Hello everyone! We just got back home from our little jaunt through Massachusetts and New Hampshire which I wanted to share with you. Now we’re packing again, this time for our cross-country trip! Here are some sounds of New Hampshire Lake Life for your morning Musica.♥
When we got home, we went on our walk in the woods on a cool crisp morning, the breeze making the hairs on my arms stand up ~ I picked these up — they set my Gypsy Blood Astir! I know it’s still hot in most of the country, but in New England, I can feel, smell, see and hear my favorite time of year creeping up on us in the most wonderful way.
This gate is on the hotel grounds of the gorgeous Church Landing Mill Falls Hotel where we stayed on Lake Winnipesaukee in Meredith, New Hampshire. We went to this lovely place for a book signing at Innisfree Bookstore, but once we saw this hotel and this lake we thought about staying forever! I love this shape of gate/trellis and how it frames a peek-a-boo view. Just makes you want to go through it. And P.S., if you are going up there, the food in the Lake House Grill dining room was outstanding!!!
This hotel room was a gift. Between the bookstore and the hotel, they gifted us two nights here in this little piece of heaven. We had no idea where we were going, we just put the address of the hotel they’d suggested into the GPS. We expected a normal motel room where perhaps we would have a discounted first night. We found out our stay was a gift and for two nights when we checked in! We walked into the room, there were squeals because it was so gorgeous — it had a deck, this is the deck, that’s a corner of the room there, I took this photo about 3 seconds after we entered — I ran straight out to the deck with the camera because we arrived just in time for moon rise and the cricket serenade.
The next night, we got this . . .
The full Green Corn Blue Moon shining Pink on Lake Winnipesaukee!
Just below our deck, running the length of the hotel fronting the Lake was this grassy knoll with lawn chairs and little stairs leading down to the water . . .
Lovely gardens and gates with peek-a-boo views of the lake . . .
And Adirondack chairs strategically placed for water watching and breeze feeling . . .
We went on walks and climbed up Lockes Hill in the Kimball Wildlife Forest . . .
Which always makes me very happy, taking long walks in nature . . .
Especially this one, to the summit, with a view of Lake Winnipesaukee and a few of some of its two hundred and fifty islands. People live on those islands, often in old “camps” and go everywhere via boat on this lake in the summer time. Some of the boats are classic antiques. On Golden Pond was filmed near here. Oh the loons!
Then it was time to go to the bookstore. We could see pretty easily that we were in the right place!
And then we went inside and there were the Girlfriends waiting for us!
I was able to spend a little time with everyone, talk and visit. But the line is always the fun thing, I can hear them out there getting to know each other and laughing ~ I want to go get in line too!
We brought along some extra boxes of books to leave behind with Bev when the signing was over. A FINE ROMANCE is sold out at the Publishers (unbelievable!!!!), we’ve reordered and are once again taking preorders for signed books from the studio, but if you are having a book emergency and need a signed copy right now, try calling the nice folks at Innisfree Bookstore, 603-279-3905. We also left lots of signed books with Titcombs Bookshop in Sandwich, 508-888-2331.
Here are two people who worked at Innisfree, both sweethearts, Brandi and Martha . . .
We would have stayed at Church Landing Mill Falls Hotel the whole time, but they were sold out for the weekend, so we had to move. And this is where we went, to the Lazy E, with Lazy being the operative word, because how could you not be with this as your morning view:
Our little cabin had a kitchen. You take your tea out here in the early morning and watch the old boats go by and listen to the wake lap against the shore. They have a bonfire at night too, you can sit outside, smell the wood fire, watch the sparks go up and join the stars. It’s a beautiful world up there.
We loved walking through the neighborhoods and looking at all the lake cottages, big and little . . . I had to take a photo of this darling bird house! Look at the little benches at the door and the window boxes!
I thought this was a mailbox, but I’m not so sure. Whatever it is, it’s cute! Then it was time for us to go to Milford to the . . .
Toadstool Bookshop for another book signing.
The Fine Romance Van has been wonderful! We weren’t sure we were going to like it, but it’s like going to a birthday party wearing the cutest dress, it just makes things more festive!
