In this issue, hear about our first Outlook residents who recently moved into their brand-new cottage homes—and got the red-carpet treatment!!
Find out what’s—or, shall we say, who’s—cooking in “Kristen’s Korner,” and meet your future new neighbor, Ann Lemmons. Learn how to prepare your current home for a quick sale. Got tools? Put them to use for a great cause in the latest installment of “Dear Rachel.” Plus, get updates on construction—and an important announcement. Learn about exciting upcoming events as well as catch up on some recent ones.
From the Executive Director
Kristen’s Korner
Happy spring to all our VIPs! We hope you are enjoying the welcome change this beautiful time of year brings. And speaking of welcomes, we have some big news! We recently welcomed some of our first VIPs to their cottage homes at The Outlook! We rolled out the red carpet for these residents who said, “Yes!” to the address!
I am also very excited to welcome Trevor Perkins to our team as Executive Chef. Trevor brings nearly a decade of experience in the food industry at different levels. His leadership, creativity, and passion for delivering fine dining experiences have earned him top positions in hotels and a luxury senior living community in the Dallas area. Prior to joining The Outlook, Trevor was Executive Sous Chef at the Le Meridien Hotel in Dallas.
Please join me in welcoming Trevor to the team, and I know he’s looking forward to getting to know all of you.
Finally, we are so excited to share with you the names of the new dining venues and some photos of the new tableware:
Bistro
Wine Bar
Main Dining Room
New Tableware
First Official Event for Cottage Residents
Our Executive Chef, Trevor, impressed everyone with delicious “Summer Fresh” salad plates. The Watermelon Cucumber Skewers and Caprese Salad were healthy and light, the perfect lunch for a beautiful spring day. We are excited to kick off Community Life at The Outlook and are looking forward to many more events and gatherings.
Meet Your Future Neighbor
Ann Lemmons
Ann Lemmons likes to live life to the fullest and have fun in the process! She was born in Dallas and has spent all but two years of her life here. She attended Highland Park High School and then traveled to Texas Tech to attend college. Ann jokes that she got her “MRS” degree within two years, marrying her first husband at age 20.
Ann had two daughters by her late first husband. She then remarried to Larry Lemmons; they were together for 44 years before he passed away in 2016. They have a son who is the father of her sole grandchild, Jake, who is 6. All three of Ann’s kids live in Dallas. Her son is a contractor, one daughter is a VP in supply chain for hospitals, and the other is an account manager at a pharmacy solutions company.
Ann and Larry did a lot of traveling and they especially enjoyed cruises. She has been all over the world—some highlights include going on the Orient Express and traveling in Italy. Going overseas is less appealing to Ann now, but she still enjoys traveling within the United States. In fact, she will be headed to Las Vegas later this year to play the slots and see Barry Manilow and REO Speedwagon. Ann loves live entertainment of all sorts.
While she did not have a career per se, Ann always liked to work part time to stay busy. She worked for interior designers, doing their books and selecting fabrics and furniture. She sold fine jewelry at the World Trade Center at the Dallas Market Center. She loves to shop for clothes for herself and for others and has been a personal shopper for friends.
To “stay out of trouble,” Ann also worked part time for her husband, who was a frozen-food broker. He was in this business for 60 years and had his own company, The Lemmons Company. Part of being in the food broker business meant that Ann and Larry used to try out every new restaurant. Ann still enjoys doing this, both visiting new spots and also returning to old favorites.
In 2017, Ann joined Northwood Woman’s Club—a women’s charitable organization that focuses on the needs of women and children. She has co-chaired two large fundraisers for them and has volunteered and served on many committees. She has loved being a part of this group and has met many fun, wonderful ladies, two of whom will soon be joining her at The Outlook.
Ann came across The Outlook when her best friend from college moved to Dallas and they decided to look at retirement places together. The Outlook was appealing to Ann because it’s new, the future residents seem vibrant, and it just clicked with her. She is looking forward to having fewer responsibilities, meeting new people, and playing cards, among other things. In addition to her college friend and the two friends from Northwood Woman’s Club, Ann also has recruited some friends of hers who are a couple to The Outlook. All of these “associates” of Ann have in turn become friends and get along well together. “It is so fun knowing I will be with such close friends in this next chapter of our lives,” says Ann.
Organizing, list making, and planning any kind of event, outing, or party are some of Ann’s favorite things to do. Once a month, she still gets together with her high school friends for dinner. As she says, “I just like to have fun!” Ann also likes to work on the computer and generally keep up with technology (she might know more about your phone than you do, and is happy to help you out). She also enjoys playing most games and especially cards; some favorites include canasta, bridge, and poker.
In her own words, “I’m kind of a goer and a doer…we’ve got to just make the best use of our time while we’re still on this planet!” Watch out! Ann and the party girls are coming to The Outlook!
“Just another reason to move to The Outlook”
– Ed Maier, Outlook VIP
Did you know that Plano is one of the happiest cities in the nation? You probably already feel that way since you’ve wisely chosen The Outlook in West Plano. But just in case, click here to read the article about the SmartAsset study that recently appeared in the news.
Preparing Your Current Home for a Quick Sale
by Brenda Thompson
CEO / Managing Broker / Owner of HomeSmart Stars
This month, our focus is on preparing your current home for sale to ensure a quick and successful transition. Selling your home is a significant step in the moving process, and taking the right steps can make all the difference in achieving a timely sale.
