CHRISTMAS ISLAND

HELLO from Christmas Island!!! Look how HAPPY I am!!! That’s because (and not at all discounting my daily dose of delicious anti-anxiety medicine (Lexapro for inquiring minds)) I started after Covid and worry-about-the-world almost did me in 😃, but I digress) ~ I’m happy for many reasons as you will see below, but first, THIS:  my girlfriend Martha’s brilliant husband WROTE a brand new CHRISTMAS SONG.💖 Who DOES that? He’s usually so normal! It’s a totally original song 🎹, and I do believe you are the first audience to hear it! In fact, this is the only place on earth where you can hear it! He let me because we are old friends who live across the street, and when he sang it for us, before he’d even had it professionally recorded, I immediately thought of you!💞 “They’ll love this” I said. He didn’t even try to resist my begging ~ and graciously said, “Of, course, I’ll send it to you! That’s why I wrote it!” 💖💖💖💖💖

Here we go, this is it . . . The Mistletoe Waltz!

Perfect for Jane Austen movies! Right? Can’t you see Mr. Darcy dancing with Elizabeth to this? Molly has a gorgeous voice! It could be in the next Love Actually! Or Mariah Carey could sing it! Kelly Clarkson! Or Taylor Swift, Times Magazine 2020 Person of the Year, who fills our world with happiness and light! This song is like that! Happiness and Light. Good job Ivan!👏

So here we go, from me to you. . . a Willard filled with happiness and light, giving love away, very like A Christmas Carol, doing season past AND season future! Freezing here this morning, had to warm my hands over the toaster! Which of course was a win-win! Toast and warm hands! MAS MUSICA . . .

Our fall here on the island was gorgeous . . . with flaming skies at sunset, church bells rang, wild geese flew over, the wind blew chimney smoke around, leaves curled and turned orange, garnet, and gold, mini murmurations of grackles flew in low black clouds over and around the trees, the Harvest moon shone down with golden light … the freshened Autumn air, as Gladys Taber wrote, was “cool as an old coin teaspoon” …and whipped the leaves up behind the tires of our car. Just as it has been since the beginning of time. Perfection.

 I decorated inside to match the outside. . .

But Nature does it best, inside the house too: Sun and leaves made shadows on the walls that fell differently in the shortening days . . .

Church bells rang the hour across the street . . . Between that and the boat whistle and the early morning blast of lighthouse foghorns, I am reminded constantly of how lucky I am . . .

Joe brought in branches of bright leaves to hang over mirrors . . .

We hung our wreath of leaves on the front door and dried corn on the kitchen door . . .

It’s that time of year when it’s FUN to carry the basket of wet laundry across the crunchy leaves in the fresh air to hang things out to dry in the wind, where a slight fragrance of leaf mulch and woodsmoke spice the airy sea-smell of our sheets. Even a speck of time in nature is good for what ails you ~ it carries forever the hum of ommmmmm in it!🍁 I spent the end of October and the first of November nursing around the house, getting it ready for company. I washed and . . .

…hung things on the line while Jack watched and waited in the kitchen window . . .

My shadow!

He watched while I starched and ironed tablecloths . . .

. . . sprinkled dresser scarves and table runners, curtains and napkins. Sssssss, the smell of hot iron …👏

Joe polished my wand and all his little silver things for his bar. 

Jack helped me fold the starry sheets in his own inimitable way of helping . . . that is, sitting on them, making them his own.

He watched me arrange flowers, make beds, and freshen and make the guest rooms cozy for my people . . .

I stopped off in our room, Jack’s favorite shooting grounds, to shoot rubber bands for him ~ I stand at the door, grab a handful of hairbands, aim, and shoot over the bed, he waits on the workout bench, HIS workout bench, not mine  . . see that rubber band in the air over his head? I do this at least 3 times a day, which is how I know I will be going to heaven. God loves those who take care of his creations.

He also likes me to shoot down from the top of the stairs, in freezing bare feet, when I want to go to bed, while he runs up and down the bottom stairs catching them . . . he catches them, but doesn’t bring them back anymore. That’s my job. He has made that very clear . . .

As it was getting closer to Thanksgiving, and our guests were on their way, I set out bread on the ironing board in the pantry to dry for my grandma’s stuffing; Joe is there choosing bottles of wine… . . . we wanted to make it special . . .

Because we had family coming! And suddenly, hooray, they began to arrive ~ I found I just wanted to LOOK at them!👀 But I was trying very hard not to be scary Aunt Sue!😜 This happy guy is my nephew Matt Stewart . . . you might recognize him because…

. . . in the way-back machine, Matt flew over to join us on our trip to England and Paris with two of my other nieces Holly and Heidi the day after he graduated from high school in Durango, Colorado in 2001! We had these three for six weeks! Best trip ever!

The gang’s all here and out to dinner we went … that’s Becca on the left, Matt’s girlfriend who I had never met, then Joe, then my niece Jessica, my nephew Matt, Cory (Jessica’s husband), Maggie, and Eliza (Jessica and Cory’s daughters), and Eliza’s boyfriend Justin, who I hadn’t met either, but new people at the table are always fun! And I, as a strict Morning Scientist, like to study the younger generation to see what the future will be and talk about it with Joe later. (It’s okay, they never noticed.😁 They think they’re normal.)

We walked out to the water, through the woods, with the smell of decaying leaves … looking for shells and beach glass . . .

Then downtown to tiny La Choza on the corner of Main Street to get the fattest, yummiest, homemade (except in a restaurant), Burritos on earth!

