PEACE ON EARTH
(let it begin with me!)
From our home to yours: Merry Christmas to everyone. Ray and I hope your holiday gives you time to enjoy your family and friends. December can get hectic, but always remember the Reason for the Season: Jesus Christ the Lord.
As promised last month, this newsletter will be all about the Rusty Moose Bed and Breakfast we owned and operated from 1999 to 2001. Unfortunately, our beloved B&B ended too soon, but it’s all good. The wonderful memories from there live on.
We purchased the property (see above photo) in about four hours. On a drive outside of Montrose, Colorado, I spotted the barn-style house, and it was for sale. We called the realtor, and after a quick look-through, we bought it that day.
In our first year, most of our guests arrived at our doorstep when the hotels in Montrose filled up. Our philosophy: business is business. We opened our home to an array of interesting people. Some had never stayed at a B&B before, but we sold them on the concept.
Guests from England, Germany, the Middle East, Canada, and the United States came to stay at our place. One family, I remember, had four young girls. They entertained us with their songs after breakfast. The littlest one sang Twinkle, Twinkle Little Star, and brought the house down.
A couple stayed with us, and two months later, we received Rusty in the mail (above photo). The gentleman said, “This is what you look like after you’ve served all of your bed and breakfast guests.” And he wasn’t kidding. We were tuckered out but loved every minute of it.
Since our business was seasonal, we came up with different ideas to generate income in the slower months. I spoke to the quilt shop in town, and the owner decided to hold their weekend quilt retreat at our place. Another time, a group of massage therapists came to learn new techniques with stone therapy. I’m happy to report they gave Ray and me a massage. Amazing!
One of the funniest stories in the almost three years in business had to do with mini muffins. We’d served larger muffins but found people didn’t finish them. So to solve the issue of waste, Ray bought tiny muffin tins, and the smaller ones did the trick.
One weekend, this family stayed with us. They came down for breakfast the next morning, and Carol sat down and started eating the muffins. I didn’t pay attention to the amount she ate, but I overheard her tell her sister, “I’m not sure, but I think I ate 19 mini muffins.”
I acted like I didn’t hear anything and informed the cook (Ray) we’d need more muffins the following morning. And, as with any great chef, he followed directions and fixed a triple batch. Carol sat down and grabbed a muffin. In no time, she broke her previous record and came in at 24 mini muffins—this fact, she announced to everyone as she headed upstairs.
We’ve retold Carol’s story more than once, and it still makes us laugh. And did I mention she threw a few mini muffins across the table? We’re almost sure she wanted someone else to eat as many as she did. Such a fun time.
As you can see, we’ve got stories to tell, but I’ll end with the lesson we learned. Pursue your dreams. Our dream was to own a B&B, but we never intended to buy it in four hours. We’re glad we did, though, because we had the time of our lives meeting people from all walks of life.
For those few hours (or days), our guests stayed at the Moose – it was like nothing else mattered in their world. No one had an opinion about who voted for who or any other hot topic of the day. Guess you could say we had Peace on Earth.
Let’s all give peace, kindness, and love a try this Christmas season and into 2022.
“Today in the town of David a Savior has been born to you; he is Christ the Lord. This will be a sign to you: You will find a baby wrapped in swaddling clothes and lying in a manger.” Luke 2:10-11
PS: More pictures from the Moose!!!
Until next time…
Blessings!
Janetta Fudge Messmer - Author of Christian Comedy/Romance
“Turning Life Into Comedy”
E-mail: janettafudgemessmer@gmail.com
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