Storing tax records on the cheap

You would think in a house of this size there would be plenty of storage. Unfortunately, Victorians didn't really think much of closets unless they needed a place to stash my Irish ancestors (AKA, the help) over night. They liked having big flashy pieces of furniture to show off to their friends instead.

Every year I drag out our business records and prepare documents for our CPA to figure out. (She's a saint.)Then I have to save all of those documents for eternity. Well, seven years at least. We have several file cabinets chok-a-bok full of records. Each year one year's worth gets pulled out and a new year gets stored.

Y'all know you can't just toss stuff in a drawer though and expect to be able to find something the CPA wants when she calls next year. That means you have to store each year's valuables in something. Obviously every retailer in town has boxes and files galore to sell you but I am just too cheap to spend that kind of money on something that is going to sleep in a file drawer before going into the fireplace seven years from now.

My solution is to go to a Dollar Store and purchase appropriately sized gift bags with handles. One year I found wedding bags. One year it was party stripes. This year I've gone with florals. Usually I can get everything in two bags so I always buy three that match. (Better to have an extra for a gift than a mismatch in the drawer.) The matching bags help me find my files by year even if both bags don't fit in one drawer.

And that's what Works for me on Wednesdays.

Not all that long ago...

Not all that long ago we blogged three times a week whether anybody read it or not. Then December came along and two milestones disrupted our lives. Blogging, among other things, became a sporadic event.

The first milestone was Seely's entry into the academic world as a last minute Adjunct Professor at Johnson and Wales University. She was asked to teach the Small Properties Management class during the Winter Trimester. The course covers issues related to running lodging establishments between 3 and 40 rooms with emphasis on the 10-20 room inn. The class was larger than expected (36 students) and has been quite challenging at times. The class meets on Monday and Wednesday afternoons but much time is devoted to correction assignments and preparing lesson plans.

The second milestone was our decision to do some kitchen remodeling after our old stove died. This project has been put off repeatedly over the years yet materials had been collecting for it. The gutting for the flooring went quickly but the delay over the stove went on for (seemingly) forever.

We worked out a routine: Seely would go to class and Dave would destroy part of the kitchen. Seely would come home from class, compliment Dave on his work, and rebuild part of the kitchen. It was quite the system.  At this point 14 of the 16 cabinets are installed, the flooring still looks wonderful, the commercial fridge and freezer are in place, and all the other appliances have homes. The only big job left is installing the new laminate on the new counter but at least it is on order. Not a stylish space but functional and we like it.

The class? Well, they still have to turn in their group projects although most of their rough drafts show promise. There is one more paper to write. Then there is the final exam which they probably dread as much as I dread making it up. There's only a few weeks left in the trimester and a lot for all of us to learn.

Our very first Wedding!

Blueberry Cove Inn, Narragansett, RI, announces the successful completion of their very first wedding ceremony on January 9, 2010. The happy event was attended by the bride and groom, and 16 of their friends and family members. The brief nuptials were followed by a champagne toast and departure to their wedding dinner.

Best wishes to Justin and Laura

Now weddings are pretty common in Narragansett. After all, it is a beautiful town with wonderful places to hold ceremonies, receptions, and have fun in between the official events.  Certainly we have hosted many wedding groups over the years and enjoyed the variations on wedding themes. What is completely uncommon is hosting a wedding of any size here at Blueberry Cove Inn.

For years hopeful brides have contacted us about small weddings but for many reasons we refused to consider the possibilities. Suddenly last month Dave agreed to this small event without hesitation and without consulting me. I had no objections mind you, but everyone that knows Dave thought that he had lost his mind.

Would we do it again? Very possibly. If you catch Dave in the right mood. Or call back and ask for me.

A Happy Christmas to All from Narragansett

After breakfast some of the guests got frisky.

Or maybe we just fed them too much and they needed some exercise.

In an amazingly short time they had a new friend.

So we coaxed the whole family into a holiday portrait.

And they returned the favor.

Happy holidays to all,

Innkeepers Seely and David

Gingerbread Season

I was reading The Homesick Texan's entry into the world of gingerbread construction projects - her personal rendition of the Alamo - when I realized that I haven't made my favorite seasonal treat: gingerbread.

I tried and failed making gingerbread houses in the past. To be honest, I didn't have the patience for the work. In those days you never ate the houses so I really wasn't motivated.

I did not invent this recipe. It was one of the first things I made as a naive bride in 1976 out of my brand new Joy of Cooking . That whole book was so exotic to me in those days. Now it is just a well thumbed, cover falling off semi-antique that I wouldn't give up for a newer edition no matter what the bribe.

So give this a try or just come on over and help me take care of my treat. Silly Dave who loves so many things with ginger won't touch it.

Gingerbread (Joy of Cooking)
Preheat oven to 350, grease a 9x9 baking pan

Melt 1/2 cup butter, cool slightly then beat into 1/2 cup sugar and 1 egg until fluffy.

Sift together 2 1/2 cups flour, 1 1/2 teaspoon baking soda, 1 teaspoon each ground ginger and ground cinnamon, and 1/2 teaspoon of salt. (optional: nutmeg or allspice.)

Combine 1/2 cup light molasses, 1/2 cup honey, and 1 cup very hot water. (optional: 1 tablespoon grated orange peel)

Add the sifted and liquid ingredients alternately to the butter mixture until blended. Bake about 1 hour.

Enjoy plain, with a dusting of powdered sugar, or with lemon curd sauce.