Jacob’s Edge, a new single-floor living community located in South Hadley, Massachusetts is an example of  non-age restricted housing which appeals to seniors due to many design considerations and energy efficient building practices which promote a maintenance-free lifestyle.

Communities often hold events which are designed to help prospective buyers not only learn more about the residences, but to meet potential neighbors.  Dave Letellier, a popular Western Mass musician, recently performed at Jacob’s Edge.  Guests were able to visit model homes, meet homeowners and explore the grounds which border 80 acres of conservation land.

Take your time to explore options by visiting communities several times, talk with friends and family and invite them to join you for a visit.  When the time is right, you’ll know what’s best for you.

“We unplugged the old one” Abby continued, “and got the new one up and running and then my Mom asked me to take the old one to the basement.”  “It took me by surprise that my Mom wanted to keep the old one and I was discouraged that she wanted it to go in the basement along with other old things that had been replaced over the years.

We chuckled again as we acknowledged the differences we have with our parents on this subject.  Abby went on to tell me that the more she tried to convince her mother to scrap the old set, the more her mom insisted on saving it. In the end, my friend was obliged to honor her mother’s request to store the old TV in the basement.

While we, as adult children,  may think we invented the concept of a “carbon footprint,” most of our parents cultivated an ethos from early childhood that we could well learn from-it was called: “Why use more than is needed?” Amidst all the pressures of life, they were able to pay attention to the small things that helped conserve resources in their personal lives, their country and their planet.

Next time you see a clothespin (they’re getting harder to find) think of all the uses it could have: holding up a lopsided television, hanging out the laundry to dry in the sun instead of using that energy-consuming dryer, or… pinching your lips closed when you unthinkingly start to criticize an aging relative who has money because they saved it up little by little and always has a fresh baggie ready for use without spending a cent or polluting our world. And what’s wrong with a whole family sharing the communal sweater to keep warm? What good fortune, putting on a sweater that was worn by everyone else in your family whom you’ve come to love or hate!