To whom do I owe this welcomed addition to my vocabulary? Andrew Blechman, the author of “Leisureville.”

Blechman tells the story of how his beloved neighbors made the decision to leave his New England neighborhood for the largest retirement community in the nation, The Villages in Central Florida. His neighbors spoke so highly of this community and their decision to leave that it piqued his interest to experience it firsthand.

In “Leisureville,” Blechman introduces you to a wide variety of individuals that have made The Villages their home. Throughout the book, he explores why they made the decision to move and how they feel their life in The Villages is better, worse or challenging. Most importantly though, he challenges the notion that a community should legally be allowed to segregate by age.

I have read countless books written by “aging experts” in my 20-year career. As I reflect on it, “Leisureville” has probably had more impact than any of them. I think this is due to the fact that Blechman approached this book from the simple perspective of someone who was curious about why his neighbor was moving. His objective approach and lack of a previous connection to “aging services” allowed him to be critical of the concept of gated retirement communities which essentially promote the concept of age segregation.

“Leisureville” explores age segregation primarily in housing and community development. Since reading this book nearly a year ago, I have become much more aware that this segregation is widespread in all aspects of our society, and that there is a wall between the generations that is getting dangerously higher. In many ways I have been an integral part of building this wall. I credit Blechman with helping me to see my “industry” through a different lens, and for having the courage to challenge aspects of this business that might be acceptable but don’t make sense.

“Leisureville” is an entertaining book with lots of interesting characters, most notably the “Viagra munching Mr. Midnight!”

Order the book at: http://astore.amazon.com/guidtoretiliv-20/detail/0802144187

However, the residents at Falcons Landing have a few extra perks-about 15 of them, actually. The community, which is open to retired career officers of all branches of the military, houses more than a dozen published authors within its ranks, several of whom have made national best-selling book lists.

So what is it like eating dinner next to Bernard “Mick” Trainor, the author of Cobra II, which was called one of the best books of 2006 by The Washington Post? Or how does it feel to pass Bebe Faas Rice, the critically-acclaimed author of 19 books for teenagers, in the hallway?

According to residents of Falcons Landing, which was established by retired U.S. Air Force officers, being surrounded by so many authors is fairly normal – and always interesting.

“Everyone here is very engaging,” said Kit Inman, author of four books of poetry, several books on spiritual growth and a historical novel titled Free Land. “Many have had several careers and been very successful, but all of them are very friendly and willing to share their talents. You can sit around with any of these prestigious people and find something in common.”

Jo Puccini, author of the personal and emotional memoir Angels in My Valley, said it helps to have other authors around the community to help her stay motivated and discuss the hurdles of getting published.

“It was right in the Falcons Landings meeting room that I opened the UPS package and passed it around to the group in here,” she said. “Authors and non-authors alike were both happy for me. It’s a palpable sense of community here.”

Bebe Faas Rice, the author for teenagers, said receiving a new book is comparable to holding a baby for the first time.

“You are just so thrilled, it’s beyond words,” said Bebe. “It’s like a child in your arms- it’s so beautiful!”

While feeling accomplished after completing a book seems to be the norm, sometimes the writing process can be used for other goals. Irene McPherson used it to lessen the grief she felt after the death of her husband, John, who was a Lieutenant General in the U.S. Air Force. Though she has always been interested in journalism and had even written for the Saturday Evening Post, she said losing him brought her desire to write to a standstill.

“After he died, I quit the book,” said Irene. “In the last year or two, my son needled me about the book, and I’m glad he did otherwise I never would have gotten it started again.”

She finished Four Decades of Courage, which chronicles the development of air power and the 7th Bombardment Group, in early 2006.

Harlan Cleveland, who said he came in the “back door” of Falcons Landing, was impressed with the inclusive nature of the community.

“The thing that struck me was that I was a civilian with no military experience, but we felt so comfortable and welcome here that my wife and I signed up during our first visit,” said Harlan, a former U.S. ambassador to NATO who has authored 12 books on leadership and international affairs. He was admitted to Falcons Landing before the community became exclusive to retired military officers in 1998.

