Inn N Around

New Wee Forest Folk Christmas Figures Have Arrived!

2011-12-02T10:48:00.001-05:00

We just received our order of the new Wee Forest Folk Christmas figures for 2011 and they are adorable!

Great additions for your Christmas display or a gift for the collector in your family. Don't forget we offer free shipping for all Wee Forest Folk purchases and you are automatically are enrolled in our 5/6 club (every 6th piece is 50% off).

This is the Santa Lucia group (M-448, M-449, and M-450)

A Candlelight Welcome (M-405a)

Slippery Slope (M-418a). This is a limited release.

Tree Trimmer (M-446), which is excellent when paired with the new Christmas accessory pieces (A-11, A-12, A-13, A-14)

The Star Trimmer (M-451)

It's A Wrap (M-452)

Wonderland Express (M-453) and Christmas Box Car (M-453a) - the new train series that they will continue next year with more pieces.

Petite Ballerina (M-455)

Mystery Gift (M-447)

Honk for Christmas! (M-454a)

Wee Forest Folk are all made in MA, near Concord by a family run business. We have many more pieces available all year round.

Fall At Last

2011-11-10T12:25:00.001-05:00

If finally really feels like Fall. All the trees and scrubs are turning color and wherever you walk there is the rustle of leaves.

There is also a lot of color in our Carriage House Studio this week while a workshop with fiber artist, Katie Pasquini Masopust, is going on. These are the work of several of the students.

New Hardwood Floor

2011-11-08T10:13:00.001-05:00

We finally had the opportunity (and budget) to upgrade the floor in our Room 19 from ughly carpet to a beautiful hardwood floor!

For a short while we had an outdoor "room" complete with woodworking shop! Good thing the snow had melted and we were back to our normal November weather.

The trees around the inn are finally getting in the Fall spirit and changing their leaves to marvelous rusty orange and reds. The plumes of the grasses bunches by the pool look fluffy as down feathers.

Winter in the Middle of Fall

2011-10-30T15:44:00.001-04:00

We got a bit of the fluffy white stuff yesterday in Greenville. This is the first time that we have ever see such an early snow fall, but it did make for a lovely landscape!

I rushed out this morning at daybreak to capture the loveliness.

The snow started yesterday at about 3 pm.

Here is the view looking towards the pool the day before.

And this is what it looked like this morning!

Most of our tree still have their leaves. We haven't even had to do any Fall leaf raking yet!

Thank goodness for flexible tree branches. Even with all this snow on the leaves, we didn't lose any branches.

These are the cherry trees in our beginning orchard.

Today and the rest of the week we are suppose to have sunny weather, so soon the October snow will be but a memory.

Fall has not Fallen Yet

2011-10-26T10:50:00.001-04:00

While the temps are dropping and a dusting of snow is predicted for tomorrow, most of the trees and shrubs around our property haven't even begun to change color!

So if you haven't had the chance to get away to take in the Fall colors in the Catskills, there is still time!

We recently replaced the one large area rug in our room 22 with a couple of much lovelier Pottery Barn hooked rugs.

Which look nice with the new hooked Folk Art rabbit pillow!

NY Sheep and Wool Festival

2011-10-18T11:05:00.001-04:00

The annual New York State Sheep and Wool Festival in Rhinebeck was held this past weekend. I've been wanting to go to this legendary event ever since we moved to New York seven years ago.

While it doesn't hurt to be an avid knitter or crocheter, this is an event that the whole family can enjoy.

We especially enjoyed seeing the great variety of sheep on display in the multiple barns. You could get up close to pet them to feel the different textures of the wool.

In the event barns you could watch the sheep being judged for appearance and wool quality.

There were sheep shearing demonstrations scheduled throughout the day. Here are the sheep customers waiting for their haircuts. You can see the ones that have already been shorn in with the long haired bunch.

The shearing itself took only about 5 minutes, but before he began, the guy doing the shearing explained that process and how he held the sheep to make it most comfortable and least likely to try to jump up and run away!

Looks uncomfortable, but this sheep was actually just relaxed back in this position, held only by the shearer's knees.

There were also dog frisbee catching demonstrations, a kiddy area with games and rides, and load of food vendors. My favorite was Taste Budds Aztec Hot Chocolate! Yum.

I'm already looking forward to next year.

Smoothing Out Life's Little Bumps

2011-10-12T10:00:00.001-04:00

For the life of a country inn the bumps can come in the form of magnificent heritage trees with growing root systems!

There were a couple spots in the pathways over the bridge and around the carriage house that had already been bumped up by tree roots and then Tropical Storm Irene did not help the situation!

So yesterday the pavers arrived to smooth the bumps and lay down some new asphalt.

And speaking of magnificent trees, the leaves are just beginning to turn around our property and we will probably be having loads of wonderful color for several weeks, usually through the first couple of weeks in November.

This picture was from last year. At the moment the leaves on this shrub are still green.

Reflections of September

2011-09-14T15:25:00.001-04:00

This is Veteran's Park, just around the corner from the Greenville Arms 1889 Inn. A lovely spot for a picnic lunch.

The weather was perfect and the surface of the pond was as smooth as glass.

Throughout the summer on various evenings local musicians will set up in the gazebo and play for a couple hours.

The library is the building in back of the gazebo and next to that is the All Arts Matter building, home to a number of exhibits and performance events.

A Watery and Windy Weekend!

2011-09-01T08:27:00.001-04:00

The Greenville Arms 1889 Inn happens to be in Greene county, NY which was one of the hardest hit counties by hurricane Irene (aka "tropical storm"). However, we must be located in a charmed little corner because while we did lose power for about 3 hours and our little creek did overrun its banks for a while, by Sunday evening everything was back to normal. We feel extremely lucky.

During the storm we had a full house of inn guests and workshop students! Everyone stayed high and dry and were able to enjoy themselves in spite of the unwanted weather excitement!

This was our creek on Sunday afternoon.

And this was the creek on Monday morning.

I've posted more information and pictures of our experience on our workshops blog.

Some near by communities such as Windham, were not so lucky and our hearts go out to them as they work hard to rebuild. We hope you come up for a visit when these towns and the businesses reopen to support them as they get back to normal. Windham Mountain is still on schedule for a full winter skiing season!

The Morning Glories are Taking Over

2011-08-21T16:20:00.001-04:00

The Morning Glories on our flowering fence are going wild!

I just love this heavenly shade of blue.

The painting workshop that was at the Greenville Arms 1889 Inn last week was enjoying the pool too, but mostly only as a backdrop for their paintings!

The Not So Lazy Days of Summer

2011-08-12T18:13:00.001-04:00

The activity levels around the inn rose to a fever pitch in the last couple of weeks, and I'm not talking about the weather!

The annual visit from the painting crew started on August 6th. This years task was the front of the Main Inn - the walls, columns, and porch. The first step was to take off the old cracking and peeling layers of vinyl paint from the porch.

The idea was to then cover it with a fresh smooth layer of paint, but lo and behold, the wood under that old paint was beautiful! How can one cover up such beautiful wood flooring? So the plan was changed to completely strip and sand the wood porch, and then just use a semi-transparent wood stain.

It was quite a job getting that paint off and sanding everything smooth. The painters went through over $300 in sanding disks!

But it was well worth the effort. It looks like a brand new porch!

Our porch furniture was moved under the trees outside our office windows while this project was taking place. It looks like a seating furniture convention.

The final step was to stain the porch. We choose a stain called "Sweet Rose Red". With the fresh white paint on the walls and the fresh green paint on the trim, the red stained porch really stands out. We love the new look and hope you do, too.

It is now so beautiful, that I told the painters that we might not want to let anyone walk on it again! But really it is just off limits until Monday.

While this project was going on we had more "excitement" - someone crashed into the telephone pole across the street from our inn, completely yanking off the telephone lines off of several buildings, including our inn.

The driver obviously was not paying attention to the 30 MPH speed limit - that's the speed limit sign you see flattened to the ground.

Luckily no one was hurt in the accident, but we were totally cut off from phone and internet service and the repair company was estimating that they would not be there to fix it for 2 weeks because of the Verizon strike!!! Yikes.

We immediately started putting in place an alternate plan to stay in touch and be available for the many inn guests that were checking in on the weekend. I have an iPhone with AT & T and my husband went out at got one with Verizon. So we were covered for whoever would get the best cell coverage. Then we forwarded all calls that were coming into our main inn line to the cellphones. I had to take my laptop out to the nearest free wifi spot to get our email and check for any online reservations on the first day, but then we activated our iPhone as wifi hot spots for our computers. As my husband quipped, we were now running our 4 business off of 2 iPhones. (Not quite, we also used my MacBook Pro.)

By the time we had our alternate plan in place on the second day of the "communication dead zone" (we did still have cable TV), Verizon showed up and fixed the pole and connected all the lines! Way to go Verizon guys! We definitely breathed a sigh of relief.

But we couldn't rest easy for long -- one of our septic systems was acting up. So in came the backhoe and repair crew. A couple of new pipes and new transfer tank later and everything is back to being peachy keen.

No pictures for this project. It's not quite as glamorous as the new front porch, but I'll end this post with an update on our flowering fence.

The Morning Glories are growing like crazy and the bright pink and soft blue flowers are lovely.

Clean and Green with CitraSolv

2011-07-11T19:18:00.001-04:00

Here at the Greenville Arms, we believe in eco-responsibility and are always on the look out for ways to be ever "greener" in Greenville! We already recycle, reuse and re-purpose wherever we can. (If you ever look on the back side of your check-in form, you might notice that it is recycled wine menus, and we take phone reservation information on over-printed on unused Franklin Day Planner pages leftover from my days in the corporate world!)

To this end, we recently discovered a new product line called CitraSolv. It is a natural cleaner made with real essential oils derived from citrus peels. They have general cleaners and degreasers (handy in the kitchen), glass and window cleaners, spot removers, drain cleaners, laundry soap, hand and body soap, and air fresheners. They all have no artificial ingredients or scents and are NOT tested on animals.

