tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-73420930637632392742012-02-14T15:24:59.152-08:00Tea Rose Inn B&Bhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09767569049538246297noreply@blogger.comBlogger331100tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7342093063763239274.post-75982655889793988802012-02-14T15:20:00.000-08:002012-02-14T15:24:59.174-08:00

Happy Valentine’s Day! We’re doing our part to spread the love at the Tea Rose Inn with a special Afternoon Tea on February 18, plus special deals on overnight stays. On the 14th only every room comes with your choice of a free goodie: Godiva chocolate truffles, a bottle of bubbly, or a floral arrangement. All month long the “Sweet Dreams” package is only $59 ($30 discount) with any room

Tea Rose Inn B&Bhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09767569049538246297noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7342093063763239274.post-17634918966878442252011-10-31T15:21:00.000-07:002011-10-31T15:23:36.791-07:00

I had some errands to do downtown this afternoon, and what a pleasure it was to walk around in the warm autumn sunshine while I did them. Bonus: got to mingle with all the kids trick-or-treating at downtown businesses! I saw so many outstanding costumes. I love being in the Chestnut Street District! Next weekend will be special in historic downtown Hays, too, as retail stores host holiday open

Tea Rose Inn B&Bhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09767569049538246297noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7342093063763239274.post-14232491151248389022011-10-24T12:50:00.000-07:002011-10-24T12:57:13.131-07:00

What a glorious day it was yesterday for a late afternoon walk along Big Creek! Just warm enough for short sleeves and not windy (always a noteworthy condition here on the high plains). The cottonwood trees, willows, and grasses are all in their autumn color, contrasting beautifully with the bright blue sky. Baxter had the time of his life running up and down the dyke, but never straying too far

Tea Rose Inn B&Bhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09767569049538246297noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7342093063763239274.post-19611986258044413942011-08-17T21:35:00.000-07:002011-08-17T21:35:47.765-07:00

It's been a hectic and hot summer, which is why I've been absent from the blog for so long! In between meeting the usual, varied array of guests from around the world and around the corner, I've been busy working on "freshening up" the Tea Rose Inn. Look for new photos soon of redecorated rooms and some changes to the exterior, too. Despite weeks of 100+ degree temperatures, we've managed to

Tea Rose Inn B&Bhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09767569049538246297noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7342093063763239274.post-79625138350116080462011-04-28T10:42:00.000-07:002011-04-28T10:54:13.594-07:00

A Cultural-with-a-capital-C weekend is coming up in Hays. Friday evening is the spring Art Gallery Walk, and Saturday evening is the annual masterworks concert at Beach-Schmidt Auditorium. I’m proud to be involved in both events. The Tea Rose Inn is showing paintings by Kansas artist Louis Copt. (Copt web site) His typical subject is landscapes that truly capture the look and feel of the Kansas

Tea Rose Inn B&Bhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09767569049538246297noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7342093063763239274.post-80497537085476924912011-04-24T17:55:00.000-07:002011-04-24T17:56:25.043-07:00

Was there ever a more glorious Easter Day? It’s just been beautiful in Hays. Everybody got a chocolate bunny on their pillow today! My guests have fragrant lilacs in their rooms, plucked from the back garden. Fresh mint and chives for breakfast tomorrow. I brought home two boxes of plants today, so tomorrow I can plant flowers in all the porch planters. As the flower beds’ lilacs and tulips

Tea Rose Inn B&Bhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09767569049538246297noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7342093063763239274.post-79921833882200215392011-03-18T10:21:00.000-07:002011-03-18T10:22:27.371-07:00

Spring is here, no matter what the calendar says! I have just gotten started cleaning out the flower beds in preparation for spring growth. I haven’t seen any buds yet, but the tulips, daffodils, and hyacinths are all well above ground now, so it won’t be long. Sap is flowing in the fruit trees. I’m hoping for a peach crop like the one I got last year—almost more fruit than I could handle or give

Tea Rose Inn B&Bhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09767569049538246297noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7342093063763239274.post-3032030787270671692011-03-18T10:06:00.000-07:002011-03-18T10:07:36.254-07:00

I love it when a family takes over the whole B&B. Right now I have a group here who has come to Hays to see their son/brother/uncle/brother-in-law compete in the Special Olympics. He has been competing in S.O. for about 40 years! This year he was chosen to be the last torch runner, so he got to circle the coliseum with the torch last night. By all accounts it was a moving occasion. I got to meet

Tea Rose Inn B&Bhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09767569049538246297noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7342093063763239274.post-38558903638546860762011-02-21T21:10:00.000-08:002011-02-21T21:14:07.200-08:00

...a break from the routine. It's the time of year for...innkeepers conferences! I'm at the fabulous Crescent Hotel in Eureka Springs, Arkansas with innkeepers from Kansas, Oklahoma, Missouri, and of course AR. (Don't worry, I left the inn in Carol's capable hands for the three days I'll be gone.) What a gorgeous drive we had this morning through the Ozarks; I have to come back here in the autumn

