Hello darling Girlfriends . . . I just wanted to do a quick update so you can see why you haven’t been hearing from me! Today is Joe’s 64th Birthday🎈 and we will be celebrating this afternoon with about a hundred of his nearest and dearest friends, we’re going to let him know that we will still need him, we will still feed him, even though, he’s 64 . . . So we’ve been keeping ourselves very busy getting ready!
Old friends have come from far and wide ~ we’ve been planning this party since last January ~ and even invited everyone before we went on our cross-country book tour, but with everything that’s happened in these last months, the actual organization part was put off until maybe these last two weeks, but even so, the tent showed up right on time . . . we have lots of tables ~ I’ve been cooking, and today we 
decorate! Party starts at 4:30 pm. The man bringing the music system comes at noon, the birthday cake (to serve 100, three tiers, coconut lemon cake) comes at 4pm … I spent all day yesterday with three of my dearest girlfriends making a playlist for the party!!! 🎵 🎶 It was SO MUCH FUN. We included my Dad and had Tennessee Waltz on the list, and for about 4 hours, we sang along 
with the songs, decided whether they should make the cut, said yes or vetoed, and jumped for joy when we remembered the perfect song… like this one MUSICA … we chose a mixture of 70s and 40s musica from Dancing Queen to I Only Want to Be with You, plus La Vie en Rose, and Fly Me to the Moon ~ my niece Holly has already requested I send the list to her …. We hope singing and dancing will break out all over! It’s a once-in-every-15-years-type-party to celebrate Joe with all our good friends ~ actually, the last time we did a party like this was for his 40th birthday! But this boy deserved a party, and anyway . . .
⬆️ This was dinner last night . . . There’s Diana from California on the left (BFF from Martha’s Vineyard Isle of Dreams), our dear old friend Peggy, then Paul, of “Rachel-from-England-fame,” then Elaine (BFF who hired me to work in the record department in Fairy Tale Girl in 1971), then Rachel herself, then darling Bob, Peggy’s husband, and then Siobhan, from England (from that adorable stone cottage in A Fine Romance). So this was a fairy tale dinner . . . 💞 with the freshest farm-stand corn that just jumped off the cob, and with people who love to sing over dessert!🎵
⬅️ Remember cute English Paul? He calls Vineyard Haven, “Haven,” and Cape Cod, “Cod.” We love him. This little portrait was HIS birthday surprise last year . . . . 🎁
Here’s Ray and I . . . pen pals is how we met, she in England🇬🇧, me in America🇺🇸 …. she’s 20 years younger than me ~ we’re going to England to celebrate her 50th 🎂 this fall ~ a few years ago, Ray and I discovered that we both wrote to Queen Elizabeth when we were children, AND we both got letters back from the same Lady-in-Waiting to the Queen (the longest serving Lady-in-Waiting in history) …. 20 years apart!!! Now this is a friendship that was meant to be.💕
So now I must go . . . so much to do, but I had to let you know what was going on so you wouldn’t think I was just ignoring you!!! Never! XOXOXO
Have a wonderful day! 💛
Hello Susan & a very Happy Birthday to Joe! He’s much too young looking & handsome for 64!Have a wonderful time today.
You have mastered the art of fully enjoying life on planet earth!
Happy birthday to Joe! You have an infectious personality that makes people want to dance and sing! I’m singing!
😍
Thank you for sharing your plans for today…sounds like a wonderful party. Happy birthday Joe and many more. You two are the best!
Happy, happy birthday, Joe. Enjoy your party.
Looks like tremendous fun. I hope you all have a wonderful time!
