Disappointment, Part 1

How we handle disappointments tells a lot about a person, doesn’t it? While it’s only natural and healthy to avoid them at all costs, disappointments are a part of life, and actually (if we’re lucky) we’ll have plenty of time to rack up quite a few of them before our days are over. The trick is really to learn how to deal with them in healthy and positive ways, because eluding them altogether is nigh on impossible. That being said, I’m still reeling from a whopper of a blow this week myself and while I dealt with it rather gracefully and matter-of-factly at the time (or so I thought), it is dawning on me that I have a bit of emotional work left to do before I bury the thing.

There’s some background involved here to set the stage … how far back do you want to go?! It involves loving nature and living the simple life … two threads that have been tightly woven in the fabric of my life since I was a little girl. They grew stronger when I met my husband in high school, and in the last 40 years together they have solidified into a lifestyle that you can read about on our innkeepers page (http://www.ilovethelodge.com/innkeepers/index.php), so I won’t bore you with repetition. Our 6-and-counting years as innkeepers of an upscale hotel here in the White Mountains have complicated this a bit, but our little log cabin getaway up on the mountain has kept the embers of the ‘simple’ lifestyle fanned, and the coals are glowing! Tumbleweed’s Jay Shafer and his Tiny House, which arrived here at The Lodge in July, have fanned the flames more than a bit. Every day I promote Jay and his tiny living lifestyle to folks who want to see it, buy his plans and build a tiny house of their own. It has inspired me to write about my current one-year simple living experiment called the “Year of Living Frugally”. A few weeks ago, at the suggestion of my best friend who recommended it highly, we started watching Ken Burns’ National Parks series, which was made for PBS. It’s not new … ‘been around for awhile, only we’re just now finally getting around to seeing it. It is fabulous! It re-introduced me to my old friend John Muir, but in a totally new way: NOT as the rough and scruffy, white bearded old man I’ve been reading about for years, but as a 24-year old Scottish outdoor adventurer and poet, who changed the way we think and feel about nature! And that is the lead-in to my ‘no good, very bad horrible day’ that led me to me big disappointment.  But that is a story for tomorrow’s blog!

A Perfect Sadness



Jo-Jo, Fiona and Judy



Yesterday may have been a “Perfect Ten” … but today is just ‘Perfectly Sad’. It is the last day for our wonderful girls from China to be with us … our “Adopted Daughters”, Fiona, Judy and Jo-Jo. These delightful young women came to us through an International Exchange program and have been part of our Housekeeping Team here at The Lodge all summer. They arrived in June and it has been an experience that we will never forget. That first day, the three of them came through the door all smiles and sunshine, three of the happiest people I have ever met. First impressions are usually pretty correct, but often they can be also be exaggerated by the desire to be very polite. The amazing thing is that these young women were just plain nice all the time, genuinely happy, sincere in wanting to please. It didn’t matter if it had been raining for a week straight (they usually walked to work, a mile away) … weather never got them down. It made no difference if we were so busy that they had to work 9 hours of hard, heavy housekeeping work, carrying bags of laundry that weighed more than they did; they were just as full of smiles at the end of the day as they were when they walked through the door. They also had just as much energy when they left as when they arrived each day. Several days a week they also had a second job for the evening shift over at the Thompson House Eatery, where they were just as well-loved by Larry and crew as they were by all of us. It was totally amazing how hard they worked and what a wonderful, positive attitude they had. They made our summer and fall very bright, indeed.

Fiona, Judy and Jo-Jo are students at the University in Shanghai, a city with such a dense population that in comparison, Manhattan looks rather rural. And here they were in Jackson, NH … a little New England village so small and unpopulated, that culture shock must have been doubly difficult. And yet they loved it here and fit in so well, a tribute to their flexibility and engaging spirits. Part of their exchange program duties required them to keep a journal, and also for us to write comments in it about their attitudes, work ethics, etc. Their writing was beautiful … as was their mastery of the English language. As we went to make an entry in their journals, we of course, could not read Chinese … but it touched our hearts to see a few familiar words in Fiona’s diary one day. Amongst the Chinese characters we read "I love you, Jackson!" and in another, "I love you, USA!"    I could say the same thing about them: “We love you Fiona, Judy and Jo-Jo. Thank you for everything … we’re going to miss you very much.” I hope we can stay in touch forever!