Cory entertained us with hilarious pirate stories of his sailing days. I analyzed, of course, and found them very very good.😱😅😂🤣 Little bits of information, here and there, from every one of those kids make me know the future is in good hands. They are as passionate as we were, but much more motivated and powerful, and ready to take it on. And they have Taylor Swift on their side! (MAS MUSICA … my Grandma’s Favorite)

I’m STILL analyzing this move by the mother of children!😂 What EVER it means (it could be a kind of dancing), it IS cute! After all, MY mother said, “Boss!” when she liked something.🙄 Some of them stayed 4 days, some of them stayed 3 . . . and all of it was wonderful. Matt and Jessie, the children of two of my brothers, Chuck and Jim, both grew up in Durango, Colorado, but because they were five years apart in age, they had never really spent any time together before they all moved away, so this was extra special (for me) just for that reason. I like the cousins to know each other. 💖 And I like to know them! (Have you read the most wonderful “knowing people” book that’s just out, written by David Brooks and appropriately called “How to Know a Person?” SO GOOD, so smart! A great Christmas present! Order it HERE or HERE and make our small Independent Island bookstores crazy with happiness❤️). Oh the power!

Jack found a comfy perch where he could keep his eyes on everything!

Time to make the Stuffing! My grandma’s recipe and HER mom’s, which means that, for Eliza and Maggie, this stuffing I’ve been eating since I was little, came from their great-great-great-grandmother Sarah, born in 1870 in Adel, Iowa! I don’t know where she got the recipe! Probably HER mom!

The recipe is in my Autumn Book . . . we dipped the slices of bread we dried in the pantry in a sinkful of the hottest water we could stand, and squeezed the water out, as you can see above, so you have chunks of bread with finger marks in them.

You keep dipping, squeezing, and tearing into chunks, till you get a bowlful, then add chopped celery and onion that’s been sautéed and softened in lots of butter, salt and pepper, then a whole jar of sage. Mix it well with your ands and voila! That’s all I do to it, I love it simple, just the way my Grandma made it, smothered in turkey gravy ~ and from there I put it right into the turkey … but some people will make this basic recipe and add sausage or oysters, whatever means Thanksgiving to you is what you should do!

Matt knew how to make it and helped me! (BTW, see Matt’s long hair? Both he and Becca grow their hair and donate it to people stricken with cancer. If you have an abundance of hair, and need somewhere to put it . . . here’s how you do it!)

Matt and I have been good partners in the kitchen for a long time!

I made the cranberry sauce and popped it in the oven, and we are STILL eating Christmas Jam on the delicious scones Matt and Becca brought us from Shelley’s Tea Room in Plymouth, MA where they stopped on their way down to the island from Boston! Now I need to GO there! Jam’s so simple:

Maggie, who is 16, peeled the potatoes . . .

Maggie and Eliza have helped me in the kitchen before!💝

This was one of their creations! How did the world survive before cameras? This cookie is still fresh and beautiful! We always wish that time would stand still, and look at this blog full of standing-still moments that will never come again. Thank you camera inventor!

And suddenly it was TIME! Joe’s Beautiful Turkey 2023 was done!

Kids set the table, Joe sliced the turkey, I heated the rolls so the tops were crisp and the insides were soft, and we all carried  the food to the table . . . I did not forget the most delicious French salted butter for the rolls.

Have you tried this yet? OMG it is beyond delicious… everyone LOVES it . . .

And Voila! We did it! Together, we made it happen! My mom would be SOOOOOO happy to see this!!! 💞So fun, I got to be the Grandma and read the words to MY grandma’s favorite hymn of gratitude and celebration…
I wanted, with our togetherness, to honor these people, most of whom our kids have never met. (I’m the little face with the white barrette with Jessica’s dad on my right 😍, you can only see the very top of Matt’s Dad’s head, in his high chair toward the back.😂) That’s my Grandma on the left, and her dad (on her right), Merrill James Orr (he’s the fourth child of seven, father of ten, and my mom’s grandpa) ~ and he’s Maggie and Eliza’s great-great-great grandfather. He was born in 1871 in Stacyville, Iowa. This is the thing I love most about growing older, now I’m the connection between long long ago, and today, and even the future. Merrill’s g-g grandfather was born in 1745 in Plymouth MA, where Joe and I are going for a little Christmas get-away/shopping (and Shelley’s Tea Room) next week. I told the kids that our old house was built in 1849 and how I can hear echoes of stories of the families and their friends that lived here before us, their birthdays, the Christmas trees, tea parties, soups bubbling on the stove, their school days, changes of seasons, children, new babies, pets, and how this was our 34th Thanksgiving in the house, but it was the House’s 164th! The history! I thanked them for helping us add to the house DNA by being there for this one. Our house hugs back and I’m convinced this is the reason why. Doing our best to leave it ringing with memories, for the next people.

Of course, what do you do after Thanksgiving? You find out if you’re taller than your mother! I literally remember when I was finally taller than my mother, and I think it might even happened at Thanksgiving!😊💃🏼

Beautiful Girls ~ Jessica is the daughter of my brother Jim and his wife Kate; and her daughters, my great nieces Liza and Maggie.❤️

Jessica with her mom, Kate.💖Yes, this photo was at least partially staged, that’s why all the smiles . . . because we are a modern people! After dinner we all snuggled into the wood room to watch the wonderful NY stage play production of Hamilton on Disney+! They knew ALL the words, made me so happy, they sang all the way through it.🎵🎶🎵 

All too soon we were at the boat waving goodbye to Jessica and Cory on the ferry, time for the kids to go back to school and for them to go back to work . . .👋💗💗💗

Then it was time for Matt and Becca to go . . . 

