We finished our wonderful book just this morning! I told you about it . . . Still Life by Sarah Winman ~ we loved every wonderful word of it, it’s ALL about love as all the best books are. All about the pursuit of love. As most of you 
know, Joe and I listen to the same book while we walk (one iPhone, two ear buds), and this book ended a few hundred yards before the end of our walk so while we were sighing and sad our book had ended, I said to my phone “Play some Italian MUSICA” and it did and we listened to this all the way home. You HAVE to either read or listen to this book. It’s too wonderful! Valentine #1 to you from me with love.🌷 La Festa di San Valentino began in Italy!💘💞 Perfetto! And so we turn to the real reason we are here . . .
In the 1950s, where I grew up in California, Spring began on Valentine’s Day.💝 The lupin and California poppies were in bloom, the roses were budding, days were warmer, winter was over, afternoons were spent roller skating, and on Valentine’s Day we went to school with a fist full of Valentines like these, carefully signed on the back in pencil “To Janice from Sue.” Nothing too flowery. We were just little kids. “To Pete W. from Sue S.“
The small die-cut Valentines came in cellophane-covered boxes we bought at the dime store, twenty-four assorted valentines for 99¢ so we could give one to every friend in our class, and one for the teacher. One of my favorite days at school. How could we NOT 
love school ~ we made Valentines for our mothers ~ in our starched dresses, that hot-iron fragrance still lingering on peter pan collars, essence of Mother and home, our saddle shoes and mary janes skipping carefully over the cracks in the sidewalk as we walked to school together. Another sunshiny day in
The month of love
But in New England, Valentine’s Day arrives in the dead of winter. That came as kind of a shock when I first moved here. Snow on Valentine’s Day seemed so strange. But the middle of February is NOT spring here on the island. It’s very often wet, one way or the other. Never are flowers and a celebration of love more appreciated. And in that frame of mind, my darling Valentine’s, I made you something! Guess what it is?
Yup, Valentines! You are so smart!
Two of them! With an envelope! Aren’t they cute? They stand up! With little hearts and flowers on them! And they aren’t just for 
Valentine’s Day… inside they are blank! You can say anything because flowers and love are everything!❣️ They’re free, your only job is to print them out on card stock (use lighter paper for the envelope), fold them, (I hope you’re enjoying being in Italy while we talk!) cut them out just inside the lines, and write something pretty inside. You get them here: the I LOVE YOU CARD, the FLOWERS CARD, & ENVELOPE. And if you’d like to get cardstock that will go through your printer (80 lb for the cards), they have it HERE! (They have it everywhere, just Google “cardstock.”) I hope you love them!
So, little February is jam-packed with love in more ways than one for me and Joe!💓 Monday, February 6th was the 36th Anniversary of our first date! We find that as the years go by we want to celebrate MORE!💃🏼 No romantic restaurants with cozy dark Italian bars are open for dinner on a Monday night in February on Martha’s Vineyard, we tried to find something ~ we finally gave up, and decided we like LUNCH just as much! And, because apparently no one goes to lunch on Mondays, we had the place to ourselves and chose the darkest corner table. Which wasn’t very dark. And no Dean Martin . . . No Arrivederci Roma . . . we had to rough it.💖💕💖
We brought along this shoe box filled with our old photos. We thought it would be fun to eat and talk about the places we’ve been together. We’ve never done this before, taken photos to lunch, but I highly recommend it! Good thing no one was there, the 
memories were bouncing off the walls! I had an ice-cold Cosmopolitan, Joe had a day-glo Aperol Spritz, we shared a great big Caesar salad, and this restaurant has an open-fire pizza oven and makes the best thin-crust pizza EVER, so we split a pizza too, molto bene, and then split a piece of Lemon Cake with lots of whipped cream. Bellissimo! So it was perfect! Want to see some of the pictures? One by one, out of the box they came. The most used word of the day was . . . “Remember?”
So, as a little bit of background for you who don’t know unless you’ve read my book A Fine Romance, before I met Joe, I was living alone in my house called Holly Oak, minding my own business . . . and fairly truly through with men (I thought), it hadn’t been working out❤️🩹 I was a little wounded . . . and happy enough . . . I kinda had it all . . .
sleeping with my three darling kitties. . .😻😻😻
Kitties, always true blue and trustworthy. So, here we go, pop into the way-back machine, let’s go even further back, to 1982 … In a nutshell, after a shocking (to me) divorce, followed by an unplanned cross-country move, accidentally buying a little house on an 
ISLAND where they had this thing called winter, followed by a few years of flailing, learning, figuring things out, then writing my first book, quite a few forays into the weird world of dating (in those days we actually had to GO with the person, there was no 
looking anyone over online, no police reports or dating reviews ~ we were on our own). A bit distrustful, and nearing 40, I thought that “alone” was probably the way I was going to stay. I was fine with it. They told us back then then we had a better chance of being kidnapped by terrorists than falling in love after 40 which seemed about right to me. (Now I laugh! 40 is only the beginning!!!) I loved my little house, my kitties, and this beautiful island separated from the real world by a big blue moat, ringing with church bells, the smell of salt in the air, little white farmhouses, shingled cottages . . . but even after all that good stuff, I still had a bit of an attitude. “Too Mean to Marry” ~ was the t-shirt I wore to the supermarket. I was definitely NOT going to fall in love again.
Then one day . . . almost exactly 36 years ago . . .
This guy showed up! Too handsome, I told myself, and too young. But he persisted and I forgave him. We put the camera on the staircase, set the timer, ran back into position, and took our first selfie together ~ at Holly Oak, all dressed up to go to a dance 36 years ago, in one of our first public appearances as a couple.👀 Seems like just yesterday.🥰
Mi sono innamorato di te.💕❤️💕❤️💕
So, I digress, back to our lunch ~ there we were tucked into our corner, all settled in to celebrate our anniversary, and into the photo box we dove, pulling out picture after picture . . . 
