Meadowlark Inn Bed and Breakfast

HOORAY We Have Snow at the Meadowlark Inn, Vermont

2012-01-12T13:30:00.000-08:00

Hello all. Well, we have been quite dry in relation to snow around here. So I didn't quite know what to expect this morning upon awakening, since the forecast did not say we were to have much snow. Much to our surprise, there was more than the one inch prediction! The dogs were overjoyed, didn't know where to run to first, or where to push their noses into the ground! Chasing one another and galloping here and there. So wonderful to watch! The snow is clinging to the branches and the sky is grey, and it feels like we will get more snow!This weekend being a holiday weekend (MLK), we hope you can come up and enjoy the snow with us. We still have several rooms open for Sunday night. So pack your skiis and some warm sweaters and mittens and come up to the Meadowlark Inn. We will have some hot chocolate and homemade chocolate chip cookies awaiting your return from playing in the snow! Hope to see you soon!

Happy Holidays from the Meadowlark Inn B&B, Vermont

2011-11-29T08:52:00.000-08:00

We said our thanks over the Thanksgiving feast, for all the blessings of family and friends and a successful business, thanks to all of you! It was a mixed year for business, especially after Hurricane Irene, flooding, clean up and a very rain-filled September. The weather has been exceptionally warm, even though we have had two snowfalls already. We escaped damage both from the hurricane and the halloween snowfall of 15 inches of wet heavy snow. We lost power from the first snowfall, for about 9 hours. We had an innful of alumni from the class of 1952 from the Northfield Mt. Herman school and once the snow began, all knew they were not going to be able to go to that night's event. We hunkered down, made a fire in the living room, got everyone flashlights, headlamps and lit candles around the living and dining rooms. We managed to make a big seafood chowder and got the anadama bread baked off just before we lost power! We were all thankful for food and warmth! We are hoping that is the last of the power outages!
This weekend starts off with Holly Days and Holly Nights, lighting of the Christmas tree in town, gallery walk and merchants offering 20% discounts on their wares. There are also a variety of church fairs, church dinners and farmers selling their Christmas trees!
Come stay with us this weekend and take part of such a festive time. We are offering a 20% discount for all guests staying Dec. 2 - 4, 2011! Hope to see you here!

VERMONT IS OPEN (and so is the Meadowlark Inn B&B)

2011-09-29T11:25:00.000-07:00

Hello all! Happy Autumn! Vermont has done a marvelous job in its recovery work since hurricane Irene made us a visit a few weeks back. Since then the engineers and road departments have worked tirelessly to get bridges restructured and made safe, roads restored and cleared and made passable and debris removed. This has been a statewide and community wide endeavor! The roadways in Vermont are 95% operational so if you have not made up your mind yet on where you want to go for leaf peeping, COME TO VERMONT! The foliage is supposed to be exceptional after the amount of rain we have had since spring! We are just beginning to see color in our neighborhood!
The Meadowlark Inn always has local cider on hand and fresh homemade cookies for our guests to enjoy upon arrival. We would love to welcome you to our B&B to base your foliage travels in southern Vermont. Hope to see you soon at the Meadowlark Inn B&B!

ps Here are our well behaved 10 month old puppies...we didn't even ask them to pose!

Brattleboro, Vermont lives past Hurricane Irene!

2011-09-03T11:55:00.000-07:00

Just wanted to say hello and post a few pictures to let the world know that much of Brattleboro has come through Irene seemingly untouched. However, those places of business, homes, tourist areas that have been damaged by wind and water were been hit hard. Through united community effort places are already getting back up on their feet.

We just strolled through the Farmers' Market and saw Sen. Bernie Sanders munching through the market and greeting our community members. Many out of state plates and Vermont plates in the lot, which is quite a good sign. On Thursday over 100 people turned out to put the grounds, booths and the giant sand box back together. Their efforts were quite effective and the turn out today was terrific! One of Brattleboro's other landmarks, Sam's Department Store, is also open and making the most of the flooding that occurred in their warehouse and their shoe store, by having some significant sales!

All the major highways into Brattleboro, except Rt. 9 from the west, are open! You can log onto www.511vt.com and get the updated list of road conditions. We are happy to report our covered bridge in West Brattleboro survived intact and we took it's picture today in all it's summer glory!

As we drove around town this afternoon, we did see some fall color starting in the maples...after the plentiful rain this spring and summer we are hoping for a splendid foliage season.
We have so much gratitiude and want to thank all for your concern through your many emails and phone calls. The best thing that any one can do to help is to make plans to come to Vermont and enjoy all of the natural beauty that still remains! Brattleboro is ready to greet you and please stop in to see us at the Meadowlark Inn while you are in town!!

Brattleboro, the flooding and The Meadowlark Inn B&B

2011-08-30T06:27:00.000-07:00

Hi All. Just wanted to reassure everyone that we are fine. We are on high ground and escaped any damage, although we prepared for the worse! The areas of flooding in town have receded, but there is still much work to be done in the way of clean up. Many roads throughout the state have also been damaged and will take some time to repair but work is already underway and the resilience of Vermonters is truly amazing!
There is a date for community work at the Farmers' Market location on Thursday, 9/1/11, from 8 am - 1 pm, as that area was hit hard by the Whetstone Brook that runs adjacent to the market.
So if you were planning a trip up our way and even further north, please still come. Thanks for all the love and concern we have received this week we hope to see you soon!
Lucia and Deb

Some of the amenities at the Meadowlark Inn B&B

2011-07-12T17:37:00.000-07:00

Picture yourself, weary of your travel to the Meadowlark Inn, stopping many times along the way in antique stores, lunch, homemade ice cream in that quaint New England town, finally dinner and then you land in our driveway...you get to your room, perhaps take a jacuzzi soak, and then drop into bed between the sheets and all you can feel is softness and the smell of fresh air. Ah yes, your cotton sheets have been line dried. An amenity you ask? Why I cannot think of sheets that could be softer or more wrinkle free or with such a fragrance of the Vermont outdoors. Think of your sheets, flapping in the breeze, under a sun-filled, intense blue lit sky with cows mooing here in Vermont. Yep, those were exactly the conditions we dried our sheets under today! I grew up in a neighborhood and every yard had a clothesline. And at some point in the day you would see clothes being hung up on the line. Even in winter, the clothes got hung outside (not during the blizzards however!). And when my mom would bring in the clothes, and my jeans would be stiff as a board, we kids would laugh at the sight! I sleep so much better with my sheets so soft and smelling so sweet! So come on to Vermont and experience just one of the amenities at the Meadowlark Inn Bed and Breakfast! Sweet Dreams!

