Hi Everyone! Would you like to be in England for Remembrance Day? You came to the right place! MUSICA
I want to show you this wonderful thing that happens in England the second Sunday of November which Joe and I discovered a little bit by accident when we were visiting. 🍂 
It’s actually a lovely tradition that started in America in 1920 when the Poppy flower was proclaimed by the United States to be our national emblem of Remembrance. For Armistice Day, for never forgetting, and for the prayer of peace. See Joe? See that red poppy on his jacket?
Here he is, walking home from shopping at Blenheim Castle in Woodstock Oxfordshire, with a poppy on his jacket. Because, in November, all over the United Kingdom (Canada, Australia, and New Zealand, too) . . .
. . . you rarely see anyone who isn’t wearing a poppy at this time of year. For some reason the tradition didn’t catch on for America’s Veterans Day, but it is huge over there. I wish I’d taken a photo in a train station, so you could see how popular it is, these little splashes of red hurrying hither and yon. You get used to it, then you start to fall in love with it, and especially the idea behind it.
This is Joe and Paul ( Rachel’s adorable husband, English man extraordinaire, one of your funnier and more charming humans on the earth), both of them poppy-decked of course.
We went to a dinner, and everyone was wearing a poppy . . .
Me too . . .
And Rachel too.
For a donation to the Royal British Legion ~ a pound for a poppy, you can pin one of these to your coat. The appeal raises millions for the care of British Veterans and their dependents, and by the 11th hour of the 11th day of the 11th month, the whole country is decked in solidarity-red for Remembrance.
We read the paper and learned the significance of the Poppy.
As the years went by, other wars and more loss, “between the crosses, row on row, that mark our place…” to what was the war to end all wars, the first world war. Flanders Fields were the battlefields in France where so many were lost, the “western front”. . . is now covered in poppies for remembrance. And a beautiful heartbreaking poem was written:
The first Poppy Day was celebrated in England in 1921, and has continued every year since.
There will be no forgetting . . . the whole country shows their gratitude and old men wear their uniforms on the street with pride. I think maybe because when bombs literally fall on your house and your neighbor’s house, on your church, in your garden, you have a different relationship to war than others who were mercifully spared that experience.You turn on the radio, and there’s Vera Lynn singing We’ll Meet Again back in the day with the voices of servicemen and their sweethearts singing along, and you can feel the heart in the moment, and your own connection to it . . .
Poppies are everywhere, including pillows and sachets in the Blenheim Castle gift shop.
And we ended up with a bouquet of them for our kitchen counter.
You would find them on the street in simple little places . . .
And in the cities too . . . these are part of the Field of Remembrance, a small graveyard set up each year next to Westminster Abbey in London.
And there are remembrances in every small town . . .
This particular Remembrance Day found us in downtown Woodstock where we were staying, a small town in Oxfordshire with a population of 3,000, which is just 
around the corner from Blenheim Castle where Winston Churchill was born. Now Winston Churchill has a special place in my heart, for more reasons than one. The marriage between his American great grandmother Aurora Murray to Isaac Jerome produced a granddaughter, Winston’s mother, Jennie Jerome. That’s her in this picture. My grandmother is Irene Murray, and through her lineage I discovered that Winston Churchill is my 8th cousin! (If you go sideways far enough back, you’ll find everyone is related to everyone!)
XOXO
We came upon this solemn scene by happy accident. We were just walking back to the High Street after visiting Blenheim Castle (we stayed at the Bear Hotel ~ some parts of it 900 years old, you can see it in the video on the right), and didn’t know what was going on when we saw a crowd had gathered, families, babies, and dogs, people of all ages, clergy and soldiers too. It was 11 am on Remembrance Sunday, and the village had stopped to honor Armistice Day as they had done for 95 years, for all those who served and died in war ~ we learned that this quiet remembrance happened in every small and big town in England at this same moment every year, the 11th hour, of the 11th day, of the 11th month. MUSICA.