Here I am on the boat on our way home from our first date in Boston . . . bewitched, bothered, but mostly bewildered, had no idea if he would “follow me to my house,” despite assurances by Doris Day that this was the way things go … nor was I sure I wanted him to!
But, slowly, as you can see, Joe revealed his adorable self to me. 
My first Valentine from Joe came when my mom was visiting . . . (I pulled this card from the photo box and we said awwwwww . . .) 
By Christmas, I knew . . .
Maybe it was the hat . . .
Or that we fit together like two pieces of a puzzle.
I could now thank all the things in my life, even the hard ones, even the lonely ones, even the ones I wanted to hide in the bushes and wait for so I could scare the peewaddin’ out of them ~ now I could be grateful for all of it, to everything that lead me here. It took a while, but I had come from a long, long way.💝
Worth every step of the journey to find this guy at the end of the rainbow. Such a surprise.
Isn’t his hat cute? I like that little tail. No guys in California wore hats like this! He was an original!
Joe’s 40th birthday was a luau … in our back yard under a tent! Aloha-ha!
It must be love when you still like each other after putting together a yard sale!
Whatever I do, he wants to do, “Where are you going today?” says Pooh: “Well, that’s very odd ‘cos I was too. Let’s go together,” says Pooh, says he.” 💕 A.A. Milne
My first selfie with a cell phone, we were in a field in England, I needed four tries! Not quite realizing yet it was all in the arm, as in how long is your arm.
I had a hard time getting my face in it! Look at him, all calm and collected… (When I tell him I’m writing about him, he always says the same thing, “Make me look thin.”🥰)
I blamed my glasses for getting in the way.🤓
Fourth time was a charm…
How we love sailing across the Atlantic.
In 2001 we became Auntie Mame and took our two nieces, Holly 12 and Heidi 11 on the Queen Elizabeth 2 to England and France for the joy-trip of our lives. We started planning when they were around 7. Worth every fun second of it. A true-life adventure for all of us! And proof that . . .
How could we not high-five after climbing this hill and discovering this amazing view of the green and pleasant land we’ve come to love . . .
Could never have done it without Map Man . . . It took a very small village: him + me = we can do this!
The British supermarket, no matter what part of the country we are in, is so fun. Perusing unfamiliar goods, commenting, laughing, questioning, figuring out … I love milk, I always have, the first time we went to a market in England, I found “Breakfast Milk.” The name was all I needed. Actually tasted just like milk, but BREAKFAST milk, just HAS to be better! I think you will understand if you say it three times in a row!🤣
But if I’d ever leave youIt couldn’t be in autumnHow I’d leave in autumnI never will know ~I’ve seen how you sparkleWhen fall nips the airI know you in autumnAnd I must be there 🍂🍁🍂
Good way to give cards, just show it to her in the store! Make her cry!
If ever I would leave youIt wouldn’t be in summerSeeing you in summerI never could go.🤩
And could I leave youRunning merrily through the snow?Or on a wintry eveningWhen you catch the fire’s glow?
NO Way!
Remember the day Joe came into my studio to show me that while he was busy on his computer, his tea bag had wrapped itself around his glasses and flipped out of his cup without him noticing? And lived there for a while, swinging back and forth? I wrote a whole post about it. He made my day with that one!
I still laugh.
Thank goodness I discovered I didn’t like to fly, otherwise I never would have discovered how much I LOVE the train. 
Another Valentine’s Day, and a horse-drawn sleigh ride in the snow.
He’s in Wales and I’m in England, but as always, we’re together!
If ever I would leave youHow could it be in springtime?Knowing how in spring I’m bewitched by you so?Oh, no! Not in springtime!Summer, winter or fall!No, never could I leave you at all!🌷
Up in Maine. Not leaving him here either.
“The world is full of happy people but no one ever hears of them. You have to fight and make a scandal to get in the papers. No one knows about all the happy people.”💖 💖 💖 Gene Stratton-Porter
Well, that’s enough of that! You get the idea. Very difficult to 
cover 36 years of collective camera mania in only one lunch! We’ve had 36 Christmases just for starters! And 36 Summers! 36 years of kitty loving. Plus, we left our shadows on all those walks to the sea on a dirt road 
through the woods that we plan to haunt one day. Altogether we’ve had 13,140 sunrises and sunsets, over 432 full moons, and all the good ones are in my photos. And despite all this focus on memorable photos, can you believe it? I FORGOT to ask the waitress to take our picture at lunch!🤣 I only remembered as we were leaving…
Downstairs, there was this decorative door at the entrance with mirrors in it . . . caught a quick glimpse of ourselves and suddenly remembered! So we took our 36th anniversary pictures here! I could barely get my head into this selfie, we’re both standing on our toes!
At least we got a picture! And it’s not like we are lacking in recorded history! My favorite thing about being 75, about aging is being able to look back and see how it all came together. Much of my youth I worried, not knowing that things would all work out with the magic ingredients of time, determination, and a lot of luck. Remember that if you are in your twenties or thirties and uncertain. It’s normal. I fretted the entire time. But try not to worry, it’s all going to be okay. Pray to God, continue to row toward shore, and . . .
Life is short . . . But it’s never too late for you to make it exactly the way you want it. Start small. Put a flower in a vase and on your window sill. Wasn’t that easy? Isn’t it pretty? See what I mean? You just made your life a little better. That’s how it works. You are in charge.💖 
And to top off a perfect day, waiting for us on the porch when we 
got home from our Anniversary lunch was a box with THIS in it! I unwrapped Joe first, recognized him immediately ~ the beret! They were made by darling friend and Valentine Elf, Karen Courtney! Look at the details, my glasses, our ears (squee!), Joe’s hat, my dress, JACK with his green eyes. . . what a great job!
Even my book! My sister has already tried to steal them from me!
So what else do kindred spirits need at this time of year?💝 Oh yes, decorating! Spring (ish) is such a good time for that!
