It is not uncommon for us to see deer in the yard. In fact, the record is 54 at one time. And in other years we have occasionally seen does bring fawns into the yard with them. One year, we had a doe bringing her twins to drink at the back yard fountain every day or so. This last week, however, was the first time we had fawns staying with us for hours at a time without their moms.

The first day we had two fawns. The lawn-mowing crew came first thing in the morning to cut the grass, but before they could get started, one of them spotted a tiny fawn laying in the grass under a big pine tree. He asked me what they should do, as continuing to mow would undoubtedly scare off the little guy. I didn’t want that to happen, as I know that his mom told him to stay there til’ she returned. If she didn’t return, I would be stuck with a tiny fawn, and what would I do with it?

So, I went out to tell the crew not to mow that section of the yard. But walking along the driveway, what did I spot but another fawn laying behind one of the benches on a different section of lawn. Two at once!

Needless to say, I called off mowing for the entire day, and sure enough, after a few hours I checked on them and their mom’s had claimed them and left the yard.

The next day, I found another one by the gazebo. This was getting ridiculous! How was I to get any yard work done? However, I found jobs to do in other parts of the garden and left him alone.

A few hours later, I was in the kitchen and I glanced out of the window just in time to see a pretty little doe prance up to the gazebo and nuzzle her fawn. It was lovely to see the little guy running in circles around his mom as they left the yard and disappeared into the woods.

Well, cute as they are, I am glad that we have not had any fawn day-care for the last few days. Now I can get some gardening done!

I found out this morning that the average wedding costs $22,000.

($22,000!)

Since I happened to be reading the “Bridal Section” of the local paper–why I cannot say–the next article told me that the Tom Cruise wedding cost 2 million dollars, that the last Liza Minelli wedding cost 350 million. Now that has to be a misprint: no offense to Ms. Minelli, but how do you spend that much money on anything? Spend a million dollars on each of 350 guests? Spend $350 on each of a million guests? It makes the Tom Cruise event seem chintzy.

Ironically and coincidentally, later today I found myself watching a reality show on weddings. (My only excuse for this is a bad cold and a good cough medicine.) And here I found that the $22,000 estimate is, in some dimensions of reality, probably conservative. I saw a bride who wore black, a groom who wore make-up, tablecloths that cost $12 each to rent, and a barbecue buffet for 80 that cost $20,000.

I also found out that I should have been a wedding planner; previously only being Judge Judy seemed to be anywhere near that much fun.

How much should a wedding cost? What people can afford without parents turning in their 401K’s or the bridal couple taking on debt comparable to a home mortgage.

Did you know that some brides (and grooms) undergo cosmetic dentistry, tanning sessions, weight loss programs, and botox injections so that they will look good for the pictures? Consider, is there a day in your life when you could possibly look better than when you are so happy to be marrying your beloved? And could you be more beautiful than you are in their eyes? And let’s talk about those pictures while we’re at it; does anyone out there actually look at them? Maybe one sits on your Mom’s TV, but that’s about it.

So what makes a beautiful wedding? A couple in love. Family and friends with a sense of humor if it rains. Children who are ingenuous. We have had some amazingly beautiful weddings at Rose Hill, and that has had little to do with the cost or the weather or the dress or the tux. Our weddings are always relatively small (not 350 by a long shot). They are frequently second weddings, when the couple has already figured out what is important and what is not. (I’m not sure this applies to either Mr. Cruise or Ms. Minelli.)

There is always a sense of romance and timelessness in a home such as Rose Hill, which has stood for over a hundred years, that lends itself to a wedding: a moment in time preserved in memory forever. And isn’t that what a wedding is supposed to be after all?

Many people never consider that winter may be a great time to take a break from the routine and take a relaxing visit to a B&B. At least, thet’s certainly the case here at the Rose Hill Inn. If you come during the Christmas season, the lovely old homes of Marshall are decked out in thousands of colorful lights and the town is alive with Christmas events. January and February, however, are probably the most relaxing times that one could wish for.

