Well, for the first time, I finally sort of have everyone where I want them! Home! MUSICA
There’s my hero off to rob the grocery store! We are doing fine here, so far so good. On our third week of staying home, doing our part to protect ourselves and the brave health workers at our little hospital. Joe doesn’t LOVE going out dressed like this, but he does it for me.💞
Still dark and quiet this morning . 
. . I finished the new calendars yesterday! DONE💃! Yay! Now I get to write my Christmas Story! So excited! I put everything away and cleaned the studio to get ready ~ and now the house is smooth and quiet. Behind a chair on the floor of this room is a little machine I got many years ago … a recording of birdsong on a constant loop. Because it’s still too cold, we can’t open our windows yet, but it’s April and I, personally, am ready, READY, READY for spring. Recorded birdsong works for me till the real thing comes along. Makes me happy!
It’s getting a little lighter, a little warmer every day . . . Which is perfect because for some reason our supermarket decided the one thing they could live without during this pandemic was, wait for it, yes . . . F L O W E R S. Totally nutty. So good for the soul. They’ve been #1 on my shopping list the two times Joe has gone. But, no.
So here we are, in the NICK of time! Spring, the season of hope and rebirth.
And it’s purr-fect here! Just ask Jack!
So out comes the yellow . . . Easter is on my birthday this year! I love it when Easter’s on my birthday! And by the 12th, we’ll already be almost halfway through April. This time with pandemic feels like forever, but it will pass much faster than we think. I’ve been thinking about what I’ll have to show for it. (Besides, of course, a hundred thousand prayers.🙏)
I’m such a homebody, as you all know, that if I “HAD” to be “quarantined” ~ “stuck” on a desert island so to speak, I could not think of a better place than Home! Where all my best things are. Tea, candles, dishes in soap suds, clean dishtowels on the stove, jars with red lids, peanut butter cookies in the oven, Beatrix Potter people on the window sill, Jack in my drawer, Joe at my side. All the good stuff happens here anyway. It’s trouble out there. Home is the only place we are in charge! 
Was “Zooming” with my English Girlfriend Rachel the other day (*see Zooming below) . . . we were comparing what we’re going through to what the Brits went through during WWII, when their “pandemic” fell out of the sky and blew up houses while people were sleeping ~ which they lived through every day for SIX years. How DID they sleep? No sugar, butter, eggs, coffee. No gas. Everyone like sitting ducks. Sons and husbands in danger, far from home, not heard from in months. Ray gave me a book called Nella’s War, an actual diary of an everyday English woman during the war and what I learned: we are so lucky, even now. Staying home? Lucky us. Whatever happens, we’ll figure it out. If they could, so can we.
What if, the way this went, we were all quarantined in a 
dentist’s chair? Right? Way worse! Or a highly air-conditioned department-store bathroom, locked in with a bunch of strangers and only two plastic chairs? There is no nicer place than home especially when bombs aren’t falling. We LOVE our own beds, we LOVE the musica that plays here! No strange dentist-chair music in THIS house. I’m stealing daffodils from the garden, and forced a tiny stem of cherry tree. If I didn’t have a garden, I might dress like Joe and take a walk on our deserted street with my scissors.
We are like this. We go out to stare at the garden before we go for our walk and holler to each other. “Joe, over here!”
SO exciting! (Norman Rockwell was clearly one of us!)
SEE? Happening all over. New life. Isn’t it thrilling?
I’m so proud of everyone. The whole world is on a mission. We’re in it together. “If you can’t do what you do,” said Bon Jovi, “do what you can.” And so we do.
If we want to have breakfast for dinner, we can and we do! There is something so cozy and comforting about pancakes for dinner. Then we watch two series on Acorn, Brokenwood Mysteries, and 800 Words. We are loving the creative art of cooking more than ever. Dinner is like an event, what are we making? Let’s have PANCAKES, let’s put bacon in them … yaaaay!
I wasn’t always a good cook ~ no one is BORN that way, not even Julia Child, who said, “Before I was 32 all I did was eat.” And as you know if you’ve read my books Fairy Tale Girl and Martha’s Vineyard Isle of Dreams, I didn’t just burn up one stove, I burnt up two.😱 But cooking was right smack in the middle of the road I took searching to find my passions and the things that would make me happy in life. Cooking was like a secret way of giving. I could make people happy when I did it.❤️
It was my own little pandemic that brought me to this cottage in the woods on Martha’s Vineyard. When my life was 
suddenly thrown into reverse, I went inside, in more ways than one. And it was in that quiet where I learned most everything else that’s brought me to now. Sometimes we need a little pandemic in our lives to help us see the road. It’s awful when it’s happening, you fight it in the beginning, but later, if you survive, if you aren’t allowed out too soon, you think, Oh, thank God.💖
What helps the fear? Little things. Naps with kitties, tomato soup, scrambled eggs, a good book, bubble baths, MEDITATION, finding new recipes, cleaning out a closet, 
maybe writing that book you’ve promised yourself you would do. Are you homeschooling? You could teach history the fun way. Watch with them: Darkest Hour, Schindler’s List, Amistad, Lincoln, Amadeus, or Chaplin. Show them where on the map these heroes were born, or where the story took place. Make it all real for them. Google “Best Silent Movies” and show them the world of their great grandparents. Check out my Movie List ~ maybe you have a budding vintage-movie buff in the family. Have a Family Book Club: read out loud every night: The Diary of Anne Frank or To Kill a Mockingbird. Take questions. I have a Book List too, tried and true, guaranteed to bring a laugh
or a tear. Get online and fill out the Census. Teach good citizenship and explain how doing this makes your community strong. Teach them how the stock market works (😳I’m still trying to figure it out!). Paint a bedroom. Check out TED TALKS, so much genius free for the taking (watch Isabel Allende speak passionately, brilliantly, about Passion). Create a photo wall in your bathroom. Make a homemade pie crust. Teach kids how to iron, knit, watercolor, embroider. There are lots of embroidery kits and fill-in family cookbooks in our web store (make Christmas presents). Get out that hammer and nails and Google How To Make a Bird House. Every lesson for everything you’ve ever wanted to learn is on Youtube. Things you never thought of, things you hardly ever have time for, you do now. Who knows? You might stir up some passions!