Tradition is such a beautiful thing. Honoring the people who built the world, who came before us is such a right thing to do. Afterwards we discovered that Winston Churchill was buried nearby, in a tiny churchyard in a small village called Bladon. So off we went through the golden air of the English Countryside with this music playing in our car to find Churchill’s grave. 🍂
When we found the tiny village of Bladon, we fretted about leaving our car parked halfway in the narrow street, 
only a bit more than one car wide, but it was the best we could do and still be in the town. How they could have had a state burial for one of the most famous people in the world in this teeny place with zero parking is a mystery. But look at that beautiful stone house. See the roof line, all curvy and crunchy from age? I always stop to marvel that they kept the beauty and history of what came before as times changed and such things as bathrooms and electricity were invented ~ how they did it is beyond me, but they did!
Nothing in the town had changed since the day the Prime Minister was laid to rest, except the people. The generations have turned over more than once.
We walked through the quiet, echoing streets of the village looking for the church listening to the birds singing . . .
. . . enjoying cottages and curtains . . .
. . . and people who brought nature inside.
We peeked in the windows at the far end of this house with the amazing vine . . .
. . . and saw these in the little panes of glass! It was the Studio of a sculptor . . . ohhh, I wanted to go in so bad!
But it wasn’t to be . . . “Open Daily 10-6” said the card in the window, but another sign said, “Closed!” Travel is all about the serendipity!
I was perfectly happy wandering the lanes, taking pictures of the stone houses with names on them . . .
and of course, the little charmers out for a walk . . .
And there it was, the flag flying over St Martin’s Church . . . where the bells had just rung for Armistice Day.
A small, rather austere church . . . an unassuming village church like so many others wherever you go.
with lovely details
And a sweet peaceful graveyard, these being my favorite, family gravestones held in nature’s embrace.
Next to Churchill’s grave were simple elegant memorials, and benches for sitting.
with rather an amazing drain in the stone path ~ I had to take a photo of it!
Churchill’s grave sort of broke our hearts. Everything so real. I couldn’t help but think of my dad who had fought in WWII and had died a few months earlier. 😢 We’d been to Churchill’s wonderful house called Chartwell and learned about him and his fascinating wife Clementine ~ and here they were, buried together. History of the world, just waiting for us to find and remember and learn.
It’s actually his family burial ground, his mother, Jennie Jerome, Lady Randolph Churchill is buried in the center grave surrounded by the hedge.
Sure and certain hope.
Afterward we stopped at a nearby pub to read our paper and eat “Sunday Roast” ~ another wonderful old tradition, served in most British pubs every Sunday,
. . . a glorious menu consisting of your choice of beautifully cooked roast beef, roast chicken or roast pork ~ with Yorkshire Pudding, stuffing, roasted carrots, parsnips, and potatoes with gravy.
And poppies on the mantle . . .
After lunch we drove to Oxford to see Carrie and Stuart, who took us on a tour ~ here we are in one of the churches.
Then back to Carrie’s kitchen which was in full-remembrance mode. We had a wonderful visit with them . . . but when we got back to our rental house, I noticed I had lost the poppy from my jacket. wah. I know, I had another four in my poppy bouquet, but I hated losing even one.
We spent more weeks in England, taking long walks under blowing leaves, enjoying the fall, and did not return to America until late November ~ celebrating Thanksgiving on the ship, going home the old way, past the statue of liberty into New York harbor, dreaming our memories in the rocking of the boat.
And finally home, where Jack was waiting, and H❤️ME was waiting, and of course we brought our poppies home with us. A few days later, a surprise arrived in the mail from England.
It was a book-gift from Carrie, along with the poppy I’d dropped at her house! She found it and sent it back to me! Total perfection!And that’s my story for today, Girlfriends . . . Celebrate November 11 … Remember our Veterans. Study history, see how we got here. With life’s vagaries it’s a pure miracle we are!
Here is my kitchen this morning, sparkling with light from the sunrise…
It’s our time now . . . and one of the gifts of remembering is the gift of knowing the real and important things of life, and passing them to the ones we love . . . 
