Welcome Home!

Tue., Jan. 16, 2007

Cheryl-anne Millsap The Spokesman-Review

It’s like I have a new view.

The little hawthorn tree right outside my living room window was leafy and green when I moved in. Now it is bare and frequently dusted with snow. The street and sidewalks are black ribbons against the frozen lawns.

Smoke rises out of chimneys, and plumes of steam hang in the air.

Everything looks different.

Sitting beside the fireplace, looking out onto my neighborhood, the view is nothing like it was when I moved in. With a new season comes a new outlook.

Now that the big old blue spruce tree that stood – too close! – against the corner of the house is gone, a victim of the first windstorm that swept through the area this winter, a bit more of the pale winter sun reaches the house. That may not be such a good thing when the summer gets hot, but right now it’s fine.

Right now, the world outside my window looks wider and I can see farther. Winter is the season for looking outward, wrapped in a blanket to ward off the chill.

It won’t be too long before the hawthorn, a little worse for the wear after being hit by a falling spruce, will turn green and the view outside my window will change again.

This week in Home

Our cover story this week features Jake and Holland McBurns. The pair have taken a tiny, poorly constructed shack in Peaceful Valley and transformed it into a one-of-a-kind cottage complete with unique art on the walls and a pair of chickens on the front porch.

Garden columnist Pat Munts brings us news of a special day for celebrating winter in the garden, and we profile another beautiful home. From cover to cover we celebrate the best about living in Spokane and the Inland Northwest.

New to Home

It’s a new year, and we’re rolling out another new feature for Home. Each month, in The Arrangement, we’ll bring you tips for creating an eye-catching floral or greenery arrangement for your home. If you’re the creative type, or just have a knack for putting flowers together, let us know. You might be our next big find.

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