Murphy's Law

Nothing is as easy as it looks. The 800 number which a week ago we were told we had--with its nicely memorable 1868 MHI (for 1868 Magnolia House Inn)--has proven to be unavailable after all. So we now have just a number.

The toll-free number in service now is 866 751 8664. We hope guests looking to communicate by phone will find it helpful.

Give it a try. It really works.

(I think.)

A friend in need...

This time of year brings guests to Lexington for the Hunt Ball on a Saturday evening--an annual affair held in Evans Hall, the beautiful facility at Washington and Lee University that is an elegant setting for formal events here. We had two couples staying with us, dressing up in gowns and tuxedos for an evening to remember. It wasn't the first time I was called into service to tie a bow tie for a guest in a tuxedo (most men learn the standard four-in-hand for business wear, but the bow tie can be unfamiliar territory) who came downstairs looking slightly desperate. I fixed him up and off they all went.

In other news...Shelby's back! This sweet lady started cleaning for us six months ago, and had to leave for a while because of another commitment. Good help is hard to find (but last summer we had Patrick--a wonderful cadet from VMI--who did a great job cleaning, and helped us in other ways, too: he actually cooked breakfast once in a while, and before he returned to college later in August, he painted the front porch!).

Spring will come to these mountains

Today our new Picnic at Ascot backback arrived. On the outside it looks like an ordinary hunter green backpack. But open it up and it is outfitted for a picnic for two--plates, cutlery, green-checked tablecloth and napkins, cheese board and knife, wineglasses, bottle opener, and cork stopper. That's just in the front compartment. The best picnic part is in the rear section--it's padded and metalic-insulated for keeping food fresh and safe. And on the side is a similar insulated wine bottle carrier. They thought of everything. We have so many guests who love to hike the many local trails that I can see this equipment getting a workout come the beautiful spring weather that is just around the next bend.

More fun new things

We're always thinking of ways to improve our innkeeping. This month we completed a two-stage replacement of the Inn roof (begun last March)--of period-correct standing-seam metal, to protect the historic old structure. This past year we launched our current web site. This week we started writing this new Journal. And just today, we got our new 800 number to make it easier for people to contact us for reservations. It will soon be published on our web site. We had fun choosing the number, and we decided on 800 186 8644, which is 1868 MHI for our name: 1868 Magnolia House Inn.

Snowy babymoon

Snow was falling this morning in Lexington. One of the many joys of living here (having moved from Pennsylvania almost five years ago) is that when it snows it is almost always just to make things pretty without making things difficult, because what little snow comes melts so soon. Guests from Georgia at breakfast this morning especially enjoyed the snowfall, since they hadn't seen any yet this winter season. They were on a "babymoon"--a celebration of marriage when a baby is on the way. Other guests were a father and son from Connecticut, on a college tour visiting Washington and Lee University (W&L): both were personable and fun to talk to. I must say that we have been impressed with the quality of young people we often host; in these days when it would seem that many youth are in cultural and social freefall, there are some really wonderful kids who show such promise of good and gracious adulthood.

A great future Cadet

We just said good-bye to a young man--a high school senior from Connecticut--who traveled by himself for an interview at Virginia Military Institute (VMI), and who stayed with us for two nights. For a 17-year old, he was remarkably bright, poised and friendly...and we think he'll make a great Cadet at VMI. We hope to see him again in the summer--not as an Inn guest, but as a VMI Summer Transition Program student, before he becomes a Rat (freshman). We have a great opportunity of meeting Cadets, Rats and STP students through the work of the VMI Chaplain and the VMI Chapel, which we have adopted as our church.

Old dogs...new tricks

Jan and I have spent part of the evening figuring out how to set up this blog. We thought it would be a good addition to our Inn website www.magnoliahouseinn.com to offer some thoughts and information about innkeeping here in our wonderful old house in historic Lexington, Virginia. But as with all things cybertechnical, we found our aging selves responding to choices and directions for set-up with heads shaking in frustration--or else laughing at our cyber-challenged over-sixty mindsets. If you can read this, we somehow got it together enough to launch our very first blog: welcome!