Never a boring breakfast

I love my "frequent fliers"...guests who return again and again and become friends in the process. But most innkeepers will tell you that the best part of this business is having the chance to meet and sometimes (if the house is not too terribly hectic) get acquainted with people from all walks of life. People who live such different lives from mine that our paths would not likely have crossed any other way.

Just in the last three days I've had at the TRI a retired fighter pilot; a big-city crime scene investigator, just like the ones on t.v.; a retired couple who are on a month-long road trip in their shiny new little red Corvette; a woman who shares (and probably exceeds) my love of fiber arts, who showed me how to use a drop spindle; and two faithful return guests, one of whom I see frequently at the B&B and the other who is here once or twice a year. Now do you think the breakfast table is ever a boring place to be with company like that? Hardly!

Besides the good company and engrossing coversations, we've all been enjoying the juiciest, tastiest peaches from my own tree. The fruit was a bit late ripening this year, but well worth the wait.

International Summer

The past few months have been particularly "international" at the TRI. I've had guests from Thailand, Korea, Denmark, Canada, Italy, the Phillipines, Rwanda, and three parties from Germany. Not bad for the middle of Kansas!

The other day I got an unscheduled visit from a couple who, judging by their names and accents, I took to be German. Wrong! They are from an ethnically German area of Italy where they grew up bilingual. Currently they live in Canada, and were vacationing in the American West. With English they are least trilingual, which leaves me a little awestruck. I thought that they emobodied this international summer, and how fitting that they visited at the very end!

Where did summer go?

My little B&B, now in its 12th year of operation, has just had its busiest summer ever. That's why I haven't blogged all summer! But I'm having a blessedly moderate week before the Labor Day weekend, and I'm determined to use my spare time to catch up on a few neglected projects.

Some projects are very pleasant, like the needlework I've done in the last week. Two or three years ago I found an attractive wool wall hanging at an antiques store and bought it for the Homestead Room. But the yarn was broken in a few small places, so it sat on my "to do" pile for a long time. Finally got out my sewing kit last week, made some careful repairs, and now it's decorating the west wall of the room.

A few months ago I inherited a very old wool patchwork quilt, made from men's suits. I thought it would look great hanging in the Homestead Room. It's in perfect condition, except that the edges had never been bound. So off it went to the infamous "to do" pile. Last night I stitched the last stitch on the binding (by hand, of course). Now to figure out how to hang it before weekend guests start arriving tomorrow!

In a couple of hours I will make my way out to the garden to give it some much-needed attention. Much of our summer was so brutally hot that working outdoors was just unbearable. But recent rains and a cool front that blew in at midday today have made for some pleasant gardening conditions. Looking forward to a lovely evening outdoors.

On a day like today you can really believe that summer is almost behind us and fall is around the corner. That means the fresh summer flavors we've been enoying--perfect melons, basil and chives, peaches and cherries--will fade into pears and apples, pumpkin muffins and gingerbread pancakes. I always try to use local and seasonal foods whenever possible. The changing of the seasons, for me, is marked as much by the foods of the season as the changing of leaves and grasses and temperatures.

I hope you'll come and share the season at the Tea Rose Inn B&B sooner rather than later.

Blue skies

What a bodacious storm we had last night! Hays is typically on the edge of storms, but last night we were right in the middle of it. When the storm siren sounded I and my one guest did the sensible thing and waited it out in the middle of the basement with the emergency kit nearby. Several tornadoes touched ground within a few miles of town, but I didn't hear of any serious damage done, which was a miracle.

Once in a great while we get a little stormy excitement like that. But it's like I tell my B&B guests--this house has been standing unscathed for 101 years now, and that's a pretty good record.

Nevertheless, I was moved to go out and buy a weather radio today. I opted for a "crank" model, so I can manually recharge the batteries. I can also use it to recharge my cell phone and computer, although there's no telling how much cranking those would entail. It has a built-in flashlight and AM/FM radio. I was pretty pleased to get all that for 40 bucks!

I also replaced the bottled water stash with fresh bottles. All ready for the next cautionary basement visit, or winter power outage (also rare here).

Now, if you only know Kansas by reputation and not experience, you might think Kansans are always rushing down to their primitive cellars to escape enormous twisters, like the one in The Wizard of Oz. I am a lifelong fan of that movie. I'm pretty sure I know all the dialog by heart. I love TWOO. But I am also reasonably sure that those dull, gray scenes of a perfectly flat landscape (it was a soundstage, folks, not the real thing) are more responsible than anything for the image most people still have of Kansas. That is, unless they've actually been here and have dared to stray more than a mile or two from the interstate. It's a beautiful state, and part of that beauty is in our dramatic skies.

