Leaving North Carolina and the B&B Next Week

Yup.  It's time to move on - and Granpa already has had his resume submitted to a location in Oklahoma! We many not even be able to go home.  Before we leave, however, we're planning a little outing to Williamsburg, Virginia.  It's about three hours from here, so we'll get up early and get home late on Saturday. Ought to be a pretty interesting trip - unless Granpa hijacks me and we end up in Richmond instead.  Aw, not to worry.  I'll be happy as a clam either way!

But before we check out of the B&B there's that film crew I need to take care of on Monday.  That's kind of exciting - but I have no clue what to expect.  They're supposed to be around and about for three hours. After that Granpa and I will pack up and maybe be able to leave early Tuesday.

I've told Granpa that, if we're headed home to Texas, I do NOT want to go through metropolitan Atlanta.  I have no clue how to not go through there - I just know it's always a traffic jam.  So we may wander around Georgia as lost as a goose, but I don't care.  Getting lost is just a part of life.  Be smart, be safe, and enjoy every minute of it is my theory.

Film Crews Coming to the B&B! Cool!

As if working with guests wasn't fun enough, it seems we get to work with a film crew that wants to use the B&B as a backdrop.  They will be here the first part of next week and it ought to be really interesting!  I may take more pictures of them than they are taking of the B&B!

Stay tuned!

Glacial Memories

Our oldest grandson, Jacob, just called to see if I could tell him the exact date we took them tent camping on a glacier in Canada.  Seems he needs that so that he can complete the paperwork to join our military! Bravo!

Golly, I can hardly remember what month we're in!!  But, thanks be to technology, I have all of the digital photos on thumb drives right here in my traveling office tote.  What a great excuse to take a few trips back in time!

Turns out, it was June 26, 2007 that we crossed the border north of Glacier International Peace Park in Montana.  Glacier is one of the families most favorite places to vacation.

But our first campsite is always Palo Duro Canyon in the panhandle of Texas.

This is where the very last battle between the Texans and the Commanche took place.  It's also where one of their dads buried gold! The idea was for the kids to come back the next year and find it.  (Intelligently, dad kept the GPS coordinates so that it could be found.)  This is on the rim of the canyon - and more often than not the wind is blowing.  Much nicer in the summertime than camping on the canyon floor!



Our next stop is usually Cheyenne, Wyoming and the next Grand Teton National Park which shares its northern border with Yellowstone National Park.  Then Lewis and Clark campgrounds north of Yellowstone.  Don't know that the Corps of Discovery actually camped on this spot, but we do know they passed this way on the river behind and below this spot.

Ever onward we go, just like Lewis and Clark.






Passing coyote and deer and elk and moose...

Until we reach Glacier.  This is a classic photo that is unmistakably Glacier International Peace Park.

Glacier is our #1 goal; Canada is #2.  But we'll take the time for some photo ops here in Glacier because it is so amazingly beautiful.  We camp, and the next morning start our trip on the Over the Sun road - 53 miles of exceptional beauty full of waterfalls and glaciers and wildlife.  On my very first visit to Glacier I had to follow a grizzly bear walking down the middle of the road through a tunnel.  But the wildest of all wildlife was . . . our grandkids!

This was seven years ago.  My how much they have grown since then - but they are all still great friends. We've added even more grandchildren since then.  Granpa and I need to get busy and take those NEW grandkids camping!

Here they are with their most favorite traveling companion, Aunt Kristin!!!

(Granpa is only there to drive, and I'm only there to write the checks.)

Can you see the three boys on the slab of rock to the left?  

I think they would have spent the night there if we would have let them!

This next photo tells me we are into Canada now.

I told our granddaughter that the city council paid these Big Horns to stay by the side of the road and greet visitors.  She believed me.  (But I would be willing to bet that the city didn't run those sheep off for sure!  Too good of a tourist attraction!)

Now we make a right hand turn through the cut in the rock here and then a left to drive Ice Fields Parkway to our next campsite on the glacier!

Ice Fields Parkway is like driving on the top of the Canadian Rockies.  If we Americans think the Colorado Rockies are something, more of us should visit the Canadian Rockies!

And here is our glacier!

Notice that Granpa is in a windbreaker and shorts!  I've always said he should have been born in Alaska instead of Texas!  But he did admit to being a wee bit cold when he got back to the tent.