My own personal divorce-pandemic took me here. From California to a small island and this little house . . .
Where I cried myself to sleep and healed with kittens and Potato Pancakes.
A recipe I then put in a cookbook I wrote at my dining room table . . . 
. . . that changed my life and gave me a future and made my pandemic worthwhile, all six years of it.
I never imagined this book would turn 30! But it did. And it got a makeover, not just the cover, but there are lots of new recipes. I’m thinking you or a friend or a relative may 
be needing a little extra TLC right now, a little bit of vintage charm in a topsy-turvy world ~ so I’m putting this watercolored, hand-written book full of homey recipes, 176 pages of how-to’s, and family stories, on sale ~ each with a signed bookplate inside.❤️ For the whole month. And don’t worry, I am living proof . . .
None of us know what the future will bring, we have lots of these books in stock right now, it would be better not to have them lounging in a warehouse somewhere, they should be out there, spreading their homey goodness, doing what they do best, inspiring family togetherness with potato pancake, carrot cupcakes, linguine in clam sauce, Gazpacho, my dad’s garlic bread, stuffed pork chops, enchiladas, rainbow jell-O, onion pudding, German pancake ⬇️ . . .
. . . the way to fry an egg so the yolk is
still soft, bubbled up with crispy edges . . . bean soup, cranberry tea cake, caesar salad, twice-baked potatoes, lemon chicken, bread and butter pudding, chocolate eclairs . . . and so much more…
As my parents did and taught us, if you want something bad enough, you just make it. 
I just checked my cupboard, I have three Heart of the Home’s here on the Island, which I’m going to give away to YOU. All you 
have to do to win one of these books is scroll to the bottom of this post where you’ll see a bunch of tiny little words, including the word “comments” … click there, leave a comment (anything, so the blog registers you there), and you’ll be automatically entered in the drawing which we’ll do next week. ❤️ I’ll email the winners and personalize each book before it goes out. Little something to look forward to.
Here’s another small treat you can make yourself ~ extra simple made with boxed mix, but outstanding for kids ~ and you’ll feel pretty proud too.
One of our Girlfriends sent us her version!
What else . . . Oh yes . . 
No doubt you have figured this out, but just in cases, our Mother’s Day Tea Parties in Duxbury have both been canceled, until, we think (and hope), September. I’ve been saving my old paintbrushes and pencil stubs and making bookmarks to hand out at the signing . . . which means there will be more by the time this happens! See? It’s all good. I’ll announce the new dates when I get them.
Another 2021 Calendar preview, it’s April! Just a reminder, we will be placing our calendar order with the manufacturer on Monday. Hopefully you have yours on order . . . but if not, if you are going to want either the 2021 Photo Wall-Calendar or the regular Heart of the Home wall-calendar, now is the time to get them. Nobody knows WHAT is going to happen to the stores that usually sell them, our manufacturer may make HALF as many this year as last, we just want to make sure our Girlfriends get one if they want one.💞
I’m sure you’ve heard of ZOOM, but if you haven’t let me tell you . . . it’s like an on-line conference call . . . I 
have used it twice now . . . once with seven girlfriends here on the island, (we had our TGIF, with cocktails, via Zoom) … and the other with Rachel and Paul with us here and them in England (and more cocktails). It’s free! It’s easy! If I can do it, anyone can. And it’s highly satisfying. A safe way to reach out and say I’m still here and I love you, you can see the love-light in their eyes. You can even kiss the screen. You’ll see. Excellent invention.💞 
Another especially fun family project is Ancestry.com … get your DNA done and start working on your family tree . . . my sister and I do it over the phone together . . . it’s wonderful to feel your family connected to the world, puts a new sort of foundation under you, deeper roots in a world of curiosity and investigation! Shelly finds a name from 1736, and I’m practically screaming the WOW-ness of it into the phone! We get totally tangled sometimes saying such lunatic things as this, “No that’s Irene’s DAD’S father’s brother’s OTHER son!”
Well, look! It’s light out. Blustery and cold, leafless ~ once again, have to say, right now real world is isn’t quite as wonderful as it is in this cozy house . . . look, my agapanthus are blooming in my studio window! Birds and squirrels are feeding outside the kitchen window ~
It’s as good as it can get. One last thing before I go . . . one thing you must do. Turn off the news. Do not listen to daily numbers. Don’t hear strident voices all day. If you’re at home, following the rules, and staying inside, you’re already doing EXACTLY what you’re supposed to do to protect your medical centers and your amazing healthcare workers (under so much stress it’s unfathomable), from YOU. Blessings and prayers for them, and also, for our first responders, grocery-store people, volunteers and delivery people, who put themselves on the line for us every day. Social distancing is working! Too much negativity will make us as sick as the virus does. Just keep praying, and go World-War-Twoing through to the other side. Think of magical words like delphinium (say them out loud, pure poetry), hollyhock and foxglove. Lily. Pansy. Because it won’t be long.
💞
Don’t forget to leave a comment for the book! Would love to hear how you’re doing!💞 Oh yes, I have a new bookmark for you! You can see it below. Just click HERE and print it out either on card stock, or do it double thickness. From me to you . . .
