Quote of the Day....

Quote of the Day....

Things are more like they are now than they ever were before.
Dwight D. Eisenhower

It's Official!

I am honored to announce I have joined the staff at the Historic Fairfield Inn.

This beautiful home is located right on Main Street and was built in 1767 by Squire William Miller and his wife Isabella Henry Miller. The Inn was completely renovated to include large private bathrooms for each room. Some baths have old fashioned claw foot tubs and free standing showers while others have whirlpool tubs. The six suites and guest rooms are decorated with antiques, some with four-poster beds, others with private balconies overlooking the quaint, historic town of Fairfield. All of the guest rooms and suites have private baths, air-conditioning and cable television.

In addition, to compliment the Inn's fine accommodations, there is the Mansion House Restaurant (a favorite dining spot of President Eisenhower), and Squire Miller's Tavern serving a wide selection of classically prepared and artistically presented dishes. The hotel's two chefs and their team offer an imaginative menu of grilled and roasted game, pastas, seafood and mouth-watering steaks. The restaurant opens onto a delightful front porch perfect for spring through autumn dining; open log fires blaze in the hearths during the winter months. There is an inviting parlour for a quiet nightcap and a banquet salon for business meetings and exclusive receptions, luncheons and dinners.
Did you know the Inn holds the oldest Tavern License in Gettysburg and the surrounding area dating to 1786? It is the oldest, continuously operated Tavern in the area and one of only five serving since the 1700's in America.

A wonderful touch is the self guided tour which is open to the public. Joan and Sal (the owners) thoughtfully compiled this delightful journey which showcases the historic significance of many areas of the house. See where President & Mrs. Eisenhower enjoyed their dinners; you can see (or sleep) in the room General J.E.B. Stuart stayed in or where General Robert E. Lee ate, view the room where Statesman Patrick Henry (1736-99), famous for the quote: "Give me liberty or give me death" conducted meetings, as well as many other historically interesting sites and stories including the hidden Underground Railroad room.
Walking to the back of the home on the first floor and turning to the right there is also what used to be a courtyard (which has since been enclosed and is now another room and dining area); this is where generations of guests have been placing coins in the cracks of the "Wishing Walls". Similar to the idea of a "wishing well" or throwing a coin in a fountain, wishes are made with the hope that they'll come true-the tradition has continued through the entire place, as you travel to the second floor there is evidence of this above the entrance to the grand ballroom.

I would love to have you drop by for a visit sometime and maybe we can place a few coins in the wall together and make some wishes! See you soon!

Today Would Be a Good Day To...

One of the books I checked out this week was 365 Things to Do With Your Kids Before They're Too Old to Enjoy Them. I knew it was going to be good because as I thumbed through the pages, I rested on suggestion 104: "The next time your child asks you to come and see something right away, don't say you're busy, even if you are. Stop what you're doing and go see whatever it is your child is brimming over with enthusiasm about."I think we all need to do this more often. The time we have at this very moment, we will never have again. Try to remember that today on your journey.

Love, Andi

Getting Centered

Ah, beautiful Broadkill Beach, where we have been migrating every year for a week each June; kids and dogs in tow. This year, we were blessed with my grandmother and aunt for a couple of days. It's not often we get to spend time with them, and my grandmother's health has not been the best. We all just wanted to hug and touch her alot and tell her how much we love her. My aunt is equally as dear-she is so kind and thoughtful-it was all incredibly special and will make for some lovely memories for a long time to come.

Part of my time is spent catching up on reading material which has been piling up since Christmas, I'm embarrassed to say, but I am glad to report, I plowed through most of it. In these quiet moments, perusing through pages and pages of books and magazines, I am convinced that God is trying to send me a message. I promise to go into more detail in the coming days, but for now, I will leave you with a lovely passage from Hope Rising which I finally finished the last chapter of!

"...with the tenderness of an angel's kiss, I crooked my index finger and touched the space between her nostrils. It was as soft as a butterfly's wing. It was the first time that she came to me actually searching for the comfort of my hand. That moment flooded my heart with warmth. From then on, each day built upon the last. She allowed me to touch her muzzle, her cheek, her forehead-and finally her neck and body. Working with her was like stringing a precious necklace, one pearl at a time."
This was a much different account than the first time the author, Kim, had laid eyes on this little filly-"she was like every other child I'd ever known, starving for all of the physical and emotional sustenance that gives hope to live another day. Time for her was running out. Like a battered child, she wouldn't raise her head or even lift her eyes to look at me. My presence seemed to inspire only more fear in a heart that had already been tattered by more sorrow than she could bear....she reminded me of many of the children I work with-conditioned by long periods of rejection, they learn to fall back into the shadows, to say nothing, to think nothing, to be nothing.In full view of the world they gradually wither and disappear".

God spoke to me this week, and I actually took the time to listen. I vow to you Lord, I am going to try harder from now on.

Long Ago, But Not Forgotten....

The High Tide at Gettysburg
by Will Henry Thompson

"A cloud possessed the hollow field,
The gathering battle's smoky shield:
Athwart the gloom the lightning flashed,
And through the cloud some horsemen dashed,
And from the heights the thunder pealed"

You can read the rest here.
Will Henry Thompson served in the Fourth Georgia and took part in Pickett's Charge on July 3, 1863

Another Beautiful Sky and Babies Everywhere!

I have a thing for purple clouds and pink skies and lately, that's what we've been having in our part of town. I just had to share! I also can't resist showing you our little duck family that has decided to take up residence in our lilac bush. Mama proudly takes her babies out for a walk in the cool air of the evening, across the big expanse of field to the right of our house. I hold my breath every time I see them, praying that the neighborhood cat doesn't discover his next meal. I am also getting lots of extra gray hairs watching them waddle across the street to the neighbor's where there is a small fish pond. A couple years back, we had another pair of ducks who called our backyard home and to our shock and dismay, we discovered mama hit by a car one day. Nature can be so stressful-it's just one more delicate thing in the circle of life that we humans have disrupted in our ongoing development of the world around us-I just watched Avatar and am keenly more aware of how destructive and greedy mankind can be.

On a lighter note, my husband Rick pointed out some other special guests who have decided to call two of the trees in our yard home for a time. The girls cleverly named this one "Peaches"-can you figure out why? And this one Mabel, (although she should theoretically be named Maple-because of the maple tree, get it? Mabel sounded much cuter!) Actually, before I could capture Mabel on film, she flew away. But she is quite a beautiful little robin. I will be sure to share more pics with you as I find those perfect photo-op moments. Until then, happy trails!