Serendipity rings our doorbell every time a new B & B guest comes for a stay. From poets to politicians, rabbis to rock climbers, we have been stimulated and inspired by the ideas, passions and creative pursuits our guests. So much so, that we decided to feature a few of them. We've always felt a sense of retriprocity with our guests and more often than not, our guests leave us with books to read, CDs to listen to, ideas to ponder and artwork to enjoy.

Kelly Pardekooper, lead vocal for Kelly Pardekooper & the Devil's House Band, Iowa City, Iowa
Kelly Pardekooper took a little R & R at the Inn and charmed the gals (our hens) as he wandered the farm playing his guitar. The hens were in heaven. His latest (and greatest) CD release, Johnson County Snow brings together ten Pardekooper originals in an emotionally-compressed package of personal revelations and big-hearted, small town, lovingly detailed adventures which are as immediate and pressing as this morning's alarm clock. The sound is crisp and punchy. Listen to the tales tangled up within the hip-shakes, and you're bound to get the message that a snowstorm can be a very groovy thing. Sometimes, that snow falls from the sky; other times, it's all in yer head. E-mail Inn Serendipity if you'd like a CD of your own.

The many activists from the Stone Soup Cooperative, Chicago, Illinois
Located in the Uptown neighborhood of Chicago, the Stone Soup Cooperative and their new sister cooperative, Stone Soup II, provide housing and inspiration to social service providers, community organizers, artists, environmental and human rights activists, teachers, volunteers and students. The Cooperative is an intentional community committed to joy and justice. Needless to say, by the time Stone Soup folks leave, we're about ready to sponsor a sit-in or another Gandhi-like civil action.

Donald and Rene Matheson of Benrinnes, Scotland
Slainte! Greetings from the Scottish Speyside region, famous for its many Scotch whisky distilleries. Donald, being the artistic craftsman he is, worked in a range of distilleries, including his tenure as distillery manager at Benrinnes, where he stayed upon his retirement with is wife, Rene. His refined nose (used to "taste" Scotch), smelled the bread burning in the toaster long before we did!

Laura Doherty, Chicago, Illinois
Another up-and-coming musician, Laura Doherty, made her mark on the Chicago folk music scene with her debut Days Without Maps which features various musicians from the Old School of Folk Music in Chicago. Stretching beyond the genre, Laura fuses some jazz and rock in a comptemporary style all her own. Laura also teaches guitar at the school and runs a music program for toddlers called Wiggleworms (John is still on the waiting list to get in). No surprise, she stayed in the Music Room at Inn Serendipity.