Saturday, December 16, 2017

Settle in and Re-Charge




A new year, a time for reflection , a time to catch your breath...The December holiday season is upon us ..a time of celebration for many.Gathering for shared meals, secretly searching for a special gift...the perfect token for each recipient.





The season can bring us the  opportunity to be truly grateful for our friends & family .
It can be a challenging season ....Short days, cold and dark....the warmth of spring seems an awfully long way away.To receive the true gifts of Winter, you need to slow down.....give yourself the gift of regeneration.






Winter is recognizable as a time of relative calm  – a period of  dormancy,  a time when we  quiet ourselves to receive a delicate sort of wisdom that whispers to our heart and soul...


That is, if we’re listening… 

So as you roll through the jubilation of the holiday season and into the dark winter of the new year, remember to give pause, make time to reflect, slow down and rest...enjoy the bliss of dormancy before the dynamic energy of Spring arrives and pushes all of life into a new expression. 

Wishing each of you a genuinely beautiful holiday season, may it be filled with people that you love, opportunities for new friendships and gratitude for the gifts in  your lives.

If a winter retreat fits into your 'winter regeneration' give us a call to find the perfect space here at The Lazyjack Inn.


Warmest Wishes, 


Mike & Carol 





Sunday, October 22, 2017

The Wisdom of Folklore, Embracing Transition with Gratitude...

Pondering over coffee this morning, watching the mist hover over the harbor, the stirrings of the community after our biggest 'shin-dig', Tilghman Island Day, where it is possible that folks had a bit too much fine fare and drink..but never too much laughter and good times!

October....on the verge of Novermber, Autumn, it seems to have happened so quickly this year but then again, maybe not....It starts really with the departure of  'our Osprey'.....one of the first signs that the summer season is coming to a close. And then comes the bounty of the next season.





Early each Autumn the Osprey depart for South America....










The air begins to crisp up in the mornings, the leaves slowly change , the Chesapeake Bay cools down and beneath the surface of this immense body of water that we get to call home....there are hundreds of changes taking place...including the movement of the bluecrabs to deeper water.  

"When the Monarchs head south, the bluecrabs move to deeper water." (j.fleming)






OysterFest Saturday October 28th, 10AM-4PM








The Oyster Season begins, the days still feel surpringly warm and hint at the past summer but eventurally the local Watermen change thier gear to thermals and Grundens.  The mornings are darker, the sunset comes sooner and then there are  white wisps from the woodstove chimneys and Oyster Chowder on every  menu.  Outdoor dining fire pits , mulled wine and cider, scarves and mittens on the monthly local gallery walks.



Know Good Farm- Local growers of land and sea bounty!

















Sometimes life throws change at us like a fast pitch.  We don't have the luxury of gradual adaptation , there is no time to gracefully transition.  For those of us lucky enough to live on the Eastern Shore of Maryland, Mother Nature affords us with that luxury at the change of each season....and it's good to be reminded of that. 

We invite you to come on over....take in the sights, meander the crisp paths of local conservation spots, indulge in the bounty of the Chesapeake Harvest, meet the growers and the catchers....throw a little 'slow' into your seasonal shift!  















Reserve your get-away at The Lazyjack Inn today!

Friday, October 6, 2017

The Comfort Zone of 'rote' and the beauty outside of the box...

While there is certainly much to be said about the discipline and efficiency of routine there is a 'flip side' to that organizational coin.

Sunday, July 23, 2017

Dog Days of Summer...gettin' a bad rep!

Summer time on Marylands Eastern Shore....every year as we roll towards the middle of July ...and into August we all respond in seeming shock to the heat ...The infamous HUMIDITY...the arrival of the 'nettles (aka jellies, jellyfish).



It's all the talk around town, on the street, at the market...As if we have never experienced this before....as if it's a new phenomenon. 

We say, BRING IT ON!!!  

 Bring on the most incredible golden pink sunrises!  Bring on that cool brackish water spray up on the bow of the boat, or from your jet ski! 






Bring on the frozen glory of  that ice cream cone at a shady table on the street!  Bring on those spicy steamed crabs and that COLD COLD  beer!  

Bring on those breathtaking hot pink sunsets night after glorious night...the most beautiful of the year!  



Really, these are the days that we wait for all year long, summer on the Eastern Shore...

So Come on Over and celebrate them with us..


The Dog Days of Summer!





Sunday, June 18, 2017

It's all about the people

 It's all about the people....have no doubts about this.

Starting the Lazyjack Inn 26 years ago was a 'second go-round' from a career standpoint. Truth be told, it just was one of those things that manifested...Mike 'retired' from the Architectural and Home building industry, we did the dance of huge life transition . We shifted to the Eastern Shore, a place that we had great love for after years of sailing the Chesapeake.  We were just going to sail for a year...or more and then a good friend said  "open a B&B, you're perfect for it"
 

Thus began our time on Tilghman Island, a place like many other small villages, that is really all about the people.  As we 'grew' the Lazyjack Inn (literally, starting with two guest rooms) we quickly realized that our connection to the guests, the opportunity to get these short 2 or 3 days glimpses into the lives of others was  the key to it all....a gift.

Over the years there have been some guests that have become the dearest of friends, some guests who have shared incredible personal stories, passed on powerful words of wisdom (usually without realizing it), and yes, some guests that we didn't quite hit it off with (we are all humans after all!) but even those times offer a lesson and growth!