And a few romantic recipes . . . 
If any of these recipes sounds good to you, just click ON THIS, and then put your cursor on the recipe you like, and click! Voila!😋
But, most important of all . . . be sure to 
You deserve a chocolate mint coffee, a champagne cocktail, some flowers, and a hug . . . and can give it ALL to yourself, you can take your book to lunch, and later, you can have a long bubble bath! And if you can’t do it on Tuesday, do it on Wednesday! You can have a red letter day!
See you next time! ❌⭕️❌⭕️💃🏼💃🏼💃🏼💃🏼💃🏼
I just read your post this morning, Valentine’s Day. Loved every bit. Cried and laughed throughout, all while listening to Dino sing. Such a wonderful idea, taking your photos to lunch and reliving all the special moments you and Joe have shared. I love that idea!
Thank you so much for all your wonderful Willards, your art and quotes (just finished reading Distilled Genius – loved it!). You have a real catch there, with Joe. And he did pretty good too, I’d say! Happy Valentine’s Day!
You are so welcome. Thank you back for being here! xoxoxo
what a heartwarming and love filled post! The photos, the quotes, the love story from beginning to end – precious. May the love continue and grow ….
(I actually met Joe way long ago when he was a chef at a restaurant near the train station in SLO…. was that him??????)
Anywho – cheers to LOVE!
Not sure he was the chef there, but maybe he was for a night or two, he was definitely THERE!!!
Thank you, Susan! You are such a dear, dear person. Your sweet post made me smile, and laugh, and cry. So many reminders about how to live life well. Thank you for sharing it with us. I’m heading off to write down some of your thoughts in my Favorite Quotes notebook…
Thank you for a surprise Willard and such a perfect valentine, so full of happy memories, light, and love. It has warmed my heart and you have inspired me once again. Happy Valentines Day, lovely lady!💗💗
Thanks Susan,
Your post made my eyes moist (with cheer,) you know how to spread happiness!
💕~Diane
Such a lovely post. Happy Valentine’s Day.
Thanks for bringing a smile to my face today. Happy St. Valentine’s Day.
Happy Valentine’s Day Susan and Joe with special smoochy hugs for Jack!
Sad news, my beautiful Cottage cup given to me by Lisa in CA has a huge crack in it and you’re not making them any more 😫
I must say I have enjoyed using it nearly every day, filled to it’s 16oz brimful, with delish Yorkshire tea!! But it leaked the other morning so it has now become an ornament. Looked to see if you are doing any more but it is one of the discontinued cups….
Thank you for a wonderful blog – have missed seeing these and unsure as to why I can’t get the emails from you any more!
Congrats on your anniversary and a lovely lunch celebrating with photos – superb idea.
Love and hugs from
Karen Williams ♥️💕🏴🇬🇧
Northamptonshire
U.K.
Still Life….What a Wonderful book! Perfect for Valentine’s read. Wouldn’t it make a great movie? 🙂
Mucho Love to all,
Debbie, having another beautiful day in Tampa
It would!!! The characters are all so interesting!
!/3/2023 was the 50th anniversary of my divorce. I stayed that way. Some of us just don’t find another one.
I thought I would too . . . all I can say is Happy Anniversary!😘
I refer to it as my Annivorcary! 😉 🤗
Ooops how do you delete? I accidentally hit ‘Post Comment’ a second time
57 years ago my husband and I had our first date on Valentine’s Day. We were seniors!! We got married 5 years later!! Married for 52 years…..where does the time go?? ❤️❤️❤️
Love this post so, so much! Happy ❤️ Day to you and Joe!
What a lovely post, nice surprise this morn. I truly am so happy for you and Joe. It is a very special thing you two have, and “Meant to Be”. You can tell you both know that. Thank you for sharing your beautiful love story. Happy Valentine’s Day.
Susan, what a generous heart you have for sharing your stories, art and photos with us. Thank you for the joy! Anne P.
Thank you for the beautiful post. Means a lot.
Happy Valentine’s Day!♥️♥️♥️
Thank you for this wonderful Willard. Loved it.
Audiobook read suggestion: highly recommend Stanley Tucci’s ‘ Taste, My Life Through Food’! It is wonderful.😊📚
Sending love & hugs!♥️♥️♥️
You just can’t get luckier than finding your OTL (one true love) …your pull-apart, your “I’d rather be with you in a ditch than in a royal palace with someone else!”
Rick and I always say “We’re so lucky- we have rabbits’ feet in our lucky horseshoes, walking over four-leaf clover!” it’s so true- an I can tell it’s the same for you two. 💘💘💘🍀🍀🍀
Sending lots of love your way- today and every day!!!
xxooxx
Gabi
Everything about this blog post makes me feel warm and fuzzy and ready to love again. Thank you, dear Susan. You are just so precious to me.
The crocheted you, Joe and Jack is unreal. Just way beyond adorable. <3
I love that God brought you and Joe together all those years ago. You so deserve someone who adores you, as he so clearly does.
I am bursting with love and appreciation for the two of youuuuuuu!!!
Happy Valentine's Day!!
Such a wonderful Willard! Thanks so much for showing us your story.
Happy Valentine’s Day! I love all of your pictures. And your mention of the cellophane-wrapped boxes gave me a flashback. I wish they still came that way, with the little window to peek at the cards.
How lovely, and Happy Valentine’s Day Susan and Joe – you have made my heart and Being all warm inside! Thank you and many blessings to all ❤️
I, too, love your reminiscences & photos! A blessed & joyous Valentine’s Day to all.
That whole post was such a wonderful love letter. Thank you for sharing! ❤️
This lovely post prompted me to start rereading “Martha’s Vineyard – Isle of Dreams”. Thank you for both. Happy Valentine’s Day!
Thank you so much for this! Enjoyed reading it to my valentine!
So sweet!
