A Valentine's Blog for Dan, the love of my life!

I am writing this Valentine's Day Blog to my husband to let the "world" know how much I love Dan, truly the love of my life. Yes, this is the man who created our home (and the Elkhorn Inn) from, essentially, a pile of bricks & mud (a pretty darn romantic concept in itself), but he is also the man of my dreams, and the great love of my life, and I want to shout that from the rooftops!

There is a joke floating about in email to the effect that a woman needs at least 6 men in order to be happy: the Romantic Lover, the Dancer who'll swing her around the dance floor, the Handyman, the Breadwinner, the guy that makes her laugh, etc. I got all of them in Dan!

So I not only get to sleep with Chef Dan, I get to sleep with the Restoration Architect, the Electrician, the Plumber, the Engineer, the Mechanic, the Internet Guru, the Lifesaver, the Hunter, the Romantic, the Landscape Designer, the Swing Dancer, the "fun" guy to play golf and go ATVing with, AND the Sexy Wood-Chopping Guy who's a dab hand with a chainsaw! HOW LUCKY CAN A GIRL GET?!

(He, by the way, gets to sleep with the WebMistress, the Laundress, the ebay Queen, & Disaster Babe...)

When I was in the hospital in Oct-Nov 2006, (and only alive because of Dan to begin with), I was literally swollen purple and green, had hands and feet the size of purple footballs, my hair matted to my head, and was tethered to 14+ IVs. I needed underwear... & Dan brought me the gift of a bag of thongs. And then a tray of sushi!

That's how I know he loves me!

6 years ago , when we had just started restoring what would become the Elkhorn Inn, Dan was interviewed by the Welch newspaper and gave them a quote that to me is still the most romatic thing I can imagine. He said, in the newspaper, for all the world to see: "I'm where I want to be, doing what I want to do, with the woman I love- who could ask for anything more?"

Ditto. for me!

All my love- always and forever, with all my heart,

Your wife,

Your Elisse

In Defense of Inflatable Decor...

I recently read an article, (in the NY Times, I believe), bemoaning the existence (and popularity) of inflatable holiday decorations, due to the supposedly down-market, trailer park aura they create. This really got my dander up, as my husband & I have become Big Time Inflatable Enthusiasts, and we consider ourselves decidedly Up-Market (not to mention Hip & With-It).
Prior to the arrival of the the Inflatables, we messed with lights, but they rapidly became an endless & heartbreaking nightmare of missing bulbs and shorted, tangled wiring. (I still have a batch of lightless, metal Lawn Deer up in the attic that I am determined to someday fill with Sphagnum Moss & plant ivy in, thus creating Deer Topiaries...) The Elkhorn Inn is a BIG building, and we have a LOT of "yard", and it would take a Helluvalota lights (& a generator...) to Do It Right With Light...
I do have visions of the Inn & Theatre elegantly rimmed with white lights & the trees wrapped with tiny bulbs a la Tavern On The Green, but until we win Lotto (or the Welcome Wagon finally turns up w/a cherry picker in tow...), our Inflatables provide an easily manageable and Extremely cheering sight, especially once winter turns everything Out Here In The Country a depressing and leafless brownish-grey. (And in the snow they look Absolutely Fabulous!) Tacky?! I think not!

When we first arrived in McDowell County, after the devastating 2002 floods, there were no lights- & I really do mean No Lights. There were literally no holiday decorations, and hardly a light on in a window between Bluefield and Welch. In the last five years, more and more holiday decorations have appeared in the mountains, and the giant, glowing Inflatables are the happiest and most cheering of them all. (There is Nothing sadder than holiday lights missing 1/2 their bulbs...) The Inflatables constitute "Martha Stewart For Idiots": you plug 'em in, the little fan starts whirring, they immeditely light up & blow up, & Voila!: Instant Joy!
We started with the Giant 8' Snowman, and he was such a success (you can see him from Way Down Route 52, towering over our sign!), that we rapidly acquired (thank you, eBay!) a veritable Hallmark Calendar of discounted inflatable decor: Valentine's Bear, Leprechaun, Motorcycle Bunny, Uncle Sam, Scarecrow on Pumpkin, Turkey, the 8' Hanukkah Menorah, NASCAR Santa, and our newest on-sale acquisition: Airplane Santa. As it's now January, we are about to take down our Festive Winter Decor & put up "I Love You" Bear...


NOTE: We are still seeking the following giant, inflatables, which even I, eBay Queen of Landgraff, have been unable to locate: an ATV, a Coal Miner, a Dreidle, a Shofar, a Lulav/Esrog, something for Purim (a giant, 8' inflatable Gragger?), and a helicopter, as a special treat for my US Army Aviation Retired husband...) And don't forget President's Day & Labor Day & Veteran's Day, and...


It's my understanding that it's now only acceptable in this PC world to use "plug-&-play" inflatable decor if it's done with a heavy dose of Irony, & so Ironically I am posting pix of the Elkhorn Inn's Winter Wonderland in all it's glory, including our new string of "Remington Shotgun Shell Holiday Lights" (made from real red & green shotgun shells! In China!), 3 of our Hanukkah Menorot in the windows, and "Hot Tub Hanukkah"...