All in all, some great cleaning and freshening products, but the funny thing is we were not introduced to the products as household cleaners, but as an art supply! Robert Burridge was teaching a workshop for our Hudson River Valley Art Workshops and he had a case of CitraSolv shipped to us for use in the class. He uses it to create the most amazing collage papers, but also touted it as a fabulous paint brush cleaner and household cleaner.

So I just had to look up this product online to learn more about it! After looking at CitraSolvs website, their eco and animal-friendly policies, and hearing more testimonials from both artists and inn guests who were familiar with the products, we decided to add the CitraSolv concentrate product to our Inn Shop because we already carry various art and fiber supplies for the art workshops.) I was sold!

But then when I contacted CitraSolv about placing an order, they told me about a photo contest they were having - "Get Out of the Dog House with CitraSpot" - a new spot removing product. All you had to do was email a photo of your favorite spot making dog!

Well, we definitely have a couple of "spot makers." So I submited this photo of Hudson and Bree, our Inn dogs.

I was incredibly surprised a short time later to learn that this photo was the grand prize winner in their contest! The prize was a box full of CitraSolv products -- and more important to Hudson and Bree -- 2 nice natural chewing bones!

I can't wait to try out these products around the inn. They have such lovely natural fragrances, too -- orange, lavender, and lemon verbena! Thanks, CitraSolv!

Pancake Muffins with Strawberries in Syrup

2011-06-28T14:23:00.001-04:00

We debuted a new breakfast special last week to rave reviews - Pancake Muffins with Strawberries in Syrup.

Here is the recipe if you'd like to try these at home:

Makes 24 muffins

Muffins:
Nonstick cooking spray

2-1/3 cups of all-purpose flour

1 cup of pastry flour

2 teaspoons of baking soda

2 teaspoons of baking powder

1 teaspoon of kosher salt

6 large eggs, at room temperature, yolks and whites separated in two bowls.

3/4 teaspoon cream of tartar

6 Tablespoons unsalted butter, melted and slightly cooled

6 Tablespoons granulated sugar

2 teaspoon pure vanilla extract

3-1/3 cups buttermilk, at room temperature

Prepare the Muffins:

Pre-heat the oven to 400F. Generously spray two 12-cup muffin pans with cooking spray.

In a medium bowl, mix the all-purpose flour, pastry flour, baking soda, baking powder, and salt; and set aside.

In a large mixing bowl, beat the egg whites and cream of tartar with an electric mixer on medium-high speed until firm, but not dry. About 2 - 3 minutes. Set aside.

In another large bowl, beat the egg yolks with the mixer on medium-high until thick, ribbony, and lemon-yellow. About 6 minutes. Add the melted butter, sugar, and vanilla; mix on medium-low until combined. Add one-third of the flour mixture and mix on low speed. Add one-third of the buttermilk and mix to combine. Alternate adding the remaining flour mixture and buttermilk, ending with the buttermilk and mixing until just combined.

With a large rubber spatula, gently fold the whipped egg whites into the batter, leaving some streaks.

Fill the muffin pans, about 1/2 cup of the batter into each muffin cup. Bake, rotating the pans after 10 minutes, until browned on top and puffed, and a toothpick inserted in the centers comes out dry, about 20 to 25 minutes total.

Prepare the Strawberries in Syrup

1 cup pure maple syrup

1 cup quartered, hulled ripe strawberries

In a small saucepan, bring the maple syrup to a boil over medium-high heat. Put the strawberries in the syrup and turn off the heat. Set aside in a warm spot.

To Serve:

Pop the muffins out of the cups and arrange 2 to a plate, spoon syrup and strawberries of the muffins, and then sprinkle with confectioners' sugar.

One of my favorite things about this recipe, is that while these are delicious freshly made right out of the oven, I think they are even better after they have been frozen, thawed, and reheated -- and our staff agrees! This is great for making in advance for a large group of people or having them on hand for an intimate party of 2!

Flowering Fence

2011-06-17T17:28:00.001-04:00

We've started a flowering fence along the entrance to the pool by trimming back the dead hemlock trees to 5' trunks and then planting a variety of climatis vines at the base of each trunk. Some of these vines have done better than others.

But this is a work in progress. So I'm not too bothered when some critter decides to take bit out a plant at the base of a vine that had almost climbed to the top of the trunk!

Next year we'll replace and add more vines as needed. We are also thinking of adding in a climbing rose or two to give us a full season of flowers.

The vines on the side of the Main Inn, however, are going gangbusters! Of course, they will all be removed when it is time to paint that portion of the inn again. Keeping our property looking spiffy includes painting a portion of the buildings each year -- it's too big to do all in one year.

Wandering Deer

2011-06-08T10:44:00.001-04:00

What I thought were a couple of tourists, has turned into daily visitors! This pair of does stroll around our side lawn every morning and evening looking for tasty flowers.

They enjoyed a couple of mouthfuls of the Mock Orange shrub and then moved on to look for the next course.

Good thing they don't like peonies! I've been adding one new peony to this flower bed for the last couple of years and they are starting to look really nice.

The vines are starting creep across the wall on the inn. I like the way the vines look, but of course, they are all scraped off every time that section of the inn is painted, which is probably every 5 years. This is probably a good thing, as vines like this can start to work their way into the building.

Can the Weather be Too Perfect?

2011-06-04T11:58:00.001-04:00

It is such a gorgeous day today that I'm having a hard time reminding myself that I have work to do!

All I want to do is walk around the grounds sniffing flowers.

Even the woods is full of purple flowers (although it is hard to tell in this photo).

New 4th of July Wee Forest Folk Figures in our Shop

2011-05-24T13:29:00.001-04:00

We just received our shipment of the new 4th of July Wee Forest Folk figures for our gift shop.

From left to right we have: Dandy Doodler (a limited edition piece), Red Rocket, and Drop in for the Forth (also a limited edition).

This one is First Spring Outing and you can get the baby mouse in blue or in pink blanket!

Early Morning Tourists

2011-05-21T10:22:00.001-04:00

Caught these two early morning tourists on our front lawn.

Maybe they heard about my new breakfast special - Pancake Muffins with Strawberry Syrup. Either that or they were eyeing the last remaining tulips blooming along the front driveway and wondering if they dared take a place at that dining area with out being seen.

Lilacs, Lupines, and Light

2011-05-20T20:37:00.001-04:00

We had a lovely break in the rain clouds today, so I was able to get out in the gardens to enjoy the beauty that all this rain has produced.

The ancient lilac is in full form right now with amazing bunches of light violet flowers.

The flower stalks on the Lupines are starting to form. I'm very excited about finally having some Lupines in the garden -- mostly due to being a fan of Monty Python and their very funny sketch about Lupines!

The Cherokee Princess dogwood is also starting to bloom and to recover it's form. The previous winter the heavy snow caused the shrubs in back of it to press on top and snap off a couple of it's branches.

This is the view looking towards the Carriage House from the pool area. I love this new view now that the overgrown Hemlocks are gone!

The creek that runs through the property is rushing merrily along, but has stayed nicely within it's bounds.

Watering the Lilacs

2011-05-17T14:51:00.001-04:00

The lilacs are in full bloom all around the inn grounds, but it has been so rainy the last couple of days that I haven't been able to take any pictures! Still I slipped out this afternoon during brief lull in the rain to take this shot of the lilac in front of the Cottage rooms.

The air scented with the heady aroma of lilacs everywhere you walk around the property.

The lupines are coming along nicely, too.

More Quilts For The Guest Rooms

2011-05-10T17:29:00.001-04:00

Three more quilts for the guest rooms have been completed! That makes a total of 5 so far. Many more to go, but it's a great start.

This one is in Room 5. It is a Queen sized bed. Room 5 is located on the second floor of our Main Inn.

The next one is in Room 18. It is also a Queen sized bed. Room 18 is located on the second floor of our Carriage House.

The last one is in Room 15. It is a King sized bed. Room 15 is located on the second floor of our Carriage House.

All of the quilts in this set were designed and pieced by me (Kim LaPolla), then quilted by Eileen Keane, and then the final edge binding is sewn on by me.

I'll be working on some coordinating pillow shams to go with the new quilts as my next project.

Shopping at Story's Nursery

2011-05-09T06:55:00.001-04:00

The robins are nesting and the squirrels are hopping around trying to remember where they left their nuts. Another sure sign of Spring is a trip to Story's Nursery in Freehold, NY, which is about 10 minutes from the Greenville Arms.

Story's is a treasure trove of plants and trees. They are open all year and always have a wonderful selection, including lots of unique and unusual varieties.

I always have a difficult time limiting myself to just one cart full of plants!

This Mother's Day shopping trip was for new additions for our White Garden. The White Garden is currently just a small patch on the edge of the front side lawn, but the plan is to extend and expand it, at least up to the garden bench.

Today we plant our selections! Pictures to follow in the next post.

Lemonade Day in Greene County

2011-05-08T12:08:00.001-04:00

Lemonade Day in Greene County, NY is an event designed to teach children how to set up a business and manage their earnings and expenses. Groups of children, with the assistance of an adult supervisor, register to build a lemonade stand at a certain location in Greene County, to be open for May 1st - the official Lemonade Day.

There were close to a dozen wonderful and inventive lemonade stands within a short walk of our inn, mostly around one of the town parks.

Here are couple of the lemonade stands at the park.

Mad Dog Lemonade was one of my favorites!

It was a beautiful Spring day in Greenville for the event, as you can see by the lovely reflection in the town pond.

What a difference between this photo and the one I took just a couple of months ago when the pond was frozen and the landscape covered in snow!

Flowers Brought on by April Showers

2011-04-29T16:51:00.001-04:00

It was a beautiful Spring day in Greenville. I took advantage of the warm weather and cool breezes by spending several hours working in the garden on our big hedge "revisioning" (pictures of this later). But I also remembered to capture the beauty of all the early Spring flowers.

Even the dandelions look great at this stage!

The magnolia at the far end is set to bloom in just a few days.

Violets are appearing in clumps all over the lawns, unfortunately (or probably fortunately) lawn mowing starts next week and the violets will be gone.

Rabbits have been nibbling on the tulips, but the many varieties of daffodils are in full bloom all over.

A few tulips that have escaped the notice of critters.

