Hello Everyone! Rabbit-Rabbit! Happy October!🎃 It’s really Autumn! MUSICA for falling leaves . . .
I’m inspired by our daily walks through the sun-dappled woods to the sea, leaves are just beginning to turn, drifting from trees, smells of compost and salty air, gulls swooping and calling, woodsmoke on the wind, coming home to my own harvest kitchen . . .
Once again I have too much to tell you for one blog! There’s our trip to the Hudson River with Rachel and Paul who flew 
over from England, the Red Lion Inn, the Norman Rockwell Museum, the amazing studio of Daniel Chester French who designed the Lincoln Memorial, our adventures with FOOD, and so much more! Ray and I saw Downton! Each of these stories is a blog post all by itself! Plus Cookies! The fall garden! And, there’s FREE STUFF! (Done, click there for fall gifties!) I’m going to have to save some of this for next time. Just wanted you to know it’s lurking . . . First off, three 🎥 quickies:
We bravely went to see Quentin Tarantino newest movie, Once Upon a Time in Hollywood . . . turns out, it’s one of those movies you can’t quit thinking about! Changes history brilliantly. So fun to talk about afterward. Go if you can. (One girlfriend 
said Brad Pitt on the roof was worth the price of the movie! Yessss!) Peeking through fingers only required toward the end, it’s Tarantino after all, but you will know, and it’s all SO worth it. We also went to Lowely’s house last night 🍿 and watched Richard Curtis movie Yesterday. Pure Sweetness and Light. Has Lily James in it. Music makes you cry. Isn’t it nice, Yesterday, like Downty, HUGE financial successes without violence! Hope for the world!!! And another to come, Renee Zellweger staring as Judy Garland, in theaters now or soon! (See how I am ~ yak-yak ~ We’ll never get out of here.)
SO! Here we go! We picked up Ray and Paul in Boston ~ there they were, all smiles and hugs. We threw their bags into the car and off we went, four old friends, hill and dale, on back roads through the NEW England Countryside, talk-talk-talking, to our first stop…the Red Lion Inn in Stockbridge, Massachusetts, for lunch.
There’s our table . . . and if you love wallpaper like I love wallpaper, you are a happy camper at this moment. See the teapots on the shelf in the window lights? It’s what they do at the historical Red Lion Inn.
Paul and Joe are best friends. These talented boys can cook! Which they did for us in our rented house . . . they are ALL about the newspapers and food, maps and curiosity. What’s not to love.💘
The front porch of the Inn . . . we had wonderful weather! We ate here twice, on our way to, and on our way back.
You would recognize this town if you’re familiar with Norman Rockwell illustrations. For years his studio was on the second floor of a building right here in the middle of town. He thought Stockbridge was the prettiest small town in New England.
Spectacularly charming, could move right in.
So pretty, in the most old-fashioned way. I knew you would like this.
And of course, they have an Inn cat, aptly named “Norman” ~ probably the most spoiled cat in the history of the world as he gets petted about 3,000 times a day! Add me to the multitudes.
We rented a house in Hudson, New York . . (the one on the right! Just wanted you to see the leaves!). It’s owned by a Scottish woman named “Morag” ~ she showed us around, highlighting the “reason she bought the house,” a wonderful PANTRY, filled with dishes and every pot, pan, and cooking utensil known to man, a girl after own heart . . . her walls were covered with art, her bookcases spilled over with books about everything we love, Beatrix Potter, British cookery books, antiques, gardens, on and on.
She showed us where to put the veg peelings, egg shells and coffee grounds . . . this little notice was framed on the wall in the kitchen, we decided, yes for sure, she is PLU (People Like Us). We loved the house.
It had a porch perfect for sitting, being served by husbands, tea and toast, or dishes of cheese and biscuits, wine and nuts, and lots of newspapers.
Way too much to see in this part of the country for the one week we were there. We never even went north, despite the clear glories of doing so, but time restrictions kept us seeing as much as we could, going south and crossing back and forth over the Hudson River . . . The good news is, we didn’t come near to seeing everything. We’ll have to go back!
We mostly ate, but when we weren’t eating, we visited homes, gardens, and museums (and the gift shops) of local heroes . . . filling ourselves with beauty and history.
Here we are at Olana, home of Frederick Edwin Church, famous landscape artist of the Hudson Valley (look at his view! No wonder!) who I knew almost nothing about, except I’m related to him! (Ancestry.com strikes again!)
House was filled with art, but a bit dark ~ quite a nice gift shop . . . the outdoors was luv-lee. 
More quick pics . . . Joe and Ray in the kitchen!
Me in Rhinebeck.
Us, out and about.
Downtown Hudson.
Sweet photo of Paul and Ray . . .
Lunch on the porch of the historic Liberty Public House in Rhinebeck, New York. We had such a wonderful time.
Really and truly, all we did was eat . . . Delicious restaurants in Hudson, this was a place called “Swoon Kitchen Bar.” Which we definitely did swoon! We also loved La Perche. And P.S., excellent shopping and a GORGEOUS church in Hudson. Lots of antique stores too! (Paul’s eye was bothering him, so we got him a patch. He looked so cute in it, we thought he should keep it forever! Swashbuckling! We all started saying things like, Arrrgh, aye, and bucko.)
Here’s our boys making dinner . . . Mas Musica . . .(The voice of Martha’s Vineyard if it could sing) . . .🎶
. . . while grateful girls hang out on porch, toast the guys, read books, solve world problems, and do Twitter.
Fruits of their labors! Delicious, salmon, baked squash, scalloped potatoes, salad, and . . .
For dessert, Joe’s absolute FAVORITE, Friendly’s (he knows their whole history), “Forbidden Chocolate” and “Vienna Mocha Chunk.”
As you know . . .
If you’re going to this neck of the woods, be sure to save time for the antique stores. They’re everywhere!
Filled with lovely useful things, perfect for recyclers. . . just waiting for adoption.
Of course we stopped at farm stands ~ had to have Cider donuts! Covered in crunchy sugar!
Picked up our favorite local Honey Crisp apples, must be a cup of apple juice in these juicy things!🍎
Got these too, to put over our front door!
Took Ray to Wal-mart to get little things they can’t find in England . . . grape jelly and Pam Vegetable Spray! Paul got 
a new hat! There’s so much more to tell you ~ it was awful to say goodbye to them, we live so far apart, but I know you know that. It’s never over for us, there will always be a next time.🚢 So much to look forward to! There she is, at her house! But what I have to do now is go to Physical Therapy for my wrist in about an hour! I want to mail this out to you first, and I have MORE, so let’s change the subject to . . . Home Sweet Home and
I was making cookies … so I set the butter out to come to room temperature, then “helped” Joe put up the pumpkins . . . my job was taking pictures!
