A Note from the editor - January/February 2008
I recently pulled out several boxes filled with favorite books that I still hadn’t unpacked from our move about a year ago. After dusting them off and opening a few book jackets, I longed for some time to read the new ones I never got around to before having the twins, and to re-read some of my well-worn favorites.
As I arranged them on the shelves, a rough count puts the number at 100; a very, very (very) small number compared to the collections of the homeowners featured in this issue. Combined, they have literally thousands and thousands of books, and I loved the task of wandering their shelves and imagining I had the time to read what they held.
Anything literary has always captured my interest, and I savored the chance to browse others’ collections during this cold time of year.
When planning this issue’s Green feature, we focused on the arrival of cold weather, too. Geothermal heating is something that is a new concept for many people, though the idea of harnessing the earth’s heat has been around for some time. On the shores of Lake Michigan north of Harbor Springs, David and Elizabeth Taylor are building a gorgeous, vast home using geothermal as the heating and cooling source. Not just because it was pretty cold outside on the day we met, but I nearly lost my breath when David told me his monthly utility bill can reach $2,000 at their spacious California spread.
Speaking of cold, when photographer Randy Goss and I met Sara Fisher, with Indesign in Charlevoix who helped us coordinate our Extraordinary Homes feature for this issue, the heat at the nearly 10,000-square-foot home wasn’t working properly. Ironically, it was a very warm, inviting home that we’re sure is a hotspot in the summertime on the shores of Lake Charlevoix.
And sticking with the cold theme once more, since it is January, we are featuring the homes of two fortunate families who live within schussing distance from local ski resorts Nub’s Nob and Boyne Highlands. And I thought having a locker at Nub’s was convenient.
Lastly, and warmly, here’s to a happy HomeLife to you in 2008!
Beth Anne Piehl
HomeLife Editor