And here I am, answering questions for that person standing in the way back . . . or something like that . . .
And more girlfriends, more fun talk, more meeting and greeting. The room was also full of husbands and guy friends, although you can’t really see them, they sort of hang around with Joe!
Here’s Girlfriends who are regular visitors to the Blog, from left to right, Kate, Judy, Rachel and Jackie, out front gracing the Fine Romance Van . . . Hi Girls!!! Thank you for coming!! ♥
Jan (in the middle) is the manager of the bookstore — she made it such a nice event — providing tea and scones for everyone! They were all wonderful — that’s Melanie on the left and Prudence on the right. Thank you Toadstool Bookshop!!
Then it was off to early dinner, before our drive back to the island — Chicken Caesar Salad for Joe (with balsamic vinaigrette), Lobster Salad for me (blue cheese on the side), iced tea with lemonade, and then of course for the devil that lives inside us both, Onion Rings (roughage)! We loved the picnic tables and the sounds of the crickets and this fall-like day — such a perfect time to take advantage of the outdoors. (BTW, Here are some good Autumn Picnic recipes, we loved this spur-of-the-moment picnic so much — just click on each recipe and it’ll come up. Remember spontaneity is a wonderful thing, so it’s good to plan for it!)
We got to Woods Hole in time to make the freight boat home . . . just in time for sunset and cries of sea gulls and smell of ocean . . .
And pink peach red orange blue yellow lavender sky — it was a gorgeous cool, fall night on the water . . .
As lovely as New Hampshire is, I guess we won’t be moving there anytime soon. There’s no place like home! “If you’re fond of sand dunes and salty air . . .”
And when we walked through the door, we had a surprise waiting for us! It came directly from another house we love, Jane Austen’s House in Chawton, England (I wrote about our visit HERE). Yes!!! There was a lovely English accent waiting for me on our telephone message machine! Onto my knees I went, leaning in close to the table hear, with my pen and paper at the ready.
The call was from the museum gift shop (here ↑ where I bought my quill pen and ink that I wrote with in our book). The caller’s name was Ann and she said she’d read A FINE ROMANCE, and loved it (eeek) and wants . . . wait for it . . . to carry OUR book in the Jane Austen Gift Shop in Chawton, England!!!! I am not kidding. This has happened. I can barely imagine a place where I’d rather see our book. ♥
Although the photos we are receiving are kinda really so WONDERFUL ~ our book is experiencing the very best life has to offer! I’m living vicariously through it now! Talk about travel!
Buckingham Palace Gates, for example! Can you believe it? But there it is! Taken by our Girlfriend Laura who is flight crew from SFO and took it with her to England just for us! Isn’t this wild? I think I see the Queen peeking out her window . . .
Yes!!! I guess I don’t have to tell you who this is! This should make my dad very happy. He’s been wanting our book to get into the hands of the Queen since the very beginning! This photo came from the English Rose Tearoom, in Carefree Arizona, just down the road from where my dad lives. I want to take my dad and his adorable wife Jeanie for Tea there when we get out to see them next month! ♥
And then there was this. OK? Has my cup runneth over? Yes, it has. As most of you know by now, this is our book on the rock wall overlooking Post Office Meadow in Near Sawrey, in the Lake District, with lovely evocative Castle Cottage in the background, where Beatrix Potter and her beloved husband William Heelis lived for thirty years. ♥ Taken by our Girlfriend Eli, who lives in the Lake District. She got on a boat, crossed Lake Windemere to take our book to Near Sawrey. ♥
Eli makes darling knitted sheep too! I had to show you! Sheep!
And then we have the cat lovers . . . the animals who are happy to see Girl Kitty and Jack get a little bit of attention. This is Jackie’s (she was in the photo with the Fine Romance Van at the Toadstool Bookshop) dog Bentley. Black and White fur people are so decorative!!! And go especially well with a red ribbon!
And then there’s Peaceable Kingdom right here, our Girlfriend Cathy’s two sweethearts, Poetry the cat and Gabriel, her dog. They live the cozy life!
