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Here’s wishing you a Very Merry Christmas

It has been far too many years since I have seen the wonder in a child’s eyes on Christmas morning.  Santa has come and gone and left Little Joe the most wonderful gifts.  He and I made Christmas cookies for Santa on Christmas eve.  We all sat around the Christmas tree and sang Christmas carols, sipped hot chocolate and waited for time to go to bed before Santa passed us by.

Little Joe and I watched the Santa tracker on the computer and when he got over our state, it was off to bed without a whimper one.  He was so excited that I thought he would never go to sleep.  This was the first Christmas that Santa has been to our house for one of our own and it brought a joy here that I can’t begin to explain.

Santa brought Little Joe and battery operated 4 wheeler, a Lightening McQueen laptop educational computer, Mater bed set for his bed and more than I can write quite honestly.  Celeste even got somethings from Santa.  She got lots of clothes and boots and shoes, which she really needed.  She got more than she ever had before in her life she told me later.  The joy in their eyes was all the Christmas present I needed but

Celeste did get me something from her and Little Joe.  She had gotten one of those kits that you make a hand print of a child on plaster and wrote ‘We love you Nana’ on it.  I will treasure that for as long as I live.  It was absolutely the most perfect gift I could have ever asked for.  Here’s hoping that you and yours had a wonderful Christmas too.

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Quite week thank goodness

Well it’s been a quiet week around here, thank goodness.  A couple of local Christmas Tree growers brought us three deer they killed because they were eating their trees.  I made jerky from some of it, had some of the other made into sausage,  and the rest were cut into roasts and ground into hamburger.  A local butcher does all of this for me and he does a great job.

When he makes the sausage and hamburger, he always adds a little beef fat to it because deer is so lean that it’s so dry if you don’t add the beef fat.  Once that’s added then the sausage cooks much better and you don’t have to add any oil to the pan when it’s cooking.  I use the deer burger for soups and chili.  I’m not crazy about just deer burger to make meatloaf but if you put half deer burger and half hamburger, then it makes pretty good meatloaf.  Surprising how many people come here because I serve wild game.  It’s the only place they can try it and know it’ll be good.

I’ve also had a blast Christmas shopping for Little Joe and Celeste.  I guess I have spoiled them  because I got Little Joe a remote controlled car, a Nintendo Wii (I hope he’s not too little for it), a Leapster and a bunch of games for it, and a bunch of other small toys like dinosaurs and even got him a frog aquarium.

Celeste, well she’s like a daughter to me.  I bought her a used car but it’s a good one.  I had my mechanic check it out to make sure it’s a sound car.  I got her a Honda because they get pretty good gas mileage and are pretty darn dependable.  It’s a Honda Civic and I can’t remember what year it is.  I have CRS (Can’t remember shit) so you’ll have to excuse me.  I also got her a Dell Laptop computer.  She graduates from High School this year and is planning on going to college.  She’ll need a laptop in college and it sure won’t hurt for her to have one now.

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Contest was a huge success

Well the Gingerbread house contest was a huge success I must say.  Celeste got a ribbon for best newcomer.  How about that?  I’m so proud of her.  The competition was about the toughest I have seen it.  There was even a merry-go-round with reindeer on it.  In fact, it won because the detail was absolutely amazing.  Everything was edible on it and it was just absolutely wonderful.

The crowd that passed through here was surprising.  I got several reservations for New Years and in fact, we’re booked up for New Years.  What really surprised me was how many people we have for Christmas Eve and Christmas Day.  We don’t usually have any ‘guests’ then but we actually have 3 couples.  They’re each getting married on the 22nd and 23rd of December.

Sure surprised me but it’ll be nice to have all that new love in here for Christmas.  Well as long as one of them doesn’t turn out the way one of my honeymoon couples did.  It was last June and they got into a fist fight right in the dining room.  I must admit it was her that threw the first 5 punches.  He sat there patiently and tried not to hit her but he finally slapped her silly.  I had to call the police.  She came back about 5 hours later and got her stuff.  Thank goodness they were paid in full.  I have often wondered if they split then or made it work.