Pumpkins above the door are a tradition for this old house . . .🎃
And one for the kitchen porch.
Then out to the garden I went to gather some flowers for my little vases. Our garden is showing signs of age …
But still filled with fall color . . . We planted lots of different kinds of lettuce and kale ~ the easy way, with a couple six-packs of starts. We’ll pick fresh leaves for salads until the first heavy frost!
Tiny vases on window sills cheer a person up.
Happiness is . . .
Our boy on the ironing board . . . My shadow . . .
My favorite dishes for Autumn needed a good washing . . . Having a birthday party for Martha next week, so I’ll use my Johnson Brothers “Windsorware” (Made in England, just down the block from where our cups are made!) because they make a beautiful table.
Into the dishwasher they go! Purple goes great with all fall colors!
And this doll.💋 Water’s boiling, tea for me, tea for Joe . . . and now . . . the butter is soft, ready for creaming with sugar to make . . .
Years ago I was at a party and someone served butter cookies that looked like candy corn. I thought they were darling. I’ve been meaning to try to figure out how it was done for years, and yesterday was the day!
And you do it with Home Cooking . . . and fall is the perfect time! Cooking, planting lettuce, and putting flowers in vases are very wonderful ways of reducing stress. A win-win every time!
They didn’t turn out quite perfect, shape-wise, but still cute, and they tasted delicious . . . I did learn how . . . so I’ll show you and you can do better!
I used my recipe for Butter Cookies (Annie Hall’s) in my Christmas Book on p. 82 (for you that have that book ~ but I’ll also put the recipe at the end of this post). First, with a hand mixer, cream the butter and sugar together, then beat in the egg yolks and vanilla . . . so easy!
Sift the flour and salt together (you see my mother’s daughter here in the folded pieces of wax paper . . . she always used them at least twice, folded them up and saved them for the next time ~ so me too). Like our New England grandmothers said, “Make do, or do without.”
Then beat the flour into the butter . . .
You want to just bring the dough together (with your hands if necessary), because there’s extra mixing when you add the food coloring . . . But first divide the dough in half, then divide the other half into one-third and two-thirds pieces ~ so you have small, medium, and large chunks of dough. Set them aside.
I was so enthralled with this part I almost forgot to take pictures, but with a combination of mixer and kneading, you add the food coloring. You add more than you think because baking softens the color and you want it strong, keep putting drops of coloring in until you get it right (start with at least 8 drops of each color), mix dough only as much as you have to. The largest piece should be nice bright yellow. The two-thirds piece will be orange (as in photo above, mixture of red and yellow coloring), and the smallest will remain “white” or dough-colored.
You’re basically looking for this.
Once colored, lay out a piece of clean wax paper, roll the pieces between your hands into 10″ rolls, all three the same length. Put the yellow on the bottom, the orange on top of the yellow, the plain on top of that.
So it’s like this. You can gauge your colors from this photo . . . very bright when raw, but kinda perfect when cooked.
Then you mold your shape. Here’s where I would have made changes, while the dough was still nice and soft, I would have smoothed the seams a bit, and widened the bottom by pushing down on the top a little more.
It does NOT have to be perfect for cuteness, but afterwards, I drew the 
shape you should aim for . . . the cookies don’t change shape much while baking, so what you see is what you get. Once you get your rolls pushed into shape, wrap the dough in waxed paper and put it in the fridge for 4 hours or overnight. When ready, preheat oven to 350º and slice off the end of the roll for as many cookies as you wish to make. Place them on an UN-greased cookie sheet, bake 10-12 minutes, but do not brown the bottoms.
Mine, all chilled, and ready to go in. And because they are now so cold and firm, it’s not a good time to attempt changing the shape.
Here they are cooling on our kitchen table, and if I do say myself, DELICIOUS. Took them to movie night at Lowely and John’s last night and they loved them too.
But you can do a better job of shaping, and I will too, next time! Living and learning.😘
Now, here’s where it gets crazy, because I have to go! I’ll be back later and put the recipe right here at the bottom of this post, so if you want it, come on back and here it will be! Wrist got its morning exercise! Going to get it bent back into shape, just like the cookies! Love you girls, still More To Come for the PLU. That means YOU. 💞 P.S. Speaking in Edgartown, MA Oct. 26, read all about it here, just in cases you’ll be on Martha’s Vineyard ~ so much going on for the Food and Wine Festival! 😘 Okay, zee recipe ~ Here we go, I halved it, but if you make the whole thing you’ll get 6-7 dozen cookies.
CANDY CORN BUTTER COOKIES
2 c. butter, softened- 1 1/2 c. sugar
- 4 egg yolks
- 2 tsp. vanilla
- 4 1/2 c. flour
- 1/2 tsp. salt
- Yellow and red food coloring
2 c. butter, softened
With an electric mixer, cream together butter and sugar. Add egg yolks and vanilla and mix well. Sift flour and salt together and beat into butter mixture until mixed. Use your fingers to gather the dough into a ball. Divide dough in half, then divide one of the halves into 1/3 and 2/3 pieces. 
You’ll have 3 hunks of dough, small, medium, and large. Poke holes in the large piece, and put in drops of yellow food coloring, at least 8 drops to start. Break the dough up a bit in the bowl and use mixer to spread the strong color evenly. Make a ball. Do the same with the medium size piece ~ use yellow and red to make a good strong orange. Leave the smallest piece natural. Because I halved the recipe, I made each color of dough into a 10″ roll, but if you make the whole recipe, you’ll need to make two sets of 10″ rolls (otherwise they’ll be so long they won’t fit in the fridge). Put the orange roll on top of the yellow roll, the white on top of the yellow. Look at the 
drawing I did. You’ll see you need to mold the sides in so it’s wider on the bottom, narrower on the top, top should be rounded. You can do this! It’s fun! Wrap it up, put it in the fridge for 4 hours, or overnight. When ready to bake, preheat oven to 350º … cut the dough into 1/2″ slices, put them on ungreased cookie sheet, about 1″ apart. Bake 10 min, but don’t brown them. Remove baked cookies from pan while still warm and cool, onto sheets of waxed paper. Ta daah! (And don’t forget, same recipe works for all your cookie cutter recipes!)You can sign up HERE to have this blog delivered to your email box! And one more thing! (Do I keep saying that?)
Remember this happiness from last Christmas?
Guess what! I searched and searched, because we had so much fun with these colorful necklaces, I wanted to find them for you, and I DID! For as long as they last, first come, first serve. They made our dinner sparkle!