Clothespin caught a leaf, and I got to make a wish. So I think we can all make a wish!
Ah yes, time for tea! Hope you enjoyed our trip to England! Have a wonderful day! XOXO
What a moving post…thank you! So touching to see the assembled folks paying homage to the servicemen and women who sacrificed so much.
I loved hearing the music in your video! Also, love the tonic water Joe has….learned to love it while in England
Loved this blog….our church always passes out poppies to wear or tie on a pocketbook after Mass…….always makes me truly remember those who fought for freedom.Wish more places would do this! We all need to remember the price paid for freedom. Peace to all!
If you have trouble finding poppies let me know and I would be happy to send you some. I am in Canada 🇨🇦 and we mark Remembrance Day in the same way as you experienced in England. Poppies are removed after the eleventh hour, of the eleventh day, of the eleventh month.
That is a lovely tradition!
The video of all those townspeople gathering for Armistice day was so moving! I always wear a poppy, and have one displayed in the windshield of my car. Our local American Legion (to whom I belong) sells them.
What a wonderful tribute story you wrote. Thanks for sharing it. I remember my dad wearing a poppy when I was a kid, but was too young to really understand. And what a delightful giveaway! Thanks for sharing that goodness with one lucky winner!!
Susan,
Thank you for the lovely reminder of what is really important. I enjoy your posts so much~ I will be looking for the poppies! When I went to Normandy, I was amazed that poppies grow everywhere there! even in the medians of the highway!
What a cheery sight. We remember all those who made the sacrifice for our freedom. I will toast it with my MV mug!
As usual, a lovely reverie for a Tuesday afternoon….
The other day, while walking at the park I found 3 buckeyes and 2 perfect little acorns, still wearing their adorable little caps. I brought them home and put them on a little blue shelf in my kitchen. They make me happy every time I look at them. And for some reason, they make me think of you. Thank you for teaching us to appreciate the simple things of life.
I love this post so very much, Susan. Flanders Field is perhaps my favorite poem and I love the poppy tradition. I actually sometimes see them around here in Michigan so perhaps you will be lucky — and if you don’t, I have a feeling you will be wearing your old ones or making some new ones with great thought and love.
Wonderful story about the Brits and their poppies. I wondered for years about their significance before I learned about the undying reverence for the ones who sacrificed so much.
Thanks for all of your memories of your visit. I feel I am returning myself to those shores when I read about your visits.
We are all the same, we are all different. I love the poppies story and recall the selling of them on November 11 so many year ago! In this particular blog, however, I am enamored with the little house of reasons to go on living at the end of the page. That is where we are the same 🙂 You traveling to far away places are us being different :-).
Thanks for sharing, girlfriend in another place.
Well, so you know, I take that little house everywhere I go. xoxo
What a lovely post! It made me tear up as
my dear Dad passed away on July 17th this summer at age 96.
We always went out to celebrate Veteran’s Day at one of the nearby restaurants that offered him a free meal. The meal didn’t matter to him, but the recognition did. The servers
always said, “Thank you for your service, sir.”
I was certainly waiting for Willard to slide into my mail, but this lovely little snippet appeared first. I love to read about your ramblings in England (looking forward to the next one, too) So thank you for this lovely time away, something to think about while I wait for Willard….
Oh, my. And I was already emotional today. I love the way the whole country of England remembers… not “just another day off”! Poppies are important to me, so much that I finally bought a poppy brooch, beautiful enameled pewter from a company (not far from you! But I won’t name names, lol) to wear “in remembrance”. My mother lost her only brother in WW2, when she was just 12! I can’t imagine. My father served during the Korean conflict, my husband is a disabled veteran from the Vietnam era (didn’t get there, though, he broke his neck in a vehicle accident in Germany) and my oldest son serves now in the Air National Guard. So Veteran’s Day and Memorial Day are important to me and my family. Thank you for remembering, and reminding others to, also.
Words aren’t enough, but thank you Sheila. xoxo
❤❤❤❤❤
Delightful! Thank you….
