Hi Girls, remember when we first started our trip to England, how much trouble we had with the Internet in the beginning? Sporadic communication? Well, it’s the same thing here! You will need some bop MUSICA while you’re waiting! Even though, from the picture below (sent via Twitter by our Girlfriend Cathy), you can see how wildly successful we’ve become . . . no no no no no, it’s not real! But who really cares, it looks real!
. . . I still can’t seem to tame the Internet gremlins that plague me. This means another day of cell phone calls between me and Verizon so that I will have access to the blog while we drive from place to place. But I promise to make up for it when all settles down! I just wanted to let you know what’s been going on and why you haven’t heard from me and why I haven’t been able to “moderate” our comments!
I’ve been taking lots of pictures which I’ll have for you soon. But I knew you’d want to see one of the main reasons it was so hard to leave home. My dearest little boy playing with his new catnip pillow. I would say, “Note wildness in eyes,” but you all know that wildness is always there! We have to leave the hotel now if we’re going to make it to our next adventure in Hudson, Ohio! So bye for now Girls. I’ll be back! xoxo P.S. People are loving the Fine Romance Van! 🙂
This morning as I was writing in my “Days from the Heart of the Home” diary (yes, I have to admit that I don’t restrict my entries to the specific year the diary was intended for – 1999 – always have struggled with stick-to-itiveness) I had this sudden revelation of the prodigious amount of work you have completed over the years! The books, the calendars, the diaries, the stickers and notepads and recipe cards!!!! Oh my goodness, we have been blessed by the bounty of your fingertips. Thank you for “sticking to it” and making all those countless deadlines ….. though we know you enjoy your work let’s face it — sometimes one must DO THE JOB when one would like to just SIT IN THE HAMMOCK AND DRINK LEMONADE. Thank you so much. Our lives have been enriched in so many ways. You make a difference.
The letters I’ve received over the years have made it all easy, and now here we are, and it’s better than ever. Thank you so much Cindy. xoxoxo
I love the blog updates and kitty pictures! If I am feeling a little lazy, I go to your blog for a proper kick in the pants and that gets me inspired to do the things I love to do around the house! Also, it was wonderful to meet you at the Meredith,N.H. book signing–I will treasure my snail-mail Willards that you signed always!
Thank you for being there Sharon!
Susan, I keep seeing this “Tea Party” tin in your pictures. Is it going to be in your shop soon? Love the whole design idea; would love to see more pieces in this pattern.
Looks like you’re having a wonderful trip! Read your book, loved it.
Drive safely and have fun,
Susan R.
Yes, it comes in at the end of this month! Tea too! Yay!
In hopes that you will come visit Ohio again, I give you The Book Loft -http://www.bookloft.com/. This amazing bookstore is located in the very quaint German Village (germanvillage.com) neighborhood of Columbus, just south of downtown. Great places to eat include Schmidt’s (Can you say cream puff?), The Thurman Cafe (BURGERS as big as your head), The Mohawk (mock turtle soup), just to name a few of the local favorites. Joe, I’d be happy to assist you with travel plans in my hometown. I also think you two would enjoy Mozart’s Bakery & Piano Cafe (mozartscafe.com) in my neighborhood, Clintonville, just north of the OSU campus. Delicious European pastries. You can even indulge in a proper Afternoon Tea! Hope to see you again! Best wishes for a successful and enjoyable book tour!
Susan you are amazing and I am so happy to have the pleasure to hear you and see you after reading all your beautiful books for so many years! I cannot even choose a favorite , they are all so so awesome. Unless a miracle happens, I will be at the tea on Thursday without my new book:( … Still waiting on it to be delivered!!
So sad , BUT so happy to see and hear you! Thank you for coming to us here in the Midwest!
It’s going to be a great time Pam — I’m so glad you’re coming!
Hi, Susan!!
