Blue Skies of Texas is a Life Plan Community located in San Antonio, Texas, with a vibrant and active community of residents. One such resident is Susan Stuckert, who moved here with her husband in mid 2016.
Susan shared, “I’m originally from Oklahoma City, but I grew up in Dallas, so I’m a Texan at heart. We wanted to find an active senior living community and decided on Blue Skies of Texas because it just offered a very good value compared to the other communities we visited.”
Like many residents, Susan takes full advantage of the on-campus activities, mixing in her wide array of talents and interests, which makes for an exciting and engaging lifestyle.
As busy as you want to be
Susan explained, “The people here are amazingly supportive. And you can be as busy as you want to be. There are activities around every corner.”
Sometimes, those activities take the form of exercise. Susan shared, “I enjoy the exercise classes here. I love the yoga; we have a very good yoga instructor. And I enjoy line dancing, that’s a lot of fun. And it goes all the way up to Zumba classes, which are very active and popular.”
However, in the fall, most of Susan’s energy goes into the Follies Show, a variety/talent show that the community puts on every November. With so many moving parts to organize, Susan affectionately refers to the weeks leading up to the show as “Follies Madness.” Susan said, “Last year, we did kind of a comedy thing. This year we’re doing the Oscars. So, we’re doing dances and some of the residents are singing academy award-winning music from movies past, from the 30s through the 80s.”
Susan plays a special role in the Follies because she not only performs as a dancer, but also helps choreograph multiple musical numbers. She explained, “I was a synchronized swimming coach in another life. So, when I choreograph, I do it from a synchronized swimming perspective. It’s a lot of fun. And while I wouldn’t say that I do intricate dance steps, we do a lot of movement around the stage and everyone seems to enjoy it, which is the primary objective.”
Dance choreography is not the only way Susan’s passion for synchronized swimming has taken on new life. Susan shared, “I’m hoping, after Follies madness, that we can start a little water ballet group here. It would be a lot of fun, I think. I’m hoping that we can get it organized and just have some fun with it.”
With so many creative ideas to spearhead, Susan loves to stay engaged and active. However, with more free time, thanks to the maintenance-free lifestyle at Blue Skies, she certainly finds time to relax.
As quiet as you want
Susan explained, “If you prefer quiet activities, there are those too. There is a small group of artists that meet a couple of mornings a week… it’s almost like a meditative experience; they paint together and visit.”
Another way that Susan relaxes is by spending time in her cottage and watching the wildlife through the window. “It’s just a really nice little place to live. It’s cozy and the wildlife that parades by is always fun to watch. There’s a variety of critters out here to watch and it’s amazing.”
She shared some of her favorite sightings: “I’ve seen a fox, a ring-tailed cat, a couple of porcupines that are—I don’t want to use the word “tame” because one must be cautious around porcupines—but they are very acclimated to being around humans.”
Susan’s love of animals has also been an extension of childhood passions, which she can still enjoy while living at Blue Skies of Texas.
With a laugh, she shared, “One of the things I’ve been afflicted with since birth is a love of horses. For most of my life I’ve had a horse. A couple of years before we moved here, I took on a project horse. He was a little older and an interesting little horse. In order to move here and afford to keep the horse, I got online and found a therapy group for children, an equine therapy group. And so that helps him earn a little of his keep.”
Maxwell Smart, or Max for short, has learned to be a therapy horse, and he has brought Susan a lot of joy during her time at this community.
So, whether it’s been through her love of synchronized swimming or her love of animals, Susan has done something special: she’s used her passions and interests to brighten up her community. This is what makes Blue Skies of Texas a special place. The community is full of people who use their unique experiences to make their home diverse, vibrant and exciting. So, no matter where you’re from or what your background is (that includes non-military residents!), Blue Skies of Texas opens its doors to you. If you’re interested in learning more about Blue Skies of Texas, call 866-553-5389 or click here for a free info kit.
