Once Upon a Dream

September is one of my favorite months, and not just because it is my birthday month. I love the warm days and cool nights, I love the abundance of fresh fruit and vegetables, and I love being able to return a light blanket to the bed, for some reason it is very comforting for me.

Baker Farms

Locally, the produce stands and farmers markets are overflowing with wonderful fresh local fruits and vegetables just waiting to be introduced into my breakfasts: garden fritatta, veggie omelet, fresh fruit in the scones. Long about now I change out the flavors of my scones to include apple spice, ginger peach, corn and pumpkin. Of course you can still request your favorite.

The days are still warm enough to enjoy the Maid of the Mist, or a Whirlpool Jetboat ride, but sleeping is wonderful with the windows open to the breeze. October will see the changing of the leaves and the colors should be more vibrant this year. A great time to walk the Niagara gorge trails, a riot of colors around you.

Part of the 2 hour long Peach Festival Parade

Harvest and Craft Festival

Harvest and Craft Festival

As most of you know, Labor Day does not signal the end of the festival season here in Lewiston. The Peach Festival is September 11-13 and the Harvest and Craft Festival as well as the Power Authority Wildlife Festival are the 26^th and 27^th. Check out the Lewiston Country Fair and Community Yard Sale on September 19^th. You can start your holiday shopping early by attending these events. Remember, edible crafts make perfect gifts for those who think they already have everything and no place to put more.

Having told you all of this I have to say that there are only one or two room opening for all of September and I will be closed come October first.

  Thank you for making my bed and breakfast dream come true. With your help I have had 14 wonderful years as owner of Sunny's Roost Bed and Breakfast. Now it's time to get ready for my next dream, being near our sons and their families. I'll keep all your addresses and if I decide I need something to do and I open another B&B, I'll let you know where I am.

the Missouri extended family in our Matthews shirts

More and more often we find ourselves making trips south to be part of family celebrations.  The baton has been  handed to Robbie and Christi in Missouri.  They are more centrally located than we are and it is easier for us all to gather there.  When we move close to them we will be within a days drive from all the boys except one, as well as both Bob's and my sisters.  Getting anxious to make this move.

steaming table cloths

This year the first week of May was again time to head down.  We arrived at my sister's in KY on Sunday night, a day later than planned.  Visited with her on Monday and Tuesday headed to MO. Wednesday we attended Azia's choral concert and Bryten's orchestra concert at different schools (good thing they were a few hours apart). Thursday was Tristen's graduation from high school.  Friday we spent a day turning a gymnasium into a dining area for a wedding reception. (I steamed 30 tablecloths while others made center pieces, bouquets and boutonnieres). Saturday was the wedding of Tristen to Lacy, his high school sweetheart.  They left on their one night honeymoon and we returned the gym to it's previous state.

the Happy Couple

Interspersed with this was visiting with out of town family, guests and grandchildren.  None of the brothers were able to attend the festivities so a video was taken (now I just need to figure out how to get it off my ipad!).  Sunday (Mother's Day) we all collapsed.  The bride and groom returned to present the mothers, and me!, flowers.  They opened gifts and said good bye to departing guests before heading out to see her mothers. Monday we started our trip home.

While we were out of town and the B&B  was in guest ready condition but unoccupied, there was an open house for prospective buyers.  Our Realtor indicated there was interest and he is following up with answers to questions they had.  We are hoping this is going to prove fruitful, sale wise.  It was very difficult to return home, even knowing I had guests within days of returning.  As Azia left for school that Monday morning she asked if we could finish the sock monkey we started Sunday night and I had to let her know we would be gone when she came home from school.  So very hard.

Ride home was uneventful. and we jumped right back into the swing of things once we arrived, no rest for the travel weary.  June first Tristen leaves for boot camp and the new Mrs Matthews starts the paperwork that will allow her to go with him to his duty station.

