Healthy and Wide Awake at The Windover Inn

People accuse me of being an optimist, and by definition, I guess I am.  But even the most positive Pollyanna can be pushed to the point of saying, "Enough is enough!" - and this Pollyanna has had enough of negativity in politics!  And although my business training taught me the topics of politics, sex and religion are taboo when it comes to your business, it's hard in this political climate to contain myself (and Glenn's ok with it). 

I think one of the most important lessons I've learned in my life is that although I can't always control what happens, I can always control how I respond to it.  And my experience has been, the more positively I respond to something, the better the outcome.  It hasn't mattered what my role in life has been at the time, or what the situation has been, it has worked.  And in this case, it doesn't matter what party affiliation I have!

Has it always been easy to take this positive outlook?  I can't honestly say that it has been, or that I've always been able to accomplish my goal.  And, yes, I do understand that it's harder for some, more than others, to take this approach to life.  In this case though, I see this negative approach by politicians as a conscious marketing design.  It seems like someone, somewhere, seems to have evaluated what works and what doesn't, and determined that making people feel worse about their life circumstances, making the other guy look like a murderer instead of just someone with a different policy, frightening people instead of comparing real facts, pitting people one against the other, is what is going to win votes!  And why not?  Isn't that what the public wants on their television sets?  Reality TV is flooded with groups of people pitted against each other, whether it's on an island somewhere, a group of housewives, or single women looking for the bachelor of their dreams! 

But wait a minute, this is our government, not entertainment.  Or is it?  With social media and constraints of 140 characters, you gotta go for the sensational - right?  Who's going to tweet a policy issue? An Apprentice episode with presidential candidates competing - maybe, but Donald Trump as a candidate?  I'm suddenly feeling as George's character in a Seinfeld episode did, when he realized his world with his friends (Independent George) and his world with his girlfriend were colliding - will this too cause an explosion? 

Well, I guess that depends on us.  I for one am going to take the positive approach (surprised?).  Two can play at this game.  Positive people can blog, tweet, and write reality shows too (ok, maybe that's stretching it a bit).  So, all you fellow Pollyannas out there - let's get busy and flood the lines of communication with a more positive world view, not because we're not sick and tired of it, but because we're healthy and wide awake!

OUR YEAR IN REVIEW

We began 2011 by giving the inn a ‘birthday party’ in January complete with a ribbon cutting by the Mayor, the local Chamber of Commerce, and many friends to commemorate the James Harden and Pearl Howell House as a local landmark as well as to toast a century of tourism that started here when Pearl opened the doors of Windover to guests in the spring of 1911. We were thrilled that Carey Howell-Duss, the granddaughter of James and Pearl, was able to visit us from Florida and participate in the ‘party’ and most importantly, act as a historian by recounting stories of her growing up next door in the 1940’s and 1950’s and actually helping out at Windover when it got busy, not to mention giving up her bedroom to ‘overflow’ guests from Windover during the ‘high season’! Also, Reimer and Judy Steffen, the second owners of this house from 1981 to 2004, were among the guests. They were the folks who ‘saved’ Windover from the wrecking ball by purchasing it from the son of James and Pearl literally days before it would have been demolished. Last but not least, Fay Clark, one of the employees who worked here for Pearl in the 1950’s was in attendance. She had been one of Carey’s babysitters, too. She is now in her 70’s and lives nearby. It was fun to see Carey and Fay reconnect (check out the picture!) as they hadn’t seen each other in many, many years!

The winter and early spring is typically a slower time here at the inn. But 2011 proved to be a lot busier than in the past. One reason was that the economy started to pick up a bit which was, hopefully, a good sign for all of us! We will continue to offer our 20% discounted pricing from January through March this coming year, too! And this will remain a tradition to welcome in future years as well.

It is still a well kept secret that some of the very best times to hike and sightsee in our area are during the winter and early spring. Without the heavy flora covering them, the vistas from local trails and roads are spectacular whereas these views are often hidden by thick growths of leaves and underbrush in the summer and early autumn. In early 2011 we had the opportunity to hike many nearby trails and were greeted by these stunning views found nowhere else in the country. There’s also skiing, snowboarding and snow tubing at Cataloochee Resort only 25 minutes away. And it’s nice just to kick back and relax here in the quiet (with perhaps the sight of a little snow dusting the mountains that ring our town) and then head into town for some shopping and a scrumptious meal at one of our fine restaurants. For a small town (less than 10,000) we think we have some of the best restaurants anywhere! In the past year alone, we have seen the addition of five excellent eateries in and around downtown Waynesville. It doesn’t get any better than that!

This spring saw some changes both outside and inside at the inn. We removed the old white lattice fence from around our private pool area, and had it replaced with a Victorian-style black metal fence. It looks much more attractive, and it’s easier to maintain! Also, inside we made changes to some of our rooms and suites to make them even more comfortable and inviting. We hope you agree!

