An innkeeper’s to do list never ends.  I like to keep my list divided between daily tasks and those that need attention less frequently, like summer projects.  At this point, I no longer write down daily tasks for my own benefit, but I will share some here.

Cooking and serving breakfast to our room guests is very important, as is cleaning up afterwards. After breakfast is cleaned up, I turn my attention to any restaurant linens that need laundered and ironed.  If there are any catering jobs for the day, I get the van loaded and ready to go.

Once our guests are checked out and my paperwork for the day is complete, I can turn my attention to special projects.  Summer is a great time of year for these because the light is long and the days are warm.  As long as it is not raining, I can accomplish much out of doors.

One of our current summer projects is the patio checkerboard.  All that is left to do is to paint the game pieces and our guests and their families will be able to enjoy playing checkers outside before or after dining with us on the deck.

Speaking of the deck, I have been trying diligently to make it feel lovely and welcoming for anyone who would like to dine al fresco.  After reading that lemongrass is a deterrent for certain flying pests, I decided to put together some pots that will hopefully be functional as well as beautiful to look at.  We also selected some very nice hanging arrangements from our friends at Cross Creek Farms.

Really, the list never ends…as soon as I check off one item, I add three more.  Of course, I am not alone in this.  But one cannot continue to just endlessly push ourselves from one job to another with no rest.  There comes a time when you must say “I have accomplished the most important things today….it is enough….and now fun shall commence.”  One of my favorite ways to unwind is playing a little music with my friends.