Ever since I read your post about an hour and a half ago, I can’t stop thinking about it as I go about my Sunday afternoon puttering. Oh, to be invited to a party like yours for Joe! Perfection! Or your dinner with friends the night before in the pretty dining room of your beautiful, charming, elegant and grand, yet cozy and welcoming, LOVELY home. I admire how you forge ahead, determined to be happy…as dear & upbeat Blog Daddy would want you to be…enjoying Joe’s birthday and looking forward to the big Scotland trip (which simply MUST BE another book from you, Susan, along with the Home book discussed by the girlfriends here on the last post…and anything else you/we can think of from you, if you’re willing!!). Next week, coincidentally, my husband also turns age 64…and he’s never better or more handsome or more loved than he is right now, this very minute, by me. The beard is no longer dark brown but instead gray-white…d’ya think I care one bit? Heck no! 6’2″ with a bad back but he keeps on moving, standing lean & tall, still working full-time and darn busy. (And he’s got all his hair! 28 years later, I still love that abundant, curly head of hair!)
My biggest inspiration from you is to make a choice to be happy, to have courage, to go ahead and take some risks, to be loving and forgiving…both to myself and others. And to make my surroundings comfortable, familiar, gracious and appealing, inside and out. I aspire to these things…an ongoing effort wherever I hang my hat, opting for delightfulness, as you have so instructed us with your heart and art. I have read most all of your books over and over again. I’ve also loved reading about your life; the ‘journey’. You’ve made it a good one for yourself, jumping over the inevitable hurdles, back on your feet; thriving. A successful life for which you should feel satisfied and proud. And I don’t mean just the success career-wise, but in all other aspects as well. I’m so looking forward to fall/winter/spring with you at home on the Vineyard, finally landing for awhile after all of your travels, tucking in with the cats, Joe, warm blanket throws, a fire in the fireplace, something wonderful cooking in the oven. I hope, without a lot of deadlines, you can fully relax and watch the snowflakes flutter. Your words here on the blog, your soulful and kind readers, your illustrations…it all gives me much solace and enjoyment. I can’t thank you enough for sharing and spreading the joy. Sending my best from Southern California…we’re fairly warm but not ultra hot today (staying in the high 80s, 15 miles inland; for some reason, we’ve cooled off early today?!); the kids have started school already. (So weird to me…remember in ‘the old days’ when, in these parts, school didn’t really get off the ground til after Admission Day, Sept 9? My family often got a beach house for the last two weeks of August; we’d still be on barefoot vacation when, now, the poor kids are already back in shoes and backpacks!). The subtle Calif autumn will be upon us soon; the nights are getting shorter. Thanks for indulging my wordiness today; just feel’in the love…
Dear Susan and Joe,
Beautiful weather, beautiful tents, beautiful food, beautiful music, beautiful people, beautiful birthday celebration! Happy, happy, happy day, Dear Joe!
Have fun,
Jean
Happy, Happy Birthday Joe! A person is a lucky one to be able to snag an invitation to THAT party! Fun and merriment for sure! Enjoy! 🙂
Happy Birthday Joe!!! It’s going to be a wonderful party and I’m going to watch the clock all night to try to imagine all the fun had by everyone……..and Susan, you took the time to blog today with all that you had to do – you are just amazing!!!! Love, love, love fun times! xoxo
Happy Happy Birthday Joe! Shake your booty all night long!!!!!🎂
Yay for Joe, the birthday chap!
Lovely, lovely! So fun to see everyone we’ve read about and dear Rachel & Paul from England!! Please tell Joe Happy Birthday from the “born & bred” Reading, Mass. Girl with mutual friends Livingstone family (one in my H.S. Class!). We talked about this in OK City @ AFR book signing!! 🙂 Anyway, have a wonderfully smashing time, and if one of the Livingstone’s from Reading shows up give them my RHS regards!!! 🙂 xoxo
What a treat, to be privy to all of this playful prep! Thank you so much for sharing, Susan…and Happy Birthday, Joe!!🎈🎈🎩🎂🍾!!
Happy Birthday to Joe! He is such a lucky fella! Eat a piece of cake for me, it sounds delish!
Birthday blessings to Joe and all the special celebrants! Sing and dance the day and night away! Eat and enjoy with love, hugs, and smiles😍🎂🎉❤️
I am so excited for the party!!! Happy Birthday to Joe—I know it’s going to be so delightful!! Take lots of pictures—bring us along….and hug Ray for me!!! You introduced me to Rachel and I love her—what a sweetie—
This sounds all so exciting! I can’t wait for all of the stories that will go along with this big celebration!! We are washing windows! And, scraping paint off of them and hanging a new blind, and picking a few apples that are coming around to being perfect. Lovely ‘at home’ things and we’re basking in all of it! I checked your weather—you’re HOT!! Oh goodness……….make extra iced tea!