During the summer months a project team from the NC Dept. of Transportation completed a pedestrian walkway on the portion of Old Hickory St. above us up to Brown Ave. This closed that portion of Old Hickory St. to vehicular traffic which had the effect of making us a cul de sac with the access road now being from Killian St. below the inn. This also caused us to get a new mailing address! So, we are now at 40 Old Hickory St. but we haven’t moved an inch! So, when you visit us, make sure you follow the directions on our website because many GPS systems have not yet been updated with this road closure.

Finally, in the interest of ‘continuous quality improvements’ we just recently made some changes to our dining room by introducing new tables and chairs. They are more comfortable for guests and easier to maneuver around for Jen to serve everyone at breakfast. With the new table and chair configuration, we were able to open the door between the dining room and hallway (most of you probably didn’t even know it was there!) to give this area a more spacious feel and to provide a better flow of guest ‘traffic’.

Most importantly, in 2011 we had the great pleasure of welcoming many folks for the first time (and many of you for the second, third and fourth times... and beyond!) through our doors. One of the great perks of our jobs is meeting and getting to know so many wonderful people and welcoming them into our ‘extended family’! We hope that you can visit us again (or for the first time!) in 2012. Until we meet again, Happy New Year!!

The Color of Beauty

Looking toward the gazebo in our backyard.

Our maple tree by our parking area.

It just doesn't get any better than this! The pundits predicted we would have a showcase of autumn color in western North Carolina and they were right. This October marks our sixth autumn in Waynesville, and the colors nature has produced are definitely the most vibrant and long lasting of any year since we arrived here in 2006. Even now, in late October, the trees in Waynesville are still showing off their stuff. Up in the hills around town the trees are starting to bare their leaves, and farther up in the mountains, the trees have shed most of their leaves. But, the contrast is still exciting to view. Since we live in a 'bowl' surrounded by mountain ranges, depending on your perspective, you can view a close-up of multi-colored flora against a backdrop of semi-bared trees, followed a bit further up the 'bowl' by mostly bare trees. All together, it looks fabulous! It's hard to drive or walk anywhere without losing yourself in the beauty that surrounds you here in Waynesville. Even in our own yard, the colors still sparkle. See for yourself!

Happy Money

In these difficult times, people are spending their money more carefully than ever. I read an interesting article recently in Time Magazine (their Special Money Issue) that details how we've changed our spending patterns since the recession hit in 2007. The article points out that, while money can buy 'happiness' (broadly defined), there is a finite amount of money that works for this. Time claims that amount is $75,000. More than that does not buy additional happiness.

So, as I suspected, there are miserable multimillionaires (the 1 percenters) that are just buying stuff to keep up with the Jones! The more stuff they buy, the less 'bang for the buck' they get as far as how happy the purchase makes them feel. That's one reason the higher end retail stores (Coach, Tiffanys, Nordstroms, etc.) are doing gangbuster business regardless of the economic slowdown. Most of the previously rich are still rich (maybe a little less so), but they are still buying stuff at a pretty good clip. Those shoes, handbags, high tech gadgets, and high end golf clubs are still piling up. At the same time, Walmarts and Dollar General are doing OK, too. However the 'midde class' stores like Macys, Target, and Marshalls are struggling a bit. So the rest of us (99 percenters) have dialed down a bit to make ends meet.  But we're still buying lots of stuff.

Time makes the point, that, unfortuately, many of us are buying 'the wrong brand of happiness'. "We are doing things with our money that make us happy in the moment, but that's not always the best strategy for long-term well-being." says Harvard Business School professor Michael Norton, who researches the psychology of happiness. He points out that spending on 'experiences' like travel and leisure or on friends and loved ones offers longer-term bang for the buck. This is because these purchases enhance the feelings of meaning and social connection that underpin true happiness. Jen and I see this phenomenon here at The Windover Inn all the time. Guests often arrive a bit harried from the every day hustle and bustle, and leave relaxed and refreshed with memories, photos, and maybe some new friends they met here at the inn. These experiences do not deteriorate over time like most 'stuff' does, but rather gain in value through the reconnecting that occurs through the reliving of these experiences with significant others.

While these insights will not make it financially easier for us 99 percenters, it may help in maximizing the use of the money we still have!

The End of the Road

Funny how sometimes, things return to where they started. In our case this pertains to road access to our Inn. Originally, when the Howells built this house in 1910, Old Hickory Street ended just above Windover. It really only served this house since there were no other houses on the street.  In the 1920's Old Hickory St. was extended to connect with what is now Brown Avenue. Now, almost 90 years later, Old Hickory St. has been closed just above us so that we're once again at the end of the road just like it was in 1910!  The street has been replaced by a pedestrian walkway which connects us to Brown Ave.  This is something we've been anticipating since we purchased Windover in 2006. At that time the Norfolk Southern railroad planned to close the Old Hickory St. crossing above us and replace it with.... yes, a pedestrian walkway!  It only took five years, but now it is a reality and Windover is once again at a cul de sac at the end of Old Hickory St.