Thank you for all your wonderful words…..home can be amazing. Stay safe
Ventured out today for cat food as I am still feeding 6-7 homeless cats. Because I won’t buy just any food for them it is getting harder to find but after 3 stores today they will be good for another 2 weeks!!! They get both dry and canned so they are getting to be “fat cats!” Ha!! Was surprised that most of the people shopping today were men–and thank heavens no children in the stores. TFS your lovely thoughts.
Linda from Idaho where we suffered a 6.5 earthquake the other day—scared the daylights out of me—it was a real bad one —I have experienced many (the big one in Seattle in the 60’s and alot in Alaska when I lived there so know a scary one!!! My antique mirror fell over on the bookshelves and house was rocking and rolling!!! Made the virus seem tame by comparison!!! Have a Happy Birthday!!!!
Oh my, 6.5 is horrible. I’ve been in that … wow… how unsettling. For days afterward I watched my lampshades quiver. World is so crazy now, that didn’t even make the news!! Unbelievable! Take care Linda!!! 💞
All I can say Susan is that what a comfort & a calming spirit your words have during this time of fear & turmoil. Thank you so much🙏🌷❤️
Linda,
With you on the earthquake. I am so sorry you had to go through that. We thought our 5.7 was bad here- we were 8.3 miles from the epicenter, but the 6.5 must have been so much worse. Stay safe and well.
xo
Gabi
beautiful post, thank you for all you share with us
We will get through this one way or another. America used to be strong, and we can become strong again. But we all need to stick together rather divide our country.
We are strong now, is what I think. We will always stand tall, we’ve been through worse troubles than this. Anyone who tries to divide us for power should be rejected. We are tied with an invisible bond of common history. From the mountains to the prairies to the oceans white with foam … God Bless America, God Bless the entire world. 😘🎵💞💖🌈😘
Well said ❤️ Sometimes we just need someone to remind us of who and what we really are. Loving your newsletters, always, but especially now. A literal ray of ☀️
😘
I agree. I wish everyone had the same thoughts as you.
Thank you for this lovely post. Unending gratitude and many prayers for the safe welfare of our medical caretakers and first responders. Stay safe and well, all.
Marianne, you have so wonderfully expressed something I want to say. I am grateful for the cheer and joy that Susan’s posts bring, but very mindful of the risk of those who do go to work for us.
Thanks so much for transporting me away from all the stress of the current world….I’ve been having anxiety issues and def needed to see a Bunny Cake! The world is still beautiful…..
It is sweetheart, if I can say that, anxiety is such a hard thing, I have it myself, so it takes extra to care for yourself through it. xoxoxo
Thank you for cheering up and motivating all your girlfriends. You truly are a blessing to all of us. And, Happy Easter Birthday. How special. My husband and I take a walk early every morning, through a wooded area along a river, and I often think of your and Joe’s walk.
Greetings from Vermont, Susan!
Think happy, everyone! Make music a part of your day – it is a mood-elevator (just choose the right songs!)
If you have been stuck inside the house for too long and are feeling a little grumpy just break out all your music CD’s – or ask “Alexa” to play some songs – and sing along!
“We’ll meet again, don’t know where – don’t know when – but I know we’ll meet again some sunny day. Keep smiling thru just like you always do, till the blue skies drive the dark clouds far away!” (Vera Lynn)
WWII songs, via Vera, are the BEST . . . so touching thinking of her singing, while bombs were falling!
Your post this month has watered parched souls weary from all this sadness and the anxiety it brings. The thought of those little spring song-birds recycling the dust bunnies from our homes to their little spring nests makes me smile. Thanks so much for reminding us of life’s simple pleasures, Susan. They are the best!
Hi Susan,
Thanks for this lovely, uplifting post! Hearing about the years of the war in England, the years of the American Depression and also Anne Frank’s horrible ordeal puts things in perspective for us. Most of us are living in luxury compared to those times. Yes, Home is the best!
Love your plant! Will have to try and find one for a houseplant! I’ve been cutting some of my little daffodils and other spring flowers that are blooming now to bring into the house.
Happy Birthday on Easter! Mine is a few days before. I hope we are all seeing some kind of a turnaround in our crisis around then–we can hope!
I would love to win one of your updated Heart of the Home cookbooks! I have one of the original books, but look forward to seeing some of the additional recipes.
Linda
Happy Birthday Linda!🎉
Love it when you say “just in cases” 😘😘
😂 We know who we are. xoxoxo
Thank you for this lovely bit of Spring light, Susan. It was much needed! I am retiring at the end of this month to a new home near a new grandson. Isn’t that wonderful? I’d love to have your Heart of the Home to take with me❣️
Hi Susan, thank you for the uplifting post. These are crazy times! I am a kindergarten teacher trying to teach 5 year olds from my house. It has to be one of the hardest things I have ever done. I miss my students so much. I pray that we get to go back to school this year, although I have my doubts, but we do have to keep our world safe. So teaching from home is what I will do. I pray you and Joe continue to enjoy good health. Give Jack a big hug from my kitty Molly. Kitties make the world a happy place.
Probably one of the most creative jobs there is! Good luck Susan!!! Your kids are lucky to have you!💖
Thank you Susan for being a candle in the dark—it’s becoming more obvious each day how much we all need one another. Stay safe.
