Cystic Fibrosis is an inherited chronic disease that affects the lungs and digestive system of about 30,000 children and adults in the United States(70,000 worldwide). 

I know all too well how devastating this disease can be. A friend of over 50 years has a son fighting for his life and awaiting a double lung transplant. The financial burden is tremendous and could end up costing as much as $100,000! Dominic Quagliozzi is 30 and an accomplished artist who is just finishing his Master of Arts Science Degree. He is engaged and plans to wed in August of this year. When he was diagnosed 30 years ago they were told to not expect him live to his 5^th birthday. He has proven them wrong and now awaits a life saving double lung transplant. Without this he will die.

For every reservation this month, Thurston House is donating $5 towards Dominic’s fundraising efforts. Guests will be made aware of this and can donate additional funds if they care to. HelpHOPELive is a non-profit organization who will manage these funds and will make them available when they are needed. They have been assisting the transplant community for nearly 30 years now!

Book now, come stay and help Dominic!

Please make others aware of this disease. It is likely that someone in your life has someone or knows someone with Cystic Fibrosis. Our nephew is also fighting this and we will collect and donate for him when the time is appropriate.

Warren

What do you get someone who has everything they need? How about an eagle, osprey or even an owl? At the Florida Audubon Birds of Prey Center in Maitland there are many birds just waiting for a family to adopt them. Click on their website link and start shopping for that perfect bird gift. Then, plan a trip to Thurston House Central Florida B&B to visit your bird. We are just a short stroll away!

Golden Rain Tree at Maitland B&B

When you mention Fall, those from up north picture colorful maple leaves over vast hilly areas. We in the North Orlando Maitland Winter Park area also experience Fall, but in a different manner. The days are cooler and less humid, the yards are greener and the beautiful Golden Rain Tree shows off it’s spectacular colors. They start with their green leaves, then beautiful little yellow flowers in clusters, then last are pink pods everywhere!

Butterfly on penta plant

The birds and other wildlife seem to notice the change too. Just the past week I have noticed so many more birds flying around, along with many beautiful butterflies trying out our landscape. It is glorious here! Aren’t you due for a visit to our North Orlando bed & breakfast soon?

For a really special deal, check out our latest Living Social Escape deal that just went live today. It’s available for only a limited time so hurry!

North Orlando B&B Thurston House hammock

Many guests come to our North Orlando bed & breakfast exhausted and ready for much needed relaxation. Cell phones, laptops and I pads are often left in the car or hidden out of sight in their guest room just so they can experience what true peacefulness is. They usually find their way to our special hidden place, the upstairs sleeping porch. The highlight of this porch area overlooking Lake Eulalia is the wonderful string hammock. Many a guest has fallen asleep as the hammock gently rocks and the sun shines lightly on their faces.

Throwing balls toward a target is the oldest game known to mankind. As early as 5000 B.C. the Egyptians played a form of bocce with polished rocks. Graphic representations of figures tossing a ball or polished stone have been recorded as early as 5200 B.C. While bocce today looks quite different from its early predecessors, the unbroken thread of bocce’s lineage is the consistently common objective of trying to come as close to a fixed target as possible. From this early objective, the basic rules of bocce were born.

Thurston House bocce set

Now that Joe has finished working on our side lawn area, it’s a perfect place to be our bocce court. Book your room, check-in, grab the bocce bag, pick your color and have some outdoor fun at our Central Florida bed & breakfast.

Thurston House before renovations 1990

Amazingly, Thurston House Bed & Breakfast opened it’s doors 18-1/2 years ago! Our Central Florida inn has since enjoyed having guests from 24 countries, every state and even 4 territories! We’ve seen regular guests through their personal good times and bad, as well as a few of our own.  Every year brings a bit more fine tuning, to everything from the room decor and amenitites to the garden areas. This glorious 125 year old Queen Anne beauty would still make Cyrus Thurston proud, as it does us. Come see…book now!

Time is going quickly and we will soon be in that most romantic of months, February. We will celebrate romance all month long! All guests will enjoy special chocolates along with little gift items, complimentary of course.  With only three guest rooms in our cozy inn, rooms book up fast.

porch dining area

So, book your room now, then look at the many fine restaurant options for your special dinner.  If you prefer, take out food and enjoy our cozy porch dining area, complete with candlelight. Make your stay special with custom photography, done by one of several premier Central Florida photographers. Look at our photography page for more information on this great option!

Antique Skiing Santa

As I look around our Maitland bed & breakfast, I see so many Christmas memories of  the past. There is the skiing Santa I remember from our childhood home on Montana Drive, the hand made star shaped Swedish decorative cloth on the table, the tree skirt that Joe’s Grandmother Antoninette made, the many small ceramic holiday characters that Joe buys me every year….and so much more. Every item gives me a warm memory.

Christmas 2010

We will be sharing all of these with a full house from now until the end of the year. Our guests do appreciate the warmth these special items bring. That is why they visit Thurston House over and over again! Come experience it for yourselves sometime in 2011 – book your accommodations now.

A blessed holiday to one & all from Carole & Joe!

1858 Chickering Square Grand Piano

Don’t wait until after the holidays to relax from the craziness. Book a room now at our Maitland, FL bed & breakfast – a two night stay, very limited availabilty – and enjoy a 20% discount. Just book online and use the coupon code “NOW!” to get this discount. Good only until the end of 2010. You’ll be so pleased you did! Come experience our quiet Holiday elegance here at Thurston House.