Hello Everyone ♥️ . . . I’m baaaaack . . . with MUSICA!
I’v always thought of myself as a lucky girl because I was born with the happy gene . . . I’m the one that wrote:
That’s probably part of the reason I didn’t recognize the overwhelming feelings of loss that descended like a black cloud early in February and left me sitting on the couch, staring into space, wondering if I should go to the emergency room. I couldn’t even express the symptoms. What could this shaky, unmoored feeling of being perched on the edge of a razor blade possibly mean? I should have known, but I forgot. Twenty years ago in Girlfriends Forever I wrote:
How could I forget? This part especially ⬇️ . . . it sneaks up on you. Yes, it does. 
I’d been too busy with racing thoughts, deadlines, and worrying about the world to notice the black cloud swirling until the floor suddenly dropped out from under me. Yes, I did spend a lot of time worrying, but wasn’t that normal in this day and age? My purpose in life has always been to try and spread a little sunshine in hopes of changing the world. I had the happy gene! I counted my blessings! But the other side of my coin, I was born worried. Since I was little, I could feel the despair, no matter where in the world it was, and I worried about it. Don’t tell me not to, I can’t help it … I worry about everything from starving lost people to fish choking on plastic.
I cried to think of our isolated beloveds stuck in nursing homes with no hugs, and anguished about hungry, confused, innocent children left alone to fend for themselves. I lost heart wondering if the healthy, strong, and rich would ever care for the weak, poor, and vulnerable. Otherwise why did God put us here? Why do animals have to suffer because of us? I was disgusted with the sick adoration of money. These last years of turmoil and chaos, floods and fires, gunshots and death counts made me feel like what I spent my life doing didn’t matter. And of course, my mom died, and February was her birthday, my first without her. My dad was gone.😢 Too many sadnesses lead to sleeplessness and anxiety. I lost control of my brain and bad thoughts filtered through my dreams. I felt so alone. But, now I know I wasn’t.
One gray day, I found one of my best friends standing outside my kitchen window holding 
this sign in her hand. 😢 Of course, I let her in. The first person in our house in a year. Joe made us a fire, I lit some candles and made tea. She sat at one end of the living room and I was at the other. We commiserated about our moms, about the constant bad news, how awful it was for children missing school, how overwhelming it was. missing everything ~ we dreamed out loud about what we were going to do when it was all over. If it was ever over . . . the light at the end of the tunnel was still very dim.
I read in the newspaper that that people all over the world have been coping with stress because this dam-panic has been MISERABLE. The drip-drip-drip of bad news wears on us like a plague. Stress is too small a word ~ when your mental health starts affecting your physical health, it becomes much more than mere stress. And, if I felt like this, what about the nurses and doctors, the hospitals, and the families who had to deal with constant grief, would it ever end for them? I read about trauma. I knew it shouldn’t be like this.
My world looked like this. Hope had flown the coop.
I could not find the bright side. I couldn’t even write you. Something HAD to be done.
One day, sitting in my chair, wondering if I should tell Joe (I didn’t want to worry him) and ask him to take me to the emergency room, I said to myself, “What do people do when they don’t feel well?” I glanced over at the couch and answered, “They lie down and go to sleep.” So that’s what I did. And I felt a little better when I woke up. It gave me just enough energy to get on Google to find out WHAT IS THIS? I already knew, but I forgot. I had somehow gotten myself into this, and I learned from Google, I could get myself out. I read that if you are not sleeping well then you MUST nap. It’s not a luxury, it is a necessity. Your overall health depends on it.
And when the rain stopped we went for a brisk, wet walk through the woods and out to the sea. Every day. I turned off the news and turned on HGTV and watched everyone choose floors and faucets for their dream homes. I wallowed in the creativity of other people. 
Ommmmm . . .
I stopped eating lunch at my desk, and started eating it in front of an old movie. Where the music is wonderful, the rooms are gloriously romantic, and everything comes out the way it’s supposed to.
I stopped going into my studio and signed up for twice-a-week sessions with my girlfriend who is an acupuncturist. At first, I got there dizzy and unsteady and lay down like a buzz saw, hovering above the table about a half inch, holding on for dear life to the razor’s edge. But when Marjorie found the first point (she said it was the “Gate of Hope”) boom, I fell to the table all at once, became grounded and calm, like someone had handed me a teddy bear and a blankie. It was life saving. She said my “adrenals” were shot. Whatever that was. I put myself in her good hands and it’s been a huge help. At first it seemed to wear off after a couple of days, but each week I got stronger, the wearing off took longer, and now it doesn’t happen at all! I have a 2 pm appt. with her today!👏 Because I am committed. I have places to go and people to see. But more than anything, my Google research reminded me . . .
I started meditating faithfully once again, every day, about two months ago. When I first started, I pictured myself sitting on top of the earth with the stars, a lovely, quiet place to be. Something else that’s cumulative, one day of meditation is definitely not enough. It’s made a world of difference to consciously stop time for a little while and count my blessings. And find, once again, that within each of us is everything we need, bravery, wisdom, clarity, gratitude, peace, healing, God. I made up my own mantra: I say an affirmation such as, I am happy, or I choose health, and at the end of each affirmation, I add “Because every cell of my body is bathed in the creative light and love of God.” It’s heaven in there. My mom and dad visit.💞 And it’s making me well . . .
If you’ve never tried meditation, or if it has seemed too hard (another word for meditation is prayer🙏), you might enjoy reading about the different kinds of meditation. My favorite is “guided” meditation . . . it keeps your mind from wandering in the most wonderful way. You can find so many guided meditations on Youtube . . . try this one, or this one. Or choose one for your own circumstances. I don’t know if I would have ever written my first book if I hadn’t found meditation. It’s so powerful. You have to do it every day, every other day is no good! Care for self comes first so we can care for others.💞
Being faithful to meditation reminded me of when I first moved to the island, feeling that loneliness and terrible loss of self . . . many of you remember me writing about discovering it in Martha’s Vineyard Isle of Dreams.
It was like that, burrowing in, rebuilding, getting strong again . . .
Relying on others to help.
And you know I have the perfect others!
He needed me. Sort of. Not really.😹 But I can wield a mean can-opener. It’s good to be needed.♥️
And this good man. My guardian angel. He needs me too.♥️ Every day I got better.
So then I discovered these little magic things . . . AirPods, wireless earbuds. You just put them NEAR your iPhone, push NO buttons, and they hook themselves up to your phone.😲 Then you sign up for Audible, audio books you keep on your phone, and voila! A new world opens!
You put one earbud in your own ear, and the other one in Joe’s.
And off you go, into the woods, with the blue sky coming through the bare branches, the clean cold air filling your lungs with Spring, and the luv-lee sound of an English Storybook in your ears as you walk through the woods to the sea and crashing waves, the salt smell, the seagulls call.💞 Joy of life. 
I’d read the book before, but Joe hadn’t ~ he loved it as much as me. Much more fun with him! Sometimes we walk all the way to the water with the book playing, then take out the earbuds, and walk back doing “book club.”
It’s even a better book that it was a movie, and it’s a WONDERFUL movie. In case you haven’t seen it. Set in 1930s England, published first in the 1940s … Delightfully written with every word a pearl, I Capture the Castle. We finished it yesterday and today we start a new book, The Splendid and the Vile by Erik Larson ~ everything personal and public about Winston Churchill during WWII. Another English accent to listen to while we walk! ♥️
Other “words as pearls” arrived this winter, beautiful letters, kind emails, and concerned comments on this blog from Girlfriends, who somehow knew, even though they didn’t really, and worried about me, and sent love.💞 Inside the watercolored rose Ann B. painted, she wrote, “Now abideth faith, hope and love, these three, but the greatest of these is love.” One girlfriend (Ellen I.) wrote, “The journey of life has ups and downs, not always easy to see the silver linings, the positives…the blessings… there’s always something to be thankful for.” Made me cry. See how connected we are?
I read that what we eat has a lot to do with overall health, even mental health, so I ate better . . . Mmmmm, split pea soup and beets. 
And after I meditated, and after our walk, and after I got home from acupuncture, it cheered me up to make ice cream sandwiches like flowers to take to friends.
And I made some for us . . . (This easy delicious recipe is in the 30-year anniversary edition of Heart of the Home ~ this time I made them with ginger cookies, pickled ginger, coconut ice cream and ground black pepper ~ yum!)
I put flowers in my tiny vases, one of my tried-and-true cures for whatever ails you.
I felt better every day, and finally cleaned the kitchen . . . the red holiday rugs were getting on my nerves, I needed to lighten up, so I changed them out for summer blues and brought down my bluebird lampshade. We opened the door and let in a little fresh air . . .
I washed everything in the open dish cupboards, made it all shine . . . stood there and stared at it, proud.
Pride doesn’t have to be big, even little pride can help . . .
And noticed with joy that the sun was getting stronger and our days were growing longer…👏
We watched a wonderful movie called Two Popes . . . A must see! THIS is what I call HOPE! You don’t have to be Catholic, or even religious to love it! It’s a people movie.♥️
I finally finished the 2022 calendars! I worried I would NEVER get them done, but I did! God and nature and the whole world and the stars too. . .
I sewed a little heart on this guy to give him as a get-well gift . . . couldn’t tie off the thread, had to leave a long one hanging inside of him . . .
This happened in the garden . . . so I brought some in …
Snow drops, the first flower to bloom here on the Island… they come up even in the snow! If that’s not a vision of hope I don’t know what is.
Then this happened in the woods . . .
And this happened in the kitchen . . .
And I made an Easter Cake . . . Domesticity always comes to the rescue with me.🌼 And you can’t beat domesticity in the spring. It’s the best! Spring cleaning to a new beginning.
But the most wonderful of all . . .
I got my first Covid-19 vaccine ON my mother’s birthday, and the second one on the first day of Spring, and then, on Easter Sunday, I was fully immune (as immune as we can be).🌺 They gave me this card and
I felt like it was an “I voted” sticker! Talk about proud! Wanted to wear it on my coat! Most of our friends were in the same boat at the same time. We have experienced our first hugs now.💞 I CRIED when I got my first shot. I didn’t expect to cry but I was suddenly filled with gratitude for our amazing medical people and scientists who worked so hard to save us from 
another year of this misery. The joy at our hospital where they gave the shots was palpable. Everyone felt it. We’ve lost so much, but my heart tells me there’s been a shift. I even heard people talking on TV about money not being everything this morning ~ that made me very happy. Maybe, just maybe, we have learned something. Maybe we are coming out stronger, better, more loving.🙏
We celebrated on the first nice day with a picnic with the swans . . . and then we went home and took a nap. And each day I felt better and stronger and more “myself” than the day before . . .