There are seven fireplaces at the Rose Hill Inn. There is nothing more romantic than an evening in one of our lovely fireplace rooms. Dim the lights and just watch the fire, or perhaps there are other low-light activities that you may prefer. There are many indoor activities like pool, games (both board and video) or try your hand at our vintage pinball machine.

The grounds of the Rose Hill Inn are beautiful in the snow. The many huge pine and walnut trees look like illustrations on a Christmas card, and the deer passing through the woods are more easily seen with the leaves off of the trees.

Take a look at the photos below, and you will see what we mean.

The Rose Hill Inn is the perfect place for your small wedding. We have weddings both inside of the house and outside in the gazebo. We have also done weddings beneath the giant Austrian Pine that stands in the middle of your circular drive. It is almost like a natural altar. (see tha photo below.)

Christmas is also a great time for an inside wedding. The inn is lavishly decorated for the holidays and doing your vows beside the Christmas Tree is very Romantic.

We have several wedding packages available at the Rose Hill Inn, or we can tailor a ceremony just for you. I will describe some of these packages in future posts, but if you are interested right now, go to the wedding page on our website.

An ordained minister is available for your wedding, and you may choose from many different kinds of ceremonies or write your own vows if you wish. We are also able to make all other arrangements, including obtaining flowers, arranging a reception, finding a photographer, or any other aspect of your special day.

There are some pictures of weddings at the Rose Hill Inn below. It is truely a unique and beautiful venue for making a lasting memory.

“If These Stones Could Talk” is a guided walking tour of Oakridge Cemetary, a lovely old 19th century cemetary at the edge of Marshall, and one of the oldest active cemetaries in Michigan. Actors will portray seven significant persons from Marshall’s past at each of these individuals grave sites. The actors will provide factual information about each person dressed in period costumes. It will be high drama!

On Saturday, October 6th, beginning at 7:00 P.M. groups of 25 -30 people will be guided by hosts in a predetermined lantern-illuminated tour of the cemetary. It is like meeting someone from the past in person. Their stories are varied: some are of historical significance, and some are simply a portrait of an ordinary life in the past.Bring a flashlight, wear comfortable shoes, dress warmly, and bring an umbrella if rain is expected. Only in the event of lightening and thunder storms will the event be moved to an indoor venue.
Tickets for this event are available from the Marshall Chamber of Commerce - marshallmi.org - for $8.00 in advance ($10.00 on the day of the tour if any are still available,) or call the Marshall Chamber at 269-781-5163 or 800-887-5163. Proceeds from this event benefit the Marshall Historical Society and the Marshall Civic Players.

This is a very popular event. Order your tickets in advance, as they will likely sell out.

It was our pleasure to participate this year in the Marshall Historic Home Tour. This is the second time that we have opened the Inn to the public on this popular tour, but we had participated in the past in our former historic home, so we knew what to expect.

The Marshall Home Tour is the oldest such tour in Michigan, and one of the best. Marshall is fortunate to have many fine examples of 19th century architecture. In fact, this small town has been called “the Williamsburg of the midwest,” and has been given the designation National Historic Landmark District.

Several thousand people came through the Rose Hill Inn over the course of the two-day tour. We received many compliments on the decor and on the beautiful gardens and grounds. We were fortunate that the weather cooperated with sunshine and temperatures in the 70’s.

The tour included eight private homes this year, one church, and one business. As usual, there were many other attractions in town as well. All five of Marshall’s museums were open, there was an antiques fair, crafts fair, and several free concerts. There was a Civil War Dance on Saturday evening, and the Community Theater presented a musical at the Franke Center for the Arts.

The Marshall Historic Home tour is always held the weekend after Labor Day. If you havn’t taken the tour you are missing one of the most unusual and enjoyable events in the midwest.

