Hello-
Long time, huh?
I'm doing GREAT!! Yesterday I had two hours that I almost forgot I had received a complete ankle replacement. I can't believe how good my ankle feels. OK, the real truth-I still have pain but am able to handle it quite well with Ultram. Cold, and today is what...-14?, is tough on it! Titanium gets pretty darn cold so I may have to invest in some battery-operated socks! I have a brace that I will have to wear for a full year at least, then in many activities for the rest of my life. I still walk with a strong limp but I get better every day, and
I think I may not even have a limp sometime down the road! Isn't that exciting!!!!!! Next doctor's appointment isn't for 2 months.
We have had many guests at the Inn since my surgery. You should have seen me cook and serve my gourmet breakfasts. I had chairs with wheels strategically placed in several rooms. I could launch myself quite a distance across our beautifully restored hardwood floors. The kitchen tile was a bit different. It was like driving down Manitowoc road in Bellevue or riding a horse with one short leg. I haven't actually ridden a horse with one short leg but I think it would be quite similar to the repeated de-dunk, de-dunk, de-dunk on Manitowoc road. Anyway, I served some kick-butt breakfasts to guests from Maryland, La Crosse, Green Bay and Oshkosh and had a blast! I love being an Innkeeper!
There is an eagle in Algoma. I watched it for a while for the second time last week. How amazingly majestic! I took some great pictures of Mr. Eagle (I'm not familiar with eagles so it could have been a Mrs. and I apologize to those eagles that I may have offended)and the Algoma area blanketed in frigidness. Hope you enjoy them.
Remember my beautiful and serene (though not for long) Belle Isle Micro Spa?? Well it is so ironic...They are suing me for breaching the lease. My oh so humorous husband compares it with getting run over by your boss in the parking lot at work and then being fired for not being able to work. I think that's pretty funny though also pretty accurate. Remember all the crap that I had to deal with there? 'Nuff said!
I am getting back to another love...My cooking shows. I'd love to host a show for you at
Belle Isle Inn or at your house. I'm also doing cooking overnighters for a great winter get-away for you and a few friends. How fun!! I am so excited at how
Pampered Chef has helped me in the Inn's Kitchen. My newest creations use the deep covered baker for 30 minute Rouladen and the 10 inch cookware pan for my sauteed pears in toffee sauce. Yum Yum! Did you know that you can
order cookware and
get recipes?
rning-fresh banana-apricot muffins with a brown sugar crunch topping. Next was Tia's surprise (pretty much everything is a "Tia's surprise" creation) Cajun shrimp, artichokes, sweet onions and cherry tomatoes on an over-easy egg on an onion bagel with a fresh Parmesan and artichoke sauce. I included fresh grilled Trippe as I usually do for new guests. Everyone needs to experience Belgian Trippe at least once in their lives. AND THEN...for breakfast desert...a hot, grilled, walnut-banana brownie with a dollop of warm caramel pudding. I suggested they may want to walk back to Chicago to burn off calories (there was not a remnant of breakfast on their plate (I think I heard a licking sound coming from the breakfast room.) At checkout they asked what the cost of the room was. This is the best! I had b
een in the midst of updating the Inn website, pricing, etc. Each guest had seen a different price so I told them the lesser one would be great. The wonderful guests from Chicago said "absolutely not! You, and what you do here, is worth way more than what you charge!" Then they went on to say "It is obvious that you not only love people, but you love to cook! And how you've decorated the Inn is so inviting. It has been a wonderful experience." I almost cried. My mom always said "do what you love to do, do it well, and you will succeed!" Okay, it was probably more like "if you want to be a garbage collector, (no offense to garbage collectors here)just be the best garbage collector you can!" Or maybe that was what I said to my boys, I don't know...Whatever way it is said, I have always found it to be true. The guests from Chicago are further proof. You can tell the difference between someone who delivers your food to the table and a waitress who loves what she does!
