Flight Plans

Only Emily Dickinson could open a poem with a line like ‘“Hope” is the thing with feathers’. Poets before her had compared hope to a bird, but ‘thing with feathers’ was a peculiarly Dickinsonian touch.

‘Hope’ is the thing with feathers –
That perches in the soul –
And sings the tune without the words –
And never stops – at all –

Emily Dickinson

And sweetest – in the Gale – is heard –
And sore must be the storm –
That could abash the little Bird
That kept so many warm –

I’ve heard it in the chillest land –
And on the strangest Sea –
Yet – never – in Extremity,
It asked a crumb – of me.

Deborah Choate, A.J.P. ; Friend and Fine Art & Antiques Consultant, introduced me to these wonderful gift boxes at the last Antique show in Chicago. I found them romantic and intriguing. https://rauantiques.com

Yes, it’s been a while since I’ve posted. My apologies.

Seems I’ve gotten carried away with everything that’s been in the news concerning businesses, the weather, the economy, and Chicago as well as the rest of the world, just to name a few. “Hoping” it will come to an end soon. Thus, a post on the lighter side of things, Flight Plans.

There is beauty, romance, and design all around us. I for one will make it a point to recognize it a bit more often. I wanted to extend a thank you to my family, friends, colleagues, and readers for following and for taking the time to stop by.

All my best,

Michael

Front Porch

Creeeeek. We’ve all heard it, the perfectly imperfect house sound that cannot be fixed despite our best efforts. We hear it most loudly our first nights in a new home, but over time, the noise becomes an audible welcome home. 

Traditional porch Midwest

For me, the culprit of this misdemeanor is our lovely front porch, the third step to be precise. 

An afternoon sip what could be better than a fresh Iced Tea

Brookfield Michigan B & B

Navy and White always a classic. Indoor Outdoor Rug design

Upon a glance, the white-washed porch might almost seem idyllic. After all, the front porch is the face of a happy American household where once can imagine growing old on. (To reference the overused, and valid cliché of the elderly couples drinking sweet tea in rocking chairs.)

However, these steps like any face well studied, has a few imperfections. For one, the paint is slowly beginning to peel off the edges, creating some wrinkles here and there, which, if according to plan, will be remedied in the autumn. But for now, these steps remain untouched until the last summer firefly can be spotted.

Welcoming a Rainy Day

White Washed and Sun Bleached

Smitten Kitchen : Always cooking up something terrific

Sundays

At first, like any house sound, this creek on the third step haunted me. It didn't matter how I was walking, treading heavily or lightly, the sound would mock me. The porch didn’t care if I had a bad day and had groceries in hand, the same bothersome noise would consistently emit rain or shine

A Restful Retreat 

Yes, if you’re wondering I did call whoever you call to remedy these problems and each time it became “fixed” the exact noise would remain—after attempting to solve the problem myself, naturally. 

So, like it or not, I had to deal with the “creeeeeek” each time I came to and from the house. 

Bunny Williams designs with Century Furniture

Over the seasons, I became used to the noise. The porch no longer irked me with its obnoxious sound. You might even say I was immune to it.

Magnificent Lighting

Mason Jars & Jute, a great DIY project

Yet, the fact remains that several school plays, honor roll ceremonies, and graduations later, I began to enjoy its welcome home.   

A beautiful wrap around in CAD

The Chanticleer Nantucket

Today, you can find me with a smile on my face on the front porch any given day of the week. I hope you find yourself just as lucky as I when coming across a house sound—

You’ll never know how blessed you are to uncover your house’s “welcome home.”