Note: This post originally ran on Veteran’s Day 2013. I am reposting it today without changes. My emotions remain the same. The facts remain the same—with the exception of the last sentence. I can no longer walk to the end of the street and see a farm. In the past 7 years, the Maples has grown to fill its available space. But that is another post for another day. My father, Carl Dierksen, tried very […]
Editor’s note: I usually don’t believe in rerunning posts. Perhaps I should say, it’s fine for others, but I prefer to come up with something new for my own blog. But… it’s Veteran’s Day, and I want to acknowledge it. Because I haven’t come up with anything I like better, here is the post that I published four years ago today. I hope you’ll like it. My father, Carl Dierksen, tried very hard to […]
My neighbor, Sue, is too modest to allow me to call her a wine expert. So let’s just say, she has pursued an interest in the field for quite a few years and has learned a lot along the way. She and her husband, Mike, have a large collection of wines and a large library of books related to it. When they began planning their new home here at Maples at the Sonatas, they knew […]
Downsizing. It is one of the most common reasons people give for buying a home in Maples at the Sonatas. Once the children are on their own, many find there is no longer a need for as much living space. And then there is maintenance. Our buyers also come looking for less upkeep, both inside and outside the home. After they settle in, they realize they are living comfortably — luxuriously even — in less […]
One of my favorite parts of spring is all of its new beginnings. Flowers reappear from the soil and bloom again. Or they are planted for the first time, sharing color and fragrance from their very beginning. Baby animals come into the world. Trees begin another year by putting on their loveliest blossoms. Like this one. And it’s not only nature celebrating new beginnings. The Maples is all about new beginnings too. For as long […]
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 […]
Fable: A short tale to teach a moral lesson, often with animals or inanimate objects as characters. Once upon a time, not too long ago, Joe and Sylvia adopted their sweet dog, Bandit, a loving, trusting soul. I already had Angie, an outgoing cat who loved to play. We decided to introduce them, hoping that a friendship would develop. In the beginning, it looked like we would get our wish. The two were curious about […]
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 […]
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.
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 […]
Hi readers, I’ve missed you, and I’ve missed blogging. It has been 15 days since my last post, and nearly a month since I lost Mom. As I said when I last wrote, my thoughts have been too scattered to concentrate enough to write. Or, for that matter, even to read. I was relieved when someone told me that this confusion can be a normal part of grieving. Lately, I’ve been feeling better—most of the […]
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 […]
Therefore, send not to know For whom the bell tolls, It tolls for thee. —John Donne Nope, sorry, John Donne. You’ve written a nice poem, but you’re wrong. The school bell does NOT toll for me. Not anymore. I am R-E-T-I-R-E-D. Mr. Donne, I am done. ••• Tomorrow is the first day of the new school year in Woodstock. It will mark the 15th time that school has started without me. How does that make […]
When I moved into my Abbey in October 2010, I didn’t really have expectations for how its landscaping would change over time. I guess I was concentrating on the home’s interior and just assumed that bushes would grow larger and I would plant flowers in the spring. That, of course, is exactly what happened. But this summer I’ve opened my eyes to the changes and the beauty that now surrounds me. Before I offer some […]
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 […]
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?
First comes the thunderstorm watch notice scrolling along the bottom of the TV screen. Then ominous clouds roll in, darkening the sky when it should have yet been light. Then the winds gust. In the distance, thunder rumbles and lightning streaks through the black clouds. And then it is here. Sheets of wind-driven rain send me hurrying indoors to protect my camera, and myself. The storm is Mother Nature’s display of drama, beauty, danger. It […]
My brother and sister-in-law flew in from Denver last week to spend a few days with Mom and me. They visit a couple of times a year, and now, after several stays, feel quite at home. I especially appreciate the Abbey floor plan when house guests arrive. That large second bedroom offers them all the space they want or need. For 50 weeks of the year, the room serves primarily as my office and looks like […]
If something happens once, it just happens. But if the same thing happens again, you may be establishing a pattern. I have now undergone the same experience twice in less than six years. My pattern appears to be purchasing brand new, move-in ready homes. It’s becoming a compelling, expensive habit. In 2010, I stumbled upon the Abbey that would become my home. Then last December, I accidentally found the Palazzo that I hope to soon […]
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 […]
Home Sweet Abbey 