New Neighbors
One of the two cottages across the street from us had been empty for a while, but this week a large moving van showed up and new neighbors moved in. Somehow, I am very excited about new neighbors so close by. So I baked a batch of chocolate chip cookies for them and took them over while they stood in the middle of open and still closed boxes, and stuff was all around. Their daughter was there too, and I am delighted about hopefully getting neighbors we can have over for a glass of wine, talk story with, go to dinner with, in one word, become friends with. There is a difference between living in the main building with apartments, where people more easily visit each other and become friends, than living in one of the twelve cottages and being more on our own. It is the independence that we like, but to have friends nearby is a wonderful thing.
Hospital visits
Of the other cottage neighbors two have recently gone to the hospital – and not for the first time – for testing or a medical emergency; it happens on a regular basis that we see the EMS vehicle drive up to the main entrance and take someone out on a stretcher – less often in the cottages, because there are only twelve.
Parties
On Friday afternoons we have Happy Hour. They serve wine and punch, crackers, cheese and fruit. And afterwards, should we have missed it, they also serve wine with dinner. This Friday there was a farewell party for our Executive Manager, who has been promoted within the organization and is moving to headquarters in Michigan. We met his replacement yesterday and hope he is up to the job; he has been around for almost a year, getting to know the ropes, so there will be no break in management. This Friday, May 10, Mike and I celebrated our two-year anniversary at Waltonwood and the party on Friday afternoon served us well in the celebration!
Mother’s Day started with a special breakfast on Friday morning at 7:00 a.m. We set the alarm an hour earlier than usual and when I looked out of our bedroom window at the break of dawn I saw one of the goose families – Dad, Mom, Auntie, who was limping a little, and two little ones passing underneath the window. What a wonderful sight to wake up to! Two or three goose families walk back and forth between the Wimbledon pond and ours and they always visit the gardens where people have bird feeders hanging. We were present in the Café for a nice buffet including crepes, raspberries, blueberries and blackberries, topped with Nutella and whipped cream. When the chef wanted to just decorate the crepes with a thin drizzle of Nutella, I asked him to continue drizzling, whereupon he turned the whole spoon upside down. Yum! I skipped the eggs, bacon and the other things they had on the buffet and went back for seconds – crepes are so thin, and they are delicious with Nutella! On the regular breakfast buffet in the dining room they had chocolate croissants and jam pastries, so I took one of each home for with our coffee the next morning: Mother’s Day breakfast continued! During the day I received a live Anthurium in a red pot from one of our daughters, and from the other one a picnic basket full of a variety of chocolate treats by Lindt and Ghirardelli of which we had to taste some right away of course. On Sunday, a Phalaenopsis hybrid from our son and daughter-in-law, cards and phone calls made the day special, and that after we had a wonderful brunch with our whole extended family at a table for nine in the Café.
NCSU Social for OLLI Docents
Monday night I decided to cancel Lani’s training class and go instead to the OLLI Social organized to thank the docents who lectured during the past year. Even though my turn is not until June 4, I wanted to go and meet some of the other docents and students. That was the best decision ever! In a large room red and white wine were served on one side at the bar, and on the opposite side a buffet was set up with citrus water, fruits, vegetable sticks, dips, Brie en croute, cheeses and more, plus dark, sweet ganache for dessert.
The Social was for docents and students, and I had a special docent ribbon hanging from my name tag. It was interesting to meet the people I came to sit with at the table, and afterwards I went around to meet other docents and talk to other students. I met a docent-couple that knew our son and daughter-in-law well, and were related to the couple from Arizona that we have dinner with every night. We had a very interesting conversation, and on my way home I thought how wonderful I felt having met people outside of our retirement community. It was as if I had been out in the real world – and indeed, I had! When the new OLLI catalog comes out we will see if there are topics we would be interested in and we may become members and enjoy Lifelong Learning!
It’s a Wonderful World!
Until next time,
Ronny