OK, fun for all…..Love to Joe and Blessed Birthday wishes for him!!
XOXO
Joann in CO
Happy Birthday, Joe. It sounds like a totally wonderful, fun-filled birthday party. Enjoy!
Happy Birthday to Joe!!! He’s definitely a keeper. 🙂
Hi to you and all the friends from Margot at the Door. A lovely day for a birthday party!
Happy Birthday, Joe! And happy celebration to you and all of your friends, Susan. It sounds wonderful!
Oh happy weekend with all your friends there to share it with and Happy, Happy Birthday to your guardian angel, Joe Hall, with all his friends there to help celebrate. I hope the cake arrived perfectly and I think all the girlfriends would agree with me in that I certainly would love to see a video of this birthday celebration with the most wonderful Fairy Tale couple I know.
Happiest of birthday wishes to Joe, a.k.a “the loved one” at our house!! And Susan, what better gift than the love and good wishes of friends and family. May you have hours of joy and laughter.
Susan in Spokane
Happy Birthday to Joe! Enjoy the fu .
We have only just begun!
Karen Carpenter
Happy Birthday, Joe! You were so darling talking to us in Pasadena! Wishing you and your ‘Susie’ a great celebration of YOU today. And, a fun adventure in just a bit.
Susan, I LOVE the tents! What a celebration with love, friends and great planning.
Enjoy every minute!
Melin
xoxo
Beautiful party , Happy Birthday Joe!
Well, today is my 62nd birthday! A fellow Leo!! Hope he has a wonderful birthday and a great year ahead!
Happy Birthday Joe! It sure sounds as if you are in for a wonderful party! Enjoy!!
What a darling tent Sue! Happy Birthday to your Sweet Pea!
Very Happy Birthday Joe! Have a blast…
What fun!!! Happy Birthday, Joe, and all of you have the best time ever!
Happy birthday to Joe!!! I hope you guys have a smashing time!
Happy birthday, Joe. May you have a most blessed day!!
PS Did you let him know that you still love and need him now that he is 64!?
Happy Birthday Joe!! Have a great time at your party. I know there will be lots of great food and drink. Many more happy years.
I’m reading this just as the party is starting. The story gives ma a visual of an event to end all events for a 64th birthday party. Recalling my 65th one in May makes me long for a rerun. Oh to be a fly on the wall at your party, with all the lovely decorations and attention to all the finest details, would be great. Unless someone was close by with a fly swatter lol. Hope you all have the grandest time and enjoy all the wonderful fruits of your labor in preparations for today. Thinking of your topping it off with that luscious lemon coconut cake makes me drool all over my keyboard. Happy Birthday to your Joe.
Hope you have a wonderful birthday evening with good weather and a little cool breeze! What were you serving in those pretty little bowls on the table….looked like a chilled strawberry soup! I’m nosy! ☺️
Gazpacho!
Hap-Hap-Happy Birthday to Joe! You look as though you are all submerged in love, good friends, good food, and good times. That is the Absolute Best!
We wish Joe many happy returns of the day!
xoxox
Gabi and Rick
Oh my goodness this is so exciting!!! Happiest Birthday to Joe!!! This weekend looks like one he will never forget! So nice to see all your fairytale characters come to life in your own dining room!! smile~ I read something on Twitter about Paul and I thought could it be Rachel’s Paul?? Guess I should have read more and I would have known… I can not wait to hear more about this birthday weekend and the wonderful time all of you are having!!
Blessings…and a big birthday ((hug)) to Joe!!
Gert
Sounds so wonderful, please post the playlist..as it sounds like our kind of music! Happy birthday to your fabulous hubby and many more blessings ! Sheila ( we met in Denver at the tattered cover)
Happy Birthday, Joe! Enjoy your special day! The cake sounds yummy! How wonderful to spend the day with family and friends! The best of everything and many blessings, Karen 😊🎂🎶🎉☀️🚢
What a happy celebration with wonderful friends from all over! And the cake sounds divine. Hope you will send a picture!
