Archive for December, 2009

Visions of sugarplums danced in their heads at Rock Hall this Xmas Eve where a full house brought guests from all over the U.S.  As nearby as Massachusetts and as far flung as San Fransisco!! The Northwest Corner is blanketed in snow and winter arrived just in time to celebrate the holidays with us.  Rock Hall has been decked in Holly and Pine Roping and Hannukah Menorahs continue to blaze. 

Were you lucky enough to indulge in Michael’s extraordinary mini potato pancakes and velvety applesauce made right here at Rock Hall from our heirloom apple trees???  If not, there’s always next year….Cocktails on the 23rd brought friends, family and guests together for a festive prelude to Christmas visits.  After an inasuspicious beginning ….

All right it was staged – our 11 foot Blue Spruce –  Colebrook grown and cut at Up Country Farm on Colebrook River Road –  feels right at home tucked into the dining room and decorated with antique German glass pinecones and birds…

Butternut, Catamount, Ski Sundown and Mohawk ski areas are enjoying a strong beginning to this year’s ski season and guests are booking their ski vacations at Rock Hall for January and February. Sabrina spent Christmas day giving  the world’s most terrific twins a full day private ski lesson and by day’s end they were carving their turns and racing down the slopes!

We’re offering special mid week stay and ski rates at Ski Butternut so don’t let the season pass you by… After my ski accident a few years ago in Vail my  ”need for speed” has been squelched and I’ve happily embraced snow shoeing - there’s little that can beat a trek thru the snow on a crisp winter day with blue birds and cardinals sweeping past you  – We’ve got 5 pairs of snowshoes here with your name on them and over 22 acres to explore - come join us – we’re looking forward to your visit!  

Best Always,

Stella

It looks like we might be in store for a spectacular White Christmas and certainly a White Hanukkah up in the Northwest Corner.  There’ll be Latkes Roasting on an Open Fire here at Rock Hall and Jack Frost Nipping at Your Nose. Snow Shoers rejoice! Animal Trackers be on the alert – there are paw prints everywhere!!

The Where, How and Why of Turkish Knots!

Last summer when Sabrina and I were travelling thru Central Turkey we met a fantastic Hotelier/Rug Merchant/Midnight Soccer Player.  We bought an amazing hand embroidered silk textile from him and when he heard that Sabrina was obsessed with Knefe a scrumptious Turkish dessert he insisted on driving us to nearby Avanos for the “real” thing!

We were thrilled to learn his brother would be coming  to visit us with a caravan filled with the most delicious Turkish Carpets When we heard he was doing a Marco Polo around the US with these beauties we quickly invited a few friends over to Rock Hall for an overview of the Turkish Carpet and a brief history of its origin and the stories and symbolism woven into each piece.  Everyone went home a little wiser and with a woven masterpiece of Turkish Craftsmanship!