Rod, wearing a baseball cap, leads us into an immediate conversation about sports, who we root for and why. From there we learn, we have a similar heritage and family tree, so we have many things to chat about as the Frohmans welcome me into their home.
Married for 46 years, Marica and Rod have this beautiful cadence of conversation between them; sharing memories and stories with me. They got married on Valentine’s Day, Marcia, a P.E. teacher, Rod, a minister. Coming from a family where her parents and siblings were either ministers or a P.E. teacher, Marcia had sworn she would never marry a minister; she wanted to break the mold. Life had another plan. Their secret to a long marriage: saying please and thank you for even the smallest things. Being a minister and giving counsel to other couples, Rod looks at Marcia and reiterates the importance of being polite to your spouse. They continue into a conversation about breaking the mold of being an old married couple, as Rod shows off his colorful socks, and Marcia jokes they still consider themselves to be young and in love, and not a day over 50.
Items in their home represent their life and showcase how important family is to them. They chose to move to Scotia Village into this villa to be close to their daughters and grandchildren. A photo of their grandchildren is one of the first things they show me. Proud grandparents, they talk lovingly about how they are enjoying watching the two kids grow into their personalities. Not far from the photo is a plaque that holds a Swedish table prayer: “I jesu namn till bords vi gå velsigna gud den mat vi fa.” which translates to: “In Jesus’ name to the table we go, God bless the food we get.” Each piece that either hangs on a wall, or is displayed on a shelf, has a story. A sign made out of all cork made by her father in seminary, Rod’s declaration of his ministry doctorate, that hangs next to his concise library of theological books. As we continue to tour the villa, Rod and Marcia share that they are so happy with the opportunity to live in a home with such an open design, giving them room to move about the rooms with ease, and plenty of room to have guests. As it happened, after I met with the Frohmans, they hosted an open house for their friends and neighbors at Scotia. “We love the warm, welcoming and friendly atmosphere we get to experience here,” said Marcia.
Walking outside, Marcia shows me a nature path she has built with solar lights that lead to a walking track behind the neighborhood. "I've named it The Pinecone Path Way," stated Marcia. There are tools in their garden, passed down from their grandparents, and a sign that hung on family property, that now resides with Marcia and Rod to remind them of Melody Mount, a place that states There’s no place like home.
Like so many of the residents at Scotia Village, The Frohmans are endearing and welcoming. As Scotia continues to welcome new family members to our community, we are thankful for the neighbors that will be here to make Scotia Village feel like home.