I believe it was this trip that our (at the time) youngest grandsons talked me into buying him his first pocket knife.  I cautioned him before buying it, after buying it and as he was walking out the door to show his cousin and brother, "BE CAREFUL!!"  I finished paying for the knife, and by the time I got to the car - he had already cut himself to the bone!  But, Aunt Kristin was already in the first aid kit and staunching the flow of blood.  We mashed the edges of flesh together, sprayed hydrogen peroxide on it, slathered antibiotic ointment over it, wrapped it tightly in gauze, taped him up and we were back on the road.

And I am certain this is the trip where the older boys bought flints and were bound and determined to start the campfire on the glacier using their flints.  Three hours later, Granpa got out the matches and dinner was on!

I wish the grandkids would write down the memories of this trip - and all of our trips together because there have been many.  I also pray that we will have more trips with them and even our great-grandkids!!  But, by then, these grandkids will have to be doing the driving and paying the way!  It'll be Granpa's and my turn to be along for the ride.

Here Comes The Bride!

The bride and groom are not teenagers.  Teenagers might have been innocent and giddy, not having a clue what marriage was really all about.  This couple was also not "ho-hum, let's get this formality over with."  No, these folks were extremely serious about the commitment they were about to make.  I have no idea what the back-story was to their lives, but I know that this was a tremendously important event about to happen.

When Angela came down the stairs in her elegant, sequined dress, hair done up by the loving hands of her mother, a single strand of pearls adorning her neck, I just knew I had to have a picture.  She accepted my request, and as her husband-to-be reached up to take her hand I began to take what turned out to be the only pictures of her wedding day.

It was a good picture, but they seemed so tense.  I lowered the camera, smiled brightly (with a hint of mischief, I hope) and said, "It's okay to smile."  A lot of the tension went out of them with that and they did give a genuine smile.

As I glanced around for another place to ask them to stand I saw a large mirror to my left.  I asked if I might take another shot from the dining room doorway to get their reflection in the mirror.  Yes, they said, that would be fine.

At this point, she began to cry.

With his eyes and his lips he reassured her that everything would be okay.  It is probably the most sincere, romantic moment I have ever had the privilege to witness.

The flowers arrive and she pins his boutonniere on.  The fragrance of the flower is amazing!  He says confidently that they are her favorite flower and he has planted some in their yard just for that reason.  This is a man in love!

And there's one last picture to take before they head off for the ceremony.  They've relaxed just a bit more. Now it seems to be more the tension of anticipation.

As the good Lord has blessed these two, He has blessed me, too.

BREAKING NEWS ON THE B&B !!

Golly!  I don't know if this is good news or bad!!  The Oxford Bed & Breakfast is FOR SALE!!

This could be your dream come true!  We have had such a good time as innkeepers; we have been truly blessed by this opportunity!  Now it could be your turn!

Any of these links will get you to more information:

www.OxfordBedandBreakfastnc.com to contact the owners directly.

www.theDavidFrazierTeam.com  To work through the realtor, David Frazier.  Click on the address: 214 Main Street, Oxford, North Carolina and then click on the address itself to pull up the complete listing.

www.innsales.com  This is yet another source/listing on the B&B.  Fill in City (Oxford), state (North Carolina), property type (For Sale) and click "Search" Then scroll down past the map to the picture of the property itself:

At this point,  click on "See More" to see a lot of photos.  It will also show that the property is over 3,000 sq ft and what the asking price is.  There is a terrific list of details about the restoration/renovation of this wonderful home.

I believe Pam and Eddie searched the countryside far and wide to bring in as many antique pieces of furniture and fixtures as possible.  Those pieces may sell with the home, or you may purchase the home at a reduced price without the antiques.


"This is the chance of a lifetime in a life time of chance" as the song says.  It is a tremendous investment.  The neighborhood is as marvelous as the home, and the town is a place of peace and quiet.  The major metropolitan towns of Raleigh/Durham are a short 30 minutes away on Interstate 85 thorough a beautiful countryside.   Simply buy it and walk in as we did.  You could have your first guest immediately because Pam and Eddie are continuing to market the B&B until it's sold!  It's an incredible opportunity!  (We only wish our children and grandchildren lived in North Carolina so that WE could buy it. . .)

Be sure to tell them that you read about it on our blog!

