Bedford Landings proudly introduces a Mark Halbeisen, a massage therapist who can be scheduled for a personal massage when you stay with us.

Mark is a Licensed Massage Therapist who attended the Potomac Massage Training Institute graduating in February 2000. He continues to attend seminars on various types of massage to meet the continuing education requirements to maintain his license and to continue to learn techniques. He is a board certified massage therapist and in good standing with the American Massage Therapy Association (AMTA) License as well as holding a Virginia license.

His massage techniques include sports massage, connective tissue (myofascial) massage, as well as assessing client posture relative to what is needed in the massage.

Previously, he was in the United States Air Force, where he became an X-ray technologist. Upon leaving the USAF with an Honorable Discharge, he was employed at Georgetown University Hospital (GUH) for 28 years as an X-ray/cardiovascular technologist and an administrator.  After managing his own massage therapy practice in Mclean, VA (2009 – 2014), he decided to move to Bedford, Virginia where he works for Massage Envy in Lynchburg part time and does independent work the remainder of the week. Bedford Landings is fortunate to have met Mark so we can refer him to our guests.

Guests may email him with questions and to schedule a massage session. Email address: bodywork9111@gmail.com

Today, it was our privilege to welcome the Handy family to Bedford Landings Air Tours.  I met Cindy playing racquetball a few years ago. Her husband Dan also plays (when he’s not falling off a roof getting injured!). We have become friends over time and she even purchased one of my children’s books (Cloudy with a Chance of Dreams).  She bought the book for her son, Brandon, who is about 30 years old. Brandon loves airplanes and was very interested in taking a flight with Jack over Smith Mountain Lake.

The challenge was how to get Brandon into the airplane. Brandon was born with Cerebral Palsy and has been in a wheel chair nearly his whole life. The cause of Cerebral Palsy is a brain injury or brain malformation that occurs while the brain is developing — before, during, or after birth. As a result of the brain damage during brain development a child’s muscle control, muscle coordination, muscle tone, reflex, posture and balance can be affected. It can also impact a fine motor skills, gross motor skills, and oral motor functioning.

It goes without saying how much Cindy and Dan love Brandon but witnessing their loving care was a gift. I observed the way they used gentle touches with him and interpreted conversation so we could all determine the best way to help Brandon obtain his dream to fly. He had gone to bed early the night before, rested well in preparation for his flight, and was up early to prepare to be on time. At the appointed 9:00 hour, Cindy drove up in their van equipped with a wheelchair lift; and out rolled Brandon in his well-appointed Cadillac of a chair that he could control with head manipulations.

We managed to get his chair close to the Cessna and determined that the rear seat provided more space for him. Between Jack and Dan lifting and Cindy inside the plane, receiving and adjusting, we got him situated. He was thrilled and kept telling Jack that he already “loved him!” Holding tight to Cindy, they were ready for take off. Dan took the front seat.

Since Brandon will be reading this post, so I wanted to include the photos of them actually taking off, turning to land, then landing.

Jack said that while flying them over the lake, he could hear Brandon in the headset saying “Oh, Wow!” This, of course made the flight so joyful for the pilot. And Cindy said that this was the happiest she had seen Brandon in some time.

When they landed and we were able to get Brandon safely back into his comfy chair.

Using his head controls, Brandon rolled into the hangar to see the Pietenpol Air Camper that Jack built and that was pictured in the book Cindy had purchased. In addition, he saw Jack’s new plane under construction. When Jack showed him a photo of a completed RV-10,  he said, “When you get that one finished, you can take me in that plane too!”

Indeed, Brandon. We simply enjoyed having you and your family here! It has been our privilege to fly with you!

It’s fall so we are working on various projects at Bedford Landings to continue to make our B & B unique, fun, and worth your stay!

I am most excited to show off the Flying Room artwork in the loft. The loft has a trundle bed to sleep two plus a queen bed and a fold out queen in the same room for families or friends to share. With the Flying theme, I wanted to place something creative in the loft that would just be whimsical and fun. Check it out!

If you can envision and describe it, Lisa Floyd (Floyd Artworks) can transform any wall into that vision! It looks like Jack’s airplane, the Pietenpol, is passing by outside and the wall has a giant crack in it! Jack was so thrilled; he wired a spotlight on the artwork!

The rest of this season’s chores pale in comparison to the artwork! Mulch, pruning, painting the stairwell, changing décor to Fall and wreaths from summer to Fall.We had a little issue with the towel rack in the Fourth Room so we restructured the towels to hang a little less traditionally.

Guests continue to call for reservations so despite the humid and warm weather, we are gearing up for a busy Fall complete with our first fire (which has not happened yet!). We have added a feature that guests can purchase; a Fire pit package complete with a fire log for the outdoor fire pit and the makings for S’mores. Add a bottle of wine and you have the perfect Fall evening!

Coming soon at Smith Mountain Lake is the Bridgewater Fall Festival (Oct. 14) and the ChiliFest on November 10^th. The wineries do wine tastings each Saturday afternoon and the Sunken City Brewery is still making special brews. We can help you plan your weekend get away. Once you are here, we will give you a map and point you in the right direction based on your interests! See you soon!

