It’s All So Exciting – ‘Til It Isn’t

As a lot of you know, I live just a hair’s breadth away from the mighty Mississippi River. Well, actually not the REAL Mississippi River, but a smaller river, a canal really, what used to be the Mississippi River a little more than a hundred years ago. The Mississippi River is constantly moving and with that movement often comes course changes. That’s right, the river actually changes course. That’s what happened here in Vicksburg in 1876. The river changed course and left Vicksburg and its very active port, high and dry.

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The Broken Lightbulb: A Spooky Tale

Here at the inn, I have a policy: if a room is not made completely up and ready for someone to check into it, I keep the door to that room either shut or locked until it’s ready to go. I don’t like snoopy guests – and they are, every single one of them – to peek in and see a dirty or unfinished room. I just think that’s unprofessional. I’d rather have those snoopy guests wonder what those rooms look like than for them to see an unmade bed or a vacuum cleaner sitting in the middle of the room or towels stacked on the dresser. Hey, my inn, my rules. I want to present it in its best light.

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The Great Confiscation – Damn You TSA!

So, I think you know that I recently traveled to Appleton, Wisconsin to attend the Writer’s Police Academy. It was a blast!! Met some amazing people and learned some super cool stuff. Getting there was fine; 3 flights, 4 airports, no food, and 2 really quick trips to the restroom while running through airport concourses to my next flight. But all-in-all, not too bad. Coming home? Not so much.

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So Much Sensitivity Nowadays

I feel about cars how I feel about computers: They’re great when they work, they suck when they don’t. Before we moved to Mississippi I leased a Nissan Rogue, which I loved. My lease was up right about the time we sold our house, so everything worked out almost perfect in that regard. For about the first year of our innkeeping experience, we only had one car. It’s all we needed. But then my husband took a job outside the home and it wasn’t convenient for me to drive him to work every morning and pick him up every evening. Neither was it convenient for me to be stuck at home without a vehicle.

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A Trip To the Oligocene Epoch Right Down the Road

A few weeks ago, I time traveled. I wasn’t gone very long and I didn’t travel very far, but I definitely went back in time. Back about 36-38 million years ago in fact, if scientists are right. It wasn’t as exciting as I thought it might be but it was interesting none-the-less.

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I Still Wanna Believe

There are so many dishonest people in the world today. So many people with harmful agendas. So many people out to make a buck. I think you’d be somewhat foolish if you weren’t always a little leery of people selling stuff. There are thieves who will take your money and disappear. But I also choose to believe that there are still good people out there too. People who are just trying to make a living. People who come by their money honestly. People who aren’t trying to trick you into buying something they have no intention of delivering.

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What’s Your Inn Guest FICO Score?

The other day I had a guest experience that I wish I would have handled differently. Hey, sometimes it happens. But you never know UNTIL it happens. And we all know that sometimes all it takes is one person to screw things up for everyone else. Here’s what happened?

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Valentine’s Day Fail

Here we are at February 14^th already. Valentine’s Day has arrived again. Time to show your special someone how much you love them. I know, I know, you should do that every day, but today is the one day a year when you should really treat your sweetheart to something uniquely special. Something out of their ordinary. Something frivolous. Nothing says, “I love you,” like wasting money on something only the receiver will appreciate and enjoy. Like flowers. Or a bottle of their favorite Prosecco.

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I Just Wanted Some Pants

I’ve been in a “getting rid of” phase here at Casa Baer. I’ve unloaded some unwanted things and given away some things I still want but never use (can you say good-bye to about $1,000 worth of gorgeous high-heeled shoes), and made my jewelry box about ten pounds lighter. It was time to donate these items to new homes and people who will – hopefully – enjoy them the same way I did for years.

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The Je Ne Sais Quoi of Abandoned Places – Part Two

Last week I told you of my interest in exploring ghost towns and abandoned places. I relayed the story of the town of Rodney, the capital that almost was. This week, I continue my exploration adventures with you to another spot not too far from my home in Vicksburg, Mississippi. Let’s wander over to Windsor Ruins, what’s left of Mississippi’s greatest plantation home ever.

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