Fresh Garlic Chives

2011-04-27T10:53:00.001-04:00

There are many reasons to love Spring time in the Catskill Mountain and Hudson River region, but as far as a culinary reason to love the Spring -- it is the time when the garlic chives sprout in our herb garden! Nothing like fresh chives added to creamy scrambled eggs and a little goat cheese!

I love going out at the crack of dawn while the dew is still on the chives to harvest a fresh batch for the breakfast special that morning.

Another favorite addition to scrambled eggs from our herb garden is lemon thyme. Yum! But we'll have to wait a little longer before that is ready to harvest.

Spring Flowers and Dalmatian Puppies

2011-04-14T11:10:00.001-04:00

The signs of Spring are popping up all around the Greenville Arms 1889 Inn. The daffodils will be blooming by the end of the day . . .

and it won't be long until the lupines are sending up stems of flowers.

I'm looking forward more garden transformations. I have in mind more perennials and flowering vines.

On another note, I was checking out the statistics of this blog and discovered a curious and funny thing --- the most popular post of all time was the one in which I mentioned a new Dalmatian figurine that I just added to our collection (displayed in the built-in cabinet in the dining room)! I thought "wow, I should post about Dalmatians more often." ;-)

So here is an obligitory Dalmatian picture! This is our Dalmatian, Hudson, when he was a cute little puppy. He is still cute, but not so little.

However, the second most popular post was about the Spring gardens, which is good because the flowers are much easier to photograph as they tend to hold still!

Chocolate Rabbits All Over the Place

2011-04-13T12:33:00.001-04:00

Life By Chocolates at the Greenville Arms is going gangbusters making chocolate rabbits to ship out to all the stores that sell our gourmet organic chocolates.

Here is a batch of our Classic Rabbits packed up in protective bubble wrap pockets and ready to be placed in shipping boxes.

The rabbits are also available for sale in our shop at the inn. They come in organic dark chocolate, Swiss milk chocolate, or organic vegan dark chocolate.

On the Trail of Fabric - New York Shop Hop

2011-04-08T12:26:00.001-04:00

The Quilter's Quest Shop Hop is May 19, 20, 21, 22, 2011. What is a shop hop? It is when a group of fabric shops get together and offer sales, prizes, and a whole lot of fun for participants who travel to each of the shops.

It's a great way to tour the area and support local businesses.

This year there are eleven participating shops:

Adirondack Quilts
21 Cooper Street
Glens Falls, NY 12801
(518) 615-0134
Mon-Sat: 10-5; Sun: 11-4

Flying Geese Fabrics
501 New Karner Road
Albany, NY 12205
(518) 456-8885
Mon-Sat 10-5; Thur 10-8
Sun 12-4 (Labor Day - Memorial Day)

Foofsique Quilting Emporium
437 Route 295
Chatham, NY 12037
(518) 392-3111
Tue-Fri 10-5; Sat 10-4; Sun 11-3

Gloversville Sewing Center
385 South Main
Gloversville, NY 12078
(518) 725-4919
Mon-Fri 9-5:30; Thur 9-8; Sat 9-5

The Joyful Quilter
19 Glenridge Road #A
Glenville, NY 12302
(518) 399-0128
Mon, Tues, Thur, Fri 10-5;
Wed 10-8; Sat 10-4; Sun 11-4

KC Framing and Fabrics
65 Davidson Drive
Saratoga Springs, NY 12866
(518)580-9055
Mon 10-7; Tue-Wed,Fri-Sat 10-5;
Thu 10-8; Sun 12-4

Log Cabin Fabrics
702 Starr Road
Ravena, NY 12143
(518) 767-9236
Tues 10-9; Wed-Fri 10-5; Sat 10-4

Quiltbug
169 Main Street
Esperance, NY 12066
(888) 817-6577
Mon 10-8; Tue-Fri 10-5; Sat 10-4

Pumpkin Patch
58 West Center St (Route 20)
Lee, MA 01238
(413) 243-1635
Mon-Sat 10-6; Sun 12-5

Style Fabrics
222 Plaza Road, Kingston Plaza
Kingston, NY 12401
(845) 338-1793
Mon-Sat 10-6

The Yardstick
147 Barnerville Road, Suite 1
Cobleskill, NY 12043
(518) 234-2179
Tue-Fri 10-6; Sat 10-5; Sun 11-5

Winter Redux

2011-04-01T14:19:00.001-04:00

For a brief moment it seemed like we were back to winter. Last night we got a lovely frosting of snow.

All of the trees and shrubs were frosted but the roads and pathways stayed clear.

I always love the way the Japanese Cut-Leaf Maple looks covered in snow.

Here is the same daffodils from the photo in yesterday's post!

Good thing I ran out first thing in the morning to capture these photos because by noon all the snow had melted away.

Mother Nature's April Fools Joke

2011-03-31T14:53:00.001-04:00

The sun has been shining and the tulips and daffidils are springing up all over the grounds.

But Mother Nature was only fooling us! She's not quite finished with snow. We are suppose to get 4 - 10 inches tonight. So there is still time to get in some skiing at Hunter or Windham mountains.

And there is time for some more hot chocolate!

New Quilt for the Rooms

2011-03-02T15:18:00.001-05:00

It has long been my goal to make a quilt for each of the guest rooms at the Greenville Arms 1889 Inn, but I've been so busy just being an innkeeper that until now I haven't had the time to devote to this enjoyable, but time-consuming task.

This year, however, I set a goal of making at least 5 quilts -- and I did it! I put together the quilt tops, then send them out to Eileen Keane to quilt on her longarm sewing machine. When the quilts come back to me, I then put on the binding that goes around the edges.

The first one has just been finished and I have put it in Room 14, at the moment. I say "at the moment" because often the quilts are moved from room to room, depending on where it is needed. Luckily, most scrap quilts work well with any decor!

Room 14 has a Queen bed and is on the second floor of our carriage house. The windows have a view of the forest in back of the inn.

The room also has this cute little loveseat.

Chocolate Season

2011-02-18T19:38:00.001-05:00

The chocolate season is another name for winter/spring around the Greenville Arms 1889 Inn. It's when our in-house chocolate company, Life By Chocolates, is in full swing producing chocolates for all of the holidays that fall between October and April.

This is the time when the scent of chocolate really fills the main inn!

Even if you can't make it to the inn at the moment, but are craving some wonderful organic chocolates, you can always purchase the chocolates on the Life By Chocolates website.

We are in the process of updating all of the photographs of the chocolates on our website - putting up bigger pictures of all of the individual chocolates. Here are a couple sample pictures to tempt your sweet tooth!

These are Lemon Logs - a white chocolate ganache center flavored with lemon juice and lemon zest and covered with an organic 73% dark chocolate. Then sprinkled with naturally colored sugar crystals.

Then there is one of my favorites, the Lavender Ganache! This is a heavenly rich ganache (soft chocolate - like a truffle filling) flavored with a hint organic lavender and covered with an organic 73% dark chocolate.

We always put 2 sample chocolates in your room for your arrival. So if you have some favorites or a particular chocolate you'd like to try, let us know when you make your reservation and we'll be sure to put a sample of that in your room!

Town Park As a Snowy Wonderland

2011-01-14T11:18:00.001-05:00

I love the four seasons for the particular beauty that each one brings to our area. So the last time we had an over night snow storm, I couldn't resist going for a walk in the early morning to snap just pictures of the predawn beauty of one of our town parks.

The gazebo is host to music performances and BBQ cookouts in the summertime. It overlooks the pond, which is the white expanse in the foreground of the photo. The first building after the gazebo is the Greenville Library. Next is the All Arts Matter building, host to a wide variety of visual and performing arts events.

This is the clock at the park. Looks fetching in its white hat!

Below is the main intersection in Greenville - Route 32 and Route 81. The streets were totally empty while I was out walking around, but you can see what a good job the snow plow crews do in keeping the roads clear.

This picture is looking West across the town pond. Those small trees are the 50 or so little Christmas trees that are put around the park by the Rotary Club and then sponsored and decorated by local businesses (including us). In the evening their lights are on.

On the walk back to the inn I passed the Ann Lafferty Real Estate office, festively decked out in Christmas lights and The Towne and Country Shoppe, a fine family consignments shop. They have wonderful deals on not only gently used items, but brand new overstock items. Mark bought a fabulous new coat from them.

Back at the inn, here is our snow covered creek . . .

. . . and a vintage urn brimming with snow.

The outdoor sculpture is always lovely with the addition of a little snow.
This is a piece by Lisa Friedlander of California.

The picnic table by the swimming pool also had a good topping of the fluffy white stuff.

More awe inspiring quiet beauty in that cool gray-ish blue of early morning.

Hot Chocolate Weather

2011-01-07T11:51:00.001-05:00

The snow is gently falling all around Greenville Arms 1889 Inn today. It makes me what to sit by a window with a mug of hot chocolate and a good book or my knitting.

The weather reports are predicting about 2 - 4 inches of fluffy white stuff, but the snow plows have been keeping the roads totally clear.

Without any wind, like the last snowfall, it is really quite pleasant outside and I love to see the snow collecting on the trees and scrubs.

The wishing well (the actual water well for the property before the property was connected to city water lines) is always picturesque in the winter.

Two of our most popular rooms in the winter (or any time) are the cottage rooms. Each of them has a gas fireplace and a whirlpool tub for two. The rooms are known as the South Cottage and the North Cottage.

Bundling up and sitting on the cottage porch with a hot beverage is fun, especially when it is snowing!

If you are looking for a more active stay in our area, the area ski resorts are getting plenty of packed powder! Windham Mountain and Hunter Mountain are just about 40 minutes away from our inn.

Winter White

2010-12-29T08:32:00.001-05:00

The day after Christmas the snows came! The grounds around the inn now look properly wintery.

It was also quite blustery, putting the wind chill temps at -7, so I only ventured out as far as the front porch to take picture of our first snow.

There was a 2 foot snow drift in front of the kitchen door. Note that our Halloween pumpkin is quite frozen, which is why it still looks good at this late date.

We even got a good layer of snow on the second floor porch on the main inn.