Summertime, and the living is easy...if you are puppies!

2011-06-28T06:25:00.000-07:00

Good morning! It is a very sunny day so far. We have had a very rainy spring, and I wish I could send some to the southwest where they are experiencing a severe drought! Strange weather across our country!

Thought it was time to update everyone on the puppies, although when you see the pictures they look like full grown dogs! We are wondering how much bigger they will actually get. Nikko is 50 pounds now and Sachi is 40. I would say they are medium sized dogs. Remember they are German short haired Pointer and Boxer mix...Anyhow, they each have their own distinct personalities and we have grown to love them very much...although when they are the most mischievous, I look to the heavens and ask Rhubie to give us a hand! Nikko is very much the boy, long legged and a long torso. Runs like the wind and can leap over things like nothing! Sachi is just as fast, and outwits Nikko when they are chasing each other by turning in a direction opposite of what Nikko was thinking she was going to run! Very funny to watch them. Sachi is a chewer, loves all the stuffed toys (and her stuffed bed I might add) and works very diligently at opening these toys and removing all the stuffing, then finds the squeaker and thinks she has just found the toy in the cracker jack box!!!! She tries to keep it from her brother and is usually successful! Nikko is a hole digger. Usually the holes are dug right around our deck, so we can keep an eye on how big they are getting and we can fill them up when they seem to be getting a bit too large. Once dug, he then lies in the hole to cool off. But not for long, as then Sachi comes by and begins to chew his ear and then they are off and running and chasing each other for hours...needless to say, they sleep well at night.

One thing they both love to do is to find and run with plastric flower pots! I have a stash of them behind the garden shed, and when they discovered them, oh boy, they were in heaven. It is not unusual to see them scattered throughout the yard, so we get our exercise just picking these up on a regular basis. Rhubie was a ball chaser and retriever and would drop the ball at your feet so that you would then continue to play with her...we have not been able to get these two interested in fetching...I guess we have something to continue to work on!
Our garden is thriving with all of this rain! Lush and green, we have been eating so many diverse greens from it and giving much away! As the vegetables are ready for harvesting we will incorporate them into our breakfst menus. All the raised beds look good. But with all the rain comes a few weeds here and there so I will go out there soon to work in it.
This weekend will prove to be fun with all sorts of activities at Living Memorial Park culminating with a concert and fireworks display! Also the Farmer's Market, a social as well as culinary experience happens every Saturday morning until the end of October.
Deb and I hope to make it to Grafton, VT Sunday, July 3rd for the annual Vermont Symphony concert and fireworks...gates open at 5:30 pm for picnicing. Hmm what to make?
So come meet the puppies, sit on our porch with some lemonade and your favorite book and watch the garden grow at the Meadowlark Inn Bed and Breakfast!

Springtime at the Meadowlark Inn, Vermont, with puppies

2011-05-04T11:01:00.000-07:00

So you ask why I have not posted in a bit...well with keeping up with snow removal this winter AND new 10 week old puppies, I was a little preoccupied. Now these very handsome, good looking puppies will be 6 months old on May 14...wow! They have been spayed and neutered, are all up to date on vaccines and are good to go until January at least, of next year. They are growing into very sweet animals. Although we have been working hard on the jumping aspect of training, they are getting it slowly but surely. They have mastered alot of commands and know quite alot of words! We have even trained them to the invisible fence, which is wonderful, because now we can just open the door and watch them fly out of the house and romp and play and chase one another (and the cats too). They have two distinctly different personalities and try to out-wit us whenever they can! They sleep through the night and are generally not barkers! They graduated puppy kindergarten in March and now we work with them daily....they are wrestling right now! Nikko is 40 pounds, Sachi is 28 pounds. She certainly can hold her own with them though!
So besides coming to the Meadowlark Inn to meet these energetic puppies, there are a couple other events you may not want to miss!
Saturday May 7 @ 7:30 pm and Sunday May 8 @ 3 pm, the Brattleboro Women's Chorus (which I have been a member of since 2003), sings in two concerts. We sing a variety of songs and even a singalong with the audience!
The 10th Annual Strolling of the Heifers takes place the first weekend of June, June 2 & 3 with a parade on Saturday of bedecked young cows down Main St. and culminating on the green of Brattleboro with all sorts of information booths food and entertainment on the green of Retreat Healthcare. Please make a showing here in Brattleboro and you will be so glad you did! Can't wait to see you at the Meadowlark Inn B&B.

