Hello from just over the hilltop in Norwood. Today is a gorgeous day with the sun shining warm and bright. The crunching of leaves is truly scrumptious and we are spending much of the day outside. Dick got out the rakes for us to start moving some of the leaves to the edge of the road for the village to take away.
He also accomplished a project that has been on the list since we moved in, that of removing the storm windows on the porch so we could clean and wash the “insides.” I have been able to wash the very outside and the inside but not in between. We now have sparkling windows thanks to Dick! He also repaired the top five steps of our stairs. There are no more squeaks and I can’t hear myself coming and going. But, there are squeaky boards in the rose room and they will remain to keep some character in this old house. Dick’s canoe was blown onto the lawn during the rains and strong winds of last week. The good news was no apparent damage and he shouldn’t drown in a sea of leaves! (I won’t have to throw him a life-rake!)
Family and friends
Kate called last week and in the background was the sweet sounds of our nine-month old grandson, Sam. He is crawling now, pulling himself up to stand, and seems to do a lot of chattering. Why do they grow and change so much and so fast in that first year? I can’t wait to see everyone at Thanksgiving and/or Christmas.
“sweet sounds of our nine-month old grandson, Sam”
Friday Judi and I met for lunch at the Hometown Diner to catch up on stuff. While there a gentlman came to cut, clean, and count the seeds from the gigantic pumpin that had been displayed outside the front steps. A gift certicate to the diner was the prize for the one who came the closest to guessing just how many seeds were inside that pumpkin. We lost. Actually, we were way over as Dick and I had guessed the years we were born, and the total was only 422. That was definitely a unique and fun way to involve the customers and advertise their business.
Meeting neighbors
I have been finishing the last of the paperwork for the bed and breakfast, one being the village permit. I needed to get our neighbors’ names and addresses within 500 feet of us so they could be informed and notified of a meeting to bring their concerns, questions, etc., before us and the board. That was a wonderful way to force me into the nieghborhood. I had already met several neighbors, but this took me even farther. I am grateful for getting to talk with and share our little home occupation with them. Rose of Sharon Bed and Breakfast was well received and encouraged by most everyone. I’m pretty excited and also met wonderful neighbors and learned more history about our house!
all I want and need to serve our guests well
If everything falls into place, we plan on launching the website around November 12th and opening December 3rd, our wedding anniversary. This will be a soft, gentle opening with an intended press release in the spring. For now, I will be mailing out postcards to former diner customers, delivering brochures to businesses in the village, along with possibly area pasters, funeral homes, and the colleges. I’d like to start quietly and be sure that I really have all I want and need to serve our guests well.
My thoughts
I’ve been thinking……… I’m so glad that Halloween is over. It is at the bottom of my list for yearly events, and the glorifying of death, evil, and frightful ghosts and goblins has never had an appeal to me. I don’t watch scary or science fiction movies and don’t read them either. I know me and I know that if I did, I’d end up being afraid of everything and everyone. I like harvest parties, hayrides, costume parties, etc., for they are great fun this time of the year, but not Halloween night. So I’ll stay in my naivety and relative innocence rejoicing that it won’t come again for a whole year. For those of you that celebrate it, I hope you had a fun and safe time.
Well, like the squirrel who is burying his treaures in the lawn for winter, I’m going to prepare by raking some more leaves. Hope I don’t uncover his winter’s food. Have a great week and enjoy these warm days. Love, Sharon