"Ring Out Wild Bells . . .

To the wild sky,

The flying cloud,
The frosty light.


The year is dying in the night.
Ring out, wild bells
And let him die.


The year is dying in the night;
Ring out, wild bells, and let him die."

~Alfred, Lord Tennyson

"Mmmm, do I spy houseplants?"

Dear Readers,

Yes, the year is dying, indeed. This New Year's Eve, as we reflect on the past year, its sorrows, its joys, goals realized, dreams deferred, we begin to realize the blessing of new beginnings, of holidays and Holy Days. So much has happened in our home this past year; we've lost pets and a precious baby. We've gained new friends (as well as pets) and felt closer to the Lord than ever before. We've learned so much, but we feel that we have only begun to truly learn what indeed this thing called life is. Each day brings new growth, new understanding. sometimes we might resist that growth, and so must repeat the same mistakes, but hopefully those mistakes become fewer overall.

At the cusp of a new year, we have finally settled on a name for our little "cottage". First, we thought of "Tornado Alley Cottage", since that is what it most resembles, but that didn't seem romantic enough. Then we toyed with "Dublewyde Cottage", since that's what it is, but we want to FORGET we live in a mobile home, not be constantly reminded by its name. Then we thought of "Bluebird Cottage", since Mr. Bluebird is the name of the paint it wears, but that name seemed a little flighty. After giving the Name Game a rest for a while, it came to us while reading from the Psalms: "A merry heart doeth good like a medicine. . . " Ah yes, a Merry Heart. That is what we need, a daily reminder to dose ourselves with joy. So now we may welcome you to "Merry Hearts Cottage", and hope that you gladly enjoy your stay!

"Why, it's almost like being outside!"

May we each begin our New Year in joy:

J-Jesus first

O-Others next

Y-Yourself last.






With love, from our cottage to yours.

~Marqueta