It has been more than a month since I wrote about choosing a new color for the walls of my sun room. That post, Fifty Shades of Beige, ended with this picture: and the promise: To be continued… Then one thing led to another, until yesterday, nearly six weeks later, the project was finished. I wouldn’t call it a total transformation, but I think it’s a very nice one. So here’s what happened. First, I […]
My father, Carl Dierksen, tried very hard to become a veteran. And I guess he technically would qualify as one, though he never claimed the honor. He was 22 when he and my mother married in 1940. The following year, during World War II, he enlisted in the Army Air Corps, both to serve his country and to pursue his dream of becoming a pilot. Dad reported to a base in Florida, where he had completed […]
No, it’s not Arbor Day. Nor is it Earth Day. But it is definitely a tree-mendous day here at Maples at the Sonatas. It’s a perfect day to hug a tree, as Dave demonstrates. •••••• When I got up this morning and looked out a window, I couldn’t believe what I saw. “OK, who ordered the forest?” I asked my cat. She just stared at me. Of course, it was our builder, Wilcox Communities, who […]
Maples at the Sonatas is located in northern Illinois, just 10 miles from the Wisconsin border. We are right smack at the intersection where Bears territory and Packers territory overlap. If you can picture a Venn diagram, we are at dead center. So it is no surprise that our neighborhood is split in loyalty to the two teams that played last night. Nearly 25 of us met in the neutral territory of our clubhouse to […]
There are several gauges that can be used to measure the growth of our community. The two most obvious are based on simple mathematics. What is the number of homes that have closed? What is the number of residents who call Maples at the Sonatas home? But there is another measure too, a less precise, more symbolic one. And that is the progressive movement of the construction gates. Until last week, there have always been […]
All summer long, a planter full of petunias and vinca vines sat on my patio. It was pretty for months, but as we got deeper into October, the plants grew long and scraggly and unattractive. Then they were nipped by frost. And so, a few days ago, I decided it was time to let them go. I slid the planter away from the outside wall of my home and lifted it to carry over to […]
Look who just came trick-or-treating! Three of my favorite canine neighbors. Happy Halloween from Bam Bam, Oliver, Bandit — and me!
It’s a gloomy, rainy Halloween here at Maples at the Sonatas. But the weather isn’t likely to dampen the spirits of the two couples who are closing on their new homes in Building 3 today. That’s right. A Canterbury and an Abbey are finished and ready to welcome their owners. The other two homes will be done in about two weeks. Here are some of the finishing steps that have been completed in the last […]
It was frightful. It was delightful. It was chilling. Well, make that chili. It was our Maples Halloween Chili Fest. It featured 12 different kinds of homemade chili. It featured 31 homeowners and four almost-owners who will close, appropriately, on Halloween. It featured costumes ranging from the gruesome to the ridiculous, with a lot of spooky creativity on display. It was fun, Maples style. And speaking of the Maples, check out these most appropriate costumes. […]
I’ve fallen behind on my updates on the construction of Building 3, a quad being built next door to me. It’s not that I’ve lost interest. It’s more because so much of the action has moved inside. From watching the contractors’ vehicles, I know a lot has been going on in there. I’ve spotted electricians, plumbers, gas company workers, HVAC men, dry wallers, painters, and, of course, building inspectors from the city. And I sure […]
Accent walls have been all the rage in my neighborhood the past year or so. First, they appeared in the professionally decorated model homes here at Maples at the Sonatas. The next thing I knew, they cropped up in a few of my friends’ homes. From there, the trend took off. We visit each other’s homes, paint chips in hand. We ponder the endless shades and combinations. We exchange the business cards of our favorite […]
…she came into my life softly and unexpectedly and briefly, but inspired a metamorphosis. – from The Butterfly Sister by Amy Gail Hansen It was a banner day for our Maples Book Club—the biggest one in our two-year history. Nineteen women gathered around a large table—our guest author, Amy Gail Hansen; 16 members; another guest/prospective buyer; and our sales assistant, who came in on her day off. It was our largest turnout, our first visit […]
A delightful surprise was waiting in my email this morning. Thanks to my neighbor, Lorraine, who was up early with her camera. We awoke to lightning and rain this morning, then enjoyed the briefest burst of sun before the day turned cloudy and gray. Lorraine caught that fleeting moment of early-morning sun and was thoughtful enough to share it. What a beautiful place to live, her message said. So gorgeous and peaceful. I couldn’t agree […]
Today’s third annual Maples at the Sonatas Pooch Plunge made a big splash. Warm, sunny weather welcomed us as we gathered around noon. Nearly 50 people and about a dozen dogs mingled poolside with nary a growl or yip, though there was a fair amount of butt sniffing going on. The big dogs, like Darby, swam in our pool… … while the little dogs had their own wading pool. Cookie came dressed for swimming, thanks […]
This is another in my series of posts detailing how neighbors found their way to Maples at the Sonatas. Thomas Wolfe’s book title was wrong. You CAN go home again. However, it may be a long, painful journey getting there. Just ask Gloria. She and her first husband spent 30 years in Woodstock. They worked here; they raised their family here; then they left to retire in Mountain Home, Ark. She was happy there but […]
I love our rainy, dark weather this morning. It has been perfect for sleeping in, for slowly reading the Sunday paper, for sitting quietly and watching my cat doze. Sure, I won’t be as enamored of the rain if it drags into tomorrow, but just for now, I’m loving being home in my Abbey. In so many ways, our Epcon homes are designed for sunlight. That’s probably one reason many of us fell in love […]
It was a beautiful morning for golf, with sunny, cool, picture-perfect weather. It was the right time and the right group of people to pioneer a new social activity for our community. Ten of my neighbors teed off at a local course this morning, in an outing designed to be more about having fun than competing. Here is the group, minus Shirley, who took the picture. If anyone deserved to be pictured, it is Shirley, […]
I remember. I was teaching at Woodstock High School. Near the end of my first-period Sophomore Lit class, an assistant principal came to my door, handed me a memo, and left. The first sentence, in all capital letters, instructed us not to share it with our students. An all-school announcement would be made at the beginning of second hour. So I tried to keep a straight face as I read the earthshaking news. Of course, […]
The question often comes up when potential buyers visit my Abbey. It may come from folks who have always lived in single-family homes. Or it may come from someone looking to escape noisy neighbors in their current condo or apartment. Is it always this quiet? How much noise do you hear from your neighbors? I try to reassure them, even though sometimes their expressions make me doubt they totally believe me. It is quiet—always. Honest. […]
It’s time for a construction update. Today I’d like to check in with another progress report on Building 3, the quad going up next door to me. The past week has been all about framing. In a sense, this step is the opposite of the foundation stage, which took a long time with not that much dramatic progress. Framing, on the other hand, is relatively fast and visually exciting. Here is a photo from a […]
Home Sweet Abbey 