Your post came on my birthday, so it was a special treat!! Sure wish I could be at a book signing, too, to meet you! What a birthday delight that would, be! Would have loved to make it to one of the Ohio bookstores. . .but 4 school age children and 4 fur babies at home keeps me too wonderfully occupied!! But I can “see” you in the blog world, you’re one of my dearest friends in kindred spirit. My cup of tea mid-day and your blog bring me relaxation and ME time. 🙂 BTW, I just love Jack’s catnip toy. . .now I’m inspired to sew up a cute one for my kitties and fill it with my new stash of catnip. Thanks for being YOU. . .and for all your wonderful, beautiful, relaxing and exciting books! Just got my Fine Romance copy. . .I’m so looking forward to a bubblebath/book time evening, after kiddos are asleep, of course! 😀
I have all the ‘fine romance’ wedding pictures up…including ‘when you marry him’….what a perfect time we had………..and ‘you’ were there right with us!!!
xoxo
Joann take a peek if you’d like: thegirlgetsreal.blogspot.com/
What a job Joann, how wonderful!
I’m just getting up to speed on using the blog thanks to Lucy and Ethel! I really enjoy your books and can’t wait for A Fine Romance.
Welcome Ginny!
You are capturing our homeland. The pictures through NY, Ohio and VT are great. I hope this will inspire anther book – your book tour across America and truly seeing our beautiful countryside and the many friends you are meeting while visiting the different book shops. It is so wonderful that the current book is in its third printing and even more wonderful, that the book is in England. 🙂 Looking forward to more of your artist expression of this tour.
Dear Susan Branch Girlfriends,
Well, Susan I am in a bit of stitch in mood…. and want the girlfriend input. As I am sitting here wondering whether to call a certain store and tell the manager about how an employee acted or just hold my head high and smile.
First of all, I am young/newly more disabled. And wearing more steroid fat than I wish to tell. After making the HUGE effort to get to an appt. for my son, I found that I was off by one hour.
The effort was monutmental and mental. I about collapsed in a heap and told them to forget re-scheduling! We will stay home from all appts and try to heal!! This appt. was after a long day of trying to teach a math concept that would not sink in.
Since I was on that side of town I ducked into a store to see if there was anything to fit my awkward body. Due to the med it has re-distributed the fat to my torso, chest, back, neck, and face. A moon face.
Nothing fits.
So, with my cane, I waddled to the back of the store where the discount racks held some men’s shirts. I also looked for my son. With my health and limited income as a single, disabled stay-at-home daughter; things are tight.
“How has the day been?” a co-worker chimed. The woman in the back, who was older than I, but dressed quite smartly replied smartly: “Just a lot of depressed moms.”
At that moment I froze. I looked up at her, we met eyes and I could not hide the feeling of, well, betrayal. And we are strangers! Why should I feel betrayed? She could not have missed my bright floral cane, could she?
I looked around to see if my journal was open to the page where I described all the uncertainties and fears of having an auto-immune disease, how there was nothing the medical community could do right now- all options have been exhausted that leaving me on high doses of steroids had kept me alive and my only hope is waiting for the next “trial drug” to come hot off the pioneering shoulders of individuals that are sick. (I have pioneered a few but am too weak to do this right now.)
Susan, I didn’t feel pretty in all of my water retention the comment cemented that inferiority in a blink of an eye. I felt belittled by someone that I am sure had no idea what she was saying; that someone in her very presence was deeply suffering and, yes, very depressed.
I have looked very different at times in my life. Acted different. But I was very somber during this visit to the store as the future seems to not be in my control.
I held my head high, tried on clothes, watched my son try on his, purchased what we found. (bit my tongue to keep from telling the manager the rude comment and insist on a discount, ha! Take that! ) But mainly felt inside to ditch the store and never return.
But what good would that do? Even as I write I am starting to feel the forgiveness for this woman, who could possibly be a fellow “girlfriend” if she knew or felt compassion for other girlfriends.
What good would writing to the company do? We all stick our foot in our mouths from time to time. And I guess it was my time to absorb her words and move about with grace.
So there is my “girlfriend rant”. I am glad I hung up my purchases and turned to your blog and decided to leave my hurt self amongst a million “strangers” in the hopes that we rally rather than rail round one another.
You needed to vent and even as you did I can see it helped and you came up with your own answers. People are going to do and say things we don’t like, that hurt even if they don’t mean for them to. We can’t change that ~ the only thing in the world that we have the power to change is the way we react to them. I think you did admirably! xoxo You go girl.