Erickson Tribune

Greenspring

UPDATED: Wednesday, December 17, 2008

Greenspring: the first ten years

Posted on Monday, December 01, 2008
 

By Kelly A. Shue
THE ERICKSON TRIBUNE

"I love living at Greenspring," says Jim Coulter. "My wife, Mina, and I are both very happy here. We are involved in so many different activities. I really enjoy experiencing new, fun, and different things. As a result, I stick my nose into just about everything."

"The nice thing about Greenspring is that you can be involved in as much or as little as you like," says Mina Coulter. "There is so much to do but never any pressure to do it."

The Coulters moved from just a few miles down the road to Greenspring, the Springfield retirement community owned and operated by Erickson. Even though they live in the same town, since moving they’ve been able to follow their hearts’ desires and actively participate in everything from television shows to volunteer events.

Jumping in and joining
Recently, Mr. Coulter appeared in the "Hunks of Greenspring" calendar, a fundraising effort for the Benevolent Care Fund, a community fund supporting community members who, despite careful planning, outlive their financial resources. Posing with little more than a glass of red wine, his involvement illustrates that he’s game for just about anything Greenspring throws his way.

After playing with the Greenspring softball team, Mr. Coulter joined the Northern Virginia Senior Softball League. "It’s so much fun and a great way to get some exercise," he says. He also participates in a monthly television show called Wine Dynasties for Greenspring’s in-house cable channel with his friend and fellow community member Eck Muessig.

However, he is most proud of his election to the Resident Advisory Council. "It was like a real election," he says. "Residents vote from a list of candidates. When I ran, there were 20 nominations for five spots. It is a great honor. I have found it to be both rewarding and interesting."


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The quiet participant
Since they’ve lived at Greenspring, Mina, like her husband, has carved out her own niche within the Greenspring community. Much of her time is spent volunteering for the Treasure Chest, a resident-run, donation-based shop that raises money for the Benevolent Care Fund, a campus charity.

When not volunteering, Mina also enjoys working in the couple’s garden located outside their home. "We are at the end of our building, so we have a nice area of land to grow flowers," she says. She also enjoys playing card games with friends and spending time with her husband.

"It was so easy for us to acclimate to life at Greenspring," says Mrs. Coulter. "There really was never any serious adjustment to be made. We are very comfortable."

More time to join in
"The main reason we have time to be involved in so many things is because we don’t have to take care of the regular maintenance that comes with owning a house," says Mr. Coulter. "There’s no more climbing on the roof to fix the shingles or spending money on fixing the water heater. The maintenance-free lifestyle is one of the main reasons we moved here."

"I really enjoy not having to cook," says Mrs. Coulter, who admits she does enjoy hosting an occasional dinner party in the couple’s home. Usually, though, they dine with friends at the community’s restaurants. "Rather than worry about dinner, we enjoy relaxing and dining with different people each night. The people here are really wonderful."

Words of advice
"I tell everyone I know what a great place Greenspring is to live," says Mr. Coulter. "I really believe people should consider an Erickson community before they get too old to enjoy all there is to do here. It really is a great place to live, especially when you are young enough to get involved."

"We started looking around for a place to retire long before we were ready to move," says Mrs. Coulter. "We wanted to find the place that was right for us, and we did. We now invite our friends to our home so they can experience Greenspring for themselves. Most of them are surprised. This community is very different from what they picture when they think of traditional retirement communities."



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