We planned our first Dahlia garden. Joe has always wanted one.
Soon it will be time to plant. It’s going inside the picket fence on the right side of the gate (in the center), so we can see the tops of the flowers peeking over the fence from the kitchen window. This year I want to fill that garden with
SO MUCH B E A U T Y!
Dahlias, forget me nots, roses, foxgloves, Shasta daisies, white cosmos, hollyhocks, and pink petunias. You’ll see. I’ll take pictures! Don’t we all feel this way? A new start! Sweet Peas, my favorite flowers, don’t grow well here on the island . . . but if they do where you are, be sure to look for the variety “Cupani” … I hear they are more resistant to heat, and have the very best fragrance . . . and with a sweet pea, that is saying something!
Isn’t this gorgeous? We ordered our dahlias on line from Swan Island Dahlias at www.dahlias.com . . .
We chose big ones and little ones, but mostly ones that make good cut flowers . . . we got fifteen varieties . . .
Hard to narrow choices since there are over 50,000 different varieties! Some people make a life’s work of them, finding all the rare ones … I watched a wonderful Easter Special about a Dahlia Garden in England belonging to a couple who’ve been growing them for twenty years . . .💞
I managed to make us some new cards . . . the always-needed festive Birthday Card ~ and Friendship for saying goodbye to a PANDEMIC . . . 
And these rainbow stickers! You’ll find them and the cards, along with some new sewing kits here.
And a new garden banner from our luv-lee creative girlfriend Janie! Look at that envelope, isn’t it darling? She is so good, we never know what new idea she will have!♥️
We got in a few more of my dishes including these sweet little ring plates.🌺
And two pages of bookmarks, decorated on both sides, you can cut out and give to your friends . . .💞
And this is why I feel so much better . . . the grand essentials of happiness . . . Check ✔️! And yes I’m about to start designing us some new cups! I’m ready! But I saved the best for last . . .
Loving our Country Life Magazine . . . giving us hope for the future! It’s time to start dreaming! So let’s have more MUSICA, one of Queen Elizabeth’s favorite songs . . . all about dreaming . . .
So, if all goes well . . . Joe and I will go WEST to California via AMTRAK, in our room with a view, this fall to see everyone … Oh the hugs. I can’t wait. Big dream. I hope this world cooperates and doesn’t mess with us!
And then, oh yes . . . We made reservations to sail to England on the Queen Mary 2 next year, on May 1, 2022, God willing and the variants don’t rise! And wouldn’t it be fun if this time you come 
along with us for real? Think about it! You wouldn’t have to be crushed into suitcases and smuggled aboard and dance in the dark this time! Because yesterday I called Cunard to see what I could do to make that happen.♥️ I spoke to Susan Gannon and she said if you’d like to sail with us next year, you can call her at 800-468-7752 ext. 41663 and she will personally help make your reservations. You will have to mention that you’re part of the Susan Branch Girlfriends group, give them this group number: TNM, and voyage #M211 so they can keep track of us as a group . . . If there’s enough of us they’ll have special 
group pricing and other surprises. They had to cancel their entire spring and summer itinerary this year, which means that many of the people that didn’t get to go this year, will be going next year. So think fast! You would have to make a deposit, but you can cancel with complete refund if you do it by December 31, 2021, this year. It would give you extra time to decide for sure. Susan can answer any questions you have and you can call her anytime. This isn’t a tour like the kind you read about, where you have a “tour guide.” It’s more like one of our picnics, only on the ship!🚢 
2022 Should be an especially WONDERFUL year in England 🇬🇧 ~ probably dancing in the street due to freedom from pandemic🤞, but 
that’s not all . . . bunting will criss-cross every city and village as the whole nation celebrates the Platinum Jubilee of Queen Elizabeth! It’s the first time ANY British monarch will have celebrated 70 years on the throne! She will decree an additional “bank holiday” … an extra four-day weekend for everyone! (How’s that for power to make joy?🎉) I’m sure there will be fireworks, probably in June! We were there for her Diamond Jubilee in 2012, and I can tell you, Brits know how to celebrate their Queen! Every kind of ship and boat came from all over the Commonwealth to London to honor her in a Parade on the Thames! Even rowboats and the “Dunkirk Little Ships” were there. It was beautiful.⛵️
I stopped writing here, and when I did, I heard the sad news that Prince Philip had died at age 99.😢 The Queen’s rock. Macho man who took on the job of guardian angel.💖 A reminder that we’re losing the Greatest Generation. The Prince is a huge piece of the past, our history too, the history of the world. 
The Queen has “carried on” through thick and thin, through wars and Prime Ministers, natural disasters, and even worse disasters, the man-made kind ~ through every sort of challenge, always with Prince Philip at her side, but this one will be her most difficult of all, she must go it alone. I hope the UK spends all of 2022 celebrating their love.♥️ I hope they play this MUSICA . . . it was their song when they were young. Wasn’t she lucky to have the person she loved at her side for so very long for what I think might be the worst possible job in the world!?! Sending my deepest condolences to all my UK Girlfriends …
So out we go, it’s a good time for our walk with Winnie (just found out he took two baths a day no matter WHAT was happening! Even during his darkest hours. The ultimate in self-care. Love this man.) I hope you are having a WONDERFUL DAY and taking very good care of yourself💗… now, I will go add MUSICA to this blog, and voila, fini! Finally! Happy spring dearests!🌸🌸🌸🌸🌸 Talk soon!
So glad you are feeling better – I was worried about you! Thank you for posting little pics on instagram – it’s how I knew you were still kicking! Although slowly and sadly – it’s been hard. My husband and I are still waiting to attend two family funerals – no way to do large family funerals when you can’t hug. However, we and most of our family members and friends have been vaccinated and I know brighter days are ahead😎! So smart of you to notice the sadness that was building up inside – I think that’s the hardest part! I keep thinking we’ve made it this far – we will hang on a bit longer🥳!
Dearest Susan!!! I have missed you so much!!! Have been in the same Covid Funk for months and Spring letter from you and all the “life” springing from my gardens has”restored my soul”!!
We have all missed you and love you! We must move on… read Gladys Taber for encouragement! She has been my “guru” for so many years!!! I am now 83 !🐈
Hello,
I am writing to you on behalf of my Mom who adored you. She passed away on September 29th. I am going through the grieving process, with the help of a professional. She was the best Mom in the whole world. I’ve been living with her for the past 4 years and I still live here. She has your Calendar on the wall, the one that you have to screw each month into the wood holder. One day, I came home and the calendar was on the ground. As you know, there is no way this calendar can come loose unless you unscrew it. Well, it just so happened to be March 1st! Mom was letting me know I forgot to turn the page!
God Bless,
Linda
God bless you, Susan, and thank you for sharing. I’m so glad that you are coming out from the black cloud, with so much joy, which is your usual. I have experienced this as well, and am so thankful that I banished it (with a lot of work). I just read a book called Bravey, which made me recall that difficult time. The author prevailed as well.
I’m so glad that your sparkling creativity is returning, and that your wonderful spouse Joe is by your side. God bless and keep you!
I can so identify with this particular newsletter. I too was born a worrier and this pandemic hasn’t helped at all. Add to that the fact that I am still grieving for losing the love of my life in 2016. I don’t know if those feeling will ever subside. I look forward to your blog – it always manages to lift my spirits, so THANK YOU!
Hi Susan, Glad to hear you read I Capture the Castle. I gave you a copy when you visited Hudson, Ohio in 2016 I think it was. Isn’t it the best ?
So glad you are back, I’ve worried about you just as you worry about all of us.
It is interesting that the book you listened to I Capture the Castle, is a long time favorite one of mine and the one I gave to my 15 year old granddaughter for her life long book shelf — maybe not to be read and loved right now, but to be there to remind her of the goodness of reading and the way the love of books can carry us through life. I reread books and love them for different reasons at different phases of my life. So I was overjoyed to read your praise of I Capture.
Your new projects are wonderful: garden, work and trips — on train or ocean liner. Life seems to have put a halt to project planning for me, but then I will be celebrating my 76th birthday on the 16th and figure that may have something to do with it. But I cherish each day of good food, good books and good movies (Just watched News of the World last night) and my Twitter friends Carrie and Teapot Lady and of course Susan Branch.
Welcome back. Love to Jack, and Joe, and you, a special friend.
Jeanne of Iowa
thank you for validating the ‘depression’ I’ve been feeling! just like you and a whole lot of others and my body is aching and so tired I can hardly move some days. I’ve always been a positive person and trusted life’s challenges as lessons and making me stronger. Even with Spring flowers and longer days, and being thankful for all I have, I still have felt like being hit by a truck every day. THANK YOU for sharing all your wisdom and hope and that I need to start meditating. I’m always running around. I need to stop and care for this great SOUL that’s crying. I’m going to watch the movie too!!! and planning a trip to look forward to! some JOY that spreads, some LOVE that heals. God Bless you Susan with gratefulness of you and your blogs!!! Love, Tammy
Susan, I can’t believe how timely your blog is for me! I’m so sorry for your blue time, but so grateful you found your way out. Longer and warmer days help! I had a bad night, and am awaiting call from a doctor. Thought I was going to DIE, but now wondering if it was a little panic attack—yikes. Sailing to England sounds lovely… and I hope that when you come to California, you can visit our sweet book store in Pleasanton. We could invite local John Madden to join you! Happy Spring!
Happy to have you back in my life.
Oh Susan!!! What a wonderful blog. It came at such a perfect time. I was beginning to feel like life was closing in. Thank you.
“Closing in.” Just right. Eeeek. 😘
SUSAN! Bless your heart!!!…as my darling Mother – who I miss every single day – always said! I was one of your girlfriends who knew things were not right in your world the last few months. But, then, WHO has had a “right” world these last five years???…. especially the last one. This retired Critical Care RN/Director of Nursing has felt “sick to my stomach”, as we used to say, thinking of my friends and colleagues who are STILL out there on the frontlines. But, I have been taking my cues from them – they remain brave and strong and determined! And I shall follow their lead! We simply must have hope!
