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

Real Men Do Eat Quiche . . . And Some Even Make It!

Apparently real men really DO eat quiche. Some even MAKE it.

Beach Bum, as an example, gets rave reviews on his Asparagus Swiss Quiche that he makes for our guests on occasion. He made it just this past weekend for our guests so I had him take photos and give me the recipe (with his blessing mind you) so I could post it for everyone today.

Here he is . . . happy in his kitchen . . . making something. I don't think it was quiche on this occasion but, regardless, this is usually where you'll find Beach Bum - unless he's on the porch drinking wine.



Notice the above photo of the quiche was taken the LAST time he made it . . . BEFORE the dining room was redone. The wallpaper is ever so present in this photo.

Recipe for Asparagus Quiche:

When Beach Bum makes this at the Inn, our guests always walk out of the dining room holding their tummy's making yummy noices. He cuts it into large squares and we usually serve it with fresh fruit and hashbrowns.

Ingredients:
1 pound fresh asparagus, trimmed and cut into 1/2 inch pieces
10 slices bacon
2 (8 inch) unbaked pie crusts (he uses Pillsbury - two rolled pie crust pack)
1 egg white, lightly beaten
4 eggs
1 1/2 cups half-and-half cream
1/4 teaspoon ground nutmeg
salt and pepper to taste
2 cups shredded Swiss cheese

Herbs - fresh or dried depending on the season/availability

Directions:

Preheat oven to 400 degrees F (200 degrees C).

Place asparagus in a boiling water. Cook until tender but still firm, about 2 to 6 minutes. Drop asparagus into an ice bath to stop the cooking.

Because of the large volume we do here, he will usually do the bacon the day before in the oven. Thick strips of your favorite bacon on a baking tray lined with parchment for 40 minutes at 350. Drain, crumble and set aside.

He uses a 9 x 13 baking dish, sprays it with Pam cooking spray and puts the two pre-made, Pillsbury pie crusts in over-lapping each other. Actually, I usually do this part so I can crimp the edges and make it look "purty".

Pillsbury Pie Crusts really do taste just like Grandma used to make. On second thought - I think Grandma DID use Pillsbury pre-made pie crust.

Also, you don’t have to just stick to asparagus and bacon in this quiche. He has used spinach, substituted cheddar for Swiss, added Gruyere to the Swiss, added mushrooms etc. Really, the possibilities are endless. Whenever possible, he will use local ingredients such as fresh asparagus from the Market Basket, etc. He'll usually use a combination of cheeses as well - swiss and gruyere are my personal favorites in this dish

Brush pie shells with beaten egg white. Sprinkle crumbled bacon and chopped asparagus into pie crust.



Notice I did not get to crimp the edges on the crust this time. It doesn't look as "girly" as when I do it. That's what happens when REAL MEN MAKE QUICHE.

In a bowl, beat together eggs, cream, nutmeg, salt and pepper. Sprinkle Swiss cheese over bacon and asparagus. Pour egg mixture on top of cheese.



Top with your favorite herbs. Whenever possible, he'll use fresh herbs from our garden. I usually am out there cutting them while he is making the quiche. During the winter and early spring months, he'll use dried herb blends.



Bake uncovered in preheated oven until firm, about 35 to 40 minutes. Let cool to room temperature before serving.



This truly is a wonderful meal breakfast, lunch or dinner.

Give it a try. Or, better yet, come on up to the Inn and get Beach Bum to make it for you.

Love,

The Lady of the Lake

Get er done!

It's official. The dining room rennovation is complete. The painters were awesome and finished up with the painting on Thursday. A full day ahead of schedule.

We put the room back together, complete with the bistro table cloths, paintings, plant stands and ferns and . . . tah dah . . .

Got er done!

Love,

The Lady of the Lake

Spring Cleaning

Temperatures hit 60 degrees here yesterday. The sun was shining brightly, waves were splashing on the shore and a swan was gliding through the water in front of the Inn. Breathakingly beautiful. The outdoors was calling.




The painters were here working on the dining room. They finished the alcove and most of the cutting in on the rest of the walls. They are going to roll on the first coat today.

So, with the dining room in the capable hands of professionals, I put down my scraper and paint brush and picked up my . . . rake.

I raked the yard, swept the walkway, and brought out the adirondack chairs.




Then I re-arranged the furniture on the porch to allow for maximum seating and enjoying the view of the lake and the gorgeous sunsets!




This morning they came to take the burlap off my roses and hydrangeas. Hope springs eternal!

Next up will be getting the herb garden ready for planting.

For now though, I'm going to kick back and enjoy the view. I know, it's a rough job, but somebody's got to do it.

Sweet!

Love,
The Lady of the Lake

Pilgrim's Progress - Painting Wise

Pilgrim's Progess is an allegory about a Christian's journey from the City of Destruction (worldly home) to the Celestial City (heaven). In comparison, my dining room in certainly in a State of Destruction and it will be Heavenly when it's done.

In his journey, Christian can take one of three paths: Difficulty, Danger, Destruction. He chooses Difficulty which was tough but successful.