Isn’t it? One reason I really hope we are trapped like this for a bit of time. I have faith when it’s over we will burst out of our homes, back to work, and the economy will roar back into action! But us staying home is bringing us something essential that we were losing. God sent us to our rooms to think about it. I hope He doesn’t let us out too soon. Till we’ve learned our lesson. He wants us to take better care of each other, and much better care of His gift to us, this beautiful planet, the Garden of Eden, on which we live.👏💞
Another beautiful perspective <3
Oh, that was put so beautifully—-I have thought he was probably so disgusted with us that he says” I’ve had enough” Liken the corona (crown) with thorns to Jesus’s crown of thorns and this being the Easter season so it kind of makes sense that he is maxed out on us. I hope you are right about people changing–here so many have gotten more rude as they hustle to get their tp etc that they even scowl behind their masks!!! By the way, the earthquake was centered right where I live but was felt in 3 other states.Linda from Idaho where I am happily paper crafting away!!!
I just ate dinner but now I’m hungry again after seeing the yummy pictures.
This is what happens. 😂
Thank you, Susan, for yet another uplifting blog. Your blogs are always heartwarming and comforting, and, especially now, they seem almost essential. I appreciate your artwork, your photos, your sincere words, your positivity. I always look for Jack and show my husband any pictures featuring him. My husband thinks Jack looks artistic with his distinctive nose.
All he needs is a beret!
I love your newsletters.. during this time of stress and struggle for me i appreciate them even more..while i am not able to walk or take care of myself i can at least read your descriptions and words about the garden and picture what i am not able to do or see right now. i so appreciate this in my personal struggle now.thank you so much.. many blessings to you xoxooxx
And to you dear Patt … I hope there is wellness in your future, your attitude is full of gratitude, number one for the wellness factor. 💖
Dear Susan, Really enjoyed this letter. I have been making lots of soup and casseroles. Just ordered an air fryer.Thought a new toy would help staying home. Spending all my free time reading (ordered Nella Last for my Kindle–I love my Kindle) and piecing and quilting quilts. I’m obsessed!
Tomorrow I am making tapioca pudding and a white cake, both childhood favorites. I bought the first cookbook during a visit to the Vineyard about 20 some yrs. ago, but would love to have the new edition.
I posted a comment but not sure where it goes.. i don’t see it.. hope it went thru to you.. Happy birthday btw.. my dads bday was on april 12th also..
It’s here Patt! April 12 is a very nice day for a Birthday!
During these times of so much worry your blog is like a shining ray of light. Thank you so much ❤️
I turned on my computer to check my email, and lo and behold there was your latest posting. Thank you, Susan, for another source of comfort, warmth and sunshine to rival the daffodils in my kitchen and living room. This too shall pass and we will prevail. Be safe everyone.
Thank you for making ordinary days seems so special!! You truly have a knack for that!
Now I’m excited for spring to come.
Virus can’t stop Mother Nature . . . 🌸
Home is my happy place. I love staying in with my favorite things: listening to music, baking something wonderful in the oven, pots of tea or coffee and starting plants on my balcony.
Thank you for sharing your views of gratefulness and simplicity!
Your blog is a lifeline, Susan! One of my best friend’s mom named Tasia has loved all your books. She does not have a computer and with sheltering in place going on I wondered how I could bring you to her. With the help of a savvy computer smart friend, he formatted your last blog entry about”Blue” into a manageable print form for me to send to Tasia. I wrapped the pages in blue tissue, sealed with a blue bow and enclosed a letter to her on blue paper. She called to thank me as did her daughter. Her daughter told me that her mom told her she felt like someone gave her gold. Thank you, thank you for speading joy and comfort.
What a thoughtful thing for you to do, Robin! 💖
I love your blog, Susan, and your artwork! I am putting together a recipe book for my daughters of my grandmothers’, my mother’s, and my recipes that we enjoyed while they grew up. It’s been such fun. You were my inspiration~Thank~you!
Thank you back, it will be a real gift! As they say, recipes are the glue of the generations . . . like my Grandma’s (and her mom’s) Turkey Stuffing. Means so much to us all.💕
Thank you!
Love your blog! Stay well. We are trying out here in AZ. 80 degrees
Happy Spring Sue! Loved your cozy blog post. It brings me to my happy place! Guess what? I had a great-aunt named Delphinium. You sure don’t hear of that often. Such a lovely name.
I’m busy sewing up some masks. Seems like we may need them, so I figure they may as well be beautiful! I’ve got a whole closet full of quilt fabrics and some vacuum cleaner heap filters too.
Stay well!
I wonder if they called her Delly … it’s a gorgeous name! Maybe Phinny! Do the vacuum cleaner filters work for the masks? Good for you!
Ha, ha! No, amazingly, Aunt Delphinium had no nick name that I know of. I always thought is was fitting that she was very tall–to handle such a long name! –funny how kid’s minds work.
As for the HEPA filters, I have read that they are excellent, but I have to say, they make it harder to breathe and I can’t find out if I am suppose to throw them away with each use (I didn’t sew them in, but put them between the layers.) If so, that would get rather expensive!
Joe and I were just talking about taking apart our vacuum cleaner filters! Better if we just don’t go out! Makes everything so much simpler!
Agreed! Let’s just pray this is all over soon! Enjoy all the beauty–still free and uncontaminated!
Even in these scary times, your blog uplifts and inspires! And a 30th anniversary edition of the book that started it all–lovely, and something I need to give myself. My 30-year-old copy periodically drops pages, and always the pages with my favorite recipes. Guess that says how much I’ve used it.
Ah, the dreaded page drop! Once it starts, it’s hard to control! 💞
1756 Comments! Wow! Today on the way home from the grocery store I saw the true sign Spring is here in Western WA, even with the hail, snow flurries, wind, cold and rain. The Skunk Cabbage is blooming! You can fool rhododendrons, flowering plum and cherry trees, daffodils and crocus, but you can’t fool Skunk Cabbage. It means we’ve turned the corner and put winter in the last chapter.
Spring really is here. Hurrah!
