Sifoddling Along

By Marilyn Carnell

I have never been a successful planner of my life. Not due to lack of effort. I was dutiful about writing down goals and ambitions, but circumstances have a way of subverting my best intentions.

A good example is the plan my husband Al and I agreed on was to “age in place” and leave our home on Big Sugar Creek feet first. Well, that idea ended with a flash flood in 2011 that left us homeless and desolate. We moved to Minnesota to (ostensibly) collect our wits and make a new plan. After renting a house for a year, we bought a home and decided on a new plan to “age in place”. That plan expired when Al’s health failed after successfully battling multiple sclerosis for more than twenty-five years and he had to move to an assisted living apartment nearby. Al passed away in 2019 and once again I planned to stay in place. Our home was handicap accessible, my son and his family lived nearby, and I didn’t mind living alone.

Nevertheless, upon the recommendations of trusted advisors, I visited several Senior apartments so that if I did need more care I could go to a place of my choosing. There were long waiting lists for larger apartments, and I could always decline an opening if I was unwilling to move at that time. Then in January 2025 I got a call that a two-bedroom apartment was available in the Beacon Hill complex in nearby Minnetonka. I visited it and decided that a more ideal place was unlikely to be available when I wanted to move. The time was now. My advisors had been adamant that if I were to move to an apartment, it would be when I was still able to be active, participate in activities and (hopefully) make friends.

Thirty short days later I was a resident of Beacon Hill Terrace. The apartment was at the end of a long hallway (exercise! quiet!) on the top floor (4th) of the building. It is a pleasant place surrounded by trees that will change with the seasons. In the warm months my leafy bower offers privacy and I can keep the shades open in the large windows.

I arranged the space rather unconventionally, but perfect for my interests. I sleep in the smaller bedroom and the larger one is devoted to my hobbies – sewing, quilting, and other crafts. I don’t anticipate having dinner parties, so the sunny dining room is my writing space. Lots of room for my computer desk, printer and books My orchids reign in the corner for an extra dose of beauty.

I have lived at Beacon Hill for six months now. It has been a more pleasant experience than I hoped. The residents and staff are friendly and I already feel at home. I have dinner with others in the dining room and have a very nice kitchen (granite countertops!) for breakfast and lunch. Of course I have had lunch at nearby restaurants a few times with friends. I am busy with projects and participate in activities like the weekly movie, and a writing group. My most time consuming project has been making “dining scarves”. It is fun to exercise my creative ideas in a positive way by making them personal for each recipient. If I am paid, I give the money to the local food bank, so it is a real feel good endeavor.