The Christmas tree garland too (hanging on the mirror), and doves! We just got a new supply, getting ready!
Okay, I think now I’m really done. Hope you all have a WONDERFUL day. Making home a wonderful place, deep breathing, stopping to smell the flowers, and remembering all the ways we’ve been blessed.💖 
This is for our girlfriend Nicoline . . . Rachel’s Lemon Butter Cookies in the darling Chinese version of A Fine Romance, coming your way soon, Nicoline!💖
Lovely blog post! Thanks for taking us along on your Hudson Valley jaunt with beloved friends! Looking forward to next part, too! I must confess that the part of this blog that really made me smile was the folded waxed paper….too, too precious, and a lovely way to keep your Mom “with you”. A lovely Autumn to you, Joe, and the handsome Jack!
Rest of it is up dear Sherry. xoxoxo
Cute cookie! What is your China pattern? Best of all- just home from our first trip to the UK! Loved everything! Saw Bestrix’s home and met your friend Mandy!!! 💓💓💓💓💓
It’s Johnson Brothers WindsorWare. How wonderful! Mandy is a doll. I’m so happy for you both!
Susan, reading your blog posts instantly lifts my spirits! It’s like getting a letter from a dear friend 🙂 Happy October – rabbit rabbit!
OMG, the “candy corn” cookies are adorable! Looks like fun shaping and molding them together, can’t wait to try the recipe. Thank you for the great idea!
Just so happy reading this, seeing you and Rachel, with Joe and Paul, having such a marvellous time, all too short a time, touring around. A week just isn’t long enough at all.
Perfect musica!
I have never seen such a creative use of a National Trust paper bag! Made me smile. A lot. I use all my NT bags for gathering and storing seeds from my Friendship Garden each year.
The season is turning, October is upon us, and I have my hatches battened for the first gale of Autumn on Thursday.
~~~Waving~~~From Across the Pond~~~Deb in wildly wuthering, wet and windy, wonderful west Wales xoxo
Always remember meeting you here on this blog, I think …. with your wildly withering wet and windy wonderful west Wales. Love. xoxoxo
I’ve been wanting to visit the Red Lion Inn for a few years now….sigh! 🙂 I’m sort of afraid to, though, because I’d have to rent a car and drive and that’s freaking me out a bit….gotta get over the freak out and JUST GO!
Go the back roads, I think you’ll be fine. Freeways are nutty. Hopefully you’re fairly close. xoxo You’ll LOVE it if you do. Deep breath, tell fear to take a long walk off a short pier. LIFE LIFE LIFE. xoxoxo
What a fun trip you all must have had with friends…just lovely. Thanks for sharing. Gives one hope that maybe such will one day happen for them too!!
Your posts are such a “sweet” spot to my day! How incredibly lucky you are to have your Joe and your friends from across the pond. Thank you Susan!
Dear Susan,
Loved your photos from the Red Lion Inn! I live about 30 minutes from there and have visited many times. It is so cozy, and the food is delicious, as I’m sure you discovered. We feel so lucky to live here year round, with so many wonderful things to see and do. So glad you enjoyed some lovely weather in our neck of the woods. Good luck with the physical therapy!
You made me feel like I was a part of fall with this post! The last two days have been cooler here in southern California…75 degrees! Two weeks ago we did get to spend an afternoon in Oak Glen, known for its’ apple orchards, pie and fresh cider, Hadn’t been in years and it was nice to get there! Glad you had such a great time with Rachel and Paul and isn’t it lovely that Paul and Joe enjoy each other’s company so much! It’s so nice to have couple friends when the men are good friends with each other!
So glad you are home safe & sound!!! SO glad you had such a wonderful time.
Hugs
Laura in Illinois
Another sweet blog. Thank you and thanks for the recipe.
When our children were school age we lived along the Hudson River for many years in Beacon, a bit south of Poughkeepsie. We trailed around with and without our 4 apple picking, Christmas tree cutting down, going to air shows, visiting famous people’s beautiful homes, visiting haunted homes, going to fairs, antiquing, displaying my quilts in quilt shows, etc etc. It is a beautiful area. So glad you enjoyed it with good friends. Love you, sweet Susan.
I just made myself an espresso, with a small piece of 88% chocolate (my 2 year old grandson is coming in an hour and needed a pick-me-up before he gets here!), and what should I find but a lovely new blog! Stockbridge looks so quaint, and pleasant. I hope some day to go there, actually would love to travel to quite a few towns in New England that you have mentioned over the years. One of these days. And how nice to have the men cook for you! Lucky girls! There’s nothing better than to relax, listening to my husband in the kitchen rattling the pots and pans. I just got out my Pumpkinhead mug for my morning coffee. It’s these little treats that make life so enjoyable. xoxo
Love, love, love your blogs! I am a New England kind of girl, so loved all you posted.
I was right there with you, Joe, Ray and Paul. Tom and I usually planned our lunch stop in Stockbridge, Red Lion, before getting on the Mass Turnpike. Toured Rockwell’s studio. You can see Story Musgrave’s home from Rockwell’s. Story was one of my NASA heroes. Modern Renaissance Man.
It may have been the last year I drove up solo from Tampa, FL. I’d spent the night on the West bank of the Hudson. Saw local TV station about how Martha Stewart had been in Hudson, the town, to go antiquing. She had a cup of tea at the Hudson Diner, now something else. I detoured so I could visit the diner. Oh, my, did the waitresses dish on Martha. The one who waited on her said she’d left a dime tip. Seriously? Yep, she left a dime for this hard working local, who stood on her feet day after day. Grrrrr. Tom and I have a rule, even self serve, leave nothing less than $1.00. We have been so very lucky in our lives and feel the need to share. Then I toodled around the lovely town with its abundance of original store fronts. Tom and I even did a Diner Trip once. And, you guessed it, we got home lugging a few extra pounds. We have stopped at Oleana at least twice. What a view, and that house!! Over the years on the drives back to FL, we toured many of the places on the Hudson that we’d missed. All the Roosevelt homes, Vanderbuilts, Van Buren’s sweet, homey home in Kinderhook and Robert Livingston’s (signer of the Declaration, ambassador to France, collaborator with Robert Fulton) Clermont. Next time you go up or down the Hudson, you simply must tour Clermont. Stayed in the family until?…. certainly within my life time. Last lovely lady gifted it to us. And Eleanor Roosevelt was related to the Livingstons. American Royalty. Did you get to Tivoli, where Eleanor spent childhood vacations?
Isn’t it amazing to see all the names from when New York, or some of New York was settled by the Dutch?