One of the very best times operating the B&B is that time after the breakfast is served, when we are in the kitchen getting things back in order ....it's the sound of the guests, in dialog, laughing , sharing their stories, finding common interests, or not....that time when we are just observers of what might be a fleeting human connection.  
What happens when the guests leave us?  Have they exchanged numbers? Will they reconnect? Become friends?  Will they talk about each other in the car on the way home...but never see each other again?

So I suppose that this Blog entry is really a little selfish, a conversation with ourselves, a reminder that we are sharing with you....it really is our connection with people that is our purpose here...not just 'here' as in Tilghman Island, but 'HERE' in this world.  
 
It's too terribly easy to get caught up in the hustle, to run through our daily tasks by rote, to miss those moments with the people around us.

So this Father's Day we say Thank you  ...to the hundreds of folks who have stayed here and given us that gift of human connection...

GO BE WITH YOUR PEOPLE, PEOPLE!!






Monday, May 29, 2017

Never a Dull Moment, unless .....

Never a dull moment, unless that's what you're looking for...

Some folks come to the shore for a special event, family wedding , reunion, art festival....Some come to do absolutely nothing, on purpose!

Live at The Avalon Theater...Jennifer Knapp
For those traveling by boat Talbot County is known for some of the best 'stop-overs' on The Chesapeake.   Back in the day, when our kids were small and we loaded up to sail every weekend, Tilghman Island, Knapps Narrows, St Michael's (for a grocery run!) and Oxford were all well known haunts for us.  Some great memories!



 
St. Michael's Brew Fest 2017      
 
No matter your intention for your get away....there are endless options of every ilk here in Talbot County...music, festivals, farmers markets, lighthouse's, sailing, kayaks, biking, SUP....and OH the food!!!!!
Plein Aire Concert Series Easton





What you do and what pace you choose to do it are all up to you
Whether wandering the back streets of the historic district, people watching at one of the outdoor waterfront restaurants, poking around in the boutiques, or paddling the creeks and shorelines...you'll be making memories of your own to look back on over the years!  Let us know how we can help you with your plan...and enjoy your time here in Talbot County!

 




Saturday, May 13, 2017

Some times you just need a rain day



The yard work needs attention, the deck needs staining, your cousin has an outdoor wedding or you planned  a 'get- away' to stroll the streets of St. Michael's .....but mother nature has a different plan in store.

RAIN DAY!


Buck up!  You can either make the most of it ...pull those weeds while it's wet, buy some crazy colored umbrella's for that wedding...or new galoshes for your small town explorations...or 'flip it around', maybe today is the day that you write those letters that you've been putting off, dig into that book that's been on your nightstand for 3 months


 

 The sun will come out eventually, 
in the meantime it's ok to roll with the rain


Saturday, April 15, 2017

Stopped in Time

Carols Apple Tarts

 

 Stopping Time....



It's a tricky business this thing called 'time'.
We want more, we struggle to 'manage' what we have, on Monday we wish it was Friday...but then what happens to the days in between?  Balance.
Coming Soon to the garden
Hundreds of research projects have been done to confirm what we have known all along.  
You've got to stop and 'smell the roses'.
Take a walk, visit friends, go to the woods, pack up your rod and creel, learn a language, take an art class, a yoga class....LAUGH, a lot!  
What's the point of sticking around if you spend every moment wishing for the next one.

Time...it really is yours for the taking!

Happy Easter & Spring,
Carol

Sunday, April 2, 2017

The Shift to Spring

 
 Winter Camelia's & Spring Daffodils










Last night was a big one for our local high school students, the Senior Prom.  A fairly significant event for most High School seniors, the beginning of their final weeks of classes, exams and preparation for graduation ceremonies.  For those of us whose High School Days are a long ago memory, there is still significance in these spring 'rites of passage'.  Yet another harbinger of the change of seasons and the promise of what is to come here on the shore as we move towards the summer season.
This past week also marked the official close of The Oyster Harvest for the year.....the local watermen have already been working diligently to get the work boats ready for the spring crabbing season.  Restaurants that took a break for winter repairs (and much needed holiday by their staff!) are preparing to re-open.  
Chatter of upcoming spring and summer events is heavy, St. Michael's Wine Festival, 'Brew Fest' a fairly new event spot lighting our local micro brewery and many from around the region, The start of the Log Canoe racing season, St. Michael's Running Festival....the list goes on.

We will be sure to share details and web site links for the upcoming events for our readers to follow...be sure to check in with us for reservations for these events as they tend to go quickly!

Until then we wish each of you an amazing transition into spring!

Saturday, March 25, 2017

Un-twisting into Spring

Mother Nature has had us up and down and all sideways and twisty for the past few months.  Not certain that we could really call it a 'winter' here on the Eastern Shore of Maryland...it was almost winter a few times.

But now.....on this morning it really, finally feels like SPRING!

Glorious sunshine, window open weather!

Boats on Trailers, kayaks and Paddle boards on roof racks....outdoor cafes setting up all of the tables.

Don't misunderstand...we appreciate the little bit of downtime that comes with the off season but THIS is what we wait every year from the time that it all slows down!

It's going to be a fantastic year at the Inn!  Come and join us!