Matt told me I would love Becca, and I definitely did! We’re going out to California in January and hope to see them there! 👏 And then, deep breath . . . tick-tock, dastardly clock never stops … it was back to normal . . .🧡

No one took a picture of my cute outfit, so I did. That flannel skirt turns 40 next year! Tip for the day: Always buy skirts with elastic waists.👏 I’ll let you know when I get myself into that buttoned skirt I wore on my first date with Joe! A whole OTHER story!😊

Cruel children left us with this … seriously dangerous . . . after one relatively short fork-frenzy, I cut the rest of the Pumpkin Cheesecake in half, took half up the street to Lowely’s, and the other half over to Martha’s! (Wish I had it this moment!)

Then back to THIS, trying to get Thanksgiving OFF me . . . doing my planks. Which I started a few months ago by doing one plank and holding it for 3 seconds.🤪 Now I have worked up to doing three, holding each for 50 seconds. You know what that means… if I can do it, you can.💝 All of Google agrees that if you can only do one exercise, this is the one! And one of the secrets to happiness… and maybe not planks, but there is always something we can do to keep those joy levels going strong. Life has been more than complicated these last years, turns out it’s up to us to MAKE it the way we want it. Turn on the music YOU like, make the cookies YOU adore, have the tea YOU love, if you want green hair, HAVE it … because if mama ain’t happy, ain’t no one happy.🧑‍🎤 And you know, life is short.😘

With a little help from my friend. Then I turned the calendar to So first thing, because the holidays are upon us . . . I want to give you your Full Moons Bookmark for 2024 . . . so you can make your stocking stuffers! 💖 Just click, print it out, and then cut it out.

And then, I mentioned that Joe and I are taking the train to California in January? So excited!! 🚂 We’ll get there around January 15th and stay probably a month (or for as long as it takes), because we’re MOVING our California Studio a LOT closer to where Kellee lives ~ and we’ll be selling the house we’ve owned for 22 years, in Arroyo Grande, just below San Luis Obispo, on the Central Coast.💖 We actually spent most of our time there for the first 10 years of the 2000s … I loved it, despite the double-wide aspect of the house. I didn’t care, while I was there, it was the House of Creativity! It’s where I saw my first bluebird. One year we brought in a bunch of sand and made a beach next to the creek! We made a firepit down there, put a long table under the trees and had Thanksgiving dinner outdoors. My brother played the guitar and we all sang.🍁🍁🍁 

 

THEREFORE… because we think about lightening our moving vans, we’re having a MOVING SALE …. starting now, all December long, until midnight December 31 ~ All my books, the calendars, recipe cards, post cards, art prints, and giclees, are all ON SALE for 20% off! We’ve never done this before, but I promised Kellee we’d make it as easy as possible! We might add more, so check back . . . she’s still figuring out what we have enough of! So we have a lot to do when we get out there!

Sale includes Christmas Memories, Gratitude, Enchanted, Grandma’s Story, ALL my books!

YUP, Home for Christmas too! AND if any of YOU need to make your own little farm in the country on the Central Coast of California on 8 flat acres, completely fitted with an overhead irrigation system that comes from a year-round creek running through the property that comes from Lopez Lake and passes through to the sea, let me know. Everything grows there because it is an ancient river bed. Arroyo Grande means Big Ditch, but now it’s a beautiful wine, artichoke, and avocado producing area in its own micro climate . . . where good weather is even better there. There’s a back road through the wine country to SLO, so I never had to get on the freeway to go there; and the house is about 3 miles from Pismo Beach. Trader Joe’s is about a 6 minute car ride away!

OUR CALIFORNIA PARADISE IS ACTUALLY FOR SALE! 😲 TELL EVERYONE! Because I’d like to sell it to someone who will love it as much as I did.💝

This is how the picket fence garden looked when I lived there all the time! It’s still pretty, but not as flowery without me around.  I will love seeing it cared for again!

Photo by Christopher Gardner. Aug 2004
Susan Branch at her AG home and garden

This is the house from the road . . . The house itself isn’t great . . .  it’s usable, two or three bedrooms, depends on how you look at it, and 2 bathrooms, with its own well. But you’d really want to build a house out back where you could hear the creek running at night ~ that’s what we would have done if I hadn’t gotten so homesick for New England. Very difficult to be in two places at once.

At the end of this hedge that we planted, turn left and you’re at the creek, it winds along that row of trees back there . . . and the property continues a bit on the other side of the creek.

This is the property from the back; the creek is about this same distance behind me . . . A tractor comes with the property!

When we came home from our first garden tour of England we went fairly crazy planning the garden. . .building hedges, a long walk, and garden rooms around the house . . .

I laid it out on paper, and it’s all there along with several out buildings.

Artichokes grow so well there, the best I ever tasted! We grew them behind the garage next to the back wall of it. It was toasty warm and they were ecstatic and prolific as you can see! There are citrus trees, avocado trees, a walnut tree, a plum, fig, apple, and I can’t remember what else.

We planted lots of roses . . . they love this little valley.

Oh yes, we planted tiny Christmas Apple (or Lady apple) trees there too. Because unlike Martha’s Vineyard, things bloom and grow in California year-round. And those that don’t grow well on our Island, like Sweet Peas? One year I had them blooming in California from March to August!!! Oh yeah.🥰

Joe planted corn and all sorts of veggies . . .