Tuckered out from “reading all night,” Maria’s pup is sound asleep. Look at his soft flappy ears and his big beautiful paws. ♥
Which reminds me, I wanted to show you what I brought home for Jack. Oh he loved this. Eyes big as saucers when I pulled it out of the bag. All those rubber bands for MEEEEE????
Both he and Girl were so well cared for while we were away. My friends Elizabeth and Cathy were here from California. So the kitties were hugged to the point of thinking they were staying with four year olds! 🙂 Hugged, loved, well fed, kissed, petted, scratched, followed around, and generally messed with. Jack was worn to the bone. He even looked a bit jaded ~ something in the eyes.
But that doesn’t stop Elizabeth, she can’t help it, she adores Jack. Here she is, informing him that she’s “coming in.”
Oh My God, he thinks, eyeing her madly, you are a MANIAC. ♥
Please Mother, take me a way from her! She’s crazy!! S A V E M E !!!
But I don’t save him because I understand Elizabeth’s need. When something is so precious it must expect to get hugged and kissed constantly. Excuse me, I have to go attack him myself now! The guy gets no rest.
Girl slept with Elizabeth every night (but is back next to me since we got home), and Jack slept with Cathy and everyone was happy. ‘Cept me now, because early Saturday morning we go again, and this time, it will be for months. The kitties will be loved (we have friends moving in here for the duration), but I will be lonely without them, and can already hardly wait to get home!
To go means even more appreciation when we return. Fall, crossing the USA is going to be wonderful! Seeing our family and friends in California will be heaven! Must take the bitter with the sweet ~ Ahhhhh, life is good. ♥
I think I have everything out of (Freudian slip) in control for us while we’re on the road. Hair cut, ✔, Tea packed, ✔, Clothes Pole in Van so we can hang things up (Thank you Joe) ✔, twenty 
pounds lost since May ✔ (just thought I’d throw that in 🙂 ), house decorated for Autumn-ish-ness ✔, Storm windows figured out ✔, Dinner reservations made with friends next to water tonight ✔, three-month supply of cat food stored ✔, Litter box emptied, washed, bleached, rinsed, and refilled ✔ ~ Next year’s calendar covers are designed; quotes and Christmas art have been sent to YANKEE Magazine for our Holiday feature article; the second printing of A FINE ROMANCE will arrive at the end of October; more calendars are ordered (hopefully we won’t run out this year); soon Kellee will be putting up new FREE THINGS for Fall in our web store; cute ads are designed for TEATIME Magazine; any day now our engraved Glass 
Charms (Martha’s Vineyard, Girlfriends, and A Fine Romance!) will be at the studio; plus our cute Tea Tin is on the way, and my favorite lavender tea too. There are new Emma cups, including the Royal Baby Mug, and a new Emma Peter Rabbit design should be here any moment that is SO darling! Lots of fun things are coming for Autumn and the holidays. It’s our own little world of sugar and spice and everything nice. ♥
We have Bookstore Events and Tea Parties planned (see EVENTS in the right-hand column of this Blog) although we had to stop making appointments after Wichita because we don’t have books, but we’ll gear back up as soon as they come in). It’s only kitty kissing needs to be done now, and a whole lot of it. ♥
Ooops, Girlfriends, Jack just dropped the ball behind me. Gotta go. Love you! I’ll keep updating the blog as best I can on our trip . . . I want you to see it all! ♥ Have a wonderful day! ♥
Susan,
Love the recent post with the girlfriend photos and the “traveling” book. I’m curious now that the Jane Austen gift shop will be carrying…have you contacted Cunard? I think passengers aboard the Queen Mary 2 would love to have A Fine Romance to savor aboard the ship. What do you think?
-Kathy
I agree, I’d love to see it on the ship!
Maria and Jackie, could you tell me the breed of your most adorable dogs? Any girlfriends know? Thanks!
Hi Carmel,
If you are referring to the black and white dog reading about the kitties, Bentley is an English Springer Spaniel. He will be 4 years old in November along with his litter mate, Winston! (I think Maria’s sleeping beauty might be a bassett hound.)
