Dog Day Afternoon

I haven't blogged in a while. Sorry. Spring has sprung and so have I. I have been out and about, enjoying the beautiful weather. I've also been out meeting people and promoting the Inn.

Not a lot of time for writing in the interim. But . . . I'm back.

In the last few weeks, I've started walking every day. Playing my piano. I joined a walking group of twenty six women who walk a different spot every Tuesday. Last week we walked the Arcadia Dune area. More to come on that! I joined the Paul Oliver Hospital Women's Auxillary group and signed up to chair their Holiday Gala. (I haven't learned the "just say NO" thing yet). I set up a women's luncheon to be held here in June. Helped my best friend decorate her apartment and oh gosh - I'm exhausted just thinking about it. Nah - not really. The activity is awesome after a long, slow winter.

I've also been out and about finding great spots on Lake Michigan. That way I can tell guests first hand about some awesome hot spots to visit while here.

Yesterday afternoon after school, however, was girl's time with my youngest beach baby, Chandler.

We rented a host of movies, the first of which was Marley and Me. Yes, it's a tear jerker. Yes, it's the modern day 'Old Yeller'. Yes, I balled my eyes out. Duh - this is ME we are talking about. Chan was sobbing right along with me. She is sooooo my daughter.

What hit me though was the quote at the end of the movie so I thought I would pass it along to you all here:

"A dog loves you every day of your life - no matter what. He doesn't care how much money you make, what you look like, what kind of house you have. Give him your heart and he'll give you his. How awesome to have someone who thinks your are rare and pure and special. Someone who thinks you are extraordinary."

How wonderful if people were that innocent, that unafraid to give love, that true.

Love,

The Lady of the Lake

Through The Eyes of A Child

I did my part to boost the local economy this week. We hosted a wine tasting party for a friend's client appreciation party, had guests stay with us, booked more reservations and last but not least . . . went bowling.

A group of friends gathered at the Inn last night with their awesome kids for a night of pizza and bowling. The children, ages 3, 6 and 8 had never been before. Well, with the exception of Wii Bowling.

There is a bowling alley right on the corner of Benzie Boulevard behind the Inn. So, being a gorgeous sunny evening we decided to order pizza from the Hungry Tummy, bring it back and eat it on the porch overlooking the lake and then walk over to the bowling alley for some good, old fashioned fun.

The kids arrived in anticipation of the evenings activities. We walked to get the pizza, looking for fish in the Cold Creek on the way there and back. We dined in high fashion on paper plates and gobbled up the ultimate chocolate brownies I made that afternoon for dessert.

"Can we go bowling now?", the children pleaded . . . wiping the chocolate crumbs from their adorable faces.

Camera in hand, off we went. Three children, three adults. A caravan of little kids and "big kids". To play.

There is something about being around children. It keeps the kid in you alive. It's times like these that I am the happiest. Their innocence, their excitement, the unconditional love. Contagious. Everything is an adventure, filled with wonder and curiosity. How wonderful to see things through the eyes of a child.

Now outfitted with lovely florescent orange and yellow bowling shoes, we searched out the perfect balls and headed to our lanes. For a Friday night, we were astonished to find we had the entire place to ourselves. Two lanes. One (with the gutter guards) for the little kids and one beside the first for the big "kids".

We showed them how to hold the balls and roll them down the alley. "No, you don't run down the lane honey". . . "just roll the ball from here". HA - that went over big with the three year old.

Actually, we saw more strikes from rolling the ball between our legs with the kids. We called it slow motion bowling.

They would jump in the air, high five us and twirl around with pure joy at the site of the pins dropping. We would applaud, jump with them, high five them back. Even the three year old - "high five me Miss Becca". Awe - the tug on the heart strings.

Soon, the kids were not only bowling for themselves, they were bowling for the adults as well. They'd also take well needed breaks from all the excitement. Here is "J" with a front row seat to the action. Check out those fantabulous bowling shoes. Oh yeah baby! Stylin!

