Address

1349 Gunbarrel Road, Chattanooga, Tennessee 37421

Tuesday, September 27, 2022

HOSPITALITY

 

Hospitality means primarily the creation of a free space where the stranger can enter and become a friend instead of an enemy. Hospitality is not to change people but to offer them space where change can take place. It is not to bring men and women over to our side, but to offer freedom not disturbed by dividing lines . . . The paradox of hospitality is that it wants to create emptiness, not a fearful emptiness, but a friendly emptiness where strangers can enter and discover themselves as created free; free to sing their own songs, speak their own languages, dance their own dances; free also to leave and follow their own vocations. Hospitality is not a subtle invitation to adore the lifestyle of the host, but the gift of a chance for the guest to fine his/her own.

 Text excerpts taken from “You are the Beloved” by Henri J.M. Nouwen


Wallace and Nancy in Great Room at St Francis Cottage

Last April we celebrated five years of innkeeping at St Francis Cottage, and we continue to strive to serve and create a peaceful place of rest and renewal for our wonderful guests.  We learn something new every day after engaging in conversation with all of you who have entered our doors these past years, for whom we are beyond thankful. Cheers to five more years, Lord willing and the creek don’t rise! Our business has grown consistently and exponentially since we opened in 2017, and the Good Lord has granted us excellent health, which we do not take for granted considering what an incredible gift it has been running the B&B by ourselves, day-in and day-out. It’s been refreshing to see more people traveling again to get together with family and friends for all kinds of events and occasions, and we are honored that you have chosen SFC as your evening stop-over or an extended destination.

 


Sunday, December 6, 2020

FAREWELL TO THE YEAR OF “THE VID”!

St Francis Cottage 201205 Blog Title photo

As CHRISTMAS approaches after celebrating one of our favorite Holidays, THANKSGIVING, we are grateful to God for sustaining us through the Year of the Pandemic.  Our hearts, thoughts and prayers go out to the many individuals and families who have lost loved ones or have endured the virus themselves or have lost their jobs and a reliable income.  Our country has yet to see the tidal wave of evictions and foreclosures to come as protections are lifted and many lose their homes.  These are tough times, indeed.   We are beyond thankful for good health and record-breaking occupancy at St Francis Cottage during this difficult year, yet we constantly think about and pray for those who did not fare so well and that 2021 will be a year of recovery and hope.

Read on and we will introduce you to some recent guests; a couple of industry awards for the cottage; a few of our new breakfast items; great harvest news; local hiking; some family trivia; and some must-see holiday events near the Cottage.  


Saturday, June 13, 2020

COVID-19 and SPRING PROJECTS at the Cottage

COVID-19 and SPRING PROJECTS at the Cottage

Rose Bloom closeup
 
Spring 2020 changed all of our lives forever as we slowly learned to live with the devastating effects of the COVID-19 pandemic.  As everyone’s lives came to a fearful stand-still by the end of February, we learned to appreciate each other more and to limit our lives to the essentials as much as possible.  Since business at St Francis Cottage slowed down to accommodate Florida travelers returning to their homes in the North, we had time to reflect and adjust to the “new normal” of our personal and business lives.  

Thursday, April 23, 2020

EDIBLE GARDEN TOUR!

We would love for your to join us in person, but considering the current situation, we want to give you a tour of our property and the many areas of edible plantings.  Hope to inspire you to do more of the same at your place.  We are currently open and taking extra sanitizing precautions and distancing requirements for all our guests.  ENJOY!


Click on YouTube at bottom of the video after you click play to see the full HD version!


THANK YOU for joining us!  We pray that you are making good choices to stay healthy and safe.

-  Wallace & Nancy

Tuesday, March 24, 2020

Looking back on HOLIDAY HIGHLIGHTS for 2019-2020 while in the midst of Uncertain COVID-19 Times

This vibrant display of blueberry bushes spiked last November, creating a natural welcome for the then upcoming Holidays:
Here we are in the second month of uncertainty because of the Coronavirus and COVID-19.  The only certainty is that every day brings some new challenge for us and for so many that are truly struggling with this pandemic.  We pray for all of you - family, guests, and friends - as you each face different challenges.  We pray for your well-being and health and safety.  We also pray you'll quickly be reunited with everyone you love and have missed.

So far, we've been able to stay healthy and keep the Cottage open.  We've seen a number of folks moving back home, across the country, as well as some more local folks still wanting to get away to a trusted environment.

Per the CDC directions, we have implemented additional sanitation routines and as much "social distancing" as is possible.  All are still welcome as long as we remain open.

We wanted to share with you some of the joys of this past year, thus this blog.

Wednesday, October 23, 2019

BEATING THE DOG DAYS OF SUMMER 2019

go-astronomy.com 
The 2019 summer heat waves and drought stretched the traditional 40-day “Dog Days of summer” well into late October here in the Chattanooga Valley.  During the days of the Greeks, Romans and Egyptians, when people used the night sky to track the seasons, Sirius, the Dog Star, appeared at the time of the expected onset of the hottest season of the solar year.


