Tool Around on Father's Day

Mike Jones—Snapdragon guest & machine tool enthusiast—in front of the American Precision Museum in Windsor, VT.

This Sunday being Father's Day, all the home improvement stores are wall-to-wall with deals on tools for dad. Which, you know, is fine. Maybe dad's hoping for a new set of socket wrenches.

For another way to treat the handyman in your life, one of the places in Windsor where we love to send our guests is, basically, tool heaven. The American Precision Museum, on South Main Street, is unmissable: a gorgeous old brick armory perched right up against the Mill Brook falls. Built in 1846, it's generally regarded as the birthplace of the precision machine tool industry, where for the first time, for instance, interchangeable gun parts were produced. And during the Civil War, most of the 1.5 million rifles made to arm Union soldiers came from machine tools that were assembled in Windsor, Vermont. That's no joke.

Nowadays the Precision Museum, according to its website, "holds the largest collection of historically significant machine tools in the nation ." You'll find beautifully preserved lathes, milling machines, and drill presses, as well as pretty cool collections of some of the first precision-made sewing machines and typewriters.

Blickensderfer No. 5 Typewriter (image from www.americanprecision.org)

Last November, we welcomed two guests, Mike and Lyn Jones from Durham, England, who were excited to visit the Museum. After their stay, Mike wrote to share the story about why this Windsor landmark holds so much meaning to him, and it's fitting to post his letter now, heading into Father's Day weekend.

Mike writes:

We recently combined a stay at the wonderful Snapdragon Inn with a visit to the American Precision Museum to see a model of the 1822 Blanchard lathe, made by my father in the UK and donated to the Museum in 2010.

A bit about my father, Peter Jones, first.  His highly successful engineering career included holding senior engineering management posts within the Royal Ordnance Factories and in particular the Royal Small Arms Factory (RSAF) Enfield.  He went on to lecture in engineering at City University in London and undertake manufacturing consultancy work across the UK before full retirement in the mid 1980's.

In retirement in Scalby, near Scarborough, my father set about researching the history of production engineering from the early 19th Century.  His engineering background and excellent practical skills enabled him to bring some real understanding and fresh insight to this area of study.  In the mid to late 1990’s many of his articles were published in Model Engineering and woodworking magazines. This work included construction of the model Blanchard lathe of 1822 - left in the picture below.

Mike & Lyn Jones, standing behind a model of the Blanchard lathe of 1822, which his father built.

The museum clearly has strong links with the UK and we were fascinated to learn that the Ames gun stock copy lathe, featured in the right of photo (above), was purchased by the British Government in 1857 for use at RSAF Enfield.  This machine saw “active service” turning wooden components for rifles, pistols and machine guns for about 100 years before being donated to the USA Military History Museum by the Director of the RSAF in 1972.  

This was therefore a very special visit for us. We were treated to a guided tour of the museum by the Executive Director, Ann Lawless, and Collections Technician, John Alexander.  We were also, of course, provided with first class accommodation at the Snapdragon Inn by Michelle.   We wish both establishments well and thanks again for the 5-star treatment.

Mike & Lyn Jones

Thank you, Mike & Lyn, for the 5-star review! 

Next time you're passing through Windsor, whether this Sunday or not, make a point to check out the American Precision Museum, offering a true glimpse into how our modern, mechanized world came to be.

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2014 Snapdragon Inn Holiday Video

Finally...the 2014 Holiday Video is here! woo hoo hoo hoo!!!

Every year after we film the video, we plan to be so organized for the next one but then we never are and it's a miracle it even happens.  Of course, this year was no different. We had a blast attempting a "one shot" last Wednesday night. It took a take (or two) to get the rhythm but we had the whole thing wrapped after 5 takes. We were a well oiled machine and the kids were loving it. 

It was hard to choose between the last two so we are sharing both (see below).  In version one, all the kids were feeling good but we had a camera wobble. In version 2,  we had several revolts from kids but we had spot on timing so why choose when we can share both! A special thanks to Jared of Red J Media Design who helped film and edit...again. 

Share our holiday family goofy fun and enjoy this holiday season of merriment and joy! 

