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.

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.