FROM THE GUESTBOOK AT STONE HILL COTTAGE
My guests at Stone Hill Cottage, many of them faithful blog followers, continue to amaze me and truly touch my heart every single week. So much so that today I thought I’d bring you some passages from the guestbook at Stone Hill Cottage.
One of the things I treasure most about blogging is all the new friends I’ve made. From fellow bloggers, to blog followers, to cottage guests, they all have a way of enriching my life. Several of my blog followers read the ongoing renovation blog posts and waited as I gradually completed the renovation of Stone Hill Cottage. One such follower, Sunny, waited with baited breath and when she noticed that I was nearing the completion of the renovation, contacted me to see if she and her husband Clay could be my first guests. So, before I even had a chance to list the cottage on Vacation Rental By Owner, VRBO.com/804397, I worked everything out with her and voila, Sunny and Clay not only inaugurated the cottage, they were the first to write in the Guestbook. And boy did Sunny write! Three long pages in all!
Sunny is an Interior Designer from Orange County, California and has a very keen eye for detail. As you can read from her entry, she commented on every aspect of the cottage. She said the cabin “took her breath away.” a wonderful comment coming from a talented and respected designer. But truly, her words from the Guestbook at Stone Hill Cottage took my breath away!
The most surprising thing that so many of my guests do is thank me for allowing them to stay in Stone Hill Cottage. I find that so touching because the truth is they have paid me good money for their stay. Yet they feel compelled to say “Thank You” when in reality it is I that is so thankful for their patronage.
As the host of a vacation rental property I do work very hard to provide my guests with a great stay. Therefore, it means a great deal to me to have happy guests and it’s very fulfilling to hear that they enjoyed their stay and loved the cottage. One such guest that I truly cannot thank enough is the one who actually painted a watercolor of Stone Hill Cottage right in the guest book. I couldn’t believe my eyes when I opened the book and saw his charming painting. Worried that it would get ruined I carefully tore it from the book and plan to have it framed. I’ll find a nice spot to hang his masterpiece somewhere in the cottage. I think I’ll also have some note cards made using the watercolor. THANK YOU CHRIS & LINDSAY!!
All of the pages from the guestbook are very meaningful to me but the one I’ve shown below actually brought tears to my eyes. This guest spent the weekend at the cottage just prior to entering the hospital in order to undergo a bone marrow transplant. I had no idea that this was the case until I read her entry in the book. I am so very pleased that, as she said, Stone Hill Cottage “brought comfort to her family,” which included a very young daughter. I never imagined that my home would ever become a special retreat for someone really in need of one. I truly hope she has a successful outcome.
I was also touched by this guestbook entry from a family with 3 children aged 21, 18 & 15. The mother writes, “Seeing all of them asleep and peaceful in your lovely bedroom was an unexpected gift.” Isn’t that a sweet, sweet sentiment? I am so grateful she shared those thoughts with me.
So, what actually prompted me to write this blog post today was a text message I got from yet another blog follower guest, Pamela, who recently spent 5 nights at Stone Hill Cottage with her family of 5. She texted that they had a wonderful visit and that one of the things they loved most was being able to sled down the gentle, snowy slope behind the cottage.
They purchased a sled in order to do so and wanted to let me know they were leaving the sled behind so that future guests could enjoy sledding too. She then texted me the photo below of the sled that now awaits my next guests on the back porch. Well, I really did try to think of every possible amenity that I could put into the cottage, but leave it to a wonderful blog follower to think of something important that I forgot. A sled! Thank you so much Pamela!
It never ceases to amaze me what kind and generous guests I have had at Stone Hill Cottage. I am very thankful that in a few short months of being on the rental market we have managed to have such special people enjoy our mountain retreat.
If you’d like to stay in Stone Hill Cottage we’d love to welcome you too. Just click here for a link to the booking website.
So there you have it: FROM THE GUESTBOOK AT STONE HILL COTTAGE
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