Becky

Napkin rings from my collection hold napkins I sewed. Each morning I set the tablet with a different combination.: 		Born in SE Kansas, I come from "heartland of America" farm roots. My family moved to Bakersfield , CA when I was very young and I lived most of my life there. It was a typical large town/small city with most of the activities centered around home and school, family and friends.

I moved to Hawaii briefly with my first husband, was blessed with two wonderful children (Steven and Stephanie) then returned to Bakersfield until Greg and I moved to Pleasant Hill in 1976.

I worked at Coast Medical Corporation in Concord, then at Alta Bates Hospital in Berkeley. We loved the Bay Area--so much to experience. But when we vacationed in the Northwest in 1980, I felt like it could really be our home. We moved the following year and bought a beautiful new home on an acre in the woods. Over the next few years I worked at Overlake Hospital as Patient Accounts Manager. We traveled all over Washington, Oregon and British Columbia and loved it all! We even took up cross country skiing and were introduced to boating by our friends. Everyone was so friendly and welcoming. We began staying in Bed and Breakfasts and eventually thought about owning our own. We bought a wonderful piece of property on Lummi Island and planned for a "future" B&B, but then decided to start earlier. As fortune would have it, we found The Villa, which was a private home, that was perfect.

I am somewhat a craftsperson "will-o-the-wisp". I have done ceramics, porcelain dolls, sewed, cross-stitched and currently am enjoying quilting for our grandchildren.  I love to decorate and entertain. (note from Greg: she is too modest--she is responsible for "the look" at the Villa and has dozens of our guests asking advice on their own home decor) Of course cooking is a passion.

My other hobbies include reading (I am always trading off book ideas with guests.), shopping, volunteerism and coast watching (this is when you curl up in a chair with a good book, preferably in the sunshine or in front of a fire when it is pouring rain and periodically let your eyes drift out to the coast and the waves and then your mind just wanders...).

We started our world travel with a trip to Yugoslavia in 1988. Since then we have made trips to the colonial cities of Mexico, seen a goodly portion of Italy and this year toured through Spain. I love to just experience the country--museums are fine, but trekking around the small towns, picnicking in the countryside and taking in sights, sounds and smells is simply invigorating.

It is always amazing to me how comfortable our guests feel here, no matter what their background. I hope it is because we treat them each as though they are our long lost best friend and can hardly wait to catch up on what has happened in their lives. Our guests come from all walks of life and each one contributes to the feeling of "home" here.

 


Each evening I write on an antique blackboard what I will be preparing for the following morning's breakfast. I have dozen's of different favorites--and each morning brings something different.

Guest favorites include:

  • Dutch Baby

  • Egg Potato Puff

  • Cranberry White Chocolate Scones

  • Buttermilk Coffeecake

Ferry boats fit well into "coast watching"; either watching the ferry , or riding the ferry and watching the coast. I love to sneak up to Ravello and enjoy this hobby when I can!.
With Greg, I enjoy traveling the world. New friends and an appreciation of their culture is what keeps life special!