After two previous summers with reasonable summer temperatures and rainfall, we were challenged to beat the prolonged Dog Days at St Francis Cottage.  Here’s the countdown on how we survived:

#10

Took a stroll across the Walnut Street pedestrian bridge
 

#9

Chilled with our favorite (and only) dog

 

#8

Savored the sweet fragrance of ginger lilies as they bloomed in August-September

 

#7

Tried coconut milk soup for the first time at our favorite Thai Restaurant – so delicious!

 

#6

Discovered that the “girls” have begun laying!

 

#5

Stopped to observe a butterfly on a late-blooming zinnia

 

#4

Stopped to admire the Spider Lilies as they bloomed in mid-September

 

#3

Ran into old and new friends at a downtown concert, rocked out at a Woodstock commemorative concert, and spent a few Saturday nights at Riverside nights

Wallace, Morris Thuku (Kenya), Nancy, & a student from 
Tennessee Institute of Information Technology(TIIT)-THUKU School (KENYA)

"The Pool" playing at Songbirds North Stage



#2

Hosted a “Women of Hutton Legal – Tour of the World Lock-In Party” at St Francis Cottage with the best co-workers ever!

 Nancy, Caren, Brenda, Sue, Gabby, Taylor, Megan, Sydney,
 (Janette was not able to attend due to illness)

#1

Visited with the most amazing SFC guests!!

Visiting family playing Corn Hole

 

 

 

 


FAMILY FIRST DAYS


Fall 2019 brought “first days” for all our family members, which we found fun and amusing!

Grandsons Jayvin and Jersey at their first day of a moms-out program:
E-man & Big Guy

Granddaughters Grace and Amelia on their first days of 5th and 3rd grade at their French Immersion School in Canada:

Grace & Amelia

Son-in-law Phil’s first day in his new office building in downtown Winnipeg:

(Not sure what the Spritz truck is all about)

Daughter Hannah eating a carrot on her way to her first day as a music teacher at the Freedom International School:

 

Our son, Michael, starting law school in August.

 

NOVEMBER EVENTS IN CHATTANOOGA
Friday, Nov. 1 – Saturday, Nov. 2
Free – Chattanooga Riverpark

Saturday, Nov. 2 – Sunday, Nov. 3
Free – Ross’s Landing Downtown Chattanooga

Saturday, Nov. 2 to Nov 30 – 11:15 am
Reflection Riding Arboretum & Nature Center
Donation recommended

Saturday, Nov 9 – 6pm-9pm
First TN Pavilion downtown Chattanooga
$39

Saturday, Nov 23
50th Anniversary of “Abbey Road”
The Signal - 6:30 pm
$15-$35

Sunday, Nov 24
First TN Pavilion - Chattanooga Market
Free

DECEMBER

Saturday, December 7
Southside Chattanooga - Free


Monday, August 19, 2019

Summer 2019 -- Gratitude, Changes, and a Reunion!

Gratitude unlocks the fullness of life. It turns what we have into enough, and more. It turns denial into acceptance, chaos to order, confusion to clarity. It can turn a meal into a feast, a house into a home, a stranger into a friend. Gratitude makes sense of our past, brings peace for today, and creates a vision for tomorrow.”  Dr. Anil Kumar Sinha


SUMMER 2019 is coming to a close, and we’re grateful for each-and-every guest who has entered the SFC doors!   It’s been a blast hosting our best-ever guests, who continue to fill our lives with their stories of adventurous travels throughout the USA and beyond.  We can’t say “thank you” enough for choosing SFC as your place to lay your heads for a night or two, three, or four while passing through or exploring Chattanooga.

BTW, we are very grateful to Chatter Magazine for publishing an article on SFC.  Click HERE to read the article.

2019 Ironman 70.3 

 
We were honored to host Dana and Mark from Chicago for Chattanooga’s Ironman event sponsored by McKee Bakery that was held on May 17-May 19th. Although both Dana and Mark are triathletes, only Dana participated in this year’s event with Mark serving as her "cheerleader-in-chief."  After serving breakfast to a full house, Wallace and I scrambled downtown to cheer Dana and other participants on to the finish line, and she performed extremely well, finishing 23rd in her division.

It’s a pleasure for us to accommodate all special dietary needs at SFC, including diabetes, heart-healthy, gluten and lactose-free, vegetarian, vegan, Keto, etc., and providing a to-go, carb-heavy breakfast “snack” at 4:00 am for our Ironman participants.  The Little Debbie Ironman will be held on September 29th, so make your reservations now!

Gifts to SFC

Wallace's brother, Bruce, and his wife, Barbara stopped by the Cottage on their way to Texas in May to visit one of their sons in Austin.  As usual we had a great time catching up on family news, seeing pictures of new nieces and nephews, and generally enjoying a great visit.  While here, Barbara shared pictures and real examples of her latest crochet work and blessed us with a new Afghan for the library couch (her third such gift to the B&B). THANK YOU, dear sister-in-law!!

