Michael's books

August 28 - Last Thursday evening, local author Michael Abraham held a book signing at Clay Corner Inn --- the B&B guests didn’t seem to mind his dozens of friends and fans wandering through enjoying wine, punch, cheese, fruit, conversation and buying books. “Union, WV” is a novel about healing and redemption in a small West Virginia town, and “The Spine of the Virginias” is a non-fiction look at people, places, history and culture along the Virginia-West Virginia border. They can be ordered at http://www.bikemike.name/.

Graciously, he displayed a few of my books "Solomon Says" -- thanks Mike.
This plug is for you! Nice turnout.
So, you can't be sure whom you might meet at Clay Corner Inn -- but this is certain: you are sure to "meet" warm hospitality and comfortable lodging in a great location next to Virginia Tech campus. Have a great day! Joanne

Summer's cake and mid-week events

August 28, 2010. As the summer draws to a close, we bid farewell to Summer with a cake … not any ol’ cake. It has to have a horse! As an incoming freshman at Virginia Tech, this year’s cake also sported a VT logo, some horseshoes for good luck and a chicken for her animal and poultry science major. And check out that grass [frosting!] All the best to you, Summer – enjoy being a Hokie! [photo with her mom, left; Summer, right]

Clay Corner Inn is sold out September and October weekends, so come on the other five nights. Stay for three nights Sun-Thurs between Sept. 15 and Dec 15, and we’ll take 50% off the 3rd night. The Kandinsky Trio performs Sunday, Sept. 30th, on campus, and the Kronos Quartet will perform at the Lyric Theatre downtown on Wed., Oct. 6. “The Good Person of Szechuan” – a blend of Chinese opera, Brooklyn lingo, World War II-era socio-ecnomic struggles and gutsy cabaret–style songs is one presentation by Theatre Main Stage, School of Performing Arts at Virginia Tech. Dates are Nov. 5-6, 9-13, 16-18.
It’s a short walk to any of these performances, and sitting outside on a warm fall evening with some Virginia wine and homemade cookies (always complementary at Clay Corner Inn) is guaranteed to provide the kind of relaxation we all need from time to time. Joanne.

Virginia Tech move in week and Business Expo

August 20, 2010 - This is Virginia Tech move-in week, and what a week it is! We’re enjoying meeting new Hokie parents and incoming freshman – and the Clay Corner Inn staff is managing beautifully the daily breakfasts, topping 20 people a couple mornings, along with housekeeping, laundry, ironing, baking, putting fresh flowers on the breakfast tables, answering myriad questions and giving myriad directions! Whew!
Jessica Kinley has joined the staff to take care of all our common spaces, indoors and out, stocking soda and that bottled cold water so craved after a hot day of moving boxes and crates into dorm rooms. Samantha is doing double duties housekeeping and front desk. VT intern Gretchen never stops smiling or working! Liz never misses a detail, like extra towels; keeps up our Facebook and social media entries; attended a hour and half social media seminar yesterday; and helped staff the Clay Corner Inn booth at yesterday’s Chamber of Commerce Business Expo. She made the display, too! [unable to download photos to this blog ... hmmm, so I'll toss in a patriotic photo!]
Summer ends her 3rd summer with us on Saturday and will be one of those freshman Hokies on Monday! All the best to you, Summer! Paula Frietag is returning to the B&B on Friday evenings, so she’ll meet lots of you and see some familiar faces, too. Scott Mattox keeps the lawn and outdoor landscaping neat and tidy. We're delighted to have him working with us, once again. Ten years ago, he did the same thing as a teenager, though now he also works on our barn, where his natural attention to detail and building construction degree mean that he always measures twice and cuts once! :) He's got a great resume, stable work history and a terrific reference from me if anyone is looking for a personable, skilled, educated, diligent young man who was laid off when construction dipped in this ongoing recession.

I applaud Clay Corner Inn staff for so many recent 6:30 and 7 a.m. mornings, for making each and every guest feel welcome and comfortable and for all the housekeeping and laundry and small details that make Clay Corner Inn the best place to stay with the best location next to Virginia Tech. Campus is a-buzz, and we love the energy and activity, along with hopes and dreams of these new Hokies and Hokie families!! A hearty welcome to Town, freshmen! Joanne

Tomato Cages

The other week I was weeding my garden here at the Clay Corner Inn, but I was having a very difficult time because all my plants were growing wild and I couldn’t even find the weeds! So I started to untangle the cucumbers and pick up the tomato plants, trying to organize a bit. I suddenly remembered that my Pop-pop, who has been gardening ever since I can remember, would tie his tomato plants to a wooden stake so they wouldn’t be lying on the ground. This protects them from bugs, as well as from rotting, once they start to ripen.

So I knew that I needed to get them off the ground, not only to protect them, but also to help clean up my garden. I asked John, the master gardener, if he had anything that I could use and the following day he showed up with two tomato cages. Boy was I excited! I quickly got to work tying up my plants and within an hour my garden looked like I was a master gardener as well! I had also just picked my second cucumber and second zucchini, so I was pretty proud of my garden!

Not too long after I set up my tomato cages, did the rest of my garden die. My zucchini plant became too big and toppled over, thus snapping off the roots and withering away within hours. It’s a good thing John’s garden yielded zucchini’s so we could serve those muffins at breakfast I talked about! My cucumber plants couldn’t take the heat and also withered away. The pepper plant is still hanging on, and just yesterday I noticed a small pepper had started growing! Hopefully in a few days it will be ready for picking!

The newly situated tomatoes are doing very well and I’ve already gotten to eat a few, which are very sweet and juicy. A couple mornings for breakfast we even used them as a garnish for egg dishes! I’m still trying to think of other ways to use our vegetables for breakfast. I’d love to hear your suggestions and as always I encourage you to come and visit us here in Blacksburg, Virginia!

Art at the Farmers Market

Blacksburg, VA has many great sites to see, if you’re not bogged down with orientation at Virginia Tech! Certain weekends though, the town sponsors an event that gets the entire town excited. July 17th happened to be one of those events, the annual Art at the Farmer’s Market.

Luckily, I was able to sneak out of the inn for an hour and check out the sidewalk show. A storm happened to be passing through, so artists were packing up, or huddled inside canopies, trying to protect their artwork from the weather. Sporting a Clay Corner Inn umbrella, I ducked in and out of tents to appreciate the artwork that was for sale. Of course I was amazed at the local talent, but was not able to afford any of the pieces to bring back and display here at the inn.

Certain pieces stood out to me though… There were photographs taken of animals and landscapes that had been put behind old wooden windows. It gave the illusion that you were looking out a window into your backyard. Another favorite stand was glassware. There were bowls and vases that were sparkling with vivid colors that attracted the eye. I just kept thinking that one of those vases would look great on a breakfast table with some fresh cut flowers! My favorite stand, which had also won an award, was from Bimbur Books. They displayed all handmade paper and journals from an artist at Main Lee Art. The books were gorgeous, with different patterns, colors, and styles of paper. I suppressed the urge to buy one, but now that I have some downtown gift certificates, I just might meander down to the art store and support our local businesses!

As always, the farmers were at the market selling their fruits, veggies, and pastries. There was also breakfast at the market, but I bypassed that, since I knew it would not be as delicious as the breakfasts here at the Clay Corner Inn! I did hear from passersby that it was quite a treat though!

If you’re bummed that you missed out on this great event, then make sure you visit Blacksburg this weekend, August 6-7th for Steppin’ Out’s 30th anniversary. There will be tons of vendors, food, and music to entertain you all day! We hope to see you soon!