Many of the community’s authors have defied traditional stereotypes about retirement as a time for rest, and have published books well into their golden years. Falcons Landing’s own Jack Scharfen recently compiled 24 resident profiles for his book, On Falcons’ Wings: An Intrepid Generation. The book was published in conjunction with the community’s 10th anniversary and features stories of American women and men living in the community, including two former prisoners of war, a New York Times military correspondent and a retired Foreign Service officer who has appeared in 24 movies.

“It was a good feeling to be finished with the book,” said Jack. “It took a lot of time, but I won’t call it work because it was always a pleasure.”

Almost all of the community’s authors said that they felt the same way when they first received their book-filled with pride and sometimes a bit relieved too.

“It took a big chunk of time out of my life,” said John Pustay, author of two books about counterinsurgency warfare in developing areas. “But it’s very gratifying when you get it between two covers.”

Mick Trainor, whose best-selling title, Cobra II, tells the inside story of the invasion and operation of Iraq in 2003, agreed.

“It’s all-consuming, and you are completely involved in the subject 24 hours a day, seven days a week,” said Mick, a retired Marine Corps Lieutenant General who has also published a book about the Gulf War, titled The Generals’ War.

As glamorous as it may be to say that they share the same community with many renowned authors, most residents said they live a simple and fulfilling life alongside friendly residents who care about each other.

Residents Frances “Bud” and Nancy Rundell, who respectively authored Still Loyal Be and Iran, Front Row Balcony, said Falcons Landing is much more than the country club landscapes, lively social calendar and mouth-watering food.

“It’s people who have a shared culture, and shared life experiences,” said Bud. “It’s difficult to articulate, but it’s something that you can just feel when you are here. It’s a bond.”

His wife Nancy gave credit to the community’s founders, who relentlessly searched the Northern Virginia area for the perfect place to build a retired Air Force community. The eventual location chosen was in Potomac Falls, Va., which tends to blend the best of rural and cosmopolitan living.

The Falcons Landing residents know a good location when they see one, as many of the authors have traveled to exotic countries during their careers. Such an author is Edwin Adams, author of Petty Destiny, a work of fiction set during the overthrow of Egypt’s King Farouk in the 1950s. He said he drew inspiration from the 30 years he spent in the Foreign Service.

“During my career I spent time mostly in Europe and North Africa, where I became acquainted with Egypt,” Edwin said. “I used that real life experience in my novel.”

So what is one to do once they’ve already finished several books, completing the marketing requirements and traveled the country on book tours? They write more books, of course!

“I’ve got two more books that I can’t wait to write,” said Kit, with a smile. “I’m 88 years old. Wish me luck!”

Jean Blum and Barbara Wald know their way around a kitchen. Their distinctive creations regularly inspire their friends and neighbors. Their prosperous careers, beautiful families, and long marriages prove that their original recipes for a good life are masterpieces in the making as well.

Jean and Barbara are among a small group of residents who recently compiled recipes for a cookbook. The cookbook, entitled Recipes for a Good Life, was published at Martins Run, the Continuing Care Retirement Community (CCRC) in Media, PA where both women live. The creation of the cookbook got all the residents, and their taste buds, involved.

Jean explains, “We distributed a flyer and had the residents submit recipes. Then we had a tasting contest.” She continues, “People loved it! We gave our recipes to the chef, and now they use our recipes for many of the meals. It’s wonderful.” Working on the cookbook gave residents a chance to share more than just their now famous recipes; they found themselves sharing many of the ingredients that made up their lives.

Jean Blum graduated from the University of Pennsylvania with a degree in education and promptly began her career with the Philadelphia public school system. Today, more than 50 years since her career began, Jean still has not completely retired. She continues to teach part-time at The Baldwin School. “They called me in to speak about artifacts and things I did while visiting the Soviet Union. After that, they said, ‘please stay, please teach,’ and I have been there for the past 20 years,” she says.