The French Connection

A most lovely couple from France rounds out our guest list for this weekend.  They are a delight from the moment we say hello!  I show them around, give them the key to the Granville Room (Granville being the name of the county that Oxford is in) and, at their request, recommend a local restaurant for their evening meal.

When they return, full of smiles and joy, they present us with their half empty bottle of wine!  There's nothing to do but graciously accept it as they tell the story of why.  Seems they ordered white wine as they were seated at George's.  After perusing the menu, he decided on beef - which requires a red wine.  He asked for red wine, and they brought a bottle rather than a glass!  So, they had half of the wine with the meal, and decided to share the remainder with us.   (Imagine, the French in America drinking Australian wine and sharing it with Texans in North Carolina!) Kindness from half-way 'round the world.  I like!









In the morning, while I'm preparing breakfast, they sit on the front porch enjoying the squirrels and birds and beautiful weather.  I ask if they'd like their picture taken for memories sake, and they choose to include the historic plaque in the photo.  It says, "Dr. C. White House - 1886."





Our other guests come down to join them for breakfast.  Everything is going fine - except the quiche refuses to brown on top.  Half-hour the recipe says, and at 45 minutes I go into the dining room to make my apologies.  They seem to be having a fine time visiting with each other and eating the mixed fruit and Greek yogurt I had put out.  At one hour there is just the hint of browning.  I surrender and serve - with profound apologies!

I suggest changing the name of the quiche to Obstinate Quiche! which made them all laugh and helped to cover my embarrassment.  Kind, kind people; generous spirits!  It was then that I decided to tell them that, the fact of the matter is, I'm just a guest here at the Bed & Breakfast and am simply trying to fill in as the innkeeper - that I had never done anything like this my entire life!

As the couple from France are leaving, they are delighted with the back-story of their stay.  She says that she can "dine out" on it for quite some time.  HE says that they have never had slow-cooked quiche before, but they thought it was delightful!  (I have to admit, there was not a crumb left on any of their plates!)

Mother-of the-Bride

It's Friday morning and Granpa is off of work due to it's being the 4th of July.  That's super fine - because he has pitched in to help get the B&B ready for our second guest:  the mother-of-the-bride.  She's supposed to stay in the Carolina Lilly also, so we need to be fast and perfect - it's out first room to service!

Granpa is amazing!  He's carting the vacuum upstairs, cleaning the commode and has floor duty - buffing the wood floor and vacuuming the area carpet.  I'm stripping beds, gathering the towels and wash cloths, taking them downstairs to the laundry room (which is magnificently equipped!)

When the bed is carefully re-made and the linens arranged in the bathroom, I'm dusting and Granpa is replacing the shampoo, conditioner, lotion and face bar of soap.

All done?  We think so.

Momma arrives from Charlotte, North Carolina right on time, we hand her the key to her room,

ask that she sign the register, show her the downstairs and then take her right on up.  It seems that there are wedding activities back-to-back for the next three days.  We assure her that "mi casa es su casa," and anything that we can do give her rest we are very glad to do.

We retreat to the innkeeper's quarters and spend the rest of the evening doing our own thing.

Breakfast is served in the dining room at the prearranged time Saturday and Monday because on Sunday our guest advises us that there is a wedding brunch, and so there is no need for her breakfast that day.  (That's excellent because it allows me to go to Sunday School and church!  Woo-hoo!)

There are several comings and goings by Momma, the bride and the groom over the weekend.  They are very quiet and genteel folks.  I like 'em!  I've placed a beautiful covered tray of homemade brownies on the table in the parlor for there passing refreshment.

The bride asks if it would be okay for her to stay over the night before the wedding, sharing Momma's room. We say "Of course," but remind them that there will another couple coming from France to check in Sunday afternoon.  (Just tryin' to keep everyone on the same page here.)

The Guests Begin to Arrive (gulp!)

Our first guests was a couple celebrating their 10th wedding anniversary and had requested the Romance Package.  That consisted of a bouquet of roses, a split of champagne and they requested breakfast be served to their room.  We put them up in the Carolina Lilly room (the one with a fireplace, canopy bed and the double shower head!)

Boy! was I nervous!

We greeted them, had them sign the guest book, showed them the downstairs parlor and dining room and took them upstairs.  They seemed okay.  He seemed not totally delighted with the whole Bed & Breakfast thing.