The plum tree in springtime ~ it’s a property with SO MUCH potential, everything between farm, winery, estate, wedding venue or garden nursery . . . Although zoning, I have no idea . . .there was a nursery on that road about ½ mile up from us . . . it’s gone now, but there are still wineries and a farmstand. I’m going to love being there for January! I like to walk, 9 times around the property equals 3 miles. It’s not on the market yet … I don’t even know what things are selling for out there, but if you have interest, email [email protected] and we’ll pass your note to our realtor, which we don’t have yet!😜 

I received a sample of our new cup for approval! It looks beautiful! I’m so excited to send it to my people. They should be arriving to the new Studio toward the end of January . . . I love it, I know you will too. I drink my Fine Romance private blend Tea (Earl Grey with lavender), with honey and cream, out of it everyday and looking at this new cup, I celebrate how our country got started. And for a moment in the quiet morning, I treasure the peace we have always felt in this country and promise to do everything I can to make more of it.💖Yes it is! So don’t forget to enjoy the deliciousness of this Holiday Egg Nog. I changed it a bit this year. Love milk so much, I reversed the measurements, and made a much lighter version, now it’s ⅔ c. milk over crushed ice, splash of eggnog (too taste), splash of bourbon, shake of nutmeg. I think it’s better! Just plain YUMMY, and easy! And there’s calcium in it! Now light the fire or the candles, make a toast to peace on earth, and let the daydreaming begin.

It snowed on our walk yesterday, blasted us actually . . . it didn’t stay on the ground, but it was the first one, and it came down pretty hard for a while, coming straight at us and sticking to our eyelashes. Of course we loved it. We were listening to Dickens Pickwick Papers . . . We decided December goes perfectly with Dickens. It’s a really funny book, written more like short stories (it was originally a magazine serial), but in some places it’s VERY hard to understand. The reader is excellent at accents and voices, but some of ye olde 19th century English accents might as well be Hungarian. We need subtitles which Audible does not provide. Because that would be “a book.” Still it’s fun to be in the wind, in 1829 England, and ALSO, at the same time, in the first snow of the season in 2023. When we get home from Plymouth we’re going to listen to A Christmas Carol.

I’m decorating again!

Decorating with all the little things that have become our traditions . . . old books, old music, old friends . . . and with all our years together, you know some of them as well as I do!

Using all the things we have in common, like sparkly things . . .

. . . candles, bunting, and angel chimes . . . things found, and things made . . .

Homemade things and memories 💞

And this . . . 💖💖💖 Big Magic!

Yes, I’m getting ready for Christmas and my Girlfriends Gift Exchange. Probably one of my smallest parties, because as we get older, we have SO MANY beloveds, it would take something miraculous to do it with everyone! And my beloveds includes you! My first gift to you all, wasn’t even mine, it was Ivan’s new song! Want to hear it again?

  I’ve also planned very tiny gift exchange with just one of you. Problem is, I don’t know WHICH one yet❓❓❓So far, it’s a mystery! Your part is to leave a comment, from which we’ll draw names and whichever name I get, I have a present for. Would you like to know what it is? Okay … It’s not this:

But you know how I always love to decorate with quilts? They are so festive and charming and add a bit of coziness, wherever they are,

with their old-fashioned, handmade, historical nature,  . . . I put them in the kitchen (no matter that it doesn’t make sense, they make it cozy and I love the color!), hang them over the backs of chairs . . on quilt racks in the bedrooms, I stack them on the top of the hutch in the living room . . . drape them over sofas . . . . everywhere I can think of . . . because they’re so pretty!

And I’ve painted them into my books …

Since the very beginning . . .

Sharing this thing I love has been easy. I’ve collected vintage quilts pretty much all my life, since my Grandma gave me one my great-Grandma Sarah made and opened my eyes to this gorgeous homemade art of our foremothers, who by the way, could do ANYTHING and wasted nothing . . . and that is why  . . .

Jack and I thought it would be nice to give away one of my beauties to a good home.💝

YOURS! This beautiful quilt is my secret Santa gift to a very special universal YOU 💞 . . .  Just leave a comment (at very bottom of this post there are a bunch of tiny words… at the end you’ll see “comments” ~ click there) to be entered in our drawing, and soon this 64″ x 77″ handmade quilt (there is nothing standard about the sizes of old quilts!) will be winging its way to the lucky winner. Always remember you have a LOT better chance of your name being drawn here than you do with the Lottery and, creme de la creme, we don’t charge for tickets.💞 Another win-win!😃 I’m sorry, but I already know I won’t be able to answer all your comments this time, as you can guess, but believe me, I will read them and make sure they all get entered.💝 Are you signed up to get my Willard Newsletters mailed to your box? This would be a very good time to make sure. Sign-up is at the top left of this page. I’ll announce the winner in the next Willard!

And so Tra La, another Willard, AND another year under our belts my dears . .  Wishing you all, from my heart, the very Merriest of Christmases, Happy Hanukkah, Joyful Kwanzaa, Feliz Navidad, Joyeux Noel, Mele Kalikimaka🌴, Seasons Greetings, and any other thing I might have forgotten,😃 and God Bless us every one.💞

With love from me and Joe! Hoping you 

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2,343 Responses to CHRISTMAS ISLAND

  1. Lacey says:

    Happiness to you both! Thank you for the hope.

  2. amanda says:

    Merry Christmas & Happy New Year To You, Susan & Joe!
    You have such talent and creativity with your words and
    decorating. It beings me such joy to read and look at all the beauty you create.
    Bless You!

  3. Barbara Burr says:

    I also love quilts. I have made several that I use every day.

  4. Cathy L - So Calif says:

    I too, enjoy the look of quilts everywhere. The material makes me feel so cozy. Just piles of material squares in a shop I enter will stop me in my tracks!
    Here’s to quilts!