For the last 20 years, I have been taking small groups on tour in Tuscany, but haven’t since October of 2019…. and I miss it as much as you miss your beloved England. BUT WE WILL GET THERE EVENTUALLY! The places where our hearts live are waiting for us.
You will LOVE the Winston Churchill book. And, if you have not read Barack Obama’s newest book, please do! I cannot wait until the second part of his life’s adventure is published.
Keep up the good work involved in caring for yourself. You’re no good for anyone if you’re no good to yourself!
#1 best medicine: Hugging a kittie. There’s scientific proof that it works.
The BEST to you!
Dear Susan,
So glad to read that you are returning to your renewed self. There is nothing worse than feeling that you are watching the world swim by, and it is all you can do to tread water to keep afloat. Winter is such a gray time, that when the crocus and snow drops are willing to pop up…it gives the world a bit of color and hope that spring is just around the corner. Now the days are longer, the daffodils, blue bells, hellebores, Dutchman’s breeches, foam flower, and epimedium are blooming, and the trees are leafing. We even have a pair of chickadees and robins nesting by the house. Life is returning to “normal”, and
we can move forward, thanks to all of the scientists, and health care workers who have spent endless hours working to make the world a safer place in which to live.
So very happy that you are feeling much better, and thank you for sharing your long and dark journey…it always helps to know that you are not alone in that dark place.
Take care, and know my thoughts and prayers are with you.
Gail
Big. Fat. Hug. I’ve missed you. Know that you are loved and have been the light in many dark corners for others. Don’t forget chocolate is also very good medicine.
Be gentle with yourself. We’re all looking forward to wallowing in our friendships! Zoom has saved me. I always remember cracks are how the light gets in. xxoo
Everyone says NOT to post pictures of your vaccination card because baddies can copy them and use them to show they have been vaccinated when they have not been!
Oh I Did try…..to let others comment before I did again. But then I reread this blog and your lovely Tweets…none of which are political…good for you.
I think the very nut of what I got from Geoff (love the British spelling as well as his lovely accent)the cognitive behavioral therapist who led me to discover that we are the authors of our story. And that we Really Can rewrite that story. I know that goes against common belief, but it’s true for me. Way back in the “Darkest Dark” of Covid, and He Who Shall Not Be Named, I allowed myself to feel that if I could just control everything and everyone around me, we’d all be safe. I also watched news media that reinforced my own politics and fears…the so called Silo. I became….well, a mess, and reverted to behavior I am so ashamed of.
Along with weekly zooms with Geoff, I asked Tom to write changes he was seeing Over the weeks and few months, he saw that frantic clutching of control loosening, my being able to respect the decisions of others…a much loved step daughter’s refusal to leave the classroom until it was “Safe”, for example.
I do know that we are all different, with different realities and pasts, but watching the news was quite literally making me sick. I stopped, Cold Turkey. Just our sweet local half hour at noon. Our local newspapers. Those small bites I could chew and swallow. I filled my reading time with learning something new…more Science, chemistry, physics for the lay person. The wonder of our existence. I watched all the HGTV and DYI shows I love….especially Home Town…Tom likes it, too. Alton Brown cooking….America’s Test Kitchen. And I experimented with some of those recipes. I worked on projects Long overdue….And….
I began planning for our future!
I reserved 5 adorable little 1940’s cottages on the beach in Longboat Key, just off shore from Sarasota, very near where we live in Tampa. All the Boerger siblings, Mary being the oldest at 82, and Steve being the youngest at 74, will be there with their spouses for the first week of December. Our daughter, Kristin, of course and………..our “New” daughter and her 3 kids! Surprise! She is wonderful, too, and Tom is over the moon to have grandchildren. She found him through 23 and Me. She and the kids are driving over here to Maine from Minnesota this July. All are fully vaccinated, as are we. She’s an RN. My close neighbors are thrilled for Tom, and excited to meet them.
I can’t tell you how glad I am to know that You, Susan Branch, are so much better. I must confess that as I look for those tiny little puzzle pieces, I think unkind thoughts 😉
Tom will be back from FL April 18. He’s dealt with condo issues, spent time with Kristin, and of course played a few rounds of golf. I have loved being here in Maine for more than one entire year. Watching Winter anticipating Spring.
Mucho Love from beautiful Hog Bay
Debbie in Maine
Local news is like a Dick and Jane book compared cable and what you find in social media. I LOVE it… they always throw in the good things too! And you get enough of real life so you aren’t in the dark. It’s my new way. I’m glad to know you too Debbie. xoxoxo 💖
Debbie, Please be careful about providing too much information as you did with the names of family members, ages, date (range) you will be away from home, where you are going etc for your family reunion. Just bc this is a lovely blog with lots of friendly emails doesn’t mean your provided information couldn’t be used by anyone for shady purposes. This is a public venue – not a private site. Also know that crooks just have to be connected to a genealogy website to confirm further details tracing your family and their locals. Using online searches with only last names and towns one can find many people and their addresses.
People are too trusting and publicize information that crooks/scammers etc are only too happy and willing to capitalize on. Be careful!
Thank you for your honesty
I want to follow your blog. Right now it is being forwarded to me. I love it !!!
Look in the right-hand column, there is a place to sign up to get sent to your email box. xoxo
I have wondered and worried about you. 💕
Thank you for being vulnerable and sharing your struggle. I took to heart many ideas to help myself and to pass on to others. You are greatly loved and cared about. ❤️
It’s good to hear you are bouncing back. You are not alone throughout this whole ordeal. The isolation for me too has been just awful too. I miss all the great gals I hook rugs with and the other bunch of gals I scrapbook with at the Sr. Center (it’s still closed but has lots of on line things for us to participate in). I stopped watching everything negative on TV and immersed my self in making junk journals. Busy hands are happy hands as they say. Hubby and I get our second shot of Moderna April 15 and in June we’ve booked a week in the lake region of NH after over a year of isolation from all the things we love. I guess the only thing we need to do is keep making baby steps towards the things that make us happy. Hang in there Kiddo, we’re going to make it….
Glad to hear you are taking care of yourself………and feeling better!!! Anyone can suffer depression. Not a weakness!! HUGS from North Idaho.
I’ve been so worried about you Susan and didn’t know how to find you! I have checked your web site daily since the middle of March and today…what a gift to find you again. I have also been practicing gratitude daily and of course praying for healing in our world. So glad you are coming out of the “black hole” and so glad you have Joe and your dear kitty to hug!
I think I now know how to handle the funk I’ve been in. Thank you! I have loved snow drops since my grandmother pointed them out to me 60+ years ago. You have reminded me of good things after this long lonely year, I am a widow and I have been alone too much. I am going to read the book you recommended and my daughter just gave me the air buds and I am a member of audible and I know how to use it. I’m so glad you’re back and thank you ☺️
Susan, I knew something was wrong. I’ve been praying for you and Joe and so glad to hear you are doing better. I have been right there with you. I am starting to feel better, but not as “out of the woods” yet as you. I had Covid back in October, but a very mild case. Then, about 3 weeks after my quarantine was up, I started experiencing weird health issues. The worst is an indescribable fatigue that is still lingering. In November, I went to the doctor for nerve pain and she put me on a medication that I needed to gradually build up to. Six weeks later, I went back for a follow up and she increased my dosage. I told her my hands, left knee and left foot suddenly hurt so much I felt crippled. She ordered xrays and blood work. She put me on arthritis medicine to get me through until the test results came back. When her office called with the results, they said I had rheumatoid arthritis. They made an appointment with a rheumatologist but couldn’t get me in for 2 1/2 months! I continued to take the arthritis medicine she’d prescribed, but after about 10 days on these 2 meds (the higher dose of the first med and the arthritis one) I got really bad bathroom issues (sorry, TMI.) I told my doctor I felt it was the increase in the first med but she assured me that was wrong, so she took me off the arthritis med. A week later nothing had improved so I went in again and insisted I stop the first med. It took awhile because it had to be stopped gradually, but I finally started to feel better. Then, I got hit with a horrible tooth ache, but when I went to the dentist he couldn’t find anything in the x-rays. It got better on its own, but 3 weeks later got worse again. This time the whole left side of my face swelled up and the dentist immediately sent me to an orthodontis almost 2 hours away, because he was the only one who could get me in immediately. I had two abscessed teeth that needed emergency root canals. After that, I think I slept 10 hours per night, with a two hour nap everyday. I sank into a pretty deep depression, or melancholy. I just can’t get past the fatigue. One of my favorite things to do is water aerobics, which I’ve been doing twice a week for many years. Our pool has been closed due to Covid, so even though I am finally starting to feel better, I can’t get that exercise. Two weeks ago, I joined a Platinum Power class, which is an hour of aerobics and light weights. I am so out of shape from being sick for so long, but I really love it. I have suffered from SAD for most of my life, so I have high hopes that now that the days are getting longer and I can get out of the house more, I will be back to normal soon. Believe it or not, this was the condensed version. Haha. I bet you are hearing somewhat similar stories from lots of us girlfriends. This has just been such a hard year, physically and mentally. I saw on the news recently, where a 3 year old and 5 year old were dropped over a 12 foot fence at the border and left there alone. Thank God, border patrol saw it on the cameras and picked the poor children up quickly. I must admit, I have a cry every time I think of those poor sweet babies. I think I should also turn off the news. I feel quite raw from it all. Take care, Susan, and thanks for being so transparent with your issues. I’m sure you will never know how many of us your honesty has helped.
DO it. Turn it off. It can be unbearable. Take care of you Mary Ann. 😘😘😘
Mary Ann,
I sooo can sympathize with your saga as I too was dealt an abscessed tooth right at the beginning of the covid lockdown last March. Just like you experienced, in 24 hrs by face was swollen from the infection ( no explicit details to imagine that!) all the way from above my eyebrows to my chin. Worst pain ever conceived. Worse than childbirth! Though the treatment to incise the gum was the worst aspect. Thankfully antibiotics did the trick and I was able to wait 2 months until a different specialist could do the root canal. Wouldn’t return to the first dentist as he didn’t wear gloves or mask during procedure!
SAD affects me as well so again I can empathize. But now Spring is upon us and the sunny days are making a difference. Let’s pray for more normal days ahead and happier times.
Be well!