A Perfect Ten

It is currently 10 am on 10-10-10 … and that doesn’t happen every day!! It has a nice ring to it, doesn’t it? I was going to say that it is also 10 degrees on Mount Washington, but alas, it is -1!  A cloudless sky  is as blue as they come, and that makes this Columbus Day weekend just about as good as it gets.

Do Yourself a Favor

It’s a PERFECT day to be out of doors. The sun hasn’t begun to appear over the horizon yet; it’s that special time between night and dawn, where just the outlines of the mountains and trees are visible against a pale blue, crystal clear sky. You can see your breath and smell the wild earthiness of the leaves, although it’s not yet light enough to see their colors. I love this time of day and experience it every morning, although I must say the days are no longer ‘hinting’ about getting shorter ... they are yelling it!  This ‘special’ time of day is coming later and later, and you sit up now and take notice.  It's -1 with windchill at the moment on Mount Washington, but it may reach 50 degrees 'down' here at the 2000' elevation this afternoon, perfect for fall at the ‘old time country’ Fryeburg Fair. Now I’m not a ‘crowd’ person so I’ve never been to the Fryeburg Fair, although my husband, kids and just about everyone I know enjoy it each season. It is a wonderful old-fashioned fair, complete with skillet throws, pig catching, log splitting and horse-pulling contests, blue ribbons, demonstrations, etc. (and that’s just the tip of the iceberg). I always seem to have to work the hardest during Fair week, as that is our busiest time here at The Lodge. While the fair is great, my idea of a rousing good time is taking my journal, a sketch pad, a good book and maybe my recorder with a book of music into the woods, and to make an afternoon of it by myself with a thermos of tea and only the birds and the wildlife for company. (I'm not antisocial or anything ... its just my antidote to being in the hospitality business surrounded by people!).  During my jaunts, a brook is always nearby, and a big rock, one of those glacial erratics that dot the hills and vales in the White Mountains. Today is the perfect day to be out amongst them, and now you know it, too, but so does half of the world, many of whom will be flocking to this part of New Hampshire for the next few days for the Columbus Day weekend. What many of them don’t know, is that this is THE busiest weekend of the year in these parts. It will be my 6^th year as an innkeeper, and the crazed frenzy of people trying to find a room on the Saturday night of Columbus Day weekend reaches a fevered pitch. So here’s some advice: If you don’t already have a reservation, stay home! Do not come up thinking that you will book a room once you get here … ‘it ain’t gonna happen’! I’ve tried to console people who were tired and in tears, desperate to find a place to sleep.  People have offered me insane amounts of money to sleep in a closet or the living room or the parking lot (there just weren't any parking places left!), and ended having to drive most of the way back to New York before they found a place to sleep. Tip of the Day: There isn’t a hotel room to be had within a 100 mile radius tonight.  If you must come this weekend, bring your sleeping bag, food & water, and plan on camping out in your car!