👏 for the Skunk Cabbage!!!
I love your list of ideas to do during this pandemic! Thanks for sharing.
I’m SIPing (sheltering in place) while sipping tea in my new Bella Luna cup. And here’s a reason for everyone to practice physical distancing. I never experienced the joy of a paternal grandfather because he died in the 1918 pandemic in San Francisco, just two months after my father was born. Actions have sad consequences many decades later. If you don’t wash your hands and stay home, some girl or boy years from now may never know his or her grandfather. Thank you for being careful.
😥 So true. We need us!
Home is the best word and the best place to be !
Thank you for your uplifting message and photos .
Happy Spring and stay healthy .
Love your books. They make me happy. I am scrapbooking our 4oth anniversary trip to the British Isles. I have A Fine Ronance right beside me, as I am scrspbooking. It is a great help to remember the places we went.
Thank you for your post. It’s wonderful, as they always are. Every night before I go to sleep I am so thankful for our cozy house and that our daughters are both safely at home. I wish everyone was. We are doing our part to help by staying home. I have been cooking and baking everyone’s favorites. The quarantine diet is not a good look, but I will worry about that later! Glad you and yours are safe and healthy. May we all stay that way! xoxoxoxoxo
Dear Susan, Your blog is a breath of fresh air! I can’t thank you enough. If I don’t win your cookbook, I’m going to order it(gave one to my son’s wife). I did order your special note cards after the last blog and sent each one;also the Grandma’s book. And tomorrow I’m planting pansies in my windowbox! You’re such an inspiration during this unsettling time. Take gentle care. Lovingly, Julia
Terrific blog!! It makes me feel less afraid… thank you so much, Susan! Please stay safe and well!
Terrific blog!! It made me feel less afraid, thanks so much, Susan! Please stay safe and well!
Happy Easter, happy birthday, stay safe, be well, wash your hands…✌🏻
Hi Susan! You share your birthday with my oldest son! I always think it’s nice when his birthday is on Easter. He’ll be 27 this year.
Susan,
Just what I needed….a blog from you. Thank you so much. I wish I could tell
you how much your blogs mean to me. Perfect timing. You are the bright light
during this dark time.
Happy Birthday wishes. Love to you and Joe.
Rose from So. CA
You just did . . . I’m so happy to have you here Rose.💞
Thanks for your pandemic perspective! I have always loved your cookbooks- I own several. But not one of them is signed! That would be special!1
We have a kitchen wall quote I think you would love:
“There is nothing like staying at home for real comfor.” – Jane Austin
HI CUSTARD PUDDING,
LOVED YOUR QUOTE ABOUT OUR PASSIONS ALONG WITH CURIOSITY & NO DAYS IN THE CLASSROOM! (YOU SOUND LIKE YOU’VE BEEN READING MY WEBSITE!!) TODAY I RE-READ YOUR THOUGHTS ON P. 179 OF ISLE OF DREAMS IN WHICH YOU SAID “I WANTED MORE THAN ANYTHING TO BE AN ECHO,”A CHEERER OF MEN’S HEARTS: AS EMERSON PUT IT.” YOU’LL JUST NEVER, EVER KNOW HOW MANY HEARTS YOU HAVE CHEERED. MY OWN IS CHEERED EVERY TIME I EVEN THINK OF YOU! LOVE, BREN
😘😘😘 I’ve never been anyone’s custard pudding before, and I love it! xoxo
Hi Susan, … yes, home is where we should be right now, and so grateful for it. Currently, we are packing to move, downsizing. Having to stay home has enabled us to be thorough in packing, donating and giving away. We become stopped in our tracks going through pictures of our 40 years married, our family, our pets, our friends, our adventures. Your new Thomas Moore bookmark says it all ~ H❤️ME
Loved your post, thank you! 🏡
Always love your posts!! Homey, cozy, warm, friendly, and all things warm and wonderful! Thanks for opportunity to win! Stay safe!
As you may know today, April 3rd, is Find A Rainbow Day. It was raining and cloudy all day here, so no rainbow could be found in the sky. My rainbow came with the pot of gold at the end when my 6 year old Grandson, Benjamin, and my Daughter sent a photo via email of the rainbow that he drew for me. Suddenly the clouds in my mind parted, the sun came shining through and I was smiling. We are limited to FaceTime and texting these days, no Gem Sleepovers until this passes and Easter will be very different this year. We will come through this one day at a time, together though apart. Thank-you for this wonderful post!
🌈 xoxoxo
Susan, I LOVE that you open with Joe wearing a mask. Brava, and bravo Joe! Way to be an example of being smart, protecting others (and giving them some peace of mind)! May you inspire many more to do the same. I am trying not to go out (other than in the yard and to walk the dog – hopefully can start some yard work this weekend), but if I have to go out, the mask is going to be my new fashion accessory. I’m blessed to be still working and able to work from home. Essential workers – not only our beloved and brave medical people on the front lines, but also the good people who are working in the grocery stores and delivering our supplies – they need protection, better pay, benefits…One thing this pandemic has brought into sharp relief is that so many of the people who are considered essential workers are also the ones underpaid and with little in the way of benefits and safety nets. May we see the error of our ways and change this to show how valuable this work is.
PS Thanks so much for the sale on the mugs last week! I bought 3 more – so that we don’t run out before the dishwasher is full. 🙂 Your beautiful mugs are now everyone’s favorites, and I was finding myself having to get one out of the dishwasher and wash it or make do with a little, ordinary mug. No longer! Hugs to you and Joe.
