Oh 2023!! How did we survive you? Let me count the ways. It has been a chaotic year, by even our standards. It has incorporated time in San Diego, where we finally (after 15 years or so) held a neighborhood gathering at our house--and met a lot of interesting new (to us) people. We traveled to Europe in June with a congenial tour group and tour director, and met up with Kay, Paul, and granddaughters Audrey and Claire in Paris. As well as some UK friends who joined us for dinner one night. On that trip (lots of conversation time) we decided that our foray into apartment (condo) living was not for us, single-level or not, and determined that we'd start revamping our plans for the future. Which ultimately occasioned another move. (Yes, we know it was well-under our usual schedule--moving every 5 years--but as we grow older, we realize that life is too short to stay someplace that isn't right for us.)
SO...we'd barely arrived home from our trip when we noticed an Open House at a townhouse development in Arnold, Maryland. Why Arnold? Well, my sister and brother-in-law (as well as my niece and her husband) live nearby on the Magothy River, and some old friends actually lived in the development under consideration. During COVID, we'd seen a lot more of my sister and BIL, and the more we thought about it, the better the idea sounded. So we re-established contact with our friends, talked to my family, visited the open house, pondered for several days, got a referral for a realtor in the area, and put in an offer.
Then it was simply a matter of completing the deal (the owner accepted), arranging our move, getting someone to stage the condo, and turning our local agents loose. Closed on the Arnold property July 28, moved in August 1. Closed on the condo on October 30. Done.
And at this point, we have emptied our storage spaces, bought some rugs, are having the sofa re-upholstered, and are adjusting to having ALMOST twice as much room. We DO have stairs, but..we also have a ground level bedroom, bath, and sitting room with patio that would serve us well if one of us ultimately found the stairs un-doable. We are delighted with the house, our location, our neighbors, and the generally quieter pace here.
With all this extraneous activity, we missed Chautauqua this year, but hope to return in 2024. The Folger remains closed for renovations, but is projecting a re-opening in 2024. We are not yet sure of what the future holds for the docent corps, but we are figuring out how that might work for us. Sarah and Kay? Sarah continues in her role as assistant City Attorney for Alexandria, and Kay has changed positions at the University of Arizona in Tucson. She is now engaged in a more student-focused area, pairing college students with researchers at the university to give them a better look at what to expect in that area. The granddaughters--Audrey and Claire--are amazingly teenagers, and are absorbed in all sorts of ventures. Audrey plays clarinet in the marching band, sings with the choir there, crochets up a storm, and basically keeps Kay & Paul hopping, keeping up with her transportation needs. Claire is an amazing artist and keeps us posted on her latest work whenever we FaceTime with the family.
On top of all that, JC and I celebrated our 50th wedding anniversary this fall--so it has been a busy year overall. We (fortunately) continue in good health, and are not slowing down too much (as long as we're allowed afternoon naps.) All in all, we have much to be thankful for this year, as we have had in previous years...
Needless to say, if you are ever in the area, do give us a call, a text, or an email. We are always happy to see and/or hear from our friends: east coast, west coast, or in-between. We are near Annapolis, but frequently drive back to DC and northern VA, so we are still accessible from either location. And, dare I say, San Diego continues to be a great place to visit any time of the year.
We hope you are anticipating a happy holiday, with all kinds of time earmarked for family, friends, and good times.
Mary & JC McElveen
609 Martingale Lane
Arnold, MD 21012
(Phones and emails remain the same..)
