I was interviewed by the local Fox News TV reporter yesterday regarding my views about the proposed regulations in Saint Paul and Minneapolis for short-term rentals.  They contacted me because I'm the president of the local short-term rental host club.  

While we walked through the house and gardens, I talked about the ongoing communication that hosts are having with City officials to ensure that regulations are fair and reasonable.  I also talked about the joys of being an Airbnb host - how it is not transactional, but transformational.

Hoping to have made my point: it's about relationships.  Short-term rentals are here to stay - but as hosts, we need to help educate people (neighbors and city officials alike) about the many benefits that come with this new sharing model.  

​We are ambassadors.

My former guests named their morning glories after me!  

Too fun!  How delightful it would be to see them again.  

My view from the second floor doorway in the carriage house...

I trust.

Thank you, Universe!

The dragonflies I carved, above, are a recurring theme in my carriage house. I love the way dragonflies are both beautiful and purposeful. Dragonflies don't just flutter around - they get things done!  Highly efficient hunters, they keep the back yard mostly free of mosquitoes. They have incredible vision. They are experts at flight.
 
Their trajectory can be vertical.
 
I made my first public statement today about the book I'm writing. I was at a lunch meeting with the MN Humanities Center - I've been on the board of this organization for just about a year now. They do incredible work - connecting people to what unites us through history, arts, and literature - sharing our stories, reclaiming the absent narratives of our cultures.
 
There were guests at the table, so as were introducing ourselves I thought to myself... do I say something? Do I keep it quiet because it's not done yet? No...it's time.
 
Ahem...
 
I'm writing a book about the magic and connection that happens when people share a space through Airbnb.  I plan to have it out by November.
 
There, I said it.
 
Beginning my vertical trajectory...
 

This afternoon, I noticed that the morning glories had taken over one of the chairs around the fire pit.  I haven't had a fire in weeks... This, apparently, was all the encouragement necessary for these beautiful but persistent invaders.  

They had moved in.  Past the strawberries and the basil.  Even past the blueberries.  Into human spaces. Anchoring the chair to the Earth with strong green cords, waving flags of purple and white.

When did this happen?

I didn't notice the chair yesterday evening, when I joined my guests from Iowa in conversation around the patio table, a few steps away.  Delightful group:  two couples who had known each other for decades. We talked of the challenges of evolving economic drivers; of the disparities that perpetuate between city blocks; of the transformation of neighborhoods that occurs when people from different cultures find new areas to settle.

​We talked of  the importance of music, old and new.

Meanwhile, in back of me, the morning glories were continuing their steady advance into alien territory.  New settlers in an established neighborhood, making themselves at home.  Unexpected, but beautiful.

That's how it works, isn't it.  

My guests from New York left a few days ago.  A delightful couple - in town to celebrate their grandson's wedding.  The family drifted in and out between trips to the rehearsal dinner and newlywed brunch, a joyful group who clearly cherished each other.  The house was filled with the sound of children.

At the heart of this gathering was Halena, a self-described former hippie turned grandmother, who regaled me with stories of her home in New York and the neighbors who had lived together, in her apartment building, for decades. They took care of each other.  They knew each other.

"You should come to visit us," she said.  "We could get into so much trouble."

After she left, I found the towels neatly laundered and stacked on the dining room table.  Yes, we could get into such trouble, Helena and I.  

I think I'll need to start planning a trip out East...

Recently, I answered the Quora question: Do you ever offer food/meal to your Airbnb guest?  Or cook for them?  My response is below...

When guests make a reservation to stay at my Little Purple House in Saint Paul, Minnesota, I want them to have an amazing experience. I ask them about their food preferences - are they gluten-free? Do they tolerate dairy? Then I stock the fridge and snack basket accordingly.

I always have severals types of coffees, dozens of teas, and a selection of juices on hand. If they don’t have specific dietary concerns, I’ll also have bagels, cream cheese, half & half, yogurts, biscotti, granola bars, and dark chocolates. If they do avoid some foods, this might translate to gluten-free granola bars and crackers, almond milk, fresh fruit, nuts, and dark chocolates. Just about everyone eats dark chocolates.

Depending on the guests, I also have some local beers and sometimes a bottle of wine for them.

I had one guest who let me know that she couldn’t eat gluten, eggs, dairy, or sugar. Poor dear! That first morning I baked oat bran muffins loaded with organic fruits and made without eggs. She was delighted… and I was happy to know that she would never forget her breakfast or her stay.

​Simple things matter. When it’s possible to go above and beyond to make someone’s day, just do it. I don’t generally cook for my guests, and I never charge them for food, but quite often have found myself sharing morning coffee with them as we converge at the backyard patio. There have been countless conversations, over a beer and/or a barbecue, where we bring what we have to the table and connect through shared space, shared food, and shared humanity.

I sat and talked with a remarkable woman the other day over a pail of Sweet Martha cookies she had bought for me at the State Fair.  What a sweetie. It had been her first state fair - she went with her son.  Zuzu and I watched their dog while they were out. My guess is there was a bucket list at work, because she also talked about going to Paris for her upcoming 80th birthday.  

Experiences are important. Bring a friend, if possible.

But go, regardless.

The Little Purple House was full of life this past Labor Day weekend.  A delightful family of six trooped in and out, petting the ever-present Zuzu who was ever in the way.  Trips to the State Fair, a trip to the Minnesota Zoo...  the house was full of joy. 

Thank you, Airbnb!