We have winter fun at the Meadowlark Inn B&B

2011-01-26T16:27:00.000-08:00

We have had the most perfect snow for several weeks now! It has to be because the temperature here has been pretty cold, so the snow has stayed nice and powdery! Today it warmed up to 30 degrees and perfect for taking a walk with our new puppies...Our very loving and devoted dog Rhubarb, aka Rhubie, passed away on January 11, 2011. Rhubie is the dog in the official signpost photo on the right side of this page.She was active to the end, but had cancer which got the better of her. We were amazed how much stamina she had, probably because she was a very good athlete often entertaining our guests with a swift game of fetching the ball! We miss her terribly!
BUT we did get two puppies (litter mates) last week. They are now 10 weeks old and black and white and cute all over!!! Rhubie was pointer/springer mix and these two are pointer/boxer mix. We have given them Japanese names, Sachi (Child of Happiness) for the female and Nikko (Sunshine) for the male. They love to romp and run and tease each other and chew. We have plenty of toys for them! They are undaunted by the snow, having come from Tennessee; it is nothing for them to scale a huge mound of snow and be eye level with us!!!
They had their first visit here with our vet and went to their first puppy kindergarten class and loved it, until the very last ten minutes and then they were tired...they were asleep in the car within five minutes of finishing class! We were asleep shortly after that!! Nikko and Sachi are pretty much sleeping through the night and seem very happy in their new home. Our two cats, Stelios and Mama Cass are staying away from them, but I think it will only be a matter of time, as they are pretty interested in one another.
So....if you are up for snow shoeing, sledding, ice fishing, cross country skiing, ice skating, sleigh rides or just hanging out looking at the snow, make it a point to come to the Meadowlark Inn. Cookies and cider await you, and two little puppies to give you a warm greeting!!!

Holiday Happenings in Brattleboro, VT and the Meadowlark Inn B&B, Weekend of December 3,4 and 5

2010-12-02T11:44:00.000-08:00

Well, to get us all into the spirit, two days after Thanksgiving (which was great by the way; we closed the inn and had family gathered here through the weekend!), we had our first falling of snow. Big, giant, beautiful flakes! The kind you want to stand there, tilt your head backwards and catch them on your tongue! Wow!!
Now the daylight is shortened by another minute each day and the temperatures are colder and it is beginning to look and feel like December!
We are slowly getting the Christmas decorations out for the Inn. Lots of treasures that we love to put here and there and remember Christmases past! This week coming up we will go to a Christmas tree farm not too far from us to cut our own tree; the farm is owned by Melissa and Ian Walker, annual guests of ours that make their journey here in October each year! Can't wait to go and see them and pick out a tree. I have to contain myself, as each year I seem to visualize our house being able to tolerate a big, tall, full tree. Then I step back and realize our living room isn't quite that big!
There are so many things happening here in town on this upcoming weekend, it is hard to know just what I want to see and do! The first Friday of every month is gallery walk downtown; 47 venues, some with meet-the-artist receptions or live music to enhance the experience. Gallery walk is from 5 - 9 pm.
Christmas tree lighting at 5:30 pm, in Pliny Park, in the heart of downtown; complete with carolers, hot chocolate and who knows, maybe snow! The tree lighting sparks off Holly Days and Holly nights, kicking off the holiday shopping season. Many merchants downtown and around town will be offering all sorts of offers including 20% discounts on store items! Sweet!
The Winter Farmers' Market has been such a success in past winters that it is now held every Saturday downtown at the River Garden from 9 am to 2 pm.
The Cotton Mill has its annual Open Studio & Holiday Sale, Friday to Sunday! Blown glass, woodworking, ceramics, circus, dance, painting, music, food, film, jewelry, garden sculptures, furniture, books, bodywork, jams, candles and more. Whew!
The Vermont Jazz Center, also at Cotton Mill swings into the holiday season with big band sounds, by its own 17 piece big band with guest vocalist, on Friday night at 8 pm.
I can go on and on about the activities this weekend and the weekends to come, but perhaps you would like to see for yourselves. Come join us here at the Meadowlark Inn B&B. Hot cider and homemade cookies await you!

We honor our veterans on Veteran's Day, 2010

2010-11-17T17:10:00.000-08:00

Lucien Osiecki

We were prompted by an inn in West Virginia to partake in a day honoring our Vets and to thank them for what they have sacrificed for our country. 917 inns and bed and breakfasts (including international participants) opened their hearts and their inns for a free night on us, for Veterans only, to say "thanks"! This announcement was spread through the AP nationwide and a blip went out to vets, via email, of participating inns. Our guest rooms were all filled within a few days with Vets from 4 New England States! It seemed like a great way to honor our own fathers and brothers who proudly served our great country. Lucia's Dad, Lucien Osiecki, a bombadier in the Army Air Corps in WWII, actually passed away on Veteran's Day in 2004, so it was even more meaningful for us! We were thrilled to share in our blessings and to be able to give back in a small way. Over breakfast we heard the Vets talking with one another and sharing their stories. We hope to make this an annual event. Thanks to our veterans and those in active duty everywhere!

Pumpkin carving at the Meadowlark Inn B&B

2010-11-17T15:08:00.000-08:00

Hello everyone. Just wanted to share some photos of us (and guests) having some Halloween fun! We were happy that guests wanted to "dig in" and get these jack-o-lanterns made and lit for the Halloween trick or treaters. I think we did a great job and the Inn took on a spooky glow when they were all lit! Guests got to trick or treat along with the kids! Hope you had a great a spook filled Halloween!

ps Can you guess who the witch is?????

Monday Monday at the Meadowlark Inn B&B, Vermont

2010-10-04T08:34:00.001-07:00

Good morning everyone!
Well after the much needed rain of last week (total of 8 inches per our rain gauge) the sun is shining and the foliage is beautiful...there is a crispness in the air this morning. After the full breakfast served today, guests are already out walking the loop walk, heading to Yankee Candle Co., and kayaking...October in Vermont cannot get better than this!
I wanted to let you know about the upcoming Halloween event at the Bonnyvale Environmental Center! On Friday October 29 and Saturday October 30 (rain date November 1) BEEC will hold the "Phantom Road" . These are hour long journeys (that begin every 15 mins.) through field and forest to find the heart of the Halloween season. There will be spirits, tricksters and dwellers of the night. Spells will be cast; music will mingle with the autumn winds. Many strange beings await you. Be part of the mystery!!!! This interactive theatrical performance takes place in scenes along BEEC's beautiful candle-lit trails through forest and meadow.
Adults: $8; children 6-16 $6. Tickets must be purchase in advance! Call BEEC @ 802-257-5785. Once you are spooked, come lay your head to rest at the Meadowlark Inn B&B!!!!