The next morning, a breakfast of stuffed French toast, a side of bacon, mixed fruit, Greek yogurt and orange juice was delivered at the pre-arranged time - and he seemed much, much happier!

When they checked out he was as happy as can be, saying they would be sure and come back again!  I do believe he is now sold on the concept of B&B!

(And I silently hear the cheers of encouragement!)

But no time to savor success!  We have another guest coming in at 3 p.m.  Lots to do to prepare for her and her three day stay!  She's a mother-of-the-bride, and I'm certain will be the most stressed of all our guests - except her daughter, who will staying her the night before the wedding.  John and I will do everything in our power to not be a part of that stress and maybe even help lift some of the stress from them.

Slicin' and a Dicin'

After a trip to a straight-from-the-farm fruit and vegetable stand and the grocery store (now remember, we just got to town yesterday and I haven't a clue where these things are, so it's another game of concentration), I begin to assimilate breakfast for the 10-year wedding anniversary couple.  I'm kind of excited to be a small part of that!

Leave the Philadelphia cream cheese out to warm. Wash the grapes, the blueberries and blackberries, slice the strawberries, melon-ball the cantaloupe ... hmmm, where's the melon-baller.  Lookin', lookin', lookin' - not here, not there, doesn't seem to be one anywhere.  I text Pam, the owner.  Nope, probably no melon-baller on the premises.  No worries, I'll just add it to my next shopping list.

I have emailed Lori, one of our daughters-in-law, for her best recipe for stuffed French toast, and I'm savvy enough to know I should practice on myself before serving it to the happy couple.  I'm starved after shopping for all those yummy fruits and vegetables, so it's strawberry and banana stuffed French toast for me for lunch. Lori says the "secret" ingredient will be a drop of vanilla extract.  Bananas are sliced, batter is whisked and I'm ready to go!

Spread the cream cheese on a slice of bread, add a thin layer of strawberries and thin slices of banana, top with a second slice of bread, apply a bit of pressure so the "sandwich" doesn't come apart in the pan.  Skillet is hot, butter has melted. Place "sandwich" in batter for two seconds, turn over (my gracious this is a delicate task!), and put in skillet.  A minute or two on one side, turn over.  A minute or two on the other.  Remove from pan, slice diagonally, arrange nicely on plate, sprinkle with powdered sugar - and ta-ta! My first ever stuffed French toast!

Now, to serve the guests I will add a garnish of sliced strawberries that are heart-shaped and the enormous fresh blackberries and a couple of slices of fresh-from-the-warming-oven bacon.  But this is just a test cook for me - so I get to immediately dig in!  Oh, my.  It is so light and warm and the flavor is wonderfully delicious! Why! I'm a good cook!  (Of course I am - that's why Granpa married me!)

Test #2 comes after supper when I serve this delicious concoction to Granpa for desert. Mind you, it's not the relatively heavy apple pie or German chocolate cake one traditionally serves, but truthfully it's a much healthier desert than those are.  And... and... he likes it!  (I can hear the crowds roar their approval, and I mentally take my bows!)  Now to do the dishes.

My New Profession: Innkeeper!

John is at work, so I'm alone to check out of the hotel and into this lovely B&B, and, as soon as I sign the two-month agreement . . . the innkeeper checks out!!  No.  Really?  But, what about the guests that are expected?

The owners down in Florida helping with the birth of a new grandbaby have no clue what to do.  "Okay," says I, "I'm trained in disaster relief, and I can do breakfast."  Little did I know what THAT entails.  We're not talkin' sausage/egg/biscuits here.  No, we're talkin' stuffed French toast, and quiche, and fresh fruit and Greek yogurt - served on delicate china, in sparkling crystal and complete with silver tea set!  Oh, my!  What have I gotten myself into - again!!  Will I NEVER learn?  (I certainly hope not because life is way too full of fun and surprises to limit myself to dull and boring!)

I suppose lounging on the wide and wonderful veranda will simply have to wait.  I have four bedrooms upstairs that need to be perused, bathrooms to inspect, and - most importantly - groceries to buy!

Bedroom #1 - The Oxford Room - Who doesn't want to sleep in a big brass bed??  The only room with a bathtub (the rest having showers), and it's an antique footed tub with a rainshower showerhead.