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Hey, wanna see my place?

I realized that all I do is talk about my Bed and Breakfast and haven’t shown you what it looks like.  Well I had to do a lot of work to get it turned into what I wanted but I loved every single minute.  I have already told you about the different rooms that I rent so there’s no need to repeat myself.

This picture was taken when we got an early snow before I got the Christmas decorations put up but I still think it’s a pretty picture of my place.  My new barn and animals are off to the right.  My garden is off to the left.  You can see the gazebo on the back of the wrap around porch.  Now you can see why there are deer, and other animals that come around the house.  Anyway, here it is.

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The house smells of Gingerbread

The house smells absolutely wonderful.  Celeste is in the kitchen making a Gingerbread house.  She has been working on it every night for about a week now.  She’s a very talented young lady.  From what I have seen so far, it’s going to be absolutely beautiful.  Little Joe ends up with more Gingerbread than the house does it seems sometimes because Celeste wants it to be perfect and if it’s not, there stands Little Joe ready to eat the imperfections.

Oh I don’t think I told you that we’re having a Gingerbread house contest this weekend.  First prize is a $100 gift card and a weekend stay here whenever you choose.  Second place is $75 and one nights stay.  Third place is a $50 gift card.  So far we have 10 contestants that I am sure of.  There are 8 other applications that haven’t come back in yet so they could still be in the contest too.  Most of the contestants are locals.  We do this every year and then leave the houses up for viewing by my customers.

Last years winner also sold theirs to a lady that paid $150 for it.  I almost fell over.  It was a big Gingerbread house and it was beautiful but everything has to be edible and I guess they could be kept for a while.  I don’t know.  Anyway, Celeste is making the barn, animals and manger scene.  So far, it’s absolutely gorgeous.  I can’t wait to see it when she’s totally finished.  No I’m not one of the judges.  There are judges that come here from other contests to judge them.  Here’s one from last year.  Isn’t it amazing?

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Decorating for Christmas

Christmas is my favorite time of year.  I always get the Christmas spirit before I even get up from the Thanksgiving dinner table.  We put an artificial tree in every room of the house except for the bathrooms and the kitchen of course.  We do decorate a live tree in the gazebo part of the front porch.  It’s where the wind and blowing snow don’t usually get to it because of the other out buildings around it.

We keep plenty of firewood since there’s a fireplace in every bedroom and if there’s not a fireplace, I have installed a wood burning stove so everyone can have a fire to cuddle up beside to watch the snow fall outside.  The trees in the bedrooms are decorated to match the room.

There’s an antique room with only old type ornaments from the period of the furniture.  Then there’s the woodsman room that has a deer head over the mantle and the furnishing is a rustic type.  That tree is decorated with ornaments that reflect the outdoors or animals.  Then there’s the romantic ‘honeymoon’ type room.  All the ornaments are pastel colors to match the room with lots of lace and flowers.  It’s so very beautiful.  The other rooms trees are decorated like those too, to match the room.

The tree that is in the main sitting room is decorated with hand made decorations from either locals and from the many children that have gone through here at Christmas time.  It’s my favorite tree.  This year that tree is especially special to me since my sweet Little Joe has made some ornaments with me to put on the tree.  It’s going to be a wonderful Christmas season.  Now it’s time to go shopping for the gifts!!!!

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Here’s wishing you a wonderful Thanksgiving

This is going to be one of the best Thanksgivings we have ever celebrated here.  With Celeste and Little Joe now new members of our family, we have a great deal to be thankful for.  They have brought so much joy into our lives the we are truly blessed.

Blessings come in all shapes and sizes.  I find a new blessing every single day and more than one in most.  We are open for business and have a full house but we also adopt a few local families for Thanksgiving Dinner too.  We’re having turkey of course, deer roast, and all the extras that everyone has.  Desert is of course pumpkin pie, coconut cake, carrot cake, and banana pudding.