On the Eve of the Autumnal Equinox at the Meadowlark Inn B&B

2010-09-20T06:47:00.000-07:00

Good morning everyone...well it is getting very close to autumn, and my toes are beginning to release from summer. It has been a hot and humid and extremely dry summer. We have been wondering how it would effect the foliage but here is my report for today!
Today is a quintessential Vermont day, with intense clear, blue sky, chirping birds all around, and squirrels and chipmunks collecting acorns, pine cones and other foods that they can count on when there are drifts of snow on the ground. The foliage has started and even over the course of a few days, the color is more so everywhere one looks. On our road alone, there are bright oranges, reds and yellows. BUT there is still alot of green, which means that there is plenty of good color to come. There are a number of ways for all of you that are coming our way for "leaf peeping" to follow the color paths and scenic routes for viewing great color. Vermont has foliage sites, so all one has to do is go to the internet and search for "Vermont foliage" and several pages will come up for you to browse. Some of the websites will also give you up to date weather reports too. From our week at a glance, only showers are predicted for this coming Friday, September 24.
Just one more thing....I just put sheets out on the clothes line to air dry; nothing like line dried sheets to lull one to sleep, one of the amenities at the Meadowlark Inn B&B here in Brattleboro, Vermont! Come see us! Ciao! Lucia

Meadowlark Inn B&B named "Best of Brattleboro"

2010-08-04T06:44:00.000-07:00

The 5th Annual "Best of Brattleboro" named the Meadowlark Inn B&B as number one!
We have worked hard over these past 8 years of ownership to make our home feel like your "home away from home" and are grateful for the title this year! The inn continues to bring in new as well as treasured return guests! Our town is unique with all it has to offer and we are just moments from the downtown area, where on any given night one can hear live music, see a performance at the Hooker Dunham or Vermont Youth theatres, or browse through many of the art galleries here in town.
It is a great honor for us and we hope you can come stay here at the Meadowlark Inn B&B and see why we have been voted the "Best of Brattleboro"!
Hope to see you soon!

Springtime beauty at the Meadowlark Inn, Brattleboro, VT

2010-05-20T14:41:00.000-07:00

Well, we have had some great working out of doors weather recently and have most of our organic vegetable garden planted...yahoo!! This past Tuesday, Deb and I worked side by side and tilled more earth, cleaned out the turf, added compost and put three flower beds in front of the garden. Once everything is in bloom it should be spectacular! We have 12 raised beds for vegetables and earlier in the spring we spread more compost on all of the beds. The compost is rich and dark and full of earthy smells and worms...so we have put it in most every bed, flower and vegetable alike. It is wonderful stuff! We planted alot of seeds, and put in pepper and tomato plants already; doesn't look like any frost in sight for the next week! Also, about a month ago we planted cabbage and broccoli and onion sets. Lettuce and radishes, beans and spinach from seed, and sunflowers here, there and any place I could find a spot for them! Never can have enough sunflowers!
In the house we have vases full of lily of the valley, that is soooo fragrant, it takes your breath away! The lilacs are almost past, but the bush outside the kitchen door is still quite aromatic.
Soon the poppies will burst, along with the lupines and irises...I just love this time of the year!
So please come to see us this spring or summer, and eat some of our own vegetables and herbs at breakfast and stroll around the yard and find peace within our gardens. We will be happy to see you at the Meadowlark Inn!

9th Annual Vermont Maple Open House Weekend in Windham Co., Vermont

2010-03-24T13:54:00.000-07:00

Hi everyone. Well it is that time of the year again, when the sap from the maple trees flows, it will be gathered into the sugar house and boiled down to the right consistency for the wonderful golden and sweet delight of maple syrup, for our favorite breakfasts of pancakes, French toast or waffles. This year's syrup season has not been as good as others. Speaking with Bev Thurber of Lilac Ridge Farm, who supplies the Meadowlark Inn B&B with syrup that was produced in March, the weather did not really cooperate. The perfect conditions are cool nights (temperatures below freezing for at least 8 hours each day), with snow covering the roots of the trees and warm days. This year the snow cover was not as plentiful and the temperatures during the nights and days were not ideal. Lilac Ridge Farm produced 165 gallons of maple syrup this year; remember, it takes 40 gallons of sap collected to make one gallon of that wonderful liquid gold!!! WOW!! Last year Lilac Ridge Farm produced about 275 gallons and a good year, says Bev, yields between 3oo - 400 gallons. The Meadowlark Inn B&B is already serving syrup from this year's run and it is mighty good!
This weekend, a number of different sugar houses in Windham Co. will celebrate the maple season with the Ninth Annual Vermont Maple Open House, scheduled for Friday, Saturday and Sunday. Open house activities will be different at each sugarhouse but could include the opportunity to see how maple syrup is made and to taste it and other products such as maple cream, butter, candy and sugar.
Locally, the following sugarhouses are participating in the open house: Dwight Miller & Son Orchards in E. Dummerston, Jim & Josie's Maple Syrup in Londonderry, Sweet Maple Alpacas in Westminster, The Corse Farm in Whitingham and The Stone Family/River Bend Lodge in Newfane. Once you have done the tour, come stay with us at the Meadowlark Inn B&B and taste that wonderful syrup at your morning breakfast! Hope to see you! Happy Spring!

19th Annual Women's Film Festival, Brattleboro, VT.

2010-03-03T13:38:00.000-08:00

Got the winter blues and blahs??? What better way to shake them by attending the more than 30 films offered this year during the Women's Film Festival, March 12 - March 21, 2010. Not only documentaries and films about women, but films made by women, written, produced, edited, starred by women. It is a great event for a great cause, as proceeds go to the Women's Crisis Center here in Brattleboro. Please join us as we contribute to a worthy cause and see some outrageously fantastic films, about women from around the world!
Go to the website @ www.womensfilmfestival.org for more information.
You can also stay with us at the Meadowlark Inn B&B right here in Brattleboro, VT. and see the best of the best, and then come back to the inn for a most quiet and restful sleep! Hope to see you soon!