Love the pics of the dahlias. We can grow them here in WA but have to treat for many bugs and slugs! I worked with a man who grew for competition. He would bring some to the office to show us and they were larger than a dinner plate and beautiful colors. I could never grow them that well. Thanks for the great uplifting pics of them.
hello! finally a post from you! yay! where to start? 1) when I got my 1st and 2nd Pfizer vaccines I felt like shouting aloud – I GOT MY SHOTS. I was soooo excited I stopped at the ice cream stand (drive thru window) and got a double scoop to celebrate the new vaccinated me! I feel many thoughts – I’m doing My Part, I did something positive for myself and the world, and maybe if everyone else does, we can beat this thing. 2) Today I went walking through my woods looking for morel mushrooms – it’s far too early but the walk did me good to be outside in the springtime air walking about and searching for mushrooms, which were not to be found. 3) I bought way too many flowers for Easter, tulips and forsythia and daffodils, the house was so fragrant but it cheered up my spirits and now when the flower are spent I can plant the bulbs for next spring 🙂 4) I am trying to be a “good friend” to those who need it. A girlfriend lost her husband this past week (cancer) and tonight I am delivering dinner for the 2nd time since the sad day. She is distraught and in a fog but still needs to eat, right? So I have a big simmering pot of ham, bean, vegetable soup and will deliver half of it to her. I guess when you try to focus on others you also help yourself (like when you let your friend/neighbor inside because she needed it!) Glad you have emerged from your sadness and are enjoying the delights of spring. You were missed. xoxox
Dearest Susan, I am so glad that you’re back. I’ve missed you so much. At first I thought that perhaps my named had been dropped from your blog because I hadn’t heard from you. I’m so sorry that you had to go through that dark, gloomy place. I know what that’s like. But happy that you found help and yourself again. I love your kitchen. I think I’d spend a great deal of time there if I lived in your house. And oh the gorgeous flowers. I’m so thankful that God created so many colorful flowers to brighten up our world. It was wonderful to see Jack and Joe again. Happy Spring. Karen
Dearest Susan,
Greetings from Spain, (Debbie, the daring, who got at your door in September 2012). Hope you are feeling much much better, because we all need your love thru your art, your words, your pics… you make life a better sip to drink.
My middle girl Alicia, (she has the perfect name), only 11, she is having a hard time to go thru life right now. She´s so creative, smart, sensitive that, at times, she needs to stop and take naps from the noise outside and inside. I could use some of your words to help her thru, she knows (my 3 girls, actually) how much I love you and your inspiring life. Thank you so much for your wisdom!
love from The Noble girls.
Oh Susan, so glad you are coming out of your depression. I feel so bad for you and so many others who have been so deeply affected by the pandemic and all that is going on in our world right now. Thank God for Spring! A new light, flowers, hope! Be well, and don’t take in too much of the chaos that is becoming the new normal. Gratitude and Love. Take good care 💜 gwen 🌷
Well, if this didn’t bring (mostly) happy tears to my eyes, I don’t know what would. We’ve all been through this dark year of the soul…and are hoping to be on the other side of if now…or at least, soon. Thank goodness our beloved SB is on the mend and writing us again! You and Joe and that precious Jack are part of our families, you know! XOXO!! One vaccine down here, next one in two weeks. Still working from home (thankfully) due to medical reasons (not so good), but keeping in touch with friends and family as best I can. My daughter had to postpone her tiny fairytale cottage wedding we were planning last summer, and now will be eloping in the redwood forests in northern California next month. I just want them to live happily ever after, you know? She is coming down next weekend with her fabulous fiance and 2 furry babies for the first time in forever because they’re both fully vaccinated now. That has been the hardest thing for me to deal with, but I thank God for facetime, zoom, etc, or I’d have been nuts not being able to see her sweet face. We WILL get through this, somehow, even if I continue to do curbside pickup for awhile and continue facetiming. Let’s keep lifting each other up, and thanking God for all we still have, and keep looking for all the blessings that surround us each day. There will always be sadness. Let us remember to love. P.S. Hoping and praying that Prince Harry will be able to go to his Grandfather’s funeral and doesn’t have to miss it because they make him quarantine or something. XOXO
Media is so mean to the Royal Family, the pressure seems horrible . . . If I were them I think I might have it in the garden. I’m so happy you are getting to see your daughter soon!!!! The light in that tunnel burns brighter every day! 🌸
Yes, it does, and we now know that light isn’t a train 😉
LOL, began to wonder!
Dearest Susan- I am so sorry you tumbled off the edge, but you have not been alone! I am so glad you have brought yourself back from the dark before, because you had that experience to draw from. As always, you inspire me and make my life a little brighter with your presence in it. Wishing for you to keep getting stronger, to hang on to all that’s good in your life, and know that when life gets hard it’s always ok to ask for help. Even people with a happy gene are allowed to grieve and be miserable sometimes. Sending big hugs your way. ❤️
I get that … sometimes it seems to hurt more to grieve than it does to deny. But life is learning!🌸 Thank you Beth!
So glad to hear from you, Susan. I was worried about you, but I saw that you were tweeting so I thought you were just too busy working on stuff to blog. When the person I turn to for cheering thoughts & ideas succumbs to the same darkness we’re all fighting it’s not a good thing. I’m glad to hear you were able to reach down deep & pull yourself out of it. You’re back! I’ve missed you!
I can hardly wait for spring weather & gardening. Here in western Canada it’s still pretty chilly but my daffodils & crocus are up. Those first green shoots are so exciting for me!
I believe you have a birthday in just a couple of days. Have a happy day & eat lots of cake! Don’t let the darkness in & remember that as much as you are our cheering force we are here sending those same happy vibes back to you.
I must ask about the photo with the bunnies in the mug. What are they? They look so cute. I can never resist a bunny, as we both know.
Hugs to yourself, Joe & Jack.
Laurie
=:3
It was “Tweet-Lite” for a few weeks now … but it was enough! The bunnies are tin, slightly 3-d, and a gift. No name on them, so I don’t know where they came from. But into my children’s tea cup they went and there they will stay! Hugs to you Laurie!
Dear Susan, I am crying. There are so many of us that have struggled through the last year with loneliness and sadness, missing our personal connections. I have been very luck y to have a small group of people in my life to be with in person but missing so many more. The first time I walked back on campus at one of my schools, about a month ago, I couldn’t stop crying. There were just a few students there and every time I saw someone else, it was surprising and jarring…and hopeful. Then when we had an actual in person class, with just a few students, it was so incredible.
Thank goodness there were hours busy sewing face masks for almost all of 2020, once the shutdown started. It kept me up at night, sewing into the wee hours, because I couldn’t sleep anyway. Plus watching Downton Abbey for the first time ( I know…so behind!), along with other wonderful series, was a great distraction and kept me going behind the sewing machine. After donating and selling approximately 1500 masks, it was time to move on and start working on trying to be normal again. And also moving. And SO grateful to be getting my second shot next week….whoo hoo! I CAN’T wait to hug again too. Coming soon!
XO and thank you for your beautiful post.
We missed each other so much . . . I had NO idea this was what was in store for us. And we had it lucky … in wasn’t 1918! Thank you for everything you did . . . you made a difference!!! xoxoxo♥️
Hello, Dear Susan! I keep hearing that we shouldn’t post photos of our vaccine cards because they’re concerned about counterfeits/identity theft. You might want to cover up the codes. Anyway, this is a beautiful post. It sure made me feel less alone! I thought that the good news about vaccines plus getting a vaccine plus the glorious beauty of spring would cheer me up faster but there’s just been so much trauma. I guess I need to give it more time. Thanks for sharing what has helped you! I’m glad you’re doing better. XO
Which are the codes . . . I went to look, but nothing looks like a code. Let me know, I never heard this before! Thank you!
I told her the same thing. She has lot numbers listed. I sent a comment, but don’t see it on the post. Keep those cards close to your heart and only use when needed for ID. You may need it shipboard. You do not want to sail with anyone who has not been vaccinated.
I’m hoping they will require vaccine passports . . . makes such good sense for a ship! I don’t see anything on the card that is something private, someone mentioned “codes” but I don’t see any codes . . . what is it that people aren’t supposed to see? Thank you!
I am so happy to see that you posted again. I KNEW you must be suffering from depression. To lose your dear mother in the middle of the dam-panic had to be harder than words can say. I kept checking your blog daily for at least the last month. I was so worried about you. Thank goodness you were able to recognize it and get the help you needed. I just know that your words in this most recent post are going to be inspiration to us all. Thank you, you dear friend 🙂
Thank you for the kind thoughts . . . I’m sorry I worried you, but you know I had to pull back! SO much better, thank you for checking in! xoxoxo
Oh, bless your dear heart, Susan, and the hearts of all those who also have felt they’ve lost heart. We’ll get though this. Spring has come again despite it all. Make lemonade, lemon cookies, and that glorious Weight Watcher’s Pineapple cake that takes just a can of crushed pineapple (juice and all) plus a dry Angel Food cake mix. As you stir these ingredients together in a bowl, it will get frothy – freak not. Pour batter into a greased 9″x13″ cake pan and bake for 30 min. in a 350 degree oven (watch it during the last 5 minutes). It’s glorious by itself but Cool Whip is a nice addition. To me, it tastes as sweet as hope.
Be good to you, take care, and stay safe. Thank you for the joy you, your art, the quotations, and your other words bring to us.
Hugs!
“Freak not” … 🤣 xoxoxo
Do not bake it 45 minutes like I did if you do it turns black and starts to smoke then you throw in the back yard for the birds to eat.
Thank you Susan for your candid blog. Like you and many others I’ve been going through very similar feels/downs, etc. I’m finally out of the pan-funk & maybe it was crying when I got my first vaccine or thanking all the people helping us. But I’m busy fixing my house, starting seeds, closing activity ring & working on losing the COVID-20 pounds.
I’m so glad your back, I missed the happiness you shine.
Gratitude is a good sign of mental health … imagine if you couldn’t feel it? That’s my next challenge, the pounds I gained when I thought I would never be leaving the house again!🤣
Dearest Susan, I can truly say you were certainly missed. I am so glad you are feeling better and thanks so much for sharing the things that helped you to reach that return to your happy, smiling self.
Welcome back.
Janet Hellmann
Thank you Janet!
