All I can say is, it must be human nature. When I fear I have lost something, it suddenly becomes even more precious. That thought lingered in my mind Wednesday morning, when my plane landed in Columbus. I was two days late for the Epcon awards dinner where I was to have received my Lifestyle Ambassador Award. But Ember rescued me yet again, and the folks in charge of the event graciously agreed to let […]
Yes, we’re kickin’ ass-phalt here today at Maples at the Sonatas. Or rather, our contractor is. It’s seal coating day for half of our driveways. We’ve grown so much that it now takes two days to complete the job. As I sit in my sun room watching them work, I can’t help remembering another seal coating day four years ago. It was also my moving day… But let me start at the beginning. A week […]
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 […]
Before we left for Columbus, I thought I understood what an honor it would be to speak to the 80 or so Wilcox staff members gathered at their first annual conference. But I didn’t really comprehend what a gift I had been given until later. It began sinking in after my presentation, when Ember came up to make an announcement and stopped to hug me on her way to the podium. When I saw Carol, […]
This is the title slide of a presentation I’ll be making at the Wilcox Communities National Conference in Columbus, Ohio, on Tuesday. Proud, honored, scared. This is how I’m feeling as I finish practicing my remarks and begin packing my suitcase. Oh, and as I keep checking the weather. We are under a snow advisory tomorrow. Yes, another one. Just before Christmas, Ember, who is executive assistant to Jamie Wilcox, called and asked if I […]
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 […]
The Chicago headquarters of Wilcox Communities blends so seamlessly into its surroundings that you would never suspect it was there. But don’t look for it in Chicago; it is actually located in Plainfield in the Wilcox community of Villas at Fox Run. There, tucked into a Canterbury home that from the outside looks just like every other Canterbury in the community, is the office of one of the fastest growing builders in the Midwest. In […]
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 […]
Home Sweet Abbey 