About Us
Kathleen and Jack Stell weren't supposed to open a bed and breakfast. They were supposed to downsize. Then they saw this storybook cottage in the village of Stillwater, NY, and everything changed.
The house was too large - 5 bedrooms. The yard was too large requiring too much maintenance. And, then there was the pool, indoors with non-functioning HVAC.
The next door neighbor stopped mowing his lawn to chat with Jack and he casually mentioned that “the current owner ran a Bed and Breakfast there for a while - and I think she did really well.” That’s all it took. Kathleen got the message loud and clear and Jack swears he actually saw a lightbulb flashing brightly over her head! That’s what we’ll do. Run a B&B to help cover the cost of landscaping and maintenance. Then there was the 1,200 sf building with the pool inside. Lots of options there!
Built in 1932, the house was simply too beautiful and too intriguing to let go. So many possibilities. So they restored it, filled it with warmth, and opened the doors nine months later with three rooms to let. Kathleen brings her love of cooking to every made-to-order breakfast, always with gluten-free and vegan options.
Jack, a licensed marriage and family therapist and a New York State wedding officiant, brings a genuine gift for making guests feel truly at home. He is also the official Resident Rascal.
What began as a revised retirement plan became one of the Hudson Valley's most charming hideaways - and the old pool house is on the way to housing four more rooms.
The Book
During the winter of 2025-26 Jack and Kathleen decided to fulfill Jack’s longtime dream of writing his memoir and Vertical Moments was born. Vertical Moments is the story of how Jack survived a traumatic childhood and adolescence and went on to thrive in three careers - US Navy submarine service, instructional designer on highly classified government contracts, and, finally as a licensed trauma therapist. It is Jack’s story but also the story of the hands that reached out to him along the way and changed the trajectory of his life. Those hands reaching out created what Jack identified as “vertical moments” in his life. The message of the book is that extending a hand to a person in need can change the trajectory of a life. It changed his. Many times.
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