Christmas Sunrise

2010-12-25T09:05:00.001-05:00

Merry Christmas to all of our friends and family, and to everyone who has been our guest at the Greenville Arms 1889 Inn.

We wish you a happy and prosperous New Year and hope to see you at the Inn!

Christmas Eve Tradition

2010-12-25T09:02:00.001-05:00

In my family it is tradition to wait until Christmas Eve to decorate the tree. Christmas Eve is all about decorating the tree with family and eating holiday treats!

My mom use to make a "normal" Christmas Eve dinner, but everyone would be so stuffed with cookies and ring-a-lings (a frosted raisin and cinnamon roll) that we hardly ever ate dinner.

So last night Mark and I decorated the tree.

It started with bringing in the tree. You can see that we have only a dusting of snow and the sun is brightly shining, but at least it is cold enough to feel like Christmas.

The first step in the decorating is putting on the lights. When I was little, I started out as a "light hanging assistant" with my Dad, then later with my older brother, but then it wasn't long until I was light hanging "master" - or the only one left happy to do this task!

Now it is completely left up to me. Everyone thinks that hanging the ornaments is more fun, but I love sparkling lights. We now use the new energy-efficient LCD light strings and they are great!

The finished tree! We have a very eclectic collection of ornaments - some purchased and some handmade.

Because we put the tree up so late, we also traditionally keep it up until around January 16th (my brother's birthday). So you have plenty of time to stop for a visit or a stay at the inn while the tree is on display in the front dinning room.

Our chocolate shop, Life By Chocolates, will also have all of the Christmas chocolates on sale -- making a visit even sweeter!

The Newest Wee Forest Folk

2010-12-15T11:08:00.001-05:00

We are very happy to carry Wee Forest Folk in our gift shop at the inn. These are addictively collectable little mouse figures! I started collecting them myself in the 1980's.

We have all of the new Christmas figures available for sale and just received the specially designed piece by the founder of Wee Forest Folk - Annette Petersen, who is still design at the age of 91 years young.

It is called "The Elegant Hostess" (M-423).

Thanksgiving at the Greenville Arms

2010-12-04T11:09:00.001-05:00

While we don't serve a Thanksgiving dinner to guests (they are usually staying with us while visiting family), Mark and I always enjoy making our traditional Thanksgiving dinner.

It was just the two of us this year, so the menu was limited to just our favorites. We started out with roasted chestnuts and a wonderful, buttery and earthy Saint Agur, a blue cheese made from pasteurized cow's milk from the village of Beauzac in the Monts du Velay, part of the mountainous Auvergne region of central France.

Paired with this was a luscious 1984 Domaine De Caplane sauternes.

Then came the main event - an organic free-range turkey with stuffing! The turkey was set in a Maple-Soy-Ginger brine the day before, and then stuffed and roasted. The stuffing was a bread (I use chewy-crusted baguettes), sausage, pine nut, mushroom, celery, onion, and parsley mix.)

I carve the turkey while Mark makes the gravy.

Just enough not to feel as stuffed as the turkey at the end!

Bonus December Retreat

2010-11-12T17:30:00.000-05:00

Come to our Bonus Retreat in December.

Our Retreats are a time for people to get together and work on their own projects with no set program. If you're self-motivated and could use time to concentrate without instruction, or if you have a friend you want to spend time with, or you just want a relaxing art vacation, the Retreat package is for you.

Take advantage of this uninterrupted time to finish your holiday projects!

As a bonus for this retreat, Kim LaPolla, workshop director and fiber artist, will be joining you in the studio and will provide informal lessons on how she designs and creates the rabbits for her quilts. Kim will explain how to create a pattern and templates starting with a photo or illustration. Kim uses both a turned-under applique method and a fused method. Other techniques and processes will be covered, such as the crazy-pieced background.

Come join us for this fun week. Enjoy the 24-hour access for the studio, full country breakfast, afternoon cookies and fruit, and delicious 3-course dinner. Also unlimited coffee, tea, and hot chocolate!

Dutch Baby Breakfast Dish

2010-11-04T11:03:00.001-04:00

Everyone has been asking for the recipe for the "Dutch Baby", a breakfast dish that is sort of like a large puffed pancake that is baked in oven. It is one of my favorite dishes and I don't get to make it that often, mainly because I usually only make it for small groups, as it does take a little longer to prepare and I only have so many small skillets!

So here is the recipe:

Dutch Babies (or German Pancakes)

For four servings,

4 Eggs

1 Cup Milk

1 Cup Flour

approx. 6 - 8 Tablespoons of butter/margerine

Preheat oven to 425 while you are blending the the egg mixture. Crack the eggs into a blender and whirl at high speed for about a minute. With the motor running, gradually add the milk, and then the flour. Continue whirling for 30 seconds.

Portion the butter into one large oven-safe non-stick skillet (3 - 4 quart size) or 4 small oven safe non-stick skillets (1 quart size) (I use a 8" teflon oven-safe skillet to make individual servings), then put in the oven to melt. If you are using 4 skillets, divide the butter equally between them. I also spray the pan with non-stick coating to make sure the Dutch Babies don't stick to the pans, which would spoil the presentation!

When the butter is melted, pour the egg mixture into the skillet/skillets and bake for 20 - 25 minutes. It is done when edges are browned and the center is firm.

Serve immediately. May be served plain, sprinkled with powdered sugar, syrup, lemon wedges, or fruit.

Hula Hooping at the Greenville Arms 1889 Inn

2010-11-02T19:51:00.004-04:00

We have a belly dancer here at the Greenville Arms 1889 Inn and she was talking about Hula Hooping and offered me a challenge, Do the Hula-Hoop for 20 minutes or give her a box of chocolates. What's in it for me?

Here are the pictures of us doing the Hula. Loads for fun here at the Hudson River Valley Fiber Art Workshops.

Let's get this party started.

Hula Hula Hula Hoop.

And here Lola, the pro. Look at the smile.

Fall Colors hitting their stride at the Greenville Arms

2010-10-25T17:24:00.002-04:00

The Fall Colors are just hitting their stride here at Life By Chocolate at the Greenville Arms. The surrounding country side may be past it's prime, though still very colorful and beautiful, but as you can see, we still have plenty of green leaves getting ready to change, as well as plenty of beautiful fall trees and bushes. Now's the time to come up and visit us.

Apple Picking Time

2010-10-20T10:45:00.001-04:00

Fall is a glorious time to be in the Catskills. Not only our the tree leaves turning magnificent colors of yellow, orange, and red, but it it apple picking time!

There a number of pick-your-own apple farms in Greene county. Two of them are Schnare's Sunset Orchard and Boehm Farm.

You still have time to see some great Fall color. The trees around the Greenville Arms are just starting to turn and the ivy on the Main Inn is starting, too.

The pool may be closed, but it is a lovely spot to sit with a nice cup of hot chocolate, coffee, or tea - which is available anytime!

Prime Time Fall at Olana

2010-10-12T13:22:00.001-04:00

This is the time of year I love the most - the brisk air, the falling leaves, colorful trees, and sunny skies!

There are many wonderful scenic routes to drive around our area to take in the glorious Fall colors. One of these destinations is Olana, the historic estate and home built by Frederick Church, who was one of the Hudson River painters of the turn of the previous century.

I recently enjoyed an afternoon up at Olana (located in the town of Hudson) when I delivered lunches to our group of painters taking a workshop with Hudson River Valley Art Workshops.

The views were tremendous - you could see the Hudson River and the Catskill Mountains.

The house is pretty stunning, too!

One of my favorite places to walk at Olana is their perennial garden located on a lower slope near the house.

It seems like there is always something blooming.

And they have interesting varieties of flowers.

The Scent of Chocolate

2010-09-28T19:08:00.001-04:00

Fall means chocolate at the inn because that is when Life By Chocolates, our chocolate company starts getting in gear for the chocolate season - starting with Halloween

We start making chocolate cats by the dozens! We have dark chocolate, milk chocolate, white chocolate, and vegan dark chocolate cats!

We also have beautiful gift boxes of chocolates, perfect as a gift or for snacking in your room.

This boxes have a selection of some of our favorite flavors for Fall, including Maple Creams, Pumpkin Pie Caramels, Peppermint Cordials, and more.

All of these chocolate confections are made right at our inn using the finest ingredients, starting with organic chocolate.

Our chocolate shop is open Wednesday thru Sunday from 10:00am to 5:00pm, but since we are an inn and open practically all the time, if you get a hankering for some fabulous chocolate at a time when we are "closed", give us a call!

September Flora

2010-09-15T20:13:00.001-04:00

Fall is definitely on the way, although there was not yet been much color changes on the trees.

The robins have all left their nests. (This one was built on our fire escape stairs.)

The foxglove is still blooming.

The marigolds in the herb garden are going gangbusters, threatening to crowd out all the herbs!

The ivy is still creeping around.

And the Angel's Trumpet is still putting out their spectacular blooms.

But, as I said, Fall is just around the corner!

Yes, We're Still Here and Still Having Great Workshops

2010-08-11T18:06:00.001-04:00

I can't believe it is a month since my last blog post. I guess we've just been having too much fun with the workshops.

Now let's see . . . where did I leave off.

Yes, the wonderful weekend with Larkin Van Horn (she'll be back in 2012!)

Following Larkin, was another fantastic workshop taught by Rayna Gillman - Deconstructing the Screen.

This is Rayna giving a little trunk show of her own work.

This was a wonderful class made up of both fiber artists, wearable art artists, and print makers. A marvelous convergence of ideas and talent.

If you're wondering about the pile of white fabric on the tables, it is the mother lode of machine-made lace. It was donated to us by an inn guest of ours who was downsizing. The piles use to fill 4 tables, but now it is down to just 2. It is free for the taking, so if you're in the area stop by soon before it is all gone!

This is a print done on fabric and on watercolor paper.

The railing on the North Cottage was turned into a drying rack / display!

The rope lines strung between trees in back of the studio also featured a colorful display every day.

Rayna and Calli talk about screen printing. Calli is the sister of Koo Schadler, who teaches an egg tempera class for us (Koo is coming next year - sign up early as her class always fills quickly).

