EIGHT MONTH-IVERSARY

(Holidays, Holidays, Holidays!)

We have welcomed visitors from all of these places since we opened last April!  We love our guests!

December 14^th marks eight months since we opened St Francis Cottage, and the time has flown by.  We are amazed as we look at the framed map (as suggested by one of our guests) full of pins marking the home towns of our amazing guests, and we are thankful for each and every person who has entered our doors.  From New Zealand, to Germany; from Canada to Florida, New York to Oregon, California to Massachusetts and, of course, Tennessee, Georgia, Alabama, and many other states, we have enjoyed meeting so many interesting and kind people.  

North meets South:  Kevin & Karen from Long Island, Sue & Larry from Hendersonville, TN

Wanda & Len all the way from Winnipeg, Manitoba, Canada

Carsten & Stephanie came from Germany for five days prepping for and entering the Ironman 70.3 International Finals.

Bigson joined us for two days while in the States from New Zealand to attend an anti-bullying conference in Nashville.

By Sunday evenings we are physically tired but emotionally and spiritually uplifted after having the opportunity to host the fine guests who have stayed at the Cottage.  As we decorated for Christmas, we realized that we are quickly approaching the end of our first year of innkeeping, and what a GOOD year it has been!  Many, many thanks to all our fine guests who have made our dream possible.

THE ECLIPSE, 3-Month-iversary 

& Nancy Gets Her Goat!

TOTAL SOLAR ECLIPSE SPECIAL Aug 18 - 21!

Path of Solar Eclipse through Tennessee,  Click HERE for more details about eclipse.

Spend the weekend at St Francis Cottage during the 2017 Total Solar Eclipse, and receive a 25% discount for a three-night booking or a 20% discount for a two-night booking beginning August 18 - 21. You can get a 15% discount for a Sunday or Monday night only booking on August 20 or 21! We understand that most hotels along the path are filling up very quickly, if not already full. Come make a weekend of this historic event.  There is PLENTY to do in the Chattanooga area.

Keep reading for schedule of the eclipse and more about SFC.

GREAT RACE, VINTAGE CAR TIMED ENDURANCE RALLY,  COMES BACK TO CHATTANOOGA SUNDAY,  JUNE 25!!  SPECIAL DISCOUNTS at The Cottage!

Great Race makes overnight stop in Chattanooga, Sunday, June 25. Event will include huge Cruise-In for a wonderful variety of vintage and specialty cars that will be on display!  Come join us!

In 2011, locally owned Coker Tire company in association with Hemmings Motor News and Hagerty Insurance revived an almost 30 year event called The Great Race.  This cross country timed endurance rally for vintage automobiles had lain dormant for a few years and since Coker bought the franchise, it has literally taken on new life.  

ST FRANCIS COTTAGE IS OPEN!!

The CARDINAL ROOM all dressed up and ready to go!

As we gazed upon box after box after box of stored items along with all the furniture, we didn’t see how we could pull it all together to open in time for our first guest’s arrival.  Then, the Clemens Rescue Team arrived from the Greater Indianapolis area and immediately started working.  My sister Connie; brother, Joe; and sister-in-law, Jenny were a dynamic hurricane of HELP as they tackled one project after another.

ELEVEN DAYS TO OPENING!!

Getting ever closer!!

Our first guests arrive April 14th, so we’re working non-stop to be ready to roll out the red carpet!  We’re making progress on bringing the rooms together although we’re also taking extra time to focus on each guest room’s detail.  We hope you will choose a room that best suits your style and personality during your stay at St Francis Cottage.

MOVING forward / ALMOST there!

Freshly poured driveway and new landscaping.

Immediately after receiving the conditional Certificate of Occupancy from the City of Chattanooga, we began moving five years of accumulated goods and furniture from our 800 square foot storage unit to St Francis Cottage.

Don't miss these Chattanooga Area Events for April 2017

Thursday, April 6 – Sunday, April 9 – CHATTANOOGA FILM FESTIVAL
Head on down to Chattown for four days of fun-and-films at the Fourth Annual Chattanooga Film Festival!  (Say that quickly four times!)  Check out the website for film schedules, discussions, parties and more.  The CFF has become a significant assemblage of filmmakers in the Southeast, and you won’t want to miss being a part of this regional cinematic event.

