Art & Marge Miller

Art and Marge tried gardening behind their family home, but black walnut trees stymied crop after crop. So, when they moved to Shannondell and discovered the excitement as spring and the opening of the Shannondell Gardens approached, Art and Marge decided to test their green thumbs, once again. With help from their garden plot neighbors, they were soon knee-deep in flowers, zucchini and tomatoes. So bountiful was their harvest that it planted an idea – a “goodwill garden.” Good things grow at Shannondell. Just ask Art and Marge.

Q:
I understand your kids said that you two moving to Shannondell was, “like sending Mom and Dad off to college.”

Art & Marge:
“Art:(smiling) When we told our kids we were moving to Shannondell, they were kind of surprised.

Marge: To say the least.

Art: So, right before we moved, our four daughters came to town, and we took them to Shannondell for dinner. At the end of the evening, they said this place should be called “Shannondell College.”

Marge: Like a lot of people, they had this “community” perception of a sedentary lifestyle and linoleum floors and regimented schedules. Our girls were genuinely surprised by what they saw.

Q:
And what did they see?

Art & Marge:
Marge: The same thing everybody sees when they walk through the front doors … beautiful architecture and accommodations and tons of things to do like the fantastic fitness centers, movie theaters, the variety of dining rooms, the Performing Arts Theater and the Main Line Health Center.

Art: Shannondell has an elegance to it that, until you come here, is hard to convey.

Q:
What do your friends back in Wayne think about you moving here?

Art & Marge:
Art: Our friends are interested, but like many, they’re delaying. We tell them you have to move while you can still enjoy all the great activities that a place like Shannondell offers … that the inertia is only going to get stronger and moving is only going to be more difficult two or three years from now.

Marge: You have to be able to exchange old habits for new habits – new activities and interests that bring you more joy and better health.

Q:
Speaking of taking better care of yourself, I hear you stay busy.

Art & Marge:
Marge: We both workout in the Fitness Center at least three times a week. I gravitate to the fitness classes for the camaraderie, mainly. It’s very social, which is also good for you.

Art: And I stick with my own routine – mainly the strength training and cardio machines. Because it’s a lot more convenient, we find ourselves working out more often, which means that we’re taking better care of ourselves. One of the biggest surprises, though, has to be all the new things we’re doing since moving here.

Q:
Such as …

Art & Marge:
Art: Like table tennis. I played as a kid but hadn’t picked up a paddle in many years. But muscle memory kicked in and I picked it right up. We had a dozen of us playing this morning. It’s a blast and very active.

Marge: And we both garden. We were at dinner one night and heard neighbors talking about the resident gardens and how much fun it was, so we decided to give it a try.

Art: We had a garden behind our house years ago, but we could never get anything to grow well. A guy at the local nursery finally told us it was because of the black walnut trees in our backyard. But we don’t have to worry about those any more. Now we grow zucchini, peppers, tomatoes and leaf lettuce. It’s amazing how much the gardens produce during the summer.

Marge: Which gave us the idea of Shannondell starting a community “goodwill” garden. You know … give the harvest to a local food shelter or other food charity.

Q:
It sounds like good ideas grow at Shannondell.

Art & Marge:
Art: When you get so many interesting backgrounds and people who’ve done so much over the course of their lives together, good things are bound to happen. It’s inspiring … truly.

Read other interviews with Shannondell residents by clicking on the names below:

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