http://www.whitestoneinn.com/blog A country estate for getaways, weddings, retreats and events. Wed, 17 Dec 2008 21:23:22 +0000 http://backend.userland.com/rss092 en I have heard it both ways-I know it's either God or the devil that's in the details. Certainly it is attention to details that occupy a lot of my time. In my pervious life I was (at one time) a pastor, CEO of a home shopping TV channel, and the ... http://www.whitestoneinn.com/blog/2008/12/12/the-details-god-or-the-devil/ We lived in various rooms at the inn for 5 years after we opened Whitestone. Jeam finally insisted on a personal refridgerator- one that did not have gallon jugs in it. The 85 acres adjacent to Whitestone became available and so we moved to our dream home in 2000. The new ... http://www.whitestoneinn.com/blog/2008/12/10/the-joy-of-giving/ George Eliot said"What do we live for if it is not to make life less difficult for each other"When we finished with breakfast service this morning, a couple who were overnight guests told me of the stress in their lives and the difficulties they had in getting away to Whitestone. ... http://www.whitestoneinn.com/blog/2008/12/08/a-meaningful-life/ Thanks to all of you who responded to our on-line survey.Out of 1798  responses, 1789 previous guests said the would reccommend Whitestone to a friend. The company who conducted the survey was thrilled with that level of approval. Now I am sitting around wondering what we did to frustrate the 9 ... http://www.whitestoneinn.com/blog/2008/12/06/guests-survey/ Although Christmas comes at a time of maximum darkness in the Northern hemisphere, the season is symbolized by light,  Candles, lights on trees and houses, Christmas lights everywhere embody the essence of the season for me. Lights heralded the first Christmas in Bethlehem. A star, glorious light shinning on shepherds, even ... http://www.whitestoneinn.com/blog/2008/11/28/christmas-light-or-christmas-lite/ When I was completing the final plans for building Whitestone I read a book that had a significant impact on the way Whitestone works today. In THE RE-ENCHANTMENT OF EVERYDAY LIFE byThomas More the case is presented for unique distinct places and things that nurture our soul. More believes that ... http://www.whitestoneinn.com/blog/2008/11/24/the-re-enchantment-of-everyday-life/ I know that it is important to save our planet. Recently I read the policies of one inn that seemed to really focus on conservation of energy, time and materials. "Please don'tuse towels just once." "Don't call for service inthe room unless you really need it." Limit your time in ... http://www.whitestoneinn.com/blog/2008/05/29/going-green/ The American Canoe Association recently commented that kayaking grew by272% in the past 9 years and is the fasting growing segment of its industry. Our kayaks do get a lot of use as our gussts enjoy the serenity of the wildlife/waterfowl refuge. We have kayaks,canoes and paddleboats for guests to explore ... http://www.whitestoneinn.com/blog/2008/05/27/kayaks-canoes-and-paddleboats/ The innkeeping conference at Disneyland in LA last week provided a wonderful opportunity to hear about the latest developments in technology for innkeepers. A major focus was the increasing trend to register online at bed and breakfasts. As innkeepers we want to maintain the highest level of warm hospitality to ... http://www.whitestoneinn.com/blog/2008/04/14/paii-conference/ Whitestone Country Inn will host 21 travel writers from across the southeast on Thursday April 3rd. Their arrival is a bit unusual in that they will be arriving by paddlewheeler. After a whirlwind tour of many East Tennessee attractions, 21 writers and 8 state tourism officials will board the Watts ... http://www.whitestoneinn.com/blog/2008/03/27/travel-writers-coming-to-whitestone/