Hi Everyone! How are you? We are home safe and sound, and happy, so happy to be here. Here are just a few photos of our family reunion at Vallecito Lake, “a beautiful spot, surrounded in tall pines, sheltered in a secluded mountain valley” at 8,000 feet, just outside of Durango, Colorado, and more proof that . . .
This was the moon-set at 5 am across the lake the morning we drove away, all packed up and heading back for the train and home. Stopped in the dark, tires in gravel, in the cool mountain air, with lake lapping on shore, for this photo of paradise.
Here’s just one of the jillions of group photos we took . . . My fandamly, not all, but lots. The kind of fandamly that likes to stand in freezing water. Note who’s not in picture.
My nephew Ben, arriving with the “equipment.”
In this very lovely, spiritual place which has been a gathering place for us for years . . . ever since my brother Jim moved here years ago . . . the lake is surrounded in wildflowers . . .
Where we did what we always do, we ate, we told stories, we sang . . . this is my brother Chuck dancing with my niece Heidi, daughter of my other brother Brad, at the campground. Chuck sang too, songs he wrote ~ one of my favorites that I requested so I could record it for you ~ is a sad song called “To Be a Man” (not about my dad) . . . want to hear it? Listen close to the words . . .
And lucky me . . . these are the three “kids” that Joe and I took to England and Paris on the Queen Elizabeth 2 in 2001, when, from left, Heidi was 11, Holly was 12, and Matty was 18. That’s Auntie Mame in the middle there, basking.
More wonderful moments than I can tell . . . Shelly’s twins, Paden and Mason, and my great nephews, Ben’s boys, Wyler and Beckett.
Mas Musica? Something old, something wonderful . . .
This was our cabin with the screened in porch … at Croll Cabins, right next to 5 Branches campsites … perfect for a family reunion ~ you could have a cabin, or set up a tent, or bring your camper, park next to the lake, and walk to each other’s places. It was heaven.
More wildflowers in the campground.
And now, before we talk about an important birthday celebration, and have a new giveaway ~ I just want to say thank you . . . your 900 comments in the last post were so beautiful!💛 When I was sad and missing my dear Dad, Jack to some, Blog Daddy to many, but John Patrick Stewart, Jr. in real life, all I had to do was read your words, filled with comforting, loving, life affirmations and I felt so much better! My dad would have loved them too. 💕 He so enjoyed reading your comments.
T H A N K Y O U
And now, here’s Joe . . . bringing in the cake . . . because we want to extend heartfelt
T O
. . . who would be 150 years old on July 28 . . . wouldn’t she love to know how many wonderful events are taking place this year in her memory! (Actually, I think she would feel humbled by it.) But I want to add my own respects and admiration to the many voices (you can read some of them at the Beatrix Potter Society, and become a member like me! They send the most wonderful newsletters, both online and in the mail, and there’s more information about the celebrations HERE and HERE and good shopping for BP stuff, HERE), and it all keeps coming. Because she was truly something else.
As most of you know . . . I took a trip to see Beatrix’s famous Hilltop Farm a while back, something I’d wanted to do for many years. And it was everything I’d hoped it would be, filled with the little bits of her life that she saved just for us, so that someday we could go there and be in the presence of magic.
Most everyone knows about her “little bunny books” and that they are the best selling children’s books of all time . . . and that they started with her illustrated letters like this one below that she wrote to the children of her former governess . . .
Many words have been written, both by her and even more, ABOUT her including a wonderful movie I know you would love, Miss Potter (if you haven’t already seen it). 👏 But her charming books are only the beginning of what made Beatrix so very special.
Before she ever wrote a book, Beatrix was a serious scientist whose discoveries were summarily dismissed by the scientific community, simply because she was a woman ~ this was Victorian England where women were not supposed to be scientists (or much of anything else). Her scientific discoveries were a fascinating part of her story ~ she discovered something which is still viable today, but the loss to the scientific world was nothing compared to what she was able to offer through her creative love of nature to the imaginations of children the world over, when she picked herself up, dusted herself off, and self-published her first book, The Tale of Peter Rabbit. And the rest is history herstory.