I’m sitting here in my computer room, still listening to the Italian music, gazing out my widow with the constant falling snow …, giggling like crazy over the tea bag incident! Too funny and that picture just brought it all to life! Oh how I love a good love story .. sigh! I need to go back and re-read your book Ü. This summer Joel and I will have been married 50 years!! I can hardly believe it .. seems like yesterday. We will be returning home to Oregon and bringing all the kids and grandkids to the area we had our honeymoon and many wonderful family memories. I can hardly wait. Maybe I’ll pen a few stories myself to share with the clan, and we can laugh, cry and be grateful Joel and I found each other way back when and made it thru the good and challenging times – still in love. Thank you Susan for sharing your love story with us and helping us to remember the love we have in our own lives.
Pure blessing Susan! Happy anniversary!💖💖💖
Never give up hope! My husband and I are standing up in a wedding of two very good friends who found each other in their 50’s. They are throwing a big wedding with a jazz band and fireworks and filled with their friends and family because they finally found the right one!
How FUN!!! 💃🏼💃🏼💃🏼
Thank you!
YOU are, daily, a Valentine to the world. Thank you!
💘💘💘
Thank you, Susan. Those are such wonderful thought and I laughed at many of the pictures. Happy Valentine’s Day!
Live, laugh, love.
You my dear are a valentine💖💖💖💖I don’t know how many times when I’ve needed a cheerup there you are, in my home with my adored kitty and corgi cups, in all your books and recipes. I just adore you an even though we are almost the same age you are my mentor of happiness. I wish you Many more years of togetherness for you and Joe.
Thank you Paula!!! ❌⭕️
Happy Valentine’s Day….so sweet, love the memories, love you shared with us…Thank you! XO
Oh, just lovely. Perfect. ❤🥰
Your post brought romance to Valentine’s Day. It’s nice to see photos across the years and the love of the two people pictured therein. I especially enjoyed the Music. I used to dance to those songs in college. Thank you bringing back some happy memories.
😘😘😘
Best Willard ever!! Can’t get enough of the beautiful way you put things♡ Happy Valentine’s Day!♡♡
Belissima dear Amy! ❌⭕️❌⭕️
Happy Valentine’s Day to you both. I just love when I see you’ve dropped a new post, it’s “my place”. Here is where I found the joy of reading words of a kindred spirit, viewing beautiful pictures of gorgeous, wonderful life treasures and loving every little drip off your paint brush! You’ve always been a true inspiration to me but more than just your talent, you’re ability to live life so warmly. You’re a soft place to land, a true friend to all and a sweet dear soul. Happy Anniversary!!
Oh Ginette, how beautiful . . . I remind me very much of you! I always felt I wasn’t just writing my own life.❌⭕️❌⭕️
Such a wonderful blog post. You and Joe are the cutest couple and sure know how to have fun. Me and my sweetie have been together almost 55 years although we have known each other since our pre-teens. We love to travel, too, and love being together as much as possible. I saw a quote from Gene Stratton Porter who wrote the Limberlost books that my mother loved. On one of your trips across the country you should make a detour to Geneva, IN and see Mrs. Porter’s house with her indoor room where the animals could come in and be watched through glass windows. Love you both. Happy Valentine’s Day now and forever.
“Now and forever,” Kate, thank you! xoxoxo
What a lovely and fun post for Valentines Day!❤️❤️❤️
What a joyful Valentine’s Day post. Thank you for sharing all the wonderful pictures. I so look forward to getting Willard posts. I feel I have been blessed to have met both of you in person.
Of all the blogs throughout all of the years… THIS ONE is my favorite!
Like you, I’ve had over 35 wonderful, challenging, fun, loving (and just gone by too fast) amazing years with my now husband!
Our story is a bit of a fairy tale too… We’re “oldie-weds” who have shared our lives for three decades, and decided to marry in 2022! It was the pandemic that did it… we both realized that we could not live without each other, and no matter what, would stick through thick and thin together.
I loved your journey captured here, and wish you so much more of it together.
HAPPY VALENTINE’S DAY!
Same with Joe and I, came to the conclusion this thing might last forever! Blessed! Gotta celebrate!💃🏼😘😘😘
Happy Valentines day love is a many splendid thing.My Lew and I are married 38 years,and I love our life together, two peas in a pod.God bless you and Joe,happy ever after does happen.Mary Elizabeth
Just like forever, reading these comments is a reminder that despite the news, LOVE is everywhere! Thank God for the normal people!🤣
Happy Valentine’s Day! Thank you for this post. My valentine is my little old dog, Tai. We are made for each other! Looking at some of the pictures from your shoe box, I remember some of the incidents, mainly from your books. The picture of you and Joe with your tennis rackets reminded me of Annie Hall. I also seem to remember Joe “wearing” his tea bag several years ago. It feels like I have shared in some of this fun, because you are so generous in sharing with us. Thank you for that! Warmly, Ann
Love is love is love, Ann!😘
Love this blog! Your Ode to Joe and yourself is so lovely! I enjoyed the read! My hubby and I have 46 years together, will be 47 in May.
I know how you love to read/listen to books and love libraries. I want to share this with you. Maybe next time on your coast to coast travels?!
Happy Valentine’s Day to you both and Jack!!
facebook.com/groups/ohioroadtrips/permalink/3447521438867283/
Happy Valentine’s Day to the Lovebirds! Your love story is so inspiring and the best part is the joy and delight in the simple things. Your daily nature walks, painting the kitchen, your feet as you sit in a meadow or at the ocean. Soulmates! What a blessing.
Hooray for you both and the love you keep going, one day at a time, yes?
Thank you for sharing your joy and love for life (and Joe) in this post. You bless my heart with the pictures you paint with words and watercolors! Happy days and good health to you and your Valentine.
What a gift you are to those of us lucky enough to have found you and Willard!❤️
I am a new 76 and have been married to my college sweetheart for 53 years! I have loved reading and owning all your books -you have your very own shelf on the bookshelf next to my bed, and I especially love your cookbooks!
