We loved living in the place that had been our home for decades, but graduallythe burdens of maintenance of the pool, gardens, and any number of needs that crop up every season around our home became morethan we really wanted to bear. We enjoy living in this area, but driving in the winter seemed to be more of challenge every year. We watched younger friends of ours struggle with helping their parents, and we did not want to be a burden to our family.

There is no question in our minds that this would be a wrenching decision for anyone. In our case we worried that uprooting meant leaving all that we had loved about our home. It helped us immensely that each of us had a sister, one in Connecticut and one in Nashua, as well as friends in Exeter living in places like The Woodlands. They told us that the decision itself had been the hardest part, and looking back they couldn't remember why it took them so long to make the leap. They all felt that it was the best thing they have done for themselves.

We chose The Woodlands for many reasons. We wanted to be close to our families, be near top-flight medical facilities, be close to the ILEAD classes associated with Dartmouth College, and have access to the full range of cultural events that make this area special. We wanted to maintain our community involvement and connections. As we discovered more about

The Woodlands itself we were attracted to the size ofthe apartments and beauty of the commonareas. Having had a pool at ourhouse for many years, we're thrilled that our new pool is accessible year-round and that we don't have to worryabout the maintenance. The more we learned about The Woodlands, the morewe wanted to be part of things from the beginning and have the opportunity to help shape the new community.

Once we made the decision, we moved on to the downsizing phase, and I'll tell you, no ifs, ands, or buts about it, this is tough.

At first it seemed an overwhelming task when the dumpster arrived at our house. Early on every decision was protracted, from how many salt shakers, tablecloths, and rugs we wanted to keep, to which furniture, or what to do with hundreds of pictures. It seemed our process went from ridiculous to more ridiculous. But then we began to get a handle on what we were doing, and within a few weeks we were shoving the things nobody really needed into the dumpster and finding new homes for the treasurespeople really wanted.

Tony and I moved into the Woodlands on day one, and the staff was incredibly helpful, getting rid ofboxesas quickly as I could empty them,answering questions, and helping us figure out how to use everything in our new home. Of coursethere have been some adjustments. It is truly strange to go grocery shopping and skip the meat and fish counters, knowing someone else is cooking a fantastic dinner for us. And our dog has had to make a major adjustment from country living. But it didn't take long for us to appreciate the richness of the experience here.

Like all our new neighbors, at first we felt a little like immigrants in a new country, or students starting college, needing to learn a new culture and language but excited to meet new people. While getting to know our neighbors has been one ofthe highlights so far, we also greatly appreciate that The Woodlands provides all the privacy we could ask for.

Our apartment is soundproof, yet we have the security of knowing that a highly experienced and capable staff, lead by the amazing Ron Andrews, could help with any problems that might arise.

We are making friends every day and are truly grateful that, with the help of our family and friends, we made the decision to come to The Woodlands. If you are contemplating this move, I urge you to do it sooner rather than later, so that you can enjoy the benefits of your new lifestyle.

Chartotte Quimby

We would be available to help when it was needed. Unfortunately for all of us, that time came sooner rather than later as Jack’s mother became very confused and it was in a way that it was too difficult for his father to manage on his own. A result of that was to have her go to a nearby nursing home where she was quite unhappy. Unfortunately, she didn’t last very long and died two months after she went there. His father remained healthy, remarried and lived until his late eighties.

In my family, I was the youngest of four and my mother became a widow when she was about 60. Shortly thereafter, she remarried. A few years into her new marriage, she developed Alzheimer’s disease. As time went on it became too difficult for her husband to care for her and again a nursing home became the answer for her care.

With this history, Jack and I decided that we wanted to be able to have control of what our futures would hold and do it in a way that allowed us to continue our lives in the area where we have some of our family and friends.

The Woodlands appealed to us as soon as we went to the first meeting - it would give us the freedom and control we sought, allowed us to make the decisions on our future for ourselves and didn’t delay the process so that our children would have to do it for us. At that time we made our first deposit on a future apartment. When the plans for the building were available, we poured over them and chose the apartment we felt would be suitable for us and our little dog Maggie. It was very important for us to be on the first or second floor so we would have an easy and quick exit for the dog! Our first floor unit has been terrific in many ways but the easy exit is perfect!

With our choice all but made, we invited our kids to come and see what we had been doing. They had known we were interested in The Woodlands but in this meeting they had a chance to see the apartments we were interested in and gave us input into how they saw things. They were helpful and enthusiastic. Our son David said, “Thank you for doing this”. I know they all felt that way.

Now that we are in our beautiful new home we are making new friends and rekindling old ones.

We are happy with our decision and are moving on with our lives. We are always more than happy to talk to anyone about our experience, and help people figure out if the Woodlands is right for them.

Connie and Jack Skewes