20 #s – egads GF, you’ve been good!!! I guess exercise & healthy eating probably does help….I’ll try harder!! ♥, ♥ this blog! The music, pictures, words, paintings – all of it filled me up with your goodness & good spirit renewal! We were at Mendocino/Ft. Bragg with no computer, I had SB & GF withdrawal, although we did have a lovely trip! Took our new book along for the ride & some good read, that helped! “A Fine Romance” van is probably rarin’ to go this morning, have a wonderful trip dear Joe & Susan! XOXO
We are in it and traversing even as we speak! In Lenox MA, and it’s gorgeous around here!
Susan- You know that adorable birdhouse at the lake that you posted a picture of with the window boxes and benches at the door? It was so darling that I searched all of 1 minute and found it on a website called Anything Birds and it’s called Cozy Cottage birdhouse- never expected to find it! My birthday in next month so I told my husband he’s all set- ha! I just need to add the window box! Just wanted to let you know in case you wanted one- lol. Karen
Perfect gift for you!
Life is coming full circle…..all the good mojo you have put out there, is coming back to you in ways…that are unimagined! I had happy chills, reading about AFR being in Jane Austens gift shop….and seeing our book traveling to spots around the world. Heartwarming and endearing, just a bit of wonderfullness.
I see the joy you experience in everything around you. You do not make traveling just about going to the book signing, instead you and Joe make it an adventure, develing into each town, absorbing the beauty…walking the paths, climbing the trails, dreaming on the moon, listening to the lake lap the shoreline. Soaking in life…..treasuring the simple things.
It is a good lesson for me, that when the challenges in life loom; not to go so fast that I miss what is right in front of me…….take off the blinders and be more observant. Enjoying each small moment, that’s what feeds the soul.
Good luck with the packing…..Give those cute kitties a few months worth of hugs….and then it’s “Happy Trails”……off in the cutest SUV on the road…the AFR adventure continues……..thanks for taking us all along and always inspiring us to shine brightly!
♥ ♥ ♥
Deb
Reply
xoxo Deb!
Susan, I want to know what exact words came out of your mouth when you realized they were calling you from the Jane Austen House gift shop because they want to carry our book!?! I’ve been wondering since I read that on twitter! Also for the girlfriend who has time in Kansas City and for you and Joe since you will be waiting to get more books at that spot on your trip, I recommend a visit to the Arabia Steamship Museum. If you’ve never heard its story, as I had not, it’s an amazing discovery.
No words. My mouth fell open and I felt it stay open while I walked in circles until I could get hold of the idea. First I played the message about eight times. Thanks for the recommendation!
I just got my Tea Time magazine and there was the ad for “Our Book”.
It looks great; made me want to rush out and buy my fifth copy, but decided to see if I can work out buying one when you’re in Iowa or Kansas. A long drive to Iowa, and the evening timing in Kansas would keep us overnight whichever we chose. We’ll see. Four girl friends in MO are eager to meet you.
LOL! That must be a good ad! 🙂 I’m eager to meet you all too Patsy — hope it works out!
This is all so exciting and so d e s e r v e d !! Safe and Happy Trails !! ( I simply must have some of Eli’s knitted sheep ! I wonder if she would ever sell them in your store ? )
I wonder how fast she could knit! 🙂
What wonderful travel stories and such drop-dead gorgeous moon pictures! Your travel is all the travel I can afford – in stories and in pictures – so very thankful for your blog! The first thing I looked for upon receipt of your Fine Romance was your First House! And I’m reading it v-e-r-y v-e-r-y slowly, I want to ‘savor’ the book!
Today is the day!! I finally get to settle my bones and read your new book! I bought it last Sunday and had to wait this entire week to finally have the opportunity to savor it. I am teaching a new grade level so I am exhausted at night. Speaking of my new third grade class (who are wonderful) I taught a lesson about favorite books and I showed them your book. Well they thought it was beautiful! Can’t wait to see you at Anderson’s in Downers Grove IL! My Joe and I will be there with bells on!!
That is so sweet Becky! Thank you for telling me — see you soon. Can’t believe I’m getting to meet so many Girlfriends on this trip!
Why is my comment from Aug 28 still “awaiting moderation”?
