As members of the Chamber of Commerce, it is only right as a new business to cut the ribbon.  So our GRAND OPENING is Wednesday August 27th at 11:30 am.

The actual ribbon cutting occurs about 12:15.  Afterwards, snacks and beverages are served.  If you are a blog follower, a past guest at Bedford Landings, a Chamber Member, or a friend, please join us.  Comment on this page if you would so we know how many biscuits to make!

Thanks for your support!  We aren’t going away!  This is just the beginning of many Fall and Winter events we are hosting including the Bedford Area B & B Association, the Professional Women’s Resource group, an open house for Realtors, and a Chamber of Commerce After Hours event in March.  We are working with a new representative who can schedule facial pamperings for you and we are holding a jewelry making class in September.

Stay tuned Jack to announce the date of his Biscuit School!  Then ya’ll come!

My sweet mother in law said I could share this photo so here is a contest.  Think up a good caption for this wonderful old photo that captures some of her grand relatives.  Just comment and I will compile!  Make me laugh!

We have been running in several different directions but I wanted to blog just for the record and to promote an upcoming Fall event. So today’s blog is rather a hodgepodge.

It’s been a busy July.  We have hosted many interesting guests including families with children, physicians, a veterinarian, several musicians, a couple of different professors, pilots, my bother and his wife for their birthdays, a family gathering, friends visiting friends, people waiting for their house rentals week to start, anniversary couples, and Jack’s 90-year old mama.  Mama was joined on her mid-July birthday by Jack’s brother, his wife, and Jack’s daughter and grandson for the celebration.  May she have 90 more healthy years!

The musicians who stayed at Bedford Landings were part of the newly formed Smith Mountain Lake symphony (https://www.smlsymphony.com/) who gave their inaugural performance on July 26^th.  Jack played bagpipes to open the program followed by a Bluegrass band.  We both sang with the chorus for Bach’s “Wachet Auf” Cantata.  On Friday, Bedford Landings hosted a viola player, a cellist, and a bassist. Then, Saturday, we hosted the fiddle player and his wife from the Bluegrass Band (Randy Cox and the Commonwealth Band). All were fine musicians and interesting people! The other weekend guests were most flexible as we came and went with rehearsals.

Shortcuts
We are so thankful to have Pattie, our part time housekeeper, who we schedule when we have more than 2 rooms to clean.  I have been trying to share some of our tips with her (and with Jack) so we all work efficiently.  I guess efficiency and planning are just  life lessons my mother taught me.

For example, it’s a shortcut to do this:

• Instead of searching for a new trash bags, throw 4-5 new ones in the bottom of the can then pull the fresh bag over top.  A new bag will be there next time you pull the full one out;

Each morning, Jack makes the coffee.  We get compliments on the coffee; maybe because we grind the coffee beans for each pot fresh.  It takes a little more time, but we save by jump-starting the pot the night before by:

• Pre-inserting the paper filter ready to receive the grounds and filling the coffee pot with water the night before.  Then we just grind the beans and turn on the switch for fresh coffee the next morning.

I am the one who wants to make the table and each plate look pretty.  Each breakfast place has their place setting, a cloth napkin, poured juice and water pre-set.  Coffee or Tea is offered once guests come to the breakfast room … but for pretty presentations:

• Since so many foods for breakfast are tan, yellow or white, we select the plate color to brighten the food! We place mono-colored foods on colorful or dark plates and brightly colored foods on white plates.  I know, a bit fanatical but it keeps me entertained!

Upcoming:
The happy hour painting class was very popular and we have had requests to offer it again.  For fall,  we have scheduled another fun class. Our friend, Sandy Kelso, is going to conduct a jewelry making class on September 16 (5:30 pm) where you can create one-of-a-kind jewelry in just your colors! She will walk you through how to design, hook, clasp, crimp and loop for a stunning finished piece of jewelry. You will select from a variety of beads to create a distinctive bracelet, necklace, or earrings.  Ten participants may pre-register for $30 each. Supplies will be provided along with a snack and beverage.  Participants are welcome to being wine for sipping while beading. Email karen@bedfordlandings.com or call 540-488-4600.

And that’s what’s cookin’ from Bedford Landings!

 

June has been a busy month and we expect a busy July as well! In June, we painted, we robbed the bees, and we sold the trailer.

Two weeks ago when super grand daughter Destiny was here, we got into our bee suits to rob the bees of their honey.  She was actually a big help and wasn’t ever afraid of being stung in her mighty (home made) suit!

