I was looking for something else in my pantry when I found the package of pumpkin spice muffin mix. Not just any muffin mix, it looked high end, probably from a specialty shop. It was a Christmas gift that I had decided to save for a special occasion. Then it kept getting pushed farther back on the shelf until I forgot I had it. I couldn’t help feeling a bit guilty when I saw it, […]
I met Jamie Wilcox in August 2010. I had returned to Maples at the Sonatas to take pictures of the Abbey that I would buy within a month. When I walked into the clubhouse, I expected to find the sales rep Jon, but he wasn’t there. A young man greeted me, said that Jon had the day off, and introduced himself as Jamie Wilcox. I looked at him blankly. After a pause, he said, “I’m […]
Today’s post is another in a series of stories detailing how my neighbors found their way to Maples at the Sonatas. In 2009, retired librarians Joe and Sylvia were happy with their living situation. Their primary home was a townhome in Hoffman Estates, and they also owned a vacation home on a lake in Wisconsin. That March, they took a trip to Tucson, Ariz., and fell in love with the area and the climate. One […]
from Maples at the Sonatas–at the end of the rainbow. I wish I could say the rainbow ends right at my Home Sweet Abbey, but it doesn’t. The pot of gold is hidden in a neighbor’s home. Photo credit for this beautiful picture goes to my neighbor Sylvia.
Most mornings, you’ll find me sitting at the bistro table in my sunroom. I’ll be sipping my Keurig Dark Magic coffee, reading the newspaper, and watching my neighborhood begin the day. My cat Angie keeps me company, dozing on top of her cat tree. And best of all for this retired teacher, I’ll glance out a window, see a school bus go by in the distance, and remember just how sweet my life is. I […]
Here in Woodstock, we take the minor holiday of Groundhog Day very seriously. We are proud that the movie, “Groundhog Day,” starring Bill Murray and Andie McDowell, was filmed almost entirely in our town. Since the film was released in 1993, there has always been a celebration on Feb. 2 on our town square. Every year the highlight is Woodstock Willie, our local groundhog, emerging from a tree stump and making his prognostication. With Groundhog […]
Home Sweet Abbey 