  5. Ermetta Olson says:

    I wanted to leave a comment even before you mentioned the quilt. I’m always so excited when I see your new WILLARD on my iPad. It’s all the precious things the LORD has made for us…the beauty of the earth….leaves blowing, the beautiful moon at night, the birds flying by, flowers blooming, even in the woods. So much natural beauty for us to enjoy. You enjoy all that and I do too. It is so exciting to me! Thank you for sharing from your heart Susan. A blessed Christmas to you and Joe.
    Ermetta

  6. Cindi Copeland says:

    Oh my goodness, Susan, what a generous gift!
    I have a few old quilts that I’ve inherited from various family members.
    One of them was a gift to my grandparents from one of the churches he served as a pastor. It’s embroidered with the names of all the church members.

  7. Karyn Bokariza says:

    Always love to see your new Willard in my email! Enjoyed it immensely & wonderful you had family for Thanksgiving!
    Christmas love & wishes to you,
    Karyn

  8. Laurie says:

    My husband and I visited Martha’s Vineyard in September to celebrate our 50th wedding anniversary. We walked by your lovely home. How lucky you are to live in such a magical place. Merry Christmas!

  9. Kate Bavelock says:

    May your days be Merry & Bright! Love, love, love Christmas and love, love, love quilts too!

    Kate

  10. P Taylor says:

    Especially love your family Thanksgiving and your Christmas decorations! Merry Christmas!

  11. Renee Cowart says:

    I’m missing my girlfriend Christmas Gathering this evening because weather is foul and I thought driving in dark and rain unwise along with a minor sinus ailment. The good part is I had plenty of time to get under the blanket on the sofa, read Willard, and get a chance to win a quilt. I’m lucky enough though. Scored season 1-6 of Downton Abbey, some plant fertilizer, buttons, a roll of naugahyde, and decorative Christmas Boxes at today’s Estate Sale (all for $13). Merry Christmas!

  12. Zoe Greenwood says:

    Your Willard’s make me smile every time! So warm and cozy and full of love!
    Merry Christmas! Peace on earth, goodwill to men! Love always, Zoe

  13. Rebecca Hejka says:

    Thank you for sharing all your beauty. In art and nature and food and music, and words, you make it all beautiful Sue!

  14. Pat Frazelle says:

    Dear Susan, I enjoy the beauty and joy you bring into our lives. I always save the Willard for a time I can read and savor it, not just do a quick scan. I am a first generation quilter. I am excited for the possibility to treasure this gift quilt that has been a treasure to others. Merry Christmas and Happy New Year to you and Joe!

  15. Katy Rollins says:

    Thank you Susan for sharing your memories. They made me smile and reopened doors from my holidays past. My great grandmother Schwartz who made dress boxes full of cookies and peanut brittle. Grandma Meier finding presents for us in her house. All the generations past whose memories I pass down to the generations coming up. I love those memories. Your gift is sharing your memories and helping each of us open ours

  16. Diane says:

    The Mistletoe Waltz has never floating on air.
    Big thanks to you and yours for the special music,
    and for the quilt giveaway too.
    You are so sweet.

  17. Melissa says:

    You have put me in the Christmas spirit (and given me some ideas for my own decorating!). Wishing you much happiness this holiday season!

  18. Trace Stavros says:

    Oh the joy…just like Christmas is your Willard.
    Boy do I love quilts. My love for them began as a girl waking up safe and warm under one at my Grams house my safe Haven.
    Merry Christmas

  19. Ruth says:

    SO glad to finally see your AG farm! Back in 2004-ish (when you had your shop in town – which we totally were in love with & cried when it closed) my daughter & I actually tried to figure out where it was! We are from northern CA but visited our son there when he was at CalPoly. Thanks for the tour!

  20. Jane Smith says:

    Dear Susan & Joe… A Very Merry Christmas to you both! 🎄 xx Thank you for all the Willard’s ♥️ My heart is full once I have read them over and over, along with your books, they bring so much joy to me, with much love from England X Take Care…. Jane 😍

  21. Gwyn Whelaband says:

    Hello Susan,
    Australia calling! I love your work, always have and I love quilts too! Have a joyous and blessed Christmas, cheers, Gwyn

  22. Stephanie Dickens says:

    This was wonderful and I LOVED seeing the pics of your family visit!

  23. Kim Sutton says:

    What a genuine soul you have, and such a generous gift to someone lucky

  24. Dorothy says:

    I always enjoy Willard newsletters, but this one really affected me. Perhaps I needed a nudge to get me into winter and the Christmas season. The sharing of your photos, descriptions and beautiful family and home (definitely a home, not just a beautiful house), will make me live the moments with my family all the more. Thank you for that!

  25. Tara Gades says:

    I love your Willard’s. They never fail to put a smile on my face. I wish we could give you half the joy you bring to all of us. My mother bought me my very first Susan Branch book, Heart of the Home. My mother is gone now, lost to COVID, but I feel connected to her through you. All your beautiful thoughts and images….they make me smile, and I know my Mom is in heaven smiling down on both you and I. Merry Christmas to you and Joe, and happy, healthy 2024 to you both!

  26. Robin Ludwig says:

    Love reading your Willard every time! Aren’t the holidays just the best? Thank you for the opportunity to win a quilt. I would love that! And Merry Christmas! You are a JoY – BRinGeR!

  27. kat says:

    After decades of working retail and not having the energy to decorate at home after I’d done all the stuff at the stores, I’ve started to decorate in my tiny apartment where I’ll spend the rest of my days. Your decorations bring joy and memories to me. A beautiful quilt would be a wonderful addition to my meagre efforts.

  28. marilyn says:

    Love vintage quilts. They are gorgeous!
    Your blog posts always make me smile. I love that you honored family with such a special Thanksgiving. What a gift you gave them.