Thursday, April 6 – TASTE – Stratton Hall
Plan an extended springtime get-away weekend in Chattanooga, starting off with exquisite cuisine at Taste, while supporting the Kidney Foundation of Greater Chattanooga.  This year’s participating restaurants include some of the best in our area along with great music and drink to create a super party atmosphere to begin your weekend.

Thursday, April 6 – Mozart and Mahler – Tivoli Theater
For all you music aficionados, begin your long weekend with an eclectic evening of music at Chattanooga’s famous Tivoli Theater, featuring Mozart’s Don Giovanni followed by Exsultate Jubilate (featuring Soprano Maria Valdes), and ending with Mahler’s 4th Symphony.  From humor to sacred music to symphony, you’ll experience a little bit of everything musical.

GLIMPSES OF SPRING

Although winter 2016-17 has been extremely mild in Southeastern Tennessee due to global warming (that doesn’t exist, but really does), we’re seeing the gardens awaken from winter rest.  The daytime temperatures have ranged from the 30’s to high 70’s during February and March, and the plants faithfully roll with the punches.

Onward to Opening!

We are closer to welcoming you as a guest at St Francis Cottage

Each day brings us closer to opening by our early-April target date.  Most recently, the parking lot and upper driveway were completed by Alguire Construction, who did an impeccable concrete finishing job within just a couple of days.  John Cantrell and his team at Ames Excavating worked from sun-up to sun-down grading and moving tons of dirt to prep the driveway and parking areas.  John is currently underway on the final phase, prepping the  500-foot driveway down the hill to Gunbarrel Road.  John Alguire and his competent team will then take over with the final forming and pour.

RECENT TRAVELS

Oak Hammock Marsh Interpretive Centre north of Winnipeg, Manitoba, Canada

This past year has been, perhaps, the busiest year of our 37 years together as we continued working our regular jobs while moving full-steam ahead with St Francis Cottage.  Although life is jam-packed with work, commitments and responsibilities and at times is stressful, taking time to catch up with family and friends is invaluable and the core of our life.

Nancy's extended-family reunion

Almost ready!!

Driveway about to be started. Backfill almost complete. Landscaping started (azalea garden on right out side of the Azalea Room).  Privacy fence (at right back) We're getting there.

We’re down to the final stretch of the three+ year trek since we decided to construct St Francis Cottage, and our excitement builds with each new day.  Although there are final interior details to be dealt with and the driveway and final landscaping are not yet installed, there has been good progress these past weeks.  

The Passing of A GOOD DOG

Named for his speckled feet, Mr. Speckles was a wonderful dog, great companion, and is very missed.

Mr. Speckles, our beloved Borgi (Border Collie-Corgi mix) passed away on September 15, 2016, and we miss him every day.  Our son Michael brought him to the farm fully-grown in March, 2006, just before our daughter was married and moved to Canada.

We immensely enjoyed his presence for 10.5 years.  Michael nicknamed him “Specials” and he was definitely that.  What an intelligent, laid-back yet vigilant companion he was!  Specials is buried in our flower garden just outside the window where he regularly lounged on the window seat waiting for Nancy to arrive home from work.

2017 New Year's Brunch

Emily Fieser, Tucker McLelland, Christine Anderson, Sharon Shier, Sue Roman, and Colleen Fieser
finishing up first course of Blackened Shrimp & Grits with asparagus at our New Year's Brunch.
Not pictured Micah Hausler, Laura Hausler, and Reg McLelland.

A drizzling rainy January 2^nd in Chattanooga ended up as a perfect New Year’s gathering with eleven wonderful friends who braved The Weather Channel’s forecast and ventured out to celebrate 2017 with us.  Amidst lots of laughs and good conversation, our friends graciously sampled some of the dishes we plan to serve at St Francis Cottage.  With helping hands that pitched in to cut vegetables, fruit and bread, we served a first course of blackened shrimp-and-grits with Creole sauce and asparagus along with homemade bread and Amish butter, and a tropical fruit salad of fresh pineapple, kiwi, oranges and organic mango and bananas, seasoned with citrus ginger and honey sauce.