Mice in Greenville!

2010-07-10T17:57:00.001-04:00

No, I'm NOT talking about the scurrying, furry kind! The Greenville Arms gift shop now carries Wee Forest Folk, wonderful and whimsical mice figurines hand-crafted by a family company in MA.

Wee Forest Folk just announced a couple of new customizable figures that are just the cutest!

They are customizable with the type and number of toys on the mousey's bed and on the floor around the bed.

I'll be ordering my favorite combo to have in our shop, but would be happy to order a custom one for you!

Summer Flowers

2010-06-30T15:50:00.001-04:00

The zinnias are outstanding this year. They are one of my favorite flowers because they come in such wonderful color combinations.

Snapdragons are another favorite, probably because as a child I loved making the flowers "talk"!

I am in the process of redesigning the garden in front of the main inn. I want to add more flowers and color. So out came the evergreen shrubs and in when lupine, zinnias, foxglove, and bearded iris.

It looks a little bare in this photo, but everything has already grown in quite a bit and the foxgloves are blooming in ernest.

As budget and time allows I will be filling in more of this bed with additional perennials, but will probably use more annuals this year for their "instant" color appeal.

The Pool is Open!

2010-06-03T13:24:00.001-04:00

The eagerly awaited pool opening has happened -- in time for its usual Memorial Day opening. Whew. ;-)

The water is sparkling and inviting.

We had just about a full house over the Memorial Day weekend and had quite a few guests enjoying the sun around the pool.

Leaving the Nest

2010-05-21T10:36:00.001-04:00

Two of the robins from the nest on our front porch have stretched their wings and gone off on their own.

One was intentional and the other accidental. We were sitting on the front porch having coffee (well away from the nest, of course), when one of the robins slipped from the nest. He made a good try at flapping his wings, which at least slowed his decent. He was soon hopping around on the porch calling for his mother!

Then a moment later, not be be out done by his sibling, another baby robin flew out of the nest. This one hopped around a few minutes and then flew off into the trees. He was definitely ready to leave the nest.

It was funny to watch the remaining robins eyeing the two who were out of the nest, trying to decide if they should do it too, or wait til mother was back to give them another meal or two.

They finally setting on waiting.

The Robin Babies Are Growing!

2010-05-18T12:19:00.001-04:00

Everyone has been enjoying sitting on our front porch to watch the robins nesting on top of the croquet mallets hanging on the wall by the front door.

They are growing so fast that they hardly seem to fit in the nest.

If you sit real quietly for a while, the mom or dad robin with come to feed the babies.

I wish I had a better telephoto lens!

The Dog Days of Spring

2010-05-17T20:43:00.001-04:00

Our inn dogs like just about any kind of weather, but with the Spring sunshine finally drying out the back lawns, Hudson, our Dalmatian, is very happy to be taken out to play fetch.

The lawns and trees are that lush green of early Spring. It is a joy to just stroll along taking in the fresh air and bird songs.

The lilacs are still in bloom near the cottage, but soon the lavender and roses will be coming flowering.

Robin's Fixer-Upper Nest

2010-04-29T15:53:00.001-04:00

The robins are once again picking some questionable nest locations around the inn.

One particular family decided to move into this fixer-upper (the nest was built last year). They re-lined the nest and shored it up with a little mud to make sure it was sturdy.

I guess there will be no croquet playing until these little eggs have hatched and the robins flown the nest!

This nest is located right on our front porch, next to our front door. Not the most private of locations, but in past years a robin has successfully raise 3 babies in a nest on top of a Christmas wreath that I waited too long to take down.

The Spring flowers are blooming all over the property.

The magnolia in the side yard has put on a magnificent display despite losing a number of big branches to a heavy winter snow.

Wee Forest Folk Coming Soon

2010-04-23T12:01:00.001-04:00

We are excited to announce that the Greenville Arms 1889 Inn will soon carrying the highly collectable Wee Forest Folk figurines in our gift shop!

Wee Forest Folk are fanciful miniatures (mostly of mice) handcrafted by the Petersen family in Massachusetts since 1972.

These wonderfully expressive figures are a sought-after collectors item and even have their own fan club and annual convention!

We will have them available at the inn gift shop starting sometime next week and hope to have them available from our website later this year.

Blue-Eyed Grass is Wide-Eyed and Looking Fine

2010-04-20T08:54:00.001-04:00

The Blue-Eyed Grass under the cut-leaf Maple is in full bloom.

This is always a sure sign that Spring is definitely here to stay.

And speaking of signs, here is one that we are happy to announce will soon be coming down for the season!

Last year our 50 ft. pool was closed for renovations, but they are almost complete and the pool will be open as usual during its regular season - May to September.

Remember the Ladies - Women of the Hudson River School

2010-04-16T12:11:00.001-04:00

Contrary to popular understanding, landscape painting in the 19th century was not exclusively practiced by men. The 2010 exhibition at the Thomas Cole historical site in Catskill seeks to increase awareness of a previously little-celebrated but highly talented and accomplished group of women artists, and to examine the ways in which women artists were trained and exhibited their work alongside their male colleagues.

Opening Day: Sunday, May 2, 2010. There will be lecture at 2pm by co-curators, Nancy Siegel, Associate Professor of Art History, Towson University and Jennifer Krieger, Managing Partner, Hawthorne Fine Art. Admission to the lecture is $9.

This exhibit runs from May 2 - October 31, 2010.

The Main House and Studio are open by guided tour. From the first Saturday in May through the last Sunday in October, tours are offered Thursday, Friday, Saturday & Sunday 10 am-4 pm. Tours are offered at other times by appointment.

The Thomas Cole house is about 20 minutes away from the Greenville Arms 1889 Inn - one of the main historical sites in our area.

Art Exhibition at the Broderick Fine Art Gallery

2010-04-15T21:12:00.000-04:00

The Broderick Fine Art Gallery, located in nearby Freehold, NY is pleased to announce the April 24 opening of "Where We Live", a show of plein air landscapes by Barbara L. Walter. Paintings in this unique exhibit capture the everyday beauty of the Northern Catskill region at its best.

About the work – Barbara is inspired when driving the country roads of Greene County and being treated to those special moments that frame the rural character of the area. This series of plein air paintings are of recognizable local spots in a variety of seasons, each one capturing a special moment--long shadows on snow, an emerging spring, or the morning light. The scenes depicted represent much of the history of the northern Catskills, with grand old barns, a family cemetery, and the historical hamlets. The scenes also show why the area still thrives on tourism, resorts and horse farms because of its classic rural character.

About the show – April 24^th through May 22^nd

Gallery Hours: Fridays and Saturdays from 5 – 10 pm

Opening: Saturday, April 24^th from 5-7 pm

About the Broderick Fine Art Gallery – An intimate venue, the gallery is located upstairs at "Ruby’s Hotel", 3689 County Road 67 in Freehold, NY, just off Route 32. Visitors may dine at Ruby’s where Chef Ana Sporer will treat their taste buds to freshly prepared culinary delights using the finest in-season organic produce from local purveyors. Sporer was formerly a chef at the Pierre in Manhattan and a chef instructor at both the New York Restaurant School and the Institute of Culinary Education. For directions or more information on Ruby’s call 518-634-2559 or visit their website.

Spring Activities This Week

2010-04-15T09:07:00.001-04:00

We are always busy around the inn, but it is fun to take some time out to play with our dogs in the back fields.

That's a left over bit of toy that Hudson has hanging from his mouth. Unfortunately he like to chew as well as fetch his frisbies and that leftover bit was all that was left to throw for him!

The fallen trees are now all cleared away and the logs stacked in the forest. I'm thinking of using some of them to create a cutting flower garden in back of the carriage house.

Another Spring activity is taking pictures of some of our chocolate products to include in our Spring brochure. This is some shots I took of our chocolate bark.

We make the bark in dark chocolate, milk chocolate, white chocolate, or vegan dark chocolate. There are lots of different flavor combinations. You can get it with organic fruit, such as cherries, apricots, or cranberries, or organic nuts, such as almonds, pistachios, or hazelnuts. Plus we just came out with an organic coffee bean bark that is quickly becoming the favorite.

Thank Goodness for Spring Flowers

2010-04-13T20:56:00.001-04:00

The life of an innkeeper isn't all glamour and jolly times. Today I fixed two broken toilets, a shower drain, and a stuck lock -- in addition to serving breakfast to 13 and all the other duties that seem to never leave my to do list!

But thank goodness for Spring flowers that we can stop and enjoy!

Last weekend we worked at cutting down all of the broken tree limbs from the winter snow. We lost one of the large Maple trees in the front yard.

We started to try to tackle this one with a handsaw, but soon realized that a more modern tool was needed!

Once we get the stump ground out we'll plant another Maple tree in its place.

Another big task we tackled last weekend was to reorganize our office. A couple of years ago I had arranged everything in a sort of one person "command" center because I was the only one working in the office. But now it has been almost 2 year since Delores, our office assistant and chocolate saleswoman, has joined our team and the office was feeling a little crowded!

Here are the before pictures. This is Mark sitting at Delores' desk and you can see my desk right in back of it. (That plastic bin is our paper recycling bin.)

Here is the shipping department (it's that small white table!).

This is along the right side of the room - storage shelves and file cabinets.

Yes, it looks completely out of control but somehow we managed to make it work. However, now that I've rearranged the office it is going to be even better!

I still have a few more tweaks to do before I take the final "after" pictures but already everyone agrees that this was a much needed move.

New Look for One of My Favorite Rooms

2010-04-01T08:58:00.001-04:00

One of the loveseat cushions in a guest room was getting frayed in one corner, and having inquired about professional reupholstering costs previously, I decided to give it a go myself! (Not putting down the work or the worth of professionals, but we have a lot of furniture and not unlimited funds! LOL)

Luckily it was just the cushion needing help, so I was confident that I could do a reasonable job.

So here are the results.

I should mention that I'm a big fan of MacKenzie Childs and their wildly decorated furniture! Obviously, this is not quite as wild, but I'm starting gently!