Cross Country Skiing at the Meadowlark Inn B&B

2010-02-17T07:57:00.001-08:00

Just got back from a wonderful ski right out our back door. After 8 inches of fresh powder, I had to take another ski this morning. Conditions are fantastic! I had on a jersey, thin jacket, woolen pants, hat and gloves and strapped on the skis and away I went into the adjacent meadow. Three seasons a year there are cows in this field, but winter brings its own magic and we get to use the field for skiing and snow shoeing. The sky is a perfect blue, the birds are beginning to sing their spring time songs and the air was clean. Rhubie ran alongside me, in her red woolen sweater, sniffing every deer print in the snow. It was glorious.
Yesterday while it was snowing, Deb and I went out and skiied as well. The visibility was about 1/4 mile, and the snow was hitting our faces, but it felt wonderful!!
Hope you can come soon to the Meadowlark Inn to enjoy some winter wonderland activities!!!

spring is coming!!!

2010-01-06T06:25:00.000-08:00

Well sort of! Actually I like winter! There is something about a big snow storm to shake us all up and to feel the power of Mother Nature, when she is telling us to slow down. The clean up and the coldness are secondary to the beauty that "Mother" bestows upon us. We have had a few storms, but we did not get hit like a city in Vermont 2 1/2 hours north of us just did over New Year's weekend. Whew, three feet of snow in Burlington, Vermont. Burlington sits on the edge of Lake Champlain and gets cold winds across the lake and usually lots of snow. I know because I went to college there and winter was a big deal! Here in southern Vermont though, we get our share of snow and cold. Now when I walk the dog on the loop walk I am wearing a turtle neck shirt, light sweater, red woolen jacket, hat, double stuffed woolen mittens (cozy), long johns, jeans, two pairs of socks and a woolen hat. Rhubie struts and runs by my side, decked out in her red, woolen, cable knit sweater and we two girls in red are styling up Orchard St. Must say, neighbors know who we are when we walk by! So it is still early in winter, but spring is definitely coming!!!!!!
On another note, I wanted to boast about the fact that we are now a Certified Green Hotel in the Green Mountain State! Believe me, we have lived our lives in a green way for many years before coming to the Meadowlark Inn, so it seemed very natural and a definite must to continue with this once we landed here. So when you do come to visit, you will note that we are doing our part for Planet Earth and are proud to be passing on this message to guests, families and friends. Come stay and enjoy yourselves with a hot cup of tea by the fire, and have some delicious home baked treats, that you will be able to eat guilt free after walking the 2.2 mile loop walk, looking at mountains, wildlife and feeling Mother Nature's beauty, inside and out.
Happy New Year everyone!!!
Lucia and Debbie

And so we give thanks...

2009-11-18T07:05:00.000-08:00

...for our many blessings this Thanksgiving season. It was quite the year for us, but we are close to the end of 2009 and look forward with joy to 2010! Although it was not the summer for tomatoes, with all of the rain, we still added to our new guest list and were happy to see back so many loyal repeat guests! The economy put quite the crunch on those in the hospitality industry, but we hunkered down, conserved where we could and were thankful that our fiscal year ended in a better position than expected. Despite the rain, the family gatherings, weddings and classical music festivals still went on, and those folks not planning a big vacation this year took smaller get aways and were able to spend some relaxing time at the Meadowlark Inn!
Foliage season was a huge success, with brilliant reds, oranges and golds, beautiful sunny days and rooms, restaurants and gift shops filled. We had many guests from all over the world which was quite exciting!!!
So we thank each and every one of you that came to stay with us this year. And we look forward to greeting you soon for some of our upcoming events here in Brattleboro:

December 4 Gallery Walk, Christmas tree lighting, kick off to Holly Days, Holly Nights, where local merchants offer up to 20% savings on gift items. We plan to again do our Christmas shopping in Brattleboro

We are open for business Christmas and New Year's, so for a different way of celebrating, join us here at the inn. Local churches will have services and celebrations. New Year's eve there are sleigh rides, outdoor ice skaing at the Retreat Meadows, fireworks in the evening.

During January there is the winter carnival.

February is the Fred Harris International Ski Jump competition.

March is the 18th Annual Women's Film Festival.

Stay tuned for midweek specials during the winter months. We would like to show off our great town of Brattleboro.
Hope to see you soon. Happy Thanksgiving! We are thankful for you all!
Lucia, Deb, Rhubie, Mama Cass, Staciu and Stelios

the current colors in southern Vermont

2009-09-15T13:48:00.000-07:00

Hello all...Lucia here. Just wanted to say a bit about the fantastic weather we have been experiencing here in the Brattleboro area these past few weeks and to report on the sightings in and around the Meadowlark Inn.
This morning as I made coffee there were twenty or so wild turkeys pecking away at the ground out back. Fortunately Rhubie was on the other side of the house and allowed the hens and young ones to stay a bit longer and see what they could find. Then a few days earlier at dusk, a doe and her twin deer were in the yard, the twins jumping and nudging each other...it was way cool! Of course the squirrels are busier than ever, with mouths full of acorns and nuts. Do they REALLY know where they are storing all of them that they are carrying to and fro? The resident woodchuck can still be seen now and then in the yard, but he cannot do any more damage to the garden since most of it is harvested, except for zucchini, which is still coming!!! Nothing like homemade zucchini bread!
The colors are coming, the colors are coming. Right now, as I drive around, I am seeing abundant color all around me. First, the grasses along the roadsides are tall and have gone to seed, and the seed is a reddish, purple and when the wind blows, it is a delicate swish of color. The purple and white wild asters are everywhere, making for a quick bouquet in the morning as I walk the dog. But the foliage is starting, here and there. Even our ancient maples out front are beginning to change, ever so slowly, which makes it even more magical when it finally appears, in its full glory! There are definitely trees that have more reds and oranges and yellows already. I believe the rain this summer will make for a most brilliant foliage season...so if you have not done so yet, come stay with us at the Meadowlark Inn and explore Vermont in all its beauty! Can't wait to see you!

