Stillwaters Traditions Appreciated!

What a beautiful week we have had here in Stillwaters.  The sun is shining, the gardens are growing and everywhere lawns are green and looking healthy.  So living in the midst of all this calm and beauty the outside world can seem a bit chaotic.  As a resident here in Stillwaters, I appreciate the dependable services provided to residents and the rituals that take place each month and year.

These traditions and the regularity of certain things can provide comfort in an environment where other things seem to change so fast (need I say politics, as one example!).  I know I have quoted this before, in the movie/show “Fiddler on the Roof” – Traditions are meant to guide us and keep us centered.

Here are some of the rituals and traditions I am thinking of here at Stillwaters:

1. Weekly and Monthly Calendars published by Resident Consultant and Concierge Extraordinaire (RC&CE), Sherri Garland and posted around the neighborhood by Missy Brown, our very own Stillwaters Professional Cleaner.  These keep us all on track with what is going on!

2. Monthly Potlucks here in the Gathering Place.  These are traditionally on the fourth Thursday of each month.  These happen throughout the year, with the exception of June, July and December.  Good Food and Good Company!

3. Monthly Newsletters written and published by Sherri Garland and distributed to each resident by a cadre of resident volunteers.  Each month this publication gives the scoop on residents in need of Get Well wishes, houses for sale, articles of interest, coupons for services, weather forecasts and the monthly activities calendar.  If you want the Stillwaters scoop you must read this each month!

4. The regularity of Lawn care and sprinkling is a nice treat for each of us.  The spring start to sprinkling of the lawns is the annual sprinkler checks where we can see all the maintenance crew out in their yellow slickers testing each of the sprinkler heads, replacing old ones and testing for water coverage.  Then as the summer goes along we see the regular mowing of lawns, trimming of edges and bushes, and twice a week (Mondays and Fridays) pickups of debris picked up or pulled up by residents.  Ilya Dishkant, Stillwaters General and Maintenance Supervisor and Mario Marquez, Stillwaters Grounds Care Supervisor, can be seen all around the neighborhood making sure things are getting taken care of regularly.

5. Monthly Movie Night at Stillwaters!  The second Thursday night of each month.  Sherri Garland orchestrates this each month and tries to keep a good mix between comedies, historical, action and tear jerker movies.  She also treats attendies to ice cream with toppings!  This is a fun activity and something to look forward to each month.

6. Card Games in the Gathering Place.  At last count there were a half dozen card groups (Bingo, Pinochle, that meet in the Gathering Place every week to enjoy a variety of games and puzzles.  The every other Thursday “Mind over Coffee” is a popular one!

7. Exercise!  Three classes happen each week and all three are “Come when you can and beginners are welcome”.  We also have at least one regular walking group.  Regular exercise is a great way to get the blood moving and making new exercise friends.

8. Stillwaters Christmas Dinner and 4th of July Potlucks are annual gifts from Stillwaters for residents.  These are fun-filled holiday events that happen each year and give us residents the opportunity to see neighbors and staff we might not see throughout the rest of the year.

9. Community Vegetable Gardens – A lovely tradition in Stillwaters is that residents are eligible to sign up for a plot in one of our two (soon to be three gardens) Community Garden areas.  Vickie Jackson, Realtor and Resident Consultant manages the Community Garden areas (sign up and annual gardener agreements).  This is a great way to get your hands dirty, chat with your garden neighbors and enjoy in the bounty these plots produce.

10. Last on the list is this Blog.  Six years and counting this blog, focused on “Living in Stillwaters,” has been published weekly.  Intended for both residents and prospective residents and with a wide range of topics, it is certainly a tradition here in Stillwaters.

Question for Residents:  As a resident of Stillwaters are there other traditions you appreciate?  Email me at [email protected] or leave a message below in the comment section.

Quote of the Week:

Tevye: Traditions, traditions. Without our traditions, our lives would be as shaky as… as… as a fiddler on the roof!  – A quote from “Fiddler on the Roof”

That’s it for this week.  Enjoy your week ahead!