Thank you for this wonderful post. I had just come in from a visit to the dentist, it’s raining, blowing and chilly, so your surprise was “toasty warm” in my heart.
Don’t slack on the physical therapy!! You still have lots of Art in those fingers and in your beautiful, creative soul.
Mucho Love,
Debbie in Maine………………PS We are flying back to Tampa, October 28. Tom says he is divided in his feelings. We do realize that he’s almost 80, and having just a wee bit of difficulty with that trip. We have decided that we will use the money we save on motels, meals, and gasoline to take jaunts wherever we feel we should go. We are totally sold on South West for flying. No charge for any changes, no charge for 2 large checked bags, one carry-on and a tote. Early Bird check-in, which means you can pick your seat…if you are truly and Early Bird, and we will be that. I know you don’t fly, just sayin’……;o
I am TRYING not to slack, but today for example, PT woman said, “Here wrap this giant rubber band around your hand like this and SIT THERE with it on for A HALF HOUR, then wrap this one on and sit there AGAIN, for another HALF HOUR. Do that THREE TIMES A DAY.” Hello? So, remind me Debbie, to be good, and not slack. Because this might be going too far! Love you dear, Hugs to Tom, take good care. xoxoxo
I can’t believe Martha Stewart left only a dime for the waitress, how rude!!! she makes millions and she can’t afford to generous to leave a dollar…. very rude I think!!!
The Hudson River Valley is a favorite. So glad you and your friends had a lovely time. It is a great time of year for that kind of adventure. There are many restorations and historical homes on the Hudson River. Sunnyside, Washington Irvings’ home is there in Tarrytown NY, an absolute gem. (The Sleepy Hollow area has so many treasures.) I enjoyed this blog, thank you! Take care of you hand and enjoy October.
Best
Hillaire
I love the Red Lion Inn, too! My husband and I begin our anniversary trip there next week and then on to Concord, Mass. and the Colonial Inn. I love the living room at the Red Lion….the smell of the burning logs is heaven. We try to get downstairs early for cocktail time for hot rum cider and to grab the old table by the window for games of Backgammon. The table Abraham Lincoln used! Simple pleasures and wonderful memories.
Our history comes alive in the old places! 👏👏👏
Love, love, Stockbridge and the Red Lion Inn. One of our favorite places. Haven’t been there in a long time since moving to Florida. Miss New England, especially this time of year. Hope you were able to check out the gift shop as well as the wonderful curtains.
So many great memories. Thanks for posting the pictures. Ate there and rocked on the front porch so often. You made me smile.
Susan,
Jack was SO adorable sitting on that ironing board looking at you with such love – at least I think it was love. (You can never tell what’s on a cat’s mind:) It makes me want to pick him up and hug and kiss the stuffing out of him. But since I’m far away from him, you’ll have to do it for me, okay?
Either love, or admonishment, as in, “Don’t you dare ever go anywhere again. In fact, ask first. In writing.” But he’s melted back into moosh-love now. So a big kiss from you to him, via me!
I’m originally from Ma.. went to school in Pittsfield and used to hang out in Lenox.
Such wonderful memories. Thanks for sharing.
So yesterday the boiler failed and will be a huge expense and today my credit card was hacked…but your blog came and I feel so much better, just concentrating on all those things we love and that really matter. I just bought pumpkins for my window boxes too. Your Hudson Valley trip and those amazing candy corn cookies! They look pretty darn perfect to me…what a great idea. Thanks so much for cheering me up.
This is a delightful post! Autumn- the best season of the year!
The Hudson River Valley is wonderful. My daughter, sister-in-law and I visited Olana as a half way point. (sister-in-law lives in the Albany area we live in Nj) Was a fun time. There are many restoration gems on the Hudson. My favorite is in Tarrytown NY, Washington Irving’s home, Sunnyside. I am sure you would think it is adorable. Sleepy Hollow has so many treasures.
Thank you for sharing your trip.
You have also inspired me to bake some cookies (oh boy)
Thank you Susan,
Best,
Hillaire
Oh Susan, your blog arrived today after my girlfriend left. She is the one who introduced me to your books. How appropriate! I 💕 your books, Scrapbooks, recipe binder, cookbooks, stationery, and calendars! You inspire me! I don’t use PayPal, but I wish that your website would accept charge and debit cards. 💕💕
I think it does. Ask [email protected]/~susanbs3/susanbranch/ 💋
What a beautiful time! Can’t believe you had lunch in Rhinebeck on the porch of Liberty! I think we sat at that very same table on August 3 for dinner! Yes! Always, always not enough time to see it all! Crossed the Hudson River for the first time! So amazing and gorgeous! Love how you share all your special times with us! -xoxo
Oh Nellie, we keep missing each other!!! xoxoxo
love your Fall blog, thank you Susan. Such beauty in everything you touch. You inspire me to get my Indian corn and my ceramic pumpkin I made out. Cant wait to see Downton! Love your candy corn cookies. Wonder if you could use natural coloring? 🎃 Love your orange mums. The woodchucks eat mine!
Anything that colors your cookies, I just got what our market has, but I know there are other kinds these days.
Susan, the candy corn cookies are adorable. I’m going to make them for my grandchildren and I know that they will just be delighted with a replica of candy corn.
Thank you for sharing!
Goodie! 👏👏👏
Wow so excited to know that you are speaking at a time I will be staying on the Island. We are arriving right before Columbus Day and leaving around November 7th. I was hoping to find a few fun things to attend centered around local music, museums and such! Just hope the waters are calm due to my fear of storms when I am on a boat. 😳 PS interested in purchasing a mug or 2 any local store you recommend? Thanks again for sharing your wonderful adventures with your dear friends 🌻
Perfect timing! The food and wine festival is several days, and LOTS of interesting goings-on! The store that carries my things is called Vineyard Arts Gallery at 54 Main Street, it used to be known as Simon Gallery . . . in Vineyard Haven, right in the middle of the block. Don’t worry about the boat. I can testify. It’s a piece of cake. And I’m a weenie, so you can take it from me! xoxo
I’m so jealous. I have wanted to go to Stockbridge for years and never made it. Love Norman Rockwell. My health is not good now so I love traveling vicariously through you.
What a lovely escape from reality!! How I envy your cool temps, we are still in the high 90’s. Cooler air is coming next week so there is hope! Fall is my favourite season. Hope your wrist is doing well.
Dear Susan,
You picked a beautiful time of year to visit the Hudson Valley when the river and hillsides seem to be at their loveliest. I’m familiar with all the places you wrote about because I was born in Rhinebeck and spent my childhood in Hyde Park.