We have the Blues!

2009-09-04T13:21:00.000-07:00

Wow- it may not have been a great year for the tomatoes but the Blueberry harvest was bountiful indeed! We picked at the Green Mountain Orchard for just over two hours with our good friend Advine and came home with more than 50 lbs of Vermont's finest!! There are some wonderful treats on the seasonal breakfast menus featuring blueberries and some we have put away for our winter guests! Oh heaven's they are so tasty with the Lilac Ridge Farm Maple Syrup...

How much wood would...

2009-08-12T07:58:00.000-07:00

...a woodchuck chuck chuck, if a woodchuck could chuck wood. AND WHY CAN'T HE???
I was out in the coach house this am, doing some work after my second cup of Mocha Joe's coffee, when I looked out the window over to our raised bed vegetable garden and lo and behold, a big fat, furry fella, with his nose in the air scouting out danger, eyeing the garden. Hmmm let's see what 's to eat he says. He thinks he is in vegetarian heaven!!! He first nibbles some weeds, and I think, well if all he wants is weeds, go for it big guy. But he soons tires of that and heads to the first bed, where he devours a pea plant. Why I didn't scare him off you say? Curiosity...I watch as he goes to the next bed, sniffs the fennel, nah, don't like that, but wait is this carrot tops? Yum. Munch munch munch. Next he goes through a bed with dill and basil. Doesn't like that. So he then heads to his favorite spot, the cabbage patch, where there are two half eaten heads. I first thought we had deer, after going to pick green beans one day only to discover that all the leaves had been eaten. Although we have always had deer in the yard, they really have not done too much grazing in past years, so I wondered why so much time was spent in our garden this year. After all, we have so many hostas! Now I know why, it's Mr. Woodchuck. So I went out and scared him away. But I know now that I am writing this he is right back out there. I will have to go look for our "have a heart" trap and catch him and bring him to my friend's house in AZ. Do you think that is far enough away? Thanks for listening.

Summertime, Summertime!

2009-07-07T05:16:00.000-07:00

Finally we have the golden sunny days and green green grass, cool nights for sleeping and warm afternoons to lay in the hammock! This years Strolling of the Heifers featured 140 of the newest Bovine Beauties- a site to behold as they paraded down Main Street. This is no simple feat as cows do not naturally walk on lead lines so the children have to work to train them for the Parade and make the sweet flower wreaths for them to wear. The Connecticut and West Rivers connect right near the Meadowlark. The water is refreshing for a swim at one of our favorite spots or easily accessible for fishing, canoeing and kayaking! Just one week away the magnificent chamber music at Marlboro Music Festival will begin- preparations are well underway for the 53rd Season. If you haven't read the article in the June 29th New Yorker it is worth finding, so much goes into this world class event! We also have a golf package with our neighbors at the Brattleboro Country Club- $20 off the greens fees and preferred tee times for our guests. We are offering a midweek special of $139 for any available room from Sunday through Thursday nights to sweeten the deal! Just ask for our Stay and Play Special. We are hoping to see you at the Meadowlark this summer...

2009-01-07T18:00:00.001-08:00

Start humming now...sleigh bells ring, are you listening, in the lane, snow is glistening, a beautiful sight, we're happy tonight, walking in a winter wonderland...
Happy New Year everyone! Yes, as I type this, it is snowing, with scarcely a visibility to speak of. It is hard to believe that just yesterday, there was a brilliant sunny, blue sky with temperatures in the high 20's (which seems warm when the sun is shining!). I pleasantly walked down Main St. in Brattleboro yesterday, being greeted by and greeting friends along the way. Today is a different story however, so I am snuggled in my layers of clothing, enjoying the view from inside, while I sip my morning Mocha Joe's coffee. I don't have to leave the Inn if I don't want to today!!!
Winter started right on time, with about a foot of snow that fell around mid December, making it a white Christmas. The inn was festively decked out! The guests made the most of the snow, sledding at Living Memorial Park (the best sledding hill I have ever sledded on; the park also has a T-Bar for those wanting to alpine ski and snowboard), ice skating at the park and taking sleigh rides at local farms. As well, we have two pairs of snow shoes that we allow guests to use and they tromp around right in the adjacent meadow. Cannot get better than that. Once everyone has had their fun in the snow, they are welcomed back at the inn for hot mulled cider, tea and home made cookies. We had quite the assortment of cookies over the holidays!
There are several events coming up here in the Brattleboro area in the next several months that you may wish to take advantage of.

Winter Carnival-February 20 - March 1, 2009

Harris Hill Ski Jumping Tournament- 85th Annual Event! This is the only 90 meter ski jump in New England! This year's Competition will be held February 14 & 15, 2009.

Also, go to the Brattlboro Chamber of Commerce site and check out the other arts events including Gallery Walk every first Friday of the month, theater, and musical events.

Winter is a lovely time of the year, and we would like to extend our invitation to see how truly great our town and area are during the winter months! Come for a relaxing stay at the Meadowlark Inn! See you soon!
Posted by Lucia and Debbie, Innkeepers at 7:19 AM

2008-11-22T07:18:00.000-08:00

Thanksgiving Greetings from the Meadowlark Inn! This is the one holiday we close to spend time with our families and we are filled with gratitude for all those who have been guests here at the Meadowlark Inn these past 7 years! It has been so very amazing meeting so many wonderful people from all over the world and some close to home. We want you to know how truly thankful we are for your business. We wish you very happy holidays however you celebrate and hope this little newsletter finds you happy and healthy! This year for a little extra fun we have erected an 18 foot Souix Style Tipi and plan to have our neices and nephews sleep out there. Enduring design it is actually quite warm with the liner in place! They will be grilling a Turkey and making Indian Pudding for dessert! We hope to have a drum ceremony with homemade instruments and learn more about the Native Americans that lived in our neighborhoods- (the kids are coming from Connecticut, New Hampshire and Massachussetts)!