It’s been a tough week. Last Sunday, Jack was deployed to Puerto Rico with the Virginia Urban Search and Rescue Task Force 2 team. They are based in Virginia Beach with trainer rescuers, fire fighters, dog handlers, and engineers making up the team. Jack is one of two structural engineers on this team. Of course he was a career mechanical engineer (designing things like cell phone and medical devices) But about 6 years ago, he trained to be part of FEMA. The training was no cakewalk including scenarios in rubble piles, confined space drills and more.

My brother made a career of firefighting and First Response work including FEMA and IST command work. He was been a part of disasters and rescues, but generally was the Captain in charge including disasters such as the Oklahoma City bombing, 9-11 Twin Towers, Hurricane Floyd and Katrina, Haiti and even when the space shuttle Columbia crashed over Texas killing seven astronauts. He was the first to approach Jack about this work. This was Jack’s first deployment so we both had some things to learn—including acronyms!

Usually the first responders are not deployed to the disaster area prior to the event but this team was able to deploy pretty fast since their cache (trucks, pallets of gear, etc.) were already in PR because they had been delivered as part of Hurricane Irma the week prior. They hunkered down with many residents who fled their homes in the Hotel Intercontinental. Keeping the team in the stairwells for hours during the worst of the storm and continually checking the roof and basement flooding was part of the day’s work while Hurricane Maria pounded this already vulnerable island.

So its been a week of me explaining to guests why Jack is not here at Bedford Landings and me twice miscounting how many bacon pieces to put in to the pan to feed the guests. Jack usually does the bacon and coffee in addition to waffles, Eggs Benedict, biscuits, and a few others dishes. While he was gone, I mowed, pruned, mulched, went to the dump, hosted the B & B association here, volunteered for the wine festival, took his truck for inspection, and the dog to the vet. I experienced lower back pain totally due from stress (I didn’t think I was stressed!!) and contracted poison ivy on my FACE! After a shot of cortisone and a round of prednisone, however, I am feeling fine now and FULL OF ENERGY! We both thank all of you from the bottoms of our hearts for your support and prayers during this time!!

After Hurricane Irma, my sister, who was visiting her soon-to be-retirement home at SML, left a week early from the lake to return to her one-bedroom apartment in Jacksonville, FL. It had been flooded causing trauma for the 16-year-old cat that was homebound atop the refrigerator and with 4 feet of water, her Prius was totaled; mold already growing on the upholstery. We have had guests who came to stay with us instead of their (cancelled) cruises and reports from guests who have experienced damage to their Florida homes. So much devastation. So much speculation about what it means! We can’t know. We can’t predict. We all just help each other out and keep putting one foot in front of the other.  Keep your hearts light!

I just got word that the team is heading home tonight!  Awaiting transport from Puerto Rico.  Welcome home, Jack!

This has been an active weather month!  Hurricane Harvey and Hurricane Irma threatened friends and family.  High winds, rushing water, and unpredictable weather  knocked at the doors of many who didn’t need that upheaval in their lives.  Our thoughts and prayers are with the thousands recovering and who, in the future will have that heart palpitations each time it rains and storms are forecast.  Having lived through the floods of the Midwest in the early 90’s and North Carolina hurricanes (complete with trees through my roof), I realize that weather-related PTSD is no laughing matter.  Those revisiting feelings are real.  Belongings can be replaced, but in that process, there is a great deal of emotional stress.  I used to write about disaster-related stress in my professional working days.  If you are part of a support system for recovering families, help them think through their next steps and realize that the emotions can override their otherwise rational thinking processes.

It’s a New Season

Many of us north of the flooded areas are welcoming the rain, having just seeded our lawns.  It will be time to trim and rake before long.  My Cleome plant (some call it a Spider flower) was beautiful and is in the process of going to seed.  As well, I finally had “Agnes’ little yellow flowers” identified.

My friend, Agnes helped me plant much of the gardens at Bedford Landings the year after we opened. The Coreopsis we have is some (unknown) variety but the pollinators love them while we still just call them “Agnes’ little yellow flowers!” I love the August and September pop of color the provide, for they will be gone soon!

Welcome a New Artist

For the next two months, we will enjoy the art of Linda Murray Atkinson.  A member of the Art Visions Gallery at Smith Mountain Lake, Linda’s lovely work now adorns our walls.  I am really curious about the work she has done on yupo.  “Yupo is a synthetic surface that can be unpredictable and exciting,” according the Linda. She says that she loves experimenting with all medium and techniques.  She is a member of the League of Roanoke Artists and lives in Stewartsville, VA with her husband and dogs.  She is retired from Appalachian Power and says that “just seeing beautiful art fills my soul in a way that I cannot put into words.” Come by and check out her work.

It’s a Dog’s Life

Although we don’t allow pets at Bedford Landings B & B, we do have a resident pet.  Once Bella warms up to guests, she is a great cuddler but Bella is mainly all about her ball.  This is a familiar sight as the door opens!The Chickens are Producing!

I know many of the readers of this blog were concerned that Jack would end up Bar-B-Q-ing the chickens.  But now they are producing 4-5 eggs a day so it’s all good!

There is grace in this world.  There is beauty, there is hope, and there is recovery. And it’s all good!