Dale, longtime friend from our Habitat for Humanity years at the headquarters in Americus Georgia, visited us on his way home to Michigan from Florida this summer and presented us with a set of uniquely-crafted wooden dice.  (Dale’s wife Beth remained in Michigan with her demanding career in management with Fifth Third Bank.) Retired from his longtime pastorate with the United Methodist Church and as a Director with Habitat for Humanity, Dale has become an accomplished woodworker now that he has more time to devote to his artistic passions.  We now proudly display our dice set on the foyer podium for all to see.  Thank you, Dale!


Return guests Gina and Lloyd from Brownsboro, Texas presented us with a custom set of corn hole boards with regulation, professional bags in June, which left us utterly speechless as we stared at these perfectly-detailed works of art.  Lloyd is a principal in the Texas public school system who is gifted with diverse artistic talents, including art, woodworking, music, cooking, etc.  Wallace and Lloyd enjoyed an evening of corn hole "competition" in the backyard (Wallace won maybe 3 throws out of over 100) while Gina and Nancy chatted over a glass of wine and cheered on the hubbies.  After Wallace installed a set of sturdy hooks, our SFC corn hole boards are now a stunning art feature on the exterior back wall (when they are not in use).  We cannot thank Lloyd, Gina, and their son, Hudson, enough for such an incredible, one-of-a-kind gift! 




Musicians, Pam Gadd and Paige O'Neill visited the Cottage for a short "writers" getaway recently and left us with this musical gift that they agreed to let us share with all of you.  This short Jam session, was the first time they had played this song together that was written by Paige.  It was a lot of fun getting to witness this creativity.  We are looking at having some music based weekends at SFC in the not too distant future.  Thank you, Ladies!


SFC Detention Pond


An Innkeeper’s life involves wearing many hats, and since the Hamilton County Storm Water Pollution Control Program regulations require grass around the retention pond, Wallace promptly researched the options and we were on a roll, grass sod rolls, that is.  Super Sod, a wonderfully helpful grass sod company based in Cartersville, Georgia, delivered 1,000 square feet of sod in 2 ft x 5 ft rolls along with an enormous “bag” of organic humus compost, and Wallace and I along with an amazing friend, Alex, from Wisconsin, hopped to it.  On the first day, Wallace maneuvered in the pond as he and Alex installed the first two rows while I shoveled and spread the compost.  Alex was an enormous help carrying those 60-70 lb. rolls, and he saved us days of extra work!  Since Alex had to leave the next morning, Wallace and I finished up, laying the third row and beginning the watering process.  We now are in compliance with the grass growing nicely around the pond.  Thank you, Alex!

Recent Upgrades

We continue to explore ways to make SFC a better place to stay.  Wallace installed Google Home Minis in each guest room, which include the full Google Play music library for our guest's listening pleasure.  The Minis also quickly find and announce information regarding local restaurants and tourist sites, weather, directions and can respond to a myriad of random queries.


We both worked on a “bench-lift” project, sanding it down, priming, and adding three coats of bright red paint Wallace found at Habitat ReStore. To compliment the backyard fountain Wallace constructed last year, he added a patio area with Adirondack chairs in front of it.

Guests recommended a microwave in the common area to heat up leftovers or delivered meals, which is now available near the kitchen.

We are currently researching hot tubs/spas, and since the 220 line is already installed, Wallace will construct the base, overlying roof and surrounding platform directly off the back deck for our guest’s convenience.  Hopefully, we will offer that amenity by year’s end or shortly thereafter as we await Black Friday sales.

It’s a gift beyond measure to have a brilliant, technical, creative and artistic “handyman husband” who actually enjoys the multi-faceted challenges of solving daily problems at the B&B, and Wallace has already saved us many thousands of dollars in repair, construction and installation costs over the past 2+ years.  "He who works with his hands is a labourer. He who works with his hands and his head is a craftsman. He who works with his hands and his head and his heart is an artist." ~St. Francis of Assisi   Thank you hubby of 40 years!

Lake Erie Family Reunion

  
Thanks to the immense generosity of Joe and Jenny Clemens, Nancy’s brother and sister-in-law from Chicago, 27 family members enjoyed a spectacular week of fun and relaxation at the 13-bedroom Rock of Ages home on Marblehead Peninsula, just miles away from Port Clinton, Ohio, the area where Nancy’s family settled in the 1800’s.  Since our son Michael was in the middle of his California law school move, he was unable to attend, but daughter Hannah and family arrived in force from Winnipeg, MB along with other relatives from Chicago, Richmond, VA, Noblesville and Fort Wayne, IN, and Austin, TX.




Each family provided delish, abundant meals every evening, saving everyone from the expense and inconvenience of dining out (and accommodating ten children’s’ preferences and schedules).

From daring the rides at Cedar Point amusement park to touring the old Clemens home and enjoying local parks and sites, to just sitting around and enjoying the grands and relatives, it was a perfectly memorable week.

Thank you, Joe and Jenny!

Until next time . . .