Guest House

Friends and Family Guest House... Available to Friends and Family of Emily and Paulus... and their friends and family...

Our lovely guest house includes: a great space (kitchen, dining, living), one bedroom, an ADA bathroom with shower, an office space, an enclosed catio / patio, and a charming garden full of flowers and bird feeders. Everything is on one level, with no thresholds, and extra grab bars everywhere, so it is perfect for those with mobility issues. The apartment has its own entrance, off of an entry room shared with the main house. The  apartment is a short walk from Brookton's Market, where there is also a TCAT bus stop. (The photos with the blue recliner are from last February -- the orange sleeper sofa is current...)

Sleeping possibilities: The bedroom contains one single hospital bed (fully electric, very high end) and an electric lift chair. The living room includes one extra-large, high-end fold-out sleeper sofa (between queen and king size, great mattress). The study includes a small "day bed" sofa, just fine for people who aren't too tall or wide. And we also have 2 camping cots which are very comfortable and can go anywhere.

Furnishings: The apartment is fully furnished, with a complete range of kitchen utensils and gadgets, full-sized fridge, induction range, oven, microwave, apartment-sized dishwasher, washer and dryer, and a large flat screen TV. There is high speed internet and spectrum cable TV.  The living room features an eclectic collection of musical instruments -- a yamaha digital piano, 3 djembes, 2 guitars and an electric bass, and multiple recorders/pipes/bells/tibetan bowls, and a thunder tube. Next door, in the  main house, Paulus and I have a practice room with a far-infra-red sauna and a hot tub, and we offer Shiatsu treatments, aromatherapy treatments and more. (New photos are needed!)

We are not listing this space on AirBNB or anywhere else, because.... I (naively?) believe that my father is going to bring the right people at the right time, via my community networks and word of mouth.

Potential guests might include:

* someone entering hospice care (like my father received at the end) who doesn't have an appropriate space in their own home. Family could stay in the living room, or take turns in the recliner in the bedroom... visiting nurses could come by... and Paulus and I would be right next store if extra help is needed. (Our friend Anthony was scheduled to come here from the hospital for hospice care in November but sadly he passed away the weekend before.)
* someone recovering from knee or hip replacement or other surgery who doesn't need to be in a rehab home. Family and physical therapists could come here, and Paulus and I could assist with meals, etc.
* someone who needs to isolate because they have COVID or the flu and don't want to infect their families. We could stock the kitchen and bring extra groceries as needed, or deliver meals to the entryway.
* someone who needs sanctuary of some kind, from a difficult domestic situation, immigration situation... if they've lost a home in a fire, or a loved one suddenly, for example. We are a "hate has no home here" kind of family. LQBTQIA  welcome of course.
* someone, perhaps someone elderly, who is relocating to the area to be close to family but who doesn't have an apartment or other living quarters lined up yet. Or there is a short waiting period and they need something  in the interim.
* someone who wants quiet alone time to work on a book or other project. (My father loved reading his books and writing in this apartment! Many of his books on Shakespeare, and theology, and opera, are still on the shelves...)
* a family or group wanting to gather in a special space for a meal or ceremony. (The garden would be lovely for a small wedding. Paulus and I like catering and hosting events.... ideally, with local and organic foods....)
* several people who want to meet and make music, or talk philosophy, or hold a writer's workshop or other class (daytime-only use is possible, depending on other demands)
* a visiting scholar at Cornell or Ithaca College who feels some connection to this project or the setting.
* people who are looking for a bed-and-breakfast situation with extras, perhaps because they are visiting family in Brooktondale or Ithaca.

We can not accommodate: smoking or vaping (or strong perfume and colognes), pets (unless we discuss the situation thoroughly beforehand), young children (because the space is not childproof), people with their own furniture (no space for it), many people needing to use the shower (there is something not quite right with the well/water system and the pressure is not reliable at the moment) or loud partying (we live right next door, and we value peacefulness a lot.) The space is really only intended for one person to stay in, although the sleeper sofa and cots do give options where necessary.

The price? This is where I'm putting my trust in my father's spirit (and in Anthony, and all the assorted gods and goddesses and fairies and magical creatures who hang out around here). "Pay what you can/ pay it forward" If you can afford a typical bed and breakfast rate, you could pay that, knowing it could help a local elderly neighbor stay here for rehab instead of having to go into Ithaca. What is typical? One data point: our neighbor up the street charges $200 per night for a bedroom with a queen sized bed, bathroom and kitchenette. Every arrangement will be unique, depending on what the person would like (food? treatments? sauna? extra home care?) We do ask for a basic agreement up front, to avoid unpleasant surprises. We realize in some circumstances it will be hard to predict a "date of departure" but we'll just have to trust the universe and do the best we can.

My modest goal is to raise $2000/month to help us pay the mortgage and taxes, via guests who pay what they can, plus anyone else who wants to make a donation to the project. I will also be selling various belongings from my father's estate (and my aunt's estate, and from various clients who have asked me to help them downsize).  All for the cause of being able to offer short term housing (with love and care and good food and flowers and birds...) to those who come on our path and would appreciate it.