We also want to let you know about some upcoming events in Brattleboro you may not want to miss. Please reserve early as the rooms usually sell out!

Holly Days- Festive first weekend in December- starts with the Treelighting Ceremony in Pliny Park and the monthly first Friday night Gallery Walk. Merchants in our unique shops offer discounts to help you find just the right gifts at a very special price! A great way to get into the Holiday Spirit!

Winter Carnival-February 20 - March 1, 2009 Each year, the entire town of Brattleboro comes together for Winter Carnival. There will be music, karaoke, ice fishing derby, a queen's pageant, pancake breakfast, ice skating show, sleigh rides, $1 movies, petting zoo, country western jamboree, and more! To celebrate the 50th anniversary of the carnival, there will be fireworks and the return of the Snow Ball, a semi-formal dance that was once an annual carnival tradition.

Harris Hill Ski Jumping Tournament- 85th Annual Event! This is the only 90 meter ski jump in New England! This years Competition will be held February 14 & 15, 2009, a United States Ski Association (USSA) sanctioned event, where we will host the world's best ski jumpers on the recently completely renovated jump. Watch the jumpers soar overhead then come back to the Inn and sit by the fire with your sweetie & some warm apple cider! We still have Jacuzzi Rooms available...

The hills are alive with the sound of music!

2008-07-31T03:42:00.000-07:00

We are in the thick of summer now, breakfast plates laden with garden abundance. Green, green grass from all of the rain and now glorious sunny weather. Two chamber music festivals that draw world class musicians from all over the globe happen every July and August right near Brattleboro, Marlboro Music Festival at Marlboro College and the Yellow Barn Festival in Putney. The night before last we had the privilege to attend Yellow Barn and the program was again phenomenal! The middle piece was the Sonata for Piano and Violin in C minor, Op.30, No. 2 by Beethoven played brilliantly by both the pianist Julio Elizade and Kathrin ten Hagen from Germany who plays a master violin from the 1640's. It was heavenly and so passionately done. We hope to get to a Marlboro concert this weekend. With the Music comes some of our most wonderful guests, repeat guests who come to hear great music every summer. Some of them have been coming for the 7 years we have been here now and it gives us great joy to welcome them back. Time certainly goes by too quickly!!

The Great Escape!

2008-06-19T15:18:00.000-07:00

Oh yes, these bovine beauties, with their big, brown, soft boiled eyes staring up at you so innocently are our neighbors in the adjacent field to the inn. Last night these girls stealthily opened the gate at Chuck's house (the neighbor up from us) and freely roamed his yard, taking a garden tour! Chuck's daughter Lee Ann was visiting and as she looked out back after doing the evening dishes, two big brown eyes stared back at her! Imagine her surprise. The girls were out back, out front and in the garage!! 18 of them! Lee Ann gave us a call, then came down. We quickly called the farmer, who lives 20 miles from here, and said he would be right down with some help! We then got several big flood flashlights and started our way back to Chuck's. Lee Ann said they headed into the woods, so I called "c'mon c'mon c'mon" and lo and behold the heifers came running to us. Now mind you, it was pitch black out, with alot of cloud cover and the big beautiful full moon that was out the other night was hidden from view! We herded them up by the gate, where Chuck was standing in the field saying "good girls, yeah what good girls"! Lee Ann ran into the house and brought out fresh corn on the cob to lure them into the meadow. No such luck! Then she came back with Kashi Whole Grain Cereal...wouldn't budge, just kept circling around, taking time to smell the roses. Then she tried cantaloupe. Each of us took turns in the meadow, calling and cadjoling. Deb hung by the end of the yard to prevent them going down Chuck's long driveway towards the dirt road. FINALLY, one got close enough to the gate, sniffed and headed in, followed by 9 more! Now, to get the remaining 8 cantankerous, very large cows in the field! Just when we were getting closer to corralling them, the farmers arrived! They circled 'round them and plyed them with grain, which they were not used to either...they finally all came throught the gate and then gave us a big stare! What a sight! They had their antics for the night and enjoyed every second of it! They bedded down right where they were, having sweet dreams about their great escape!
Ah, life is never boring at the Meadowlark Inn!

June in Vermont

2008-06-12T13:33:00.000-07:00

You cannot get greener than this! June is a wonderful time of the year here in Vermont, with our many perennials in full bloom, the green, green grass and the green mountains beyond! The rivers are full from the winter melt and spring rains. Clear blue skies in daytime and millions of stars in the nightime sky! Our 12 organic raised beds for vegetables and a circular herb bed has already been providing us with edible flowers and herbs and mesclun greens, spinach, radishes and broccoli for our eating pleasure. We have planted everything we can, including 27 tomato plants, including many heirloom varieties, potatoes, peas, successive plantings of different bush beans, and successive plantings of mixed greens so that we can have fresh greens all season long. We use what we grow in our breakfast menus, and in the food that we cater, and use local eggs and cheeses as well. When we are overflowing in produce, we might just send you home with a bagful if you are interested! Our perennials that are in bloom right now are bleeding heart, peonies, many varieties of the Japanese Iris, Siberian Iris, Wild Indigo (Baptisia), Veronica, Shasta Daisy, Oriental Popppy and the Stella D'Oro lillies are getting ready to pop! This is a fun time to work in the garden, surrounded by all of this beauty!
The Heifer Stroll last weekend was a huge success (60,000 strong), with meetings about sustainable farming in the days preceeding the parade of the 100 bovine beauties (followed by the dancing "moodoo" scoopers dressed in boving costume) down Main St. The heifers were accompanied by marching bands, antique tractors, gymnasts and a colorful cast of others! Following the parade on the town green there were cooking demonstrations, food tastings, mooing and milking contests and the crowning of Miss VerMOOnt! A good time was had by all! But if you missed the stroll, just come and stay with us at the Meadowlark Inn, and watch the twenty heifers in the adjacent field to us stroll on by! We welcome you to come, we will have fresh lemonade and homemade cookies when you get here! See you soon!