Like Christian's path - this dining room project has proven difficult but . . . in no way totally destructive or dangerous . . . well except for when I splattered paint on the wood trim and then cut myself on a nail. Regardless - the road may have been tough but there is a light at the end of the tunnel.

From 7am until 9pm yesterday, I worked washing all the walls and cleaning the woodwork in preparation for the painters. As promised, they arrived this morning at 8am.

Step 1 - Cover all the furniture I had moved to the center of the room with plastic.

Step 2 - Put drywall mud all over the walls where repairs were needed. Let's just say that they could have just painted that stuff on. Divots everywhere!

Step 3 - Sand the walls to smooth them out. Good thing we had lots of plastic.

P.S. - notice the vent opening at the top of the photo above - well there was a Bose speaker attached to the corner of the wall and the speaker wire had been snaked up through the vent. I asked Beach Bum if he would be so kind as to take down the speakers so I could get the wallpaper out from behind them. So there he was on the ladder, with his burned hand, getting the speakers down. All of a sudden I heard, "Oh sh%*t, you've GOT to be kidding me . . . !"

The speaker wire had come loose from the tape that held it to the wall and had fallen down the vent opening. Whoops. So much for "surround" sound. Actually, Beach Bum has found a way to snake it back up the vent to re-attach it. Just a hassle.

Step 4 - Paint the first coat of "Caldwell Green" (to match the color of the bar) in the alcove where the parlor grand piano sits.

Step 5 - Take time out to go have a bagel at L'chayim Deli that just re-opened today. Yay!

Step 6 - Start cutting in on the other walls with the Navajo White color (kind of a creamy vanillla color). The light color on the majority of the walls really lets the colors of the outdoors in. You can see the lake through the windows in this photo. Just gorgeous.

Anyway - that's the update on the dining room for today. Should be done by Friday. Good thing too as we have guests coming to stay on Saturday.

We're makin progress . . . pilgrim!

Stay tuned.

Love,
The Lady of the Lake

Burn Notice

I've been taking a time out from blogging while I finish my dining room rennovation. The wallpaper is down. The backing paper is down. I just need to finish washing the walls, cleaning up the woodwork and vacuuming. Lucky me!

The painter arrives at 8:00am Wednesday, 4/15.

In the big scheme of things, my dried up hands, aching back and wallpaper paste covered face is nothing compared to what Beach Bum just went through.

Two days ago, he was making hard boiled eggs and he had an accident with the pot of boiling water. He dumped some on his right hand and ended up scalding himself resulting in a second degree burn. (2nd degree indicated by redness, swelling and blistering - i.e. - yucky).

I've never seen a second degree burn until now. He wouldn't let me take a picture to show you. Suffice it to say, it's red, swollen, blistering and painful as all get out.

When he did it, we weren't quite sure what to do. I googled it quickly and found this site for reference. http://www.mayoclinic.com/health/first-aid-burns/fa00022

Sitting at the computer I yelled out to him to run his hand under lukewarm water (vs. cold) immediately and do so for a minimum of 20 minutes - longer if possible. A pain in the rear but better that than the pain from the burn if you don't.

I actually learned a lot about burns. Not quite the way I wanted to have to learn it, but, now I know.

We had a doctor friend and a dentist friend (why not?!) take a look at Beach Bum's burn. They said there was nothing we could do but let it run it's course.

Kind of a bummer. Especially at church on Easter Sunday when everyone wanted to shake his hand. Not happening!

Anyway - that's the latest here at the Inn. Just thought I'd pass along this little "burn notice" so, God forbid, if it ever happens to you, you'll know what to do.

Back to the dining room!

Love,
The Lady of the Lake.

Lighten up already!

One aching back, two whole days, three bandaids (. . . and a partridge in a pear tree) later, I have finally gotten all the outer layer of green wallpaper down in the dining room. Just having all the green gone really lightens up the room already.

Side note: If you squint and look very closely, you can actually see that there is no partridge in a pear tree but rather, "Wes Nile" the glass bird on the piano. Beach Bum is allergic to everything so we can only have glass pets.

Truly, I am thrilled at the progress on the room.

That's the good news . . .

The bad news . . .

I still have to get all the paper backing down . . .

And wash the walls . . .

And choose a wall paint color to be ready for the painters next week . . .

No problem . . . no stress . . . no worries.

I have eight good fingers left. I have hot, scalding water. I have sooooooooo much work to do.

I think I need chocolate. Yup, I need chocolate. Somebody get this woman some chocolate.

NOW!

Love,

The Lady of the Lake

What a "DIF"ference

I have been going through decorating withdrawls lately. Beach Bum hates it when I do this. He'll say, "Oh no, you have that look in your eye." He's right - he knows that look. You know, the one where you are looking and thinking and visualizing all at the same time. It's my right brain in overdrive.

After weeks of taking time out each day to go to the virutal town of "Yoville" on Facebook and decorating my virtual apartment with coins I earned working at the virtual widget factory, I'd had enough. Beach Bum refers to YoVille as "WhoVille" and all the virtual people walking around as the "Whos down in WhoVille." Regardless, a girl can only do so much virtual decorating. Time to get real.

