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 […]
This isn’t the end, but you can see it from here. Work has begun on Phase 4, the final phase, of Maples at the Sonatas. I know it’s too soon to get all nostalgic about this. So I will spare you those posts until later in the journey. For now, I’ll just share a visual progress report. Here we are—Maples at the Sonatas—from the air. Three pictures taken from three small airplanes in three different […]
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 […]
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 […]
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 […]
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 […]
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, […]
Normally, I would not be happy to see this. It’s all a matter of perspective, though. In June, this is a yellow weed thumbing its nose at our landscapers. On Dec. 9, it is a lovely flower marking a winter warm spell. The dandelion got me thinking about other little things that have brought a smile to my face recently. Here are a few of them. 🙂 Yesterday in yoga class, my teacher was describing […]
Five years ago today — October 14, 2010, I left my closing with this key. Now, don’t worry. I’m not going to go all English teacher on you and begin discussing symbolism. We all know about the many meanings of keys. Today is for celebrating here at Home Sweet Abbey. And today is for appreciating the many blessings that have come with my new home and community. Some of them were anticipated; many were delightful […]
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 […]
In response to The Daily Post’s weekly photo challenge: “Symbol.” Something white caught my eye when I walked past my neighbor Ollie’s flowerbed this morning. Something that, as beautiful as it was, felt out of place. I had never seen an Easter lily growing outdoors before, nor had I ever seen one blooming in July. Yet there it was, a glorious, serendipitous surprise. Symbolically speaking, the Easter lily is identified with beauty, purity, hope, and […]
It’s record-settingly official. The Chicago area just survived its cloudiest June on record. Books close on Chicago’s cloudiest Junes on record and one of its wettest; May-level chill settles in as July 2015… http://t.co/znnu4eCmIv — Skilling (@Skilling) July 1, 2015 If you were to read the entire post, you would find all the depressing statistics. If that sounds too gloomy to tackle, here are the highlights—or, should I say, lowlights: Last month our total sunshine […]
Sunset is one of our loveliest times at Maples at the Sonatas. There is so much to savor in this time of transition. And then comes nighttime, which is downright magical. Darkness settles gently, gradually over the neighborhood, bringing with it an altered perspective. Our homes, our lawns, our streets — everything so familiar that we may not even see it any more — all becomes subtly new, demanding a second look. ••• It’s a […]
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 […]
“You see this goblet?” Chaa asked, holding up a glass. “For me, this glass is already broken. I enjoy it; drink out of it. It holds water admirably, sometimes even reflecting the sun in beautiful patterns. If I should tap it, it has a lovely ring to it. But when I put this glass on a shelf and the wind knocks it over and it falls to the ground and shatters, I say, ‘Of course.’ […]
It’s not that big a deal, Cathie said. You’re welcome to come and see it, but it’s really not that much. Still, knowing how creative and crafty she is, I wanted to take a look at her project. So I walked down the street to her Portico and rang the doorbell. Immediately, I was greeted by a chorus of Shih Tzu glee coming through the door. Cathie opened it, and the three dogs’ frenzied joy […]
Home Sweet Abbey 