Click here for some ideas on how to prepare your home, how to ensure a timely sale, and what to do if your home isn’t selling.
Move-In Planning with Dear Rachel
Dear Rachel,
What do I do with all the tools I’ve collected over the years that I won’t be needing since I’m giving up home maintenance?
Sincerely,
Former Honey-Do Handyman
–
Dear Former Honey-Do Handyman,
Got Tools?
Your used tools can find a new purpose when you donate them to Habitat for Humanity Dallas. All tool donations go to the ReStore, where profits from resale are used to build homes for deserving families in Dallas.
Accepted tools include table saws, miter saws, planers, welding equipment, hand tools, drills, pressure washers, saws, drill bits, power tools, and more. For a hassle-free donation, drop off small tools at your closest ReStore location, and if you have a large collection or oversized items, schedule a free pickup by contacting
214-678-2309.
Not only will you declutter your space, but your generous donations will also contribute to meaningful causes. Remember, the act of giving is not just about the items you donate; it’s about making a positive impact on the lives of others.
Best wishes,
Rachel
Questions?
Do you have questions about the Resident Handbook, or a topic covered in it? If so, our Resident Services email will be the hub of Q&A. Please submit your question to TheOutlookatYourService@nullForefrontLiving.org and someone will get back to you with the 411.
Construction Corner
See the great construction progress we are making. Take a look at our most recent timelapse video as of April 2024:
In the next six weeks, The Outlook at Windhaven construction progress will include:
- Finish ceiling system and continue finish out in Commons building
- Continue finish out of first set of Independent Living (IL) apartments
- Begin finish out of second set of IL Apartments
- Begin finish out of the Assisted Living/Memory Support (AL/MS) residences and common spaces
- Continue exterior façade work on IL building
- Continue landscape and hardscape of Community Courtyard, located between Commons and AL/MS buildings
- Continuing landscape and hardscape around Commons building and IL Pool Courtyard
DO NOT ENTER!
While the cottages at The Outlook are now open, the rest of the community is still under construction. That’s why our crew has requested you stay out of their active work site. Still, there have been curious visitors coming to the site—in fact some unexpected visitors recently triggered an alarm and the arrival of police! We take your safety seriously; that’s why we have live security onsite as well as 24/7 surveillance. We’re all eagerly anticipating the opening of The Outlook, and the last thing we want is harm to you or damage to your car.
Welcome to Inside The Outlook, an educational and lifestyle series created especially for you—our VIPs. Below is a list of upcoming events as well as some photos of recent events—either way, we don’t want you to miss a single thing going on at The Outlook!
Save-The-Date
for these upcoming Inside the Outlook exclusive events
Questions about any of these events? Give us a call at (972) 996-3887.
Fifth Floor Social
Thursday, May 23
4:00 pm – 6:00 pm
Information Center
4017 Preston Road, Suite B520
Plano, Texas 75093
Get to know your new neighbors! Join us for Happy Hour, exclusively for folks who selected apartments on your same floor.
Thanks to our sponsors, Walpole Realty Group!
RSVP to Info@nullTheOutlookAtWindhaven.org or (972) 996-3887.
Drive-Thru Donation Event
Monday, June 24
10:00 am – 1:00 pm
Information Center Parking Lot
4017 Preston Road, Suite B520
Plano, Texas 75093
Join us for a VIP donation event where we’re making a positive impact on the environment and supporting those in need in addition to helping you clean house! We will be accepting donations of the following items:
- Old paperwork and sensitive files (shredded on-site by professional shredders)
- Old tennis shoes
- Clothing and accessories
- Electronics
- Small furniture (no mattresses, please)
RSVP to Info@nullTheOutlookAtWindhaven.org or (972) 996-3887.
Other fun events to note:
Other exciting events being planned—Watch your email for invitations and details.
- Meet Department Managers
- Dusty Boots Tour – sneak peek of common spaces
- Roundtable Meetings for VIPs with reservations on an apartment
Previous Inside The Outlook Events
Solar Eclipse Viewing
April 8
Cottage Sneak Peek Tour
April 24
Fourth Floor Social Mixer
April 25
Perhaps you know someone who’d be ideal for The Outlook at Windhaven?
If so, let us know at (972) 996-3887 or Info@nullTheOutlookAtWindhaven.org and get rewarded now—and in the future! Click here to learn more.
On the Forefront
Want to know more about Forefront Living and how we actively serve seniors across all our nonprofits? Click here to view the April 2024 On the Forefront newsletter.
Welcome Select New Outlook VIPs
Virgil and Chuan-hui Cordero
Mitzi Gaines
Writer and designer Edith Wharton, the first woman to win the Pulitzer Prize, on what causes old age:
“The producer of old age is habit: the deathly process of doing the same thing in the same way at the same hour day after day, first from carelessness, then from inclination, at last from cowardice or inertia.
Habit is necessary; but it is the habit of having careless habits, of turning a trail into a rut, that must be incessantly fought against if one is to remain alive… one can remain alive long past the usual date of disintegration if one is unafraid of change, insatiable in intellectual curiosity, interested in big things, and happy in small ways.”