It’s been 45 years since we moved away, but every autumn the river draws us back to stock up on cider and apples.
What a lovely letter. It’s looking like your Autumn is taking a wonderful shape, cookies and ALL. Love all the little drawings and hearing about your trip. Thank you for your beauty and all of your beautiful things. Julie
I just love your observations of place, decoration, and all the feels you feel going about your visits with friends. You looked so cute in your pictures and Joe, oh my, cute AND he cooks too! Lucky you but then he is a very lucky boy too! Thank you for sharing your sweet, gentle life. Hope your wrist continues to heal well.
Hi Susan! So glad you and Joe had a wonderful time with your friends from the U.K.! This is my favorite time of the year. There is nothing quite like Fall-the colors, the mums, the pumpkins, the smell of woodsmoke from fireplaces and woodstoves, apple cider doughnut cake-oh yes, what a wonderful recipe I found-and so much more! Our house in Maine is coming along and the framing has begun! We will be up there this weekend and we’ll see it taking shape, so exciting! That and the foliage which was really coming along a few weeks ago. In the meantime, we are enjoying the beautiful weather with the nice breeze and leaves beginning to blow around. We could use a little rain and it’s supposed to come tomorrow. We have our pumpkins and mums and my Fall flags are displayed, along with my little orange lights in the window. I think I’m addicted to the season! All the best to Joe and Jack and be well and be happy! Love, Karen xoxo
First, your cookies look quite tasty. I’ll have to make some as my hubbie simply can’t say no to a cookie.
Secondly, we would love to visit areas out east. The more we think about it, it’s the small towns and local places we want to see. Not that New York City wouldn’t be a bad place to visit. But we want to take our time and enjoy ourselves at a leisurely pace. Neither of us particularly like crowds of people. Being able to talk with folks and enjoy what they have to offer is part of the fun.
Here’s to day dreaming of antique stores, fun food and meeting people with interests similar to ours.
Looks like you had a wonderful holiday, Sue. I love the Berkshires (practically in my backyard) and fall is the BEST time to visit.
Your cookies are adorable!
Oh What a fun time you had! And the cookies look marvelous! Thanks for all you share.
Susan ,I love to hear from you. ❤️It gives me such a lift. 🙏🏻
Thank you 🐱Happy Fall🍁🍂🌾
Love Red Lion Inn, and Stockbridge, and all the history! Hoping for a late Fall trip this year, it’s been four years since we were last in New England, it is time!!!!!
What a lovely newsletter! Looks like the perfect vacation! Thank you for sharing!
Husband and I also saw Once Upon a Time in Hollywood and yes it is what it is. Lots of blood at the end and lots of Brad Pitt. Gotta love it. You are lucky you have such talented husbands. Love a man that can cook. But I love my husband anyway, he’s a super griller!! Looks like the four of you had a great time. Love that Ray had a shopping trip to Walmart. I expect it’s the same on the other side of the pond when you are there. Always something you can’t get at home. It’s the same here.When we go to the Toledo area we have a favorite potato chip and Tony Packo’s for at least one dinner. It’s always too short a visit no matter how long you are there.
Rabbit Rabbit dear Susan, I was thinking of you this morning as I said this phrase! Don’t you love Rinebeck? I had a wonderful time there and glad you got to enjoy places we’ve been! Did you get any antiques or treasures? You look like you had some great times with dear friends! Happy Autumn and looking forward to your next blog! Happy Healing!
What a joy it is to read about your latest adventures! Love the cookies, I am going to try to make them. They are too cute. Will look forward to the reading about more of your journey! Thanks for taking us along!
Hi Susan and Joe,
I love that you loved your trip with your best friends! Thank you for taking us along. Pittsburgh is having a bit of a heat wave now but I can’t wait to do some more fall baking. Your cookies are cuteness personified! Enjoy every minute of that New England weather for this is the very best time of year!
“I’m so glad I live in a world where there are Octobers.” -~ L.M. Montgomery
Rabbit, rabbit 🐇 🐇
Yayyyyyyyy! I have been waiting to hear how your trip was. I have cooking Annie Hall’s cookies on my to do list for this week. I’ve got some gluten free flour so I will give that a try. My daughter is gluten free and she would be hurt if I only made regular cookies. This is such an exciting blog to read during Autumn and Winter. I’ll be heading to the Pacific Northwest at the end of October…should be beautiful! Have a great day!
I love you, Susan. You and your stories are some of the things that make life worth living. ❤️
I do love when your blog pops into my email, and I get to jump to see all the Susan and Joe (and Paul and Ray) stuff! I’m going to retire next year, so planning trips, and now Stockbridge will be put on the list!
My kids and grandson are coming for dinner next week, so I’ll be making the Candy Corn Cookies.
Friday, my girlfriend and I are going to see Downton – so excited!
Thank you for the beauty and inspiration you bring to the girlfriends, Susan. It is so truly appreciated!
Happy Fall!
I LOVE your blog!!! Just like a visit with a good friend! Thank you for sharing!
Happy October!! Oh how I love The Red Lion Inn! Haven’t been for years but it’s charm is eternal. And every curtain in my home is from their company Country Curtains. Every spring and fall I wash ,starch and iron them and hang them back up at freshly washed windows. Domestic bliss ! Thank you for taking me back there today.
Blessings
Carol
I love Annie Hall’s butter cookie recipe. It makes so many cookies! Yum.
Loved this post. You have so many lovely adventures.
As always, reading your blog is like a visit with a best friend. Musica was wonderful and I am definitely going to do the candy corn cookies!
Luv-lee! I can just imagine how much fun you and Joe must’ve had with Paul and Ray – time spent with good friends always flies by… sigh. Happiest of autumns to you <3
Hi Susan! What a wonderful trip you walked us through! It brings back memories of our similar travels. I loved all of your destinations, which were only a one-hour trip from our former home in western MA. Ray and Paul must have really enjoyed seeing these wonderful places with you and Joe, their very special friends. Have a Happy Fall! Pam W.
Hi Sue,
Your pictures of the Red Lion Inn bring back many happy memories for me. From the early seventies until 1980 we lived in the Stockbridge area. I was a waitress at the Red Lion Inn for several years while taking a break from nursing. The kitty,s name at that time was Gus, a great big orange fella.
At one point I was asked to do private duty for Mr. Rockwell after he took a nasty fall from his bike (in February, no less). I was with the Rockwell’s for about 5 months that time and enjoyed many conversations with Mr. & Mrs. Rockwell. That was sometime around 1975.
