HAPPY NEW YEAR - and a review of 2019

I am well aware that jellyfish have nothing to do with Christmas, New Year or anything else, but I love them for their effortless beauty and calm. My favorite spot in Atlanta Aquarium - and, anyway, this is my post so I can pretty much do whatever I like, can’t I?

A Year in the Life of Dot 2 Dot Inn

I’m still in denial that we have moved into 2020 - that our son will be graduating this year, that we will have been in Eatonton for 2 years this March and when the constant refrain is ‘where on earth did the time go’ you know you are getting old(er). I can’t trust my memory so I took a look back at the 2019 calendar and blog posts and see so many reasons to be thankful.  

January - We saw in the New Year of 2019 with friends and family, waving sparklers around like demented teenagers. 

Christmas lights - 2019

February - Countdown to Valentine’s Day  - February 14/15 - served many, suitably gooey-eyed, hand holding couples and friends in our dining room. The steamed mussels in papillotes were deemed a success and I figured out how to serve them without the paper bag catching on fire by the second time around. Little steps ….. 

March - collaboration with the Plaza for an OPAS show and served dinner.  Seems like a good idea so let’s continue with that. The Food and Wine Festival at the Ritz Carlton - absolutely manic but so much fun with our UK friends helping out.  Strawberry cream meringues are a big hit. 

April - Final part of Putnam Leadership course in St. Simons.  A really good bonding time - something to hold on to and work from. First small wedding hosted at D2D.  After-party for ‘83 Days’ short film from Tytan hosted at D2D. Time to get ready for the Kentucky Derby.

Oh, and in the middle of all this my body decides not to cooperate and I end up in Emory’s finest ‘hotel’ while friends and family pull together to ensure that the Gatewood Prom still has dinner, and a wedding shower is taken care of.  The true spirit of small town community comes to the rescue and I am forever grateful. 

May - Gatewood fundraiser brings a marquee to the front lawn, music and lights.  ‘Jockey’s and Juleps’ - a lot of fun with hats, hats and more hats. I really don’t even need an excuse! My better half- Richard Garrett- gave an amazing presentation- at the Plaza- about vintage records from Georgia.

June - Cows = milk = tea = scones, quiche and other baked goodies = Dairy Festival.  A glorious day for the Dairy Festival and a high tea is served at the Dot 2 Dot Inn. 

July -  Alice Walker’s 75th Birthday Celebration - and what a wonderful day it was.  Ms. Walker is a trooper - always gracious despite a demanding all-day schedule‘.  It was a great privilege to host her birthday lunch in our home and we were so glad that we got to see her last session of the day at the Plaza and hear her thoughts on life, love and the future.  Then, being British, we, of course, take a holiday. Yes, you too can take time off without fear of the whole world collapsing in your absence.  

‘Damn Yankees’ at the Plaza and another collaboration with a pre-theater dinner and a Sunday brunch took us into August. 


August - Another chance to enjoy a high tea and now you can come for brunch too.  So many people had bemoaned the fact that they wanted somewhere to have breakfast after church, that we decided to open our home on 2 Sundays a month to fill the gap.  Great response to the food, and excited about going forward.

September - Steady bed and breakfast bookings, old friends visiting, Myrna Clayton at the Plaza.  What an amazing show - ‘Iconic Ladies of Jazz’ - Ms. Clayton belted out some show stoppers and had the audience on their feet (and on the stage).  Come out and support, Eatonton. This is something we need to see more of!!!

October - Our first charity event - ‘Ryan’s Gift of Advocacy’ highlighting what can and needs to be done for children with disabilities. Chairs on the front lawn, music from a variety of musicians, including high schoolers, soul singers and an opera singer.  A wonderful, diverse crowd. The next one will be even better. 

A lot of catering, a lot of B&B business, visitors from the UK and ‘The Taste of Eatonton’.  I used to do this back in Boston and this was just as much fun - especially as we were outside enjoying beautiful weather. A great opportunity to showcase local food and meet old and new friends. Oh - and Halloween - Madison Avenue packed with kids in costumes and lots of candy, a bumper crop of scarecrows - what more could you want. 

November - Eatonton’s first Plein Air event - a fantastic use of the newly opened venue, Barrell 118, and how lovely to see new art literally being made before your eyes and then have the chance to purchase it. An annual event?  I do hope so.

The Diversity and Inclusion Summit - hosted by the Georgia Chamber of Commerce at Sandy Springs. An important and sobering series of sessions that highlighted how crucial it is to small communities, like ours, to recognize and implement ways in which to include ALL of the community, because if we do not WE CANNOT SUCCEED ECONOMICALLY.  Time to wake up and smell the coffee. 

The Dot2Dot Inn sign went up this month- making finding us that much easier!

Andrew Simpson, former Eatonton Mainstreet Director and the new Dot2Dot Inn sign.

Thanksgiving with friends - good food, good company.  After finally getting the Christmas trolley to come down our road, we had a great turn-out from neighbors who decorated their houses (earlier than normal)  for the occasion. Thank you to them, and so many others in the City, that pushed the boat out to make their decorations worth seeing. 

December - A Christmas parade, christmas lunches, dinners, Wreaths Across America, and B&B bookings, a foodie piece in Southern Distinction magazine. Georgia Entertainment News holds an event at Barrell 118, bringing in directors and producers, and talks up possible future collaborations with Tytan Pictures. Eatonton is seen as having great potential. Fingers crossed for good things to happen. 

And here we are …… January 2020.  So many “thank you’s” for your support, both near and far: ordering catering, hosting your event at D2D, staying with us as B&B guests, coming for dinner or brunch or tea.  It is the support of the community that will help us, and other small businesses in town, to stay open and become successful. This can only help to make Eatonton the success story that we all want to be a part of.

HAPPY NEW YEAR - let’s make 2020 a year to remember.