2 John 1:5 NLT " I am writing to remind you, dear friends, that we should love one another. This is not a new commandment, but one we have had from the beginning." NLT
When sweetheart and I travel, we would prefer to stay in local bed and breakfast homes. It is so much more personal, letting you get the feel for the local people, the foods they love, and the things that make their lives memorable. Sometimes you get really lucky, ending up at a place that has the owner's heart and soul poured into the very fabric of the home. Such was the case when we went up to Crockett to be with next to youngest daughter when little Roger was born. 
The Warfield House www.warfieldhouse.net is owned by Ken Moore and Doug Buchmann. Doug works out of town so we weren't able to meet him, leaving Ken to entertain us with much laughter, a few sips of his homemade wine, and endless tales of their crazy escapades. Ken has an amazing garden, brimming with fall squash, tomatoes, and peppers. The foliage around the house shows many hours of loving care. Doug is a master quilt maker, decorating the house with his handiwork. Each bed is covered in a handmade quilt, giving you an instant feeling of comfort while away from home. The attention to detail was exquisite. Each room is a well mastered blending of old and new. Even Ken's mother has added her loving touch with her crocheted blankets, tablecloths, and canopy covers. 
Sweetheart and I stayed in the Alma room. The rooms are named for the people who either lived in the house or helped with it's refurbishing. I couldn't keep my hands off the quilts that graced the beds and hung from the walls. Ken even unwrapped a very special quilt called a stained glass quilt that quite literally took my breath away. I have never seen such a blending of color and stitchery. It was magnificent.
For sweetheart and I, staying at a B&B is such an adventure. You never know who you will meet. Our list of friends grows longer each one that we visit. Just like each and every room is different and unique, so are the owners. Whether it's meeting an owner who competed in the Iditarod or an owner who arranged flowers for movie stars or an owner who turned their honeymoon cottage into a place they willingly share with others, it is rare that we don't come away made better by our experience.
You have to love people to be willing to open up your home to strangers on a daily basis. That love is evident most often at the breakfast table where strangers sit together over a homecooked meal made fresh that morning. While juice is squeezed, coffee is poured, chairs are pulled out, the owners come back and forth from the kitchen, making sure things are just right. It's like eating breakfast with an old friend, even if the friendship is just hours old. At the Warfield house, we ate off of delicate china brought out from one of the many antique cabinets around the room. It just felt like home. (well not my home since the china only makes an appearance once a year). But you know what I mean!
We are going back to Warfield House once they decorate it for Christmas. It is an award winning display of all that is elegant and true southern holiday tradition. We will be sure to visit on a weekend so that we can meet Doug as well. We are anxious to meet the master behind the beautiful quilts. If you ever have the choice between staying at a place that leaves the light on or sleeping in a bed that is covered in someone's handmade quilt, take the latter choice. You will not be sorry. And who knows. You might just wake up to find us at the breakfast table with you!
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