Happy Birthday, Joe.
Hello Susan, It looks like the planning stages of Joes birthday party looks like a lot of fun and memories in the making. Enjoy your evening as you celebrate 64 for Joe!
You’re in the swing of things right this minute as I wish Joe a very Happy Birthday and healthy year of fun and adventures and special quite moments with you. My smile can’t seem to stop as I imagine being there to watch the joy of it all from afar. Thank you for another peek at bliss.
Happy, happy birthday to handsome Joe! What a beautiful birthday table! Have a wonderful celebration! Wish I could be there to sing and dance along to that birthday music song list! I’miss sure it’S all the best music ever! 🎁🎉🎂
Happy Birthday Dear Joe! So happy you found each other!
It has added such fun to my life to participate in your
Adventures! It was so nice meeting you in May!
Adorable !!
Enjoy the PARTY!
I thought of you last night, while waiting in line to see Paul McCartney I turned to my Aunt Cindi and said, “Remember Susan sneaking off to see the Beatles?” And she replied, “Yes! And to see John naked!”
It was a wonderful concert and so good for my soul.
Thank you for sharing the preparation for the party, and don’t forget to show us some photos of the festivities, please?
My children would get balloons filled with helium at restaurants and often tied notes with their name our address to them before setting them a sail. Our youngest daughter got a reply and enjoyed a pen pal relationship for the longest time with the woman who found her note. So sweet, and a dear memory. How wonderful to have maintained your friendship with that pen pal of yours.❤️
Happy Birthday, Joe!! It sounds like the party will be so much fun. Have a wonderful time.
It is always wonderful to celebrate! Happy Birthday to Joe!
Patti
HAPPY BIRTHDAY . Joe .
Happy Birthday to Darling Joe and happy party to everyone.
Happy Birthday Joe!!
I just finished Fairy Tale Girl & Isle of Dreams. I loved them – was sad when they ended! You are so gifted Susan! Many blessings to you & Joe!
Have a wonderful time & send Best Wishes for a Happy Birthday to Joe!
My best wishes to Joe, for the happiest birthday celebration ever!
Happy Birthday to Joe! Now I know why the President and his family came to MarthasVineyard! 🙂
Have the best birthday ever.
Happy Birthday Joe!
A special party for a special person. It all sounds perfectly delightful. The coconut cake sounds heavenly. Thankyou for sharing your plans they are always so inspirational. It sounds like a real memory maker; enjoy each moment.
Happy Summer,
Anne
Happy Happy Birthday Joe!
Happy Birthday to Joe! May your celebration be filled with laughter, good friends, yummy food and a beautiful day on the Vineyard. Best wishes and Good Health for the coming year.
Happy Birthday to Joe! Sounds like a marvelous party! (My husband, Ron, turned 70 yesterday. We had a lovely dinner out. Obviously, good men are born in August.)
Have a wonderful celebration!
It sounds absolutely lovely! Happy Birthday to Joe!
I hope your day is wonderful, and with the party, how could it not be? A perfect idea for what I hope is a perfect day.
How wonderful to be part of your pre party celebrations! Looks like it’s going to be a great time. Very big Happy Birthday to Joe! Making very special memories , to write about in the future, maybe! Enjoy all you friends and family around at this special time.
😘🎂🍰🍷🎉🍰🍧
Gill from UK xxxxx
Happy Birthday to Joe! He is a very special gentleman and I know you count your blessings everyday. Would love to have a slice of the coconut cake with lemon filling – yum! Hope you are not experiencing the 110 degree heat index that we have here~
Hot humid, but a good breeze, and a beautiful moon.
Happy, Happy Birthday to Joe! Your party planning looks like SOOO much fun! And to have your favourite people around the table with you.
It’s the stuff of fairy tales, but it’s all true and wonderful and amazing.
Thanks so much for taking time to share a glimpse of this very special event.
