A Gift, In the Form of a Poem

Gordon Room,  Oft's Bed & Breakfast, Bennington, Nebraska

The fun of owning a B & B is meeting all the nice couples who come and stay.  We eat breakfast with our guests and its wonderful simply visiting.  Recently we had a couple from Lincoln who came to 'get away' and have a retreat.  We have comment diaries in our rooms for guests to leave messages.  This is what Linda and Ned left:

“Hush! 

There are poems in these walls; these halls.

Stitched in the trapunto bed coverings,

Tucked in the curved dresser drawers,

Winking in the matching mirrors

Just enough for me to be

Playing “store” again with Grandma Louise,

Fashions cut from the J.C. Penny catalogue,

Stitching quilt blocks together,

On the Singer treadle,

Just before we board the sleigh bed

Bound for yesteryear dreams.”

Linda and Ned

What a nice gift!

Happy Valentines Day!

Valentine's Day is always popular with Bed & Breakfasts; we've been booked for quite a while.   One gentleman asked Linda to fix up a surprise for his Valentine, a dozen red roses.  Linda put the final touches on this bouquet.   They're lovely!

This one reminded me of my Valentine, the BEST in the bunch.  God bless.....  Gordon

Video Presentations About BENNINGTON!

We are proud to announce that we've started a YouTube channel; its:  "bennhistsoc."   Just like bennington-historical-society.    If you get into YouTube and search for bennhistsoc you will find our narrated presentations about Bennington's history.  Currently we have a presentation about: 

• Who and What was here before Bennington (pre 1887), 
• Bennington's Business District (pre-1913),
• The Downtown Fire of 1913,
• German Settlement and the Dutch Hall 

Learn something about Bennington and "share" with your friends.  

Fire Place Mantel and MORE

One thing our home didn't have was a fireplace.  We always wanted one and with the advent of "ventless" fire boxes we became interested.  We started checking Craigs list and found a few period fireplace mantels scattered through Iowa and Missouri.  We went on a road trip in February looking at fireplace mantels that took us through Savanna, MO, Kansas City and then Columbia, MO.  We bought two we liked on the way home.  We selected this white oak mantel which was  built about 1900.  Then came the work of stripping, refinishing and fitting.  It took about a month to strip and prepare the wood for refinishing.  We then picked out some beveled marble tile, some grout and the tile saw.  The dust finally settled. We now have a fireplace in our parlor and we're very proud of how it turned out.  

Oft's Bed & Breakfast's New Parlor Fireplace

 The sculptured figure above the firebox was made by Earth Song, a firm in Canada that makes custom tiles.  Its called "Wind Man" which reminds us of olde man winter and the winds we get here in Nebraska.  

 I think this guy will help blow on our hot chocolate and pepper schnapps this winter.  We're ready.  Take care.  

Baby has NEW SHOES

Baby Has New Shoes

We have a Trail Lite trailer that we just used last month on our camping trip to Colorado.  We got this after Gordon experienced a very heavy and wet snow while using our old tent in the mountains.  No more tenting!  Anyway, we bought the trailer used and found it went through tires. 

We bought a new set 2 years ago and put less than 3,000 miles on them and the tire's inside edge was worn almost to the belting. Terrible!  Gordon did a little measuring and found the axle was bent.   A little research on the Internet revealed this was a common problem with rubber torsion axles.  We also found there was no fix other than replacement.  

Well, Gordon jerked out the old axle (strained back ate aspirin). Found he had to have an axle tailor made.  Hauled it down to a axle specialty shop and had it measured and then unloaded it on the scrap iron pile on the farm (reinjured back).  Got the new axle and waited a weak for the back pain to subside and guess what?  The axle Didn't fit.  

NO problem!  1 1/2 inch angle iron, 1/2 inch bolts and a MIG welder and WAA LAA..    He made a few modifications.  Husband and WIFE rolled it into position and it slid into place; "like sliding a sock over a chicken's lip."  Axle is in, new tires are on:  BABY has NEW SHOES!  

Nest Cleaning

We have hanging flower baskets on the porch and its necessary to water them every other day.  My "other chores" include feeding the fish, filling the bird feeders and watering the rest of our flowers. While enjoying a cup of coffee on the porch I  noticed a sparrow would land on the hanging basket and crawl in the foliage.  I took a closer look and found it had a nest which had 2 eggs.  I quiet watering and in a few days, the eggs hatched and eventually they fledged and flew off.  

The plants had died from lack of water and I took the basket down and examined the nest.  What I found was interesting and provided a "lesson."   Few would actually say they enjoyed "house keeping": however, if you were a bird you would find literally distasteful. 

Upon close examination, I found the inside of the nest remarkably clean.  However, there was a thick ring of bird droppings that surrounded the nest.  The only way those would have gotten there is by the parents cleaning and discarding their offspring's waste with their beaks.  I wonder if birds can spit?  

Wonderful People!

One of the great pleasures of running a Bed & Breakfast is the nice people you meet.  It gives you a whole different perspective of American folks than what the news portrays.  Linda and I both worked with the Public in our previous careers; we like and enjoy people.

We feel breakfast is a special meal; it is at home.  We eat with our guests and few get-away without telling us about the jobs, their families and their hobbies.  We've found conversation is an important feature of our business.  Breakfast generally takes a minimum of one full hour and often last 3.  Often, it takes another pot of coffee to finish up. 

On several occasions, we've had guests come down stairs in the evening to simply visit and often that produces a bottle of wine from someone.  The most recent bottle was shared with Boris and Theresa, a charming couple from Canada.  They stayed several days and by the time they left it felt we had known them for years.  

They surprised with a going-away gift: two bottles of wine an a beautiful holder.

Thanks; from Boris and Theresa

Most of our guests are older, our age or retired.  Yesterday we hosted a young lady from Chicago for a couple of days.  She was in her early 20's, charming and had come for a friend's wedding.  We normally find our younger guests less "talkative" but that wasn't the case here.  We had a two marvelous conversations over breakfast. It was a real treat.

We have guests books in each of our rooms for guests to leave messages.  Those are normally the first things we look at to get an idea if they had a good time.  Occasionally, we even find a "tip" on the dresser.  Today, after Kristina left we went up to start cleaning and found a "Display of Gifts" that included the sign:"Friends are Life's Greatest Gift".   How very true!

Kristina: Thank you Very Much!

     We certainly don't expect this.  When someone is this kind and generous, its a wonderful reward.  Kristina, we'll enjoy the tea, coffee, chocolates, Friends sign and your thoughtful words.  Thanks; Gordon and Linda.