Simple Living Update

Back on August 8^th, I had an epiphany of sorts … a conviction to put all my simple living ideas and talk into practice. I had been inspired especially by Jay Shafer’s Tiny House which arrived here at The Lodge in July.  I decided that I had to begin the first day of my ‘year-long’ experiment  without giving myself any lead time in which to ‘prepare’. Human nature being what it is – even with an iron will like mine – I decided it was “now or never”, and so began my “Year of Living Frugally”.  It has been two full months now, and this is an update on how it’s going. It was designed to be a year without purchasing anything but necessities, and I drew up some guidelines on how to define what that meant.  The ‘approved purchases’ were of course things like mortgage payments and utility bills, medical expenses and an account into which I set aside money for two of our children’s upcoming weddings.  Books, being my personal obsession and my biggest possible weakness, I made certain guidelines for them: 1) Library usage comes first; 2) digital downloads next, and 3) second-hand books are acceptable, if absolutely needed. No new books. Period. Whole foods and simple healthy eating will be the norm, as always, but restaurant meals are a no-no.  Being both a writer and a business owner, a computer and a cell phone have become absolute necessities in my life, and would need to be replaced if they broke. While I personally could do quite well without either, under my circumstances it was out of the question. And then as Murphy’s law would have it, the touch screen on my cell phone went on my trip to Baltimore, while taking our son Noah to college at the end of August. Not only could Verizon NOT fix it, they couldn’t get me the phone I wanted for a full month. During that time I found that I could survive  (and it was actually quite liberating to be cut from the umbilical cord). However, the new smart phone – when it finally arrived -- set me back a pretty penny. One good thing about me and cell phones: once I figure out how to use all the features on them, we are inseparable until one of us dies!  This one was a full year overdue for an upgrade. The most unsettling situation of all, however, is that my laptop is now showing signs of following suit … only intermittently connecting to the internet, and many applications not working at all … I could be due for an unplanned purchase there.  Rats!  On all other fronts, however, spending has stopped; there have been NO spur of the moment purchases, and my checking account has steadily gone up in these two months, a wonderful result. Not only that, my credit cards have a zero balance for the first time in years.  I can now start planning ahead for special ‘simple living’ purchases, such as building a Tiny House.  So all in all it has been a painless two months, and actually, they have been  extremely satisfying!  I will report in again in another month as I complete my first quarter of my Year of Living Frugally.

The Fogbow

Strange weather we’ve been having … Yesterday and much of today were quite the washouts, not to mention the high winds which took out power from the Conways last evening. Wow … we were driving in it and it was pretty wild! Our tour bus group, which arrived for two days here at The Lodge was very glad to find electricity awaiting them when they arrived last evening.  Our lights only flickered, but branches were strewn across roads from here to Maine.  The Mount Washington Observatory currently is registering mixed precipitation with wind chill temps of 10 degrees, and 75-95 mph winds, with higher gusts. Yesterday they photographed a Fogbow … a colorless rainbow arc of light in the miniscule fog droplets which are a millionth the size of a raindrop … pretty amazing!  Today here at the Lodge we have been running outside several times an hour to view some spectacular rainbows.  The latest was a huge TRIPLE rainbow!! 

The Irish Pumpkin Sisters

The Irish Pumpkin Sisters

This time of year, with Pumpkin People and those in search of them abounding, we are quite accustomed to seeing a stream of people clicking photos in front of our door here at The Lodge. A glance out the front door today, however, revealed the most amazing sight, as you can see for yourself! Running out to meet and greet them, we met ‘the Irish Pumpkin Sister’, four Irish siblings who chose to meet here in Jackson to reunite amidst the beautiful foliage and Pumpkin People of Jackson. Looking partly like pumpkins, partly like happy bumblebees, these ladies were definitely having fun!! Leaves this week are close to peak, though few rooms are to be had this Columbus day weekend. Best bet: pay us a visit next week, when rooms will be more plentiful, traffic much less and room rates greatly reduced. We at the Lodge (and the Pumpkin People) will keep a light on for you!

Every Day in this Country is a Good Day

Working at the front desk of an inn is a micro-study in human nature … and can be quite an education, to say the least! The other day we met a couple, who walked in off the street without a reservation, and they brightened up the space around them before they ever said a word! Some people are just like that ... what a pleasure to meet them. They came from Bar Harbor Maine, and this morning at breakfast, when we greeted the husband with a “Good Morning”, he very cheerfully returned the greeting with a hearty salutation of “I have a son who has been to Iraq three times, and EVERY day in America is a Good day.” Ain’t it the truth!