I appreciate finding this in my e-mail today. As usual, it unfolded itself as a priceless flower that needed to bloom in my life TODAY! Your posts are always enjoyed but, truly, never as much as this one because you spoke so truly what so many of us have been feeling and I thank you for that. I will place this e-mail in a special folder and go back and revisit it regularly. Sending thanks for your eyes and the way they see beyond the dark, your ears for the joyful sounds they hear and for your shared appreciation of the world and the beauty found therein. Thank you!
I beautifully you wrote that Cherie, thank you so much! Have a wonderful day! xoxo
Just wondering if you will be planning an event, like the Beatrix Potter lunch, while in England?
Waiting on that, until we see where exactly we’re going! Probably!
Susan, I always love reading your blog hope & pray you are doing well. I also want to share with you that when I make our ice cream sandwiches I roll the edges in chopped nuts of any kind that I may have on hand. I always toast my nut before use, gives a better flavor. Walnuts, cashews, peanuts, etc etc. Hugs to you & stay positive my friend, for you are very LOVED!
Delicious! Thank you Denise!
Well, Susan, I am so sorry that the ‘grays’ crept up on you and swept you away! You should have been given a pass since you have done so much to keep the rest of us cheered up this year. I had noticed that we hadn’t heard from you in a while but assumed that you must be very busy. I am sorry- it isn’t fair to think that you would never need the kind of care that you so generously give to your girlfriends. Please know that so many people are wishing you well and are grateful for all that you do!!
I think that your Dahlia Garden will bring you oodles of continuing happiness right up until the cold weather comes back. Swan Island Dahlias is a terrific choice, I wish I had more room!
Best thoughts coming your way!💗
Thank you so much! I feel lucky I could find my way out of that! It’s different for everyone and not so easy for some. Sending love, xoxoxo
Oh, Susan! I am so glad you found the way to bring yourself out of the darkness of this last year. I, like many others, have been in survival mode, just doing the basics and keeping my head above water. Not being able to see friends and relatives, and not getting to share or giving hugs for so long has been extremely hard. My heartfelt condolences for the loss of your Mother. Mine celebrated her 11th year in heaven on April first. I’m glad you and Joe were able to get your vaccination and I pray 2021will give us all hope to carry on with faith, hope and courage. Much love to you!
Your prayer is my prayer! xoxoxo
I am so glad you are feeling better. I have battled depression for over 40 years and it is often the little, beautiful things in life that help. Like all the lovely things you make.💜
I just keep reminding myself to take a deep breath! Thank you Rose!
Just: thank you for sharing! Bless you.
Our dearest Susan, all of your blogs are so life giving, and this one is probably one of the best, because it applies to 1000’s of us going through the same thing. Your emergency room thoughts had a bit of humor in it for me, because I often felt with fear, what if I call the doctor and he tells me to go to the emergency room! I began a search, for peace (over anxiety). I dealt with a battle through shingles in Oct, Nov, then atrial fib by March, and finally this week have, with joy, had a pace maker implanted. So, we all find our peace with steadfast trust in God. Exodus 26:3 Now I am thoroughly enjoying spring flowers in many places, and renewed zeal to organize old letters and photos. I am blessed you offered kind remembrances and thanksgiving for Prince Phillip and his life of service to the Queen and to England, and the nations.
I was happy to do it, I’m touched by his death as we all are. I’m so glad you got through your travails and are feeling the spring and hope of new beginnings! xoxo
Welcome baaack, Susan! Soooo glad you are on the road to recovery from life’s troubles, there have been soooo many last year and beyond! Thanks for all your input for regaining health! I was wondering and worrying these last 2 months, checking regularly for your first of the month blog posting. Saw you on Twitter so thought, well, ok, she’s there, did I mess up somehow on getting your blog? I’m not ‘on’ twitter but can take a look to see your posts. Glad you’re back, thanks for sharing and being vulnerable, makes us/me realize I’m not alone is handling the stresses we’re experienced these last few years, especially 2020! Take care, keep on taking care of yourself, we need you!!! xoxo Judi
Vice Versa Judi! xoxo Thank you!
Susan, you’ve brought some much needed sunshine to my soul. Thank you.
And you just made my day! xoxo
Oh Susan! How I wish I could sail to England with a group of girlfriends! I’m glad you’re feeling better, what a icky year. You want to know what I did this winter when I was feeling the same way? I shut off the news, baked scones, fell deep into a British bake off rabbit hole….and read all of your books, twice! I just finished reading A Fine Romance for the second time since February, what cozy comfort it brings. I even looked up the cost of sailing on the QM2! I’m sooo thrilled you are planning another trip. I can’t wait to follow along with your journey. All my best to you and Joe.
You did all the right things! Thank you Laura!
Bless you dear one and THANK YOU!
What a beautiful surprise in my email. Your newsletter was the inspiration I needed. My husband & I have our 1st of 2 vaccine shots. Feeling like there is hope on the horizon. Planting a garden of many flowers, vines & some veggies in our redesigned yard. We need to be in the company of loved ones … backyard dinners in celebration of birthdays, holidays & days, days, days! Thank you for sharing your journey. Many ideas to create the future!
So sorry to hear how you have been feeling. It’s been such s long, lonely tiresome year. Thankfully now the end is in sight but this pandemic has left untold destruction in its wake. I think many of us have suffered in one way or another but we have to count our blessings now and move forward. I’m so excited to hear you and Joe are coming back to our shores next year. Another picnic maybe ?!
Sending love and happy thoughts your way xxx
Thank you, dear Susan! As usual you have made my day. I too am usually seeing the joy and happiness in everyday , but this year has been a bit hard. I had a very serious, unexpected surgery in time of Covid, but all us well. No news for me during my long recovery, but books, glorious books, yours of course among them. Many blessings and happiness as we go forward joyfully😊❤
What a beautiful post. I am so sorry that you were having such a difficult time earlier this year. I was missing you but had hoped you were just busy with all your creating. When you described the darkness you were feeling, it felt like you were writing for so many of us. Thank you for being able to put it into words and for sharing it with us. I am so happy to know you are coming through to the other side, back to HOPE and JOY! Somehow spring has come through with its wonderful message of new life and hope for me, too, and for so many of us. It always has yet this year it was especially hard to keep believing it would. Thank you and bless you for sharing your light and your hope with us all. You truly do help make the world better by sharing your sunshine with us.
Wishing you continued renewal and sending love.
Susan
So good of you to share your “dark night of the soul” with us. Although that vaccine is giving us hope, it also scares a lot of us. Everything happened so fast. We’ve lost control of so many things we take for granted. That’s the main cause of all our anxiety. I’ve been benefiting from Kim Eng’s YouTube meditations. She and Eckhart Tolle have been contributing so much to help people find peace. Also daily mass from northern coast of England (Walsingham) is on YouTube every morning at 7. It’s really important to slow down and just nap whenever thoughts turn negative. Our brains need to check out often. A good nap can make up for a rough sleepless night. Hope to see some lovely Spring photos from your house again soon. Stay well 🌷
Keep well, dear Susan!
Don’t let the pandemic claim you! I wonder if the vaccine has mood altering properties? As wonderful as it is, I think it produces side-effects beyond sore arms and chills. Nothing we can’t overcome!
We recommend The Family Rosary Across America with Fr. Rocky (available online). Not just for Catholics, people of all ages call in with their cares, sorrows, and joys and thousands of people laugh and pray together. Very calming and restorative!
God bless you and Joe. 💕
We missed you and I was worried. It isn’t like you to skip a month. So each time I checked for a new post and there wasn’t one, I’d pray for you. Then one day I
called your customer service phone number in California. The lady who answered assured me you’d be posting soon and would have lots to tell and that you were busy with deadlines. The mind and body knows so well when we’re on overload and
has to put us aside for a bit to rest, refresh and renew. You listened and stopped and took care of yourself. Continue to do that. ❤
Yes – it’s been a really hard year. I coped by spending much of it reading – being somewhere else. First I reread all of Harry Potter – living in Hogwarts. And then I reread all of Louise Penny – off the internet driven track in Three Pines. After that we bought the whole set of Northern Exposure discs living in the outposts of Canada every night. Now it is Spring – so much beauty – but the most beautiful sight was my daughter and grandson at Easter. I hope your world [ and mine] continues to improve and that you leave depression behind. May you live in the light.
I’ve been thinking I was fine, great in fact. Emotionally just peachy. Marvelling at how well I’ve handled the isolation (single and live alone). But this week I just woke up sad every day. I don’t know what set it off. I felt like I had lost someone or something that I loved dearly. Still, I’m OK. Really. Then I saw the photo of the napkin you posted above, with, “Don’t give up.” printed on it, and just felt all this emotion welling up in my chest. Huh. Maybe I’m NOT OK… And it’s OK to not be OK right now, because life is just overwhelming sometimes. Not all the time, thankfully. But right now, it’s just too much to ignore. And too much to suffer in silence, ignoring it and hoping it goes away. Find some joy. Warm chocolate chip cookies. Sunshine that drives the chill away. Thin Man or Doris Day movies. Playing music that reminds me of my happy place (New Mexico). Diffusing some nice oils. Move and stretch and take care of myself. Just hang in there. It won’t last forever. It won’t! I promise!
Thank you so much for sharing your feelings. I have been feeling similarly during these unprecedented times. There is always hope and taking care of ourselves is so very, very important. Thank you for reminding me of that. Best wishes to you!
Oh Susan dear, it’s so good to hear that you are well. I was so concerned you were ill. You sound as if you are doing great, I’m so sorry you were having a difficult time.
Looking so forward to you and Joe arranging the Dahlia garden, I do love them also.
Be well and feel happy every day, you have so many of us out here that love you.
It’s so good to see you’re back, Susan. Like you, I’ve finally mostly pulled myself out of the doldrums too. It’s really been such a long, hard year + for us. With Spring here, we have 2 new granddaughters to look forward to & I think a small wedding!! We’ve also decided to take a short trip to OR for a few days. Life just has to resume, although a bit differently, but at least resume enough to be with family & friends. Months ago, I began walking away from the horrendous daily news. My anxieties have been somewhat alleged since you know who is out of office. Now onto the sweeter things in life… Please continue to feel better & enjoy all you can.
Dear Susan,
You give us such gifts. I value the day a ‘girlfriend’ gave me your address to follow many years ago.
Today this post brings me smiles, tears and just plain old calm.
It is good to know so many of us are going through this and it is so good to have a kind, good soul like you to take us right up to the affermations of hope.
Love to you and all the other ‘faithful followers of Susan’.
