Readers of my blogs for the past year know that we have moved from our Lexington home of 56+ years to a retirement community in the same city in oirder toi simplify our living arrangements. It was quite a decision and execution process to accomplish this task in our old age. Since this is an experience everyone has to go through if one lives long enough, the Greater Boston Chinese Cultural Association (GBCCA) invited both me and my wife to give a talk on this ecperience for the local Chinese Amnerican audience. It was a well attended zoom meeting with audience from the entire country on both coasts of the US. The entire process of 2 hour involving both talk as well as a Q&A period was recorded and available on You Tube with the link

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tCFgN3VDK80 . 

The first 14 minutes were just social interactions and us showing off the new FOURTH generation member of our family. The actual talk and Q&A started at 14 minutes+ and lasts over 2 hours.

For ease of reference we attached below also the links to various blog articles I have written over the last year on this moving and living experience:

Articles about our experience in downsizing and moving to Brookhaven at Lexington retirement Community

By

Larry Ho

·        When I grow too old to . . . . https://blog.sciencenet.cn/blog-1565-1322966.html

·        More on Down-Sizing https://blog.sciencenet.cn/blog-1565-1325404.html

·        What does a 5-star retirement community living do for seniors https://blog.sciencenet.cn/home.php?mod=space&uid=1565&do=blog&id=1330899

·        Realities of Downsizing https://blog.sciencenet.cn/home.php?mod=space&uid=1565&do=blog&id=1334691

·        Final words on downsizing https://blog.sciencenet.cn/home.php?mod=space&uid=1565&do=blog&id=1336999

·      From our bedroom window and porch of our new retirement home https://blog.sciencenet.cn/home.php?mod=space&uid=1565&do=blog&id=1340231

Finally, reproduced below is the text of a letter we send to all of our friends, old and new, around the world recently

We Are Still Here

First, our apologies if you think you received this message by mistake. We sent out this letter based on our extensive e-mail list in our OUTLOOK file. It is our attempt to contact with ALL our friends: old,  new, and worldwide for one more time.

Yes, we are still here after 87.0 & 88.75 years respectively; still relatively healthy with only minor pains and issues every now and then. Since the Spring of 2022 we have moved into a retirement community in the same city, Lexington MA, where we have lived since 1966. Thus, we are still among old friends and familiar surroundings except our daily needs and cares are all taken care of by the community organization; with only one bill to pay (automatically deducted) every month. Jokingly we tell our three successful and independent children that this is our last gift to them by relieving them of the burden to care for us in our old age.

Nowadays, our daily routine consists of

1. Getting up late or early as we wish or need

2. Eat simple breakfast and check our morning e-mails

3. Daily exercise in the fitness center under the same roof from 10-11am

4. Planning and go to lunch either in nearby Chinese restaurants or at home from leftover the previous day

5. Take afternoon laps usually

6. More household and other chores after nap

7. Prepare to go to the in-house dining room for dinner and the eat the full course delicious dinner (with lots of choices from soup to nuts) prepared for the residents of the community every night. Its like eating out in restaurants every night.

8. There are always movie-lecture-concert on site every night or we can retire to watch the hundreds of cable TV channels in our apartment or do computer based work and/or watch entertainments.

9. There are always interesting stuff to read and/or group activities to while away any spare time.

10.                  All these activities can take place under one roof without the need of going outside or use of a car.

11.                  There are three life stages for living in this retirement community: Independent living, Assisted living. And Nursing home living. We are still in the first stage. But as one of more of us requires more care, we can easily transition to the next stage and still under one roof. Daily visit with each other living under different life stages are easy.

12.                  With the pandemic we have not done any extensive travel for at least three years. Zoom meeting every week with family took care of face-to-face visits. My last visit to China was in the Fall of 2017. But modern technology make us feel still very connected and involved with the world. My bucket list of places to visit/go is empty. As the old Chinese saying of “ 夠本了 (rough English translation: I am satisfied with my life experience)” You can always find out about our latest by reading my blog on ScienceNet.cn (just google my name for the link).

We are of course welcoming visits in person or hearing from by any of you in the near future or in the next world. We enjoy living in the present and no longer make long term plans since our FUTURE is the PRESENT. With best wishes, Larry and Sophia, September 2022.