"Miss Becca, can I do yours?" "Aunt Gretchen, can I do it for you?" All smiles, the children pleaded and we obliged.

The big kids were having fun as well. When we started, my friend Chris told me he was going to beat me. I said, "you're on". After the kids took over, all bets were off. Next time - he's goin down!

When all was said and done, we'd eaten three pizza's, 1/2 tray of brownies and each bowled one game . . . well the kids did most of the bowling.

Three large pizzas - $42.00 (thanks Chris). One round of bowling - $39.00 (Ouch). The looks on the kids faces - PRICELESS.

As a post script - the next time I bowl . . . forget about those florescent yellow and orange shoes . . . I'm going to where these:

Now THAT's what I'm talkin about!

Love,

The Lady of the Lake

Ain't Life "Grand"

When I was eight years old my parents were generous enough to pay for piano lessons. That lasted for about a year and then I decided to take up the guitar. I liked the fact that I could lug the guitar around with me here and there. I used to sing around the campfire, on bus trips and even played in a college band. I would sing for weddings, sing in the college common to help pay for books and just sit around and play the guitar at home for my own enjoyment.

Ironically, about 20 years ago, I bought an old house in my home town that I was going to turn into a Bed & Breakfast. In that house was a beautiful Henry Miller parlor grand piano for sale. The sticker on the piano said "$800". I ended up buying it for $100. Yes, that's right, $100.

I could only play one song on it at the time . . . Happy Together by the Turtles. I learned to play it by ear . . . listening to someone else play it and then sitting down at the keyboard and figuring it out by ear over time. Read notes, ha, never.

Let me also add here that I have moved six times since I bought that piano. Each time it cost almost $400 to move and tune it. Not exactly cheap for a instrument I could play only one song on. I was determined, however, and vowed that one day I would have my B&B and take piano lessons again.

Finally, six moves, eighteen years and a bunch of piano tuning later . . . I have my B&B, my piano AND I'm taking piano lessons. There is quite a gap between age eight and forty nine (I'll be fifty next month). You know what they say about it being hard to teach an old dog new tricks. Rut Ro . . .

I've always believed in the motto "when the student is ready, the teacher will come". Well, last summer, I must have been ready. We invited all the kids to come to the Inn for preparation and dinner prior to their Homecoming dance. All the parents came to take photos. As luck would have it, one of the parents, Kerrie Schendel, turned out to be a piano teacher.

So now Kerrie, of Northern Pine Piano Studio, is my piano teacher. Last summer, I started going to her home to practice once a week. She has been teaching both private and group lessons for sixteen years in the Traverse City and Benzie County area. Luckily for me, she teaches "children of all ages", i.e. - four on up. I'm on the "on up" end.

For more information on Kerrie and Northern Pine Piano Studios, contact 231-383-2541.

I had to laugh at one of my earlier lessons when Kerrie pulled out a music book and said, "Hey, I thought you might like to try this song." It was Happy Together by the Turtles. Noooooooo.
I actually did learn that version. Not by ear, but by actually reading the music. Yesiree, I can actually read notes and keep time and play more than one song now. Only Hope, Beauty and the Beast, The Prayer, Right Here Waiting, Take This Heart, Whole New World, God Bless the Broken Road, etc. I'm making progress and sticking with it.

We have had numerous guests sit down to play the piano as well. They'll also play my guitar. We love to be serenaded by our guests. I have the piano in the little alcove in the dining room. A great thing if you want to rent the dining room for business functions, wedding receptions, rehearsal dinners, showers, etc. and hire a piano player. . . and no, that would NOT be me! Let's get Kerrie!!!

If you are interested in renting out the dining room for any kind of function, we charge $200/day for the room. Just give us a call at the Inn to make arrangements - 1-866-866-1355.



It is wonderful to sit in my newly decorated dining room, playing my cherished parlor grand piano, looking out the windows at the beautiful view of Crystal Lake.

Ahhhhh . . . Ain't life "Grand"!

Love,
The Lady of the Lake