1. February 2014
THE{FULL}LIFE
TOUCHMARK ON WEST PROSPECT
Finding joy in building dollhouses
When a bad knee prevented Tom
Bertram from playing golf, he
started looking for a new hobby.
He found one—building intricate
dollhouses and barns for his
great-grandchildren.
Tom, who lives with his wife
Jackie in one of Touchmark’s
single-family homes, built his
first dollhouse in 2010. Since
then, he has made two more
for his great-granddaughters
and four barns for his greatgrandsons.
“I had to find something to
do when I couldn’t play golf
anymore, and my son put in a
nice workbench in the garage
so I got the idea of doing this,” says Tom, who
built additions on previous homes and enjoyed
working on home remodeling projects at his
previous residences. “I’ve always liked building
and working with my hands.”
The dollhouses and barns, which he makes using
a kit, require a lot of intricate work as he carefully
glues or uses an air nailer to put the different
parts of the house together. “The houses have a
lot of detail to them,” Tom says.
Jackie says the great-grandchildren can’t wait to
get their dollhouses or barns.
“The houses are really sturdy. They have to be,
since the kids are playing with them,” she says.
“They just love them. The great-granddaughter
who got the latest one couldn’t wait to take it
up to her room to play with it. There’s such
excitement to play with them.”
Tom, who is 85, varies his work schedule
depending on what else is going on and how
he’s feeling, but he can spend up to four hours a
day working on his projects. The finishing work
includes painting the houses and using carpet
remains on some of the floors. Jackie furnishes
the houses.
(cont.)

2. (cont.)
His most recent dollhouse—a
Christmas gift for a greatgranddaughter in Michigan—took
four months. The cold January
weather prevented him from getting
into his workshop, but he hopes to
get out there soon. Before he begins
the next dollhouse—he has 18 greatgrandchildren, and he jokes “more on
the way”—Tom hopes to make some
birdhouses.
“It’s amazing how fast time goes when
you’re working on something. Time
doesn’t go very fast when you’re sitting
in a chair all day,” he says. “I also
like that I can see the progress I’m
making.”
Join us for fun, informative groups
News and Views: Monday - Friday at
10:45 am and Saturdays at 10 am
Join the Full Life team for an overview of local,
national, and world news. We want to hear your
opinion on current events and what’s going on in
the world. This is an interactive group; bring your
thoughts and be ready to share.
Brain Tricks and Trivia: Mondays and
Thursdays at 11:15 am
This is an informal cognitive exercise class.
Strengthen and train your brain with this newly
learned information and maximize your memory
ability.
Enjoying your {FULL} Life
Touchmark is a community of friends celebrating and living the Full Life—and enjoying the benefits
of services and amenitites. We invite you to visit and learn more about what we call the {FULL}
Life!
(Above)
Offering: Roosevelt cottage at 2553 Touchmark Court
Features: 1,712 square feet, two bedrooms, and two bathrooms
(Also available)
Offering: Apartment 317
Features: 604 square feet, one bedroom, one bathroom, vaulted ceilings, and balcony

3. CAPTURING DELIGHT{FULL} MOMENTS
A GLANCE AT OCTOBER
Looking back at the season fun! For the holidays, the community enjoyed the Touchmark Troubadours
Christmas Program. Left: Jean Ormson played the piano during the concert, accompanied by Barb Boren on
the flute. Center: Steve Kurland dressed as Frosty. Right: Paul Kluge played the police officer.
Miles Carlson performed a solo of
The Birthday of a King.
Residents enjoyed dancing into the new year.

4. EVENT HIGHLIGHTS
Contact a Full Life team member for additional details,
including registration, transportation information, and
participation requirements.
Tuesday, Feb. 11, 3 pm
Touchmark Speaker Series: 10 things you need to
know about the Affordable Care Act, presented by
Certified Application Counselor Maria Vargas.
Friday, Feb. 14, 3:30 pm
Death by Chocolate Murder Mystery Happy Hour.
Thursday, Feb. 20, 3 pm
Musical entertainment with Bobby Solberg. Bobby
has performed with members from the bands of
George Strait, Alan Jackson, Brad Paisley, Kenny
Chesney, and others. He has also opened for
many national acts, including George Jones, Trace
Atkins, Joe Diffe, and Joe Nichols.
Friday, Feb. 21, 3:30 pm
2014 Winter Olympics Closing Ceremony Happy
Hour. Join us for a cocktail to celebrate the closing
of the Winter Olympics. Enjoy refreshments and
listen to live entertainment.
Tuesday, Feb. 18, 3 pm
Touchmark Speaker Series: The Orphan
Trains with Michael Northway. Join Michael
as he embarks with us on the journey of his
grandmother, who traveled on the infamous
Orphan Trains. The Orphan Trains transported
orphaned and homeless children from crowded
Eastern cities of the United States to foster homes
located largely in rural areas of the Midwest. The
orphan trains operated between 1853 and 1929,
relocating about 250,000 orphaned, abandoned,
or homeless children. Join us to hear about this
riveting presentation.
Tuesday, Feb. 25, 3 pm
Touchmark Speaker Series: Making the Most of
Retirement by Carol Bloemer from the Volunteer
Center of East Central Wisconsin. She will be at
Touchmark to speak about RSVP (Retired and
Senior Volunteer Program). The RSVP Volunteer
Program uses people’s life experiences, skills, and
know-how to meet the needs of our communities.
Come and hear about how you can join in and give
back through civic engagement.
Wednesday, Feb. 19, 2 - 4 pm
Fox Pointe Homes Open House with red and white
winetasting.
See the full calendar of events online:
TouchmarkAppleton.com/pdf/communityevent-calendar.pdf
Matters of the heart
Marge Coalman, EdD
Vice President of
Wellness & Programs
February is a perfect time to soak up heart-filled sentiments.
Both physical and spiritual. As you enjoy the merriment of
the season, take time to think about the importance of your
heart health as well as your relational health and legacy.
In two articles, Touchmark Vice President of Wellness &
Programs Marge Coalman, EdD, discusses the importance
of connecting with family (and especially creating an endof-life plan) and shares helpful information from the 50th
US Surgeon General’s Report on Smoking and Health.
Read more online at Touchmark.com/wellness-forum.
TOUCHMARK ON WEST PROSPECT
Full-service Retirement Community
2601 Touchmark Drive • Appleton, WI 54914
920-832-9100 • Touchmark.com
149088 © 2014 Touchmark Living Centers, Inc., all rights reserved