The Marshall Historical Society also hosts a christmas Tour of five historic homes in December. It is always held on the same days in December as the summer tour in September. This year it is on December 8th and 9th.

In this colorful event, a guide leads you to historic homes that have all been decorated for the holidays. Unlike the summer tour where one must stay on the runners and only see the downstairs, you may explore the house on your own…usually both upstairs and down.

Information may be found on the Candlelight Tour by using the link from the Rose Hill Inn http://www.marshallmi.org

Here are a few photos from the recent tour.

The Calhoun County Fair is the oldest fair in the state of Michigan. And, the fairgrounds in Marshall is the oldest fairgrounds in the state as well. The Agricultural Building is the oldest building at the fairgrounds, and has been in continuous use since 1860.

I have attended the fair each year for more than 30 years, and each year it is very much the same as the previous years. The paths through the fairgrounds are in the shade of giant oak trees, and the various vendors, exhibitors, and rides are interspersed among the trees. There are also exhibition halls filled with vendors selling everything from corn stoves to corn on the cob. The 4H has its own building showing the handiwork of each of the young members.

I always look forward to the variety of food at the fair. One can find delicious home-made food at the local Grange restrurant, pancakes and sausages any time of day in the pancake tent, or have some fried stuff…they fry up everything from french fried potatos to french fried dill pickles.

All day long at the grandstand there are tractor pulls, horse pulls, and entertainment of all kinds. The evenings feature famous (or almost famous) country music stars. For those of you who like excitement, there is always a demolition derby one evening or races on a figure-eight shaped track.

The east end of the fair holds the midway with all of the rides and games of skill. Barkers attempt to lure you into their booths by waving lurid stuffed animals at you as you pass. The rides in this area are for teens and adults. There is a separate section for toddlers back under the trees.

My favorite part of the fair is the animal barns. There are ordinary animals to be seen, such as cows and horses, but there are also exotic breeds of rabbits, chickens, and other animals to wonder at. I always find it amusing to see some tiny farm girl leading around a huge cow or pig.

So play bingo, get a tatoo, watch the harness races, eat an elephant ear, check out the first prize pie or tomato, and get sick on a ride at the Calhoun County Fair.

The largest guest room in the house is the Morning Glory Room on the second floor. It is on a corner of the house with two large windows overlooking the front lawn and one side window that looks out on the garden and the gazebo. The furnishings feature a queen-sized antique brass bed and a walnut Victorian bedroom suite. If you have ever wished to visit Narnia, the huge armoire might just get you there. It stands seven feet tall with an impressive set of finials to crown it. There is a matching dresser with three ajustable mirrors, and a marble-top commode to complete the set. In front of the windows there is a fancy marble-top picture-frame table flanked by a ladies’ rocking chair and a gentleman’s chair in blue velvet.

The bathroom has an antique marble sink which came out of another house in Marshall. The other bathroom fixtures are modern.

Two of the several pictures in the room are from a lovely Victorian series of pictures of children portraying different moods. A bedside table has a reverse painted glass shade depicting flowers.

We invite you to come and stay in the Morning Glory Room.

I decided to open the swimming pool earlier than usual this year, and it proved to have been a wise decision. The weather here has been beautiful, but much hotter than is usual for June in southern Michigan. We have had weeks of blue skies and temperatures in excess of 80, and sometimes 90 degrees.

I have installed a solar heater on the pool, and it works very well. The water is about 90 degrees right now, and I intend to keep it warm as long as the sun cooperates.

If you haven’t been here, the pool is a large one, 20 feet by 40, and one can get a good workout doing laps. On the other hand, one can just doze on a float for a while and relax. There are lounges by the pool, so you can work on your tan as well. We also keep lots of fluffy towels there for your comfort.

We have guests who seldom leave the property and just relax by the pool all day. Others just take a dip after shopping or sightseeing. However you wish to use it, it is a popular summertime amenity.