About
Jim
Dianna
This blog is written (mostly) by Dianna, the chef and co-owner of Historic Maplethorpe Bed and Breakfast and Maplethorpe Cafe.
My husband Jim is both part of my life and co-owner of the businesses, so of course he’ll contribute periodically.
Our used dog, Tonquin
Caitlin gathering eggs
Our daughter, Caitlin, is currently in the 11th grade, lives here with us and is often pressed into service when she would rather be doing just about anything else. I’m sure once in awhile you’ll be treated to her perspective. Tonquin, our used dog, may also wander in and out of various tales from Maplethorpe.
We haven’t always done this sort-of thing. In his past life Jim was a educator and school superintendent. I was a business manager, grant writer and public sector administrator. We were always avid fans of growing our own vegetables organically, raising our own chickens and livestock, and supporting local agriculture.
After visiting Prince Edward Island on vacation, we intended to look into buying a summer cottage or perhaps a small summer business. Somehow that original recreational impulse morphed into a full-blown plan to move to PEI permanently and establish a year-round business. We moved to Canada from the United States in 2002 and have been developing ourselves ever since.
Our new cafe logo
Running a restaurant and B&B on Prince Edward Island is tough. Maybe it’s tough anywhere, but this is the only place we’ve done it. But our life on PEI is also tremendous fun. We can’t imagine a better place to live. The people we meet here are delightfully interesting, ‘characters’ you might call them. The seasons are distinct and the landscape is beautiful. It is a delight and honor to work closely with local producers and create meals from PEI-grown products.
When he first saw Prince Edward Island, explorer Jacques Cartier proclaimed that this was the place God gave to Adam.
PEI shore on a stormy day
It has become our little Eden. This blog is our story.