Because the story didn’t end at that misogynistic defeat, nor even at the glorious success of her books, she was just beginning to find her true place where she would leave her real legacy. When she lost her first love, she was inspired to buy a small farm in the Lake District of northern England, a place she’d been drawn to since she was a child. And, not long after, she left book writing behind her and found a new passion in farming and raising sheep, preserving a breed that was almost extinct. She loved the old ways and bought her 
furniture for Hilltop at barn sales and auctions. She hand-embroidered her own bed coverings and never put electricity in her house, so you can just imagine the quiet sounds of birdsong and wind and snow fall and teacup-in-saucer noises that she spent her life enjoying. And she took her bunny-book money and bought 14 farms and over 4,000 acres of the Lake District to keep them from the greedy hands of developers. 👏 And she helped to start the National Trust. She married late and was happy with her husband for 30 years. If you’d like to read more about Beatrix Potter, try the wonderful biography by Linda Lear, Beatrix Potter, the Extraordinary Life of a Victorian Genius. 
Beatrix saved this land for forever enjoyment because she was far-thinking, not just thinking about today, but thinking about forever. She was ahead of her time, and 
This is her little town of Far Sawrey in the Lake District where she made her home with her husband in that house on the far right of this photo. When you walk there, you walk where she walked, and really, nothing much has changed. I can’t wait to go back. Just to breathe that rarified air.
We’re going in the fall and I can’t wait to see the colors. . . we’ve only been in the springtime ….
Some of us discover Beatrix through her books, some learn about her through the National Trust, but I came to her through her little figurines, my “Beatrix Potter people,” which I found in my early 20s and have been in every place I’ve lived since then ~ I fell in love with the colors and the charm of her little critters, beautifully made in Beswick, England in the 40s and 50s.
Her life, once I learned about the things she did, as been an inspiration for me. I would love to do what she did. And all those wonderful animal figurines but, surprisingly, no lambs! So I painted this one in her honor.
And these are my People . . . some of them, there are more in other parts of the house, (and more in our webstore that I gathered as we drove across country) this is a gathering of the minds. They are coming together to have a little tea party to celebrate Beatrix. They made a cake . . .
for a Tea Party in honor of Beatrix Potter . . .
Try one of my favorite Tea Cakes EVER! Invite someone to tea, and make a little toast to Beatrix.
I’ve promised you this recipe for a long time, and now you have it, here and I also put it in my new, revised and expanded, 30th Anniversary edition of Heart of the Home, just out and available only here on my website and in some (actually any) independent bookstores (who contact us) until September.
It’s even more delicious than it looks!
Yum, Happy Birthday dear Beatrix! And also, in her honor, and in yours, a little giveaway … this wonderful little book . . .
Filled with descriptions of the woodland walks through the place Beatrix loved so much . . .
This useful book is filled with Beatrix’s charming color prints . . .
And lots of photos . . . it’s a great help for making plans for the next time you go . . . like a little dream book . . . I had one when we went and we followed the directions and the walks were wonderful…
I signed the book and will personalize it to whoever wins this drawing . . . all you have to do is leave a comment at the end of this post and you will be entered, and in a few days we’ll get “Vanna” to draw the winning name, and I hope it’s YOURS 💖. . . but that’s not all …
Oh, yeah, Jemima Puddleduck wants to come too . . . .
This lovely old 1948 edition, the very first Beatrix Potter Person I ever bought, way back in the 1970s.
She stands tall and proud and perfectly dressed. We’ll do the drawing after I get back from Cape Cod where I’m going on Thursday, on Beatrix Potter’s actual birthday, to celebrate her life at the Brewster Ladies Library with the Beatrix Potter Society and 400 like-minded Girlfriends where I will be reading the story of my first trip to Hilltop from my book and signing A Fine Romance Falling in Love with the English Countryside. So excited! And humbled. and thrilled. And will probably cry.
That makes sense to me. Thank goodness there are so many.💛
Hello you adorable thing. . . if anyone will be on the Island on the 25th of August, I’ll be doing my last talk and signing in the USA (for this year) for Martha’s Vineyard, Isle of Dreams, for the Aquinnah Library at the Old Town Hall in Aquinnah at 5 pm. 📚 It’s free, so you would just show up and voila!
THANK YOU GIRLFRIENDS. For everything. Have the most wonderful day! XOXO 💚 Love you!
Happy birthday, Beatrix. Happy birthday, Joe!