Tea Rose Inn B&Bhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09767569049538246297noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7342093063763239274.post-33439933986624464412011-01-10T13:58:00.000-08:002011-01-10T13:58:02.235-08:00

Snow began falling Sunday afternoon and didn’t stop until late Monday morning. We have about six inches of beautiful fluffy snow blanketing the town. I wanted to wait until the snow stopped before I put on my parka and boots to shovel the porch and sidewalks. To my utter delight someone beat me to the job! I looked out the front windows to see my neighbor, his son (who used to be my neighbor),

Tea Rose Inn B&Bhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09767569049538246297noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7342093063763239274.post-12262858107819807172010-09-29T20:26:00.000-07:002010-09-29T20:28:05.319-07:00

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

Tea Rose Inn B&Bhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09767569049538246297noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7342093063763239274.post-65406584224578405762010-09-12T16:56:00.000-07:002010-09-12T16:56:36.388-07:00

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

Tea Rose Inn B&Bhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09767569049538246297noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7342093063763239274.post-52795203362704539712010-09-02T14:27:00.000-07:002010-09-02T14:30:45.952-07:00

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

Tea Rose Inn B&Bhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09767569049538246297noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7342093063763239274.post-56240198539919268052010-05-26T22:10:00.000-07:002010-05-26T22:17:30.221-07:00

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

Tea Rose Inn B&Bhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09767569049538246297noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7342093063763239274.post-69655054831133818102010-05-22T18:24:00.000-07:002010-05-22T18:26:57.783-07:00

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

Tea Rose Inn B&Bhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09767569049538246297noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7342093063763239274.post-28574207140372081382010-05-22T17:42:00.000-07:002010-05-22T17:42:27.826-07:00

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.

Tea Rose Inn B&Bhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09767569049538246297noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7342093063763239274.post-46573253337546760662010-05-20T09:24:00.000-07:002010-05-20T16:41:28.388-07:00

     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

Tea Rose Inn B&Bhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09767569049538246297noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7342093063763239274.post-59292465506577581172010-05-13T16:07:00.000-07:002010-05-20T09:41:30.314-07:00

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

Tea Rose Inn B&Bhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09767569049538246297noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7342093063763239274.post-51751464977305503192010-05-08T10:14:00.001-07:002010-05-08T10:33:45.782-07:00

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

Tea Rose Inn B&Bhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09767569049538246297noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7342093063763239274.post-40368195098827897242010-05-07T08:25:00.000-07:002010-05-07T08:54:48.689-07:00

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

Tea Rose Inn B&Bhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09767569049538246297noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7342093063763239274.post-31174130370435867502010-04-10T08:08:00.000-07:002010-05-20T09:44:29.371-07:00

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

Tea Rose Inn B&Bhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09767569049538246297noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7342093063763239274.post-66281987655795653742010-04-03T15:16:00.000-07:002010-04-03T15:53:37.937-07:00

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

Tea Rose Inn B&Bhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09767569049538246297noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7342093063763239274.post-83618817452179604182010-03-30T07:28:00.000-07:002010-03-30T07:52:33.326-07:00

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

Tea Rose Inn B&Bhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09767569049538246297noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7342093063763239274.post-76092112741668978292010-03-24T09:47:00.000-07:002010-03-26T08:41:50.197-07:00

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

Tea Rose Inn B&Bhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09767569049538246297noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7342093063763239274.post-18623253082100561822010-03-19T10:35:00.000-07:002010-03-19T10:40:37.712-07:00

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 (

Tea Rose Inn B&Bhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09767569049538246297noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7342093063763239274.post-33440993877473383872010-03-18T21:54:00.000-07:002010-03-18T22:07:04.772-07:00

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

Tea Rose Inn B&Bhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09767569049538246297noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7342093063763239274.post-56342399479761879972010-03-03T06:00:00.000-08:002010-03-03T06:41:35.088-08:00

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

Tea Rose Inn B&Bhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09767569049538246297noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7342093063763239274.post-57601531458111326552010-02-23T12:50:00.000-08:002010-02-23T13:21:42.520-08:00

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

Tea Rose Inn B&Bhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09767569049538246297noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7342093063763239274.post-2571154043825646592010-02-07T13:11:00.000-08:002010-02-07T16:44:01.801-08:00

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

Tea Rose Inn B&Bhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09767569049538246297noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7342093063763239274.post-5936000293615137522010-01-26T13:06:00.000-08:002010-02-02T09:35:13.126-08:00

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

Tea Rose Inn B&Bhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09767569049538246297noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7342093063763239274.post-24066313568350599632010-01-14T18:29:00.000-08:002010-02-11T20:48:48.100-08:00

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 SurrenderHeart-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

Tea Rose Inn B&Bhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09767569049538246297noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7342093063763239274.post-33453841719760196562010-01-07T10:27:00.001-08:002010-01-07T10:54:01.729-08:00

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

Tea Rose Inn B&Bhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09767569049538246297noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7342093063763239274.post-85260420219815821742010-01-04T12:25:00.000-08:002010-01-04T12:31:27.091-08:00

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.

Tea Rose Inn B&Bhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09767569049538246297noreply@blogger.com0