Pat's Place

A good day, in an enjoyable succession of good days.  Left for Moorestown at 9:00, giving myself plenty of time to get lost, which I did, but not for long.  The rain held off most of the time, and I got to Evergreens a bit early.
Wow, what a place.  Imagine an elegant--and, let it be known, expensive--country club, set in a beautifully maintained campus behind stately brick walls.  Flowers and well-tended greens surround it and the main building is reminiscent of an historic Georgian home.
That, I learned, is deceptive.  It's not evident until you go in, but extending back from the foyer, lobby, dining, and other "greeting rooms" is what amounts to a large apartment building.  Pat's digs are down several long corridors and up three floors--we took the elevator--and she told me there are a variety to choose from. 
Hers has a small entrance, an attractive kitchen--compact, but efficient--a bright and cheery living room with attached study, plus bedroom and bath and a nice balcony overlooking the back lawn.  She isn't fully moved in yet (yesterday was the end of her third month there), but her place is shaping up well.       
We chatted for a bit, then went down to the dining room--white tablecloths and well-appointed settings--and were joined by Nancy T., also from Absecon Island.  Nancy's mother, who lived to be 105, and mine had been friends, and Nancy graduated from HSHS in 1941 with my brother-in-law, Bill.  Later, another friend of Pat's, "Sunny"--love the name--joined us, and we perused the printed menu, which had three choices.  I picked the chicken stir-fry, and the others had quiche or liverwurst and onions on rye.
After, Pat showed me around.  Holy smokes, you could live there without ever stepping outside the door and, I suppose, some people do--or don't.  There are several large meeting rooms, a "key club," a fitness center and in-door pool, beauty salon, doctor's and nurses' office, a kind of luncheonette (The Atrium), with a small store attached, a library, and a multitude of other amenities.
Naturally enough, Pat had some second thoughts after she moved in--will I like it here? Was this the right choice?--but pretty clearly, it suits her fine.  Several of her nieces and nephews, with whom she's close, live nearby, and she's made friends with many of her neighbors.  Because she has a curious mind, she has participated in several activities, including a seminar on comparative religions. 
After lunch, we chatted a bit, then Pat offered to have me follow her while she guided me back to route 38.  Once she got me there, we waved goodbye, and I made it home with no problem.
I'm endlessly fascinated by how people live, and this is one way.  It contrasts with a thatched hut in the Congo and living in the White House, and calling a big house on Rosborough Avenue "home."  At the Evergreens, Pat has pretty clearly, found her place and I'm happy for her.