Adjusting the Sails
“The pessimist complains about the wind;
The optimist expects it to change;
The realist adjusts the sails”
William Arthur Ward
We Miss You All -
It has now been 35 days since we last hosted a guest here at the Brass Lantern Inn. While we miss each and every one of you, we take great comfort in knowing that we here at the Inn and you reading this post, hopefully from the safety and comfort of your home, and like us are doing everything we can together to bring normalcy back to our collective world.
Normalcy, yes, we all just want to get back to “normal,” right?
We also never lose sight of the fact that we remain healthy and secure with the knowledge that we have a roof over our heads, food on the table (and in the pantry) and are safely housed here in the Inn. We pray for those who are not so fortunate. The anxiety of this time is compounded by the uncertainty of this virus and yes, even with our 10+ years of Innkeeping experience our concern over the economic impact ongoing.
Historically, we know that there will be a time when we can talk about this tragic event in the past tense. To get to that point, we feel that we all have a moral obligation to our fellow neighbors, both near and far, to recognize, respect and execute the guidance from our State and local authorities to do that which we know we can and must do on a personal and especially our business level, to protect and serve one another.
Currently -
Recently, our Governor extended the “Stay Home, Stay Safe” executive order through May 15. Until that time, residents of Vermont are to avoid all but essential travel, and truly stay home if they are not an essential worker. As like most places around the country, our hotels, resorts, B&B’s, retail shops, restaurants, attractions and events have all been devastated by the economic blow of these restrictions. We understand and recognize that our Governor, Senators, Congressman and local public officials truly have a difficult job of protecting the safety and well being of the residents and visitors to this brave little state of Vermont.
Everybody needs everybody’s support. That is the challenge these days as this is not like a devastating weather event in one section of our country where those of us not directly impacted can provide some level of support, be it financially or boots on the ground. This is a tough one as we are truly, all in this together.
Looking Forward -
So, we remain hunkered down here at the Inn; Mary Anne, our son Patrick, and I, have more quality time to spend with each other as we reflect on the wonderful memories of this lifestyle now going on 11 years long as Innkeepers of the Brass Lantern Inn. We take some very quiet walks nearby, have plenty of time to clear out the clutter (both mentally and figuratively - amazing how quickly we accumulate, stuff). We do a bit of Netflix/YouTube kind of diversion and we do have the luxury now of sleeping in past 5 a.m. each morning!
Of course there is always another painting, maintenance project to tackle in this 8,000 s.f. of now, mostly, vacant space of an Inn. We are taking the positive approach as we see this as an excellent opportunity to make preparations for your return to take on some sweat equity kind of projects to the Inn towards our continuous pursuit to elevate the guest experience, i.e., keeping things fresh.
Many times when we take on minor to major projects we are then challenged by the deadline to get things back in order for a guest room prior to the next arrival. Now, not so much of a rush to get this completed. Silver lining? Though, have to admit, as the weather begins to warm up, it is a bit more challenging to focus on these when my mountain bike is parked next to the paint cans…
During this time of peaceful reflection, we also find it comforting to go through our endless files of our own travel photos to brighten up this mud season here in Vermont and allow us to dream about future travels. Even to scroll back through the many Instagram/FB posts is really very fun. Interestingly, “insta” has become more “archival” in these grey days of spring here in Vermont. And you may notice a photo from the past slipping into our Instagram/FB feeds.
Please keep us in your future plans -
We hope this post finds you well, and that you can perhaps keep some of your memories of a stay and experience here at the Brass Lantern Inn in focus as we get through this challenging time, together. There are some encouraging signs out there so hopefully we will be back in full business mode again as soon as it is safe to do so.
We hope we can continue to count on your consideration as your thoughts begin to look beyond this as we continue to be here for your peaceful retreat on the other side of this curve.
Stay Safe, Stay Well!
Adjusting our Sails,
George and Mary Anne
