By Anita Curtis
THE ERICKSON TRIBUNE

As part of the Highland Springs Center for Continuous Learning program, Dallas Morning News columnist Jacquielynn Floyd entertained with flair, much like she does in her column. In fact, one of her columns on the difficulty older women have in finding  suitable fashions prompted a group of Highland Springs ladies to model some of their own fashionable attire for the speaker.

Jan Knight, who lives at Highland Springs, introduced the volunteer models to Floyd and her audience. “Our bodies must be 62 years of age to live here,” she said, “but our minds and our hearts are much younger—and that determines our fashion style.

“We want to demonstrate to you that the grannies of Highland Springs are  redefining style for the older generation,” she explained. “Here is a representation of the stylish fashions in our community.”

Floyd responded with enthusiasm and suggested that department stores need these grand ladies as their fashion buyers. Interestingly, the Highland Springs ladies were not the only ones who responded to her column on fashion. Floyd received more than 600 e-mails from women ages 28 to 89 commenting on the difficulty in finding things for the mature fashion taste. One upscale department store even sent the column to its marketing people in New York.

In response to some of the audience’s questions, Floyd told of several of her more noteworthy assignments, including the Columbine incident in Littleton, Colo., and the Olympic games during the Tonya Harding episode. Her column ideas, she said, come from everywhere—from people she meets to suggestions passed on to her, and from her own likes and dislikes.

As a first-time visitor to Highland Springs, Floyd marveled at the friendly atmosphere of the residents. “Seriously, I don’t know when I have enjoyed  giving a speech so much—I had a marvelous time,” she said.