First I moved furniture around in the Inn. Beach Bum hates this too. I can't move the furniture myself in real life like I can in YoVille. Beach Bum has to help me. I (we) moved the dresser in the sitting room to the other wall below the mirror. I like this better.

Then - I (we) took the large oval antique table and put it on the second floor between two chairs.


This table used to be in the living room and then the dining room. In the words of Inspector Clouseau (Pink Panther) . . . "Not anymore!"

Furniture all moved, Beach Bum exclaimed, "Thank God". I, however, needed another project. So, I decided to tackle the removal of the wallpaper in the dining room. To which Beach Bum exclaimed, "Dear God."

It's the one room in the Inn that I didn't really change much when we bought the place. It's the newest part of the Inn, loaded with windows that provide wonderful views of the Crystal Lake and Cold Creek. The woodwork is gorgeous and the Inn came with wonderful tables and upholstered arm chairs.

The parlor grand piano sits in the little alcove at the center of the room. Guests play it, I play it and it's great for the parties we have here too.

The carpet is maroon with flowers but, hey, one thing at a time.



The biggest issue for me was getting rid of the wallpaper. It's a dark sage green with a floral print. Just too dark for such a bright, sunny space. So - my mission - which I've chosen to accept - strip the wallpaper and paint the dining room.



Ah, the best laid plans. Five hours into day one and I had only gotten 1/2 of one wall done. You heard me, 1/2 of one wall. No, I'm not being a slacker. The walls weren't sized. The outer layer is coming down easily. It's just that nasty backing paper that doesn't want to come down.

1-2-3-4-5-6-7-8-9-10. Be a Tigger, Be a Tigger, Be a Tigger. Okay - better now.



Making some headway. Thank goodness for hot water, DIF wallpaper remover and good old determination. Good grief. This mission may cause ME to self destruct in 5, 4, 3, 2, . . . .

Okay, with sore arms and legs from scraping walls and climbing up and down a ladder all day, all I can think of are three little words: Hire That Done.

I called my local painter friend Chris Cole. "Hey Chris, old buddy, old pal, will you come give me a quote on taking down the wallpaper and painting the dining room at the Inn. . . PLEASE!"

He came, he saw, he'll be back next week.

In the meantime, I'm stripping . . . wallpaper. I can already see the "DIF"ference.

Stay tuned . . .


Love,

The Lady of The Lake

Wine Chicken - Just Like Mom Used To Make

Okay, I know I’m a Bed and BREAKFAST owner but I couldn’t resist sharing a DINNER recipe with you. I made it for dinner the other night and took photos along the way so I could post the pics and the recipe for you all today.

As those who follow this blog know, my mother passed away 15 years ago. This past April 5th would have been her 69th birthday. My sissy Chrissy celebrates my mom’s birthday each year by making this dish for dinner, baking my mom a cake and celebrating her life. Me, on the other hand, I write about her in my blog with tears streaming down my face, call my sister crying and make this dish as comfort food.

I know, you’re thinking, get your Tigger on girl. Okay, okay.

You don’t need to be celebrating a birthday or needing comfort to make and enjoy this dish. It is, however, ridiculously easy and it’s the ultimate in “comfort food”. I serve it with steamed rice and a bowl of the sauce to pour over the chicken and rice. My mom used to serve this dish with rice, a side of broccoli, cinnamon rolls and a nice white wine. Oh yeah!

This dish makes great left-over’s too. I make extra rice and put it in individual small zip top bags. When re-heating, I open the bag slightly and microwave the rice for a minute on a plate with the chicken. Empty the rice on the plate and you’re good to go. If you have left over sauce, put some on the chicken before you microwave.

So here it is - the recipe for Wine Chicken. Just like Mom used to make.


Wine Chicken

Preheat oven to 350 degrees

The Cast of Characters:

6-8 boneless, skinless chicken breasts (or ~ 12 boneless, skinless chicken tenders)
1 large can mushroom stems & pieces, drained
2 cans cream of mushroom soup
1 15.5 oz container of sour cream
1 soup can sherry or cooking sherry

Salt & Pepper
Paprika

Note: This recipe serves 6-8 but could be halved. I make the above amount . . . remember . . . leftovers!

Arrange the chicken in a 9x13 greased baking dish (I use Pam spray). Do NOT overlap. Sprinkle with salt & pepper.

Cover with mushroom stems & pieces & 1/2 of the sherry.




Combine the undiluted soup with the sour cream and the remaining sherry in bowl. Stir until blended.



Pour over chicken, completely covering. Dust with paprika. Pretty huh!



Bake at 350 degrees for 1 1/2 hours. It will come out looking hot and bubbly and yummy like this:



Serve as is with steamed rice, green vegetable (and cinnamon rolls). Sometimes I put the chicken on a platter and serve the sauce in a separate bowl so you can pour the sauce over the chicken and rice.

See. Super easy. Your family and friends will love it. Trust me.

And remember . . . it's great for leftovers!

So there you have it. Wine chicken just like mom used to make. Give it a try. Bon appetit!

Love,

The Lady of the Lake