I hope and pray that each of you has a wonderful, blessed Thanksgiving too.

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Here comes the snow!!

It’s already starting to get cold enough for the ski slopes to make snow and we have gotten natural snow for three days in a row now.  The natural snow hasn’t added up to many inches but the temperature is low enough that what fell has stayed.

Thanks to the snow, we are booked solid this weekend.  People love it when it snows and the mountains is where they want to be.  Once the ski slopes are all up and running, I tend to be one more busy lady.  Oh I’m not complaining at all because this summer has been a bit skimpy to say the least.  Now that gas prices are coming down, people are venturing out a little more but still not like before.

If we have a winter that is just close to usual, then the year won’t end in the red.  If not, somethings gotta give before long.  Luckily I have several hunters that donate deer to us during hunting season so that really helps with the food costs.  People look forward to my deer roast and deer stew every winter.  I just hope it’s enough to pull them back in this winter.

One good thing, I do have a couple reservations for the week of Christmas already.  I was afraid my usual Christmas patrons wouldn’t show this year but they’ll be here as they have for the past 4 years.  They’re more like family now than just people that come here to stay.   That’s what I have tried to build here, a family atmosphere and I must not have done too bad of a job.

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Michael Vick and Pit Bulls

Now there’s a name that invokes a gamut of emotions.  When he was the quarterback for the Atlanta Falcons, he was both admired and idolized by people everywhere.  When he was found guilty of dog fighting, he was despised by more.  What a shame that a young man with such promise would succumb to such a savage thing as dog fighting.

My brother raises Pit Bull Dogs.  He is one of the top breeders around.  He once told someone that was offering to pay him $1,500 for a puppy that let something about ‘fighting’ slip out that he would rather take that puppy out back and put a bullet in his head than sell him to someone that was going to fight him.  The man left angrily with $1,500 cash in his hand spouting some rather unpleasant words as he left.  About 2 hours later, someone else came with cash for the same puppy.  My brother sold him to that person and was afraid that all the gentleman did was give the money to someone else to buy the puppy for him.  Because of things like that, he’s getting out of breeding.

These are not vicious dogs unless made to the that way.  Bubba, his pet and best buddy, will more likely lick you to death than ever hurt anyone.  China, she will bite if you provoke her but a child can take food out of her mouth and she’ll let them.  China even nursed Shih-Tzu puppies while the Shih-Tzu mother was sick.  That’s a real mean dog huh?  Now my mothers Pit, Sheba, she will tear you apart if you get too close to my Mother and she doesn’t now you.  That’s what her job is, to protect my 70 year old mother and she does a great job of it.

Just don’t blame the breed for things like what Michael Vick did.  Not all Pit Bulls are mean.  Some are more like lick dogs and lap dogs.  It’s all in the breeding and the way they are raised.  They deserve respect as a breed, not fear necessarily.  Even Michael Vick’s dogs are now gentle from what I understand.

Oh, this is Bubba.  He’s a blue Pit that weighs in at about 75 pounds.  Ain’t he cute!!!!

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Celeste is free from her father

Since Celeste is 17 years old, she does not have to return to her parents as long as someone, me in other words, is appointed her legal guardian until she turned 18.  Well I gladly accepted that responsibility.  Since I have taken a restraining order out against her father, he can no longer come within 50 feet of my home and establishment.  Celeste also took one out and now he can’t come within 50 feet of her anywhere she goes.

It’s a shame that such a beautiful and bright young woman should have to make such hard decisions about her own father but Celeste knows that she in turn must protect herself and her son.  The law is on her side in all of this mess.  Her hopes and dreams to be her own person, go to college and support herself and her son are what keep her going.

Life is hard at times and tough decisions are all a part of growing up.  A 17 year old shouldn’t have to make such hard decisions but she has and has done it without malice or hatred in her heart.  She will go far in life with her gentle and loving heart.  I only can hope and pray she doesn’t develop a hard heart because of all of this.  I honestly don’t think she will because we will surround her with love and respect here.  I am so very proud of her.