Oh Susan! I am so happy to be reading your blog again. Yes, I am a worrier too & I was worried about YOU! I am very glad you are feeling better now. I too was born with “ the happy gene” so in the last month or so, when I became “weepy” about every little thing, it made me nervous thinking, “What is this? I’ve never felt like this before.” But now, I too am seeing a light at the end of the tunnel: I have had both my shots, the spring flowers are blooming, I’ m working out in my garden, cuddling with my kitties, taking some online art classes, & seeing friends for lunch( with masks on, of course!”) I appreciate your suggestions of meditation, & listening to music. Think I’ll go get a massage instead of acupuncture! I also just put the book AND the dvd, “ I Capture the Castle” on reserve at our library.
I just bought some AirPods too so will get an audio version of what? You’ve given us a list of your favorite movies ( do you have the “Turner Classic Movies” channel?) So now, how about a list of your favorite books? Or have you listed them in a former blog that I might have missed?
Old movies are my favorite. I belong to a group called Behind the Lens. We used to meet every Tuesday night, watch a classic old movie then spend 30-45 minutes afterwards discussing it! There were former directors, editors, & screenwriters in the group so they really have opened my eyes to watching films very differently! But, we haven’t met in over a year & can’t wait to get back to it!
You inspire me so much… after reading your blog, I want to go out & do all the things you’ve suggested! Going on a trip to England on the Queen Mary sounds heavenly. I went on a 2 week trip to England in August of 2019 with my niece who loves the same things I do; it was something I would love to do again. We’ll see…
So glad you are “ back in action!” 💕
I am so glad you are feeling better! And so grateful to the girlfriends who had the intuition and emotional (or adrenal?) wherewithal to send you encouraging notes. What you described is so familiar, and I am just beginning to pull out into the light myself. The beginning of my cure was also bed – after I got my second dose (yay!) and had a fever and exhaustion. I didn’t nap but bingewatched cute dog videos and British gardening shows like a zombie. Slept like a log that night and woke up to a whole new world – well almost. I really like the idea that an acupuncturist might be able to unlock my gate of hope! So if gardening and walking and warming weather don’t keep me on a good trajectory I will seek one out. I just might join the cruise – been thinking crossing the pond that way for years. I’ll think fast – I’m sure everyone is itching to travel! Thank you for the heart to heart – it did the world of good. And I hope your gate of hope stays wide open.
Oh, honey, you expressed so beautifully what so many of us were feeling. Thank you for sitting down with us and “helping us cry”, for that’s how friends help each other😉!Late January and early February were, for me anyway, the very hardest period of the pandemic. The absolute horror of the insurrection, the world seemingly turned upside down, the despair of not being able to see or touch dearest ones who did not live in our household, not knowing when we’d be able to schedule our vaccine…awful, terrible, rotten to the core. It’s better now…we visited my 95 year old Mom over Easter, first time we’d seen her since last October and the first time we’d hugged her since February 2020🥲Many hugs to you, too❤️❤️❤️
Susan, so happy you have found peace and joy once again.
Please be aware of warnings not to post Covid vaccine certificates with information that could be used by identity thieves. I’m sure that none of the wonderful followers you have on this site would have that intention but still good to know and avoid.
I’m looking at the card thinking what info could be used? There don’t seem to be any codes or anything. . . what do you think I should block out? I hadn’t heard this. Thank you!
The entire card as you showed it can be used by fraudsters. They take it, copy it, add their own info, copy again and off they go into our almost covid vacinated world and infect us again. They are already very busy doing this. Hence the news alerted us. Hope that helps.
Yes, thank you Susie! I imagine they’re copying the stickers too … it’s probably too late to stop this, I mean fraudsters could steal cards from their sister if they wanted to, the people who print them could sell them on the black market ~ I’m sure they know it’s happening . . . soon they will need to issue cards on special paper, like the dollar bill. Joe and I are getting new passports this year, waiting to see if they require vaccine info ~ maybe they will put it on our passports? Vaccines are still required for some travel … like THIS …
I am so happy you are feeling better. We all learn that life can be very “gray” sometimes. Thank God there is usually sunshine after the darkness.
After losing my husband in the fall of 2018, I saw very brief glimmers of light. I am sharing this with you, again because you will never know how your blogs, your pictures, your books helped me through many a dark hour. My father and mother have both been gone for years, but my world tilted when I lost my sweetheart. I am blessed to have children and grandchildren, but my life changed….. A lot to deal with…. turning 70, surviving the “dam-panic”, trying to find my place in the world again. And realizing all along that I HAD to pick up the pieces and keep going. This year what WE in the world have lived through has affected all of us. (And sadly so many have not survived.). WE find we each have to take care of ourselves to be able to be there for ourselves and others. You are an inspiration to so many. Thank you and take good care of yourself. Love ❤️
It is therapeutic to read your blog and the comments, to learn that I am not alone in my feelings. Thanks for sharing your experiences and the ways in which you lift your spirits. Those who aren’t natural-born-worriers tend to think there is an easy fix for these emotions, but there is not. I used to grow the Cupani sweet peas when I lived in central CA, it was amazing how they tolerated hot dry weather and self-sowed nonstop; so far no luck growing them up here in WA, but I’ll keep trying. I’m feeling happier having read your blog – and right now I have a cat on my lap and a budding shrub outside the window and I’m going to focus on that!
Hello dear Susan, I am your friend in Mexico, the one who always tells you that she is doing her best to communicate with you in the most understandable way. Thank God for google translator. And thank you for this generous demonstration of your vulnerability that reflects to us what millions of souls are living, I am not alone, and you are not alone, and thinking about this is comfortanting, please take good care of yourself, your light is important, and that is what the cracks in our soul are for … to let the light peek out, with love.D.
You do a wonderful job Daniela, and don’t we love Google translate! We are NOT alone, we have each other! ❌⭕️ Thank you!
Susan –
I KNEW there had to be something not quite right for you to miss both March 1 and April 1 – SO happy to see you pulled out of it, and it may explain what I am experiencing, too.
Cruises scare me, BUT I am going to call that number and inquire into the cost.
My retirement from full time employment begins no later than 10-1-21 – maybe it is time to see a little bit of the world before I settle in to full time grandmothering.
You are such an inspiration –
blessings – Marcia from Sewell, NJ
You can meditate yourself out of the fear (if you want to, you do have to want to 😂, and you won’t catch me flying!) and into the magic! And there’s even time! Hope you can join us Marcia, it’s quite an experience, you’ll never forget. ❌⭕️🛳🛳🛳🛳
Dear Susan! Just before I started reading this post I was saying to myself how happy I was to receive this in my email. I want you to know that you have enriched my life and many others also. I have your calendar and everyday there you are being wonderful and blessing my life. It has brought me so much pleasure this year. A funny story I accidentally ordered the 2020 calendar instead of 2021 but that didn’t bother me at all as I loved it too. Of course, I ordered the 2021 as well as a couple of your books and two more are on the way. Please know I just think you are the BEST! Thank you for sharing your words, your talents, and your love.
Such kind words Linda . . . I don’t know how I got so lucky to have found all of YOU! ❌⭕️
Thank you for this blog post. How did you know I needed this?! You are an amazing woman; you realized something was wrong, pulled yourself up by your boot straps and got the help you needed, and took care of yourself. ❤ I will be fully immune on 4/14,and my twin brother, whom I haven’t seen in 2 years, is flying east from Colorado on 4/15. Hugs galore! I was able to visit with my 100 year old mother in her nursing home and was allowed to hug her! Pure bliss! She has dementia and doesn’t talk much anymore. At one point she said she was tired. I said, “Just close your eyes Mom and rest.” I started singing very quietly her favorite hym ,”Softly and Tenderly”. Without opening her eyes, she sang, in her sweet tiny voice, the first verse, remembered every word. I stopped singing to listen to her, and cried.
Yes, there is a light at the end of this loooong tunnel. We made it Susan! Much love to you and Joe. xoxo
😢😢😢 so beautiful. Thank you Linda … I’m so happy your brother is coming!
Dear Susan,
I’m so glad you are back ! I have missed you and knew something was terribly wrong. I so appreciate the way you brought to light what many of us are going through in your journey back from your dark place. Once again, you are shining the light and helping to guide others forward in a positive way in their personal battles during this difficult time. I am a teacher and have been teaching my virtual students in my empty classroom all year. I try my hardest to provide the most positive learning experiences each day. I also lost my beloved mother last year and every day there have been so many things I wish I could talk to her about. One special event that I wish I could share with her I want to share with you. Every child should have something to look forward to so I decided to have a virtual Peter Rabbit Tea party the week before Easter. I made English Fascinator Hats for all my second grade girls and my boys got black top hats. I shopped at the local thrift shops and purchased a teacup and saucer for each of my students. I ordered carrot cake cupcakes with cream cheese frosting and found Peter Rabbit figures to top them with. There were Peter Rabbit plates, napkins, and a teabag of Chamomile tea. I ordered small fabric drawstring carrots that I put packaged Easter candy in. I purchased Chamomile seeds, soil, and small pots for planting. All my parents drove their children to my school to pick up their party bags. They were so excited! Since each Fascinator hat was different I let them pick out their favorite one at the pick up! I read The Story of Peter Rabbit during our reading time, we planted Chamomile seeds during Math time, and had our High Tea at the end of the day. My girls dressed up in their best special dresses . Everyone had such a wonderful time learning about Beatrix Potter, her books, planting Chamomile, and how to brew a perfect cup of English tea. It was the best party ever!
I love love LOVE you! That was beautiful! 💖💖💖💖💖 There is NOTHING like the GIFT of a WONDERFUL teacher!!! Your generous heart will hopefully take root in your little kids! And maybe THEY will change the world.🤞 Your mother would be SO proud to see the oak tree you’ve become from her little seed. Thank you! The world needs more of YOU! 🌷☀️🌷☀️🌷☀️🌷
Julie Anne, You will never, ever be forgotten by those little students. Those of the sorts of “events” that make a child love going into a classroom. I wish I had done many more when I taught 2nd grade. My wonderful step daughter is a kindergarten teacher and she’s always doing such delightful things for her little ones.
Thank you!
Susaaaaaann!!!! No words for this blog.. just feels. 💝 Sending hugs and love, gf 💐
Your Little 🐑,
Cassandra
Thank you Cassandra! xoxo
I’m so sorry Susan, depression is so hard to go through and so uncontrollable too once it has you in it’s grip.