  29. Karen Nelson says:

    Happiest of holiday’s to you! The quilts are beautiful!

  30. Cheryl Long says:

    Love Ivan’s new song. Merry Christmas

  31. What a wonderful newsletter! I felt like we were catching up as old friends! Thank you for sharing your life with others. I have loved your cookbooks for ages and they were one of my first because I loved how you included artwork on the pages and wisdom too. Merry Christmas to you and Joe many blessings in 2024!

  32. Dorothy says:

    I’d like to buy some of your books but links to shopping aren’t working. Help!

    • sbranch says:

      Please call Kellee at 805-474-5836 … she’ll help you… we’re switching things around, glitches are occurring, so sorry, but she’s there for you! 💝

  33. Deb says:

    What a very blessed mystery person to receive your special vintage quilt gift! How can you part with it?! I always drool over the vintage quilts in antique shops! It’s beautiful and I would delight to own it!

  34. Martha Cummings says:

    It’s always a Red Letter Day when I get a notice that my Willard has arrived! Thank you, Susan, for your sweet, positive spirit and sharing your light with us. (And, I’m enjoying my Christmas jam, made from my leftover Thanksgiving cranberries mixed with orange marmalade. Delish!)

  35. Kay says:

    What a lovely newsy Willard. I have the quilts my grandmother made out of her many children’s clothes that they outgrew and a couple that my husband’s grandma made. Thank goodness I have a niece because our boys will not be interested in them.

  36. Gerri Ann Olson says:

    Love old quilts, enjoyed your books for years!

  37. Amy Dietz says:

    The quilts are beautiful! Thank you for your newsletters, I always look forward to them!

  38. Norma Gail Rose says:

    Thank you for making another year better for me. I know I have a dear friend in you. Merry Christmas to you and Joe.

  39. Deb Pazdziorny says:

    Merry Christmas and a Happy, Healthy New Year ahead! I love your quilts and your drawings of quilts. I especially love when you hang them in the line in the fresh Vineyard salty air! I was in Martha’s Vineyard recently and drove by your house. The only reason I knew is because you have posted so many pictures over the years it stood out to me immediately. I made my girlfriends drive around the block three times! So beautiful! Didn’t see any quilts on the line though! 🤣

  40. Betty Solomon says:

    Love the quilt! And enjoyed hearing about your family holiday.

  41. Marcia says:

    This latest WILLARD was so heart warming. I loved you and Joe spending Thanksgiving with your family. It’s good to be around the younger set. They can teach us a lot.
    Your quilts are beautiful.
    God Bless you both and have a very Merry Christmas and a great 2024.

  42. Arlene says:

    Thanks for the updates and loved the new song! Merry Christmas 🎄

  43. Nora Rodriguez says:

    Merry Christmas, and hope the New Year brings you much joy!🥰

  44. Tracy Salters says:

    Merry Christmas ! thanks for always spreading peace , joy , and love to the world ❤️✨✌️🙏🏻

  45. Darlene says:

    Your Willard brightens my day every time. I have most all of your books from my pre-kid days and get them out to just peruse and enjoy throughout the year. Always love the artwork and inspiration throughout the different seasons, from Vineyard to Summer to Christmas to Girlfriends and most recent purchase, 2024 Heart of the Home calendar. Can’t wait to savor my new calendar soon! Thank you for your gift of word, art , and inspiration (and recipes) over these many years.

  46. Linda Sniedze Taggart says:

    Dear Susan (and Joe!) Thank you for being so wholeheartedly yourselves! It is inspiring to read all about your lives, homes and all that you share with others, including your readers. I’m always happy after reading a Willard!
    My family has been vacationing on Cape Cod since the 1970s, and that’s the first place I bought an antique quilt many years ago. I would love and cherish a quilt from MV and from YOU!
    Wishing you the merriest of Christmases and a healthy and happy 2024!

  47. Catherine says:

    Love seeing your world…❤️

  48. Judi King says:

    Quilts…A lovely hug wrapping you in warmth and fond memories of family and friends.

    Merry Christmas and Happy Holidays!
    Cheers,
    Judi King

  49. Noelle Sweeney says:

    Would love to win that gorgeous quilt. Love all of your posts but especially Christmas & Thanksgiving

  50. Dolores Ashworth says:

    Thank you for the wonderful gift of your writing. Your stories, your pictures, I love them. Wishing you a most wonderful Christmas and a wonderful trip in January.

  51. Janet Bangs says:

    If I could wish for something special, it would be to have the whimsical happy heart just like yours. You see joy in simple blessings everywhere.

  52. Laura McCarrick says:

    It’s lovely to read about your appreciation of quilts and how you display them in your home. One does not need to “match” a quilt to the colors in a room…each quilt has a story to tell! I have collected vintage quilts…mostly just quilt tops…for years just to give them a home. Happiness and joy to you both!

  53. I have never owned a handmade quilt before–they are lovely works of art to be treasured for sure. I love your news from the island, photos of loved ones and joy and beauty in the world. You inspire and encourage me to shine brightly! much aloha, Teresa

  54. Paige Lillja says:

    I can imagine this fine and lovely quilt airing on an outdoor washing line in the spring after keeping me cozy while reading in my favorite chair through the winter. Thank you Susan

  55. Allison Hale says:

    Oh how I love these newsletters! Thank you for sharing them with all of us. I always come away inspired and feeling all warm and cozy inside 🙂 Merry Christmas to you and Joe. 🎄Now I’m off to light my angel chimes! 👼

  56. Debbie Sisk says:

    The music piece was so gorgeous!