In 1978 I saw Mrs. Rockwell at the Harvest Festival and she asked if I had some time for Norman. Of course, I said yes. I was one of the nurses who provided around the clock care of him for about another month until he passed away. He was very much like his paintings. Gentle and kind with a sense of humor. I feel fortunate to have had that experience and have a number of keepsakes from my time with him. He gave me several signed prints, signed a couple of books for me and gave a signed copy of the ABC book to my daughter who was a toddler at the time.
At that time the museum was at the Old Corner House which was just down the street from the Red Lion. I think the new museum is just beautiful. We visited a few years back when on our way to Vermont to go cross country skiing.
It was so nice to see those pics of the Inn. Thank you for sharing.
Bonnie
You ARE fortunate. And so was he, to have had you, so loving and caring when he needed it most. I would have loved to have known him. His view of America is my view. He has us reaching for the stars. Just the way I like it. Thank you for sharing Bonnie, just a wonderful story.
What a wonderful experience for you fortunate for the Rockwells. My thanks to you for sharing, Bonnie.
How wonderful! I actually have ancestors who lived in Rhinebeck! Looking forward for Fall and all that goes with it.
Loved your adventure through New England. The Red Lion Inn looked divine. Fall is a wonderful time of the year. All the wonderful produce from the garden. Thanksgiving just around the corner for us Canadians. My daughter will be hosting and cooking up a storm. Main course will be turkey of course and pumpkin pie for dessert. Knowing her she will have new appetizers, sides with dinner and of course some fancy cocktail for the ladies. Downton Abbey is the only movie we have seen recently at the theater. What a wonderful almost two hours of escapism. Thanks to you Susan for all your wonderful blogs. Norman could have been Jack’s brother. Very cute.
😘😘😘
English please for the cookie recipe. They look delicious. Thx.
Do you have my book A Fine Romance? That recipe is in it. Otherwise, I will try to put it in the next blog, if I remember (there-in lies the rub!).
My goodness Susan!! You were in my neck of the woods, so to speak!! I live about 20 miles from Hudson, and if I had known you were in town, I would have made an absolute fool of myself. Of course, I won’t have done anything too embarrassing!
I’m so glad you and your friends enjoyed our lovely patch of the historic and beautiful Hudson Valley. Come back again!
I know we will. I have a list of things to see that we never made it to!!
I just LOVE seeing this email come in Susan ! It is such a warm and fuzzy correspondence ! I’ve been cooking from your Books for years! xo
You’re so funny-the recipe is in Chinese! LOL! Fun blog, glad your wrist is doing well.
I knew you would go somewhere wonderful. That historic Red Lion Inn looks fabulous. I would love to go there. I’ve only been to New England twice and both times were for work, but I enjoyed it both times and loved the landscape and architecture. Each time when leaving my intentions were to come back to really see some sights and really experience it, but haven’t. This has rekindled those feelings. I love the idea of Candy Corn cookies. I have always loved the way candy corn looks. They’re so bright and colorful, but I have never be able to warm up to the taste or texture. So I just love this idea, cute and tasty.
Glad you had a good time with your friends and thank you for sharing with us girlfriends. Peace & blessings
My pleasure, thank you for being here, Maureen! xoxo
I’m definatley going to make the cookies. They are so cute!
Thank you so very much for just being you AND for starting October off with such a nice post!
Mmmm! Just can’t resist those “candy corn” sugar cookies! I have all the makings so will get on with the making and baking tomorrow. Will have a tumbler of cider when I sample one or two later in the day. Love Fall!
Hi, Susan. I love the pumpkins over the front door, but have to ask about the squirrels. Have they ever been able to get to them? The last time I had a pumpkin out, a squirrel got to it and I came home from work to find a large hole in my pumpkin and the naughty critter had scooped out some of the inside. There were pumpkin guts everywhere!😂 such a mess! I haven’t put one out since then. Glad your wrist is doing better. Thanks for sharing your adventures. Love them.
Delightful! Happy Fall Y’All!
Hello Susan, and Hello Girlfriends. wheee its finally Autumn and October, can Halloween be far off now??? we are having sunny weather today, but had lots of rain for the weekend, a good soaking rain for the trees and plants. got my pumpkin patch harvested and the pumpkins are up on hay bales to cure in the sun for that rich deeper orange color. they will all make a lovely display for the front porch and the front windows. the cats are busy chasing leaves from window to window when the winds blow the leaves off the roof. we are enjoying a bit more color now and love these cooler days, perfect sweater or sweatshirt weather. the hoses are all rolled up and hung away until next summer, the sprinklers all put in the shed and the clothesline is rolled up for the season. time to get our Halloween things up and around, my neighbors are going trick or treating as yetis…. I love it, we will have daddy yeti, mommy yeti and baby yetis.. a regular yeti family. I even found a cute apron for mommy yeti to wear. its going to be adorable. the cats are still up to mischief, just new mischief now, they stole my computer mouse and hid it, they steal my kitchen sponge and try to hide that but I have been leaving soap on the sponge so they get a soapy taste when they bite the sponge. any acorn of Fall leaf that gets blown in or manages to get in is instantly swatted around and I have found more acorns than I care to think about. got to love those 2 little gremlins, wonder if they will attack the pumpkins for the windows.. hmm!!! well the tractor parade is over with and now we get the turkey parade, we have a large flock of wild turkeys that come around here regularly and they bring the babies, and next month is their mating season again, they mate in the Fall and in the Spring. its also deer hunting season here and the last half of apple season. I have more apple pies in the freezer this year… I make the pies and freeze and bring them out to bake as needed for the holidays. I also have tons of cookies ( cookie dough) wrapped and frozen waiting to be baked. I make up tons of cookie dough ( chocolate chip, peanut butter, sugar, ginger snap, snicker doodle, oatmeal raisin.) roll them in plastic, then waxed paper and finally tin foil and freeze them, they are good for up to a year but they go fast so I always make more to make it through the coming holidays. just saves a ton of work during the holidays and I get to enjoy the holidays more. a trick my grandma showed me. the pies are good for 6-7 months. well off to the front porch for some sweeping and then a bit of tea to relax with. a nice warm supper of sausage and soup tonight to warm the tummy. hope you are having a wonderful day, so good to have you back home. Happy Fall and many Autumn blessings…. Autumn hugs…. 😀
Hugs Pat! Thank you!!!!
Love your notes on life in rural Oregon, Pat. I made sausage soup a week ago. Loved it for a couple of days, then froze the rest in serving sizes.
Yep, we too, have oodles of turkeys trucking across the yard. They sometimes roost in one of the gigantic white pines across the road.