We harvested over 3.5 gallons and bottled over 35 containers of honey.  We sell it to guests if they are interested for $7 (10 oz.) bottle.  We call it wildflower honey since we have no clue where our little bees foraged.

Our friend and artist, Nancy Rae Brown taught a painting class.  We had room for 8 per session and hosted two separate groups in a Happy Hour painting class.

At the end of June, sold our little travel trailer that we called home at the lake for 6 years.  It was such a find on Craigslist for $3500.  In 2008, we pulled that trailer from Raleigh over the mountain. We parked it outside on our property until we had the hangar. I remember sitting in trailer on our lot while it was raining. There was no TV and no place to go except in that little space. Jack and I played travel SCRABBLE. We were stuck in that little space and I thought “What has my life come to!”
Once we had the hangar structure, we built a home around it inside the hangar.  We sold the little darling for $2000 to a construction crew who will pull it to Washington, DC and house 6 crew.  They said it will save them a bundle of hotel room nights. Hope they love it as much as we did (shedding a tear!)

Also in June, we finished the loft in the Flying Room.  There is a trundle bed aloft and a seaplane hanging from the ceiling. Meant for families, the maximum number of people in that room would be 6.  There is a fee of $30 per person over 2 people per room.  All children in this room, however need to be closely watched. Don’t make suggestions for what you would do if you were a kid in the loft!

Coming in July
We have booking for every room night in July except two.  On one non-booked night, I am going to Harrisonburg, VA to visit my good friend Agnes, who has plants for the yard awaiting me.  And the second time with no bookings, we are hosting my brother for his birthday!  His wife hasn’t seen Bedford Landings yet so we are so excited they will drive over from Floyd!  To add to Family Time, we will be hosting Jack’s 90-year old mama’s birthday mid-month with visits from his brother (from Wilmington, NC) and his daughter and grandson (from Raleigh, NC)

Trending for the Fourth of July – pretzel sparklers for the guests.  Rod pretzels dipped in white chocolate sprinkled with colorful sugars!  We will probably be vacuuming up sprinkles for weeks.

Until then- ride with the wind and may it drop you near Bedford Landings! We’ll leave the light on for you!

 

 

Hosting a wedding party at Bedford Landings has been interesting.  The bride and groom family included three children from 5-12 years old.  We had promised that we would have the loft in the Flying Room completed in time for the children to stay with them the night before the wedding.  With the help of trusty friends, Bill and Carolyn, we got the loft done on time.  I love it and it makes the Flying Room have so much more character.  We hung the DeHavilland Beaver on floats from the ceiling.

The wedding took place on the Virginia Dare Cruise Ship which is just a mile down the road. http://vadarecruises.com/ but the wedding party and most of their friends and children got dressed at Bedford Landings.  I couldn’t keep count of the children and adults in the house but Bedford Landings made for a lovely setting for wedding photos!

Stepping it up
When we left for three days to take a short jaunt to Savannah, GA , we applied linseed oil to condition the steps and dry well while we were away. These walnut steps are a focal point in the entrance hallway and this treatment really brought out the wood grains in both the white pine stringers and the walnut treads.

Test Kitchen
While in Savannah, we gathered a few ideas that may just work with our breakfast menus.  What do you think of Scotch eggs as a side dish or a fresh peach tart with home made whipped cream?  We haven’t served the eggs yet, but my first effort with them turned out well.  Packing the sausage around the egg, then breading it makes for a nice side dish.  A good video was helpful to determining how to get the sausage to stick! http://allrecipes.com/video/2758/scotch-eggs/detail.aspx

 

The peach tart is tasty, especially with a little sugar, cinnamon, and nutmeg mixed with the peaches. I want to see if I can find a little larger tart. We may have to experiment with making our own tarts.

 

Honey Harvest
It is time for the honey harvest but it has been so B & B busy that the bees just keep packing away the honey and we haven’t had a chance to suit up to steal it.  Once we do take the honey, we will have more to sell and serve.  Right now, we have only about ½ cup of honey left from last year’s harvest.

Book your room!
We are full for most weekends in June and July and I hate to turn people down.  Luckily we can refer folks to others in the Bedford Area B & B association and sometimes even having guests stay in the trailer that is still FOR SALE comes to mind.  So if you are thinking of making a reservation, check out the calendar now and reserve.  ENJOY THE SUMMER!