Grace was happy that her friends were having a good time. In a quick fifteen minutes Chloe and Sue came back downstairs for breakfast. Sue had done as she said and just threw on some sweats, but Chloe had done her hair and makeup. She was ready for Peter's return, and she didn't have to wait very long. They could hear Peter's truck pull up in front of the cottage.
Grace brought the Curach servings out to the dining room on a silver tray and went back to get the rest of the Irish coffee cake and refill the tea pot. When she returned everyone was seated with Chloe next to Peter. She could see that there were obviously feelings between the two of them, but they had just met. She worried about Chloe being on the rebound, and really didn't know how committed Peter would be with a girl from Dublin.
“So, how was the craic last night. Obviously you all had plenty to drink,” Grace commented as she poured the tea.
“The music was great and I guess we did drink a little more that we should have. Seems some of the gents in the pub made sure there was always a full pint in front of us!” Sue was the first to respond. “By the way, I have to say it's so nice to have breakfast served on a silver platter.”
“Aine only had nice things and I needed a tray, so this was it. I do agree that the gents in this area are pretty friendly,” Grace turned and winked at Peter.
“Alright you girls, I'm going to be blushed,” Peter retorted. “It was leeful for such a small town. The band was great, right Chloe?”
“Oh, yes, great fun,” Chloe seemed to be lost in thought and was startled when Peter referred to her.
“Since you all look like you could use a little shot to get you going, just so you know, there's a bit whiskey in both the Curach and the coffee cake,” Grace smiled.
“Grace, I don't know what you had planned for today with your friends, but I had offered to take Chloe for a ride up to Portstewart by the beach. Would that work for you?” Peter seems hesitant and Chloe just looked down to her lap.
Grace looked at Sue and she give a slight nod of approval. “Peter, looks like you've got somewhere to go today then. Would you like to take some snacks with you?”
“I hope you don't mind me leaving the two of you,” Chloe finally said. “I've never been up this way and it sounded like such a nice drive. I don't think we need anything. So if you will excuse us, we should probably get on the road.”
Peter and Chloe said their good byes for the day and as soon as the door closed behind them and they were in Peter's truck, Grace and Sue started giggling. They were both so happy for Chloe and surprised at how she seemed so shy this morning. Sue followed Grace to the kitchen and helped her clean up from breakfast.
“Guess we had better make some plans of our own,” Sue teased.
“Actually I need some help. I've been working on trying to put together some kind of plan and have tons of questions I need to get answered. Maybe before we head out for the day I can bounce some ideas off you, or maybe you will even have some better ideas,” Grace didn't want to leave her thoughts from the day before hanging.
“Sounds good to me, what have you got in mind?” Sue was curious.
The two girls spent the next couple of hours tossing around ideas about the cottage and how it would run as a B&B if Grace could handle it. By lunch time they had more ideas and still had no firm answers They decided to clear their heads with a ride to to Magherafelt for some groceries for dinner and a stop for lunch.
Monday, May 30, 2011
Saturday, May 28, 2011
All Roads Lead to Swatragh - Chapter 31
The soft chime of her alarm clock woke Grace at 6:30AM. She was so tired she didn't hear a thing after she climbed into bed. She would have loved to roll over in bed and enjoy the comfort of the cool morning a little longer, but knew she had paying guests that she needed to take care of with breakfast. It was nice that she didn't have to serve any breakfast until nine, but she needed to get the table set and get some hot water for tea started.
For today's breakfast Grace found a recipe for Curach(Honey Cream Oatmeal) in amongst all of Aine's recipes. She thought this uncooked dish would be a nice addition in the morning with some fresh raspberries and the hint of Irish whiskey. Adding an Irish Coffee Cake to this menu she felt there would be something for everyone. She always had cereal on hand in case any of her friends were picky eaters.
By the time the oats were toasted and the cream whipped, she could hear the water from the showers running at the upstairs front of the cottage. Dennis and Laura were up and would be off for their walk. This would give her plenty of time to get things finished.
Grace had not heard Peter's truck in the front, but she was preoccupied with the morning's breakfast. As she turned to pour some milk into a pitcher she was startled to see Peter standing in the doorway.
“I'm sorry,” he apologized. “I hope you don't mind.”
“Oh, you just started me. I didn't hear your truck. Mind about what?” Grace was confused.
“I thought you realized. When we got back last night, I was a little too tipsy. Chloe and Sue would not let me drive, so they made me stay in the small bedroom upstairs,” Peter explained.
“That would explain your rumpled clothes,” Grace smiled at Peter. He obviously had a good time the night before. Maybe even a little too much fun.
“Do I have time to run home and clean up before breakfast? That is if I'm invited?” Peter flashed his smile as he asked.
“Of course you are invited. Yes, get going, I am serving starting at 9:00. You should have enough time,” Grace liked seeing Peter in this more relaxed mood. He didn't have to worry about cooked food getting cold today, but wanted to be back to have breakfast with the girls.
Grace realized that she had not hear a sound from the back bedroom upstairs. Maybe Peter would have more time than he thought with the girls sleeping in later than usual. As she put the pot of hot tea on the table she heard Dennis and Laura come in the front door.
“Grace, dear, this has just been the most enjoyable night and morning. No hassles and we didn't feel like we were imposing. The room was perfect,” Laura was bubbling with compliments.
“And I have to say that was the best morning shower I've had in ages,” Dennis chimed in.