Your friends at the Snapdragon Inn

Inspired @ Snapdragon : Harlem Love Birds

We met Quiana at Alt Summit in January and couldn't wait for her to come visit us at the Inn when we found out she was a fellow East Coaster. You can find her spreading her enthusiasm for life, motherhood, and childhood on her blog Harlem Lovebirds. We were thrilled when her  family (of almost four) came up to Vermont for their last trip as a family of three. Here's what Quiana felt inspired by: 

"Babymoon" is a relatively new term thrown about when expectant couples embark on a final getaway before baby arrives. Instead my husband and I thought it might be special to turn our visit to the Snapdragon Inn into a familymoon. Some of my earliest and fondest memories are of me and my parents when I was 3 and 4 years old - before my 3 siblings arrived, and I thought it would be an opportunity to provide the same for my 3 1/2 year old daughter, Virginia. Being able to escape NYC metro, which leaves my little family quite tense at times, was a welcome retreat. As we made our way north seeing the cityscape literally transform before our eyes into a more natural terrain brought a sense of peace to us. Because our visit was during Easter weekend it was an especially holy time for us as well. Being able to do something so simple as walk to church on Easter Sunday morning and feel welcomed by the church community was a special memory I know we'll always cherish. The heritage of Windsor was especially felt that day, and we hope to carry the beauty and tranquility of the Snapdragon Inn with us especially during the long, sleepless nights ahead. 

Photos by sublime eye . 

Inspired @ Snapdragon is a new series of guest posts from bloggers, writers, artists and creative visitors to the Inn.  We've asked guests to share an inspired thought from their time at the Inn. Windsor and the surrounding villages used to be a gathering place for creatives and this is our nod to that incredible legacy. 

This series is supported by the Cornish Colony Arts Council whose aim is to preserve and promote creativity in Windsor, Vermont and the surrounding area. 

Inspired @ Snapdragon : Ginette Lareault

A few weekends ago, we had some lovely guests down from Montreal and it turns out that Ginette is the creator and author of a magical series of French children's books about a family and their adventures called, "Les Larcyberda". Ginette and her editor/husband, Jacques, are a warm, creative, enthusiastic duo and we felt so inspired when she shared with us about her beautiful books.   

Here is what Ginette from LES LARCYBERDA had to say but if you don't speak French,  scroll down because she also translated her thoughts into English for us!

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Une petite balade... une grande découverte: Snapdragon

Il était une fois, une auteure de livres de contes pour enfants qui décida d'aller se balader dans une petite ville du Vermont. Elle n'avait jamais entendu parler de cet endroit. En voyant les photos sur le site moderne Internet, elle trouvait que la maison de Windsor était vieillotte et grande. Elle se demandait si elle allait aimer l'endroit. « Bof, dit-elle à son mari et éditeur, on a besoin de changer d'air, de se reposer, c'est l'occasion. L'intérieur semblait joli. Il y a un déjeuner, en plus. On verra! »

Les deux amoureux se rendirent au Snapdragon. C'était la fin de l'hiver. Ils arrivèrent vers 18 heures. Ils se sentaient au milieu de nulle part devant la fabuleuse maison. En y mettant les pieds, l'auteure se sentit envahie par une sensation de bien-être. La pièce était lumineuse , ce qui lui fit oublier la nature grisâtre de l'extérieur. Les deux visiteurs furent enchantés par l'accueil. Les chambres élégantes et chaleureuses les ont transporté dans un autre siècle. IL y avait meubles bien choisis, planchers de bois authentiques, lit imposant, fauteuils confortables, plancher chauffant dans la salle de bain. L'auteure, elle qui mettait toujours un peu de magie dans ses livres, se sentit étrangement bien. En revenant, l'auteure dit: « On revient ici, un jour,  on était tellement bien. En plus, derrière, il y a un magnifique jardin, un lac. »

En arrivant à la maison, l'auteure lit l'histoire de la maison et réalisa que c'était celle où Max Perkins, éditeur d'Ernest Hémingway, de F.Scott Fitzgerald... avait vécu. Ce fut sa famille qui avait été propriétaire de 1820 à 2005. Cette maison a une âme, Ginette Lareault l'a ressentie.  L'éditeur Jacques Cyr fut touché.

Bravo aux deux propriétaires qui savent garder cette maison à la hauteur d'un château de rêve. 

Ginette

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A little trip... a great discovery

Once upon a time... a children's tale book writer who decided to ride to a little town of Vermont. She never heard about this place. When she saw the pictures on the modern wedsite, she found that the house of Windsor seem to be old-fashioned and  great. She say to her husband and publisher: "Bof! We will see. " 

They arrived at Snapdragon  aroud 18 o'clock. Just entering, the author felt a sensation of joy in herself. They received a warm welcome. The stylish and handsome room moved them in other century. There was nice furniture, wood authentic floors, impressive bed, warm floor in bathroom, all was wonderful... The author had something magical in her books, so she was pleased. The two visitors fell in love with the place.