My husband John and I also love England the The British Isles, and especially love English tea parties and pub food. Thank you for your wonderful Willard, your books, and Y❤️U!
Love, Katha
Thank you right back Katha! Kindred spirits!💝
Sigh… this is so romantic and beautiful and uplifting and happy and yummy… and all good things! Did you choose the name of your book from the Valentine years ago from your mama (A Fine Romance?) Meant to be!… I love the love you and Joe share … he’s such a cutie pie and such a good sport about things! (teabag!)… I too said I’d never marry again after my first marriage (I was waayyy too young to marry back then!)… then along came my “Joe” actually his name is Jack and we too share A Fine Romance after 46 years! Thank you for sharing so many precious photos and memories… Happy Anniversary! Love you!… xoxo Julie Marie
I chose A Fine Romance first because it’s my favorite song . . . and then because Joe and I were a Fine Romance, and then we had a Fine Romance with England… it just seemed fitting!❤️ Lovely Julie Marie!
Thank you! We need more celebrations in life.
My husband and I met on a blind date and married 8 months later. That wedding was 54 years ago this coming July. When it’s right, you know it! We’re celebrating with a trip to England, Wales, and Cornwall in April.
Happy (late) Valentine’s Day to you and Joe! Thank you for the cards.
Look at YOU!💖💖💖💖How wonderful! And what a perfect way to celebrate! I just love the stories of love!❌⭕️❌
I loved going back in time with you, Susan. I relate so to you as I was also born in April 1947.
I remember the 50s, the Valentines, the roller skates. Like you, I found my dreams crushed when I was in my 30s and found myself divorced. But like you I also determined to be happy single and then met the man of my dreams. We were married in February 41 years ago. Everything works out is my motto, too. Much love to you and Joe for brightening this cold, gray day here in Utah where it’s still winter. ❤️
Love you, Eileen
I look back at my 30s thinking how the art I do is just like the life I’ve lived. When I want to write a book, it’s HUGE in my imagination ~ I have to somehow bring it together ~ I have to think about it, then sweep those thoughts together into a wild unruly, disconnected pile, and then arrange them by subject and colors, and as time goes on, the pile begins takes shape ~ and that’s what happens in your 30s. It’s still a pile, nowhere near done, but getting to be recognizable as organized, and then 40s, 50s, 60s, each decade tightens it up as the details fill in . . . I think it’s so lucky when a person marries in their 20s and 30s and it lasts forever! Actually, lucky at any age!!! 💖💖💖
Wow! This is the best description of how a writer/artist works that I’ve seen.
Thank you, Dear Lady.
Mucho Love,
Debbie in Tampa
Happy Valentines Day Celebration to one of the dearest couples I’ve ever come across (well, read about). PS… I discovered your actual home a few years back as my husband and I were driving out of town (VH).. I saw paper hearts in a window and said… That must be Susan Branch’s home! And indeed, it was 🙂 Made my day.. Kinda like when I drove past Stillmeadow… very much on purpose. I said hello to Gladys and Eleanor that day and hoped that in some way, they know how much they are still beloved by so many.
I think they do.💖 Yes, you can’t just accidentally drive by Stillmeadow!!!😂 ❌⭕️
You are both just the cutest and sweetest, Sue and Joe, and it is such a joy to know that you found one another. ❤️🥰❤️
Happy day to both of you darling people! I love reading about lovely folks who find each other and live happily ever after, and thank you for sharing your delightful stories with us through your books and blog. This was just what I needed to read today.
Happy Valentine’s Day and Happy Anniversary, Sue! I enjoyed reading your “Fine Romance” love story again in this post. You were truly meant for each other!
I am also enjoying my autographed Distilled Genius quote book very much. It was so nice to meet you and Joe at the Littleton Tattered Cover bookstore. It is snowing hard here today so it’s nice to be warm and cozy inside and I have the beginnings of a hearty soup on my stove. Life is good! Enjoy!!
Stay warm Pat!
This one really touched my heart! What a wonderful and romantic journey you two have had! It really encourages me to do more, to be more and to love more! My husband is a romantic and it really has made our 17 years together special – and able to endure a few rough spots. Happy Valentine’s Day to you and Joe. I’ve so enjoyed all your books and blogs.
I wrote it for us, but I wrote it for younger people too . . . in this crazy world they need to know that some things do last forever! Thank you Carolyn!💖
Thank you for the book recommendation! It was a wonderful story and now I want to travel to Italy! I miss the characters so much now that I am done!
I know exactly how you feel! ❌⭕️
Awe Susan….my husband and I celebrated our 40th anniversary on 2/5!!! Many, many more blessings to you and Joe💘 God Bless!
Lucky us!💕
I think I smiled through your entire Willard. Such sweet reminiscing with you and Joe. I knew your story from your books, but greatly enjoyed reading some of it here. And I loved the knitted Susan, Joe and kitty!
You inspired me to read Still Life, so I downloaded it to my e-reader. Looking forward to reading a book you recommended so much!
Can’t wait to hear what you think! I read that the author didn’t use quotation marks for the dialogue … I listened to it so it didn’t matter, but I’ve read on Amazon some people found that part difficult. Probably take a little getting used to. xoxo
Hi Susan,
Oh wow, what a LOVELY Valentine surprise!! I didn’t get a notice you had written a post, so “just”clicked and there it was, YEAH!! Happy anniversary to you both and happy Valentine’s day to you too!
I loved seeing those fun photo;s of your memory box. Great idea to put them in a box and take them to lunch! I have pictures in book, and envelopes that are in
all different drawers, but a box is better,,,,
I also remember those 99ct packages of sweet cards from the 60’s, oh my, that was such fun, writing them for the kids and teacher in the class…good memories, huh!
Do I see a card hanging by your window, made by darling Rachel? I’m just thrilled for her that you put it up still….
Happy Valentine’s day, hope the sun will come out for you! Snowdrops are popping up here, so spring is on the way, yeay!!