They both sat down for tea and loved the Irish coffee cake. They were light eaters and passed on the Curach. Grace took the time to chat with them as they had a second cup of tea. Dennis asked if Grace had any business cards that he could share with his friends. They often came up this way and wanted a place to get away from the cities just to relax.
Grace explained that she was just coming up every few weekends at the moment as she still had a job in Dublin and was unsure if she would be opening up the cottage on a permanent basis. Dennis and Laura were insistent on having a way for their friends to contact Grace to see if she was going to be in Swatragh, and if they could stay at the cottage. Grace told them she would set up an email address that she would share with them and give it to them when they checked out the next morning.
All this talk still made Grace very uncomfortable but she didn't have too much time to dwell on it as when Dennis and Laura left for their friends place, Chloe and Sue came down still in their PJ's.
Grace laughed at the girls seeing them just out of bed. “You had better put something more on. Peter just went home to shower and change so he could impress you when he got back.”
“Oh, no,” squealed Chloe who turned and ran up the stairs. She obviously didn't want Peter to see her this way.
Sue shrugged her shoulder and turned to head up the stairs saying, “Guess I should throw on some sweats. It's not like Peter really cares how I look.” She smiled and winked at Grace as she headed up the stairs.
“And when you come back down you two are going to have some explaining to do about last night!” teased Grace.
For today's breakfast Grace found a recipe for Curach(Honey Cream Oatmeal) in amongst all of Aine's recipes. She thought this uncooked dish would be a nice addition in the morning with some fresh raspberries and the hint of Irish whiskey. Adding an Irish Coffee Cake to this menu she felt there would be something for everyone. She always had cereal on hand in case any of her friends were picky eaters.
By the time the oats were toasted and the cream whipped, she could hear the water from the showers running at the upstairs front of the cottage. Dennis and Laura were up and would be off for their walk. This would give her plenty of time to get things finished.
Grace had not heard Peter's truck in the front, but she was preoccupied with the morning's breakfast. As she turned to pour some milk into a pitcher she was startled to see Peter standing in the doorway.
“I'm sorry,” he apologized. “I hope you don't mind.”
“Oh, you just started me. I didn't hear your truck. Mind about what?” Grace was confused.
“I thought you realized. When we got back last night, I was a little too tipsy. Chloe and Sue would not let me drive, so they made me stay in the small bedroom upstairs,” Peter explained.
“That would explain your rumpled clothes,” Grace smiled at Peter. He obviously had a good time the night before. Maybe even a little too much fun.
“Do I have time to run home and clean up before breakfast? That is if I'm invited?” Peter flashed his smile as he asked.
“Of course you are invited. Yes, get going, I am serving starting at 9:00. You should have enough time,” Grace liked seeing Peter in this more relaxed mood. He didn't have to worry about cooked food getting cold today, but wanted to be back to have breakfast with the girls.
Grace realized that she had not hear a sound from the back bedroom upstairs. Maybe Peter would have more time than he thought with the girls sleeping in later than usual. As she put the pot of hot tea on the table she heard Dennis and Laura come in the front door.
“Grace, dear, this has just been the most enjoyable night and morning. No hassles and we didn't feel like we were imposing. The room was perfect,” Laura was bubbling with compliments.
“And I have to say that was the best morning shower I've had in ages,” Dennis chimed in.
They both sat down for tea and loved the Irish coffee cake. They were light eaters and passed on the Curach. Grace took the time to chat with them as they had a second cup of tea. Dennis asked if Grace had any business cards that he could share with his friends. They often came up this way and wanted a place to get away from the cities just to relax.
Grace explained that she was just coming up every few weekends at the moment as she still had a job in Dublin and was unsure if she would be opening up the cottage on a permanent basis. Dennis and Laura were insistent on having a way for their friends to contact Grace to see if she was going to be in Swatragh, and if they could stay at the cottage. Grace told them she would set up an email address that she would share with them and give it to them when they checked out the next morning.
All this talk still made Grace very uncomfortable but she didn't have too much time to dwell on it as when Dennis and Laura left for their friends place, Chloe and Sue came down still in their PJ's.
Grace laughed at the girls seeing them just out of bed. “You had better put something more on. Peter just went home to shower and change so he could impress you when he got back.”
“Oh, no,” squealed Chloe who turned and ran up the stairs. She obviously didn't want Peter to see her this way.
Sue shrugged her shoulder and turned to head up the stairs saying, “Guess I should throw on some sweats. It's not like Peter really cares how I look.” She smiled and winked at Grace as she headed up the stairs.
“And when you come back down you two are going to have some explaining to do about last night!” teased Grace.
Wednesday, May 25, 2011
All Roads Lead to Swatragh - Chapter 30
The group sat down to dinner with some wine that the girls had brought with them. Grace had made some appetizers to start off the dinner. She found some beautiful fresh shrimp at the grocery and wrapped it in bacon and broiled it. Just the perfect bite.
“Now this is not something from Aine,” Peter commented.
“How did you know?” Grace asked back.
“Just didn't seem that Aine would make something as updated as this. It's delicious. I think you should make this a regular addition to the menu,” Peter complimented.
“The menu?” Grace questioned. “What is that supposed to mean?”
Peter smiled and didn't respond. Instead he turned and winked at Chloe. Grace had noticed that Chloe had made sure that she sat next to Peter at the dinner table and once Peter finished chatting with Grace over the appetizer, Chloe pretty much monopolized Peter for the better part of the dinner. And Peter didn't seem to mind at all. In fact, he even seemed to be more engaging with Chloe than Grace had seen before.