Again, Happy Birthday Joe!! And many mo-mo-more!
Hugs,
Bren
xox
Happy Party Day!!! I know Joe will savor the attention (because he is a LEO, and that’s what we do!) What a wonderful time to be alive! Eat,toast, hug, drink and sing your way into a new birthday year! Please share the play list when you can. I’m sure your favs are my favs.
Oh Joe, you are one lucky fellow, 64 is a great birthday, even the Beatles sang about it, you are about to have a wonderful party, surrounded by all your friends from far and near and the very best wife ever. Enjoy!!!!!
Party On! You 2 Rock n’ Roll like no other! What a kick off to a Grand Adventure Fall! I’m singing along already. Love to All there! Party the Sun to bed and wake her up in the morning!
Sounds like a wonderful time – I hope the weather is cooler there than elsewhere on the East coast! I’d love to have a copy of that playlist too! Maybe you could post it sometime, pretty please?? Happy Birthday, Joe!!
Happy birthday Joe! Celebrate! Partaay! It sure looks like it will be a fun and festive time. Love the tents! Thanks for sharing the “before”. Please share the “after”…Happy birthday!!!!
Happy, happy birthday to Joe and Happy party to all attending. I believe my money would be on your group to throw the party of the summer. Have the best time and dance responsibly!!
Happy Birthday Joe,
I share your special day. Today is my 56th. Looks like a wonderful party is in store for you. GOD bless.
Lisa
Happy 64th and to a marvelous meal and joyful evening with all your dear friends and family. Keep us girlfriends a taste of the birthday cake and we will help Joe blow out the candles…..
Happy birthday to Joe! Wishing you all a grand time celebrating together. Yeah for friends!!! God bless you, Susan and Joe!
Sandy Schmidt
Happy Birthday Joe from the Bluegrass of KY! Love your dear island and can only imagine the love that surrounds you and all of your dear friends. What a special place to celebrate. Susan, please share your playlist with us. Your choice of music is almost as magical as your art.
I’m going to see if I can figure out how to share the playlist . . . stay tuned!
That would be wonderful, Susan! Thank you! xo
I would love to see the playlist, too. Thanks. on advance, for sharing.
Yay!!! 🙂 🙂
Celebrate good times! Have a fantastic birthday Joe and many more!! Wow that’s a big big party!!!!
Hello…Happy Birthday Joe!!!! May it day b special and may u b blessed with good health and happiness! Have a wonderful party! Thanks for sharing the day with us Susan!! Loretta/Ca.
Oh Yeah! I finally got to your latest post before 100’s had!! What a Terrific Birthday Celebration you have planned there! Lovin the Music!! May I suggest a “Jump to comment” button on your blog so we all can comment, and not go through zillions of other comments to do so,(which never happens) We need another book in your life series:” Life ever After” or “Till the End of Time” Blessings on You Both!
What a great celebration. Happy birthday, Joe
Happy Birthday Joe and party on.
Have a wonderful birthday Joe and many healthy, happy years ahead. Can’t wait until Susan post pictures of the day’s event, sounds like it will be a wonderful celebration.
Happy. birthday, Joe. May you have many more!
Looks like ya’all have been having a blast!! Congrats to Joe!! You’ll have to do it again NEXT year when he becomes eligible for Medicare! 😃 Happy birthday, Joe!! 🎂🍷
Hi Susan,
A very HAPPY BIRTHDAY to Joe! Looks like a wonderful party with all your best friends, enjoy every minute!
Have a wonderful celebration and happy birthday to Joe! And please, Susan, please share the playlist with all of us and remember to let us know if you had lots of dancing!
Everything sounds so wonderful as it should be to celebrate that fine romance💕 now that I tuned into your song selection I have a new ear worm to replace the one from my Alabama concert Friday…ha. Enjoy that nice sounding cake as well🎉 CHEERS,,,,!,!
Happy birthday Joe! Susan, did you include the Beatles “when I’m 64” on the playlist? My husband, Joe and I turned 64 this year, and I kept singing that song to him during his birthday party! Hope it was fun on this very hot day! I can’t wait for the Autumn breezes!