Bedroom #2 - The Patriot

Decked out in red, white and blue.  All crisp and clean, American flag handmade quilt on the bed. Wonderful, firm, pillow-top Temperpedic mattress. What I would consider a perfect room for our dear George Washington himself!

Bedroom #3 - The Carolina Lilly

Room with a view.  Queen-size canopy bed. Sumptuous mattress. Nice fireplace. Perfect honeymoon or anniversary suite!  Large bathroom with double shower-heads!  (That's enough to make one blush!)

Bedroom #4 - The Granville

Love the colors.  Room with a view.  King-size bed. Another wonderful mattress!   Largest room of all. Fireplace.  The buffet with Keurig coffemaker, coffee and tea pods, mugs, pre-packaged snacks, and hidden refrigerator full of ice cold sodas and water (no extra charge!) is just outside the door...



Well, all seems in order here.  Back downstairs now.  The silver tea service needs to be polished if I'm going to show it off properly.  The dining table should be set at all times (if you ask me) in order to show the room at its best.  (You know, one only gets a single chance to make a good first impression!) So, into the the kitchen I go.

My goodness!  Black marble top counters, smooth top stove and oven with a warming drawer!  The cabinets - I think they are ten feet tall!  How will I ever reach those top shelves! The cabinets are filled with a caterer's dream collection of dishes and serving pieces.  Being a great hostess should be a breeze here -- if only I knew where everything was!  For days I feel like a child playing that game of Concentration where you spread out the deck, turn over two cards hoping they match, and then try to remember where all of the cards were so that you can make things match!  Round and round and round I go ... at home I could have accomplished things in minutes instead of what seems like hours!  Not complaining, mind you, just 'splainin' reality.

Since the innkeeper left, we get to take over her downstairs quarters - which are just as nice as the upstairs!

I cart all of our belongings up the steps of the deck at the rear of the house and into our quarters. About the time I have everything unpacked and put away, it's time to go get Granpa from his first day at the hospital.  Whew!

And On We Go!

After five weeks at home in Texas (Yea!) and about thirty-five submissions of John's resume, we got an offer that panned out.  Took the call on a Wednesday, signed the contract on a Thursday and left town on Friday. Over the river and through the woods, eighteen hours later, we book a room in Oxford, North Carolina.  (That's just a tad north of the Raleigh-Durham area of North Carolina and a tad south of the Virginia state line.  Oh, is Granpa a happy camper!)

We arrive late Saturday night, and Sunday morning we find a Baptist church and mosey on up to a Sunday School classroom.  It was filled with like-minded folks, and we had a wonderful visit!  Naturally they asked where we were staying, but we had no answer.  We'd spent the night in a hotel, but that wasn't our first choice for a two-month stay.  I explained about needing a place fully furnished with utilities up and running - which lets out most rentals.  But, they said, there was this Bed and Breakfast catty-wampus (as we say in Texas) from the church and perhaps there would be a room there.  My eyes see $100 bills flying out of our pockets, but it's worth a call.  Another woman advised that the Masonic orphanage in town had fully furnished apartments on it's campus available to families who would want to visit children, perhaps they'd consider allowing us to stay for two months.  (That sounds more like our pocketbook - and the money we did spend would go to the orphanage...)

Monday I begin making calls, but I only hear back from the Bed and Breakfast.  Not much choice; we'll take a look-see.  I'm given a website to check out:  oxfordbedandbreakfastnc.com  Oh. My. Goodness!  Now I see LOTS of $100 bills flying out of our pockets!!  It was built by a doctor in 1886: two-story, wide front porch,

12-foot ceilings, original wood flooring polished to a shine, 

antique furnishings, 

completely modern bathrooms and a kitchen swathed in marble, five bedrooms and five bathrooms, king-size beds, queen-size beds, huge fluffy mattresses, wi-fi and cable with flat-screen TV's in each room.  Oh. My. Goodness!

Well!  This is simply exquisite!  But we do have a housing budget we have to stay within.  I suggest a price, and m'lady accepts!  On top of that, she has no other guests booked at the moment for the two months we plan to be here, so we could have it all to ourselves if we wait a week to move in.  Hmmm.  That hotel cost isn't in our budget.  We might just to have to pass on this.

Well, she says, you could move in right away, but there are guests booked for this weekend...  Fine by us! and the deal is sealed.  (Ah.  If only life were that simple . . .)