Happy New Year's Eve!!! Be safe all!

Oh 2012.....

How I am sure I will love you.... but! if you would just wait a bit longer and give us all a little more time to get ready for you it would be much appreciated.
I need to finish budgets for inns and resorts, marketing plans and policy changes for a real estate company, music launch schedule for a music publishing group and that is just today.
So, please, understand and SLOW down your approach. I would rather welcome you with open arms than a mere glance up from a melting keyboard....

Reading...

Currently reading Rogue's Gallery by Michael Gross about the Metropolitan Museum of Art - it really is riveting.... just getting to turn of the century, lots of those with connections to Bar Harbor historically involved - great read for history and art and New York City lovers.

Food Photography

Doing a lot of reading today on food photography. I am well aware it is not just about the most expensive camera you can afford, it is truly art.

http://www.thekitchn.com/thekitchn/expert-interview/best-food-photography-tips-from-three-pro-photographers-expert-interview-140610

Heavenly Peace

Christmas Ad

My True Belief

Advice on the Hannaford recall on hamburger...

How about, "don't eat it in the first place!"? Just trying to help :)

Nativity Scene :)

Wear it Well | isantemagazine

Wear it Well isantemagazine

Mercury Alert

Mercury goes out of retrograde tomorrow at 8:43PM in NYC (EST) 5:43 PST. Sorry, no buying electronics, diamonds, expensive gifts til Dec 14!

Christmas

OK - done. Ava and I have decorated. We don't do a tree... this is it :-)

Billiard Room

We could play a live game of CLUE at The Danforth.

Staff Party

Planning our staff party lunch at Side Street Cafe in Bar Harbor - will be a blast. I think this little guy looks like Ava so he is in my invite. Happy Reindeer!

Think about it...

Hunger
Number of people worldwide who will die as a result of malnutrition this year: 20 million.
Number of people who could be adequately fed using land freed if Americans reducedtheir intake of meat by 10%: 100 million.
Percentage of corn grown in the U.S. eaten by livestock: 80....
Percentage of oats grown in the U.S. eaten by livestock: 95.
How frequently a child dies as a result of malnutrition: every 2.3 seconds.
Pounds of potatoes that can be grown on an acre: 40,000.
Pounds of beef produced on an acre: 250.
Percentage of U.S. farmland devoted to beef production: 56.
Pounds of grain and soybeans needed to produce a pound of beef: 16.

My new favorite thing...

Thankful that today is last day of hunting season...

Interested in seeing photos of beautiful deer, but running through the woods, not dead with someone standing over them all proud as if killing a defenseless animal is some accomplishment.

Just because she is adorable...

makes you think....

Happy Thanksgiving!!

We all have so much to be thankful for.......... well.......... except for the turkeys I guess. :(

Biggest Holiday of the Year!!

It's Ava's Birthday!!!! She is four today, what a big girl :-) Her deer friends were just here for cake and ice cream, a/k/a apples, and she was oh, such a great hostess.... Happy Birthday to the light of my life!!!!

congratulations tony stewart!!

Went back in the archives to find this pic on Tony Stewart's bus with Tony and the guys from Diamond Rio at the Rock & Roll 400 a few years ago at Charlotte.

Incredible day, got to go to the driver's meeting, behind stage when Diamond Rio sang National Anthem - whole thing. I even have lug nuts from Tony's car :-) Thank goodness for memories because nothing that exciting happens anymore.

Danforth Decorating

Thinking a lot about what to do at Danforth this year, want different - thinking lots of white.

Quote

Don't let people drive you crazy when you know it's in walking distance. ~Author Unknown

Danforth

Danforth has been closed for the last few days and Alyssa and I worked constantly to make a bunch of quick changes and improvements and plans - Ava was right there the whole time, I left her for 3 minutes one time in the room alone and this is what I found when I returned.... what did I expect with her new treats there?

Patience Ava...

Be vewy vewy quiet and he might not notice you....

20 years without a hamburger...

20 years ago tonight JB and I were celebrating his birthday gambling in the Bahamas when we got on a cold streak at blackjack so went into the theater and saw City Slickers. After seeing that movie, starting that very moment, I never ate red meat again, poor little Norman and his family and friends. Never again.

Waterfall

Just a few seconds of peace - the iphone movement results from Ava pulling on me to keep walking.

