Hospitality Blog Posts
Clubhouse?
As a very young child, we lived in an apartment in Beirut, Lebanon on a school campus (BBS, Beirut Baptist School). My parents had started this school in the garage of the apartment building which ran parallel to a main thoroughfare leading to Beirut’s old downtown.
Winter Cleaning, not Spring Cleaning!
After taking down Christmas and before pulling back your “normal” items from where you hid them in your excitement to decorate for the holidays the day after Thanksgiving, give all your surfaces a good cleaning. There’s no need to go out and buy fancy cleaners to do the job, just follow my easy directions and concoct your own product!
“Hygge,” What is That?!?!
The Danish term, hygge, is a lifestyle word referring to finding comfort, pleasure, and warmth in simple, soothing things such as a cozy feeling of contentment through cherishing the little things. Why not apply this to your Christmas decorating?
Winter Back Porch Living
Don’t denigrate, deny the importance of, your back porch to winter-time-blues, especially in our mild southern winters! Enrich your hospitality vibes by expanding your welcoming “come on over” options.
Quick Fresh Apple or Pear Coffee Cake
Our home in Lebanon was filled with the comings and goings of company during the months surrounding Christmas. Since mom usually had on hand the Master Baking Mix (October 15 blog post) ingredients and the abundant fresh fruit of Lebanon, her quick go-to crowd pleasing coffee cake was the featured item of a winter’s morning breakfast.
Together with Family Again
We recently took a road trip to see family. We crossed several states to see our grandchildren after a long stretch of absence this past year. I was giddy with anticipation as each mile marker whizzed by. We also had the-privilege of stopping at a halfway mark going and coming and visited my husband’s cousins, aunt, and uncle.
Hospitality Can Talk
“Languages are epistemologies as well as human bridges.” (Elizabeth Alexander, The Light of the World)
Make Ahead and Freeze Chicken Casserole
Some of us will actually be able to have family together again for Easter Sunday. Are you stressed about trying to re-learn how to have company again?
Fresh Berry Trifle, A Scotland Delight
I enjoy watching the British mystery shows on PBS. I wax nostalgic over the short, rough hewn walls fencing in the rolling emerald green pastures dotted with bright yellow buttercups pictured in almost every village scene. When I hear the crunch, crunch of feet on pebbled walkways on these shows, I flash back to the entrance of my grandparents’ home in Oban, Scotland. I open the squeaky gate and run up the pebbled walkway to my Granny and Grandad’s humble home, a second floor apartment of a four-unit walk-up on the outer edge of the town.
Hope in a Four Year Old Refugee’s Eyes
The new year is a time to look back and sift through what we want to keep and what we wish we could discard. One way in which I cope with throwing away the detritus of life is by highlighting the stories of hope.