Excerpts from Christmas letters

2010

Christmas Season is beginning for us in a new location. We are comfortably at home in our little cottage in Brandermill Woods Retirement community while outside elves are turning this into a fairyland of lights.

It has been an interesting year. Downsizing over 50 years of flotsum and jetsom meant becoming savvy with Craig’s List and “For Sale” ads in our local papers and though moving is not a new experience for us, this one has a finality abou it.

Many blessings have graced us this year. This friendly community has provided us with a multitude of new friends, more activities than we can possibly attend and opportunities for us to learn and grow. Judy is involved with a writing class and David is leading a Faith Questions class. A full schedule of exercise classes and walking trails has kept us both in good health (not Great, but good).

An interesting new experience has been joining Brandermill Church, a co-joined Methodist and Presbyterian congregation.

2011

We once listened in disbelief as friends told us they were busier in retirement than they ever were before. Now we find ourselves agreeing but, are we doing more or does it just take us longer to accomplish anything? Whichever, as we begin our second year here at Brandermill Woods Retirement Center we find our days filled to the brim and running over with programs and activities.

David has enjoyed his garden this year, complimenting our meals here with home-grown veggies. A new hobby, developing rapidly for him, is wood carving. Judy continues to enjoy the Writing class as well as the Book Club, Women’s Club and daily fitness classes.

We enjoy our church experiences, past and present. Though members of Brandermill Church (a combined Methodist and Presbyterian congregation) we affirmed our Methodist roots this year by attending Annual conference as well as returning to Epiphany, in Vienna for their 50th celebration.

Nature added to the drama of this year with our first experienced earthquake, a record-setting cold winter, Hurricane Irene, and a spectacular, colorful Fall. We are grateful to have gone through all these in this safe, nurturing community.

Friends and family continue to highlight our lives. First—family news. Neel and Candace opened new vistas for us when they escorted us on a trip to Quebec City. We learned the history of Canada and even climbed the 400 steps up the cliff from the St. Lawrence River to the Plains of Abraham where, historically, the decisive battle between the British and the French was fought.

2015

For five years we have lived at Brandermill Woods Retirement community and our lives have centered around activities here. So it was refreshing in 2015 to touch areas of our former life. On three occasions we got to reconnect with friends met during our years of active ministry. Our first expereince was a return to Roanoke to the site of David’s first assignment, the start of a new church, Cove Road (now Southview United Methodist Church.) and celebrate with that congregation in their beautiful sanctuary. On a second occasion we attendfed Annual Conference, seeing old friends and watching the retirement of our “young” minister friends. Our third occasion was attending the Arms Retreat for retired ministers. Here we were inspired by the energy and creativity of this group.

2018

One of our biggest changes is that, after a wreck that totaled our car, we no longer drive. This has curtailed some of our pleasures… David’s gardening and any future road trips.

Fortunately, we are still ambulatory, but even this has changed. David now walks with a cane (that we named “Tim” in honor of our new Virginia senator) and Judy has an old-lady hump we call “Quasemodo.”

2020

COVID-19 hit this year. Basketball was cancelled right in the middle of the tournament. We were confined to our cottage. Masks were worn everywhere by everyone, and the first series of shots was begun. Little did we know that these harsh conditions for more years.

After 2020

We stayed at Brandermill Woods until 2022. David was under the care of hospice, but coming back from grocery shopping, I fell, broke my pelvic bone, and could not move. I was taken to the hospital, and David went to hospice house. After leaving the hospital, I went across the street to rehab and lifetime care. David joined me in adjoining rooms. As he continued to go down, he was moved to health care. My room was just above his in assisted living. David died June 27, 2022. The children and grandchildren were present.