YES! We need to have a ticker-tape parade in New York next year for health care workers, grocery store workers, volunteers, delivery people, all the amazing heroes keeping our world turning. Then we need to even out the playing field, the very rich are too rich, the poor are too poor, our amazing middle class, the envy of the world, is disappearing. I’m so happy I put the mugs on sale too . . . LOVE that everyone got at least one, they do cheer the morning so. Take care Ginnie! 💞
Your words are so true. Home is where we have everything we need. Stay safe and well.
As always, multiple reads are in order. So much to absorb. I am still employed and so grateful. I sew, read and hang with my cats, and truly consider myself a homebody, This was right up my alley. Thanks as always.
Alone on my little house in new jersey..nature going crazy all around me..critters so enjoying having world back to themselves for awhile…babies being born in trees/gardens/streams and lakes…love watching wren building the tiniest hidden nest in door wreath…each day another tiny blue egg right up against window which is glass and can be seen from inside…three hatched as i write this nte..what wonderful company…books and fireplace too! What better….!
Thank you so much for your lovely blog. Like a ray of sunshine for a widow who lives alone. God bless you!
Even in these times, Susan, you seem to make the day romantic. TFS
Bring it on Baby! I’d love a copy of your beautiful book. Thanks for all the sunshine you bring to the world!
I have just recently discovered your blog. Love it!
Today, I started in earnest, to attack the DIY cloth face mask project. An “ah HA ! “ came over me. I remembered I could not bring myself to toss the 2019 Susan Branch calendar. (The 2020 calendar is on the wall, next to my dressing table. I see it every morning.) Needing something study to use for tracing the face mask pattern, I commandeered the 2019 front cover, to create my 8” x 15” template for the fabric. It is the perfect card stock type weight. With each piece of cloth I cut, I reflect on the many times I’ve been inspired, uplifted, amused and so grateful to find simpatico souls, with your writings, Susan. I hear some people saying they are already bored with being at home. Not me. Between the house and the yard, and keeping in touch with family and friends, there is no need for boredom nor would I want it.
Thank you for continuing to remind us to surround ourselves with the things that stimulate our passions. Stay safe, Stay well, Stay sane and Stay Home !
They are only bored because they aren’t used to it, and so far haven’t accepted it … in a few days, they will begin to adapt and that is when the fun begins, as you already know!!! How can anyone be bored as long as there are books in the world? And needles and thread, and butter and eggs! You’re a sweetheart Susan, thank you for the kind words!
Happy Easter!!……enjoy every second !!!1
Thank you for your words of cheer and encouragement. I love to be home! I have been putting together a photo album for our daughter. It’s been so enjoyable to reminisce all the many fun things we have shared through the years, counting blessings of friends and family. Thank you for sharing your beautiful world with us. Wishes to you, Joe and all the girlfriends to stay safe and take care!
I need to make a correction! Wearing the scarf IS a protection…Joe wearing that scarf. I just learned that on Fox News tonight!!! And also saw a film of making one out of paper towels. So I did that.
Looks like anything is better than nothing… but best of all is staying home!👏❤️
Susan –
I made that bunny cake when my kids were small. Seeing all of your photos of baked goods, I can almost smell the aromas and feel the warmth. It’s so comforting!
Oh My! What a delight to read your blog. I finished reading The Fairy Tale Girl this week. I’m on your website because my daughter’s birthday is April 8 and I wanted to give her Martha’s Vineyard Isle of Dreams. She gave it to me 2 years ago for Christmas, and I adore it. I only mark pages or passages with post-it strips because no way can I put a mark in this beautiful book. So I want to give it to her. I’ll have to order the new Heart of the Home, the perfect wedding gift for my nephew and his bride, if they ever get to have their wedding. I’m in Georgia and have been enjoying spring for a month.
Read post on phone; now on computer where easier to reply. I love photography, pictures, etc., and yours are always so inspiring and lovely. Just love how you put it all together to give us a glimpse of the beauty around you. Thank you. Very uplifting at this time in our lives. Me too…have turned off TV for most of the time. Try to get recap once in the evening. Dear Girlfriends…stay safe…be with your loved ones…hunker down. My favorite word this month is “cocoon”. We just need to cocoon at this time in our life.
I am going to watch some of your suggested movies. Thank you for sharing!
Wow, my first visit. My friend Kimberly is a big fan. I cannot believe how much you put into one post. It’s amazing. You are very talented and notice so much. Thank you and have a good day! Seems like I’ve stayed awake to the new one.
Nice to meet you Hilva! Lots of wonderful people here, read the comments to meet other kindred spirits!💞
Hi Susan, May you have a blessed Easter and a very happy birthday! My birthday is April 6th and my youngest daughter’s is April 11th. We have made and enjoyed the bunny cake many times. I believe you share a birthday with our dear Gladys Taber. Oh how I have enjoyed her wonderful books over many years!We are sheltering in place and since I’m a “homebody”, I have kept busy and have finished many projects. I’ve prayed many prayers also! God is in control, as always! God bless, love and hugs, Linda in Idaho.
Here we go Linda, the OTHER one! 👏 Look at all us April babies! 🎉 Happy Birthday(s) … and Happy Easter!🌸
I love the photo of the bunny cake-my mom and I made those together, several times. I’m enjoying being home, not that I went out much anyway-but home is where the kitties are (all 6 of them-we took in a Tuxie girl who wasn’t needed after her family had a baby 🙁 ). Her name is now Rennie and she’s a tiny spitfire-keeps the boys on their toes. I’m working on family history. Hubby is still working but shorter days/hours. Backyard is carpeted with violets and smells wonderful. Just made a journal for a friend’s birthday-she used to live on the island and has met you—-> jealous. Oh, did you know Doreen got married?! Thank you for your post, as always.