I think it turned out rather nicely. I made a simple zippered box cushion cover without welting. I also made matching arm covers, but I'm thinking that I now need to make new covers for the pillows in a coordinating moss green fabric for some more contrast and to complete the "patchwork" look.

I also replaced the shower curtain in the bathroom with a lovely one featuring accents of lavender and butterflies. Even the curtain hooks have butterflies.

If you are wondering which room this is it is Room 4 in the Main Inn. Room 4 is one of our smaller room, but it is one of my favorites! It is a nice cozy room off by itself. The loveseat is flanked by windows, so you get lots of sunlight and a lovely view (it's on the second floor).

I'll use this room when I feel like a moment of solitude and relaxation. I'll take a nice cup of coffee or hot chocolate, along with my knitting or a book to read and enjoy that comfy loveseat and the view of the trees through the windows. I could happily retreat there all day!

Signs of Spring

2010-03-17T15:15:00.001-04:00

This week the temps are finally above 60 degrees. The remaining snow is melting at a nice leisurely pace (avoiding the problem of flooding) and the bulbs are starting to pop all over the property.

Here are a group of daffodils next to the South Cottage.

Another task this Spring will be to trim and clean up all of the broken branches and downed tree from a particularly heavy snow fall this winter. This is a shot of three trees that came down onto our back lawns this winter.

Our workshop season (the Hudson River Valley Art Workshops - painting workshops and art quilting workshops) has begun and everyone is having a wonderful time.

Dinner on the first night was a yummy Brazilian Tilapia Stew.

Snowy Days

2010-02-26T15:06:00.001-05:00

It seem that winter has finally decided to visit us here at the Greenville Arms 1889 Inn.

I just love it when all of the trees are coated with snow --- however --- I think this may be a bit too much!

Luckily these are flexible river birches and the next day when the snow had fallen off, these trees had sprung right back up.

The snow kept the snow plows busy. We had to have our driveway and parking lot plowed twice in one day.

Yesterday the snow fall let up a bit in the afternoon so we got to take our dogs out to play. Hudson loves water in any shape or form and he had a blast bounding around in the snow.

Bree had a fun time too, but as we made our way back out towards the cottages . . .

Bree made a beeline for the cottage porch. From this vantage point she could what Hudson running around and pick just the opportune time to jump on him.

After bit of running around like crazed hounds, Hudson and Bree enjoyed some cooling mouthfuls of fluffy snow.

Iceberg Hits Bridge

2010-02-02T15:45:00.001-05:00

Ok, so it is not quite an iceberg, but during a recent day of unseasonably warm weather coupled with some hard rains, the foot-thick slab of ice on the town pond broke in to pieces and headed pell-mell down the stream towards our inn!

The normally quiet little stream that cuts through our property was a roaring torrent and high enough to be lapping at the bottom of the two bridges that go over from our parking lot to the carriage house.

I happened to be glancing out the back door of the main inn just at the moment that the two huge chunks of ice hit the bridge. I remember thinking to myself, "I don't remember that snowbank being on the other side of the stream like that." It wasn't a snowbank, but a large chunk of snow-topped ice! I ran to get my camera, but by the time I got out there the largest chunk of ice had been carried away under the bridge and down the stream (taking with it the large tree branch that had been stuck under the bridge since last year). The remaining chunk of ice that had been tossed up on the bank was impressive enough! It looked like a giant piece of ice pie with a snow frosting. It was at least a foot thick and 4 feet wide. You can see it here in this picture, on the right side of the bridge.

Here you can see how high the water was in and out of the stream.

Another exciting shot.

Luckily all the excitement was short-lived. By the evening when the rains had stopped, the water had dropped by a foot or more and everything was back to normal -- except that chunk of ice is still sitting as a reminder by the bridge.

A Beautiful Winter Landscape

2009-12-08T11:55:00.001-05:00

We had our first real snow just a couple of days ago and more is expected tonight and tomorrow. I just love it when the snow piles up on the tree and shrub branches.

Here is a little photo tour around the Greenville Arms 1889 Inn.

This in the front of our inn. We like to call that shrub "the wild hair" bush. Every Spring I give it a crew cut and by winter it has all those lovely curving branches.

Some may think my garden looks sloppy in the fall because I don't trim back the cone flowers (Echinacea), but I just love the look of the seed pods with their little snow hats!

Winter is a lovely time to visit our inn and our area. The snow lends a peaceful and quiet grace to the landscape. We also offer some mid-week winter specials on our rates.

Glorious Fall Colors Abound

2009-10-23T10:00:00.001-04:00

The trees on our property have finally decided to put on their Fall show.

This is the view stepping out the front door of the Greenville Arms 1889 Inn.

Looking to the left on the front porch.

Looking down the driveway of the inn.

Looking at the driveway entrance from the sidewalk.

Looking down the front of our property from the street. Notice the "Chocolate Shop is Open" sign! Life By Chocolates has created some fabulous Fall chocolates with the flavors of pumpkin pie and homemade marshmallows.

Looking down the sidewalk in front of the inn. The sign is the logo for our Hudson River Valley Art Workshops. We still have some wonderful art quilting workshop this year, plus the retreat week- Nov. 1 - 7 - when anyone is welcome to sign up for 1 night to 6 nights and make use of the spacious studio to work on whatever they wish (painting, quilting, knitting, scrapbooking, writing, collaging, etc.) and get great meals, too!

The Red Squirrrels Are Going Nuts

2009-10-22T13:23:00.001-04:00

As winter approaches it is always fun to watch the squirrels in their annual frenzy of gathering nuts. There is one little red squirrel that always sits in the same spot every day in one of our trees and works on chewing the shells off walnuts.

I wish I had a better zoom lens for a close up, but you can still see his cute little face!

Summer Events at Hunter Mountain

2009-07-23T12:32:00.001-04:00

There are some wonderful events coming up at Hunter Mountain. During the winter Hunter Mountain is, of course, one of the two ski resorts within 30 - 40 minutes of the Greenville Arms 1889 Inn. But they also have a lot of great activities happening in the summer.

Besides the Skyride, a 5,500 foot long chairlift to the summit of Colonel's Chair where you can see tremendous vistas of the Catskill Mountains, there are the following fun events:

August 8/9: German Alps Festival
August 15/16: International Celtic Festival
Sept 26/27: Microbrew and Wine Festival
Oct. 3/4 and 10/11: Oktoberfest Celebration

There are still plenty of flowers in bloom around the inn and the weather has stayed in the 70s with a couple of 80s now and then. Perfect for walking around town or sitting on the front porch.

Another Dalmatian on the Way to 101!

2009-07-15T09:53:00.001-04:00

Delores, our office assistant, chocolate saleswoman extrordinaire, and all around nice person, gave me a new dalmatian figurine for my collection on my birthday today. It's it so cute!

I've had 6 dalmatians in my life so far and use to do the show circuit with some of them. So I've built up quite a collection of dalmatian figures. The entire collection is displayed in the dining room of the Greenville Arms 1889 Inn in the wonderful built-in display cabinets.

Hudson is our current Dalmatian and he is a dog with a great sense of humor, but I don't think he'd ever wear bows in his ears!

It's Not As Rainy As You Might Think

2009-06-27T13:22:00.001-04:00

The weather sites are predicting rain for the rest of the week, but it's not as rainy as you might think. Mostly it has just been a couple of sprinkles during the day and then totally sunny and beautiful. Then the real rain happens at night leaving everything nice and refreshed in the morning. This makes it perfect weather for a walk around the grounds of the inn to check out all the flowers!

This is the Dalmatian Foxglove. Not quite as spotted as Hudson, our dog, but probably has a better scent! ;-)

We have wonderful patch of wild strawberries that is doing particular great this year. I have been using them as a little accent on top of the peppermint brownie pie that I make for dessert.

A fabulous workshop on painting expressive portraits with Paul Leveille, a master portrait artist from Connecticut, just finished here at Greenville Arms, home of the Hudson River Valley Art Workshops.

Rain, Rain Means Green, Green in Greenville

2009-06-22T16:17:00.001-04:00

We are finally get a bit of rain at the Greenville Arms 1889 Inn. I love the rain, especially if I just planted something new!

The gardens are coming a long nicely and our gardener and I are keeping the weeds at bay. Here is little photo tour of the new garden growth.

Ok, so I like Lamb's Ear and have some in practically every area of the gardens. It is just so soft and I love the tiny lavender flowers. Of course, the other reason I like is because the deer don't!

Today was perfect weather-wise. In the 70's, a nice breeze, and the sun peeking through the clouds. Mark and I enjoyed our espresso and latte beverages up on the second floor porch in the main inn. Just marvelous - to feel the gentle breeze and see the maple tree leaves waving.

It was such a nice day that we so took the dogs, Hudson and Bree, out to the back for a nice run around lawns in the "back 40". Hudson loves to fetch and Bree loves to fetch Hudson.

World Wide Knit In Public Day - June 13th

2009-06-06T13:56:00.001-04:00

Did you know that it is World Wide Knit In Public Day on June 13th this year? I just heard about it myself through Twitter, but being a knitting fiend myself, I jumped on the bandwagon or yarn-wagon as the case may be!

I know this is short notice but I plan to spend the day on the front porch of the Greenville Arms 1889 Inn knitting and I invite one and all to join me in this fiber-love fest. I'll be knitting from 11:00am to 6:00pm.

I've got my projects ready to go!

I'll provide the coffee, tea, and cookies - you bring your knitting!

As a special deal, just for those participating in this event, all room rates for Saturday night will be half price! So the knitting frenzy doesn't have to end at 6:00pm!

Cheers to the Beers

2009-06-05T17:04:00.001-04:00

We have quite an extensive wine and beer (and now cider) menu at the inn - over 100 items. And now for the even better news - I've reduced the prices on just about all of the items on the menu! Cheers!

We just added a couple of new items to our wine and beer menu for this year. We now have a couple of the award winning beers from the North Coast Brewing Company in Fort Bragg, California - Red Seal Ale and Blue Star wheat beer. I use to frequent the north coast in the Fort Bragg/Mendocino area and remembered this brewery fondly, so I'm happy to now have some of their beers on our menu.