Perfect timing. Just settled down on the couch with a hot cup of tea and “ding” my tablet alerted me a new blog post from Susan Branch. Just the right timing on this late New England October afternoon.
Take care everyone, Luanne
What a beautiful Willard!
Thanks for helping us all remember. Navy brat, Navy wife, Army Mom.
Warm hugs,
Margot
Thank YOU for your service Margot!!!
Dear Susan, your poppies reminded me of earlier years when you could get a poppy on every city street corner. So many traditions are going away. I love visiting old cemeteries ( not ghoulish, I hope) and your photo of the vines holding a family of headstones together is very poignant. Thank you for sharing your adventures with this armchair traveler! BTW, love the new items! I’m adding them to my Christmas list! 🌺
Not exactly sure why, but your message has made me cry. I’ve never lost anyone in a war, but am so thankful for all those I never knew who fought and ensured the freedom we enjoy.
Thank you, too Susan, for sharing this beautiful email. I’ll look for poppies here in southern CA, and wear one if I can.
I love England, and would love to really spend some time there. Your trip sounds wonderful.
What a beautiful post today! I could sit and read your reminicing of days in England all day. I think you are right that those who have had war on their soil think about differently than we who have not experienced that. I enjoyed seeing Churchill’s grave. We have been to England several times but never had visited that spot. What a great man he was! Thank you Susan for sharing your heart with all of us. I am always so glad to see your name in my inbox! XOXO
Hello, Susan. I was just thinking about you – and there you appeared in my Inbox! I was thinking about looking back at some of photos of your home’s interior décor. I do so admire your style, and I just got a house so it needs decorating – on a tight budget. I need inspiration because the interior design gene missed me completely. But, more importantly, I never cease to learn something new from your blogs. I had no idea about the poppy thing. Where have I been all my life? I do think it’s fantastic and something we Americans should embrace as I will now that I know about it.
Happy new house. Bang for the buck, is paint. ☺️
Very tastefully presented. I feel a lot I see is tacky regarding the soldiers.
This wonderful email arrived just when I needed it ~ I am so grateful for your appreciation of the things that matter in our lives and for your way with words in the telling of it all.
I remember the poppies and we had to memorize the poem in school too.
We also had to memorize The Highwayman and The Wreak of the Hesperus, and the 13th Chapter of Corinthians. Kids don’t have to memorize anything these days……sad.
I wish they would have made me learn Casey at the Bat. I love that poem!
Susan, I love every word you write! You are such an inspiration to those of us who are kindred spirits. Please keep doing what you’re doing. Not only this country, but our world, needs your voice.
Gratefully,
Nancy
Blessings on you and yours Nancy, and on all our girlfriends and their families, kindred spirits forever!
Perfect! Lovely way to share that segment of your trip and the very meaningful history that goes with it!
You are blessed to be able to travel and experience first hand other cultures and traditions. Thanks for sharing with us your words and pictures…
I love England. Can’t wait to go back to visit. But in the meantime I have your wonderful post. Thank you.
Thank you for spreading joy – a true gift and blessing! I live in a small town near Kansas City where the World War I museum is. They have a ‘field of poppies’ there under glass that you can walk across. Very moving. Thank you for sharing the story about the poppies and Remembrance Day.
It’s fall grand!
I love the blog and the picture of your kitchen at sunrise! So Cheerful!
Such a lovely blog, and thank you for the education regarding the poppy!
I will be sure to buy one, or two!
Hello Dears,
OK- I completely cried my way through your whole post. Those poppies and that poem always make my choke up. ((sniffle/sob)) Churchill too!
Aren’t Carrie and Stuart lovely?! – we loved staying with them last year and taking Stuart’s tour of Oxford then visiting Woodstock and The Falkland Arms Pub in Great Tew with them. Their B&B is just one of the loveliest places on earth! Now when I watch Morse, Endeavor or Lewis, I am always looking for Holywell Street and the sights in Oxford.
Looking forward to Willard as usual, and your china pieces are divine!