Lots of love
Nicoline
xxx
YAY! Yes, Nicoline! Good eye, from Rachel! Such a special thing, she is amazing! Thank you! Love you! xoxo
Love your blog! Have been a fan of you since coming across your first book at Borders.
It was different than all the other cookbooks and I was smitten. I’m so inspired by your walks
Listening to Audible, can you recommend 1 or 2 books that are you and Joes favorites.
I would like to request a good list of books from Audible. Love you ❤️
Yes, we loved The Dictionary of Lost Words by Pip Williams. Also A Gentleman in Moscow is fantastic. If you’ve never read it, I can’t say enough about the charm of Wind in the Willows by Kenneth Grahame. Also great, West with the Night by Beryl Markham. And one more, The Mayflower by Nathaniel Philbrick.
Ooooo, Yes! West With the Night. Amazing Woman.
Oh, thank you, Susan❣️ Definitely needed this “little” pick me up today 🥰 Thank you for the Valentines, too❣️❣️Lovely.
Hi Susan,
Oh wow, what a LOVELY Valentine surprise!! I didn’t get a notice you had written a post, so “just”clicked and there it was, YEAH!! Happy anniversary to you both and happy Valentine’s day to you too!
I loved seeing those fun photo;s of your memory box. Great idea to put them in a box and take them to lunch! I have pictures in book, and envelopes that are in
all different drawers, but a box is better,,,,
I also remember those 99ct packages of sweet cards from the 60’s, oh my, that was such fun, writing them for the kids and teacher in the class…good memories, huh!
Do I see a card hanging by your window, made by darling Rachel? I’m just thrilled for her that you put it up still….
Happy Valentine’s day, hope the sun will come out for you! Snowdrops are popping up here, so spring is on the way, yeay!!
Lots of love
Nicoline
xxx
Machine acting up again. I just answered you Nicoline, yet here you are as if I haven’t, so in case you get this twice, you’ll know why!! Lovely to hear from you, and YES, you have a very sharp eye, that IS a valentine from Rachel!!! I just love it, squealed when I opened it. Hope you and yours are doing well, yes, spring is in the air!🌷🌷🌷🌷🌷hooray!
You crack me up every time you say “squee”. Your whole post brings JOY. My beloved husband wears a red ski coat and I LOVE when he skis ahead of me in the woods… He looks like a cardinal! He looks like my Valentine!
I just finished The Dictionary of Lost Words and loved it. West With the Night has been one of my favorites since my Dad recommended it to me decades ago; He was always right about things:) Try, Paris In The Present Tense by Mark Helprin….Luminous! And I just read Horse which is equally luminous and heart breaking. I ordered Still Life from the little bookstore in our town; hope it gets here before our trip to Deer Valley!
Do I sense that your next trip to England will include a ferry and train ride to Italy?!!! Thanks for the BEST Life messages. I share your thoughts with 23 yr old Anna, aka snow fake girl… She is working from our home remotely and longs to be with people… I’m so excited to see all the pieces fall into place for this dearest soul:)
“Squee” is not my usual word M.O., but it is so expressive, sometimes I have no choice! Joe is reading Horse right now. I haven’t read it, I’m worried they hurt the horse! ❌⭕️
The Around the house list! It reminds me of Alexandra Stoddard’s books and newsletters. You both keep me focused on the little things “worth living for” – love your cottage artwork full of words listing these! I bought the print of it today! Plus a bunch of goodies which will be very therapeutic as I recover from a fractured leg. Thanks for the fantastic blog celebrating your relationship. It helped me remember good times that have happened in mine. (Married in 1985.)
Jen, I met my husband Tom in 1985, we married and have been together now for all of those wonderful years. Hope your fracture heals quickly.
Did you trip or slip on ice? I’ve tripped so many times in recent years.. I’m 77… that I’m doing a routine to teach my brain to lift my feet. Have broken both feet and double fractured my nose in recent years, not all at once!!
Love seeing your photos over the years, you can really feel the love! Happy belated anniversary and Valentine’s Day! Sending you love from Oregon!
This is just so precious, I enjoyed every word. You are such an inspiration! Blessings to you and Joe…………
Love this Love Letter to everyone! Your posts just make the day ever so much kinder. Being born and raised in CA, you reminded me of our Valentine’s Day springtime! This year, here in North Carolina, we are having that kind of weather too. No snow!! Trees are blooming 5 weeks early!! What to do….just enjoy it!
Us too, everything coming out a month early!!! 🤪🌷🌷🌷
Gosh, I loved reading this post! Especially the bit at the end about not worrying so much. I needed that, Susan! Thank you!
PS- I sent you an email a couple of days ago and I’m crossing my fingers it found you! 🙂
Inquiring mind has a question about printers and card stock: I have ‘gone through’ 3 name brand printers in the last 3 years! 3! I use card stock (a lot) to print SB bookmarks and other ‘keepsake printables’ from SB. I love the bookmarks and use them for myself and friends.
While purchasing printer #4 recently, I asked the staff about the high replacement rate. The problem with every printer needing replacement was the feeder tray/rollers…and could not be repaired. He gave me ‘the look’ when I mentioned the card stock! The culprit was identified!
Has anyone else been confronted with this issue? Any suggestions?
Can you get a printer that accepts card stock, both of ours do . . . I’m sorry, I thought they all did! Ours are Canons.
It’s been a while since I’ve said “hi”! Life just about carried me away and recently when your Willards come, they run on and on, with no place to make comments at the end. Huh? Wonder what that’s all about? Anyway, finally found the spot to say “Hi I’m loving your wonderful, uplifting, homey blog/newsletter!” But mainly I wanted to say, Happy Anniversary! With the warmest of blessings to you both, your friend, Ginny (Evans).
So happy you found it! They don’t make it easy!❤️
Susan—thank you so much for your beautiful Willard! Touched my heart! I’m celebrating 62 years with my high school sweetheart! Hugs to you and Joe!!, Sandi 🙂
Hello Susan!
