Each year, as we approach Thanksgiving, I naturally begin to give thanks as I count my blessings. This year marks 7 years since Jim and I decided to sell our family home in Charlotte and move to Fairhope to be closer to our first grandchild, Beatrice. Now with 3 beautiful little "grandgirls"-- Bea is 7, Ann Alice is 3 and Francis is 20 months-- I can't imagine living anywhere else. Jim and I raised 3 boys and as a child, I had 2 brothers- no sisters, so being the grandmother of 3 little girls is great fun. Art projects, baking cookies, playing with our two cats, Meiko and Pocohantas, and doing girly things... it's all new and wonderful!
Good health stands out as a huge gift in this time of counting blessings. We've all experienced or known someone who has had a health scare and this year we've had a couple of our own. Fortunately, we will be ok, but I think the best part is how it forces you to focus on what's important. This next year, I want to spend more quality time with my husband and all my loved ones and make sure they know they are well-loved.
Becoming full-time innkeepers at Jubilee Suites, our luxury bed & breakfast in Fairhope, AL, has also been a dream-come-true for me. I've always enjoyed meeting new people, listening to their life stories, and feeding them good food, and now I get to do all that every day. I've enjoyed meeting every new guest and learning more about the world outside my own. And, I get to work side-by-side every day with Jim, my steady rock of a husband for the last 40 years, and my best friend. I think these are my favorite parts of being a B&B owner.
We've enjoyed all our guests this year, but one couple in particular stands out. Col. Smitty Harris, age 95, author of Tap Code: The Epic Survival Tale of a Vietnam POW and the Secret Code That Changed Everything, and his wife Louise stayed with us for 4 nights, and their story of overcoming was astounding. Smitty was a POA in Vietnam for 8 years of torture and isolation, during which Louise gave birth to their 3rd child and remained steadfastly waiting for his return. Smitty had learned a "tap code" while serving in the Air Force in the Korean War, and while a prisoner in Vietnam, taught it to his fellow captives, enabling them to communicate with each other and stay sane while in isolation for so long.
Our hospitality team here at Jubilee Suites continues to make me so proud. I give them lots of credit for the flood of 5-star reviews we regularly receive. Their daily efforts ensure our guests have a restful home-away-from-home experience and return to their daily lives relaxed, and ready for whatever comes next. The team we've assembled is as dedicated to our guests' comfort as I am and I'm also committed to helping these young mothers make a living wage. They each enjoy flexible schedules that include personal time off and sick days so they can realistically work full-time and manage their family lives more easily. Our mutual respect goes a long way to ensuring our guests have a 5-star stay with us.
Our guests tell us they love Jim's daily breakfasts; he's always trying out new recipes to please our guests. This year he's added sourdough cinnamon rolls to each Friday's menu and biscuits and gravy each Sunday. His made-to-order omelets and homemade sourdough bread continue to be a big hit, and he enjoys meeting any guest's need for a special diet. After raising 3 boys, he also knows how to feed picky kids the healthy, good-tasting food they enjoy.
After years of modernizing Jubilee Suites, we're just about done with the major improvements and it is so satisfying to see how our guests appreciate our efforts. This year we've turned to simpler upgrades, including replacing 5 sliding doors with French doors on suites facing Mobile Bay, over-seeding our grass with rye so it stays green all winter, and adding more outdoor art to the grounds. Our landscaping, which was all brand new 4-5 years ago, has become lush and we're surrounded by mature trees and shrubs, perennial flowers, lots of fountains, bird feeders, places to sit and enjoy each other, and gorgeous panoramic views of Mobile Bay. It's heavenly and I'm so grateful to live here and be able to share it with our guests.
We thoroughly enjoyed the Plein Air event sponsored by The Eastern Shore Art Center in late October. For a solid week, artists from around the Southeast painted in the "open air" landmarks and scenes all over town, and our guests that week loved watching them. We bought 8 paintings to add to our suites and we've begun to display even more local artists' works for sale in our B&B. Plein Air was one of my favorite blessings of 2024 and I encourage people to come experience it next October/November.
This last year, we were pleased to host several small business retreats here at Jubilee Suites. We love to see the transformation in a team with an entire weekend to work and play together to strengthen relationships, tackle critical business issues without distractions, enjoy our food, catch up on their sleep, and wake up to glorious views of the water. We were thrilled to host the Say It Southern group for their third year here, and we’d love to host your intimate gathering at Jubilee Suites in 2025.
As I reflect on the past 7 years, I am grateful that Fairhope and its people have been very welcoming to us. It's not easy to completely move your life across the country and also start a business but Jim and I have found our stride and we've enjoyed trying all sorts of new fun with new friends. Thank you to family, friends, guests, team members, and each one of you for gracing our lives this year. I hope your 2024 has been wonderful. I hope you’ll use this season to count your blessings too. And I hope you can plan a time in 2025 to get away from the hustle of life for some well-deserved downtime. We’ll be here to welcome you.
Dana and Jim Maloney
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