I had just pulled out of my driveway this morning when I noticed a woman and child walking toward their car in our parking lot. I stopped and lowered my window. Can I help you? I asked. I was hoping to find someone, but I must be too early. The office doesn’t open for another half hour, but maybe I can help you. I live here, and sometimes they let me help out in the […]
My neighbor, Joe, was out with his iPhone this morning and spotted this visitor, a praying mantis. Equal parts artsy and scary, these photos are guaranteed to wake you up quickly on a Monday morning. We know how to have fun with the smallest things in my neighborhood. It’s how we roll here at Maples at the Sonatas.
I still remember the woman who wouldn’t get out of the car. She and her husband were driving around on a Sunday afternoon, looking at model homes. But he walked into our sales office alone. “My wife won’t come in,” he said a little sheepishly. “She refuses to live this far out.” I never found out if she considered Woodstock too far from Chicago, too far from its suburbs, or too far from wherever else […]
There was nothing I wanted to do more this morning than stay home and watch the show. So I made a couple of calls to rearrange my schedule, grabbed a cup of coffee and my camera, and settled in my sun room. Construction of Building 3, a quad across the driveway from me, shifted into high gear this morning and stayed there for several hours. Come on in and join me. Prepare to learn a […]
This has been a busy social week here at Maples at the Sonatas. Very early Sunday morning, we gathered for star gazing and meteor watching. Then Tuesday afternoon, our book club discussed Beautiful Ruins, a novel complex enough to generate stimulating ideas. Last night, it was pure indulgence at our annual ice cream social. And the week is not over yet. Late this afternoon, we have Poolside, a popular TGIF event held—where else?—at our pool. […]
Last Friday, my blog reached its six-month milestone. On Feb. 9, Home Sweet Abbey debuted with a post titled, “My Journey Home.” In it, I told how I spent three years casually, sporadically, looking at homes here at Maples at the Sonatas. It took me that long to work up my courage to make the commitment. Once I did, I spent less than two weeks making my purchase. That same “delay-delay-delay-hurry up” pattern must be […]
Some experiences are so grand that they beg to be shared with others. That is why I was happy to see 15 or so neighbors gather in our pool area at midnight last night. We were there to enjoy another Maples first—a Perseid meteor shower watch. Thank you to Sylvia for coming up with the concept and organizing it. After the pool lights went out, the others became dark shapes wrapped in blankets lying back […]
I was sitting down at my computer to begin writing this post when an email came in. It was from Kathy, in our sales office, and began with this greeting: “Hi Neighbors.” The thing is, she isn’t—technically—our neighbor. But it sure feels like she is. And Kathy couldn’t have given me a more perfect lead-in to this post. I’d like to introduce you to Kathy and three other people, each of whom meets all of […]
Home Sweet Abbey 