Sue and Grace chatted about the cottage and Sue, who loved antiques, was anxious to look at all the furnishings closer to see if she recognized anything as a precious antique. She had already noticed a beautiful antique tea caddy on the side cupboard and an old peat bucket near the fire place. Grace had never considered that any of the furnishings would be considered antiques. They had just always been there.
Grace had been busy with her conversation with Sue when she heard Peter say, “That would be great fun. I think we should do that tonight.”
“Peter, do you want to share with Sue and I?” Grace asked.
“I was just thinking it would be great craic to go over the Rafters and listen to some music. We'd have a great time,” Peter was full of energy this evening.
“Actually it would be fun, but I need to clean up from dinner and get things ready for breakfast tomorrow with the other guests coming in tonight. But you can all go on. It's not like I haven't ever been to Rafters,” Grace was concerned about having everything ready for her other guests.
“Other guests?” Sue asked. “So is there something you should be telling us?”
“Sue, no, it's nothing. Just some folks who needed a bed to sleep in as their friend's place is too crowded. I told them they could stay here just for the two nights that we're here. But I'm also making breakfast for all of us. So I need to have everything ready and can't be out late tonight,” Grace was actually tired and wanted some time to herself. “You all go and I'll see you in the morning. The door will be unlocked for you.”
After everyone helped to clear the table, Peter, Chloe and Sue headed out for Rafters Pub. The cottage was quiet and as soon as all the dishes were done and put away, and things prepared for the morning, Grace sat down in the big chair to do some reading. Her mind kept wandering to the fact that she had actually rented a room to paying guests for two nights and she didn't even have to try. Was this something that could work? She'd have to make the drive up from Dublin every weekend.
Grace moved from the chair to the desk. She started to look at possibilities that might work. How many people could she accommodate? How much would the food cost? What about the laundry? How could bookings be handled? Would something like this be cost effective? Or would she end up losing money? Would this help to supplement her work income? Did she want to work seven days a week? And the biggest question was is this something she wanted to take on? She moved back to the chair with her note paper and all her questions. She always felt that she was closer to Aine when she sat there, and hoped for some divine help with all these questions.
As she mulled all this over, she heard a car in the drive. It was too early for her friends to be back, so it must be Dennis and Laura. She was right. Grace greeted them at the door.
“You have no idea how much we appreciate this,” Laura said as they entered. “We felt we were just imposing too much on our friends and this is so close, yet just what we needed.”
Dennis chimed in, “At least we won't have to be fighting for hot water in the morning!”
“What time would you like breakfast?” Grace asked.
“We like to get out and do a little walking before we eat, dear. That would be about half eight. So would around nine be good for you?” Laura explained to Grace.
“That would be perfect. I'll have some hot tea ready for you when you return. I hope you enjoy your sleep tonight,” Grace said as she bid the two good night.
Not such a difficult process Grace thought to herself. Can I be this gracious all the time? How did Aine do this for so many years?
Grace headed to bed herself and slipped off to sleep with questions spinning around in her head.
“Now this is not something from Aine,” Peter commented.
“How did you know?” Grace asked back.
“Just didn't seem that Aine would make something as updated as this. It's delicious. I think you should make this a regular addition to the menu,” Peter complimented.
“The menu?” Grace questioned. “What is that supposed to mean?”
Peter smiled and didn't respond. Instead he turned and winked at Chloe. Grace had noticed that Chloe had made sure that she sat next to Peter at the dinner table and once Peter finished chatting with Grace over the appetizer, Chloe pretty much monopolized Peter for the better part of the dinner. And Peter didn't seem to mind at all. In fact, he even seemed to be more engaging with Chloe than Grace had seen before.
Sue and Grace chatted about the cottage and Sue, who loved antiques, was anxious to look at all the furnishings closer to see if she recognized anything as a precious antique. She had already noticed a beautiful antique tea caddy on the side cupboard and an old peat bucket near the fire place. Grace had never considered that any of the furnishings would be considered antiques. They had just always been there.
Grace had been busy with her conversation with Sue when she heard Peter say, “That would be great fun. I think we should do that tonight.”
“Peter, do you want to share with Sue and I?” Grace asked.
“I was just thinking it would be great craic to go over the Rafters and listen to some music. We'd have a great time,” Peter was full of energy this evening.
“Actually it would be fun, but I need to clean up from dinner and get things ready for breakfast tomorrow with the other guests coming in tonight. But you can all go on. It's not like I haven't ever been to Rafters,” Grace was concerned about having everything ready for her other guests.
“Other guests?” Sue asked. “So is there something you should be telling us?”
“Sue, no, it's nothing. Just some folks who needed a bed to sleep in as their friend's place is too crowded. I told them they could stay here just for the two nights that we're here. But I'm also making breakfast for all of us. So I need to have everything ready and can't be out late tonight,” Grace was actually tired and wanted some time to herself. “You all go and I'll see you in the morning. The door will be unlocked for you.”
After everyone helped to clear the table, Peter, Chloe and Sue headed out for Rafters Pub. The cottage was quiet and as soon as all the dishes were done and put away, and things prepared for the morning, Grace sat down in the big chair to do some reading. Her mind kept wandering to the fact that she had actually rented a room to paying guests for two nights and she didn't even have to try. Was this something that could work? She'd have to make the drive up from Dublin every weekend.
Grace moved from the chair to the desk. She started to look at possibilities that might work. How many people could she accommodate? How much would the food cost? What about the laundry? How could bookings be handled? Would something like this be cost effective? Or would she end up losing money? Would this help to supplement her work income? Did she want to work seven days a week? And the biggest question was is this something she wanted to take on? She moved back to the chair with her note paper and all her questions. She always felt that she was closer to Aine when she sat there, and hoped for some divine help with all these questions.
