Omission, not ommission.... early morning

Please note, the rug making class is December 5th. Sorry for the ommission.

We had a full house recently with guests from Seattle, Montreal, upstate New York and Atlanta all at once. It was interesting to meet these guests as everyone had talents that I found very interesting including architect, poet, novelists, movie producer, carpenter,tv producer, set designer. Facinating We have two upcomng workshops that promise to be very interesting. November 21st, Basket Case. You will learn how to weave a basket in this all day session and you will go home with your very own full sized handmade basket. Class will be taught by master basket maker Mary Anne Nielson. Materials and lunch included. $75.00 for the day or…. bring some friends and spend the weekend at the Walker House Bed and Breakfast for $150.00, including class, lodging and breakfast Saturday and Sunday. Remember, the holidays are fast approaching and handmade gifts are truly a meaningful gift. Primitive Rug Hooking Workshop If you love creating art this one day workshop will introduce you to the basic start to finish skills needed to make your own hand hooked rugs and accessories. Ann teaches rug-hooking techniques using wool fabric strips. We discuss working with recycled & new fabrics and selecting backings, hooks, & frames. Students will hook and finish a 10” x 10” sampler. Saturday, December 5, 2009 9:30 am - 4 pm • Workshop Fee: $70.00 includes kit • Skill Level: Beginner • Max. Class size: 10 Cat’s Meow Rug Hooking • Instructional workshop on basic hooking techniques • Personal one-on-one time with instructor • Learn color planning • Learn how to personalizing your rug pattern • Kit includes: 10 x 10 pattern on rug warp Rug binding Rug hook Your selection of wool for pattern • Instructor provides rug cutter • Variety of wool to choose from The $70.00 workshop fee includes a catered lunch. As above, make a fun weekend of it with some friends for $135.00. Space is limited so register early.

Had a wonderful visit from Jeannie, Jean and JoJo. We revisited some of the fun things we did in our youth. Bubbles was really fun. We also had a bonfire with somemores, ants on a log, eggs in a nest. This is the introduction to "Revisit Your Childhood" retreat.

The summer is well underway here at the Walker House. Today the electrician is here trying to figure out very old circuits. I have planted 6 4X4 raised bed gardens and a large "vine" garden, melon, squash, gourds. Several things have come up so far this summer so please check the blog for updates to our calendar. Mike went to the energy show with a friend who is involved in solar ovens. Baking by the sun. Pretty cool, gets up to 350 in the blink of an eye, or actually the sun. Getting hot and muggy but thank goodness for air conditioning! If you want to get away for a few days of peace and solitude, please give us a call. Our weekend guests commented that the first thing they noticed was that the "air was different", in a good way.  Sue

It's raining in Hancock and the great news is that the lakes are up a bit! We really need that moisture right now for the herb garden, too. The rain has me in a blues and rock mood, and I got to thinking about the passing of the legendary blues artist Koko Taylor. I really enjoyed her performing Wang Dang Doodle! http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oxCa16-nxtM For some reason that got me thinking about bread pudding--go figure! Anyway, here's a recipe in Koko's honor. We encourage her spirit to b e with us at the Walker House of Blues! http://www.momswhothink.com/easy-recipes/bread-pudding-recipe.html Now-- time for Stevie Ray Vaughn and Dave Matthews!

Hello everyone, Sue and I were pleased to host Barb and John Brinkmann over the Memorial Day Weekend. Barb is the CEO of Barb's Interior Design--see http://www.barbsinteriordesign.com and is active in a myriad of service organizations [Go M-T Optimists!], as well as the Thiensville-Mequon and Cedarburg Chambers of Commerce. John is an engineer for Harley Davidson who enjoys cooking, grilling, and brewing some great beers. We also hosted their amazing pooch, Toby Jo! For great advice on interior design, we strongly recommend Barb--she is amazing!

Today is a great day for our family--Drew, our youngest son, graduates from the University of Wisconsin. He worked really hard at his studies while providing outstanding leadership to the Wisconsin Student Alumni Board and c-directing it's All Campus Party for the past two years. http://waa.uwalumni.com/acp2009/index.html Drew [aka Moose] will be joining Milwaukee Electric Tool Company as a sales account rep in the Los Angeles area. He'll be joining Paul as a member of the California branch of our family [see them both in the photo!) Best wishes and love!!! Go Badgers!

The last entry referred to the Coloma Wine Shop; actually it's the Coloma Wine House. The proprietors, Steve and Chris, have a great place that offers over 200 small vinter wines, plus artisan cheeses, meats, gifts, and greeting cards. Today, at the Shop, I sampled and purchased a Sartori Reserve BellaVitano Merlot, which is a parmesan style cheese soaked in Merlot and aged for at least 8 months. It's creamy smooth with a chaddar texture and has a great mouth-feel. Paired with Reisling, it's a great break from a lot of standard fare. I also purchased a 2004 Shiraz by Penascal from the Castilla Y Leon region of Spain. We're looking forward to give it a whirl!

Everything is in bloom! Sue and I are sprucing up the grounds, hanging flower baskets, and planting the herb garden and raised beds. Fresh herbs are integral to our recipes and we love having fresh flowers in the rooms and on the tables. We are excited about our friends Chris and Steve's Coloma Wine Shop. The have a terrific selections of domestic and imported wines, as well as cheeses. Just tried a Carmenera from Argentina--super!

As they say, today is the first day of the rest of your life. I retired Thursday! I have been a nurse for 40 years and it is time to start the next phase of my life, the Inn Keeper phase, full time. Mike and I are very excited about tackling the yards, exterior house and the woods. Also, one of my favorites, recipe testing. Now is the time to look at strawberries and aspargus. I'll let you know what works, or come on up and I'll make it for you myself! Development of programs is also a priority, starting with the "Go FLy a Kite" workshop. Stayed tuned for more intersting tidbits, recipes and picutres of our growth and developments. Today is Derby Day. Find a fancy hat and enjoy!