Yes, a tornado ocassionally drops out of those dramatically gorgeous skies. But no more often than in a dozen other states, and that's a fact. So come see Kansas! I can recommend all kinds of day trips and short excursions with the Tea Rose Inn as the base camp. And if necessary, we can huddle together in the basement with a well-stocked emergency kit until the skies turn blue again. Really, really blue.

Tea for Two

A lovely young couple is enjoying the "Tea for Two" package this weekend in celebration of their first anniversary. They're new to Kansas, and I'm proud to say they chose Hays for their first weekend getaway. They've been antiquing and spent some time at the Sternberg Museum.

I don't often meet young people who are so enthusiastic about tea. We had the best conversation about all things camellia sinensis. For their afternoon tea I served my house blend, tea and roses, with finger sandwiches and assorted sweets. This evening they have a dessert tea in their room:  green Darjeeling in cut crystal mugs and cheesecake with chocolate sauce. A cheery vase of flowers and a scented candle add to the ambiance and are theirs to take home.

At breakfast I may serve apricot brandy tea, since they mentioned an apricot flavored tea they'd enjoyed somewhere. That should nicely complement the special French toast with berries I have planned for tomorrow.

During afternoon tea the young man commented on the Celtic music I had playing. That led to me mentioning Tinderbox, my musical guests from the U.K. (see May 7 post). We ended up listening to the Tinderbox CD, and they really liked that too, no surprise.

Now I'm enjoying a glass of ICED tea under the ceiling fan at the end of this unseasonably hot day. All in all a very satisfying day.

Toto, we're in Kansas...

That's why two days ago the cloudy, rainy weather made it necessary to have the furnace on during the day, and today I had to switch on the air conditioner at 10 a.m.! That's Kansas in springtime.

Chocolate syrup

     Note:  This post is of interest to foodies only.

Last Sunday I served multigrain waffles for breakfast with an assortment of toppings for guests to pass around the table. There were strawberries, caramel bananas (an experiment for me), whipped cream (with a secret ingredient), toasted pecan pieces, sweet cream butter and pure maple syrup. Since I had an 8-year-old here, I decided to add something different to the array of toppings--chocolate syrup. The ready-made chocolate syrup I've had is not so great, probably because it's mostly corn syrup. So I went to my favorite recipe web site, http://www.epicurious.com/, to find a recipe. Here is the one I used, with my comments following. (This recipe appeared in the Feb. 2003 issue of Gourmet.  Ah, Gourmet, RIP.)

Chocolate Syrup
yield: Makes about 1 1/2 cups
1 cup water
1/2 cup sugar
2/3 cup unsweetened cocoa powder, preferably Dutch-process
1/4 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon vanilla

Bring water and sugar to a boil, whisking until sugar is dissolved. Whisk in cocoa and salt and simmer, whisking, until slightly thickened, about 3 minutes. Remove from heat and add vanilla, then cool (syrup will continue to thicken as it cools).

This is a not-too-sweet syrup, which I like. I didn't have any Dutch process cocoa on hand, so I used regular, but next time I will use the Dutch process--my batch had a slightly bitter taste. Despite that criticism, the 8-year-old loved it, so it is kid-approved.

One nice thing about this product is that it has virtually no fat--just the tiny bit that occurs in the cocoa. With skim or low-fat milk, it's not a bad choice for a chocolate fix (alas, it still has calories). I made hot chocolate with the syrup, using a substantial quantity, and it was great! Intense cocoa flavor.

Yesterday I took a cheesecake to a lunch meeting I attended. I made a simple three-berry sauce for topping and also took the last of the chocolate syrup. It's quite a thick sauce, so I thinned it with a little hot water to facilitate pouring. Both were hits.

Now back to those caramel bananas. For some reason I decided on that morning that plain old sliced bananas just wouldn't be special enough, so I tried a little experiment.  I sliced firm-ripe bananas diagonally, dipped them in cream, then coated each side with brown sugar. Next they went into a non-stick pan with a tablespoon of melted butter at medium heat. I didn't want the bananas to get mushy, so I turned them just as soon as the sugar on the "down" side began to caramelize. I cooked three small batches of bananas. Because some of the cream and sugar cooked off into the butter (forming caramel), I had to wipe out the pan with a paper towel between batches and melt more butter. The lesson learned is that you should try to cook the bananas in a single batch. The bananas were the hit of the morning with the grown-ups at the table.

Interesting side note. Sunday afternoon I was on Facebook and one of my FB friends (one of the ones I don't know--ha ha) mentioned having caramel bananas for breakfast that day. And I though I had created something new! I think when it comes to cooking there really is nothing new under the sun. But I still love making discoveries for myself, though I've been cooking for many decades.

If you try either of these recipes, please post a comment to let everyone know how you liked it.

Ready for commencement visitors, with help from the garden

Hays is a bustling place right now because of Fort Hays State University's commencement on Saturday. Those who are attending convocations and receptions on Friday have begun arriving in town this afternoon--I'm waiting for a couple to check in as I write this.

Everything here is ready to go. I've tried to give a nod to FHSU's school colors of black and gold, but the black is a challenge. Dark chocolate cupcakes are perched on the sideboard, with gold napkins beside. I did see some black icing in a tube at the grocery store, and I know I've seen it on bakery cakes, but I just couldn't bring myself to use it. Instead I chose substance over style--dark chocolate cake with milk chocolate frosting--all homemade, natch. That'll have to be close enough to black.

There are dozens of yellow irises blooming on the south side of the house, so there's my gold for the dining table centerpiece. The closest I can come to black flora are the majestic dark maroon irises just starting to open in the front flower bed (the outer petals are almost black) and the dark maroon leaves of the ornamental plums in the back garden.

The spring flowers are so happy to be in the sunshine today after a week of rain and cool temperatures. I cut an armload of irises and peonies to place in the guest rooms and in the common rooms. They're all so beautiful and devinely fragrant.

Peonies are one of my absolute favorite flowers. Hays is the first place I've ever lived where they will grow, and they do flourish here (and all over Kansas). All of my plants were given to me by other gardners who were dividing their ever-expanding clumps, and I was very happy to take them. I learned that peonies require patience. Although the plants thrived, it was three years before any buds appeared in the spring, and most of those didn't open. I sought advice from local gardners wise in the way of the peony. After checking that all conditions were favorable, they patiently advised me to be patient. As predicted, my peonies gradually lived up to their promise, yielding more flowers each year. This spring I have a bumper crop. It's heaven.

By next week I should be able to start cutting roses! One of my Pat Austins has buds that are already showing a bit of color, so it won't be long now.

Plant Exchange party

Every year in early May my friend Mary hosts a plant exchange party in her back garden. We have brunch on the lawn, walk about Mary's lovely gardens, catch up with fellow gardeners we haven't seen in awhile (in some cases not since last year's exchange), and then the swapping begins.

Weather is unpredictable at this time of year; in past years we've gathered in drizzle, cloudy skies and cold temperatures, and in one memorable year gale force wind. But today was perfect. Sunny, cool, and not windy (that last one is notable on the high plains in springtime, especially).

Mary put out a lovely spread of goodies, and I got permission to bring my own contribution. This year it was a thermos of vanilla tea and a plate of cherry-chocolate cream scones, still warm from the oven. Those got snatched up in a hurry.

When it was time to divide the loot I, as usual, made out like a bandit. I had taken a bagful of applemint and another of Greek oregano, both of which I have in great abundance. What did I come home with? Lemon balm, which I've done without for far too many years. Lilies of the valley, which I have long wanted to have in my garden. Ten years or more after planting crabapple and peach trees I finally have enough shade to grow the dainty little lilies. Someone contributed tomato plants they grew from seed; I brought home a Roma in a peat pot. (I'm mainly going to stick with heirloom varieties, like I did last year.) I also chose several bulbs of a pink allium that should nicely complement the maroon variety in my front bed.

A very satisfying morning. Now to get out there and get it planted!

Musical visitors

Last night I had a lovely young couple here from the U.K., a husband and wife known collectively as Tinderbox. I got to hear the last half of their accoustic set yesterday evening at Coffee Rules (a coffee bar/wine and beer bar), near the campus. They performed a few covers, but mostly original music. Monique has a beautiful voice and a gift for writing lyrics. Though they played to a small audience, it was an appreciative one.

Then of course, I had the pleasure of getting better acquainted with them over breakfast this morning. They are winding up a two-week tour of Kansas that started in Wichita, then on to Colorado for a few days. Dan commented that Hays was the first city they'd been to where they could actually park their car and walk around to shops and restaurants. They especially enjoyed the Ellis County Historical Museum. That's our Chestnut Street District! It's why I live downtown--almost everything I need is a short walk away. The shops and restaurants have local flavor and high quality.

I think what most excited the couple--and their friends back home--is that they were in a real "Wild West" town. They even thought that downtown Hays retained some of its Wild West look and feel. Hmm...I'll have to think about that one. I thought we were pretty civilized! I haven't seen a single gunfight in the 13 years I've been here.

Monique and Dan left me their latest CD, called State of Play. I know I will enjoy it for a long time to come, and think of our brief visit when I hear it. Dan declared that the next song they write will be "The Life and Times of Baxter Stramel," or something like that. Wouldn't that be a hoot? They took quite a liking to my little buddy.

You never know who you'll meet at the Tea Rose Inn. I feel so priveleged to be in the position I'm in. It hardly feels like a job, hosting interesting people from all over the world and around the corner.

First Harvest

What perfect spring weather we've had these past three days! I will surely make more progress on the flower beds today. My reward will be to relax this evening at St. Joseph's Catholic church, just one block from the TRI.

The Hays Symphony is performing a free concert there with a Ft. Hays State University choir. I know several of the musicians in the symphony, and although they don't get paid for their considerable efforts, they never disappoint their audience.

Before strolling over to St. Joe's I and a friend will have a very springy supper chez moi of cream of asparagus-leek soup and spinach salad. Some goat cheese melted into the soup will give it body and complement the vegetables perfectly.

And speaking of springtime foods, for the first time this year I was able to serve fresh mint with the fruit at breakfast. My favorite mint has to be apple mint. If you've never grown this hardy plant be forewarned that it is very invasive and difficult to contain unless you grow it in a pot. But it's a very pretty plant, growing taller than most mints. It has soft, almost "spongy" light green leaves, either oval or round. Once it reaches a mature height pinch back the white flower spikes for best flavor and continued production. The flavor is perfect with fruit, in tea, or as an infusion. When you steep tea for ice tea (whether you use a cold or hot method), just toss in a few fresh mint leaves. Mint leaves can be used fresh or dried to make a soothing, tasty infusion (herbal "tea"). Using fresh leaves will yield a liquor with only a tinge of color, and you'll need quite a volume to get much flavor. Add a drop or two of honey if you like.

Here's an easy recipe for mint syrup. I keep it on hand in the refrigerator all summer and fall. At the end of the growing season, I harvest all the mint in the garden, make a big batch of syrup, and freeze it in small plastic containers. (You could also use a divided ice tray.) That way I have it all winter long.

Applemint SyrupCombine 2 cups of water and 2 cups of sugar in a medium saucepan. Bring to a boil and boil for 10 minutes to make a simple syrup. While the syrup is cooking, wash the mint leaves (no stems or flowers) and shake off excess water. You should use at least 4 cups of mint, loosely packed. (Use more if you like; you can't use too much.) Any size leaf will do, and you don't have to chop the leaves. Remove saucepan from heat and stir in the mint leaves. Immediately cover the pan with a lid and let steep for at least 10 minutes. If you get distracted and leave the mixture steeping for an hour, that's okay. You can't oversteep it. When the mixture has cooled to lukewarm, pour it through a strainer into a clean container. Press hard on the mint with the back of a spoon to extract every bit of flavor. Discard the leaves.

If you like to sweeten your ice tea, mint syrup is great for that. No trying to dissolve sugar crystals in an ice cold drink. Although the best way to eat fresh fruit is unadulterated and at the peak of season, during the sping and fall the fruits we buy can need a little help with flavor and sweetness. Mint syrup is a great way to give them a boost. Naturally, you can use any kind of mint you have available to make this refreshing syrup. Enjoy!

Tea, hope and renewal

This Easter weekend is a typical one at the Tea Rose Inn in that I don't have many guests here. I guess it's a stay-at-home or stay-with-family kind of holiday. In any case, I can't remember an Easter holiday when the inn was really busy. That leaves me a little spare time to do some outdoor chores on this windy, windy spring weekend.

This evening I will have dinner at someone else's house--a rare opportunity for me on a weekend night! Sunday I will have more leisure time than usual, which is great because I like to spend Easter with family and friends. So tomorrow I am hosting an afternoon tea party.

We'll have darjeeling tea, hot and iced, plus fruit punch. For nibblies I'm making miniature strawberry tarts with fresh organically grown strawberries, poppyseed cupcakes decorated for spring, and some whole strawberries for those who want to keep it healthier. On the savory side there will be asparagus tips rolled up in prosciutto spread with a little herbed goat cheese, cucumber sandwiches (of course!), and egg salad on multi-grain crackers.

Tonight I get to blow out about 18 eggs for our tea party activity. I'll set up a decorating table on the front porch with paints, pens, stickers, etc. Everybody gets to take home an egg they've decorated.

If Easter is a holiday that is important for you to celebrate, I hope yours is everything you want it to be. But even beyond the religious holiday, I love that we all celebrate the arrival of spring together with age-old symbols and activities. I love the community of Easter. The springtime theme of renewal, both symbolic and actual, makes it such a hopeful time.

So here's wishing you hope and happiness this Easter!

Transition

The Kansas Bed & Breakfast Association held its annual meeting and conference in Abilene on March 15. As the KBBA's vice president, I was in charge of planning the conference. Weeks of intensive planning, getting every detail into place, and then...it's all over in a day. (Kind of like Thanksgiving dinner!) Abilene's convention center is in an old train depot with lots of character. It was perfect for our gathering.

We elected new officers, so now I have the pleasure of serving as president of the KBBA, which is sure to keep me busier than ever. For me, the conference marks the end of the winter season.

In this busiest of seasons--early spring--familiar faces and new ones are coming and going at the TRI at a pretty brisk pace. But the garden is beckoning! Where to find the time? Last weekend we had slow, soaking rains, and now it's warm and sunny. Perfect. I've got to get out in the dirt for at least part of the day today.

This morning I snipped the first bunch of tender chives from the garden and folded them into the slow-scrambled eggs. The mint is just beginning to show the first tiny green leaves. By next week I should be able to harvest a little.

Today I will clean the porch furniture and install my new planter boxes on the front porch rail. Yesterday the winter door wreath was exchanged for one with an Easter theme. I'm declaring it springtime in Hays. No more snow allowed!

Springtime in Austin

I cruised into Austin on Sunday in a light rain, just about sundown, bound for the innkeeping conference. That first night I stayed at a friend's house whose gorgeous gardens and landscape make me sigh with envy. (Did I mention she's retired? Someday my "grounds" will look as good as hers....) We had dinner at one of my favorite Austin restaurants, East Side Cafe. Over the course of the next three days and nights I got to sample a couple more of my old favorite haunts, plus a new one, in the company of old friends.

But most of my time was spent at the annual innkeeping conference sponsored by the Professional Association of Innkeepers International (PAII). I didn't meet a single other person there from Kansas, so I hope I represented our fair state well!

Let's see, I learned how to make a perfect omelet in 60 seconds from a very entertaining demonstrator, and I tried out the technique yesterday at the TRI on a guest. That's the omelet assembly line at left--we had to make our own lunches! I got some great ideas and resources for using more local and regional foods at the inn. (Notice how I go right to the "food news"?) I spent most of a day with other officers of state associations, sharing, comparing, and planning. I learned some tips about blogging and took in some food for thought about customer service. The four-day conference was a great experience that will be helpful to me as an innkeeper and as the new president of our state association.

As I packed up my car to leave Austin on a perfect spring afternoon, I had one last mission. Just as I'd hoped, the hotel concierge confirmed to me that Amy's Ice Cream was still in its old location, a shopping center just next door. (You knew this story would end with good food, didn't you?) Alas, they didn't have my favorite flavor on hand that day, the very elusive hazelnut ice cream. I settled for an order of half Kaluha and half dark chocolate. Nirvana. I sailed up I-35 just ahead of rush hour traffic, listening to KGSR on the radio. Can't wait to go back and do it all again!

First harbingers of spring

I'm inserting a little note here in the middle of my travel log to let you know that winter really is almost over in Hays. I know this because yesterday--a perfectly spring-like day--I saw the first Siberian irises in the flower beds. Their electric blue flowers make me smile every time I see them. They're only about four inches tall, but they stand bravely through the last wintery blasts (blowing in even as I write this).

Texas Bound

What a whirl the last two weeks have been! I was away from the inn for most of that time. Two weeks ago I drove all the way to Ft. Worth, Texas and spent the weekend visiting with family members and an old high school buddy who lives in the area. I got to visit my favorite food store, Central Market, and one of my favorite art museums, the Kimball.

Central Market was just as I remembered it, a cook’s and a food lover’s paradise, overflowing with every imaginable thing. When you walk through the doors you can actually smell the food, unlike supermarkets where everything is wrapped and sealed to the point where you just have to buy it on faith. After wandering the store for quite awhile (and partaking of some of the samples that were offered) I selected a few choice items, including the most beautiful, fragrant, organically grown strawberries and a bottle of rhubarb pop sweetened with cane sugar. My friend Aggie and I ordered lunch at the deli/grill and ate outdoors on the patio. Aggie insisted we had to follow lunch with some gelato from the market’s own gelato bar. Are you surprised to know that I agreed? -ha ha- I got half “toasted almond” and half “chocolate turtle.” Then we were off to the Kimball.

The Kimball’s modest building is itself a work of art. Being inside it has the most calming effect on me. We meandered around the permanent collection, which began with a real show stopper: Michelangelo’s first painting, executed when he was just 12 or 13 years old. The painting is small, but it occupies its own room along with all kinds of documentation and label copy. It’s a fascinating little gem.

Now if you’ve read earlier posts on this blog you may be wondering where Baxter (my dog) was all this time, and who was running the inn. No worries on either account.

Baxter made the trip to Ft. Worth with me. He’s a great little traveler. Unfortunately for him, he had to “room” with another dog at our hosts’ house, but once they got used to each other they did just fine. As for the TRI, I left it in capable hands. My innsitters pulled off a tea party for 22 while I was gone and took good care of the overnight guests.

Sunday morning was pure leisure, followed by some preparations for the KBBA’s annual meeting and conference on March 15, and updating reservations at the B&B. (It seems all my vacations, however short, are working vacations.) But by mid-afternoon I was back on the road again, heading for my old home town of Austin. This time Baxter had to stay behind with his “cousin,” Scooter.

I was so excited to be returning to Austin—I hadn’t been there for 12 years! But that story is for the next installment.

Conferences are calling

In just two days I will leave for Austin, TX to attend the PAII conference. That's the Professional Association of Innkeepers International. As vice president and president-elect of the Kansas Bed & Breakfast Association, I'll be representing the KBBA at my first national (er, international) conference. There will be four full days of information, so my head will be much bigger when I leave for home! I'm very excited about the conference, and about spending some time in Austin.

You see, before I pulled up stakes and moved to Hays to begin a new bed and breakfast, I spent 18 years living in Austin. I was one of those many people who went there to attend the University of Texas and then decided to stay. So, although I won't have a lot of free time while I'm there, I'll have a few evenings to catch up with old friends. Even Baxter gets to make the trip. I'm hoping it will be warm enough for a walk around Town Lake, something I used to enjoy doing with friends.

The TRI won't be shuttered while I'm away. Thanks to a capable and reliable group of helpers, visitors will still come and go, and next weekend's bridal tea will, I'm sure, be a lovely affair.

After Austin, I should have about 1-1/2 days at home to regroup and repack. Then it's off to Abilene, KS for two days and two nights. As KBBA's v.p., I'm in charge of the state innkeepers conference. This year we're having a 1-day "mini conference" in Abilene on Monday, March 15. Anyone who is considering becoming an innkeeper, or who is brand new to the profession will want to be in Abilene on March 14 for the Aspiring Innkeepers Workshop. Both events are very affordable and essential for anyone who's serious about innkeeping! Details and registration forms are at http://www.kbba.com/events.php.

I haven't spent much time in Abilene, but what I've experienced there I like. There's a whole lot packed into that little town. (Check it out at http://www.abilenekansas.org.) Our conference will be held at the Abilene Convention and Visitors Bureau, which is in a converted 1920's train depot. It's a fantastic building, and the perfect space for the KBBA conference. The Aspiring Innkeepers Workshop will be hosted by Adrian and Jay Potter at their equally but differently fabulous Abilene's Victorian Inn (http://abilenesvictorianinn.com)

These days of preparations are rather stressful, but I know that when the conferences are over I will return to the TRI refreshed, rejuvenated, and rededicated to taking care of my guests in the best ways I can. What could be better than that?

Winter blues and spring anticipation

After clearing snow and ice over the weekend, this sunshiny day is welcome, though it's still cold. Early Sunday morning one of my guests asked if he could shovel off the sidewalks for me. Permission was granted! He lives in a sunbelt state, but grew up in Boston, so he knows how to wield a snow shovel. I think he got downright nostalgic about it. And what a treat for me to have the entry and sidewalks cleared by the time my other guests were ready to leave. Small kindnesses like that are what's best about life.

So how did I prepare my guests before sending them back out into winter? With premium, piping hot coffee, of course (no tea drinkers that day). They had juice and some fresh winter fruit--citrus and stuff--to wake up their taste buds and give them a shot of vitamins. Then came the comfort part: my own special gingerbread pancakes with real maple syrup. Always a winter favorite. And the perfect accompaniment, local bratwurst, nicely browned.

I keep thinking that we will soon have a day here and there warm enough to work on cleaning up the flower beds for spring. But I haven't seen any bulbs up yet, and I'm sure they know what they're doing. This morning I did hear birds singing in the arborvitae; that was a welcome sound. Maybe when I return from Texas next month, and after the Kansas Bed & Breakfast Association's annual meeting (more about those later), I can put on the garden gloves and get down in the dirt.

Hope winter has not got you down too much. It's been a long one in most places. It IS still February, though, which means....

Valentine's Day specials are still available through next weekend! (See January 14 post.) I'd love to see you here.

Two degrees of separation

More confirmation of what I said in my last post! The other day I had a guest, here for the first time, who said she thought she knew my mother. Turns out they grew up in the same little town, and my grandmother used to babysit her! Her last name was the same as some distant relatives I remember visiting with my grandmother as a child. "Do you think we're related?" I asked. "Probably," she shrugged.

Switch to the paternal side of the family: last night another first-time guest arrived asking if I knew certain other Stramels. They turned out to be two of my first cousins, whom she'd known through mutual friends. Like I've been saying ever since I moved to Hays in 1997, the most degrees of separation possible here are two.

Perks

Of all the perks that come with innkeeping, the best of all has to be having the opportunity to meet and get acquainted with all sorts of people I wouldn't otherwise meet. The Tea Rose Inn breakfast table serves as a nexus for common interests and experiences astonishingly often.

Then there are the guests who return again and again, becoming friends in the process. The pastor whose congregation gives him and his wife a Tea Rose Inn gift certificate each year. The local couple that spends each Valentine Day here, the eastern Kansas family that stays here once or twice a year on their way to Colorado, and many others. Then there are those whose jobs keep them travelling to Hays on a regular basis, sometimes for two years or more. It's so gratifying to me that they choose the TRI over all the other choices in Hays, and it's great to welcome them back each week.

Last weekend I had a visit from an African boy who stayed here with his father last summer, as he was getting settled into boarding school in Hays. We shared a pot of tea and caught up with each other. I keep in touch with the father by e-mail, and his son knows that, besides his school community so far from home, he has one more friend and haven to count on in Hays.

These are the rewards that I never expected to reap when I began innkeeping, but they are at the top of the list of why I've been doing it for nearly 11 years!

February is for Lovers!

The Tea Rose Inn is offering a special package during February, along with all our existing packages described at http://www.tearose.net/.

Chocolate Surrender
Heart-shaped chocolate cups filled with chocolate mousse, strawberries and a champagne split will be waiting for you in your room. Enjoy homemade hot cocoa before bed. The next morning, breakfast will feature quiche puffs and cherry-chocolate cream scones. Decorated chocolate cupcakes to take home. Add $40 to room rate.

You can also order:

4 Valentine cupcakes $6
4 heart-shaped chocolate cups filled with chocolate mousse $8
6 chocolate-dipped strawberries $8

Choose any one of the above limited-time Valentine treats as a bonus when you make a 2-night reservation during February!

Baxter's big adventure

If you have been my guest at the Tea Rose Inn in the last six years, you probably remember my dog Baxter. He's my auxiliary doorbell and constant companion. After driving to southwestern Colorado for the Christmas holiday, I decided to fly back instead of riding home with my sister. That meant that Baxter had to take a trip to the local veternarian for a health certificate declaring him fit to fly, and I had to buy a carry-on dog carrier that would fit under the seat. Baxter had not been inside a crate or carrier in over five years, so he was not happy about that part of the adventure. But he was with me every second, and enjoyed a nice long nap during our smooth flight. Now I know I can fly with Baxter, and I'll be ready for the next time!

Welcome to the TRI blog

Welcome to the TRI blog! Watch this space for favorite recipes from the inn, guest comments, Hays events, and new stuff at the B&B. I'll be talking to you soon.