Eagle Lake

Mom, Ava, Mulligan and I are getting in as many miles as we can on Carriage Roads before snow, even though it is COLD. Checked the south side of Eagle Lake off the list today.

My date tonight... very sad.

I have been so looking forward to dinner at Side Street tonight with my friends, the Costons and one of Erica's pomegranate martinis. Alas, it appears that since I can hardly turn my head and my shoulders and neck are soooooooooo sore and tight, Mom has set me up with a date that may save me. Just microwave him to get him warmed up for 1 - 2 minutes and relief is in sight. I actually think it is working.... owwwwwwwwwwwwww....

Friend for Ava...

Why is it that I always feel guilty on Friday nights and look for a friend for Ava to adopt - maybe because I feel bad about a whole work week with little fun for her...

Beside me...

Just glanced next to me as I could feel someone staring,,,,, suppose the tongue subtly sticking out is intentional? OMG!!!!!!!!!!! I am so lucky :-)))) CUTE!

Big Sale Week

Sold two of my personal properties this week and bought out all of the stock of another.

West End Inn in Portland and 21A Cottage Street in Bar Harbor are no longer in my real estate inventory - congrats to the new owners.

Smuggler's Cove in East Boothbay is all mine.... here we go.

Happy Halloween!

I need some peace....

Sunday afternoon kayaking....

Happy Friday

I'm pretending that red berries against a blue sky are the sign that it is going to be a gorgeous weekend.

Today's facebook wisdom

Latest Girl's Dinner

Front: Moi, Laurie Fernald, Kim Libbey
Back: Lisa Richards, Jennifer Mitchell, Mary Martin, Kathe Walton
At The Mex - October 2011

Love this -

DOG FOR SALE:

A guy is driving around the back woods of Montana and he sees a sign in front of a broken down shanty-style house: 'Talking Dog For Sale 'He rings the bell, and the owner appears and tells him the dog is in the backyard. The guy goes into the backyard and sees a nice looking Labrador retriever sitting there.

'You talk?' he asks. 'Yep,' the Lab replies. After the guy recovers from the shock of hearing a dog talk, he says 'So, what's your story?' The Lab looks up and says, 'Well, I discovered that I could talk when I was pretty young. I wanted to help the government, so I was told I could work for the CIA. In no time at all they had me jetting from country to country, sitting in rooms with spies and world leaders, because no one figured a dog would be eaves dropping.' 'I was one of their most valuable spies for eight years running... But the jetting around really tired me out, and I knew I wasn't getting any younger so I decided to settle down. I signed up for a job at the airport to do some undercover security, wandering near suspicious characters and listening in. I uncovered some incredible dealings and was awarded a batch of medals.' 'I got married, had a mess of puppies, and now I'm just retired.'

The guy is amazed. He goes back in and asks the owner what he wants for the dog. 'Ten dollars,' the guy says. 'Ten dollars? This dog is amazing! Why on earth are you selling him so cheap?' 'Because he's a liar. He's never been out of the yard'

God Loves Sweet Little Dogs

Blueberry Fields Again

Blueberry Foliage

Innkeeper at Danforth Inn

Innkeeper at Danforth Inn
The successful candidate for this position will be a self starter with excellent organization and time management skills and a positive, can-do attitude. The successful candidate will have a similar design and style aesthetic to the inn.
This individual will be the onsite innkeeper for Danforth Inn with a focus on the hospitality and guest experience of the lodging component of the property. He/she will work with an event planner/manager that will be responsible for implementation of all events and work hand in hand with the Innkeeper.
Responsibilities include breakfast preparation and serving, maintaining a spotlessly clean inn and grounds, guest services, property security, community involvement and outreach, hosting both inn and event guests, event cooking duties, among others.
The greatest challenge at Danforth is to provide an exceptional experience for inn guests and event guests simultaneously. Exemplary management skills are a must to maintain continuity with staff, clients and vendors to assure a consistent experience at the Danforth.
The successful candidate will also have basic knowledge of building structures and systems to be able to address issues as they present themselves and to be proactive in maintaining properties.
This is a live-in position.

Sleepy baby....

Rainy, dreary Saturday - perfect for naps.

Scouting new listings.... by canoe

Indian Summer

Today and tomorrow are going to be the two nicest days of the year - and they are gorgeous. Ava and I are going "skip school" tomorrow and go to camp - I hope...

Kayaking

Ava is getting rigged up to head out.

Mommy PLEASE>>>>>>>>

pay attention to me.