As she mulled all this over, she heard a car in the drive. It was too early for her friends to be back, so it must be Dennis and Laura. She was right. Grace greeted them at the door.
“You have no idea how much we appreciate this,” Laura said as they entered. “We felt we were just imposing too much on our friends and this is so close, yet just what we needed.”
Dennis chimed in, “At least we won't have to be fighting for hot water in the morning!”
“What time would you like breakfast?” Grace asked.
“We like to get out and do a little walking before we eat, dear. That would be about half eight. So would around nine be good for you?” Laura explained to Grace.
“That would be perfect. I'll have some hot tea ready for you when you return. I hope you enjoy your sleep tonight,” Grace said as she bid the two good night.
Not such a difficult process Grace thought to herself. Can I be this gracious all the time? How did Aine do this for so many years?
Grace headed to bed herself and slipped off to sleep with questions spinning around in her head.
Monday, May 23, 2011
All Roads Lead to Swatragh - Chapter 29
The day flew by as Grace prepared for her friends to arrive. Dinner was on the stove and the table was set. Just as Grace sat down to relax for a few minutes she heard a car in the drive. It was not someone she knew.
As the occupants got out she saw an older couple looking at the roses as they walked to the door.
“Hello.... Is anyone here?” the gentleman asked.
“Yes, I'm here,” Grace responded. “How can I help you?”
“Well, we stopped by the other day and hoped to book a room here for the weekend. I hope you are not all booked up. We're visiting some friends in the area and they told us about this cottage and we tried to make arrangements the other day. The young man told us it was being renovated.” the man seemed a little hesitant.
“I'm up here for just the weekend,” Grace was not quite sure what to do here. “I guess you could stay in the front room upstairs, if you are interested. Did you want dinner here?”
“Dinner? Oh, no, our friends are having us for dinner. We've been staying there and it's just better if we have a separate place to stay as their place is so small,” this time the woman responded. “We just wanted to know if we would be able to have a place to sleep and have breakfast in the morning. Will that work?”
Grace thought this would be a good plan. She and her friends would have the evening and all she would have to do is serve breakfast for everyone.
“That would be fine,” Grace responded. “Would you like to see the room so you know where you are staying when you return? I can leave the door unlocked so you can get in.”
At that point, Dennis and Laura became Grace's first official customers. They didn't even flinch when she told them it would be 40 pounds a night. For that Grace was pleased, as she didn't want to deal with haggling over price. She bid Dennis and Laura good bye after they checked out their room, and started to head back into the cottage when Peter pulled into the drive.
“Grace, I have something to show you,” Peter shouted excitedly. He reached into the back of his truck and pulled out a sign. It was beautifully designed and painted. As Grace turned to examine it closely, she about fell back in shock. The sign said “Aine's Cottage, B&B”.
“Peter, what made you think.....,” Grace paused in the middle of her sentence. How could she argue with Peter when she just accepted her first guests for that weekend?
“Peter, it's perfect,” she finished. Now where is it going to be?”
“Well, I thought you might just want to have it on hand in case you wanted to open the cottage again as a B&B. I didn't think you would want to put it up right away,” Peter was confused by Grace's response.
“Oh, oh, I see. I was just so surprised to see the sign and thought you might have wanted me to put it up now,” Grace was a little embarrassed that she jumped the gun on Peter's idea. “Where did you get it?”
“I have a friend who does some woodwork and we designed it together. Thought you might want to have a rose design in it, so I drew it out and he carved it out in the wood. As much as I was over here watering the roses and other plants, I thought it was only appropriate.” Peter explained.
As they stood there chatting Sue and Chloe arrived. When they exited their car, Grace introduced them to Peter. She noticed Chloe taking in a long look at Peter, and had to smile to herself. Chloe had just broke off a long relationship a few months earlier and she was happy to see Chloe had not lost her interest in men.
“Alright everyone, we can't stand out here for ever. I have a dinner I need to serve, or it will be overcooked and dried out. Are you three ready for some dinner?” Grace worried her dinner would be over done and her friends and Peter would be disappointed with dinner.
There were oohs and aahs from the girls as they entered the cottage.
“Grace, it's so homey. It's like going home to visit my folks,” Sue explained.
“There's such a warm feeling here. And the food smells great! Did you do any of the decorating? Are these flowers from the garden?” Chloe was full of questions.
“Lassies, let me give you a tour of the place while Grace takes care of dinner. Grace, what room for your friends?” Peter was playing host with no prompting at all.
As Grace finished preparations in the kitchen she thought to herself how she and Peter worked so well as a team. It was nice to have someone to depend on when she was in Dublin. And how thoughtful of him to design and have the sign made. Should she put it up? No, she thought. She was getting way ahead of herself. She turned her focus back to plating dinner for her guests.
As the occupants got out she saw an older couple looking at the roses as they walked to the door.
“Hello.... Is anyone here?” the gentleman asked.
“Yes, I'm here,” Grace responded. “How can I help you?”
“Well, we stopped by the other day and hoped to book a room here for the weekend. I hope you are not all booked up. We're visiting some friends in the area and they told us about this cottage and we tried to make arrangements the other day. The young man told us it was being renovated.” the man seemed a little hesitant.
“I'm up here for just the weekend,” Grace was not quite sure what to do here. “I guess you could stay in the front room upstairs, if you are interested. Did you want dinner here?”
