“In many ways the start of a new (bed-and-breakfast) season is much like the first day of September … those days of nervous butterflies in your stomach just before opening your door to greet your first guests upon their arrival. We know the full range of possibilities for growth, challenge, change and connection stand before us.”
These words from an old column I wrote years ago about our B&B in Maine brought to mind the pandemic we are living in now. This is a time of growth, challenges, change, and connection. Each day we are facing new challenges, our schedules are changing, and we have a stronger connection with family and friends.
I have even started using my bedroom/office like the Gardio (studio over the garage) Jim built especially for me when I was watercolor painting. He had a garage built to house the Dorothy Rose, the boat he named after his mother. It had a second floor so he topped it off with a studio/apartment.
I painted in my studio overlooking the river of peaceful pines until the summer of the piano, an anniversary gift Jim bought for me and had shipped to Maine. It soon filled up the extra hours in my life. The more I practiced the piano, the less I painted. Slowly the art studio with kitchenette was used for breakfast and light meals. It became an extra guest room for our guests and for neighbors and friends who needed an extra room for guests, rent free.
Like all retired folks we found our new job as innkeepers took teamwork. Jim did all the preliminary scrub work for the outdoor shower and kept the flower boxes filled with welcoming blossoms. I did the sweeping and scrubbing inside then stocked the fridge and cupboards. We used his flowers for bedside bouquets and placed a stack of current reading material and books on a shelf for bedside reading. We learned to share our grill, lobster pot, canoe, golf clubs, and tennis racquets.
We loved our Maine life. Sharing this love with guests, especially those coming for a first visit gave us such pleasure. To witness the excitement in the eyes of those who would gaze out over the river of peaceful pines and proclaim: “This is the way life should be.”
Recipe for success
1) Love your job. Make guests feel at home in your home.
2) Trust that other people may need a vacation more than you do.
3) Learn to handle hard work, no matter your age.
4) Laugh often, and dance in the road as you wave your goodbyes to guests.
5) Walk every morning and evening and gaze at the sun.
6) Never give up on old friends. Always make new friends.
Cheese and crab brunch bake
2 tbsp Dijon mustard; 6 English muffins, split; 8 oz crab meat; 2 tbsp lemon juice; 2 cups shredded cheddar cheese; 12 eggs; 1 cup half & half cream; 1 cup milk; 2 tbsp lemon juice and peel; 1/2 cup mayo; 1 tsp salt; 1/2 tsp pepper; 2 cups shredded Swiss cheese; 1 cup Parmesan cheese, grated; 1/4 cup finely chopped sweet red pepper and onion
Spread mustard over bottom half of muffins. Place in a greased 9-by-13-inch pan. Top with crab, lemon juice, and peel. Sprinkle with cheddar cheese. Top with muffin tops, set aside. In a large bowl, whisk the eggs, cream, milk, mayo, salt, and pepper. Pour over muffins, sprinkle with Swiss cheese, Parmesan cheese, onions, and pepper. Cover and refrigerate overnight. Remove from fridge 30 minutes before baking. Cover and bake at 375 degrees for 30 minutes. Uncover and bake 20-25 minutes longer or until set. Let stand five minutes before serving.
