Posted on Thursday, March 12, 2015 12:26 PM
I have to admit; the Key West marketing plan was brilliant! Just in case you don't know what I'm talking about, Ithaca's tourism folks decided to send visitor's to Key West via a link on the Visit Ithaca website. Turns out, it was the coldest day of the year and our town went viral with tweets, chirps, views, etc, etc.
I understand why they did it. I have lived here on the East Coast since I was about twelve years old and this was one of the coldest and longest winters I can remember in a long time. |
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Posted on Sunday, January 18, 2015 11:55 AM
So have you ever been faced with a decision that you had to revisit later because maybe it wasn't the best decision even though you thought it was at the time?
When I first designed the Homestead, the question of TV's was prominent in part of the design because, after all, every hotel on the planet has a television unless you are in remote Alaska or something. Right? So,
For those of you, who don't know me well, my personality is complex. I was raised by wolves. This is a euphemism for being raised by really outspoken and free thinking parents who encourage the same in their children. |
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Posted on Friday, June 13, 2014 12:17 PM
The Water Garden
I always wanted a small water garden in a whiskey barrel or in a pond form and finally had the opportunity to experiment with one last summer. After digging a hole in the hard stone ground while my husband "supervised" , I finally got to fill it up with water, put some water plants in and wait a week or two. We happily went down to the fish farm and I promptly bought some fish. A week later, to my horror, one was floating on the water. I learned after more research that goldfish need lots of water or a very good filtration method because they add alot of ammonia to a water feature. |
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Posted on Sunday, April 27, 2014 2:18 PM
Words to Remember us by... As you all know by now, I run a small B&B and I love it. What you don't know is that I am an avid collector of old things that are unusual and charming. My tastes are quite eclectic so my husband never knows what I will be sneaking into my workshop when he isn't looking. (He's pretty sure I'm a closet hoarder but that is another post...)
I also love to journal. I left a journal down in the Homestead and many folks have written wonderful accounts of their visit to Ithaca and our place. |
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Posted on Monday, March 10, 2014 12:41 PM
The temperature was up near 50 degrees a couple days ago and those of us who live here were finally reassured that winter WILL NOT last forever! We almost lost hope in January and February when the "polar vortex"was on the attack. Pipes were frozen and even the dog did not want to go outside for any length of time.
So it won't be long before we can hear the spring peepers (frogs) and smore's season will be here before we know it. For those of you who do not know what a smore is, I can elaborate. |
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Posted on Sunday, February 23, 2014 10:18 AM
The Dog (Mr. Dozer) If you come for a visit to The Homestead, you may never see Mr Dozer but he is our mascot upstairs in our living quarters on the second and third level of our place. Mr Dozer is an English Bull Mastiff and Rodhesion Ridgeback mix and at this posting in February of 2014, he is 1.5 years old.
He has been with us since September of 2013 and is a big lovable pile of fur. He is very gentle with all of our guests and especially loves to lick the ice cream off little kid's shirts in the summertime. |
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Posted on Thursday, January 23, 2014 10:20 AM
Special for me. This table was made by my dad when I was eleven years old. My family of seven sat around this table every night for dinner until it was retired and became my father's desk at work for a period of time. It was in storage for almost ten years until I opened the B and B and had the perfect space for it. During its first year at the Homestead it served as a family gathering table for no less than 15 seperate families from all over the USA and the world including China,India and Australia. Its a special table. This past weekend I lightly sanded the finish and redid the surface to protect it. Hopefully it will last another 40 years and beyond and bring hundreds of families together for meals and special memories.
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Posted on Saturday, October 26, 2013 9:01 AM
There is sooo much going on in Ithaca this month. Everything from Dino Jam at the Museum of the Earth to play after play after play in the theaters. Live music to suit just about any discriminating ear and so many restaurants to choose from.
Just a short hop away is my Homestead. Quiet and peaceful but close enough to take a quick jaunt into town for shopping or sightseeing.
A couple of weeks ago, I hosted the most wonderful folks from Seattle. |
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Posted on Saturday, July 27, 2013 1:30 PM
I recently received a copy of "The Old Mill" in the mail. This is a newsletter for the local community in Brooktondale, NY where the Homestead is located. As I was reading it, I chuckled a little at the delightful country activities on the horizon. So I thought I would share some with those of you that may be thinking of a trip to upstate New York: - Gad!Zukes! Zucchini Festival at the Caroline Farmers Market on August 17th from 10 am to 2 pm. Yes zucchini - those long green veggies from the garden.
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Posted on Friday, June 14, 2013 7:41 PM
I love this job. They say that if you love what you do, you never work a day in your life. I finally understand. I absolutely love hosting to people who are traveling. It doesn't matter if they are passing through for the purpose of a happy event such as a graduation or wedding or something more somber such as a memorial to bury a loved on. I basically love people. I have found that no matter who you are, or where you come from or where you are heading, you are a human being. |
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