Best wishes to Joe for a wonderful birthday among good friends. I t looks so very festive — hope it’s not as hot and humid there as it is here. You probably have a nice ocean breeze!
Thanks for sharing!
JoAnne
Happy, Happy Birthday, Joe! Love and hugs! Looks like a super, special party!
Perfect! Appreciate a short & sweet note. Hi, Ray! Looks like the gangs all here😉🎈. Joe, have a fabulous birthday PARRRRTY!
Happy Birthday to your sweet hubby, Joe!
I loved the part about your pen pal in England—writing to Queen Elizabeth and hearing back. Fun!
xo,
Karen
I enjoyed reading about your pen pal and the letters you both wrote to Queen Elizabeth. I have a pen pal from Liverpool who I started writing to back during the days of Beatlemania.We have met in person twice. Once in New York about five years ago and the second time in 2014 when we toured Liverpool together and visited all the Beatles sites. What a tremendous thrill that was for me, a huge Beatles fan.
Oh happy days, happy birthday and happy celebration and dancing. Can we buy a CD of your party music??? 😃👍🤗
You you are also my new BBF. Since you love older women and I just turned 70 !!!
Additionally, we sort of , kind of met….. You see back in May in Hudson, Oho, at the Hampton Inn, my dear friend and I in the elevator landed at the lobby level to head to the complimentary breakfast area. When the elevator doors opened, there you were waiting to enter!!! You were carrying coffees and a plate of breakfast items, no doubt to your bride; you smiled and we exchanged good mornings. Not one syllable more from us to guard your privacy. Although we squealed in delight, as you disappeared behind closed elevator doors. That took so much girlfriend discipline. SE Michigan fans xoxo
Sounds like a wonderful party. Glad your friends from near and far are there to share the joy. Happy birthday Joe! Sending hugs from Michigan to you and your girlfriends!
Dearest-Darling-Sweet-Hero-of-Heroes Joe,
Happy Birthday!
And will there be cake with pink frosting? I hope not, but I hope there will be a photo of the three-tiered masterpiece.
Wishing you many more lovely fun-filled and happy years.
Happy birthday, Joe, and enjoy your really special party. Love to both you and your lovely Susan.
Eileen
Stolen from a Boyd card:
Hippo Birdie Two Ewes!
Hippo Birdie Two Ewes!
Hippo Birdie Deer Ew-ewe …
Hippo Birdie Two Ewes!
Imagine the gamboling sheets and stoic deer, and have a WONDERFUL party, Joe and company!
Happy Birthday, Joe! According to the pictures and Susan’s narrative you had a wonderful birthday celebration. What fun!!! May you have many, many more.!
DeLores
Happy Birthday, Joe!!!
Hope you have a lovely time. I’m so glad you were both born. You add such sweet cheer to my life!
Love,
Elizabeth
A very Happy Birthday to Joe! It’s a special day in my life to—it was my mother’s birthday and I always pause to remember her. Miss her ad my dad and brothers too!
Hope your birthday celebration will be everything you want it to be and that this crazy New England weather will grant a sunny, pleasant day for all of you! May there be many more days and years of celebrations for you both!
A very Happy Birthday to Joe! Party …Dance…and celebrate life!
Everything sounds and looks so lovely. Hope you’re all having a fabulous time. Happy, Happy Birthday dear Joe!!! We’re all with you in spirit, singing and dancing along with all of your guests. Warm hugs! xoxo
Happy birthday, Joe! I’m sure it will be quite the celebration with Susan behind it!
How absolutely delightful !! Happy 64th Joe!
“Will you still need me, will you still feed me, when I’m 64??” Well, of course she will, Joe!! A very happy birthday to the man who made Susan’s heart smile again!
Happy Birthday, Joe and lots of happiness for the coming year is being sent your way! Great pictures, Susan – thanks for sharing….Dance On!!!!!
Great birthday wishes to Joe, and how wonderful to have a reason for a tent, music, food, and a gathering of special friends! Celebrate to the hilt!