This house was owned  by Max Perkins and his family. He was the great publisher of Ernest Hemingway, F.Scott Fitzgerald... This house has a soul. The author felt that. 

Bravo to the two owners, Michelle and Chris, who keep this house like a dream manor in the nature.  We will come back soon, we have to explore a time again.

Ginette 

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THANK YOU Ginette. We loved meeting you and excited for our new friendship. We were so inspired by your passion and creativity and are going to order some of your books for the Inn because they are lovely! Aren't the colors glorious? 

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Inspired @ Snapdragon is a new series of guest posts from bloggers, writers, artists and creative visitors to the Inn.  We've asked guests to share an inspired thought from their time at the Inn. Windsor and the surrounding villages used to be a gathering place for creatives and this is our nod to that incredible legacy. 

This series is supported by the Cornish Colony Arts Council whose aim is to preserve and promote creativity in Windsor, Vermont and the surrounding area. 

Photos by sublime eye . 

John Denver + fortune tellers = Snapdragon Valentines

I know Valentine's day is long gone and people's minds are on Easter and Fourth of July but here are the valentines we made for our guests this year.  

Design Mom always has great inspiration and we liked the idea of this classic paper fortune teller that we made heaps of when we were kids. We called out to our internet amigos and got lots of suggestions for love song lyrics that we used instead of fortunes.

Uh, I'm not gonna lie, it was pretty time consuming but luckily, two of my besties came up to visit me that night and we spent the day cutting, writing, and painting these babies. The best day ever.  It also snowed 18" that night so we had nowhere to go. I literally had to snowshoe down to the Inn to set them up in the rooms with some chocolates and these awesome paper hearts that Cricut sent us (Alt just keeps on giving) 

Nothing says love quite like John Denver's, "Annie's Song" so we made this little video showing it off. Can we do them again next year?

Chris

Inspired @ Snapdragon: A BLOG ABOUT LOVE

Inspired @ Snapdragon is a new series of guest posts from bloggers, writers, artists and creative visitors to the Inn.  During their stay at the Snapdragon, we've asked them to share an inspired thought. Windsor, Vermont and the surrounding villages were once a gathering place for creatives and this is our nod to that incredible legacy. 

Here is what Mara from A BLOG ABOUT LOVE had to say:

One of our guests said she was really nervous when she walked in the door for the event because she had never done anything like this. I told her I was nervous to meet everyone, too. But, we did it. We showed up. We were bravely vulnerable. We talked about life and love and happiness. And it led to uplifting conversations and connections that we never would have had otherwise. I feel inspired. I feel grateful for people out there willing to connect and gather together.

This series is supported by the Cornish Colony Arts Council whose aim is to preserve and promote creativity in Windsor, Vermont and the surrounding area. 

Photo by sublime eye . More photos from this shoot here. 

DOOCE stayed at the Inn.

We still can't wrap our heads around the fact that Heather Armstrong of dooce.com, the Oprah of mommy bloggers, stayed at the Snapdragon Inn over Valentine's weekend. Uh, yeah and it was her first time in Vermont. We were her first ;) She was one of the people we day dreamed of hosting at the Inn back when we were stripping wall paper from every square inch of the place. In fact, it may have been this very night when Michelle (having just had her third baby and full into Heather's book) had that thought. (I day dreamed that it would be Design Mom and she did give us this amazing shout out right after we opened. How kind is that? Hollah for supporting small businesses.)

So It was hard not acting like we had a celebrity in the house because, to us and sooooo many others, we DID! We fully expected to check them in and they'd hide away but no, they came down and chatted with us in the library for over an hour about the Inn, life, everything. We kept looking for cues that they wanted out and we didn't sense any (or at least we didn't think we did) so we chatted away. Later I apologized for talking so much and she said that was part of the experience staying at a place like this--getting to know the owners. Love her perspective.

Later she posted a picture on instagram saying that she had a "spectacular" evening. Not just lovely or wonderful but spectacular! No doubt, this was aided by what sounds like an amazing time at our local restaurant, The Windsor Station Restaurant & Barrooom. We looooooved this little convo too:

And as if that wasn't all cool enough...she posted on her blog and gave us a shout out by name (giddy jumps). "Intimate" and  "Cozy" are definitely two words we are beyond happy to have describe us.  Plus, the rest of her post is hilarious, as always. 

