Soon snow plows were busy clearing the streets and snow shovelers the sidewalks. This continued throughout the day as more snow fell.

This work was necessary so that all the people who take care of us--food service, maintenance and facility staff, and individual caregivers--could make it on campus to do their jobs. We residents have no need to go outdoors with the glass-walled enclosed walkways to safely navigate between all buildings.

The major schedule modification was made to food service: only the main restaurant in each neighborhood clubhouse would be open for carryout-only meals for a shortened lunchtime of 12-2 and dinnertime of 4-6. The two pools were closed, and all classes taught by outside instructors (land and water exercise classes) were canceled. All other activities seemed normal. Residents gathered in activity areas for card games, mah jongg and meetings; the staccato of the bouncing ball on the pickleball court was heard; and a few residents with dogs were dutifully and carefully walking outside. My foursome of women who met at the Intermediate Bridge Class played bridge as planned in the Blue Ridge Clubhouse.

Throughout the day, we received regular email notifications of the day's modifications and what to expect, along with apologies for any inconvenience and reminding us to stay safe.

By contrast, I mistakenly received an email from the Board President of the HOA in my old neighborhood in Louisville. It unapologetically explained why the streets hadn't been plowed or made passable for getting out. There we would frequently be left on our own to shovel and salt our cul-de-sac driveways, only to get stuck because the main streets in our development hadn't been plowed. Ashby Ponds markets itself as providing a maintenance-free lifestyle and is delivering in this respect.

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Day Two

This morning twenty of us gathered around large tables in a classroom for this year's first session of Madhu Wangu's Meditation and Journaling class. We had dutifully brought our copy of her book, a journal and pen. I sat in the back between my new friends Betty and Bob. Madhu first asked the nine returning members (one had died since December) to tell us why they were taking the class again this year. R mumbled something, then commented he noticed all the women in the class brought large spiral-bound notebooks; he held up his 4" X 6" book and said "I'm succinct."

I recognized a couple of new members from passing them in the halls. M told us her husband had died a few days before Christmas, then softened the news by "but he had been failing a long time." Another woman said her husband died two months ago. (The first anniversary of Betty's husband's death was only January 3.) I became distracted by death and wondered how these women were there and functioning. That's not something I could have done 12 years ago when Irving died. (It's making me wonder whether my experience seemed harder because I was younger and we hadn't grown old together so that it was an expected part of our marriage--or what?) Life in this retirement community means death is the way most of us will leave here.

A few minutes into Madhu describing the class, T called out, "Something's wrong with R!" She was sitting next to him and noticed his eyes were closed and he had slumped slightly. Several jumped up and went toward him. Is he having a seizure? He's drooling. Get a paper towel. Is he breathing? Who knows how to do chest compressions? The only helpful voice said, PULL THE EMERGENCY CORD! Emergency cords are ubiquitous here; there are 4 in my small apartment alone.

Immediately a staff member arrived, followed in a couple of minutes by a woman in a yellow vest with a large medical backpack. She told the staff to call an ambulance and attended to R. We were asked to vacate the room, and especially to clear all the walkers and chairs so the EMTs would be able to bring in a gurney. 　　

We waited in small quiet groups in the large gathering space until Madhu told us we could leave. Betty, Bob and I already planned to have lunch so we headed down to the one open restaurant in neighborhood 3.

The meal modification for the day was that only one combined lunch-dinner meal would be available for carryout from 12-3 pm in one restaurant in each of the three neighborhoods. From the quickly-arranged buffet, I selected a pancake, rice with beef stew, green beans and a pre-packaged spinach salad to take back to my apt.--one of the oddest meals I've eaten. The three of us, carrying our brown meal bags, headed to the small vacant restaurant around the corner and joked about our picnic lunches.

To check in, I was asked to give my full name, then address. I thought for a moment before I rattled off "21144 Cardinal Pond Terrace, Apt. 216" as though I have lived here forever! The election for a state legislative seat was a crucial one for maintaining control of the House. The Democratic candidate had spoken at a Progressive Group meeting in December soliciting our support. Last night we learned he had won. With it, Democrats have a 51-49 majority in the VA House and 21-19 majority in the Senate.

Walking back to my apartment, a nice man on my floor was pushing my 95-year-old neighbor in her wheelchair toward the restaurant. Spying my food bag, Mary asked me, "What's for lunch?" I told her nothing exciting and described the offerings. She laughed, and said, "More than I have at home!" I continued to my apartment to take a nap.

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Day Three

The school systems in all of northern VA, DC and Maryland affected by the snowstorm are still closed today. Ashby Ponds is open and functioning on a normal schedule in all ways. Of greatest concern, all restaurants are open and operating on the normal schedule with sit-down dining or takeout available.

I began the morning with my Wednesday back-to-back Bone Building and then Strength and Balance classes.

At 10:30, the History Group offered its monthly presentation open to the community. A resident who is a retired Communications professor, spoke about Martin Luther King's I Have a Dream speech. He told us it is one of the four most influential speeches in American history, then analyzed it for its rhetoric, impact in the political context of the 1960s, and its continuing meaning in American life. For one, MLK's emphasis on Justice was not only for the civil rights movement but also for women's rights.

An invited guest also spoke to us. Professor-emeritus Green (now 90) was a young professor at Virginia State University and worked with Dr. King. He told us how Dr. King asked him to use his experience in working with students to reason with younger, angry and impatient members of the Movement. He reminisced about the time when he said to Dr. King: "Martin, you really must not like me because you are sending me to Mississippi!" Another time he was in a car with Dr. King when they pulled up to a gas station somewhere in the South. An angry white attendant came to the car window and held a gun to Dr. King's temple, saying "I'm gonna shoot you!" Dr. King looked him in the eye and said, "Brother, I love you." Afterwards, Andy Young in the backseat, said, "Martin, you're going to get us all killed."

I end with my own story from Irving. Irving was 3 years older than Dr. King and participated in civil rights marches in the South with him. I have one photo of Irving wearing a straw hat and sitting close to Dr. King at an event. I put it on the display table at Irving's memorial service. Now I wish I knew the full story.

History, as experienced by us older adults, became living history today.

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To be continued...

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日本語訳：特別寄稿エッセイ「死別シングル女性の冒険：退職者用統合的なケアシステムを持つコミュニティへの引っ越しの記」　～No.2 わが村の雪の日々（アシュビィポンズ１）　◆ ジュルス・マークアート　（翻訳：河野 貴代美）

日本語訳 No.1：特別寄稿エッセイ「死別シングル女性の冒険：退職者用統合的なケアシステムを持つコミュニティへの引っ越しの記」　～No.1 ヴァージニア州民になる　◆ ジュルス・マークアート　（翻訳：河野 貴代美）