Tomorrow will be a red-letter day here at Maples at the Sonatas. Actually, make that a red-box day, according to my calendar. But however you highlight it, the day will be significant. Tomorrow is Turnover Day, the moment when our community takes its next step toward completion. At a meeting tomorrow, our builder, Jamie Wilcox, will officially turn over the homeowners association to us, the homeowners. As is customary with construction, the builder […]
There’s no better time of year to celebrate connections than the holiday season. Physical connections, social connections, historical connections—all seem to carry more significance as we approach Christmas. And here at Maples at the Sonatas, we have our share of celebrating to do this year. Physical connections first. Our growing community is now connected in a new way: Our last street, Verdi, has joined Handel and Schumann as officially completed streets. The view, which not […]
My neighbor Tom prefers living off the beaten path—taking the road less traveled, if you will. Sometimes that even means constructing the trail himself. And that is fine with him. He and Brenda moved into their Portico a year ago. Their Phase 3 lot nestles along the treeline at the edge of the Maples. A few steps beyond their courtyard is a low stone wall marking the line between our property and undeveloped land owned […]
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, […]
Hey, didn’t you used to be Miss Dierksen? Yes, I reply. Yes, I was…. In fact, I still am! I occasionally hear that question—and give that reply—when I’m out and about in Woodstock, though not as often as I did a few years ago. Now in my 14th happy year of retirement, encounters with my former students have become less frequent. But that makes them all the more fun when they do occur. Before I […]
Labor Day is considered the traditional beginning of fall. But that was not the case this year at Maples at the Sonatas, where we enjoyed three-plus weeks of bonus summer. There were still several sizzling hot days for swimming. Our walking group, known for getting outside in challenging weather, took their exercise in the pool a few days. Don’t they look nice and cool here? And they can spell too. A-A-R-P… The weather has turned […]
My neighbor Art doesn’t have a formal bucket list. But if he did, sky diving would be item #1. He has wanted to try it for the longest time—so long that he doesn’t even remember how long. But life kept getting in the way, and he kept putting it off for various reasons. Then, a couple of years back, it looked like health problems had closed the window of opportunity on Art’s dream. That all […]
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. […]
My neighbor Bob believes that every child should have an opportunity for happiness. My neighbor Jane, who spent her career working with children, saw so many who needed an advocate in life. My neighbor Maureen is willing to step out of her comfort zone to fundraise for a cause she truly believes in. All three found an ideal outlet for their desire to help children in CASA of McHenry County, an organization that provides volunteers […]
This time the weather forecast was right on. A winter weather advisory posted yesterday was amazingly accurate. Unfortunately. The sleet hitting my bedroom windows was loud enough to wake me just after 6. I peeked through the blinds to see that 3″ of snow had fallen during the night. The sleet continued off and on — mostly on — for an hour. No yoga class for me this morning, I said to my cats. ••• […]
My neighbor, Ann Downing, came to Maples at the Sonatas with a seven-foot grand piano and a lifelong passion for classical music. I don’t think she chose her new community because its streets are named for composers—Schumann, Handel, and Verdi. But she did choose her Canterbury because her piano fit well in the living room. Though modest about her talent, Ann is happy to oblige when neighbors ask her to play. Her piano is a […]
My community is blessed with a large number of volunteers. These generous souls, in countless ways, add to the richness and variety of our lives here at Maples at the Sonatas. They work hard, and they work with smiles on their faces. Here is a sampling of photos of our volunteers in action. Thanks also to those who help out in major ways but don’t happen to appear in any of these pictures. Our social […]
You can have a Christmas party, but it has to be held in mid-December or you won’t get anyone to show up. You can plan the annual Halloween Chili Fest — for any day but Oct. 31. A St. Patrick’s Day party won’t work on March 17. And don’t even think about planning a New Year’s Eve party. That seemed to be our conventional thinking when I served on the Maples at the Sonatas social […]
Nothing soothes my soul like time spent on the water. River, lake, ocean—they’re all good. And sharing that experience makes it all the sweeter. Our social committee outdid themselves when they planned a sightseeing cruise on Lake Geneva, followed by dinner at a nearby restaurant. Twelve of us thoroughly enjoyed our time together last evening in Lake Geneva, Wis. Maples at the Sonatas is just under 10 miles from the Wisconsin state line. It is […]
Yesterday we said good-by to a good neighbor who didn’t happen to live here. Steve Downey worked as assistant superintendent at Maples at the Sonatas for three years, which means he was here longer than more than half of our homeowners. With 43 years experience in construction, he knew every step of the process of building a home. He also knew how to install and repair just about anything in a home. He was a […]
This is arguably the busiest weekend that Woodstock will see all year. Orson Welles, who began his career here, is being honored in the 80th anniversary of the Todd Theater Festival at the Woodstock Opera House. Both of our local high schools held their graduation ceremonies. Girls on the Run sponsored a race. There was a motorcycle rally this morning. That would be more than enough for one weekend. But none of these is the […]
Mardi Gras. Laissez les bon temps rouler! Let the good times roll, indeed. Mardi Gras, as you probably know, is French for Fat Tuesday. And that is the day to observe the tradition of eating rich, fatty foods the last night before the fasting of the Lenten season, which begins today on Ash Wednesday. Here at Maples at the Sonatas, we have another tradition—that of turning minor holidays into major celebrations. So it was that a couple […]
It’s a new month today, but it’s the same old weather. More snow falling. Another cold, sun-deprived day. Slippery surfaces waiting to trick you into falling. Yes, the winter that began in November — even before the first official day of winter — shows no signs of letting up on us. Most of our days are still the hunkering-down kind that I’ve already described in two posts on this blog. And yet— Our neighborhood is […]
I ended a recent post with this phrase: my neighbors, who also happen to be my friends. That statement remains true, even more so. In the past few days, I’ve learned that my neighbors are also my family. Here’s how that happened. A friend and I stepped out of a movie theater Friday afternoon into a hard, driving rain. But there was no noticeable ice, and the forecast had been for temperatures to rise. Three […]
The Christmas spirit descended on our community yesterday in a most delightful way. Forty-five Maples at the Sonatas neighbors had gathered in our clubhouse by 2 pm, when the Dickens Carollers arrived to perform a concert of Christmas songs. This is just part of the audience before the music began. The Dickens Carollers is a professional group from the Woodstock area that has been performing since 1982. I have enjoyed their music many times and […]
Home Sweet Abbey 