Also added to the menu is Woodchuck Draft Cider from Vermont. We currently have the Granny Smith version and will soon be adding the Amber cider. You may not know it but our parent company is called Woodchuck Ventures, Inc., so when I found a product called woodchuck, I just had to check it out. I found six pack at a store in Albany and brought it home for testing! Well, it definitely passed the test. Delicious and refreshing - and has a cute woodchuck on the label!

So next time your visiting, ask for a cold one on your tab and take a meander down our woodland path just to enjoy the day!

Spring Planting and Parades

2009-05-30T19:39:00.001-04:00

Last weekend, Memorial Day weekend, was yet another wonderful Spring day and I finally had the chance to get some new plants to put in around the inn.

I had been itching to add some colorful annuals, but held back just in case there should be a last minute frost before Memorial Day -- and there was! It was a good thing that I waited.

We have a great nursery near us in Freehold. It is Story's Nursery and it is open year around.

Really nice people and they have a terrific selection of old favorites and unusual exotics. They really know their plants. We have people who come to our inn who make a special trip down to Story's to pick up some plants before heading home.

In this first foray to the nursery I wanted to get some flowers for the various pots and planters around the inn. This pot is on the front porch of the main inn. I like geraniums with verigated leaves and paired this one with a green and pink coleus.

Here is another pot for the front porch. This one with a wonderful bright red dahlia. Love dahlias! I forget the name of the other plant, but it will have deep blue/purple flowers.

The next spot to fill in was the herb garden. I bought 2 of each - basil, thyme, sage, and oregano. Then filled in with several types of marigolds. The herb garden already has chives and mint that you just can't cut back too far!

This pot features a lovely coleus and a datura, also known as Angel Trumpet.

In this long planter outside the windows of the carriage house studio, I planted zinnias and snapdragons.

More zinnias filled the planters on the south side of the carriage house.

Our ancient lilac bush is bursting with fragrant blooms, as are all of the lilacs around our inn.

As I was saying, Story's has some interesting plants! I found these native Australian flowers called Joey's. They are suppose to do well in hot dry conditions, so I've planted them on the south side of the round garden by the pool. This garden has tall grasses in the center, so in the summer time when the grass is tall, one side is in the shade and the other the blazing sun. Anything I've planted on the sunny side has wilted in the heat. We'll see how the Joey's do!

This planter is near the back steps of the main inn. It has the varigated leaf geranium, a datura, and another of those purple/blue flower plants!

And last but not least is the rosemary in a pot by the back door - for good luck!

Now what about that parade you were talking about, you say. Yes, Greenville had it's yearly Memorial Day parade and it had a really nice turn out. It was a beautiful day.

The Green is Back in Greenville

2009-05-20T10:57:00.001-04:00

Green, green, green. Lots of green around the Greenville Arms 1889 Inn in Greenville, in Greene County. Good thing I like the color green!

The maple trees are fully leafed out, the grass is practically growing before your eyes, and the weeds making their yearly attempt to take over the gardens!

Good thing we have a secret weapon - Vera, gardener extrodinaire!

She keeps the weeds at bay, while I do the major trimming and planting. With beautiful Spring days like we have been having, gardening is high on my list of things I want to do around the inn!

Spring Time Garden Tour

2009-05-08T14:59:00.001-04:00

The recent rains have really given the gardens a boost of growing and greening. Here is quick little photo tour of some of the highlights.

This is the kitchen herb garden, all spruced up and ready for the new season. Last year it was over run with mint, so all of that was cleared out. After all how many mojitos can one consume in a summer. ;-)

We did leave the chives in the center, though. They've already come in handy for the Leek and Potato soup that I made for dinner on Wednesday.

We will probably be planting some Tarragon, Rosemary, Basil, and Thyme this year, as they seem to be the herbs that we use the most.

The White garden has a interloper! Who put the red tulip in there? Probably a squirrel.

Well, there is a little bit of blue in the White garden, too. A Jack Frost Brunnera. Maybe it was a patriot squirrel - wanted some red, white and blue in the garden.

This is our huge ancient lilac, which is next to the carriage house and cottage. It is magnificent covered in deep pink blooms, but also awesome covered in snow!

This is one of the pool side gardens. I'm still working on getting the right mix of perennials for this area. Because of the tall grasses in the center, one side is in full sun and the other is in the shade. Another issue to deal with is that the plants have to be very hardy - our dogs sometimes think the inner ring, between the grasses and the flowers is a great running track.

There are violets popping up all over, but I loved this little scene against the trunk of a maple tree near the main inn. Great moss on the tree trunk, too.

Happy Earth Day

2009-04-22T11:17:00.001-04:00

It is a beautiful Spring day in Greenville today. Perfect for enjoying Earth Day.

We like to think of Earth Day all year-round at the Greenville Arms. We are continually working on implementing "Green" programs. These are some of the ways that we are keeping it green in Greenville:

We give guests the option of reusing their towels and sheets for more than one day. This reduces the use of electricity, water, detergents, and wear and tear on the linens.
We recycle all of our cans, glass, plastic containers. Also cardboard and paper.
We have a compost pile for all of our yard waste. Great for creating mulch!

We have many more ideas but would love to hear your ideas, too.

Recipes

2009-04-19T16:32:00.001-04:00

Goat Cheese, Cilantro, and Mushroom Crustless Quiche

I mentioned this recipe on Twitter the other day and someone asked for it. So here it is!

(I forgot to take a picture of it, but I'll come back and add that later, the next time I make this.)

This is a nice and easy dish to make and works well for breakfast and dinner. It is not quite a quiche, more like a souffle, because I make it without a crust. Who needs crust when you have all that cheese!

Serves 3 to 4

1/2 cup of sautéed button mushrooms (I like them well browned).
2 large eggs
2 large egg yolks
1 - 1/2 cups heavy cream
Kosher salt and black pepper
1/2 cup crumbled goat cheese
2 - 4 fresh chopped cilantro (or 1/2 tsp of dry cilantro)
1/3 cup freshly grated Parmiginao cheese
Saute the sliced mushrooms in butter until well browned. Drain and set aside.
Preheat the oven to 375 F.

In a bowl, combine the eggs, yolks, and heavy cream. Season the mixture with salt and pepper and whisk until blended. Whisk in the goat cheese, cilantro, mushrooms, and Parmiginao.

Set 3 or 4 5-inch ramekins on a baking sheet and pour the egg mixture into them, dividing it evenly.

Bake until the filling is nicely puffed and browned, 40 - 50 minutes. Let cool for at least 15 - 20 minutes before serving.

Grey Fox Bluegrass Festival - July 16 to 19

2009-04-19T16:29:00.001-04:00

Grey Fox Bluegrass Festival Returns to the Walsh Farm in Oak Hill in July 2009

Grey Fox Bluegrass Festival (this year from July 16-19) features four performances stages—the Main Stage, with its natural amphitheatre; the Masters Stage, where you’ll hear unique combinations of top artists in an intimate setting; the Family Stage with loads of activities for kids of all ages; and the Dance Paviliion, which features the best dance bands in the business providing music for dancers well into the wee hours.

Grey Fox 2009 headliners include Ricky Skaggs, David Bromberg, Marty Stuart, The SteelDrivers, Tim O'Brien, Del McCoury, Claire Lynch, Laurie Lewis, Mountain Heart, The Gibson Brothers, The Waybacks and a long list of others. Visit www.greyfoxbluegrass.com for complete information and to purchase tickets on line.

The festival also offers three learning venues—the Bluegrass Academy for Kids, a four day learning program for kids age 8 and up; the Grass Roots Sessions, with hands-on workshops by bluegrass music great teachers; and the Slow Jam Tent for beginning pickers at a speed that everyone can follow.

Prior to the opening of Grey Fox, Pete Wernick (aka Dr. Banjo) and his fine staff of instructors offer a four-day Bluegrass Jam Camp right across the street at the air-conditioned Durham Fire Hall. It's a wonderful way to jump into the world of playing bluegrass music. For particulars and to register for Jam Camp, visit www.drbanjo.com.

On Vendors Row during the festival you’ll find mouth-watering fresh festive and ethnic foods, handmade crafts, music vendors and shops offering top quality products. An enormous extended family comes with the package. You won’t be a stranger long at this world-class yet relaxed, friendly and impeccably organized event.

A frequent nominee for IBMA’s prestigious Event of the Year Award, Grey Fox is the subject of the full-length documentary film entitled “Bluegrass Journey” that has been featured on public television nationwide. In January 2006, Grey Fox Bluegrass Festival was selected to kick off BBC World’s Destination Music, a 13-part series featuring music festivals around the world.

Let the infectious sound of bluegrass and the laid back atmosphere of Grey Fox carry you away! Leave the world behind, kick back and enjoy the music, land and fellow bluegrass lovers who gather at Grey Fox each July!

Tent or RV Camping is available on site, but if camping in a farmer's field is just not your thing, then come stay with us at the Greenville Arms 1889 Inn. It's a short hop from our place to the Walsh Farm (just off CR 22 in Oak Hill, NY).

Irish Music Festival - Memorial Day Weekend

2009-04-17T15:17:00.001-04:00

The Irish Music Festival in East Durham is only 10 minutes away from the Greenville Arms 1889 Inn. Every year we look forward to seeing all the familiar faces of the guests who come to this wonderful event year after year.

Here is what the festival director, Tom McGoldrick, has to say about this year's festival:

Our 32nd Annual East Durham Irish Festival held on May 23rd & May 24th 2009 on the grounds of the Michael J. Quill Irish Cultural & Sports Centre promises to be "The Event of The Year."
New music from around the US, Canada, and Ireland, along with many of your favorite groups certainly will make your visit very exciting and enjoyable.

New for 2009 will be The Elders from Kansas City. This high-energy group has become a favorite at so many festivals around the country that they headline. An act that you do not want to miss.

Also this year we will feature Searson from Ontario, Canada and Barleyjuice from Philadelphia, PA. Both are high energy groups that are patrons are sure to enjoy. These bands will be featured on both Sat. and Sun.

Back again after his 1st appearance in 2008, The Jimmy Sturr Band, winner of 17 Grammy Awards including a Grammy in 2008, along with his 5 gold albums. This group is sure to delight again, our festival goers as they did last year. The band's two shows are on Sat.