Pumpkin People on Parade

My last several blogs have been about something as mundane as ‘The Weather’, and yet there is absolutely nothing mundane about the meteorology of the Mount Washington region! Described as everything from Deluge to Delectible, we’ve seen it all this week. These autumn days have brought folks out of the woodwork from as far away as Norway, Germany and the Netherlands, right to our door here at The Lodge! But they aren’t the only folks to come to our tiny slice of New England, not by a long shot! Our population increases each October NOT from just the “Leaf Peepers” who visit Jackson to snap their photos by our historic and romantic covered bridge, taste some of our creamy maple sugar, and view the spectacular foliage. October 1st always marks the arrival of Jackson’s Pumpkin People” … and you can pick up a map of their whereabouts when you check in.
This year there are 47 of them sprinkled throughout town, and each year they get better and better. They will be up the entire month of October, so plan a visit to Jackson this month … you won’t want to miss a single one!

It Doesn't Get Better Than This

A continuation of the kind of weather that vacationers only dream about – but often think is too much to hope for – will be in the area the next couple of days as well, as a high pressure system stalls over the Mount Washington Valley. Fall is here in full bloom, and we even have ‘frost on the pumpkin’ this morning to prove it! Brrrr…..

When my husband saw that the summit of Mount Washington had 120-mile visibility this morning, he decided to take our 3 housekeepers (students from Shanghai, China) to the top of the Rockpile (Mount Washington) for an experience they won’t soon forget. Although it is only 10 minutes from The Lodge geographically, it is actually a world away experientially, and the summit experience is not anything you (or they) are ever likely to forget. (Just got word from a guest who had also gone up to the mountain this morning, that the Auto Road is temporarily closed due to ice, and will hopefully open again in an hour or so. It pays to call ahead!). A big consolation is that on her way back to The Lodge, she saw a huge moose feeding, and then walking across the water. It was a postcard shot to be sure … her ‘trophy’ shot to take back to her home state of Minnesota!

Inside Tip

Fall Foliage in New Hampshire

Yesterday’s ‘seas’ have parted and the clouds have receded to reveal the most beautiful autumn day ever created. Everyone in this part of the world has noticed it, too, and like little kids running out to the playground after being cooped up inside for days on end, half the world descended upon Jackson and the Mount Washington Valley to soak in the sights instead of the rains which have deluged the region this week. We had a record number of walk-ins today and there are no rooms to be had anywhere in sight tonight. This is a trial run for next weekend, the Columbus Day Holiday, THE BIGGEST weekend of the entire year. It also commands the highest prices, and if there were to be a vacancy within a 50-mile radius (and I’m sure there ISN’T!), it would command a bidding war of astronomical proportions. If you’re thinking of coming for a visit, the best bet is to wait until the weekend after Columbus Day, as there will be much less traffic and room prices will drop considerably, while the foliage will still be very nice.. Just a little inside tip if your schedule allows for flexibility …

Raging Seas

When I looked out between the raindrops this morning toward the Ellis River behind The Lodge, I knew that we’d had a LOT of rain during the night.  After a long, hot and dry summer with relatively little rain, the river has been pretty low … until this morning, that is.   It was flowing so fast and the waves were so fierce that it could only be described as “raging”.  When I looked about 20 minutes later, my “measuring rock”, (a boulder which ordinarily sticks out of the water about 4 feet), was entirely submerged, and whole trees were being jettisoned downriver like battering rams.  The water had risen at least 8 feet and was just inches below the base of the oak trees on our side of the bank. All I could think of was our youngest son Joshua, who has been on a 3-day/2-night campout/hike in the White Mountains up above tree line, and who was undoubtedly, along with his friends, part of a pack of drowned rats. I imagined him returning to me like a prune, all wrinkled and waterlogged.  When he did walk in the door, bogged down by his backpack and gear, and dripping like he’d just jumped out of the pool, he had a big, Cheshire grin on his face.  Despite the rains and 80-mph winds --- perhaps even because of them --- these kids had an awesome, AWESOME  time!!