It looks like you had a wonderful time with your family. Lots of love and laughter!
Oh, that Jack. He’s so handsome!
So glad you’re back! When you “leave” it’s as tho a close friend has left town for way too long! I was at a loss for a birthday gift for a special friend who shares her birthday with Beatrix Potter! You have solved the problem – since she loves books as much as you and I do! (She’s the same friend to came to your book signing in St. Charles, MO. with me – and ended up buying all the ones she didn’t already have!)
Your reunion sounds like a healing event that made yet more treasured family memories. Your Dad was there, of that I am sure. When my mother died, my then-boss came into my office and said “You know, people never die, they just change their address.” Such a kind (and true) thing to say.
Would be thrilled to have either the book or “Jemima Puddleduck”. Jemima could sit next to my “Mrs. Tiggywinkle” figurine and keep her company. I love everything about Beatrix Potter!
The fall you say for another trip abroad! Can;t wait to “travel” along as you blog about it and hopefully another book in the works? Please?
Can’t wait to see you today in Brewster Susan! You inspire us with your writing, artwork and positive outlook! Love your blog and all your books. My family is partial to hedgehogs so Mrs. Tiggy-Winkle is one of our favorites.
My next trip across the pond is to Scotland/Ireland in the fall of 2017. While I would love to get there sooner, knowing that you will be going in the fall of 2016 means I get to read your thoughts and travel advice BEFORE I go. How cool is that?!
Loved the blog. Just had my daughter get me on Twitter so I could follow you, that seems to be where all the fun is happening. Have a safe trip.
I am certainly happy that you had such a good trip, family is so important and must be shared and treasured whenever possible. I am hosting a little getaway at our lake cabin with cousins and brothers this week, special memories are being made. It’s early morning no one is up yet and I had this special treat of receiving your blog notice. I really have to thank you again for sharing so much with us, your blog is my absolute favorite.
My day is always a little brighter when I find you’ve posted a new blog. It’s like sitting down with a newsy letter from a good friend! The lake in Colorado looks beautiful; an ideal place for you and your family to grieve, laugh, and heal. I loved the photo of thje inflatable swan in the back of the pickup. Can just imagine what passing motorists must have thought seeing it go down the highway! However did he keep it fastened down? Lots of bungies!!
I, too, am a fan of Beatrix Potter. Her little book illustrations are darling. Would love to be lucky enough to win. You signed my books at Bookends in Ridgewood, and I was delighted to find that you are as nice as you seem. Joe is a lucky man!
What a wonderful way to end your cross country adventure! Your camping photos looked like everyone was enjoying a little slice of heaven together! Hope you have fun celebrating Beatrix Potter’s birthday today! Her artwork is a favorite of mine, too! Welcome back home, Susan!
Happy Birthday Beatrix Potter, my hero! Nothing says it better than that amazing cake recipe! Thank you!
Thank you again for such a great story. I’d really love to hear about the first trip you and Joe made to England, with nieces and nephews? Have a fantastic trip over seas. Please post lots of details, I’m trying to convince my daughter and husband to go to Scotland next spring break so I’m really looking forward to your upcoming posts.
Thank you for another lovely blog. 💜💟
a lovely post with lots of info that was new to me…hail to ms potter! just last month i turned over the little books to my daughter for her safekeeping now…such treasures far beyond any monetary legacy! and ms puddleduck? oooo she is adorable!
So glad that you love England and Beatrix Potter.I do too.
Article you may enjoy reading: BBC Britain The Hidden Adult Themes in Beatrix Potter. She was one smart cookie!
Thank you, Claudia. I’m going to have to try to get a copy of that article
Ahhh…you are home now for a while. I love this post and I also have loved Ms. Potter for a very long time, back to my childhood. Have fun at her party!
Oh, Dear Susan, you make me laugh, you make me cry. I am from England. My sister lives in Yorkshire and visits the Lake District a couple of times a year. I haven’t been home in two years since losing my youngest son there, my family came to see me here in USA. Now getting up the courage to fly across the pond again. Thank you for all your stories of England and your lovely pictures and for everything, and for who you are, and for what you do, and for all the comfort and joy you bring to millions. Like Beatrix Potter you are a National Treasure. 💕
Oh thank you so much Elaine. Let your home country wrap its historical arms around you and smother your pain with the fragrance of hedgerows and the song of wood pigeons. Only to a point though, because I know now, it will never go completely away. And you wouldn’t want it to. Sending love.