Thank you for this, once again, hug of a blog post.
Your words continue to act as a balm for what hurts, and I am so grateful that you share your experiences, in all their ups and downs, with all of us.
I don’t know if you realize, but I was one of the fortunate ones to see your talk at Apple Farm in SLO in 2018 and get the hand-bound chapter of Enchanted, and I cherish it. Sending you, Joe, Jack, and all the girlfriends and boyfriends on here a warm hug. We just started our February vacation, so I have an entire week off from teaching, and my partner and I definitely need it as teaching has taken a turn for the most weird and difficult in these recent years.
My teaching partner and I left school as soon as possible on Friday and ventured to Carmel by the Sea for lunch, shopping, and unwinding. Good way to start the break. And now I have Fiberuary on Instagram to keep me creative and motivated. If you haven’t heard of it, check it out. It’s a lovely month-long series of prompts fiber people post, and quite inspirational. Lots of cozy knitting, crochet, sewing, spinning, and felting!
Happy Valentine’s Day!
I will Susan! Love all those delightful things! Happy Spring, stay dry!!!
Susan, from a long retired teacher, I Know what you mean. We live, and I taught here in Florida. My roomie at college and her daughter, both Kindergarten teachers. Also, my darling step daughter has been teaching Kindergarten here for over 30 years. So when you watch or read what’s happening here in “InSantis” land, think….it could be worse where you live. The book police are actually prowling the classrooms here, as InSantis says it will be a felony to have the books or teach the Banned subjects. One man decided all of this. She was the Most enthusiastic and marvelous teacher, and was recognized for that. I think now she and her team mates feel under attack. Many are leaving the profession.
Hope your break was wonderful and things get better for you. And that the rivers of rain don’t harm you.
Debbie in Tampa
You know they want teachers to leave ☹️. . . so they can privatize the schools. Years of demonizing wonderful teachers and schools and denying them the backing they need is taking a terrible toll. Subsiding oil and guns, starving the educational system. Especially hard on the kids. Hard on America because we need the smartest kids to keep us strong! I just hope everyone keeps speaking out.❌⭕️❌⭕️
Exactly. Sadly the charter schools are just as bad as the private schools in terms of diverting students and funding away from the public schools. If communities rallied and gathered together to help neighborhood schools instead of segregating and pitting them against each other, life would be different. Thank you for continuing to speak out on behalf of teachers and students.
I loved school! I loved my teachers and everything about it. But that was a long long time ago.
Thank you, Debbie. I feel so much sadness and anger about what is happening state wide in Florida and other states headed toward fascism. Sending you and all your teacher friends and students huge hugs. We can’t give up the fight, and I hope the students find ways to read books regardless of their “approval” or not.
You ARE a Valentine to the world!! Thank you for the sharing all things LOVE. Your love story is an inspiration. I have my love story too and it is everything. Laughing and sharing each day, each adventure. It gets better and better all the time.
I cracked up at Joe and his teabag.
Thank you for sharing your JOY.
❌⭕️❌ Love stories are the best!
A perfect post. So glad I saved it as I am currently ill with Covid. 😕 Hopefully all the vaccines and boosters will work! But my husband makes me lovely tea in my blessings and little things mugs. Anyway, your writing and illustrations are so beautiful and calming. Just the balm I need.
I enjoyed seeing you and your husband, albeit at a distance, when you visited SLC last year.
Feel better Janice!💖
Thank you for this beautiful post! I loved reading it and seeing all the lovely pictures of you and Joe. ❤️ You really are a Valentine to the world. This world is a better and happier place because you’re in it. God bless you and Joe and your love! ❤️❤️❤️
Oh Rosinda! How nice to hear that from you . . . living parallel lives for all these years, sharing the world, keeping an eye on mutual joy! Aren’t we lucky! ❌⭕️❌⭕️
First, I had to stop, print and cut out the ADORABLE cards and envelopes! Second, I realized that yesterday was the 44th anniversary of me and my hubby’s first date! (We got busy helping our grown son and his family yesterday, so we forgot to celebrate, but when he gets home tonight, there is a cozy meal and candles waiting!) Love your insights, Susan! Thank you for another great post!
👏👏👏👏
Happy Anniversary Sue and Joe! I absolutely LOVED reading your wonderful blog post and seeing all of the amazing and nostalgic photos. Thanks so much for sharing your love story with all of us! (My husband and I will be celebrating our 33rd anniversary on March 3rd. We met on January 3rd and married on March 3rd – of the same year!!! Everyone thought we were crazy! LOLOLOL!!!)
You showed them!!! How lucky for you both! You knew!!!👏👏👏💘💘💘
Can read all of your text, but see NONE of your pictures!! They are simply not there and the same thing happened last month. I am so disappointed, as I have been following your lovely blog for a long time. Hoping it doesn’t stay this way….
When you have the blog up, try and refreshing it and see if the photos show up… let me know . . .
Leave it up to you to put a great big smile on my face! I so enjoyed reading about your journey…again! How wonderful that you are still able to share your memories and pictures with all of us. What a fabulous idea that you brought your pictures to lunch with you.
Yesterday I got together with an old friend. I haven’t seen her in about six years. It was as if no time at all had passed. However….the waitress came over to the table, apologized for the inconvenience, and said…We have a 75 minute limit per table. You have to leave. Yikes! Good thing we weren’t sharing pictures!
HA! Old friends! How fun!💃🏼❤️
I’m sending this again, because I’m not sure it went through last week:
It’s been a while since I’ve said “hi”! Life just about carried me away and recently when your Willards come, they run on and on, with no place to make comments at the end. Huh? Wonder what that’s all about? Anyway, finally found the spot to say “Hi I’m loving your wonderful, uplifting, homey blog/newsletter!” But mainly I wanted to say, Happy Anniversary! With the warmest of blessings to you both, your friend, Ginny (Evans).