This is good in a couple of ways. First, there will be no traffic in front of Windover except for visitors to the inn. Also, train traffic will probably be even less noticeable (once or twice a day a train goes by) because they will no longer need to signal for vehicles. The only change is that our guests will need to access our inn from Killian St. instead of Brown Ave. These directions may not be updated on all GPS systems for a while. Also, this change has not been updated on Mapquest or Google maps as yet. Our website directions have always shown the Killian St. access since we anticipated this would eventually occur. So, if you're visiting us, please use the Killian St. directions shown on our website map at  http://www.windoverinn.com/directions.html.

Now we're even more secluded than we were before. That's a good thing!

Paula Deen's Celebrity At Harrah's Casino

Having a Paula Deen Kitchen at Harrah's in Cherokee has added a new reason for folks to visit Western North Carolina.   Now, in addition to the breathtaking scenery viewed as you drive through the area, the endless hiking trails to explore, the interesting history and culture to discover at local museums, and the many opportunities to experience beautiful artwork done by talented artists at our local galleries, you can enjoy the comfort food of Paula Deen not far from The Windover Inn.  But do you really?

What are you truly experiencing?  Paula isn't cooking there.  You don't get to hear her infectious laugh, see firsthand that twinkle in her eye that makes you think nothing in the world makes her happier than to make others happy.  No one is telling her amazing success story or poking fun at themselves to make you feel like they're just normal folk like you.

Yes, there's a menu with fried chicken, macaroni and cheese and cheesy meatloaf, pictures of Paula, and a nice store with her product line, but there's no Paula, just her "celebrity".  And as celebrity goes, that seems to work.  People love just having an experience, a connection, getting closer somehow to that person they marvel on the screen.  They can say they have been there - at a Paul Deen Kitchen, and that's a little closer to actually meeting the star.

Although I'm not the type of person to get star struck, I must say I am impressed with Paula Deen's story and success and understand why she clearly has "celebrity".  She exudes that southern hospitality that makes people feel welcome and comfortable, and her menu reminds people of the comforts of home.  And even though you don't get Paula Deen cooking in the kitchen of one of her restaurants, maybe just knowing she had a hand in its creation will give you that welcoming, comforting feeling, or at least a little taste of her celebrity, right here in the mountains of Western North Carolina!

National Park Week Reminds Us To Appreciate Our Bed and Breakfast "Park" Right Here in Waynesville, North Carolina

It turned into summer early this year! How quickly we went from a very cold winter right into warm weather here in the mountains of western North Carolina in 2011. This week is National Park Week, and we've been fortunate to have taken some lovely hikes this spring in the Great Smoky Mountains National Park as well as the Pisgah National Forest, and we've been talking about them on our blogs. Both parks are just minutes from our Waynesville, North Carolina bed and breakfast.

But now I turn my attention to our own little "local park" here at Windover Inn.  All year long there are fun things to do and see right here at the inn. Spring is probably my favorite time of year because it signifies a rebirth, and we're seeing plenty of that here. A robin family has set up housekeeping in the holly tree next to the veranda, and the parents are busy caring for their three fuzzy little children. The gardens have come alive with spring bulbs, blooming trees, and soon the perennial flowers and shrubs that dot the garden will color our world with their finery. Butterflies and bees are doing their thing pollinating our plants and feeding their families.

In my opinion, the sounds in our "park" are just as interesting as the sights! Birds seem to love it here, and they let us know by singing from dawn to dusk. I have names for a few based on their familiar tunes. "Beethoven", a tufted titmouse, always sings the first four notes of the 5th Symphony (da da da, doo!). I wish he could learn the rest of it! I wonder if perhaps Beethoven heard this same songbird and then became inspired to... nah, that's too far fetched!  But, just maybe... Also, there's "Eraser" or sometimes I think he is saying "Speed Racer". He's always first in the morning. Then there are the cardinals, our state bird, with their low to high chirps talking to each other, as well as the robins, sparrows, doves, bluejays and others who keep the airwaves alive with music here. Later in the summer, a family of red tailed hawks appears to raise their family in the field behind our inn. Their occasional screeching isn't as tuneful as some others, but it signifies their arrival and marks the parade of nature through Windover's "park" for me.

There are many places to enjoy the flora and fauna here. They include the Adirondack chairs around our fire pit, the porch swing in our gazebo, the two park benches in our secret garden, the rockers on our porch, and wicker furniture on our veranda (my personal favorite), as well as the hammock tied to two trees in our secret garden; a perfect place to kick back with a favorite book! Wherever you find your favorite spot in our "park", it's sure to be an enjoyable visual - and auditory - experience!