Bless your heart, Elaine! My heart goes out to you xoxo
What lovely words, Elaine
You are so right. Susan is a National Treasure!!!
Susan, what a nice tribute to Beatrix Potter. She has been my favorite writer and illustrator of children’s books since I was was 4 years old! Beatrix was a remarkable woman.
I, too, have loved Beatrix Potter for a long time. I have a few books about her, but not the ones you mentioned. I’m off on a search for them. Thanks for posting about her life. Isn’t it wonderful? And for posting about your family reunion, too. Enjoy being home!
Thanks you so much Susan for sharing about your wonderful family reunion in Colorado. It looked lovely and so special! And thank you for letting us know about Beatrix Potter’s birthday today! She has always been a favorite but reading about your trip in A Fine Romance brought her life and country to life. Your books and blog posts always bring joy to my days. Thanks for sharing with all of us and blessing us through your words, drawings, and photos! And it was great fun meeting you in Pasadena this summer! (I just wish I had known what you had been going through so I could have given you a big hug. My condolences on losing your dear dad.)
Home Sweet Home! Nothing like it. Now for some kitty time …. Love Beatrix Potter’s drawings….. The figurine of Jemima. Puddle duck is so cute…and to think you had it all these years. Love the pics of your trip.
Welcome Home! What a wonderful family vacation/reunion you all had in beautiful Colorado. We have a favorite Colorado town we like to visit every year, too. There is just something about that mountain air that makes us feel younger, smarter and healthier, too! 😉 Hope you have a great August, catch your breath from all the traveling and then get ready to go again…and take us with you! You are so sweet to share your life and adventures, thank you!
Susan, thanks for sharing your life with us. I enjoyed reading about the time you spent with your lovely family! What a wonderful way to honor the memory of your father.
Thank you dear Susan for your posts! Always so uplifting! Remembering B. Potter on her birthday.
Thank you for the updates and pictures! Family is the best gathering of all! I loved seeing the Lake District and the place where Beatrix Potter lived. I would love to be entered in the contest too! I enjoy your blog so much, Susan.
Sandy
So happy to finally meet you in Iowa!! Wouldn’t it be grand to have met Beatrix! Thanks for “taking us along” on your trip to the Lake District. Looking forward to your next visit to England❤️
Years ago, when my kids were small, we read all the Beatrix Potter stories and fell in love with them. Even now, I love to go back and just feast on the beautiful illustrations and imagine walking through those landscapes. So it was complete happiness to follow along with you on your visit to England. I am really looking forward to your next journey. Thank you for sharing your joy!
I would love to win the drawing – what a great prize! Thanks for the chance.
So very sorry for your loss. My Dad died last Sept at 89 after a fall and broken hip. I miss him every day as I’m sure you miss your dad. It’s always too soon. Hugs.
I share your love for Beatrix Potter and have gathered many books related to her work and life over the years, including one on her magnificent paintings of fungi and one on the ballet created around her characters. I don’t have the walks yet, but it will be the next one on my list, whether I win the drawing or not!
Thanks for sharing with us all of the treasures you’ve found in your life!
Always love entering your drawings! It’s exciting to see whose name gets drawn. Thank you for your lovely books, blog, newsletter & beautiful calendars & more.
Thank you, Susan for sharing your thoughts and stories. Makes me want to meet you some day. Maybe you’ll get back to Texas soon. Look forward to your next adventure.
I have a home in Brewster MA, but sadly I am in CA, where I live the other half of my life in lovely San Franciso so I will miss your visit to the Brewster Ladies Library. So, I signed up my sweet sister Gale and her darling friend Lori ( who live in Brewster) to join you and I am thrilled they will join you today…and jealous! I know it will be a delightful celebration.
I love Beatrix Potter and have all the books from my childhood and my children’s too. Now, I am going to plan a visit to Hilltop Farm and walk the walk for my 65th birthday 🙂
LOVE everything in your post. So happy you have this big , wonderful family to share your memories of your father. I was an only child and parents passed many years ago. Enjoyed all your comments on Beatrix. I collect her animal friends also. My latest is a knitting pig since I just took up knitting. My oldest one is 1951. Currently reading “Beatrix Potter’s Gardening Life” . I read Beatrix to my grandson. Tried to get my kids to name new baby Beatrix but it did not happen. So happy you are home now. Great to travel but so nice to come home.