Hi Ginny!! They don’t make it very easy to find the comments do they? 🤣 Thank you so much for the sweet words! ❌⭕️
Oh Susan!! This is your absolute BEST yet! It touched me on every level, and yes I am a Valentine maker and baker and decorator and gift giver, and a daughter of the same, so of course I would love this. But that isn’t all, the story of you and Joe….precious, and so well told and illustrated and photo journaled! I need to reread the trilogy! 💕 Congratulations on 36 years of knowing each other, and 36 years of love for each other…may the blessings continue and your bond grow even stronger!
Thank you Pat! Your true Valentine colors are showing!!!💖
Thank you for telling that beautiful love story❤️🥰
Susan, are you familiar with Quaintly & Company’s Love British Lifestyle? The March Literary Box selection is a Beatrix Potter-themed box, meaning that there will be a number of items in that box relating to Beatrix Potter and her work. You can take a look at their Web page at https://lovebritishlifestyle.com. It’s a subscription-based offering, but you can cancel at any time. Also wanted to send a photo of the Beatrix Potter mini puzzles (of her Peter Rabbit characters), but I don’t think I can do that here. It’s a set of 7 mini puzzles from the New York Puzzle Co.–precious!! And Enchanted Book Club will discuss your Fine Romance book today :). Happy Day!!! Denise
What Fun!!! Thank you so much for your generosity. For giving us so much beauty with your words and your pictures and illustrations! I have a Joe, his name is Randy. Aren’t we the luckiest girls??
We are!💖
And happy surprise for The Enchanted Book Club yesterday as we gathered for a discussion of your Fine Romance book–you joined us!!!!!! Thank you for that beautiful fire in the fireplace, too. We saw Joe adding wood to that fire–thank you for the lovely glow and the fun conversation!!!! Happy day 🙂
Hayley asked me to join you and not tell anyone . . . I asked Joe to join us too, he did, but not for long! Excellent fire-stoker, but shy on camera! Lovely to be together with you all! xoxo
I swear I will never be able to look at the photo of Joe with the teabag wrapped around his glasses without laughing to tears. It makes my day every time.
Me either. It makes me cry laughing! The face he was wearing when he walked into my studio!!! Hilarious!
Just got caught up and enjoyed going down memory lane with you and darling Joe. While you were falling in love in early 1987 my dear late husband Robert and I were celebrating our one year anniversary, creating a cozy home full of Laura Ashley decor, 2 adorable shelter kitties, vases of flowers from our first garden, sweet nights spent playing the piano for my boy while he started a romantic fire. Sweet memories of wonderful times. Hold your dear Joe close and treasure every second of every minute of every hour of every day. Time goes by so fast. 🍃🌹
You know I do Deb, thank you for the heartfelt words. xoxo
Thank you for sharing such a wonderful walk down Memory Lane, Susan, with your special valentine beau, Joe! Such a feel-good post! Always love your spirit, your adventures, and your willingness to share with us. Love to you both, and to Jack , the amazing cat, too! Suzette in Bend, Oregon
By far, this is one of the most delightful posts I’ve ever read. How wonderful to find your soul mate. I’ve had a long and happy life as a divorcee, but now I wish I had found a Joe. I wish you many more happy years to spread the love you share with the rest of us.
It takes a pretty great man to take the place of no man at all!💖
Thinking of you today, Dear Lady. I’m going to be sprucing up my various “shrines”, as a friend called them. Before getting a teaching degree, I did a degree in Commercial Art in the mid-60’s. We did a bit of stage setting for the Drama Department. Maybe that’s why I do it. Anyway, I can be a “little” obsessive with my little things…They must be Just So. I know people who are deep into Minimalism, and I am shedding things at this stage of life, but not my memories. These little groupings are my memories. Most of them are made by fabulous craftsmen and women, or things The Lovely picked up in Asia and Europe when he was in the Coast Guard. Others are things given by friends over the years, such as a little shelf of tiny turtles. Yep! They do collect dust, but I adore washing and handling them, the old brain firing up with those people and places, favorite music setting the stage!!
So glad my neighbor in Maine introduced me to you and all the other kindred spirits.
Mucho Love,
Debbie in Tampa, where it’s starting to feel steamy.
Total keepers! Home, life, dreams, all wrapped into one.💖❤️💖
Loved this Valentine’s Day post—my favorite from all the years I have followed your blog! For some reason I missed it on the 14th and decided to search my emails for Susan Branch, and there you were with a surprise Willard. I enjoyed so much your sweet pictures throughout the years. You and Joe are precious to us, your followers. Love your enthusiasm for life and for sharing it with so many. Have a lovely spring! Everything is beautiful in the Lowcountry of SC. Azaleas are already in full bloom! 🥰🌷💕🌷💕
What a wonderful trip down Memory Lane. You and Joe were meant to be together, it’s just so obvious. The Lord bless you in the coming days and years with the fulness of His love and joy.
Thank you Marigold. We feel that blessing everyday.💖 Here comes spring!
Susan –
Your attitude of gratitude is always so inspiring! Happy spring!
The crocheted dolls are adorable! What wonderful generous friends you have!
I always get those happy tears when I read your messages!
Your adventures in life are so uplifting.
P.S. I think we might be distant D.N.A. cousins!!!
Love it all💕 So witty and creative! I’m in aww
Of the details in your books!!
Hi Susan, what a wonderful sweet Willard letter.
It make’s me feel like there’s gonna be some rainbows here in California real soon
Your happiness and cheeriness is contagious. Reading anything you put out always brightens my day. I was thrilled to meet you in Pasadena last summer,
At your book signing. I am Jennifer’s aunt Susie, it was a pleasure meeting you!
Please put my name in your drawing for your geranium print, the person who wins the drawing is gonna be thrilled to pieces XOXO
I have LOVED reading Distilled Genius, Susan. I read 6 or 7 pages each night and am loving every minute of it. The book is beautiful.