The nursing field always appealed to Jean as well, who has volunteered as a chaplain in various hospitals around the city. Her passion for nursing continues at Martins Run; she volunteers in the on-site care center.

Avid travelers, Jean and her husband, Jerry, have been to Israel on twelve separate occasions. “Our first trip was for our 25th wedding anniversary. We kept going back year after year because we enjoyed it so much,” says Jean. One of their visits was during the first Gulf War. Jean, also an arts and crafts enthusiast, served in a hospital helping to keep the patients and their families occupied.

Jean worked at a camp in the Poconos teaching arts and crafts for 34 years. Only having been at Martins Run for a little over a year, Jean remarks, “I still think I’m at camp. Everyone’s going back to their apartment, and I’m going back to my bunk!” Her youthful exuberance may be in part because Jean has taken such an active role in her new community. In addition to her chaplain work, she is a member of the book club. “There is still positively so much that I can do. You can be as active as you want,” says Jean.

When they are not busy on campus, Jean and Jerry are often visiting with their two sons, who live nearby. Jean says, “We decided to stay in the area partly because my son is a Rabbi right down the street, and he’s here very often. He used to do the Seders at Martins Run and he still does both nights of Passover.”

Like the Blums, Barbara Wald and her husband, Martin, decided to move to Martins Run largely because of family influence-but in a different way. Barbara’s parents were actually residents at Martins Run in the early ’90s. “We were really familiar with the property because my parents lived here, and our daughter worked here for many years,” she says. Their daughter, Leah, was the exclusive Rabbi at Martins Run for ten years and still lives nearby with her two sons.

Barbara and Martin met at the University of Chicago. While she was working toward degrees in both English and education, he was studying for his MBA. Several years after graduation, the couple returned to the University with their two year old daughter, so that Martin could study for his law degree. Barbara remembers, “We were house parents when we moved back. It was a very tough job being responsible for 180 freshman boys. I could write a book about that!”

The Walds moved to Philadelphia when Martin was offered a great job with his law firm. Over the years, Barbara held a wide array of positions, including mother, author, volunteer, teacher, and small business owner. The software consulting business she founded helped customers identify the best software for their needs. Her successful stint as a business owner ended because of a health scare.

In 1987, Barbara was suddenly diagnosed with breast cancer. She had two mastectomies six weeks apart and her “tolerance for stress went way down,” she recalls. She retired two years later. Barbara’s surgeries, as well as one that Martin had, precipitated the couple’s move to a life care community. Today, they take comfort in knowing that whatever path their lives take, they will not have to make a major move again.

Like Jean Blum, Barbara has become extremely involved in her new community. In addition to submitting recipes for the cookbook, she participates in chair yoga, serves on the residents’ board, and recently wrote a play adaptation of Cinderella to be performed at the community. Barbara says, “The list of available activities is impressive, and I’m busy everyday. Sometimes I have to force myself to take a day and just veg out!”

Perhaps her most time-consuming role is orchestrating the entirely resident-operated “I’m O.K.” program. Every morning, residents hang a sign outside their door that says, “I’m O.K.” Residents in each wing of the building check to make sure everyone has “checked in.” If anyone is found not to have placed their sign out, and does not respond to a knock, security is called. Barbara says, “There’s a real sense of community here. We really care about one another.”

The Walds are pleased with their decision to move to a retirement community and have enjoyed meeting new friends. Barbara says, “There is a real family feeling here. We are very fortunate to eat every evening with two other compatible couples, and we’ve become very close in less than a year.”

And moving to a CCRC certainly hasn’t slowed the Walds down. In this year’s annual Martins Run Fitness Walk competition, a “race” around the campus to promote healthy and active lifestyles for all ages, Barbara placed second. She jokes, “I was behind a man with very long legs!”