Debbie in rural Maine
Hello Debbie, our turkeys roost in the trees in the back of our property and some roost in the trees across the road. love having them around, but I get a little peeved when they try to get in the chicken yard. I just love this Autumn weather, so nice and cool and blustery after a hot summer. I have a dream trip on my list to visit New England and tour around during the Fall to enjoy the beautiful colors, seeing any color in Maine??? do you ever go to Vermont??? that is another state I plan to visit in the Fall and go to the Vermont Country Store, that is my shop online store for birthdays, holidays and anything else and I love them so I plan to visit them. ever been there??? life here is rural, nice and quiet but I love it even with our occasional surprise visits from critters like a bear or cougar. we even get a family of deer hanging around here especially in hunting season as we have posted all over the property ” no hunting allowed on this property. will be prosecuted” keeps those hunters off the property and our deer family safe, turkeys too. Autumn hugs…… 😀
I love Friendly’s! My favorite ice cream treat is a peanut butter sundae. Our granddaughter is one of Friendly’s 10,000 employees. She is a hostess at the Myrtle Beach location. Loved your New England travelogue. 💕
Really love your blog and all your products! You make my home happier!! My mom gifts us with lots of your beautiful designs. God bless you!
Such a wonderful little trip for you! For me, it sounds just like the trip I’ve wanted to take for most of my life. I’ve always lived on the west coast and New England has been on the top of my “Places to Visit” list forever. Seeing your pictures of the Red Lion Inn, I now know where to stay, too! It looks perfect! I look forward to hearing more in your next blogs – maybe I’ll get to see some of the movies you mentioned before then; I hope so.
Ha Ha Ha -Acorn candy cookies …. too Cute! Can’t wait to
Bake them. Loved your vacation with Ray and Pirate Paul…Argh!
Enjoying an extended summer in Hilton Head but wishing we’d gone
North for Fall Color and sweater weather! Too Hot – going to the Pool,
Ciao, Girlfriend😍
Ciao, Girlfriend. 😘
So much fun to see all the Autumn colors here! Those orange pumpkins above your door are so bright! I love to see all the old-fashioned things that seem to pop up in your life. I wonder how large the candy corn cookies were. No spatula nearby, no measuring cup or spoon to compare with. Thank you for sharing so much with us!
Oh, I should have done that… I think it’s safe to say they were like 3″ by 2″ … not really big… 4 bites maybe.
And again I really enjoyed reading about your trip with your friends and all photo’s and sayings toooo.
All i can s as y is aws ok me, as mazing and spectacular post. Wow. Ray’s husband Paul to tooo adorable. Like an elf or sweet Professor. Wonderful food, walks, talks thank you so much ffg or sharing. Now i have to go and read it all again..yet slower
Ha ha ha, an elf or sweet professor describes Paul very very well! I hope Ray reads this!
She has indeed read it!! Just loving all these comments – Debra, I just read your description to the man himself (it’s breakfast time here and he’s just eating two soft-boiled eggs). He LOVED the adorable bit…and then his brow furrowed when I got to the rest, and he did indeed resemble a sweet professor!! He is very adorable and I’m lucky, I know xoxo Have a great day!
LOL! Too cute Ray! Give the professor a hug for us…did he wear his hat yet? xoxo
NO – thank goodness!! 😉 He looks lovely in your photo though – happy! xo
Hi, Susan – Just had a laugh at the piece of folded waxpaper – my mother also did that and…of course, so do I…”waste not, want not” (my mother also said that!).
Our moms were the best. xoxo
What a great time you had with your fun British friends. Looks like a fantastic trip!! Xo
Can’t you write more…forever? Sigh, I love reading your words. So entertaining, like we are right there with you.
I can, and I could, and it makes me so happy to hear, it’s Okay if I do!!! xoxo
Just love and so much more LOVE!
YESSSSSSS!
Thanks so much for your trip description with your dear friends. The Red Lion Inn pictures grabbed my attention. My beloved husband, now departed since Feb.4th this year, and I spent many memorable times there. Our favorite table for two was the one by the window you shot. We also sat at the other table that you sat at when we met long-time friends there in August each year to celebrate mutual anniversaries. Also, my husband, a clergyman, and I spent several times there between Christmas and New Years to relax after the holiday services and enjoyed reading before the fire on the first floor while the classical harpist played Christmas music for hours. It was pure heaven.
So glad you all had such a happy, restorative journey to the Hudson Valley and Berkshire area. Take it easy with your wrist. Don’t overdo; your girlfriends can wait for the next installment.
Love from Westchester County, NY, Lois
Awww, I took a picture of your favorite table. And when I was doing it, I thought, what a perfect table, this would be the ONE. Such a lovely memory for you. Hope you’re doing okay. It’s a tough first year. Sending my love and blessings, thanks for saying hello, Lois. xoxoxo
Loved your visit re-cap. It is so nice when old friends can spend time together. You had a great visit. Love the Inn….Fall is in New England but not quite to western PA yet, another 3-4 weeks before color and it was 88 degrees today…
Susan I love the crisp shirts that you always wear with the top button fastened!! Where do you find them? Would love a white one like in the Rhinebeck photo.
Visits with dear friends are treasures. We have been “ going back and forth “ with two sweet Canadians for 44 years…met on our honeymoon!!
Good luck with PT…..
I get them everywhere . . . if I see one, I get it. I’ve always been a white shirt kind of gal. Prefer 100% cotton if I can. xoxoxo
I’m inspired to drag out my autumn decorations’ make some soup and try the “candy corn” cookies. Thanks for your blog and inspiration!
YAY!👏👏👏
Your cookies are cute. Looks like you all had a”fine” time.
What an absolutely wonderful trip with friends! Each place you visited has so much charm. You take us places that some of us will never have the opportunity to visit. I researched Frederick Edwin Church and his paintings. Now I must see if we have one or more in our collection at the Chrysler Museum in Norfolk, VA.
We have record-setting temperatures here in Virginia (90) this week, along with a drought in many areas. I have forged ahead with pumpkins and fall wreaths, but it doesn’t feel like autumn. Looking forward to more posts – so much to enjoy! By the way, thank you for the free stationery. I print these in color and use them in my journals and for writing letters to friends. I love writing and receiving letters!
Glad you like them Ann! XOXOXO
Do people ever recognize you when you’re out and about like this? Because I would probably faint from happiness to see you! Happy Fall!
Sometimes. And in the strangest places. Always fun, always “girlfriends!”
I hope there is good news regarding the wrist. Honey Crisp apples are on the counter waiting to be enjoyed and an acorn squash baking in the oven. A few of the many reasons fall is the best season. As tradition, your Autumn book is on a stand on the kitchen counter. Always enjoy your posts and looking forward to the next one.