My Godmother told me that life is like a train journey and sometimes while looking out of the window at the fields and hedgerows in the sunshine you will be plummeted into darkness and will speed through a tunnel, all your sense of direction will be gone, you can’t see or get off and you will just have to hold on until you come flying out of the other end of the tunnel into the daylight somewhere new. i’m glad you arrived at your station and got off! stick to ocean liners at least you know you are coming home and no tunnels!
I have five cupani peeping so far in our greenhouse, it smells like heaven! talking of heaven i’m so sad for Her Majesty, it’s a whole lifetime of love together.
Anyway sending lots of love from Yorkshire and keep dreaming of being on the good ship lollypop in May 🙂
Krissie xx
Love you Krissie! Thank you! You, from Yorkshire, connect me to a very far away ancestral place. Makes me happy to hear from you.
This made me tear up – you definitely showed the sunshine after the storm here! I had the same February – and my birthday is also Feb 27th! – and that was when I started to see light!! ❤️ And now thinking about a cruise…..
Kindred spirits!🌷
I’ve missed you. You are always a ray of sunshine and you were quiet and I guessed you were busy. And now I see that you have been climbing a rugged mountain. This winter was so rough. Cabin fever in quarantine was endless. I’m a Southern California girl so we try to escape our new home in East Tennessee in February, but this year we stayed home. So thankful for snow drops, daffodils, warmer weather and a note from you. Hugs Susan. Big long restorative hugs.
Feeling it Stacey. Thank you! 💞
When I saw your blog in my inbox, I literally felt my heart lift! This year has been more difficult than I believe any of us have realized until maybe now, as we “head back” to happier days. I lost my dad on December 9th to COVID-having not seen him since March 2020. He was living in a nursing home just 5 miles from me and my 3 sisters, but because of our Governor’s decision to “protect” our elderly, we were unable to be with him, except for an occasional Facetime. Before the pandemic, we visited with him everyday since the first day he went to live there (Two years ago, his Alzheimer’s had progressed to the point of being unable to live with me any longer.) I truly believe that if not for the following four things I would have not survived this loss: (1) The knowledge that for some time, my dad had wished to be reunited with my mom (she passed 23 years ago), (2) The close bond that I share with my three sisters (thanks to my parents!), (3) The love and support of my husband and our two children and (4) The fact that I am able to spend Monday-Friday in my classroom surrounded by the love of my Kindergarten children! I know that I have more grieving to do. I also know that when it comes (and it will in waves, when I least expect it) I am strong enough to let it wash over me because I will emerge from it better, stronger and healthier. Reading your blog reminded me of how very lucky I am to have such incredible love surrounding me and that I have a responsibility to share that with everyone I see. My mom would always tell us girls to smile at strangers, “Because you never know what hardship they might be dealing with.” I think that I lost that behind the mask, but I am now working hard to show that smile in my eyes. It makes me feel better and I think my mom (who had been a nurse) would be happy. I pray that you continue to feel better and that you truly are able to realize just how very important your connection to all of us is. Thank you for all the love you so generously share!
What a gorgeous foundation of love giving you strength. Your mom is so right, smiles change the world, we all need them. We got so many of them when we were little, they’ve become something almost inexpressible that brings happiness. Just the little things mean so much. Thank you Julia… I’m so sorry you lost your dad, but then, he is home with your mom. There is something wonderful about that. They gave you so much. ❌⭕️
Just a few days ago I was wondering why we hadn’t heard from you, and hoped you or Joe weren’t battling Covid. But I understand all too well exactly what you described. I’m so sorry you had to go through that Susan. But good news is your antennae are more alert so if you even feel a twinge of some thing being “ off “ you’ll be on top of it!! Just called to see about booking tickets ! Susan G. not in today so I’ll call Monday !!! I can hardly believe this might actually be happening!!! In meantime know you’re in my prayers and you have a lot of us out here sending love your way.
Yes, the antenna are at attention! Thank you Omaha… Susan has an assistant too, don’t know her name, and probably doesn’t work on Saturday . . . but just in cases! xoxo
Susan, bless you! Thank you for sharing your experiences, as when you share a problem, the problem is halved. That is what my dear mum in law often told me. This has been an incredibly difficult time for so many. My brother passed last year as well. So much loss. But hopefully things will start to turn around soon. We love you and we are grateful to hear from you again. xoxo
I can feel the change coming… I’m so sorry about your brother. We need these people. 💖
Mental health should be spoken about freely. SO many of us struggle with it! Your willingness to share helps people feel less vulnerable or shameful about their own problems. THANK YOU!!!! On top of that, the joy, cheer and coziness I feel looking at your drawings, words and inspirations made this blog entry a real treat for me! Here’s a big non-COVID hug for you!
I could never seem to separate the head from the rest of the body! LOL. Thank you Nicole!
Dear Susan,
Thank you. Thank you for taking care of yourself. I always tell my 6th grade students that there is a reason you are told to put your own oxygen mask on when flying. You’re no use to anyone if you’re passed out on the floor. Once we find ways to heal ourselves, we can be of use to others.
I was literally thinking about you this morning as I started my Saturday laundry rounds. I was thinking of how you reacted to the news of Prince Phillip. I was wondering how you were doing now that you are fully vaccinated. I was wondering how the island was doing these days. I was wondering how Joe and Jack were managing. And I was wondering if there was a reason for the lapse in your blog posts. You’ve been mildly active on Twitter, so I figured something was going on, and I was concerned because like you, I am a worrier with a happy gene.
Thank you for sharing your mental health realities with us. We care about you out here in Girlfriend land. Your post helped me find ways to reclaim myself from the same pit of despair. I head back into the physical classroom at the end of April to teach the few kids that are coming back while simultaneously teaching the majority of kids that will be staying home. Woof. That’s going to be a task. Brett goes back into his classroom early in May, so we have been working hard to manage the farm chores and get everything in place prior to that. Being home for the past year has been lovely (our dog and cats have been delighted), but it’s made us both acknowledge how privileged we have been with all this space (5.4 acres in Aromas, CA) when families have been clustered in apartment spaces in cold climates with nowhere to go.
The privilege we have has been eye opening in so many ways that we have confronted during the past year, and I find ways to counter the unproductive guilt into action by supporting BIPOC and AAPI organizations and creators. Gardening has been helpful, and thanks to YOU, I have been cooking the past year! Brett has been feeding me for nearly 30 years now, but since his knee replacement surgery in September (he’s 47 and had the knee of an 80-year old man due to heavy skateboarding, snowboarding, and surfing in his earlier years) he needed to stay off his feet. So I picked up your cookbooks, read some good recipes online, read and watched Salt Fat Acid Heat, and voila! I can cook! We started watching the GBBS and he’s become quite the bread baker!
Which reminds me, have you been watching The Great Pottery Throwdown? It’s like GBBS but for pottery! It’s absolutely up your alley, and they film in the heart of British pottery land-Stoke-on-Trent! It’s on HBO Max, so if you have a subscription, I HIGHLY recommend you check it out.
So, thank you again. I have been trying to use Instagram to keep myself motivated to get into my fiber studio and continue wet-felting, spinning, and dyeing our sheep wool, but it all seemed overwhelming and pointless. I miss being around people and vending at science fiction and fantasy conventions.
Now that I have had my second Moderna shot (and fully recovered from the side-effects) and I have the motivation to get myself moving again knowing that I have to be back on campus soon, I am using the inertia to keep myself keeping on.
Ok, longwinded comment, but know that your words matter and your honesty is like a balm for a weary soul.
Thank you for taking care of yourself.
Hugs to you, and I am so glad you’re booking travel plans!
I would SO join you on the QE2 next year, but unfortunately that’s during school and I can’t take that much time off in the year (though come to think of it, I didn’t have to take a single day off this year due to illness! Amazing!).
So, I’ll be one of the girlfriends stashed away in the suitcases giggling along with everyone, sneaking tea and snacks, and generally enjoying myself virtually-getting pretty good at that. I’m considering taking an epic trip for my 50th in a few years thanks to your inspiration!
Welcome back to the other side of yourself and again, hugs.
-Susan
SO right about that oxygen mask! 💖 Yes, I know, watching how this unfolded, it was easy for us to count our blessings too. This miserable pandemic was like a big game of musical chairs ~ suddenly the music stopped and too many were caught without a chair. 😢 One of our girlfriends told me her mom always said, “If you can read, you can cook!” It does pretty much come down to that. It much more creative and fun than many imagine … we are so worried about time these days, never having enough of it, we need to remember not to give up the self-sufficient parts of life, the home arts . . . they give us such joy. Feed our soul. Are human. I’ll check out that Pottery show … I do love watching people be creative … such a good message they send! Little bit better than the Kardashians!😂 Thank you Susan! xoxo
This blog is so rich with heart-connections~your skill of articulating what is in all of our hearts is a gift of healing that you share so very lovingly and generously. Thank you, dear Susan.
During the last 12 months I have worked from home, and during those 12 months I developed new, good (and notsogood=extra caloric intake) routines. One good routine was the mid-day nap that became my quiet, one-hour oasis away from the job/laptop. You spoke truth – those naps are a necessity, though they feel very much like a luxury. Prayer, another necessity, is my meditation, and days without prayer and time in the Bible become unhappily tangled.
Your blogs have added a great deal of heart-lifting, virtual hugging to the year just gone by ~ I’m soooooo thankful I can hop over to your blog Archives anytime to revisit those wonderful happy places of yours ~ perfect morale-boosters for the Covid-era ‘megrims’ (my quarantine reading has included quite a few really old books).