Hi Susan! My best bud, Bette, and I were so honored to meet you in Asheville, NC. You and your family have been on my mind and in my prayers whilst you were away celebrating your dad. Thanks for the link to the Croll Cabins! We have a large family too, but are all on the east coast. But I will put the website out there to our family to see if this might be our next place to gather. It’s perfectly PERFECT for us! So glad you are home and seeing your kitties and looking forward to your next trip across the pond. And I am looking forward to your next book!
What a wonderful vacation/reunion. The benefits of a big family, I am so jealous! Beautiful spot to vacation.
Beautiful tribute to Beatrix Potter!
Your photos make me want to go back & visit England. 🙂
The Tale of Peter Rabbit was the very first book I checked out with my very first public library card! I was in first grade and so proud of that library card! I checked out that book over and over! Beatrix Potter turned me into a life-long reader. Glad to know there are so many lovers of Beatrix out in the wonderful world!!
Love B.Potter critters and enjoy your emails.
I love Beatrix Potter! The Lake District looks beautiful!
Sweet Susan,
YOU are my Beatrix Potter!!
love you like butter (that’s my nickname for my grandson). Can’t wait
for your fall trip. Blessings to you and Joe.
Such a beautiful and healing trip…and a great family… I hope that you’ll blog about your train travel, I’ve always wanted to go by train (one of my favorite movies is “North by Northwest”). I’ve been water coloring and coloring up a storm to do a little healing of my own, great therapy! Have you ever considered creating an adult coloring book? Also, I would love to go hiking in Beatrix Potter Land…hope I win the drawing, but if I don’t, I’ll just have to wait for your future blogs when you get there in the fall…after the big party for Joe “when I’m 64″…will Paul McCartney be invited? LOL! Take care and enjoy your home, walks and those ever so cute kitties!
I just love the Beatrix Potter movie it is one of my favorites I watch it quite often. It is such a sweet and wonderful movie! We need more of those! She was a wonderful woman and her love of nature great more should be written about her and what she did for the lake district! way before her time bravo Beatrix! Love you cabin pic it reminds me of my Aunt Laura’s cabin in Elk Rapid MI I went to every Summer you cant beat the old ones. Wish I had a Pi tire of the inside of her old kitchen a true country kitchen!
I have enjoyed all 3 of your latest books. I have owned your recipe books for many years. Your artwork is beautiful and makes every page that more enjoyable to read. I spent time on Martha’s Vineyard a number of years ago travelling with my mother. We both fell in love with the island; mum has since passed away and the memories of our time there are still very special to me. Such a long way from Australia but will be back to visit again soon. My grandchildren are all lovers of books and I read Beatrix Potter to them regularly. We have a homewares store near our home called Puddleduck Lane and a sweet customer gifted them her Jemima, she sits proudly on a shelf in the store.
How lovely is the picture of the moon on the lake. A busy time with family and quiet time to rest and remember. How I love your posts like a visit from a best friend. Happy birthday Beatrix Potter! I think I’ll watch Miss Potter today to celebrate. I would love the books and figurine but I bet you will miss Jemima Puddleduck.
Whew! Now the world is right again! New blog from Susan Branch! I also am a Beatrix Potter fan-a-tic. I collect her books more than her figurines & can find the most scrumptious first editions at library book sales for next to nothing, believe it or not. They all have been well loved & are falling apart, & I feel it’s my duty (& joy!) to bring them back to life. I place them carefully on my bookshelf~ & that’s the first thing any little ones spot right away when they visit Auntie for tea! So glad you & Joe are home safe & sound. XOX
Those cabins looked amazing! Thank you for the post – the cake looks delickity. I read the Beatrix Potter bio after you talked about it a year or so ago. Her scientific writings were amazing. Such a shame they were ignored, but lucky us, that she decided to write her bunny books!
Thank you for taking the time to do your amazing blog.
Remember a wonderful movie with dancers portraying the characters in
Beatrix Potter’s books.