  57. Sandy says:

    Love your blog ! Right now we all need cheer and love !

  58. Joyce St John says:

    Love the new song. Much love and best wishes for a blessed and happy new year.

  59. Arlene SK says:

    Oh how I love reading whatever you write (not to mention your artwork and photographs)! My favorite part was when you said how happy you are to be the link to the past and the future in your family…my husband and sister and I are just that. And instead of “feeling old” I’ll prefer to think of us as those very important links in our family. Thank you!

  60. Susan, this was a wonderful edition of Willard! Thank you! My heart is full seeing you with generations of your family gathered round. You, like, me with no children of our own, are fortunate and blessed with nieces and nephews to warm our own homes, bringing joy and laughter that younger generations do so naturally. One of my nieces has two young daughters and her bother has three boys. The five range from 4th grade to freshman in high school. In recent years my sister’s family (mother of said children) celebrate a family Thanksgiving together at my niece’s home, relieving my sister of hosting this large group. Nice for me because it brings this clan to Austin area! Another niece, sister of the mother of 2 girls and brother, dad of 3 boys, also lives nearby. She doesn’t have children of her own, so she claims these five as I do! Decades ago at her mom’s, Samantha started a tradition of Pie Baking Day, the Wednesday before Thanksgiving. She has continued it at her home now that the Thanksgiving venue has moved to Central Texas. It is my favorite Thanksgiving tradition. Five cousins engaged in making 7 pies, start to finish! It is fun, entertaining, and oh, so heartwarming to see these young people engaged with each other, laughing, working, making beautiful memories together. The older I get, the more I realize how special it is to have generations of cousins in one’s sphere. As you said, sharing the link between the older generation with the present generations is an honor. I have to tell you that this year, there was an added attraction. Elvis, the cutest, cuddly rabbit ever was visiting at my niece’s home. He was the main attraction. I wish I could attach a photo to this comment. He looks much like Jack! He is white with black markings randomly on his ear, face, and body. Elvis is one of a kind!
    Wishing you and Joe a joyful holiday. I know you cherish these days together. I lost my Monnie a year ago, then our sweet Sadie Mercedes in October. Life is not always an easy journey, but living with a heart full of gratitude for the times we shared with those we dearly love helps me get through the days. I wish you and Joe many more years side by side. Merry, Merry, dear friend!

  61. Sharon Aviinger says:

    I love reading your Willards. You pull us right into your home and family. I love quilts, too. Merry Christmas!

  62. Amy Stark says:

    Oh my heart is happy reading this Willard. I still use your sugar cookie recipe, I think of you. Your books bring so much beautiful and fun eye candy into the world. Thank you

  63. I would love love to win this quilt ! I make quilts and collect quilts ! What a dream !

  64. Karen Cafarella says:

    I love quilts as well. Living in AZ it is usually only a few months they can be used. But I love it anyway. Happy Holidays!

  65. Betty Harney says:

    That was an awesome post. All the family love is so inspiring. Thank you.

  66. Darci Houser says:

    Susan, I just love reading your letters! I was really missing hearing what you’re up to. Glad everything is okay. I can’t wait to see that new patriot cup you are working on. We’ll definitely be ordering one! Have a merry Christmas!

  67. Terry Kocher says:

    So much joy and wonder in each edition of Willard. Thank you for the 2024 bookmark! I always print one for myself and one for my bff (penpals since 1965) in North Yorshire.

  68. Jana Johnson says:

    I love quilts! They are so warm and cozy and just make everything better!! I thoroughly enjoyed your blog Susan!! Have a wonderful Christmas season and a prosperous New Year as we start this season of Yule!🌲

  69. Corie Jones says:

    Thank you for the beautiful and cheerful Willard..Christmas will be different this year because my dear Mom passed the other day..but she’d want me to carry on so I am.
    She has passed down some ancient quilts as I also am a collector.
    Happy holidays from my house to yours..❤️

    • sbranch says:

      Blessings Corie … take care of the new hole in your heart. Fill it with memories and soon it will slightly mend, but just enough … you are so right, we live the lives our lost ones no longer can.❌⭕️❌⭕️

  70. Debra Snyder says:

    Merry Christmas Susan, Joe and Jack!! Your Willards bring me such joy!! I loved the new song your friend wrote!! Going to go check out your sale! How exciting!! ❤

  71. Diana Courter says:

    Another heart warming Willard. Thank you for sharing your home and loves with us. Wishing you the Merriest of Christmas full of warmth, love, thankfulness, and memories. ❤️

  72. Cathy Gruyters says:

    Family is everything!

  73. Nancy J Pullen says:

    What a lovely blog post, i was transported. Thank you for always making this corner of the world a place of kindness and beauty.
    P.S. Have you ever read The Comfort of Crows? I think you’d like it.

  74. Kelli Davis says:

    Always get excited to see a new Willard! How special to have family for the holiday! Have a safe trip to California. Merry Christmas!

  75. Pamela Hoerner says:

    What a fun Thanksgiving you had! I am sure everyone enjoyed spending time with you and Joe! It’s nice when the younger ones want to visit and chip in to help with dinner. I would feel honored to be a guest at your table! 🥰.
    I love quilts and all vintage home items. Thanks for sharing yours! Willard always makes me happy when it arrives. You just have such a talent for adding JOY to others lives.
    Enjoy your trip in January and good luck selling your property! It looks like a great place to enjoy the outdoors and all that God offers.
    merry Christmas to you and Joe!🎄

  76. Patricia Butler says:

    What a beautiful post! It’s fun to see your family and all of your beautiful decorations for Fall and Christmas. I love quilts! Both of my parents quilt…especially my Dad. I enjoy putting quilts out when the weather starts getting cold.
    Merry Christmas Susan and Joe!