Hope you all have a snugly, happy day!
xoxox
Gabi
You always bring sunshine to my internet! Gray and rainy day in Michigan.
Thank you for the reminder of the Poppies…and of the British stories. Dad was stationed in G.B. during the war but he didn’t talk much about it.
Beautiful post and thank you for the explanation of the English poppy that is front and center in England. Perfect reason to display them.
Hi Susan,
Thank you for the reminder about the true meaning behind Armistice Day. My dad is a US veteran (Army) and his birthday is November 11–for real! So, Veteran’s Day has always been significant in our family for more than one reason. I love, love, love the new heart-shaped dishes. I have collected several heart-shaped porcelain and bone china dishes over the years. I’ve always collected teapots and other fine china. So, any of your adorable new pieces would look truly perfect in my collections! 🙂
Beautiful post as usual!
Your blog is as peaceful as meditation for me. Thank you!
I just love your stories of England! It reminds me of the happy times I’ve spent there visiting my friends. I always try to get a poppy every year and will be on the lookout for one this year.
Thank you for this post. A perfect antidote for the windy gloom of our Michigan day and some persistent family heartache. I love that you gave us remembrance and Churchill in the same post. I’m keeping it open in my browser to read again. And probably a few more times, since I don’t have time to linger at the moment. Oh, and I love your little heart shaped dishes!
Thank you for deepening my understanding of the poppy. I will plant them next year and wear one on Nov 11th. I will stop at 11am to pray, I bet I’ll be with a WWII vet taking care of them as I am a PT:) I LOVE your post and LOVE the sheets of rain sweeping across our pond. Would be such a fun day to be a bird!
Thank you for being someone to share Fall with and the connection to all the other Fall loving girlfriends!
We went to Washington DC in August and when we finished our tour of Arlington National Cemetery the driver of our tram passed out poppies to all of the visitors. It was a very special way to end the tour of an amazing place.
I love this remembrance post. Thank you!
Go. Be. Love. The world needs you. — the best advice on the planet. I wear my little red and white Be an Elf charm to remind me.
This was so lovely to see in my email today. We’ve been to London during Remembrance Day — when the beautiful red poppies are everywhere on the memorials and on people’s coats. We were lucky enough to have seen the poppies made for the the Centennial in 2014. Breathtaking! Thank you for your cheer and photos of England. Can’t wait to be there again.
Lovely!
Makes me homesick for a place I’ve never been!
Thank you for this post! I live in the U.S. now, but am from Canada where the poppy is also worn throughout November. Makes me miss home.🇨🇦
Hello Susan! I never cease to learn something from your blogs. I had no idea about the poppy thing. Where have I been all my life! I do intend to embrace the tradition now that I know about it – remembering the past and hoping for a better future.
I always love when you take us on little journeys through England. x
such a lovely post!!! Now I want poppies all over my house~
Susan, when will your 2017 Christmas ornament be available?
Check with [email protected]/~susanbs3/susanbranch/ … I’m not sure if we did one this year!
I really enjoy your bog. I feel like we are friends
Lovely read and the poppies are a beautiful remembrance.
A beautiful tribute to all soldiers! My husband’s father died in WWII and is buried at Coriano Ridge Cemetery (British) in Northern Italy. He fought with Princess Patricia’s Canadian Light Infantry and died when my husband was a year old and his brother two. My mother-in-law became a widow at 19. The cemetery is quite lovely and very well maintained from family photos sent to us. We’ll be wearing poppies as always this November 11th. Thank you for the beautiful photos and remembrances.
Oh, Susan! This story has touched my heart deeply! I was thinking of your dad as I read your quiet, powerful words. My wish is that our country will one day honor our veterans (all of them!) with such a heartfelt showing of gratitude for their service and sacrifice. While volunteering to help our military families, I have learned just how much the entire family sacrifices and serves our country when one family member is in the service. We owe them all our sincere gratitude! I wear my red poppy every Veterans Day with the thankful heart of a proud daughter, daughter-in-law, niece, and cousin of brave veterans.