What a wonderful reunion!! I would love to win the book, have some tea cake and a cup of tea and be transported to the lake country 😍
I also started my Beatrix Potter collection in the 70’s, on my first trip to London! Your reunion sounded heavenly! How wonderful to be part of a large family. Thank you so much for sharing!
Welcome home! Good to hear that you are home safe and sound! Thank you for the lovely post! Happy Birthday Ms. Potter!
Susan, I was on your lovely island in June and even tho it was a short visit, I soon appreciated your love for your home. On returning home, I ordered some of the toile that you designed from Spoonflower. I’m going to make table runners out of it and share with my best friend who was on the trip with me.
So glad that your family could gather at such a lovely place to remember your father. It had to help with the healing.
Oh Susan! When I read your blogs I feel so touched…it’s like I know you and am a good friend. You really send love through your words…and your charmed life ( I know it’s not ALWAYS charming ;0) ) that you share with us. Thank you for being you…
Dear Susan,
Thank you for creating and sharing the best bits of life and love! I return to your books when I need solace and peace.
xxoo
Thank you..thank you for all of the Beatrix Potter goodies. Got to have that book! I’m glad you made it home safe!
If it weren’t going to be 103 degrees today I’d be making some cranberry tea cake to celebrate Beatrix! I may have to anyway. How can you bear to part with Jemima Puddleduck? We’ve visited the Lake District and Beatrix Potter’s Hilltop Farm twice but I’d go back a hundred more times if I could. Our favorite place to stay is the Old Vicarage in Ambleside. Helen and Ian are so welcoming! Will you tell us your itinerary before you travel to England? I can’t wait to hear all about your newest adventure!
I’ve been telling my husband about you for years now. The other day he said,”don’t you wish that she and Joe lived next-door?” YES I do!
Hi Susan!
Looks like you had a lovely vacation with your family. Besides meeting you, which was at the top of my bucket list, I have always wanted to go to the Lake District and see the wonderful, time-stands-still place where Beatrix Potter lived.
The book – and the fabulous Jemima Puddleduck would be a wonderful addition to my bookcase. Thank you for the opportunity to try to win!
Sending you Peace, Comfort and Love,
Nancy 🙂
What a fun family trip in a beautiful part of the country! I was happy to see another blog come through my in-box!! It always inspires me to keep on keeping on and doing the little things that make life special! Excited you are going back to England this fall…looking forward to exploring it through your trip. Fall might be my favorite season of the year if I had to pick one (although there is something I love about each one). Have fun celebrating Beatrix Potter’s bday today!
Can’t wait until this afternoon and your reading at the Brewster Ladies Library! Happy birthday Beatrice!
Best wishes
Holly
h a p p y birthday Beatrix x-x-x-x
and thank you, dear Susan, for reminding us!
Sooooo grateful you are in the world, too *.*
100 cups of sugary love
teri
Summer days by the lake = magic! Lovely post! And hearty HBD to the wonderful Ms. Potter! Cheers, Ben
Wonderful to ‘hear’ your voice in a new post. So glad you enjoyed a wonderful family reunion. Meeting you and Joe in Austin was such a treat! Love your books and this blog. Thank you for sharing your gift with the world.
Darling Susan,
So happy for you to be home to restore your heart and soul at the unhurried and comfortable pace that feels just right (with just a few off-island jaunts, but still very close to Home Sweet Home). xoxo Didi from Colorado
p.s. Happy Early Birthday to Sweet Gentleman Joe
Your blog posts and newsletters are always such a joy to read and a feast for the eyes! I love how you talk about Beatrix Potter today, and I see how she has been an inspiration for you. Thank you for the link to the movie, I didn’t know about that one and I’ll try to find it somewhere so I can watch it!
Your extended family seems wonderful and it is great that you are all able to gather and enjoy the love and happiness!
I love your blog – I shared this with my co-workers this morning. It is a most interesting and amazing life that she lead and she left us with such wonderful stories. One day my grandchildren will be old enough to listen to them and I will tell them all about her Ms. Potter thanks to you. Pleas send that bunny to live with me for he will be passed down to another generation when it is time.
Big HELLO to the co-workers!📢 xoxo
A lovely post, as usual. 🙂 And a ray of sunshine on this dark, rainy day!