Thank you for the blog post AND for the bookmark! I used two of your other free bookmarks to enclose in the activity kits we prepared for the students at Sunny Wolf Charter School!! The kids love, love, loved them! I send a picture to you on instagram message.
Your words, pictures, ideas, and thoughts all bring a reassuring hug as we reset our daily rhythms! Thank you for sharing the beauty so generously! Love, Kari
I’m still such a novice on Instagram… I don’t know where Instagram Message is! Would love to see it…How are your kids doing? Yes, reseting our daily rhythms, hard at first, but a blessing as time goes by. Love hearing from you Kari! 💞
Susan,
I always look forward to your emails…no matter what is going on, good or bad, they lift my spirits and bring sunshine into my soul. I want to be like you when I grow up! 🙂
Thank you for sharing your life on the island, sharing Joe and Jack with us. (Please tell Joe he looks rather dashing with his “mask.”)
Have a wonderful, blessed day, in spite of Covid-19.
In spite of . . . and in some odd respects, because of! You too Judi, have a wonderful day! xoxo
Hi Susan, My 3rd and last attempt to post a comment(maybe you will get all 3)? May you have a blessed Easter and a very happy birthday! My birthday is April 6th…a wonderful month for a birthday—forsythia, daffodils, tulips, grass getting green, and little buds peeking out! I’m “sheltering in place” and saying many prayers! I think you share a birthday with Gladys Taber! Oh how I have read and loved all her wonderful books! God bless, love and hugs, Linda in Idaho!
Thank you Linda, actually I did see one of your posts yesterday … I just opened the computer this morning and we have almost 200 comments so far . . . perhaps your other one is in here somewhere, I see what is most recent, first ~ but sooner or later I will get there. I wish this blog told people their comments do go through, from what I understand it looks like your comment just disappears! So sorry, and thank you for not giving up! I do share a birthday with Gladys Taber… I don’t know why this makes me feel proud, LOL, I had very little to do with it! But I love her so much! Take good care! ❤️
Thank you for this post full of hope !
I was so moved to learn your B’DAY is on 12th April (same day as my late niece Lucie)…
Stay healthy !
Love from Gap in France
Happy Birthday Susan! April is a great month for a birthday! We are doing a Zoom Cocktail hour each Friday evening from here in Southern Indiana with friends in Chicago and Sarasota. It’s fun and feels as though we are together even though we are far apart! Spring just sprung for us here this past week. It’s amazing the number of people out working in their yards and cleaning out garages. I felt sorry for the trash pick up guy this week! Oh my! Got to till up my garden today. It’s too early to plant but the chives and garlic are green and growing and just getting to smell the dirt is wonderful! Ha! Take care!
I always love your blogs….you’re proof-positive that happiness spreads happiness! You brightened my day all the way here to New Zealand. Thanks for the tip on Zoom; didn’t know you could connect with more than one location at a time. Getting together this way with my family will be great.
Janice
Susan, you are either up really late at night (in California like I am) or up super early in the morning on the east coast! Thank you for your lovely posts. They are the most uplifting cheery treats and I look forward to every one, especially during this time. I’ve been cooking up a storm these days and trying new things all the time. Today I brined a brisket! Your bookmark is ever so fitting. Thank you so much for your book giveaway and brightening our days. Happy early birthday!!!
Super early! I’m a morning person! Thank you Jeanne!
Thank you for another wonderful blog post….I love reading them and listening to the musica you always choose. I also love your little corner of the world!!! What better place to be then HOME and not only during this Pandemic….
Stay safe and wishes for good health for you and your Joe!
Oh what a LOVELY post Susan!! I am grateful for your perspectives and all the links you have shared. So many great quotes too, and your photos, all so wonderful.
I’m in Ca. and have shut off the news and taken down my FB. I destress by reading and listening to lots of music. Rod Stewart’s old music and his singing of the crooner classics is so peaceful. And as I’m always late to the party, Ive just discovered James Blunt and have fallen in love with his music so I have a lot to do to keep me occupied. And like you said, we are safe at home and are not going through WW2 for years! Tons of things to be grateful for!
xoxo
Thanks for keeping spirits high! I am so grateful to be sheltering at home and that we are all here and well. That is a blessing in itself. Yesterday, I made two moves to keep the home life happy and varied for the kids: while on a necessary errand, I was able to get flower bulbs that will bloom this summer as well as new chicks for the backyard flock! The kids were overjoyed (mainly about the chicks, although the girls are ready to plant the bulbs right. now.). We may have had our Spring events cancelled or rescheduled, but we can still rejoice in the small things! Stay healthy and safe out there, everyone!
Reading this post has brought me such a sense of calm and normalcy! While I find myself feeling anxious often lately, I am finding comfort in the control of being home too. My husband is a history buff and brought up the Blitz recently as well. It is a powerful comparison and helps to put things into perspective! Stay healthy!!
I always feel as if I have done a really good meditation session after I read your posts. Thank you!
Always enjoy reading your posts and seeing your beautiful art work . Stay safe and thanks for the chance to own one of your lovely books .
I have been following you since the beginning. You are as comforting and inspiring as always. Maybe more!! There is beauty and value in living a good life. A simple life. Which starts in the home. Thank you. Now I will get to work making your French onion soup 😁
Stay Well,
Kathy
I have all your cookbooks, starting with Sweets to the Sweet which I got when I was 12. I even wrote you fanmail while I was living in Saudi Arabia, and you even sent me back stickers! I’ve been a fan for ages and would love to win this updated cookbook!
You know, I think I remember that letter from you . . . I don’t get a lot of mail from Saudi Arabia, and if I did, I’m sure I’d be thrilled enough to send stickers! xoxo
Your books are lovely! Thank you for the wonderful post! 💕
Even your background “wallpaper” brings me joy. Thanks for writing.