“Dinner? Oh, no, our friends are having us for dinner. We've been staying there and it's just better if we have a separate place to stay as their place is so small,” this time the woman responded. “We just wanted to know if we would be able to have a place to sleep and have breakfast in the morning. Will that work?”
Grace thought this would be a good plan. She and her friends would have the evening and all she would have to do is serve breakfast for everyone.
“That would be fine,” Grace responded. “Would you like to see the room so you know where you are staying when you return? I can leave the door unlocked so you can get in.”
At that point, Dennis and Laura became Grace's first official customers. They didn't even flinch when she told them it would be 40 pounds a night. For that Grace was pleased, as she didn't want to deal with haggling over price. She bid Dennis and Laura good bye after they checked out their room, and started to head back into the cottage when Peter pulled into the drive.
“Grace, I have something to show you,” Peter shouted excitedly. He reached into the back of his truck and pulled out a sign. It was beautifully designed and painted. As Grace turned to examine it closely, she about fell back in shock. The sign said “Aine's Cottage, B&B”.
“Peter, what made you think.....,” Grace paused in the middle of her sentence. How could she argue with Peter when she just accepted her first guests for that weekend?
“Peter, it's perfect,” she finished. Now where is it going to be?”
“Well, I thought you might just want to have it on hand in case you wanted to open the cottage again as a B&B. I didn't think you would want to put it up right away,” Peter was confused by Grace's response.
“Oh, oh, I see. I was just so surprised to see the sign and thought you might have wanted me to put it up now,” Grace was a little embarrassed that she jumped the gun on Peter's idea. “Where did you get it?”
“I have a friend who does some woodwork and we designed it together. Thought you might want to have a rose design in it, so I drew it out and he carved it out in the wood. As much as I was over here watering the roses and other plants, I thought it was only appropriate.” Peter explained.
As they stood there chatting Sue and Chloe arrived. When they exited their car, Grace introduced them to Peter. She noticed Chloe taking in a long look at Peter, and had to smile to herself. Chloe had just broke off a long relationship a few months earlier and she was happy to see Chloe had not lost her interest in men.
“Alright everyone, we can't stand out here for ever. I have a dinner I need to serve, or it will be overcooked and dried out. Are you three ready for some dinner?” Grace worried her dinner would be over done and her friends and Peter would be disappointed with dinner.
There were oohs and aahs from the girls as they entered the cottage.
“Grace, it's so homey. It's like going home to visit my folks,” Sue explained.
“There's such a warm feeling here. And the food smells great! Did you do any of the decorating? Are these flowers from the garden?” Chloe was full of questions.
“Lassies, let me give you a tour of the place while Grace takes care of dinner. Grace, what room for your friends?” Peter was playing host with no prompting at all.
As Grace finished preparations in the kitchen she thought to herself how she and Peter worked so well as a team. It was nice to have someone to depend on when she was in Dublin. And how thoughtful of him to design and have the sign made. Should she put it up? No, she thought. She was getting way ahead of herself. She turned her focus back to plating dinner for her guests.
Sunday, May 15, 2011
All Roads Lead to Swatragh - Chapter 28
Grace was barely finished emptying the groceries from her bags when she heard a shout at the front door.
“Grace, are you in here?” Peter shouted.
“Back here in the kitchen, Peter,” Grace shouted back.
Peter strolled into the kitchen, smiling as he watched Grace put things in the fridge.
“What....,” asked Grace as she realized he was staring.
“Just have to say you look so natural doing that. It suits you fine.” Peter smiled.
“By the way those people from the other day are coming by again this weekend. There was nothing I could do to stop them. They said some friends had told them about the cottage and they were determined to be able to stay here. What are you going to do?” Peter was chattering a mile a minute.
“I don't know Peter. I guess if they only want to stay tonight, or tomorrow, I could probably let them stay. What would it hurt? I just can't be doing this all the time without some plan.” Grace was thinking as she talked that the people would probably not bother to come by, so she wasn't worried.
“So that means you will be taking in guests?” Peter seemed to have a glimmer of hope in his words.
“No, all I'm saying is that if they take the time to come here again, I could probably allow them to stay as I'm already here. Besides my friends Sue and Chloe are coming up this evening. They will be here for dinner, so I had better get started. Would you like to join us?” Grace knew there would always be more food than necessary and wanted to show Peter how much she appreciated all the help he was giving her by taking care of the cottage when she was gone.
“You know I'd never turn down one of Aine's recipes made by you. I have some errands to run and I'll be back at dinner time,” Peter turned and headed out of the cottage before Grace could even respond. She wondered what errands he had to do.
Grace had planned a pork roast with roasted potatoes and an Irish carrot and parsnip mash with some greens drizzled with a balsamic vinaigrette. The greens were her recipe, but the rest was from Aine's cookbook. The bottle of white wine would go well with the heavier meal. Once everything was cooking on the stove, Grace headed to the dining room to set the table for dinner.
As she worked to set the table she looked through the window to the garden outside. The roses were beautiful. Just as the peak of their blooms. Before she realized it she was out in the garden cutting some stems for a table arrangement. The china cabinet held a beautiful Tyrone Crystal vase that was perfect for the arrangement. The scent of the roses filled the dining room immediately and brought fond childhood memories back to mind.
As Grace got things ready for the girl's visit her mind wandered to what Peter had been saying about the people who had come by and wanted to book a room at the cottage. She didn't even have a business license. Did she need a business license? Did Aine have one? How much would she charge? What do most B&Bs in the area charge? Grace was curious about all this and since she had a little time until the girls arrived, she set up her computer and started to research.