And then your icing on the blog cake ~ a Sue and Joe Amtrack Adventure to California!! And the topping on the icing on the blog cake ~ an Ocean Voyage to England on the QM2!!! To which the girlfriends are invited!!! Whether we travel in person on board or you stow us away in your magical Mary Poppins expanding suitcases, your adventures become ours because of your generous heart. I’m SO EXCITED!
xoxoxo Christie
Naps! Such a good healer! Hi Christie! So good to hear from you! And happy you’re making it through! Now that I’ve announced we are really going, I’m so excited because we are really going! Dream machine going full force! And a full year to do it in. I love this part! Stay well … thinking of you! 🌷🌷🌷
Oh my dear Susan I have been wondering where you were. I am sorry to hear your tale but thank you for sharing it as I can certainly relate to those dark clouds swirling about. I believe I have had tears every day since the nightmare began. I must admit I cry if the grass grows. I will take some of your good advice to cope. I just got a new knee, what was I thinking, I am on the mend and looking forward to walking instead of limping around Europe ASAP but fear that won’t be until 2022. Take care of yourself and thank you for taking care of all of us ❤️
2022, if everyone does what they should, SHOULD be a time of GREAT RELEASE … pray we are free and you get to give your new knee a happy workout trekking through the garden! We’re in it together!❌⭕️
Dear Susan,
Like other girlfriends, I was worried about you and thank you for sharing your dark days with us. I am so happy you are taking care of yourself and getting out of the rabbit hole of despair. Feeling sad today myself at the news of Philip’s death. I remember so well my Royal Family paper dolls when I was little – Elizabeth, Philip, Charles and Anne (before Andrew and Edward were born). They have been a part of my life all of my 76 years and I remember a friend from elementary school somehow getting to go to her coronation in 1953. I was so jealous. They shared a wonderful love and a long, long marriage, but it is still so sad. Love that you are a fan of all things British, too, and treasure the memories of meeting you at the Taste of Britain shop in Newburyport seven years ago this fall. Take care and continue to heal. You are strong! And happy birthday on April 12 – same day as my husband John who will turn 78 on Monday.
Love and good health, dear Susan!
Nancye T., Wells, Maine
Me too, with the memories of writing Queen Elizabeth when I was little and receiving a letter back from her lady-in-waiting two days before my 11th birthday. Our little connections to a world that’s been there as long as we can remember. He is a loss to all of us. His memories, we still need them. Happy birthday to John, from me … take care Nancye!
You are back with all of us. I have been worried and you certainly popped into my head more than once. I am sure you are even stronger than before.
Welcome back dear Susan.
Thank you! Lovely to be here!
Dear sweet Susan, I too have missed you! Came to visit looking for the March Blog and kept returning but no Blog. That’s when I started praying & hoping all was well. Thank you for opening up and sharing with us. So many of us have suffered. I am finally spending two weeks in Atlanta visiting my soon to be 88 year old mom. I had not seen her in over a year. I couldn’t stand it any longer and finally booked a flight to visit her (after finally having major surgery- postponed due to “damcovid” and now feeling better than ever). My sweet precious brother(her care taker) needed a break and we all missed each other terribly! I’m still with her. Taking a break after giving her a long overdue pedicure! She is Diabetic and could not get her nails done in over a year! I am so thankful I got to pamper her myself. What a privilege. I don’t care if I do any sightseeing. It’s all about spending time with my precious mom. I am so sorry for your loss. Again thank you for sharing with all of us. Reading all these lovely notes from girlfriends encouraged and blessed me as well as they did you. Thank you for sharing your gift with us! We love you. (Girlfriend from Kansas City area)
So true, a complete privilege. I used to do that for my mom too … I’m so happy for you! Enjoy your time! And thank you for sharing, our little world is so encouraging! 💞
Susan, I noticed over on Twitter that you weren’t posting a lot, and was worried. Reading your post, I cried. Your experience is so like mine, and, I’m guessing, many people. These are strange times for everyone. I am so glad that you did all the things to help, in fact your list inspired me. You are such a good self care advocate, while also being such a force for good.
And I love that the garden is saving us all. I thought of dahlias, also, but I have a space problem. And I wrote down the name of the Sweet Pea variety. They are my favorite, too, but fiddly here in Pennsylvania. How our flowers save us, and bring a smile to others!
So happy to hear about the trips you are taking! The trip to England sounds so beautiful!
Please keep taking the time to self-care, these days more than ever!
Marge
🌸🌸🌸🌸🌸🌸🌸 Love to you Margaret. xoxo
Dear Susan, I just started following your posts last year and have found them so lovely and inspiring. I’m so sorry that you’ve had a very rough couple of months. My own sweet 93 year old mom passed on last May 31st, so next month will be the 1 year anniversary – I truly understand your feelings of loss and sadness. I also suffer from SAD and sitting under my special light for the last 6 months wasn’t as helpful, either, and when you add in Covid, well, it’s just been a sad year all around, hasn’t it? But the Spring is coming, and we have so much to be thankful for! Please know that my thoughts and prayers are with you, and I’m so looking forward to reading more of your delightful posts! Take care of you! Hugs and Best wishes from Jill in WI
Me too, I get SAD too … these longer days are making me so happy! Hugs to you Jill … this is a good world of kindred spirits, love to see you here. 🌷
Somehow…I had a feeling that something was going on with you. It’s been such a tough year for all the world…and each of us had to handle it in our own way. I am a senior who lives alone, but thankfully have good neighbors and friends. Lots of reading, watching movies, wandering around the back yard. My big block was I COULD NOT get enthused or motivated to use this time to clean or get drawers or closets in order. Just didn’t want to do it…so didn’t. That time will come, I hope. Have been vaccinated and actually went out twice this week for outside lunch…and got a hug! My heart just hurts for those who lost someone during this time; just can’t even wrap my head around the sadness that was felt. Trying hard to boost myself up each day…I was in that happy gene category and so want it fully back. Your writings above put lots into perspective and was so helpful. Thank you…and Happy Birthday!
Click on one of the meditation links I put on the post …. give it a try, you have nothing to lose and everything to gain, it takes so little time, and there are even guided meditations for procrastination… I know, because I looked them up! Common reaction to a year of a world gone mad. Thank you Linda, you know I always love my birthday! xoxoxo
So glad you’re feeling better dear Susan!
I knew something was terribly wrong! Thanks for sharing all of your life , even the rough patches to show us the way out of the gloom.
We’re all in it together! 💖 xoxo
So glad you are back Susan.
It helps to know we are not alone when we fell the way you did. Glad you took the time to get yourself on track again and feeling better. Like a cleanse. And we will always miss our moms, especially at times like these when we want to be able just to talk to her on the phone. I have always wished I could go to England sailing on the Queen Mary 2, as I won’t fly any more. Couldn’t find any of my friends that wanted to spend 5 days on a ship. I told them, that is part of the adventure. I have always wanted to go to England but don’t think I would be able to afford it. I can dream about it though. You are lucky to have been able to go so many times. Take care of yourself and Joe.
For some people the ship IS the vacation …. they just sail, don’t even get off in England! Call Susan and find out what’s the least expensive way you can go … and remember you’re hardly ever in your room, so it doesn’t matter as much, and every other thing on the ship is available the same for all of us. Can’t hurt to dream. xoxoxo
Thank you Susan so much for all of this. I too was in such a funk and depressed and was wondering how to Pull myself out of it. All your words of wisdom and beautiful happy art helped me so much today. I recently moved to Oregon and last year planted my first Swan Island Dahlia cutting garden. I am so happy for you and look forward to to seeing your pictures. Thank you again,
Linda
We are on the same path! xoxo
So glad you are back! We all get a little down now and then, it’s perfectly normal. Missed your posts. Stay well!🌷
This felt a little less normal than usual!😂 But it was a good reminder … can’t take care of others if you don’t take care of you! I needed that! ❌⭕️
I’ve missed you so much. So afraid the old enemy Covid had gotten you and/or Joe. Glad it wasn’t Covid, but so sad the depression and darkness came and stayed awhile. Every day from March 1 until today I opened my email to see if there was any news from my friend Susan, and today is a happy day to have you back. Letting us in on your dark time, and sharing your way out of it, will be a help to many of us, I’m sure.
Welcome back Susan. We all love you and have missed hearing from you.
Sorry to make you worry Gloria . . . but I’m so much better and love hearing from you! 💖
Oh sweet sunshine-y 🌞 Susan! How lovely you are to share your heart! In these troubling times, I suspect we ALL have some mental struggles. I might be really worried for humankind if we didn’t. One can only hear of so much despair and disappointment before it takes it’s toll. You are, as usual, brave and wonderful in finding your way back – And, thank goodness because you are one of the delightful, hopeful, fun, and beautiful parts of all of our lives!! Part of the solution, if you will! Reading anything you write & flipping through any of your books is one of my “ways back”! Take care of you, this too shall pass 😊 Thank you for being you, Girlfriend !! ❤❤
This too shall pass . . . such a truth. Nothing stays the same. ❌⭕️❌⭕️
2nd attempt to post, it never showed up. So sorry for all you have walked t hru. Bless U for sharing. I dont feel so alone , quite. On top of pandemc , my hubby of 42 yrs died and i am grieving. suffering from severe depression, anxiety. never knew it could feel so bad and it makes me so naseous daily, feel sick. i cant tolerate the meds cant take so it is so hard. I am disabled and all alone. no fa m or friends around. not even pets. a hard road and i pray daily. thank you so much.
What a terrible set of circumstances you’re dealing with … but you have you, you have your computer, and between the two of you, there is hope … google stress, anxiety, grief… there is so much free help available. I put links to two meditations on my post, they are just a drop in the bucket. Try it. Know that you will need to do it every day for at least two months before you feel the effects. But it’s life changing … and gives you ALL the power to fight your way through. And makes you strong for what life throws at you next. And puts joy in your heart despite everything. Blessings and love to you Linda, give yourself the gift of hope. It’s everything. It can even GIVE you those good things that are missing in your life. 🌸🌸🌸🌸
Thank you for your honesty in this blog post Susan.
And I hope you never think that what you have done with your life hasn’t mattered, because it HAS mattered more than you’d ever guess, for more people than you’ll ever know.
What a sweet thing for you to say Lindsey. Thank you! xoxoxo
Much love to you. ❤️
HAPPY BIRTHDAY tomorrow!
I’m sending you a virtual hug right now 💕🤗. Thank you for sharing. I have to take really good care of myself between Christmas and February or I find myself down and anxious. This year I tried winter seed sowing and found it lifted my spirits so much! I’m glad you are feeling better Susan ❤️🌸.
Dirt makes ALL the difference! 💖 Thank you Lauri!
So relieved to see this post today, Susan. Love you so much. xoxo
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I am happy to hear you are feeling better, Susan. It has been an exceedingly tough year.
Thankfully spring has arrived and the world seems a little brighter.
Your new cards are lovely!
So wonderful that you have both vaccines.
I would love to be on that ship.
Sending hugs and the best of best wishes to you…
We’d love to see you there . . . kindred spirits unite! xoxo