Jon and Phyllis Griswold are planners. After seeing how happy and well cared for Jon’s mother, Doris, was during her 18 years at Meth-Wick, it was an easy decision to put their names on the waiting list for independent living. “The care mother had was first class and she loved the staff,” says Jon.
One day they had a call from Meth-Wick about a unit at Greenwood Terrace. They were intrigued by the spaciousness of the apartment. Seeing the unit in person was all it took for them to make a decision.
“It felt like home,” says Phyllis. “We couldn’t pass it up.”
Right move, right time
Their Greenwood Terrace home has three bedrooms, three baths and two enclosed balconies. “It’s very similar in size to our last home,” says Phyllis. Even so, the couple saw the move as a chance to downsize. “Some people move everything without going through it, putting the responsibility on their kids to sort things,” says Phyllis, who was tasked with going through items from her parents’ household. “We didn’t want to do that,” says Jon. “Our kids are very happy we’re planning for the future rather than putting the job on them.”
The Griswolds recommend hiring help for packing and moving. They used Becky Esker’s Get Organized! to take furniture to the company’s consignment shop and pack up their household items except for the kitchen and clothes closet, which the Griswolds handled themselves. A Get Organized! decorator made a floor plan of the couple’s Greenwood Terrace home with ideas for placing their 64 pieces of furniture. “She showed us how we could make everything fit in ways that were fresh and creative,” says Phyllis.
By the end of moving day, the Get Organized! team had hooked up the TV, put items away in drawers and cabinets, made the beds, set up the computer and even set the correct time on the clocks. “They did a beautiful job,” says Jon.
Jon and Phyllis love their kitchen. A half-wall lets in plenty of light. The wide countertop has two padded stools pulled up, the couple’s favorite spot for sharing a glass of wine. One kitchen cabinet has pullout shelves, built by Jon and a friend.
Life as it should be
The couple has eagerly embraced life at Meth-Wick since moving here in May 2015. They start most days with a two-hour walk. Phyllis, who has had two hip replacement surgeries, likes knowing she can rest on one of the many campus benches if the need arises. “We wear a Meth-Wick issued call button when we walk, so we can get help if we need it,” says Phyllis.
They participate in many Meth-Wick programs and activities, including Friday afternoon Happy Hour, musical programs at Live, Laugh, Learn Center, computer classes, wood carving, men’s and women’s coffee and resident meetings. Generous with their time, the Griswolds’ volunteer work includes driving for Red Cap (on-campus transportation), and hosting at The Woodlands reception desk. Jon also instructs fellow residents on how to use Greenwood Terrace’s outdoor gas grill. He is a bit of an expert, since he uses it weekly.
The couple is happy with the timing of their decision to move. “We tell our friends not to wait, to make the decision sooner rather than later,” says Jon. “It’s a lot of work emotionally and physically to sort through every- thing. The older you are, the harder it is. We’re glad we made the move so we can get on with doing the things we enjoy.”
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