So sorry, I haven’t “moderated” any comments lately because we’ve been packing the Fine Romance Van for our trip across the country ~ right now Joe is driving and I just turned the computer on. We left the island this morning, we’re crossing MA right now, and I finally have time to say HELLO to everyone!!
I couldn’t wait to get my hands on your new book and now that I am almost finished, I don’t want to finish it. I don’t want our trip to end! Thanks for every hand-written word and thought! See you in SLO.
xoxo Thank you Janet!
I’m in heaven! One of my favorite magazines arrived in the mail yesterday, Romantic Homes! Not ONLY is this the PRETTIEST issue I think they have ever done, but it has the FULL PAGE AD for A FINE ROMANCE! It looks fabulous! Such an effective ad, I know that (if I didn’t already know about Susan) I would have to get my hands on a copy of the book immediately. I hope this ad is wildly successful for you and that there has to be many more printings ordered. Plus as soon as folks have a copy, their friends are going to see it and want one for themselves, so lust for this book will spread like crazy. I love to see it. Congrats Sue (and Joe)…such fun!
Can’t wait to see it, just told Joe, we brake for magazine stores! 🙂 Book lust, I’ve had that! xoxo Thank you so much Judy!
Hello Sweet Travelers! Hey Sue I Think My “Comment” got Lost in All The Packing! lol 😉 Here it is Again…I had Posted it on August 29th 11:11 am Thanks! …..
`♥*¨`*¨♥*¨`* Sweet Sue! 🙂 Huge Smile on Me Pumpkin Face! First This Blog Is Beyond Amazing! & In Every Photo of You… You Are Glowing! Your Happiness is Radiating from The Inside Out! (& 20 pounds since May! Amazing & You did Not Need to Lose any weight But Now You Must Feel as Fabulous as You Look!) Sweet Sue You Have Begun An Amazing Adventure! Meeting All Your “Fans” Now Friends….All The Tea Parties at All The Bookstores! All The Lovely Places You & Joe will Be Staying At…Just Breathe….I’ll Be Keeping You In My Prayers Every Day Keeping You & Joe Safe & Sound…You Know My “Virtual” Bags are Packed along with a Huge Picnic Basket of Yummy Treats (Healthy Ones Too!)….Thank You for Bringing Us Along This Road~Trip…I Love The “Fine~Romance~Van” 🙂 Girl & Jack will Be Safe & Loved Until Mom & Dad Return (Jiggity~Jig Home Again Time) I’ve Begun Your Autumn Book This Morning Part of How I Welcome in September “Gypsy Blood Astir” Yay! 😉 I’m Sending You & Joe Off with a Little Traveling Pixie~Dust & Always Huge Warm Hugzzz & Love! Safe Journey Sweetest Sue! You are Loved & We are All so Proud of You! Twirling into All The Magic of Your Book~Tour! 🙂 xoxo Poof! `♥*¨`*¨♥*¨`*`♥*¨`*¨♥*¨`*`♥*¨`*¨♥*¨`* P.S. The Photo of The Queen with Your Book Amazing! 😉 & It Could Happen One Day! Yay! Cheerio! 🙂 ♥ & Now A P.P.S. I Love Your Tweets From The Road! Be Safe & I Ate All The Cucumber Sandwiches! They Were So Yummy! Petey Helped Me! 😉 I’ll Make Us Some More! 🙂 xoxo Poof! Traveling Pixie~Dust Everywhere! On The Road Again! ♥*¨`*¨♥*¨`*`♥*¨`*¨♥*¨ Thanks For Bringing Us Along It’s Really Fun! Yay! Happy September Sweet Sue & Joe! Rabbit~Rabbit! 🙂 ♥
Rabbit, rabbit:))
And as it is September 1st, it was time to open up the September Victoria Magazine….and there it was….that beautifully charming book of ours;)
So I came here to tell you how excited I was, and here you have such a gift for us…the beautiful moon, the pink on the water, and the sounds of loons. Ahhh ….so sweet for a sunday afternoon, after perusing the British Victoria…
And I also spied your gorgeous charm bracelet! I just picked up mine yesterday after having my charms from MV added… and then, there you were on the freight ferry…that’s the one we caught to get over to the island…and I want to come back! Best vacation I can remember…. with waffle cones filled with peach ice cream from Mad Martha’s every night…so spoiled! You and Joe will be in our prayers as you leave the kitties and venture out in your storybook happy van…traveling mercies all the way, dear ones.