Also back again this year will be Black 47, Shilelagh Law, and Hair of the Dog. Add such favorites as The Andy Cooney Band, Kitty Kelly Band, Jameson's Revenge, St. James Gate, and the Moonshiners, ad you are sure to experience a great time.

The Albany Police Pipe and Drum Band and the Michael Farrell School of Irish Step Dancing will appear both on Saturday and Sunday.

For the children, there will be rides and games, along with their very own music tent. Featuring, Driscoll & Smith, with their sing alongs; Carol Spear, Storyteller Extraordinaire; and NEW this year,The First Steps of Irish Dance. Megan and Ronan will teach children basic steps of Irish Step Dancing.

All of this entertainment, along with the craft & product vendors, the food court, and the Children’s rides and entertainment, add up to a GREAT day or two of enjoyment for ALL ages.

Read more about this festival. . .

Cat 'n Around in Catskill

2009-04-16T13:18:00.001-04:00

This year in celebration of Henry Hudson’s discovery of our beautiful river, the Catskill Cats will be decorated in themes depicting the wonder of the this great valley we call home. The town of Catskill is just 20 minutes from the Greenville Arms 1889 Inn.

60 painted fiberglass felines will be sCATered along the historic Main Street in the Village of Catskill for this summer-long celebration, starting Memorial Day weekend (May 23- 25, 2009). Bring the kids, bring your camera and spend an afternoon prowling about with the capricious, whimsical, imaginative kitties. Don’t forget to visit the wide array of shops, galleries and eateries as you stroll. We guarantee you’ll go home with a smile
on your face.

Cat’n Around Catskill 2009 will culminate with a live auction of the fabulous felines at the Cat’s Meow Auction and Gala
on Sunday, October 4th at The Historic Catskill Point on the Hudson River.

The kitties will be looking for a permanent home. Come bid on the cat of your dreams and own a piece of history and memorabilia of the Quadricentennial Celebration.

We are especially excited about this year's litter of cats because two of them are being painted by Stanley Maltzman, a wonderful local artist who also teaches a drawing and pastel workshop here at our inn. This year the class is scheduled for July 26 - August 1, 2009. Check out our workshops website for more details on this class with a master artist.

This is an example of Stanley's work.

We happy to have one of Stanley's paintings in the permanent collection at the inn.

Goat Cheese, Cilantro, and Mushroom Crust-less Quiche

2009-04-15T11:33:00.001-04:00

I mentioned this recipe on Twitter the other day and someone asked for it. So here it is!

(I forgot to take a picture of it, but I'll come back and add that later, the next time I make this.)

This is a nice and easy dish to make and works well for breakfast and dinner. It is not quite a quiche, more like a souffle, because I make it without a crust. Who needs crust when you have all that cheese!

Serves 3 to 4

1/2 cup of sautéed button mushrooms (I like them well browned).
2 large eggs
2 large egg yolks
1 - 1/2 cups heavy cream
Kosher salt and black pepper
1/2 cup crumbled goat cheese
2 - 4 fresh chopped cilantro (or 1/2 tsp of dry cilantro)
1/3 cup freshly grated Parmiginao cheese

Saute the sliced mushrooms in butter until well browned. Drain and set aside.

Preheat the oven to 375 F.

In a bowl, combine the eggs, yolks, and heavy cream. Season the mixture with salt and pepper and whisk until blended. Whisk in the goat cheese, cilantro, mushrooms, and Parmiginao.

Set 3 or 4 5-inch ramekins on a baking sheet and pour the egg mixture into them, dividing it evenly.

Bake until the filling is nicely puffed and browned, 40 - 50 minutes. Let cool for at least 15 - 20 minutes before serving.

Testing New Shampoo

2009-04-01T15:56:00.001-04:00

One of the "jobs" I have is to buy the guest shampoos and soaps that we put in all of our rooms. We currently have some very nice ones, but I'm always on the look out for new products that our guests might enjoy.

Here are some new products from a company called Gilchrist and Soames. Some have an eco-slant (paper packaging for shampoo, etc) and others have new delicious scents, like Italian Bergamot (orange). If they pass the test, you might be seeing one of these in our guest rooms in the future.

The Crocus are Blooming

2009-03-27T16:02:00.001-04:00

We had some lovely Spring weather today, so I took the opportunity to stroll around the grounds and found the crocus were in bloom!

This means the tulips won't be far behind!

The Irish March in Greenville

2009-03-23T14:29:00.001-04:00

The annual St Patrick's Day parade was held this passed Saturday. It seemed like the biggest one we've see to-date -- at least the area fire departments were well represented.

This is the start of parade.

Wouldn't be a parade without the bagpipes!

The parade marches right in front of our inn so we get a front row seat.

The high-stepping Irish dancers put on a good show.

The lone green-dressing dog in the parade was with the Greenville Democrats Club

Here is a high school marching band. We always appreciate these bands because our daughter was part of the flag team on her high school marching band so we know how hard they work to put on these performances.

Some more Irish spirt!

Here is part of the line up of Fire Equipment. Lots of trucks, engines, pumpers, and rescue.

Greenville has some nice shiny equipment! Now they just need a Dalmatian.

Signs of Spring

2009-03-15T17:34:00.001-04:00

It was a beautiful Spring day today. Around 50 degrees - perfect for working in the garden.

I spent most of the day working outside. It felt wonderful to be out in the fresh air.

I trimmed the front fence line, cleaned up the flower beds getting them ready for mulching, and started a major trimming job.

As I worked on one of the flower beds I found lots of signs of Spring, like this Lamb's Ears. I love Lamb's Ears - so velvety soft and calm.

There are hedges all the way around the pool area and they have been growing like wild for the last several years. I tried to hire a local company that had been highly recommended to trim them, but after accepting the job, they never showed up! So I've started doing it myself. It may take a while, but I'll get it done. Here is the before picture with the first bush trimmed.

And here is some of what is left to do!

I spent maybe 30 - 45 minutes on the project today and here is how it looks so far.

Sort of hard to see as the light was going fast.

New Mugs Just Came In

2009-03-14T12:10:00.000-04:00

We just got our new shipment of mugs for this year. Great new colors and shapes.

These mugs are hand-made by Deneen Pottery. I always like to try new colors each year. If you have a favorite from the past and would like to see it again, just let me know.

Books, Espresso, and Wi-Fi in Greenville

2009-02-27T12:57:00.004-05:00

The snow melting fast today because the temps are in the 50s! Spring is around the corner and Daylight Savings starts on March 8th!

It is still a great time to visit our area to escape for a night or two. It is nice and quiet but cozy in our rooms. It is warm enough to take a little stroll around village to the town pond, park, or the great new independent bookstore, Greenville Booksmith. They have a wonderful selection of books, plus a small cafe where you can get espresso drinks and pastries to enjoy while reading your new book!

The inn is filled with the smell of chocolate as our other business, Life By Chocolate, prepares for Easter. The chocolate rabbits (with great ears for nibbling) are multiplying!

Afternoon Visitors

2009-01-23T17:17:00.003-05:00

It has been fairly quiet at the inn, other than the sound of the chocolate tempering machines! However, yesterday we had some afternoon guests.

This is just one deer of a herd of about 7 or 8 that made their way over to our front lawn. I think this was the scout deer who was checking to see if it was a good idea to cross the road. Wisely, they decided to turn around and go back to the forest.

Our days are kept busy with the production of valentines chocolates for Life By Chocolate. The order from our wholesale accounts have just started to come in and we are getting a lot of interest from our radio ads and interviews on Go Vegan Radio (based in California) and Vegan World Radio (based in Houston, TX). We were also profiled in The Chocolate Guide - Eastern Region. Click the picture below to read more about this guide on Amazon.com. It's a fun guide to chocolatiers in the Eastern US.

A Winter Fairy Land

2008-12-22T14:00:00.000-05:00

We finally had a nice picturesque snow! We got about 8 inches on Friday and another 8 inches on Sunday. It was wonderfully fluffy and light - which is great when you are clearing walkways with a shovel!

I took these pictures on Sunday. It was so quiet as I walked across the street to take the pictures of the front of the inn. Every noise was hushed by the snow.

The shot below is looking towards the carriage house from driveway by the main inn.

The lighting is still gray and overcast in these photos, but as I was out clearing the walkways around the carriage house (yet again) on Sunday, the clouds suddenly parted to reveal a brilliant blue sky. It was absolutely stunning. I had to pause and just drink in the sight. I quickly finished the clearing and ran in to get my camera to try to capture this awesome sight, but just at that moment some inn guests arrived and by the time that they were checked in and everything squared away, the blue sky was dimming. Sigh. I'll have to try to catch it again some other time.

History of the Inn

2008-12-10T09:55:00.000-05:00

This post will be used to tell you about the history of the inn.

Shop Til You Drop

2008-12-10T09:53:00.002-05:00

Greenville Booksmith: Books, Espresso Drinks, Gifts, and More

They have a wonderful selection of books, plus a small cafe where you can get espresso drinks and pastries to enjoy while reading your new book! They also offer free wireless access.

The Greenville Booksmith is located just a short walk away from the Greenville Arms.

Good Eats - Local Dining Adventures

2008-12-10T09:50:00.001-05:00

I'll use this post for telling about all the great restaurants in our area.

About the Innkeepers

2008-12-10T09:39:00.001-05:00

The Greenville Arms 1889 Inn is owned and operated by Kim and Mark LaPolla.

We arrived in Greenville, NY on New Year's Eve 2004 excited to begin our latest adventure as innkeepers and hosts of the Hudson River Valley Art Workshops.

The moving van and our daughter arrived a week later (along with the first snow of the season) and the fun began.

Our first guest arrived January 15th and we immediately jumped into the role of innkeepers.

I took on the role of breakfast chef (my favorite meal), along with the duties of office manager, art workshop director, and a host of other tasks.

Mark became the executive chef and discovered he had a flare for creating exciting and unique dishes.

The other members of our family include Hudson, our Dalmatian

and Bree, our Rhodesian Ridgeback