While working together to create Recipes for a Good Life, residents got the opportunity to share their favorite ingredients-for special dishes and good lives. Jean was one of the residents who helped compile the book, and Barbara contributed several delicious recipes. “We created Recipes for a Good Life, and now we are toasting to the good life we are living,” says Jean.

Using only the finest raw materials and following a clearly devised plan, Jean and Barbara have concocted a rare creation: a truly good life. Finding the right retirement community has added an extra zing to their already active lifestyles.

Any cook will tell you that a good recipe is one that adapts over time-one that grows, changes, and becomes richer with each new ingredient. If this holds true for life, Jean Blum and Barbara Wald’s recipes are nearing perfection.

“I loved to paint even before I was sent to Kindergarten,” says Mrs. Dodge, who quickly advanced beyond her finger-painting peers. As a budding artist, her first job was painting children’s portraits. Later, Mrs. Dodge became an art restorer. She apprenticed herself to a talented, local restorer to learn the intricate trade. Over the next 20 years, she worked on a series of invaluable artworks-literally bringing them back to life. Of her work, she says, “It was incredibly rewarding to do my best work and receive compliments for it, since I really shared a love for the art.”

During a visit with friends in California, Ruth and her husband, Bob, began to consider retiring. Their friend was a resident at an Episcopal-directed community in Pacific Grove. The community was a continuing care retirement community (CCRC) offering lifelong care with a comprehensive continuum of services. At the time, CCRCs were a relatively new concept, but such communities have since proliferated. The Dodges liked the community so much that they began searching for one closer to home. They visited communities in Pennsylvania, Delaware, and Maryland before making a final choice.

When the couple learned of a nearby community, they were excited by the prospect. Fairhaven, a CCRC in Sykesville, MD, had recently broken ground. After several of their friends made plans to move, the Dodges made their choice. Mrs. Dodge recalls, “When we moved into Fairhaven on June 17, 1980, the community center was nothing but steel girders, but we had our first dinner in the dining room on November 1st.”

The early days at Fairhaven proved to be formative for the community atmosphere that endures today. New residents, including the Dodges, immediately pitched in to help the community get off and running. “My husband was busy cataloging the furniture as it arrived. Meanwhile, I was ordering tables and chairs and other necessities,” says Mrs. Dodge, who continues, “We immediately enjoyed all the people, who were all so willing to help.” Fairhaven’s programs grew rapidly-thanks in no small part to Ms. Dodge and other motivated residents.

Ruth, with all her experience in the art community, and Bob, a former architect and artist, were instrumental in the development of the art program. When Mr. Dodge passed away, Ruth was asked to take over the program. One of her first projects was to organize a major event in honor of Fairhaven’s 10th Anniversary. She remembers, “I decided we needed a really big splash for the Anniversary, something that would reach out to the greater community.”

Mrs. Dodge got her splash with a juried art show. Entries came from galleries and professional artists throughout the area. Professional judges were enlisted to review the submissions. Fairhaven provided monetary prizes for the winners, and Mrs. Dodge made a contribution in her husband’s name. Residents and community members enjoyed the art show, which continues to be a biennial Fairhaven tradition.

Beyond providing exposure to local artists, Mrs. Dodge helped her fellow residents explore their own talents. She kept the community art studio open seven days a week for 17 years. After years of service, Mrs. Dodge decided to give up her position with the art program in order to devote herself to writing.

As an author, Mrs. Dodge has completed a self-published exploration of the Gospel of John, entitled God’s Gift. Of her book, she says, “To advertise and self-publish it was very difficult and expensive, but it has paid off with wonderful success and really great praise for the work.” The fact that she undertook such an expansive work in her 80s is incredible to her admirers, but Mrs. Dodge is far from finished. She is currently working on several new pieces and has given up other pursuits in order to “focus on articles that have been on the shelf for years,” she notes.