Always your girlfriend and guy friend,
Christie and Tim Ray from Franklin, TN
Sorry if this is posted twice, but the gremlins seem to have taken my first one from several days ago! How wonderful that your book has sold out and is being enjoyed in so many places! I received mine within days of its release and have read it cover to cover and gone back to it many times. I thought I was being so clever, though, in planning a trip to Martha’s Vineyard. I’ve always wanted to go there, and with the book’s release planned for September, I hoped maybe a visit then might find you at a book signing on the island. As it turns out, you will be in Grand Rapids on the day we leave for MV!! Oh well, maybe our paths will cross some other time. Have a safe trip across the country and enjoy the love from all those lucky girlfriends who get to meet you!
It’s my birthday today (66) and I have the day off to lounge around and do fun things (like go to local huge antiques store and browse around)! Just noticed on my pc that Emma Bridgewater downloaded her latest Autumn collections, and they include Peter Rabbit designs! The mug is the sweetest thing! You will have to get them for your Peter Rabbit Room Sue. My choice is the pint Union Jack mug, I absolutely love it. I hope you still have one since I saw it in your “shop”! My birthday present to me!!! LOL
HAVE to stop and wish you a Happy Birthday Judy. I’m reading all of these lovely lovely comments, but trying to keep my comments to the minimum so I can get through moderation on them before I run out of service here. But a birthday must be celebrated! Congratulations! xoxo
Susan, I am so honored that you replied to my comment and wished me a Happy Birthday yesterday! How cool is that? You are awesome!!!!!
Hope it was a good one Judy!
Good Morning Susan,
I posted this a few days ago, but it never got past awaiting moderation, not sure what that means, but I really wanted you to know how much I enjoyed meeting you…so I thought I would copy and paste and try again.
First off you have no idea how excited I was to meet you in Meredith, truth be told I was also a little nervous…I was meeting a star. Didn’t have to feel that way at all, the book signing was wonderful. I met some really nice ladies in line and of course got to meet you too. It was a special day indeed. Now you are about to do the number one thing on my bucket list, a cross country tour by car, well, I want to do it in an RV, but same thing. I can’t wait for you to get started and I know you will share all the fun and excitement of the trip with us. I feel like I’m one step closer to my some day trip. The only thing is I am a bit sad that you will miss autumn in New England this year, but what an adventure you/we are about to have.
I am jealous, jealous, jealous! Pea green with envy. Californians for more than a decade now, for many years we had a Lake home in Meredith and then in Moultonborough. We drove north from Boxford, MA every weekend, all summer, much of the winter. It was our haven, our sanctuary,our safe place. The Innisfree Bookstore was one of my favorite haunts. I still get a thrill when I open a book in my library and their label is in it. We enjoyed dinner at The Camp many times. What a trip down memory lane. You visited heaven on earth (coming from a gal who lives in Carmel, CA!)
I am enjoying A Fine Romance in the same way I would enjoy a fine meal. Slowly, deliberately and with immense pleasure. I wish you were doing a reading on the Central Coast near Monterey. This book is on my list to give to every Anglophile I love for Christmas.
Gosh, I’m so thrilled for you, the book is so endearing and delightful, I’m sure that Her Royal Highness would love it and Camilla too! Sure enjoy seeing all the friends from all over the country. xx
Hi Susan,
I just love the photo of you on your hike to Lockes Hill. It is beautiful and your outfit matches the beauty of the nature surrounding you. I just love it!
Praying for your journey.
P.S.
My son Sam was wondering if you received our snail mail, with the photo of the heart rock?
xx oo
Carla and family
I did Carla! Thank you, and tell Sam I said Hi!
Hi Susan,
Thank you…I let him know. His smile is HUGE! You made his night. 🙂
Thank you!!
He’s a sweetheart xoxo
Please Please Please visit the NW in your book tour!!!
Powells in Portland or Elliott Bay Book Company in Seattle???