I’ve read these books to 2 generations of children now. Visited Hilltop a few years ago when my husband was studying another Lake District Brit. As a result had many visits to the land of Beatrix Potter, Wordsworth and Charlotte Mason. Would love to follow her walks.
Love the little Beatrix figurines 🙂 Sometimes when I look at the one’s on my windowsill I think… that’s silly to have these, but then I think…well Susan Branch has them on Her windowsill and then I think…then it’s OK 🙂 just be silly. Thank You !
They cheer me every day, so there’s nothing TOO silly about that! xoxo
So glad you had such a good time at the family get together. Lovely post, as always. I’m definitely going to have to try that cake, looks yummy, will have to blow the diet for a day 🙂 .
Happy Birthday to Beatrix. 150 years old but ageless.
Sounds like you had a wonderful time with your family. I am very happy for you.
I have always had a love for Beatrix Potter books. What a great prize to win.
Thank you.
Can’t wait for the Beatrix Potter birthday party this afternoon just down the street from my house! I have always been a fan of Beatrix Potter (and you!) and years ago bought a book with what are supposed to be reproductions of some of her letters and drawings. She was not only creative and scientific but was one of the first women able to handle the business and publishing world on her own. Loved the movie about her which I saw in the old Nickelodeon Theater in Falmouth, MA which no longer exists. Every Easter, my daughter makes me a basket with a Beatrix Potter character in it! Thanks for sharing your visit to her farm with us and sharing pictures to bring it to life for us!
I just love all of her little characters they make me smile.
Hi Susan!
My condolences on the loss of your father, losing a parent is really hard, I lost my mom in 2009 and I still haven’t gotten over it. I love getting your emails, they brighten me right up! I just printed your Cranberry Tea Cake recipe and can’t wait to bake and taste it! I believe I will take the cake when it’s done to my sister’s house and share it! They love all Susan Branch things as much as I do! Thank you so much for sharing it with us!
Have a blessed day!
Happy birthday, Beatrix. I love how you make everything a celebration. Glad your reunion was so much fun for you and yours.
You inspired me to start collecting Beatrix Potter figurines a couple of years
ago. I have them in a spot where I can enjoy them every day. Thank you for
all of your inspirations!
Godspeed to your daddy Jack! You gave him the best party.
It’s remembering the best parts that gets you through -the pain wears away
some after awhile. . . .
Looking forward to going on your trip with you and Joe in Autumn. It will
help you and the rest of us who have lost someone dear lately. Thanks for all you do for us!! Peggy in Madison Wi
Susan, I spent the evening last night reading all,of your last two e-mails. I was in heaven with every word. I never tire of anything you do or say, all the way back to my very first printed WILLARD. So thank you once again for all the words and photos, and drawings all this who know me continue to think we are like clones of each other as we are sooooo much alike. More and more I think they may be right 😊. I think it is time once again for me to sit with my pen and brushes to write and bring you up to date on this GIRLFREIND. Till I locate your SNAILMAIL address keep on doing what you are so good at……..the joy you bring is breathtaking!!!!
Dear Susan,
I am celebrating Beatrix’s birthday this morning, drinking tea out of my Jeremy Fisher cup and saucer. Her life was remarkable, especially given women weren’t expected to accomplish anything, and in fact were discouraged from attempting to do so.
Your books and art remind me of her in many ways. And having read your books, it seems to me that you had difficulties and doubts to overcome, too. I am so grateful you did and have given us your art and books and the blog bringing us all together. From one of your many fans, thank you.
Thank you, as always, for your sharing.
We all are blessed to have you to inspire us to appreciate our family, friends and home.
Lovely post, dear Sue! Ooooo! Love the book! And, I must say, Jemima Puddleduck would be quite happy here at the Outpost. With my birthday on Sunday, it would be perfect timing to be chosen to have this wonderful gift! Thanks for always taking us along on your adventures!
Miss you.
xo peg
Happy Birthday Sunday Peg!!! 💟🎂🎈👑 XOXO
What a generous giveaway! So glad you were able to enjoy family time in such a beautiful spot. Wishing you peace and comfort in the many happy memories of your dad. I met you at the FOGT reunion in 2014, which took place over Father’s Day weekend that year, the first one since my own much loved dad died. One of the reasons my mom and I attended was to create a happy memory instead of focusing on our loss. You were, of course, wonderful, so thank you for that Saturday and so many other things.
