a response to his dislike of the over-the-top Rococo newfound friend that will lead to Plymouth Harbor Revival and Renaissance Revival styles popular residents and friends connecting with one another for many years to come. It just doesn’t get any during the Victorian era. In contrast with other better than that! Victorian styles of furniture produced in America - Gayle Williams featuring classical motifs, Eastlake furniture is more geometric and incorporates modest curves. To reserve the pool table, call Resident Services at ext. 252. March 2014 Harbor Light Page 3 Spiritual Reflections by Chaplain Jerry O’Connor I don’t know of any religion that doesn’t have special observances that serve to remind followers of their historical beginnings. Judaism has Rosh Hashanah and Yom Kippur, Hanukkah, Pesah (Passover) and several minor holidays. Muslims celebrate two major observances: Ramadan, a month of daytime fasting, and Hajj, the pilgrimage to Mecca. Christians have divided the calendar into Advent, Christmas, Epiphany, Lent/Holy Week, Easter and Pentecost, each observance intended to tell the story of Jesus, the birth and growth of the church in the world. Wednesday, March 5, is the first day of Lent, known as Ash Wednesday. It begins a time of preparation for Easter, 40 days calculated by counting the weekdays, exclusive of Sundays. In the earliest days of the Church, the disciples (who were Jewish) grew up with the idea that the Sabbath-the day of worship and rest-was Saturday, the seventh day of the week, since the account of creation in Genesis says that God rested on the seventh day. Christ rose, however, on Sunday, the first day of the week, and the early Christians, starting with the apostles, saw Christ’s Resurrection as a new creation, and they transferred the day of rest and worship from Saturday to Sunday. Thus Lent becomes a period of fasting, prayer and penance in preparation for Easter. The Bible does not mention Ash Wednesday or the custom of Lent, however, the practice of repentance and mourning in ashes is found in 2 Samuel 13:19; Esther 4:1; Job 2:8; Daniel 9:3; and Matthew 11:21. At Plymouth Harbor we will begin the observance of Lent with the imposition of Ashes and a sharing of the common meal (Eucharist/Communion) in MacNeil Chapel at 10:30 a.m. on March 5. All are invited to attend, even those who are not Christian—it is good to experience and come to understand the traditions of our friends and neighbors. Looking back on my youth, I recall that Lent for many became more than a religious observance, it became a time of fasting/sacrifice that was supposed to remind us of Christ’s journey and suffering that led to the cross. For some, it became a time to give up desserts, drinking alcoholic beverages, smoking—all focused on the discomfort (suffering) we might experience by having to give up something that we enjoyed. At times, there was a competition among my peers to see who among us could complete the journey, and perhaps change our bad habits into good practices. There was success and failure in Lent, but in truth, there may have been less focus on the life journey and sacrifice of Jesus than on our pride in outdoing our peers. The observance should be one in which we walk where We Remember Jesus walked, and learn the full meaning of God’s love for all humankind—regardless of the religious Jeanne L. Smith tradition we may follow. God, Yahweh, Allah, by February 7, 2014 whatever name God is known, intends that we learn to love one another regardless of our differences. March 2014 Harbor Light Page 4 A Spirit of Philanthropy A Different Twist on Legacy Giving by Becky Pazkowski I recently attended the Positive Aging Conference hosted by the Institute for the Ages here in Sarasota. One of the sessions was entitled “Give It Forward” and the description talked about legacy giving. Being in the business I am, I figured that I was going to learn something new about making financial gifts from your estate plans. However, what the talk was really about was legacy giving in the sense of intangibles. It really inspired me to think about the legacy gifts people have made to me, and how the most meaningful gifts we receive are given unintentionally by the donor. We were to think about a legacy gift we have been left with and how it impacted our life. Mine was from my mom, who died in 2010, at the age of 73. She gave me some of the greatest gifts ever, without even knowing she did . how to be a good listener and a good mom. Both of these two gifts have had profound impact on my life.

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