Heifer Stroll

2008-05-02T18:00:00.000-07:00

We are only five weekends away from a wonderful event - The Strolling of the Heifers. The newborn cows from all the surrounding farms are the center of attention and actually head the parade. Following the cows all decked out in flower wreaths is a stream of vintage and modern tractors. A real celebration of the rural way of life here and something you will never forget- is always held the first full weekend in June! This is actually a three day event with festivities, local food and interesting conferences -this year the highlight is ‘Live Green’ Theme of 7th Annual Strolling of the Heifers Parade & Festival; "How Simple Lifestyle Changes Can Help Protect Planet ". Live music, fabulous art and lots of activities (and free ice cream) for the young and not so young. Wear your overalls!

...check out the website http://www.strollingoftheheifers.com/event/index.php

Time Away

2008-04-08T10:23:00.000-07:00

We just returned from the ocean! We took some time off and visited some B & B's on the Cape...neat to have someone make us breakfast and make our bed- (well we actually made the bed most days to keep in practice)! We did alot of walking along the ocean shore and just listened to the waves. We found sea glass and shells and took it all in.
We came home to STILL find snow on the ground and huge mounds remain from coming off the roof. BUT bulbs are popping up out of the ground and I am getting hopeful. The forsythia bushes are yellowing up too!
But for you ski and boarding enthusiasts, Mt. Snow has no official closing date yet for this spring!
With over 14 feet of natural snowfall coupled with the vast amounts of snow produced by the fan guns there, there is a healthy base layer on the mountain and why Mt. Snow has decided to set no official closing date.
So come to southern Vermont, have a great spring ski day and rest your weary heads at the Meadowlark Inn.
Cheers!

Salamander Crossing/ Bonneyvale Environmental Education Center

2008-03-25T05:46:00.000-07:00

Hi all. Well spring IS here, but it was 10 degrees last night,with snow in the forecast for tonight. But I did hear the robins singing yesterday morning and I did see a flock of bluebirds in our giant pine tree out back a week ago, so there is hope.
Last week we took our young neighbor Julian to the Bonneyvale Environmental Education Center's talk on how to be salamander crossing guards. We may be the only B&B next to an official salamander crossing site! Every year neighbors gather by the pond next to the Inn with rain gear on with reflective tape, flashlights, a pail, a spatula and snacks, in the dark to help amphibians cross to the vernal pools to reproduce. Sometimes they must cross busy roads to get to the ponds and that is where crossing guards get into action. The guards warn cars to slow down their travel to allow these little guys to get to their destination. There is usually a coordinator at each site and we count the ones that get across as well as the ones that do not make it. The conditions have to be just right though! This special time usually occurs between mid March to late April. The ground needs to be thawed, it has to be above 40 degrees and raining or very wet. The most common amphibians likely to be out are the Spotted Salamander, the Jefferson Salamander, the Spring Peeper and the Wood Frog. For more information about this special event go to: www.beec.org and click onto "special events". See you at the crossing!

2008-03-13T16:20:00.000-07:00

Hi there...Lucia here. WELL! We sprung ahead last weekend one hour and WOW I feel like I am still recovering. But believe me, I am a spring, summer, autmun girl with a wish for plenty of sunshine and wanting the best of the days!! OK am I anxious for spring? Well when it comes to this point of the year after greater than 180 inches of snow I feel rightful in saying YES!!
Last week I went to our favorite farm Lilac Ridge Farm, where we buy eggs and their 2008 maple syrup. It takes 40 gallons of sap to make one gallon of syrup. So we must understand what the farmers do, in the midst of milking cows, then moving on to the sap boil down for syrup. . . Sun up to sun down and then more hours beyond, the farmers and friends make syrup. It can be a great family get together, where mom and daughters and husbands and son - in laws and grand kids get together to help with a very healthty activity with lunch right in the midst of the sugar house, then just continuing on to boil down the sap. Dedication to the entire process from the family is key. The season is very short and the whole year's suppl must be made while the sap is flowing. What a wonderful liquid gold over the whole wheat pancakes with blueberries gathered and frozen last fall!
When I went to the farm the other day, Bev, the matriarch, was sitting with some of her grand boys. They were busy playing a board game, but Bev pulled us out of the intenseness of the game to point out that WOW daffodil bulbs were popping out up the sunny side of the house. Yes of course, the sunny sides of the houses! Well we still wait, as we have still so much snow on the ground, but still a great place to come and visit. Ciao my friends!

Having Faith!

2008-03-08T05:01:00.000-08:00

Ah, springtime in Paris, oops I mean Vermont. Well as I type this, just two weeks from the spring equinox, the ground is covered with alot of crunchy snow and the wind is howling at 40 mph! Doesn't feel like spring when you run down the road in the morning with the dog for her morning ritual dressed in layers, all hunkered down. But, the birds are singing their springtime songs and the days are longer and it feels like it is getting closer. Once the snow melts we make daily walks around the grounds to see what bulbs are emerging from the ground. It makes the planting in October all worthwhile!
We look forward to the warming days, the first spring bulbs to bloom (We have planted hundreds every year for the past five years!), the leaves and flowering trees to open and of course the nightly serenade of the peepers and bull frogs in the pond next door. We hope to welcome you to the Meadowlark Inn to experience the beauty of springtime in Vermont! But for now it is still a winter wonderland around here.
Lucia and Debbie, Innkeepers

Women's Film Festival in Brattleboro!

2008-03-07T15:38:00.000-08:00

March brings a wonderful event in Brattleboro to break up the urge to hibernate! The Women's Film Festival is a benefit for the Women's Crisis Center of Windham County. There are many wonderful films this year including the Special Feature "PERSEPOLIS-( a 2008 Oscar Nominee). All in all there are 30 films by and about women from all over the world. You can see more information about this years festival online @ www.womensfilmfestival.org
We are offering a special midweek rate of $109/night plus tax during the festival Sunday - Thursday . Grab a friend and plan to attend!