Aine had an old business license posted in the office area near the desk. Grace was sure it had expired ages ago, but when she checked, evidently Aine had renewed it in the last year. It still had a couple of months before it needed to be renewed again. She had not realized this until now. Then again it was not at the top of her list of things to do since she had planned to sell the cottage.
Next Grace wondered how much she would need to charge if someone did end up staying there. This was more out of curiosity since she never expected to have anyone other than her friends staying at the cottage. Most of the B&Bs in the area, and there were not very many between Magherafelt and Coleraine, charged between 35 and 45 pounds sterling. This seemed a little expensive to Grace coming from Dublin with the Euro being the currency in the Republic.
As it was this drove her crazy as she had to make sure to have pounds sterling on hand when she traveled into Northern Ireland. Along the border she probably could have managed with either the Euro or pound, but here, in the heart of Northern Ireland, she had no choice. Grace looked to see if she could find some records from Aine that would help her figure out a cost, but it seemed that Aine allowed her guests to decide how much to pay. Some of the records showed payments of 60 pounds for a 2 night stay and some showed 60 pounds for a single night. In the end, Grace decided that she would ask 40 pounds and see if that was acceptable to anyone who wanted to stay.
Again, she was not expecting to have any guests other than her friends, and if they helped to pay for the food, she was happy. By the time she had figured all this out, she heard a car on the gravel drive and headed to the door to welcome her friends.
“Grace, are you in here?” Peter shouted.
“Back here in the kitchen, Peter,” Grace shouted back.
Peter strolled into the kitchen, smiling as he watched Grace put things in the fridge.
“What....,” asked Grace as she realized he was staring.
“Just have to say you look so natural doing that. It suits you fine.” Peter smiled.
“By the way those people from the other day are coming by again this weekend. There was nothing I could do to stop them. They said some friends had told them about the cottage and they were determined to be able to stay here. What are you going to do?” Peter was chattering a mile a minute.
“I don't know Peter. I guess if they only want to stay tonight, or tomorrow, I could probably let them stay. What would it hurt? I just can't be doing this all the time without some plan.” Grace was thinking as she talked that the people would probably not bother to come by, so she wasn't worried.
“So that means you will be taking in guests?” Peter seemed to have a glimmer of hope in his words.
“No, all I'm saying is that if they take the time to come here again, I could probably allow them to stay as I'm already here. Besides my friends Sue and Chloe are coming up this evening. They will be here for dinner, so I had better get started. Would you like to join us?” Grace knew there would always be more food than necessary and wanted to show Peter how much she appreciated all the help he was giving her by taking care of the cottage when she was gone.
“You know I'd never turn down one of Aine's recipes made by you. I have some errands to run and I'll be back at dinner time,” Peter turned and headed out of the cottage before Grace could even respond. She wondered what errands he had to do.
Grace had planned a pork roast with roasted potatoes and an Irish carrot and parsnip mash with some greens drizzled with a balsamic vinaigrette. The greens were her recipe, but the rest was from Aine's cookbook. The bottle of white wine would go well with the heavier meal. Once everything was cooking on the stove, Grace headed to the dining room to set the table for dinner.
As she worked to set the table she looked through the window to the garden outside. The roses were beautiful. Just as the peak of their blooms. Before she realized it she was out in the garden cutting some stems for a table arrangement. The china cabinet held a beautiful Tyrone Crystal vase that was perfect for the arrangement. The scent of the roses filled the dining room immediately and brought fond childhood memories back to mind.
As Grace got things ready for the girl's visit her mind wandered to what Peter had been saying about the people who had come by and wanted to book a room at the cottage. She didn't even have a business license. Did she need a business license? Did Aine have one? How much would she charge? What do most B&Bs in the area charge? Grace was curious about all this and since she had a little time until the girls arrived, she set up her computer and started to research.
Aine had an old business license posted in the office area near the desk. Grace was sure it had expired ages ago, but when she checked, evidently Aine had renewed it in the last year. It still had a couple of months before it needed to be renewed again. She had not realized this until now. Then again it was not at the top of her list of things to do since she had planned to sell the cottage.
Next Grace wondered how much she would need to charge if someone did end up staying there. This was more out of curiosity since she never expected to have anyone other than her friends staying at the cottage. Most of the B&Bs in the area, and there were not very many between Magherafelt and Coleraine, charged between 35 and 45 pounds sterling. This seemed a little expensive to Grace coming from Dublin with the Euro being the currency in the Republic.
As it was this drove her crazy as she had to make sure to have pounds sterling on hand when she traveled into Northern Ireland. Along the border she probably could have managed with either the Euro or pound, but here, in the heart of Northern Ireland, she had no choice. Grace looked to see if she could find some records from Aine that would help her figure out a cost, but it seemed that Aine allowed her guests to decide how much to pay. Some of the records showed payments of 60 pounds for a 2 night stay and some showed 60 pounds for a single night. In the end, Grace decided that she would ask 40 pounds and see if that was acceptable to anyone who wanted to stay.
Again, she was not expecting to have any guests other than her friends, and if they helped to pay for the food, she was happy. By the time she had figured all this out, she heard a car on the gravel drive and headed to the door to welcome her friends.
Saturday, May 14, 2011
All Roads Lead to Swatragh - Chapter 27
The end of the week and the next week flew by. Everyone in the office was scrambling trying to see if they could find a new job, or better job, or even a second job to supplement the cut in pay and time. Grace had done a good job of saving up some money that would tide her over for a while with less pay, but it would not last forever. Right now she had too much on her mind with the cottage to deal with also.
