Jarman News
The holidays are in full swing at our cozy nest on Main Street. We have spent the week putting up trees and hanging wreaths. There are tinsel and holly where the pumpkins and turkeys once stood, and the parakeets have taken up residence in a new corner of the lobby. They are situated perfectly to look down the long corridor and watch the traffic around the elevators. They also have full view of the lobby’s Christmas tree. I wonder if they feel the same excitement we feel when first seeing the twinkling lights?
When someone asks me what their names are, I jokingly proclaim, “Tom & Sally, of course! They bicker like an old married couple, after all.” The next question is typically to ask which colored bird is Tom and which is Sally. I’ll clue you into my opinion a little later.
In the previous article, I mentioned my desire to tell the stories of the beautiful people that make Jarman unique. I couldn’t think of a better place to start than to tell everyone just how lucky we are to have Tom Wold and Sally Foote as the owners of Jarman Center. Since before 1997, when they brought their baby daughter home to reside at Jarman, they have given back to Tuscola and the countless people who have called our facility home.
Most of you know Sally from her years of work as a local veterinarian. Nowadays, you’ll find her working behind the scenes of our senior community. One can usually catch her in the back offices of Jarman, either running CattleDog Publishing or speaking on Facebook Live. She loves teaching us all a little bit more about our beloved pets and their behaviors.
Tom, being the busy guy he is, has his day down to a science. Sometimes I ask him what his plan is for the day just so I can chuckle silently at his response. He is the definition of organized chaos! I have commented to him countless times that I’m not sure how he is still married after all these years. I have concluded that Sally must have iron-clad patience.
And finally, the answer to the question…
Our smallest residents are yellow and blue. If you haven’t been in our lobby, let me assure you that they have the most lavish aviary ever gifted to a pair of Budgies! The blue one normally sits on the incline of the roof. I imagine he has mastered the angle with some mathematical equation or serious thought process, not unlike Tom. He leaves the perch to his partner, Sally. She is the outspoken yellow one. She doesn’t mind the spotlight, and the occasional passerby would never ruffle her feathers.
Just like any great love story, it always seems that opposites attract. As we enter this holiday season, let our bird and human couples remind us of the blessings we give each other by just being our colorful selves.