Joy: Hi there, humans. It’s okay. You’re not bothering us. We’re awake, just lounging here. Wanna know something? A secret? Then come a little closer. Yeah, that’s better. You ready for the secret? Lean in nice and close so I can whisper it. People can’t tell us apart. I know. Crazy. Sisters are supposed to look alike, right? Sometimes humans can be so dense. Gracie: Joy, I love humans. ‘Specially Mom. What’s dense mean? Cuz […]
The doctor tapped on the door of the examination room and walked in. He shook my hand as usual, then paused and said, “Caryl, what have you done?” It was a good question, and it came from a man who knows me well. Dr. C. has taken wonderful care of my cats since the ’80s. I consider him a friend as well as a veterinarian. That morning my friend was a bit perplexed, perhaps a […]
Today’s assignment is to recreate the events of a single day. This one will be easy, since I will draw on memories of my recent stay with my friend, Sue, in her rental condo in Orange Beach, AL I wake up when I wake up, without an alarm or obligation. I know without getting out of bed whether Sue is up before me. The first thing she does each morning is open the glass […]
Happy October from Maples at the Sonatas… Where we are lovin’ our World Series-playin’ Cubbies. Our mascot, Healy the Bear, says, GO, CUBS, GO! And so do most of our residents.
It was late August, my first summer at The Maples, a hot, sunny afternoon at the pool. Two of my best friends, Marylee and Margie, were over for one of our monthly get-togethers. Because it was their first time at the pool, I wanted to make it a bit celebratory. What better way, I thought, than to share a bottle of champagne? I got the girls situated at a table, cranked up the umbrella, and […]
I step out my front door, ready for adventure. It’s time to see what this Pokémon Go craze is all about. I have a brain in my head, an iPhone in my hand, and tennies on my feet. I’m logged onto the app. Let’s go! I barely get to the sidewalk when a neighbor drives by. She opens her car window and says, Watch where you’re going, Caryl. You don’t want to fall and break […]
My post below, which I titled Afternoon Treat, has been well received. It has been viewed 95 times here on the blog itself and many more times on Facebook. I can’t keep track of the number of views on FB because the post has been shared by many people, some of whom I don’t even know. A few minutes ago, I heard from Jenn, one of the riders in the picture. I thought you might […]
So this happened a few days ago. I love living in a place like Woodstock, where country still comes to town occasionally. It doesn’t happen as often now that our population is nearly 25,000. Yes, we are a stop on the commuter train line. But no, we are not a suburb. I hope the riders offered their horses a DQ. Maybe a hay and oats Blizzard?
Part 1 — in which hopes are dashed and hearts are broken I was scrolling down my Facebook page last week when a headline and photo grabbed my eye. Here’s the article, by The McKenzie Post, that went viral with Woodstock Facebook users the day after the Oscars: Leonardo DiCaprio is Moving to Woodstock, Illinois Located about 50 miles outside of Chicago, Woodstock, Illinois is a peaceful town filled with people who have almost no […]
You can be sure that I will be glued to the TV during the Super Bowl tomorrow evening. I hope the Broncos win, but it’s not the football game that I’m most interested in. So you read that and thought, ah ha, she’s going to say she’ll be watching the commercials, right? But no, that’s not it either. The big attraction for me will be the halftime show. And not because I’m a Cold Play […]
Six years ago, Bob and Linda arrived at the Maples at the Sonatas sales office with a specific wish list for their new home. At the top of the list—in fact, a deal-breaker—was a basement. Bob really needed a basement. When our sales consultant, Jon, broke the news that these homes do not come with basements, Bob thanked him for his time, and he and Linda started for the door. Just as they reached it, […]
To me, there’s nothing more interesting than living with a cat… unless it’s living with two cats. Just as people have their own personalities, so do cats. And with my girls, the contrasts are fascinating. Let me show you what I mean. Here is a photo of each, taken in the same room at nearly the same time this morning. Angie is self-assured and entitled. Nothing is too good for her. She can be friendly […]
There are countless ways to personalize a new home in Maples at the Sonatas. It all begins when the buyers choose one of the five Epcon floor plans offered here. It continues with the selection of upgrades and options. Then the finishing touches come with furnishing, decorating, and accessorizing. But Tom and Brenda, whose home is in the earliest stages of construction, have seized another way to personalize their home. Here is what they’ve done […]
Here it is, one of the biggest weekends of the year. It’s Final Four time. So it was no surprise to hear some rivalry talk at our community coffee this morning. We had a fan of Michigan State wearing green. We had Wisconsin supporters in the group too, along with Big 10 fans happy that their conference had two teams in the finals. But only Sylvia and I broke out our team shirts this morning. […]
It’s Thursday, so, as Facebook users know, it’s time for a stroll down memory lane. Let’s throw it back to 2007, which is as far back as I can go here at Maples at the Sonatas. We begin with the sign marking the site of Building 24. Our clubhouse was built during the summer of 2007 too, though the pool would come later. Here’s the foundation. And just two months later, look how quickly it […]
Home Sweet Abbey 