Day 83: Lemons to Lemonade (National Lemonade Day)

One of the most challenging things about life, and indeed business, are the unexpected twists and turns. From the slight annoyances to the devastatingly insurmountable, the wise among us have learned to take a creative twist to the lemons of life, knowing that a challenging situation may turn out to be a blessing in disguise. So, on this National Lemonade Day, when life has handed the good folks of The Baldpate Inn lemons, we honor their spirit and unwavering determination to make the best of it, get creative with those lemons, and turn them into something delicious like lemon blueberry muffins, lemon ginger muffins, or pink lemonade pie!!  

One of the biggest unexpected challenges that has been faced by The Baldpate Inn was the extreme flood of 2013. The reality of the damage to the property and loss of business, by being forced to close six weeks early, was a heavy and imposing challenge to overcome. The shift towards the positive began with gratitude, recognizing that everyone was safely evacuated. Through much hard work, persistence, and the healing balm of time, we are now able to see blessings that have come from this event. The generosity and kindness of family, friends, and even people we didn’t know, all reaching out to help demonstrated the very best in humanity. Perseverance paid off in the major improvements on the road, and indeed, we can now laugh at the cleaned out basement.

We are learning to see the bright possibility in every trying situation. As previously mentioned, even disappointing social media reviews turn into opportunities to improve, and better delight our customers. A new food trend can present an initial challenge that can result in a bouquet of new recipes and favorites! More to come on this soon!

Even this blog, as rewarding as it has been, has come with its own set of challenges. 100 blogs in 100 days is a lot of blogs, and not a lot of time, let me tell you. But the difficulties have been far outshined by the relationships and connections that continue to strengthen. The history of the Baldpate Inn has taken on new life, and been shared with so many curious folks. And, as an unexpected bonus, our archives are now much more organized! 

As we are certain that life will continue to present the unexpected, we stand assured that the family and friends of The Baldpate Inn will continue to look on the bright side, find the silver lining, and enjoy those lemony treats at The Baldpate Inn.

Written by Liz Rodgers