Thank you for your posts. Picking some flowers today. Should bake something.
I am on the second of your three part book series and savoring every word!!!
I say it all the time, but just thank you for being you. You inspire me to be me. These photos and words are pure therapy for so many! I hope Mr. Jack is hanging in there, my 3 kitties are so happy for this work-at-home situation. ♥♥
LOL! Thank you Breahn!
I never leave comments but I wanted to thank you, oh SO much, thank you for being you. Through the difficult times I pick up one of your books or read through one of your blog posts, listen to the ‘musica’ and just let myself be transported to your world. I can’t tell you what a calming presence you are and how you’ve inspired me to make my home my haven! Thank you again Susan!
I’m happy to hear from you Roula! xoxo
Hi Susan:
We are all tucked in here:all six of us plus a dog and kitty. Everyone tries to carry on “as usual” but at home. While these uncertain times are scary, we are spending so much time together and having some really nice moments. We are lucky to have a nice water view of our river, a magically view of both the spring bulbs and trees blooming (outside) and our vegetable and hen seedlings growing bigger each day (indoors). We stay inside each day and then go for a walk near the river every evening (keeping our socials distance) We are doing a lot of cooking at home but ordering takeout from our from our favorite restaurant and having it delivered to the essential people still working when we can. And everyday we are sure to count our blessings.
Darling Susan – Oh, my, what a time this is! In December, 1987, my dear friend gifted me your first Heart of the Home. My intro to you as you rapidly became my ROCK STAR, celebrity — I have all of your books, have come to Martha’s Vineyard from Seattle WA, TWICE and stalked your house and kitchen garden. I’ve read the trilogy at least twice (and sometimes three) each, have traveled to England and Windermere and gone up the lake to visit Beatrix, have come to California by train with a girlfriend to meet you and Joe, and you are my dear friend in my heart of hearts. Thank you, thank you, for each time you decide to write to the girlfriends. I always save the post for when I can have a cuppa and quiet so I can catch up on all the latest. You are salt of the earth, such a strong and dear heart, and I love you like a sister. Be well, stay safe, and God Bless You and Joe .
OMG Jane, that was so touching. Thank you… we’ve had a good life together!
Beautiful post – I, too, have been expressing to many that we are SO fortunate to be quarantined at Home. Thank you, Susan, for sharing your heart, art and home with us for more years than I will confess! I have made it a home-nest priority to have your calendar in my kitchen to inspire and enjoy ever since my 4 children were little – (they are now ages 32-24). 💕
You continue to inspire and bring smiles! Good thoughts coming to stay safe and healthy and many thanks for many, many prayers!
Love and Blessings,
Denice
I wrote my first book in 1986 … I turn 73 in a few days . . . we grew up together!
My heart is smiling! 😘
Thank you for these words and the beauty you share…in the pictures you paint with words and brush and camera! It was just the newsy encouragement I needed this Saturday morning. I can be encouragement to others too and I will. Together we can love each other through these days, one day at a time! Thanks again Susan!
Yes, you said that so nicely! xoxo
As always your words provide comfort. Thank you ❤️
Adore your work and cookbooks!
Thank you for your thoughtful and positive words of inspiration. Happy Birthday! I hope we are set free in time for the September week on the Vineyard my husband and I have planned.
love reading your blog, Susan. Thanks for this one, came at a time when we all need a little comfort. Love your pics — especially Jack! and always fun to see Joe in his beret! enjoy all your beautiful spring treasures to add sunshine to your days on the Vineyard – I’m a bit north of you in Maine – and know your views are as beautiful as mine are – never tire of looking at our coastline. Stay safe .. and I’d love to add your Heart of the Home anniversary book to my stack of your books that have a special place on my top shelf! your artwork always cheers me .. and looking forward to trying out your German Pancake recipe! be safe …
Aren’t we ready for a bit of sun? We’re still going with the high wind advisory! Nice to hear from you Jacqueline!
Thank you Susan for your beautiful words and images of calm, beauty and encouragement. I have been a fan for many years. God bless and stay well!
If you zoomed with all of us, your girlfriends, there would be like a bazillion of us laughing, talking and jumping for joy. Friendships feed the soul like nothing else and being home comforts my heart.
My blog is my zoom!😂 xoxoxo
Good morning, my dear friend… So happy to find a new blog. You seem to hit the right note every time – but especially now.
We, my husband and I, are fine. We’re staying home and have plenty of food, and tea… Our main concern is our youngest daughter is a nurse and our niece and her husband are doctors – all in large urban areas. So its imperative that everyone STAY HOME to keep my loves, and everyone else’s loves safe.
I love history and have often thought of people in England being bombed for sooooo long during WWII. I love reading books during that time (I read Nella’s Diary). They realized the smallest things became cause for celebration. I know I am more content and happy when I celebrate the small things too. You understand and practice that everyday. But sometimes I (all of us) need a little nudge/push/shove to remember. So thank you for all you do to make this world a brighter place. It is no small thing to give people hope and joy from sharing your talent, insight, optimism, and reminding them how to celebrate life, especially the small things, and the beauty around us every day.
I’m sending you wishes for a wonderful birthday and a fabulous year. (My oldest daughter shares your birthday). Stay well. Namaste…
Thank you so much Lorraine. My prayers are with you and your family. They are our heroes. I hope every small and big town in America gives a ticker-tape parade for the hospital staffs, the grocery store workers, volunteers, all putting their own lives in danger to keep our world strong and together. Our job is so little, but it’s for them we do it, stay home! They deserve a break today! Happy Birthday to your daughter. Love and xoxoxox 💞
What a lovely perspective. Hoping this is all over sooner rather than later. Be well!