A friendship that has spanned more than 40 years, deeply rooted in a love of the arts, has now reunited in Melbourne, Florida.

Buena Vida residents Nancy and Pat met around 1970 while living and teaching in Miami. They were both teachers and each had a creative spirit. They met mutual friend Sandy, and the three laugh robustly as they recall their days in South Florida living the boating lifestyle.

Nancy was an art major in college and has always had a love of fabric and textiles, which naturally translated to her talent in quilting. According to her friends, her works are very unique. Nancy’s talent has won her numerous awards and she remains an active quilter.

Sandy and her husband maintained their boating lifestyle, circling the globe one-and-a-half times, which awakened her love of painting. She experimented with with painting scenes inspired by their travels, and she ultimately took classes to learn more about the art. Sandy now focuses on divine proportions and everything in her paintings relate to mathematical relationships.

Pat’s medium of choice is jewelry. She started with a procedure turning sculptured wax to cast to metal. She started simple with one item and was surprised how well it turned out. Eventually her husband said her art was turning into an expensive hobby so she started to sell her pieces – first at the school where she worked and now she’s expanded to art fairs.

Nancy was a counselor at Buena Vida first and it wasn’t long before she decided to call Buena Vida home. After a talk with Pat about both being in a similar life stage without family to care for them in the future each moved in.

Sandy and her husband Jim visited and also decided to put down a deposit and call Buena Vida home.

Now the ladies enjoy all that Buena Vida has to offer. Nancy is involved in the Buena Vida Stitchers quilting group, Sandy paints, and Pat features her jewelry at art shows.

“The greatest part is that Buena Vida is the only continuing care facility in all Brevard County,” Nancy said. “You come in as independent and remain that way as long as possible. But you have security knowing you’re going to be cared for.”

“It’s like living in a fine hotel and there’s so much to do. I didn’t expect it to be this much fun,” said Pat.

Hear for yourself what the ladies have to say about life at Buena Vida: