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!
Tuesday, March 30, 2010
Wednesday, March 24, 2010
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.
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!
Friday, March 19, 2010
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).
Thursday, March 18, 2010
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 bea
utiful, 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.
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 bea
utiful, 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.
Wednesday, March 3, 2010
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?
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?
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