We met Heather at Alt Summit  and went right up to her and invited her to the Inn and two weeks later she contacted us to book! We thought it was a pipe dream but we've been dooced. She likes us, she really likes us! Be on the outlook for other awesome happenings at the Inn. We are going for it! 

Chris

Remembering Gordon

Thoughts when I look at this picture. 1. The contrast of my mop hair and his product hair is awesome. 2. Where did those earrings go? 3. I've never seen him wear glasses. 

Two years ago, Gordon Ramsay was in the area filming a show and he stayed with us during his week long visit. You can see the original blog post here.  I get excited just remembering that time. I have been a fan of Mr. Ramsay since I got sucked into a binge viewing of "Kitchen Nightmare's" after my son was born and I was awake all the time. That led to a binge viewing of "the F-word" (his UK show) and has finally rested with my loyalty to "Master Chef".

Anyhow, he was incredibly busy during his stay but was complimentary of the Inn and very personable and funny. Did he swear? Why, yes he did but it made me giggle and was endearing. He requested bran muffins which we did not have at the Inn so I was elected to make some. That is some pressure there. It was like my own private quick fire (oh, wrong cooking reality show) and I didn't want to make him spit them out in disgust. I carefully chose the freshest ingredients and stocked up on KIng Arthur Flour. Then they actually would be local since King Arthur HQ is just down the road from us in Norwich, Vermont. 

 I settled on this recipe from King Arthur Flour and at 10PM I whipped up a batch of muffins so he could have them in the morning. I contemplated waking up at 4AM to make them but I had a baby and a toddler at the time and that wasn't going to happen.

I didn't really see much of Gordon that week but made a few batches of muffins so there were fresh ones available.  On the day of his departure, we had a brief chat. He asked where I had been all week and I said I had two young kids to which he replied, "brilliant" and "well done". As he walked up the stairs he said, "I love this place" and then when he came back down he said the "muffins were delicious". So there you have it folks, edge of your seat sort of stuff huh?  

It had been a little hush-hush that he was staying with us so the moment he was out the door, we facebook and tweeted the spit out of it (we still are) and he so kindly tweeted back that he "loved it. many thanks". How do we know it was really him? Firstly, it was a very quick re-tweet- almost immediate, really.  Secondly, he signs his tweets, "Gx"  and thirdly, after a week with Gordon, he was our friend.

Thanks for indulging me down memory lane,

Chris

Heading to Alt Summit!

We are going to be at Alt Summit and are thrilled to connect with bloggers and creatives and see what exciting projects we can come up with together. We are exited to grow our blog and take in as much as we can! The air here in SLC is dry so find us and we have some custom lip balms we made up to share with you. We can't wait to meet and chat with you!

Michelle & Chris

Happy 88th year to "The Great Gatsby"!

Today is the 88th year since "The Great Gatsby" was published on April 10th, 1925. We, of course, have a special interest in anything Fitzgerald because his editor, Max Perkins, lived at 26 Main Street (now the Inn). There is even greater interest in The GG this year because the Baz Luhrman film comes out next month and we are very very interested to see how that goes (it looks Bazrageous!). Our Snapdragon literary club read it a few months back so it is fresh in our minds for film viewing.

This is from a letter Fitzgerald sent to Perkins on October 27th, 1924 with his first draft of the novel,

(I think that at last I've done something really my own), but how good "my own" is remains to be seen.

Then on November 18th, 1924 Perkins responded with this articulate and beautifully crafted response,

I think the novel is a wonder. I'm taking it home to read again and shall then write my impressions in full;—but it has vitality to an extraordinary degree, and glamour, and a great deal of underlying thought of unusual quality. It has a kind of mystic atmosphere at times that you infused into parts of "Paradise" and have not since used. It is a marvelous fusion, into a unity of presentation, of the extraordinary incongruities of life today. And as for sheer writing, it's astonishing.

You can read more of their correspondence on the site, "Letters of Note" that posts fascinating letters, postcards, telegrams and will be publishing a book next month. Did you know that the title Fitzgerald was keen to go for was actually, "Trimalchio in West Egg"? Perkins didn't quite think that was a fit and  guided him back towards his original title, "The Great Gatsby".

So, have you read it lately? If you need a refresher, this clever infographic (found on pinterest, of course) below is a help or go check out this fancy site.

We'll chat again once the movie is out!