Thursday came and Grace made her plans to leave the next morning for Swatragh. She needed to leave early enough so that she could stop in Maghera for some groceries for the weekend. After finding out about the cottage from Keith, two other workmates asked if they could come up for the weekend to join Grace. Grace welcomed the company since the cottage was so big and she relished the thought of making some more of Aine's recipes which always would feed an army. Since there was so much local produce to source nearby, Grace wanted to make use of the local supplies rather than carting food up from Dublin.
The drive would take almost three hours and Grace did not look forward to it until she realized that she would be driving through Cookstown on market day. Traffic would be crazy, but the opportunity to pick up some of the fresh produce and cheeses would be more than she could ask for. She locked up her flat with her packed suitcase and headed out around six that Friday morning. The girls, Chloe and Susan, would not be arriving until close to dinner time.
The main street in Cookstown was jam packed with people and local farmers and merchants selling their goods. Grace found a place to park on a side street about a block away from the main street and grabbed her cloth shopping bags and headed off. She loved market days. When she was young and came to visit Aine, they would go to Coleraine on market day to shop.
Besides the produce there were scarves and trinkets, blankets and rugs, more than she had time to look at. The local creamery had some soft cheese that she sampled and bought, along with some eggs and fresh creamery butter. These would all keep in the car for the rest of the trip as she was only a little over half an hour from Swatragh. Adding to that some fresh greens and some berries Grace was loaded down and ready to finish her trip.
As she passed through Maghera she stopped at the local grocery to pick up milk and a few other necessary perishables. Then on to the cottage. As she drove down the road toward the cottage she could spot it before she got there. It did have a very inviting color and style now that it was painted, and as she drove up into the drive the garden had come to life in the two weeks she had been gone. Peter must have been taking good care of it.
As Grace worked on getting all the supplies and her luggage out of the car, she noticed Donovan coming out of his place across the road. She walked over the the stone wall to meet him.
“So I see you are back,” Donovan stated with a dry tone. “How long will you be here this time?”
“Hello to you too, Donovan,” Grace tried to keep it peaceful and non-antagonistic when dealing with Donovan. “I'm here for the weekend. I have some friends coming up to visit again.”
“So does that mean you are open for business?” Donovan queried.
“Not really. Just some friends spending a weekend together,” Grace wondered where this was going.
“Looks like the garden is doing well with Peter's care,” Donovan changed the subject.
“Yes, it looks beautiful. I'm so glad he's able to take care of it for me when I'm in Dublin,” Grace wanted to get inside and get started, but didn't want to be rude to Donovan.
“Looks like your groceries are going to get warm,” Donovan sensed her anxiousness and wanted to give Grace the opportunity to end the conversation.
“I'll see you before I leave on Sunday, Donovan,” Grace called as she headed to the porch with her groceries.
Thursday came and Grace made her plans to leave the next morning for Swatragh. She needed to leave early enough so that she could stop in Maghera for some groceries for the weekend. After finding out about the cottage from Keith, two other workmates asked if they could come up for the weekend to join Grace. Grace welcomed the company since the cottage was so big and she relished the thought of making some more of Aine's recipes which always would feed an army. Since there was so much local produce to source nearby, Grace wanted to make use of the local supplies rather than carting food up from Dublin.
The drive would take almost three hours and Grace did not look forward to it until she realized that she would be driving through Cookstown on market day. Traffic would be crazy, but the opportunity to pick up some of the fresh produce and cheeses would be more than she could ask for. She locked up her flat with her packed suitcase and headed out around six that Friday morning. The girls, Chloe and Susan, would not be arriving until close to dinner time.
The main street in Cookstown was jam packed with people and local farmers and merchants selling their goods. Grace found a place to park on a side street about a block away from the main street and grabbed her cloth shopping bags and headed off. She loved market days. When she was young and came to visit Aine, they would go to Coleraine on market day to shop.
Besides the produce there were scarves and trinkets, blankets and rugs, more than she had time to look at. The local creamery had some soft cheese that she sampled and bought, along with some eggs and fresh creamery butter. These would all keep in the car for the rest of the trip as she was only a little over half an hour from Swatragh. Adding to that some fresh greens and some berries Grace was loaded down and ready to finish her trip.
As she passed through Maghera she stopped at the local grocery to pick up milk and a few other necessary perishables. Then on to the cottage. As she drove down the road toward the cottage she could spot it before she got there. It did have a very inviting color and style now that it was painted, and as she drove up into the drive the garden had come to life in the two weeks she had been gone. Peter must have been taking good care of it.
As Grace worked on getting all the supplies and her luggage out of the car, she noticed Donovan coming out of his place across the road. She walked over the the stone wall to meet him.
“So I see you are back,” Donovan stated with a dry tone. “How long will you be here this time?”
“Hello to you too, Donovan,” Grace tried to keep it peaceful and non-antagonistic when dealing with Donovan. “I'm here for the weekend. I have some friends coming up to visit again.”
“So does that mean you are open for business?” Donovan queried.
“Not really. Just some friends spending a weekend together,” Grace wondered where this was going.
“Looks like the garden is doing well with Peter's care,” Donovan changed the subject.
“Yes, it looks beautiful. I'm so glad he's able to take care of it for me when I'm in Dublin,” Grace wanted to get inside and get started, but didn't want to be rude to Donovan.