We love you out here too……
We’ll try! It was a bit of a shock selling out of books this soon, but I promise we’ll try!
Hello Susan!
I received a gift card for my July birthday and I waited to ‘spend’ it on your new book. I waited a week before I cracked the cover after I finally bought it— I was just going to look at the pictures and glance at the book. I should be making jam lol but I can not put your book down! I just love it. You have a true gift of writing–I feel I am there witnessing the entire trip. The artwork is beautiful, simply beautiful This book will be a treasure of mine forever..and a day! Thank you and Safe Journey (wish you were coming to Michigan!!!).. Cindy
Dear Susan and Girlfriends,
Wow!!! We’re on our way home from just having met You, Joe and Girlfriends in Hudson, Ohio!
It’s been a few hours since we said “Goodbye” and we are still tingling with delight! What an extraordinaryly delightful experience meeting you! Smiles were sprinkled on everyone everywhere!
Thank you Susan and Joe for all your Love and Joy you give to all of us wherever you go and for bringing us all together!
XO!
Victoria
Good Victoria, you made it home safely, so nice to hear. Wasn’t that just wonderful? I loved it! Thank you so much for coming all that way, it was delightful to meet you and David is a doll. xoxo We do have the nicest people in the world at these book signings!
Dear Susan ,
Thank you! You are so right, the Nicest people! You are a magnet for nice people! We met so many delightful Girlfriends and Hubby’s! It’s one of the few places standing in long line is a wonderful time!
We knew we already had a lot in common…. We all love You and your work. We all find your blog a beautiful place to be, and all have pretty much the same interests. We’re already friends we just didn’t know what each other looked like and what a joy to finally meet!… And then there were others we found that that were new or friends or family that didn’t quite know what all the buzz was about, but they soon joined right in with the rest of us because you just can’t help it when there is so much love and excitment and happy people around you all in one place!
…. And it all started with YOU! … just doing what you love to do and freely sharing it with all of us! You and Joe are doing a whole lot more than you know! Susan ,You are my inspiration! …and I didn’t get to tell you that yesterday.
Oh! how we wish we could we could follow along to all the wonderful little towns and places you’ll be visiting and meet some of your thousands of friends you’ve never seen before.
…And exploring new places is so much fun too! We had not ever heard of Hudson, Ohio, and what a charming little town it is! .. beautiful houses and friendly people. All the people at the book store couldn’t have been nicer! .
…And while we were there so close to Cleveland and had a little time to spare, we thought we would take a quick look to see what was there and what it looked like. Well, who knew that the house from one of my very favorite movies that I just have to watch every year, “A Christmas Story” is right there! We just had to see that! It was great! House was as it was, leg lamp and all!… including a museum and gift store! Who could ask for more! Then we found close by, the largest candy store ever!,… called, b. a. Sweetie Candy Company (love the name) Just picture a store as big as Target that sells nothing but candy, isle after isle …all of the candy you have ever seen in your whole life and all you never knew existed!….but, they said they’ll be moving to a new location twice the size…Amazing!
Then we went downtown, beautiful old buildings and lots of new revitalization … The Rock and Roll museum will be a must see, we’ll be back!.. Thanks to you!
Coming home, our wheels were on the road but our hearts and minds were still on Cloud 9 (wherever that is?) after meeting You, Joe, Petey and Friends.
We arrived home about 1 AM and the kitties were at the door waiting for us with that: “It’s about time! ” look…. You know the one…ha!
XOXO!
Victoria
What a lovely trip! Congratulations on the book success, but we’re not surprised. 🙂 The Jane Austen Book store though. That’s amazing! I feel bad for Jack and Girl kitty when you leave. But it must be done. Ha. Have fun on your next stop!
I’m so glad to read that your kitties are being so well-cared for while you are away! They are precious. : )
Susan, CONGRATULATIONS on “A Fine Romance” being in the Jane Austen Gift Shop in Chawton, England!!! It must be amazing to have your dreams come true like that! I can’t think of a better person to have those circumstances 🙂
CHEERS!!
You are so sweet, so nice to hear that Michele xoxo and yes, even more than I dreamed, with all of you along, made it even better!