Thank you for your wonderful blogs! They make me smile. I’m looking forward to “Heart of the Home”. I missed it the first time around. Enjoy August!!
Donna
I love reading about Beatrix Potter. Read her books to my children when they were little and then to my grandboys.
I LOVE the bunny books!! I read them to my children and I am now introducing them to my granddaughter. I also discovered several years ago a series of Peter Rabbit & Friends videos that my granddaughter and I love to watch. They are very well made.
Thanks for the giveaway!
Welcome home, Susan! Glad you had a wonderful time with family in Colorado.
Beatrix Potter inspired me to become a children’s librarian as well as a writer of children’s stories. One of my manuscripts, “The Tip of the Tale,” won first place in a state writers’ contest. I am on the search for a publisher or agent. Please wish me luck!
Someday I would love to visit Hilltop Farm. It is on my bucket list.
Suzanne, Congratulations and good luck!!! We are all pulling for you.
Love, The Girlfriends
Thank you, Charissa! I appreciate the love and good luck from The Girlfriends.
Do let us know when you find a publisher xoxo
I am shocked and flattered as a fan that you are giving away Jemima Puddleduck! I hope I win her (will take good care of her) along with the Beatrix Potter book. I will take it along to do the walking tour when I visit England!
I am one of the four Carr sisters who read your book to each other during our “Sisters Week” last spring.
What fun! Our daughter shares a birthday with Miss Potter. One cannot imagine a more appropriate birth saint, as Emily lives on and cares for a farm owned by a school district. Food from the farm feeds students in the public schools. Wouldn’t Miss Potter be chuffed? Lovely gifts you’re offering. How can you part with them?
Chuffed indeed! 💞
What does chuffed mean?
I adore all things Beatrix Potter – and Susan Branch! Thanks, Susan for entering me in your drawing.
lovely pic of the Herdwick sheep in the hiking trail book!. The Herdwick Breeders’ Association is celebrating their centenary this year as well! So happy birthday Beatrix, welcome home Susan!
Susan, It’s always a special day when your e-mail arrives. Makes me feel good all day. Enjoy the rest of the summer on the Island and rest up for your next trip.
I LOVE YOU!!! Yes, I will admit that I loved you from afar many years, after discovering your first cookbook. I own them all as well as all of your books. I have gotten many girlfriends hooked on “you” also! I am also a Beatrix Potter fan of many years. There is just something so sweet, simple and whimsical about her artwork and the adorable figurines. I often think about finding a Peter Rabbit figurine since I have a Peter Rabbit that visits my garden every morning. I even had to rescue him from a fox one time!! Can’t wait to see what you bring us next!
Oh goodie another post from Susan! It just delights me to find that in my email feed. I loved this post Susan(truthfully I love them all) because we began a collection for my firstborn the day she was born and my mother had so much fun adding to the collection.
Loved your family reunion!!
Lynn
I’m from Texas and just looking at this beautiful lake makes me much cooler!! And I never knew some of the info on Beatrix Potter. Thank you, and thank you for your blog. It brightens my days!!!
Thank you for all the joy you bring to my very hectic life! Your blogs calm my spirit and bring a sense of peace to the end of my day! Erin in Alaska
Love your posts. Thank you for the Cranberry Tea Cake recipe. My family loves cranberries. I do so enjoy the little figurines, I keep an eye out for them in any flea markets I visit.
Hello Dear Susan, I see from twitter that you are on your way to Beatrix’s birthday party!! So many girlfriends will be there excited to greet you. I know I was one of them in Wilmette this spring. I was floating on air afterward and a few days later at Study Club, I couldn’t stop sharing about you. Well, have fun today, then a safe trip home again!!
It looks like you had wonderful family time! Glad you are back home with your furry family. It is so much fun to remember Beatrix’s birthday with such a lovely give away; please enter me. I look forward to your future posts as you prepare for England. I would love to go when I retire : )
Dear Susan,
Heartfelt condolences to you and your lovely family, at the passing of your Dad. I send my love to you…
Happy Birthday Beatrice! She’s an inspiration!
I will be joining the Beatrice Potter Society…
Have a lovely day!
Wendy