Holidays' End

Dear and beloved friends and relatives: it's been wonderful to see the way that those of you who've come up to our woodland home during the past four months have discovered its beauty and peace. Your spirits have mingled with the Spirit of this blessed place; and you are always welcome here again in the future.

Our last set of October visitors, Sarah and Steve, are departing this morning to return to Santa Barbara. It's been a lovely and well graced visit, as we celebrated the great event of Sarah's 70th birthday – a span of three score years and ten upon this earth is a gift to be praised, and the coming of the Third Age (of Wisdom, we hope!) an event to celebrate.

However, we are declaring a small sabbatical, as the year winds down toward our winter season in these hills. We feel the need now for a time of quiet, as we finish out this very eventful year of 2008. There are still a few things we have not quite finished doing to our satisfaction in the house and property; we have not been able as yet to set any sort of pleasing routine to our days and weeks; and frankly, we are in need of some quiet "cocooning" as the days grow short and dwindle down to a precious few – before the holiday season.

We will be in the Southland again for Thanksgiving week; and when we return to our home in early December, we'll be throwing ourselves into the preparations for my favorite season of the entire year – Advent and the Yuletide. The door of this House and Sanctuary will swing wide again to all pilgrims; and for those who relish the idea of winter in the woods, our arms (and the embrace of our home and hearth) will be open to you all.

I wish you a blessed respite of your own, as All Hallows Eve passes into the return of Standard Time in November – to a time of early evening shadows and the lighting of the home and hearth for long quiet nights of peace.