My year as writer-in-residence at the Hemingway Birthplace Home in Oak Park has come to an end and as I say farewell to my studio in the attic, I treat you one last time to favorite glimpses of the house as I experienced it.

Farewell to the congregation of furniture in the attic
Bye bye to the funky disco wall paper that greeted me every time I climbed the attic stairs…
…and to the croquet that sat by the back door, rain or shine.

Bye bye to dainty china, marble table tops, embroidered children’s coats, lacy light patterns on damask bedspreads, and lavish floral carpets

Farewell to Mrs. Maud Humphrey’s (mother of Humphrey Bogart) Mother Goose illustrations and the Peter Rabbit wallpaper in the nursery Ernest shared with his sister, the tricycle in the foyer and Hemingway’s potty chair (probably not, but still) in Grace Hemingway’s bedroom

Good-bye beloved kitchen sink swivel stool – you were my favorite gadget in the whole house!

Farewell, Hemingway House! It was a privilege to dwell in your walls for this special time, and to have all the time in the world, it seemed, to explore your treasures and share them with many friends.