Thursday, January 14, 2010

Have A Heart!



You may not know that I have a strong passion for the American Red Cross. This is an amazing organization that does so much good for so many people. When things go bad, we all look to the American Red Cross to come and help us and to provide us some assistance. The Red Cross logo is universally recognizable and we all put our faith and complete trust in the Red Cross personnel.

You may not also know that I am a member of the American Red Cross. When we lived in Dallas, I was a Disaster Action Team (DAT) Team Leader and a Shelter Manager. I would be on call on weeknights and weekends ready to provide immediate assistance should it be needed. It was not unusual for the page to come in during the middle of the night, in the pouring rain. Much of our work was to provide immediate assistance to the first responders and victims of fires. Winters are an especially busy time of year for us.

A horrific tragedy occurred in Haiti this week. Most of us cannot even begin to understand the suffering the Haitian people are enduring in this incredibly poor country. I am certain that the images on the evening news does not do the suffering justice. The death toll seems to be going up by the minute. Water is the most important commodity to these people. So many people are injured and have lost their homes and even their family. The devastation is just unimaginable!

My heart breaks every time I turn on the TV and I want to do all that I can to support the American Red Cross at this time. Therefore, we are rolling out the "Have a Heart" campaign starting this weekend and continuing throughout the month of February. We will donate $10 of every room rental to the American Red Cross's Relief Efforts.

Please pass this on so that we can all make a difference in the lives of the Haitian people and provide the funding the American Red Cross needs to do their job. Please call us at 903-665-9511 or email us at info@carriagehousejefferson.com for more information.

Wednesday, January 6, 2010

Pulpwood Queen's Girlfriend Weekend

Did you know that the largest book club in the world is based out of this fine town of Jefferson, Texas? It is true! The Pulpwood Queen's Book Club is the brainchild of Kathy L. Patrick owner of the Beauty and the Book Salon located only two blocks from The Carriage House Bed and Breakfast.

When Kathy, a licensed cosmetologist turned publisher’s rep, lost her job due to industry cutbacks, she wasn’t deterred by this setback. Only a few months later, she opened Beauty and the Book, the world’s only combination beauty salon/bookstore. An instant hit with customers, who flocked to the store for her dual beauty/book tips, Kathy soon founded The Pulpwood Queens of East Texas. The group meets monthly in official Pulpwood Queens attire—anything that includes hot pink, leopard print, and the obligatory tiara—to eat, drink, and talk books.

The Pulpwood Queens motto is "where tiaras are mandatory and reading good books is the RULE"! This group's mission is to promote literacy and help undiscovered authors get discovered in a great big way. The Pulpwood Queens now have clubs in over eight countries with 200+ chapters globally.

These fine ladies will be having their annual conference here in Jefferson from January 13th through the 17th. The schedule for this conference can be found on the club's website by clicking here.

We still have a few rooms available for this conference. You may go to our website to make your reservation online or call us at (903) 665-9511.

Happy Reading!

Saturday, January 2, 2010

Takk for Sist



Some of you may know that I grew up in Norway and many of my traditions and values came from this great Noridic land. One of these traditions that I have held on to over the years is the custom of saying "Takk for Sist" at the New Year. It has a simple and very profound meaning. ..Thank you for last year.

I have many fond memories of saying this simple greeting to complete strangers and dearest of friends on New Year's Eve. Instead of wishing someone a happy new year, it was much more polite to thank them for the year that was passing. To this day, I love the thought of thanking people for the year that was instead of wishing them a happy new year. The new year will be just fine without a greeting but we must always remember our friends and families at the changeover of a new year.

I want to say to all of my new friends and all of my old friends...thank you for last year. I have had an amazing 2009! It has been a year of incredible change. I am humbled by all of the people that have walked through the doors of The Carriage House. I am grateful for all of the wonderful people I have met and the memories that we have made together. I have no doubt in my mind that 2010 will be an equally amazing and equally challenging year.

Takk for Sist!