Hi Kathy!
You went to my favorite house, Olana! There’s The view from the porch, the Persian vibe and the painting of Petra are just a few reasons why I love it.
That view!
Looks like an amazing time spent with wonderful friends….so jealous. Thank you as always for taking me on mini field trips…..I always enjoy myself so much. Rabbit Rabbit ….here comes fall…..my favorite season. Enjoy the gorgeous New England fall. 🍁🌻🎃
Smiles,
Liz
Hi Susan!
I loved this post! Why? Because you were in my neck of the woods! I can see the Hudson River from my apartment building; I grew up practically walking distance from the river in one of the river towns near the Bear Mtn. Bridge. So I know the area very well… Hudson? I was there over the summer – went to see Olana for the first time, as I love the Hudson River painters. Rhinebeck is also a place I visit very often – meet friends there, lunch at the Beekman Arms Inn, which is a very old, historical Inn (FDR held many political rallies right in front of the Inn). He lived right down the road in Hyde Park – which is also the home of the Culinary Institute’s wonderful school and restaurants, where future chefs wait tables and cook the fantastic meals…
As for Stockbridge, MA – I have loved the Red Lion Inn forever… It’s about a 2 1/2 hour car ride one way from where I live – and my dear girlfriend, who is no longer with us, introduced me to that wonderful place many years ago. It is magical around Christmas, when the lobby is decorated with a big tree in the middle; they are serving hot apple cider; the fire is roaring, carols being sung; and the dining room is full of cheer. The Norman Rockwell Museum is nearby, and displays many of his original works, and all of his Saturday Evening Post covers. Before he built his own studio (which was moved from town to the current location), his studio was in town over the General Store. The store is still there and is fun to visit: souvenirs, old fashioned penny candies, maple syrup, etc…
What a wonderful trip down memory lane for me, and the perfect fall post! You looked like you had a wonderful time, and how nice to share it all with special friends – that’s the best gift of all…
You are the perfect tour guide, Gina! Thank you! 👏
You just make my day! We are rehabbing twins!
The Red Lion Inn is a VERY favorite location of ours. We spent our honeymoon there and have back so many times.
And then Hudson, with all of its antique options, etc. is just down the road.
It was great to see so many of the places that we also appreciate.
Grace
This was a wonderful read, my first for your blog. We can see the love and friendship in your writing. I’m going to put the Hudson and MV back on my list of places to go. Older and wiser visits are good. Your cookies look great! I have 5 of your books and p. 82 of Christmas is there. I’ve made many of your recipes. Your Summer book’s West Chop Corn (p. 64) is a family Thanksgiving favorite gracing many years’ table, serving 25+ of us. I hope your wrist PT goes easily and well. Thank you for sharing your beautiful, tasty, and comfortable thoughts.
Makes me sooooo happy to hear that Peggy. I love being a family favorite more than anything!
OMG! I can’t believe you were in Rhinebeck! My Daughter, Jessie, lives there!!! Oh what a thrill it would have been if she had seen you! It looks like you had a wonderful time with Ray and Paul. They are adorable. I love it the way you refer to folks as PLU! So cute. I hope and pray you come to my neck of the woods for a book signing someday.
We just got back from a trip to Michigan to visit my other daughter, Sarah. We Celebrated her 26th birthday. I got her your pink champagne heart mug and a copy of The Fairy tale Girl. Remember I told you she read Isle of dreams and recognized you as a kindred spirit. She is getting her PhD at the University of Michigan. She has been there for 4 years and hopefully will defend next year and finish her degree. While we were there we went to a big 10 football game! I’m not a huge football fan but I thought we should at least go once for the experience. There were 110,000 people and we were in the verrrrryyyy top row of the stands! Yikes! It was loud and crazy but fun. My favorite part was the marching band! So I can say I went. Prolly never do it again!
Happy First day of October! I wore my flannel pj’s to bed last night and it felt wonderful to be cozy! Hope your wrist is feeling better.
I can’t take credit for PLU, that was Paul. But it’s mine now!!! My favorite part of anything is always the Marching Band! I completely agree, Mary! Hello to your girls! Stay cozy, love, me.💞
Thanks for the idea of the candy corn cookies. Definitely have to make them for our church social time which always has oodles of children at it.
Hi Susan, wonderful blog as usual! I love seeing all the pictures of your trip to Hudson Valley with Ray, Paul, you and Joe! I can really see what a good time you all had sightseeing, shopping and eating good food. Fall is finally here but we have been way too hot for Ohio in October! should see a cool down by the weekend, hopefully. I’m looking forward to hear what else you have been up to, especially what you thought of the Downty movie! I loved it! Those butter cookies look delicious and are perfectly Halloweeny. I hope the physical therapy goes well for you to get your wrist back to normal again. Enjoy the gorgeous fall, my favorite time of year. Have a great week!
I always love it when you write….. and I do have all your books and they are such a special treat for me to go back and read them again and again. I don’t suppose you have any plans to do another cookbook? Actually I just adore your illustrations…..oh well!! ❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️
Not just now, but maybe! Love hearing from you Karen!
Well you are such a dear. I am and will always be a loyal follower.❤️❤️❤️
XOXO
The Red Lion Inn. Olana, and Hudson are all of our favorites.
S glad that you could experience them, too.
It is such fun, traveling with you! Almost feels like I was there, too. Thanks very much for the experience.
From Point A to Z on your historical tour with best friends made me drool. Getting to know your Ray, so normal to be expecting to get a postcard from her. Thank you very much. Love seeing a new season of pumpkins lined over your door. Your traditions become ours as we try to view them through your camera each year. And those creative Candy Corn Butter Cookies. What could be better. Thank you for sharing as always.
JoAnn from Northville, Michigan, a very long time fan from beginning of your illustrated recipes in COUNTRY LIVING magazine.
A very long time! xoxo
Hi JoAnn! We really had the best time – we always do when we’re together, very lucky! I wish I could send ALL the wonderful girlfriends a postcard but at least I can send you a kiss from beautiful sunny Autumn-y England this morning xo
I love your blogs Susan. I click on the musica it plays as I read. Such a nice touch. My Mom & I spent a week travelling in New England on much the same route that you, Joe, Paul & Ray travelled. It was enchanting! We loved The Red Lion Inn, the Norman Rockwell Museum and just everything about Stockbridge. We’ve always felt deep down our New England roots that we discovered when we tracked down a few ancestors. Each time we’ve been to New England we’ve timed it to see the Fall foliage which is SO pretty! Thank you for sharing the candy corn cookie idea.