“Looks like your groceries are going to get warm,” Donovan sensed her anxiousness and wanted to give Grace the opportunity to end the conversation.
“I'll see you before I leave on Sunday, Donovan,” Grace called as she headed to the porch with her groceries.
Sunday, May 8, 2011
All Roads Lead to Swatragh - Chapter 26
Grace had not slept well that night, or the next. Wednesday was to be a second meeting with ideas on how to cut company costs without losing personnel. At least the company cared enough to try and save jobs. The redundancy rate in Ireland was tough and so many people were out of jobs. Even some of the strongest companies were laying off staff.
No matter how much Grace crunched numbers she could not live on a part time salary. She wondered if everyone took a small cut in pay if that would help. As long as she didn't have any extra unexpected expenses, she could take a cut of one day a week. But there were men at the company who were supporting a family. How could they afford to take one day less pay.
Today's meeting was going to be a tough one. As Grace entered the meeting room she could feel the heavy atmosphere and somber mood. This was going to be brutal and everyone knew it. Everyone was part of this team and they all wanted to help things go smoothly, but they all faced the possibility of losing their jobs.
As the meeting progressed, the idea of a shorter day with less pay was brought up. But if they were not available for clients, they would lose even more money. It was then that Grace suggested giving up one full day a week in pay and having a furlough day. If half the staff took their day off on Monday and the other half on Friday, there would always been someone in the office to respond to clients. The idea of a full day without pay was not going over very well, until everyone realized that they then would have a three day weekend, and possibly a four day weekend on Bank Holidays. Many could try and find a part time weekend job if they needed to supplement their lost pay. There were more of those available for workers in Dublin than the higher paying full time jobs.
They knew that in the end they would possibly lose some employees to another full time job, but this might work out well for all. Everyone agreed to a one month trial after which they would meet again to assess the situation with the company, and see if this was something that would work until times got better.
Grace was worried about the loss of pay, but she also realized that she would have an extra day to go up to the cottage and make sure things were taken care of. As the stress of this week had continued, she realized how peaceful it had been in Swatragh at the cottage and that she missed that peaceful environment.
They would start this new plan with half the staff taking a furlough day on Friday and the other half on Monday the following week. Some people had strong preferences as to what day they wanted to take off, others didn't care. Grace was given the choice and she chose Friday as her day off. She felt this kept her schedule more normal with heading to work on Monday morning. She kept hoping that her calculations for expenses were right and she had enough money to get through the month without the loss of four days of weekly pay.
When Grace arrived home that night she had two frantic messages from Peter. It seemed that while he was over watering the roses and shrubs a couple stopped by and asked about staying at the cottage. He didn't know what to tell them. Should he have given them Grace's phone number? Obviously he was taken by surprise with their request as they thought he was the owner of the cottage. He did say the best excuse he could come up with was that it was currently undergoing renovations and they should check back later. His second call was a repeat of the first with the same concerns.
Grace called him back and told him the response was fine for the time being and that she would be returning in the next week or two as she had planned. She was having difficulty with trying to deal with Peter and her job situation at the same time.
No matter how much Grace crunched numbers she could not live on a part time salary. She wondered if everyone took a small cut in pay if that would help. As long as she didn't have any extra unexpected expenses, she could take a cut of one day a week. But there were men at the company who were supporting a family. How could they afford to take one day less pay.
Today's meeting was going to be a tough one. As Grace entered the meeting room she could feel the heavy atmosphere and somber mood. This was going to be brutal and everyone knew it. Everyone was part of this team and they all wanted to help things go smoothly, but they all faced the possibility of losing their jobs.
As the meeting progressed, the idea of a shorter day with less pay was brought up. But if they were not available for clients, they would lose even more money. It was then that Grace suggested giving up one full day a week in pay and having a furlough day. If half the staff took their day off on Monday and the other half on Friday, there would always been someone in the office to respond to clients. The idea of a full day without pay was not going over very well, until everyone realized that they then would have a three day weekend, and possibly a four day weekend on Bank Holidays. Many could try and find a part time weekend job if they needed to supplement their lost pay. There were more of those available for workers in Dublin than the higher paying full time jobs.
They knew that in the end they would possibly lose some employees to another full time job, but this might work out well for all. Everyone agreed to a one month trial after which they would meet again to assess the situation with the company, and see if this was something that would work until times got better.
Grace was worried about the loss of pay, but she also realized that she would have an extra day to go up to the cottage and make sure things were taken care of. As the stress of this week had continued, she realized how peaceful it had been in Swatragh at the cottage and that she missed that peaceful environment.
They would start this new plan with half the staff taking a furlough day on Friday and the other half on Monday the following week. Some people had strong preferences as to what day they wanted to take off, others didn't care. Grace was given the choice and she chose Friday as her day off. She felt this kept her schedule more normal with heading to work on Monday morning. She kept hoping that her calculations for expenses were right and she had enough money to get through the month without the loss of four days of weekly pay.
When Grace arrived home that night she had two frantic messages from Peter. It seemed that while he was over watering the roses and shrubs a couple stopped by and asked about staying at the cottage. He didn't know what to tell them. Should he have given them Grace's phone number? Obviously he was taken by surprise with their request as they thought he was the owner of the cottage. He did say the best excuse he could come up with was that it was currently undergoing renovations and they should check back later. His second call was a repeat of the first with the same concerns.
Grace called him back and told him the response was fine for the time being and that she would be returning in the next week or two as she had planned. She was having difficulty with trying to deal with Peter and her job situation at the same time.
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