I'm still here

Greetings, I have not fallen off the face of the earth but I have been doing more of my social networking face to face in the Village and less using social networking sites. We have also been pleasantly busy around the B&B.  For those who don't know, the bed and breakfast has been up for sale since last March.  We have had a few nibbles but nothing very serious.  If it doesn't sell by this June we will consider it a sign that now is not the time to move closer to the kids and grandkids.

Happy Easter

Most of you realize that the business end of the building has been kept guest ready at all times, well, when I am changing out the holiday decorations it is a bit of a struggle to keep things tidy , but I've had no complaints...yet.  What you may not know is the back of the house, our end, has been the
catch-all area for every mismatched piece of furniture, linen and window treatment.  The sewing area is generally a collection of things needing mending and partially completed projects.  Well, with the for sale status we had to take a hard look at things and toss, mend or complete projects.  About the time this June rolls around we may be sorry we are relocating because we have finally gotten things fixed the way we always envisioned!

our sitting area now

In the past months we have finished stripping the only painted window frames in the house sealed them and put them back in the shared bathroom window (we had storm windows and screens there most of last summer).  We have put up and painted walls, installed a closet (still need to install the door) and finished sealing off the door not in use any more (it was moved to a more convenient location) so I can move the pieces of furniture disguising it to more convenient locations.  When spring finally gets here (and the awning goes up over the back deck, this table and chairs can go back outside and we can move Grandma Lindemeyer's table (an antique that needs a bit of TLC) back here and out of the dining room.

Are you a Bed and Breakfast person?

I haven't written a blog in a long time.  I used to think writing was something I would always do, after all I used to write children's stories for creative writing class and received high praise for them. Writing a blog is nothing like writing children's stories imagine that.  However, there is something I would like my readers to know and to share with friends who might have an interest in being self-employed. Do you, or someone you know, have an interest in running a bed and breakfast?

The house may be over 100 years old but this is not your grandmother's bed and breakfast. I DO have my grandmother's doilies but they are not in use. No Victorian splendor here, with all the work and upkeep that entails. A simple craftsman four square home with comfortable furnishings and a wonderful covered front porch complete with swing.

An outside job held by one owner to cover mortgage, taxes and “spending money” is advised. The bed and breakfast is small enough to be run by one person, though part time help is not out of line. Repeat guests are the backbone and provide the best word of mouth advertising, but new people find us all the time. Work with Niagara University (NU) and Our Lady of Fatima Shrine as well as the Lewiston Historical Society and the Niagara River Region Chamber of Commerce for the majority of your guests. The Niagara Tourism and Convention Corporation (NTCC) is good at directing visitors to Lewiston as well.

Sunny's Roost Bed and Breakfast has the best reputation in Lewiston, as reported by my guests. Our guests have been wonderful and we have enjoyed having all of them stay with us. We have become facebook friends and exchange e-mails and Christmas cards with quite a few.

When you are searching for a bed and breakfast, remember “Location, Location, Location.” We are four blocks from Art Park,

perfect for Tuesday and Wednesday night concert goers as well as main stage events. Art Park has placed artists and vendors with us in the past. We are one block south of Center Street where the majority of summer festivals are held. That also puts us within walking distance of the shops and most of the restaurants and four blocks from the Niagara River.

Niagara Falls State Park is eight miles south. You go passed NU with the Castellani Art Museum and the Power Authority with their museum, Whirlpool State Park, Devils Hole State Park and the walking and bike path along the way. Go north to about six miles to Youngstown, Old Fort Niagara, and Lake Ontario, passing Joseph Davis State Park. East of us, but still in Lewiston is the Our Lady of Fatima Shrine. Farther east is the Ransomville Speedway, the Niagara Wine Trail and stops from the Underground Railroad. Oh, and the locks on the Erie Canal in Lockport. Can't get much more centrally located than that for things to do and place to see.

So why are we looking at relocation, you might ask? To be closer to grandchildren who are growing up much too fast, much too far away. So come on by and ask us about owning this B&B. Fred Blue at Great Lakes Real-estate is handling the property for us .  You may call us directly or you can reach Fred at fblue@greatlakesre.com or 716-523-9166.