b'Q:Briefly, what brought you here? I always liked the idea of a gated community. Atthe time, we were living happily in a nearby 55+ community when my children brought up the subject, Gail mentioning Shannondell by name. At first, I dismissed them and said I was fine. But, then, I started looking into this place and made an appointment to have a look as my kids suggested. When we walked into the clubhouse, my mouth dropped open. It was like a cruise ship, fresh flowers in the lobby, the huge spiral staircase. It just looked gorgeous. The more we saw, the more we wanted to see. Ditto the 55+ community. I moved here fromHersheys Mill. For me, it was a good intermediate place. They took care of the yard. I had to take care of Steve the house which was becoming more of a burden. But,I was also looking for more of a social environment .activities, entertainment, meals and other services. Shannondell more than fit the bill and when I visited, which I did often, I detected a genuine warmth here.We also came for the lifestyle . the activities, social and educational opportunities . but the fact that Shannondell offers continuing care combined with the Lorri beauty and location, which is close to where we moved from, made for an easy decision.Lots of commonality it seems. We were also looking for continuing care and a gated community. We liked the fact that the gatehouse is manned and there isGeorge security. Like Gail, we were immediately impressed with the aesthetics, the grounds were immaculate.But, we were a little apprehensive of the sizeuntilwe visited. When you talk to residents, and after youre here, you realize it doesnt live big and its easy to make friends.'