    Tricia

  77. Janet James says:

    I wish I was your neighbor, a long time follower

  78. Candace McMahan says:

    Susan and Joe, thank you for so generously sharing your lives with us. You make the world better; you make me better. Wishing you a Christmas full of God’s sweetest blessings!

  79. patt withers says:

    WOW! 670 comments already!! You are so loved! So that will make me 671 – ha! My lucky number. Safe travels to California and have a very Merry Christmas and Happy New Year 2024!!

  80. Jeanie Bragin says:

    Best wishes for happy and healthy holidays!
    The picture of Jack on the little cabinet drawer is
    wonderful! I have six gray tabby cats who sit wherever they fit including the tops of cabinets
    They all have nice warm tuffets for cold winter snuggles.
    Thanks for introducing your family to us.

  81. Stacy Stewart says:

    Wishing you, Joe and Jack a very Merry Christmas!! Thank you always for the wonderful Willards and for keeping the magic of everyday life alive!!

  82. Trula Woods says:

    Dear Susan, After reading your “The Fairy Tale Girl” I have been intending to write you and tell just how much we have in common. I, too, am a California girl and grew up in Sunnyvale, California. In the late 50’s, the fruit orchards were replaced with new single family homes where my parents bought their first home. We share so many of the same memories and interests. . .I can’t tell you! After being married 25 years, our small family moved to Maine. I love New England, as well and share your love of old things (especially quilts!), four seasons and so much more. Thank you for all your wonderful writings. Perhaps I will write and we can share some memories. Merry Christmas!

  83. Cindy says:

    Merry Christmas Susan to you and your family! Love reading your posts, I always feel like a welcomed guest and enjoy my visits with you.
    Wishing you a Happy New Year!

  84. Janice Braxton says:

    I have my Grandmother’s 2 quilts displayed on the chairs in my living room. There’s nothing like a homemade quilt. Thank you for sharing! Merry Christmas and Happy Holidays.

  85. Chris Ditzler says:

    So glad to see this Willard. I was getting worried. So many lovely thoughts here and lovely faces. All the best this holiday season and love from our home to yours!

  86. Vicky Ferguson says:

    Thank you for the lovely stories about your holiday gathering! I love to have younger relatives as guests to hear their insights and fresh ideas. Vicky F

  87. Linda Lancastet says:

    A lovely Willard!

  88. Cindy B. says:

    I want to thank you for years of encouraging us….helping us to focus on the natural beauty around us and to create beauty in our homes to feed our souls. My life has been enriched because you have taken the time to share your “triumphs and tragedies”. You ‘re my favorite “friend I’ve never met.”- Be blessed this coming year with a joyful heart and a mind filled with peace.

  89. Marci Glenn says:

    Oh Susan, what a lovely newsletter. Thank you for sharing your day to day life. It is so much fun to come along with you.
    Merry Christmas to you and yours from Portland, Oregon.

  90. cindy figgatt says:

    Joyeux Noel tout le monde!

  91. Jillian says:

    Quilts are art, comforting to the eye and soul, give
    warmth and tell stories! Perfect for collecting! Glad tidings🎄

  92. Faye Hughes says:

    Merry Christmas!
    I enjoy your instragram and your inspiring and heartfelt quotes!
    I love old quilts!

  93. Debi Lankford says:

    Celebrating the joy of the season with you and your ‘family’ of readers! It’s a delight to visit each month, like a letter from home with photos old and new! I tuck a copy of an old photo in each of my Christmas cards to revisit a moment from the past. It strengthens the bonds and reminds us of our heritage. Happy Christmas to All!

  94. Barbara Livdahl says:

    Thank you for the joy you bring to us, Susan. I love quilts! I’ve made a many of them but would love to win this one. 🤞🏻 Merry Christmas to you and Joe!

  95. Debbie M Soelberg says:

    I love learning about your idyllic life and am grateful for this Willard post to see your love for friends, nature, and art! Quilts decorating the house at wintertime cozy up the place. I’ve never considered a kitchen quilt, but draping them on the backs of chairs offers something to wrap up in on chilly mornings sipping hot cocoa. Happy holidays!

  96. Crystal Burns says:

    Merry Christmas to you Susan and Joe. I hope you have a wonderful and Blessed holiday. We have our tree up and decorated and the house as well.Today I started my Christmas cookie baking, shortbreads and chocolate coconut balls. Take care and thanks for a lovely year of your photos and cheerful thoughts.
    Love,
    Crystal

  97. Heidi Casper says:

    Thank you for the warm embrace of your heartfelt words. Safe travels and Merry Christmas!

  98. Suzanne Wigley says:

    So happy always to read my copy of Willard! I have many of your books – love to take then down from the shelf and have a lovely browse! I enjoy seeing your lovely home – the kitchen is my favorite❤️ I, too love quilts and have made them for many years – and hand-quilt them all! What a thrill it would be to have your sweet quilt join with those of my making. Merry Christmas to you and Joe and Jack. Prayers for Peace on Earth 🙏

  99. Robin Dulli says:

    I love your books, your calendars, your Book of Days, your vintage things, Willard—they’re
    Wonderful and cheery and cozy and delightful!!! I wish you the loveliest holiday and a peaceful and joyful new year!

  100. Sheryl Klingbeil says:

    I’m into piecing together (very slowly) my very first quilt. I’ll be thrilled if it stays together a year or two, nothing like the ones you have that have lasted generations. Merry Christmas to you and Joe. ❤

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