Heartfelt thanks for being YOU, Susan!
Looking forward to Willard! ♡
Warmest hugs,
Dawn (in Illinois)
♡♡
Enjoyed all of this. I liked the recent depiction of Churchill in the Netflix series The Crown. He was also a pretty good painter. I especially like the drawing he did of guests having tea at Chartwell.
I also was reminded of the scene in the Wizard of Oz where the Wicked
Witch tries to sedate Dorothy & Co. in a field of poppies, until Glenda makes it snow. Poppies have so much symbolism. Thank you for the beautiful tribute to our fallen.
Just wow. Today is a remembrance day for me, as my dad passed away one year ago today.
Your new dishes are lovely.
Hello Susan,
What a lovely surprise, this post today! I always enjoy the things you talk about,
this was no exception…Just back from a week in lovely Cornwall, and the poppies weren’t out yet….couldn’t buy one.
Looking forward to Willard too, more joys!
Thank you, and best wishes to Joe and Jack too.
Love
Nicoline
oxox
Dear Susan,
Thank you for explaining the poppies. We should never forget! Thank you for the beautiful photos of England. I love all of that “oldness”.
I’m inspired ! I’m gonna make some poppies and a rememberance board for work and we can all bring pictures in of family service men and women , lest we forget !
My Dad was a WW2 Vet. We always got poppies to wear and they were his favorite flowers. One of my favorites too. Thanks for the post, I never really understood the poppies significance before. XXOO
Lovely. Thank you so much! I love how they remember and honor those who fought.
After my dad died, I found a New Testament he had been given when he served in England during World War II. Pressed between the pages was a poppy with a note in his unmistakable printing that this was a poppy like those that grew in Flanders Fields. Oh, how I miss him today.
I so enjoy reading you blog post!! I step out of my world into yours & it’s a nice get away!!! 🙂
Your posts are always such a quiet respite from a busy world. Thank you for all the loveliness.
Oh Susan, How will I ever decide which items to buy??? Secondly, How will I ever part with them once I purchase them??? You continue to inspire and delight! Thank you times a million!
Love your blog always makes me smile.
Cindy
A very special and beautiful post!! Thank you ! Susan, I had the special opportunity of being in Hyannis a few weeks ago….my brother lives on the western side of the state, and I was there visiting him, and he took me to the Cape, where we used to spend our family vacations when we were growing up….I hadn’t been to the Cape in over 30 years, even though I have been back to MA many times ( I now live in Montana). It was really special to be there, and we even went on a little lighthouse harbor tour….I thought of you then and wished I could have kept going to Martha’s Vineyard at that time….but we couldn’t…..but just wanted to let you know that I thought of you and was so close!! Anyway….enjoy the fall and I hope the colors are changing….it was quite warm when I was there and the leaves were not changing much yet….Take Care! Donna, from Montana
I remember from childhood wearing red poppies on Remembrance Day.
Remembrance…That which is remembered . Thank you for such a heartfelt, loving post. My hope is someday we will learn…and live together in peace.
Beautiful dishes! I loved reading your story of England and poppies!
I am from a small town in West Texas. I can remember our VFW selling poppies to wear in November.. And then in Houston last year they were offering them at out local Ace Hardware.
My dad was a WWII vet and it is a time to remember the vets then and now. Great post and love your new items.
Thank you for sharing.
~ Good Afternoon~
Thanks for the poppy post~ We need to keep remembering & share with
the upcoming generations so they ~ never forget~ ❤️!
Love all the new products~ too cute!
What a lovely post, Susan. Thank you so much! I just got home from a trip to Paris and Venice – and Vicenza. My first time in Europe. I cannot wait to go back! I went with a friend from 3rd grade! I arrived in Paris on my 64th birthday! I loved learning about all of the history while in Europe. After reading your books, now I want to go to England!
A friend told me about your blog and I am SO glad she did! Have
enjoyed your sharing of adventure,history and love of others! Thank you!
Your posts always take me outside of myself and I appreciate that. ♥️
Delightful! I love the way you look at life!
