B&B Guests & Farm Estate Sales -
What a Weekend!
This past weekend, we had a 2-night reservation for our larger guest room. The lovely ladies who stayed with us had won a free nights' stay coupon from the 2010 Oregon Cheese Festival Silent Auction (our coupon was part of a larger gift basket up for auction). So they experienced all that our wonderful B&B has to offer at half price! The first morning, we treated them to fresh honey-raspberry-cornmeal muffins (made using our own berries and cornmeal!) as an appetizer. For the main course, they had homemade cherry-fennel granola with yogurt, followed by individual heirloom melon cups with raspberries and mint! On morning #2, there was my own personal recipe flax bread (when drizzled in fresh honey, it tastes like CAKE!), followed by healthy blueberry breakfast cakes (flavored with orange juice and lemon verbena), and a final course of lemony quinoa with maple-sauteed apples. YUM-MY! The guests seemed to have a great time, and enjoyed the farm tour, as well as all of their free botanical bath samples!
This weekend was also when a L-A-R-G-E Farm Estate Sale was being held over in Talent. Ryan and I managed to sneak out on Saturday and visit it. There were so many amazing items for sale! I only had a few dollars with me, but I did manage to pick up a beautiful mink stole and a set of circa 1910-1915 silver spoons and forks (very art deco and GORGEOUS!!). The silverware was 10 cents each - talk about hog heaven! On Sunday, the B&B guests thankfully left early, allowing the whole family to head back down to the estate sale. Sunday was half off at the sale, and we all knew that we needed to go early! On Saturday, I had seen the most BEAUTIFUL double tea set of hand-painted Japanese china. The original price was $35 (way out of my price range), but on Sunday it was only $17.50! We arrived at the sale, and I raced into the room with the tea sets, just barely beating another lady who wanted them. HA! It pays to be small and swift! I hovered over them protectively while Ryan grabbed a box and newspaper to wrap all the pieces up in. Then we browsed some more! All in all, besides the tea set, I managed to grab an $8 oil lamp, an old Liniment bottle for my collection, and a set of lovely linen tea napkins, embroidered with blue flowers. I was quite pleased with the haul-away!
In some ways, however, estate sales always make me sad. It's like watching a flock of vultures (and yes, I know I am included in this statement) descend upon someone's private and cherished possessions. I guess it hits home because I know that someday, somewhere, this is what will become of my own home & possessions. I am a woman whose only family is either estranged or elderly, with no siblings or children...I suppose it's easier to bear because I am still young...Anywho, I don't want to get all melancholy on everybody, so I will quit that train of thought right there.
On a happier note, I am really (REALLY) looking forward to my mini-vacation with Ryan this weekend! For the first time in THREE YEARS, we are getting off of the farm! Things have been so financially tight since we moved here that we have been unable to finance a vacation until now (honestly, we still can't really afford to go, but we decided - sanity-wise - we couldn't afford NOT to go!). We decided to head over to the coast because I have been longing to visit Shore Acres after reading "A Gathering of Finches." Ryan and I plan to spend lots of time beach combing, hiking, and sleeping. It's going to be awesome! And we were truly blessed to have some lovely friends willing to farm sit for us (thank you, Steve & Cenya!!) in exchange for quality time with Gloria. *laughing* Well, okay, a nice house to stay in, a fridge stocked with goodies (both solid AND liquid!), and some thank-you gifts...
We really need this vacation! Ryan's been overloaded at his outside job, and with the last two weekends booked at the B&B, I have basically been working non-stop for three weeks straight. Not to mention that yesterday we also had to do a hay run...We are both EXHAUSTED and desperately in need of some R&R!
What a Weekend!
This past weekend, we had a 2-night reservation for our larger guest room. The lovely ladies who stayed with us had won a free nights' stay coupon from the 2010 Oregon Cheese Festival Silent Auction (our coupon was part of a larger gift basket up for auction). So they experienced all that our wonderful B&B has to offer at half price! The first morning, we treated them to fresh honey-raspberry-cornmeal muffins (made using our own berries and cornmeal!) as an appetizer. For the main course, they had homemade cherry-fennel granola with yogurt, followed by individual heirloom melon cups with raspberries and mint! On morning #2, there was my own personal recipe flax bread (when drizzled in fresh honey, it tastes like CAKE!), followed by healthy blueberry breakfast cakes (flavored with orange juice and lemon verbena), and a final course of lemony quinoa with maple-sauteed apples. YUM-MY! The guests seemed to have a great time, and enjoyed the farm tour, as well as all of their free botanical bath samples!
This weekend was also when a L-A-R-G-E Farm Estate Sale was being held over in Talent. Ryan and I managed to sneak out on Saturday and visit it. There were so many amazing items for sale! I only had a few dollars with me, but I did manage to pick up a beautiful mink stole and a set of circa 1910-1915 silver spoons and forks (very art deco and GORGEOUS!!). The silverware was 10 cents each - talk about hog heaven! On Sunday, the B&B guests thankfully left early, allowing the whole family to head back down to the estate sale. Sunday was half off at the sale, and we all knew that we needed to go early! On Saturday, I had seen the most BEAUTIFUL double tea set of hand-painted Japanese china. The original price was $35 (way out of my price range), but on Sunday it was only $17.50! We arrived at the sale, and I raced into the room with the tea sets, just barely beating another lady who wanted them. HA! It pays to be small and swift! I hovered over them protectively while Ryan grabbed a box and newspaper to wrap all the pieces up in. Then we browsed some more! All in all, besides the tea set, I managed to grab an $8 oil lamp, an old Liniment bottle for my collection, and a set of lovely linen tea napkins, embroidered with blue flowers. I was quite pleased with the haul-away!
In some ways, however, estate sales always make me sad. It's like watching a flock of vultures (and yes, I know I am included in this statement) descend upon someone's private and cherished possessions. I guess it hits home because I know that someday, somewhere, this is what will become of my own home & possessions. I am a woman whose only family is either estranged or elderly, with no siblings or children...I suppose it's easier to bear because I am still young...Anywho, I don't want to get all melancholy on everybody, so I will quit that train of thought right there.On a happier note, I am really (REALLY) looking forward to my mini-vacation with Ryan this weekend! For the first time in THREE YEARS, we are getting off of the farm! Things have been so financially tight since we moved here that we have been unable to finance a vacation until now (honestly, we still can't really afford to go, but we decided - sanity-wise - we couldn't afford NOT to go!). We decided to head over to the coast because I have been longing to visit Shore Acres after reading "A Gathering of Finches." Ryan and I plan to spend lots of time beach combing, hiking, and sleeping. It's going to be awesome! And we were truly blessed to have some lovely friends willing to farm sit for us (thank you, Steve & Cenya!!) in exchange for quality time with Gloria. *laughing* Well, okay, a nice house to stay in, a fridge stocked with goodies (both solid AND liquid!), and some thank-you gifts...
We really need this vacation! Ryan's been overloaded at his outside job, and with the last two weekends booked at the B&B, I have basically been working non-stop for three weeks straight. Not to mention that yesterday we also had to do a hay run...We are both EXHAUSTED and desperately in need of some R&R!
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