When she is not writing, Mrs. Dodge is visiting with residents at the Fairhaven Health Center. Reading, chatting, and offering encouragement are all part of her volunteer work there. She is also a lay Eucharistic Minister, who takes communion to individuals who request it. She concludes, “Right now, my focus is really on talking and visiting with people and writing. Those are my passions.”

Her interests and her passions have changed dramatically over the past 25 years, but Mrs. Dodge’s home has always been Fairhaven. “I have been living in the same cottage since we moved in 1980. I’m the only one who has stayed in their original cottage,” she says.

While her location has remained the same, the greater community has changed dramatically to fit the “changing interests of the residents,” explains Mrs. Dodge. These changes have brought more programs and amenities, as well as more cottages and apartments.

The most recent additions among these new facilities are the Courtyard Apartments, two new buildings including 100 luxury apartments and underground resident parking. The addition was recently completed, and residents began moving into their new homes on August 1st.

Reflecting on her 25 years of residency, Mrs. Dodge notes that the most rewarding aspect of life at Fairhaven has been “getting to know the many wonderful, friendly, and interesting people that have moved here over the years and continue to move here now.” A motivated and intellectual resident base has led to a wide variety of programs.

Mindy Brandt, the Marketing Director for EMA, notes, “Fairhaven does not have outside volunteers or an activity director. The residents are so motivated that we don’t need them. There are so many residents here-just like Mrs. Dodge-who are talented, intelligent, and really involved.”

The residents are now focused on celebrating the community’s 25th anniversary. A year-long series of anniversary events began in June with History Day. Residents completed comprehensive archives for the occasion, and Mrs. Dodge delivered a brief message about her long-time residency. An anniversary dinner will take place on December 1st to commemorate the opening day. Staff members and residents are also working on a booklet that will provide a snapshot of the community as it is today.

Everyone at Fairhaven, from long-time residents to new arrivals, is thrilled with the community’s development. “Fairhaven is 25 years old, but we have done a lot of things to remain current and change with the times. We have changed to continue providing what our residents want-in terms of cottages and apartments and amenities and services,” says Mindy.

Mrs. Dodge has seen changing options, interests, and faces at Fairhaven over the years, but the welcoming atmosphere of home has remained consistent. As she celebrates her silver anniversary in retirement with the community that she has called home for so long, Mrs. Dodge looks back fondly on her first, while anticipating her twenty-sixth. After all, anniversaries are equal parts reminiscences and possibilities. What the combination will bring only the coming year can tell.

When she decided to supplement her photos of individuals at the local League for People with Disabilities with their personal stories, she became an author. Her work is collected in Tales of Courage: Recovering Life after Catastrophe.

The volume includes an introduction, 24 individual stories, as well as Barbara’s own story of recovery following a hip replacement. Of the book, she says, “After I went though my hip replacement the handling of my medication was so abysmal that I really almost died. It was so difficult to recover from that. The people I feature in the book are more disabled than I ever was, and their stories include their personal struggles and triumphs. I really find them inspirational.”

In addition to inspiring her book, Barbara’s traumatic experience following her hip replacement also motivated her to investigate retirement living options. While she was hesitant to leave her home to move to a retirement community, she felt like it was her only option until she heard about LiveWell with Friends, a comprehensive long-term care program that allows individuals to remain in their home while receiving the care they need. “I had already signed up to go to a retirement home because I was terrified by the experience with my hip. When one of my friends told me about LiveWell with Friends, I decided to look into it. After investigating the program and comparing it to other options, I decided that the value they offered and the option to stay in my own home really met all my needs,” recalls Ms. Young.

The security of knowing all her future care needs will be met has been priceless to her: “The program includes long-term care insurance and a wellness program, which consists of home maintenance and a network of in-home care providers. The comprehensiveness of the program is very important to me because my family all lives out of the area, and my friends are all very busy; now I know that whatever I need will be taken care of.”

With her retirement planning completed, Ms. Young can now focus on her personal goals. She continues to help others live their lives to the fullest through her work as a psychiatrist and to encourage others with her work as a photographer and author.