Great reading on a rainy and gray Indiana afternoon. Thanks. Oh, also XXOO the serving pieces. It is time for Christmas shopping to begin, and what better way to do it but at your on-line store.
Love the new items! Fall is here. After abnormally warm temperatures up until now, the wind is brisk from the North this morning with temperatures in the 40’s and snow flurries predicted later in the week. This wind is taking the beautiful leaves flying! We both just got over 4-5 weeks of “the Bug”!!!! It was been a weird Fall. All I’ve done is cough, sneeze, nap, read, and knit!!! I am looking out the window and watching the leaves turn and now fly. Now the dust bunnies are calling my name and the task of putting away summer clothes and getting out winter clothes is before me. I hope the cherry trees and apple trees we planted make it through the upcoming winter!
A soldier from WWI brought home poppy seeds for his mother and now we have poppies growing everywhere in our city. We even have a Poppy Festival in the spring when they are in bloom here. It is a good reminder of the people who died for us to live in freedom.
In Canada, we celebrate November 11th as Remembrance Day and everyone wears poppies and support our veterans. The symbol comes from the Canadian medic, Lt.Colonel John McCrae’s poem, In Flanders Field. “In Flanders field the poppies grow, between the crosses row on row….”We all learn this poem as children in school, part of what makes us Canadian.
What a touching read and lovely remembrance. I love how England honors their veterans. I have had an interesting experience over the years. I served three years in the US Navy many years ago and have always been proud of that. But, like most veterans, I rarely mentioned it because it didn’t seem to matter to anyone else. But ever since 9/11, there has been a huge shift in the country’s attitude and even now, it throws me when people say, “Thank you for your service.” It breaks my heart to think of the many men and women who have served and suffered through wars (like Viet Nam) and were ignored or even mistreated. Our country is improving, but England really sets the standard!
Love Love Love the poppies. I always bought one and wore it all week when I was a little girl. Some things are sweet memories like the Poppies…..Carole
A big thank you, for all that you do, and share with all of us! Bless you!😊💕🍁🐿😺
Thank you for a little respite from our crazy world and a trip to a place that honors all the brave men and women who sacrificed so much for what freedom we enjoy now. I think your blog is just darling.
May you have the peace and love and joy you bring to us!
Love the “poppy” stories.
Thanks, Judy
I always look for those adorable Veterans selling poppies and chat with them about my military son…. I am a proud wearer of those poppies, that is for sure.
Thank you Susan for showing us such beauty wherever you are! XOX
I had forgotten about poppies. It’s a shame that we no longer honor our veterans in this way.
It seems that poppies are still out there … I’m going to look harder this year!
I enjoy your blog. It feels like we are old friends.
ANN
Thank you for the lovely post and pictures. Brought a tear to my eye. Hope to revisit England some day.
When I was a young girl in the early 60’s, I lived in Portugal for three years and went to an international school run by the British. We had assembly in the gym every morning, and I remember wearing the red paper poppies and watching a film about Poppy Day. So thank you for bringing back memories of a happy time in my life. I am pleased that the school, St. Julian’s, is thriving still today.
Enjoy seeing Martha’s Vineyard in the fall.
Thank you for the reminder of the poppy. I buy one each year in remembrance of my parents. My mother was a sergeant in the Marines and my dad was a machinist in the Navy. They married after WWII. I keep the poppy I by each year on the visor in my car to remember the brave people serving our country.
Susan, I loved the poppy story and was so glad to have read it again and especially the poem. I’ll look forward to buying my poppy this year in our nearby city.
Hoping I’ll have a good chance for your drawing as it will be so very, very disappointing if I don’t. win. Happy Fall to you on Martha’s Vineyard.
The delight of history as told through your words and photos; priceless!
The VFW sells poppies each year…..however, have to look for them. Usually outside of a store like Wal-Mart. So enjoyed your blog today and love your new designs. I shall look for poppies and make sure that I do my part in distributing them to the younger folks who are unaware of their significance. Thank you, Susan! Xoxox