Rabbit Rabbit, almost May, welcome to this episode of “Real Life.” Don’t let the title scare you!! Let the MUSICA do it!😢
The question posed to me over and over again this April: Responsibility. What is it and why do we have it? I think if you 
have children, the minute they are born, responsibility kicks in for a lifetime. I don’t know, because I don’t have children and so that ultimate responsibility was never mine. Looking back, I think for the most part I got to pick and choose my responsibilities😸, they didn’t land on me like care of children must inevitably do. Children help you notice the years are going by. I forgot to do that. But sooner or 
later, life tells you you better take responsibility or you’ll be in trouble. Warning lights show up whether we like it or not. That’s when life decisions can no longer be ignored, you find yourself adding up numbers, weighing pros and cons, living in denial as much as possible, suddenly seeing your surroundings in a way you never noticed before, writing a will🤪, and PLANNING for something you have no idea what it is, or when, or how, or even why, because 
you’re secretly only 23, and very busy, and you don’t DO responsibility. But for some unfathomable reason, to fit into rules not of my making, we’re being forced into it. I would prefer to do TODAY, exactly what I did YESTERDAY, forever. Operative word is forever. Where is my dad when I need him, he had all the answers! So ’round and ’round we go, listing pros and cons, meditating on it, clarifying options, and getting a handle on consequences (guessing, because who knows), debating with myself, debating with Joe, seeing truth but fighting the impulse to lie to myself (I know, that always works🙄), crying while out on our walk ~ and then, back home, my eyes fall on the little stove on top of my big stove, something with zero PRACTICAL value besides cuteness, and I think well, if we have to go, I’m taking that.🤜🤛
Still hard to say … But in a nutshell, Joe and I have decided for our old age, it’s best we 
move to our house in California and sell our house on the island. So many reasons, but number one is the one most of us have to wrestle with, our financial situation … this big old house requires constant maintenance, and if we sell it we will have enough money to ensure our security in the future. All the back and forth, all the worry comes down to that. Now that we’ve finally accepted it, we’re trying to take it one day at a time. We’re in good health, and once it’s all done, if we live through it, we’ll see where we are and what our future holds. I’m sad, but excited too. Change like this brings both losses and gains. Living in this big old house has been the BEST thirty-five years! A dream come true, a miracle. And when we go? We take our memories and go to MORE Beauty!!! Don’t be sad for us, it’s life, the beautiful, wonderful, mystery of right thing at right time. I guess we always knew this day would come. We’ve decided to love each other through it.💞 I’m drinking tea from my Blessed cup this morning.💖
I think back on the years I’ve been writing Willards (LOOK on the right of this page, scroll down to ARCHIVES!) … put all that writing together and it’s a diary! The longest memoir in the history of womankind! You’ve been with me through it all, and often going through just exactly the same thing at the same time! And now, this. I know we aren’t alone. You know I’ve been homesick all my 
life … when I’m in California, I want to be on the Island… when I’m on the Island, I miss California. So actually, nothing changes, the homesickness continues.💝 As my mom would say, “so spoiled.” It’s all those fairy tale books I read, not my fault.
Just like everyone else, we didn’t know how to do this. And just like everyone else, we’ve had to make it up, CREATE it. We needed all the help we could get, so I Googled, “Biggest mistakes made when retiring” (in 
so many words, even if you’re NOT retiring!). “Get ready,” they all said, “you will be old someday, get yourself organized.” Heard it for years, didn’t do it. But hearing it so often, you have to (⬅️😱) believe it. We had to figure out what is going to be best for us in the long run. There are helpful studies online that result from questioning people who’ve been through it. Safety 
was big. Which means, no narrow, steep, ship-like stairs like these built in 1849 by a whaling captain. One-floor living is a requirement. Climate is also important, tying in to safety: Snow is heavy, ice is slippery, don’t get near it. Healthcare and senior services: You should not have to get on a ferry to get that because what happens if the ferries don’t run? Money: cut expenses so you don’t accidentally run out. This was the big one (and the tipping point) for us: no giant old “money-pit” houses (as our accountant referred to our house) that require constant care, where heating costs as much as a house payment, and chores require getting on ladders. And the number one biggest mistake people make, they say, is waiting too long. Grrrr.😲
“So far life had just happened to me. I had to figure out a way to happen to it.” 💖 me
I wrote those words in my memoir “Martha’s Vineyard Isle of Dreams.” I have never liked it when life happened to me, I have always wanted to feel as if I’m making a choice, and if it’s wrong, then I only have me to blame. And although our financial 
situation limits your average zillionaire’s full-range of choices, I can still choose some things. For instance, I can choose how I’m going to look at this. I could either up my anxiety medicine, or choose joy. I choose joy. I choose the Pollyanna Glad Game that’s gotten me through life since I was 8 years old. I choose to find the good, go forward positively and follow my dreams, we are NOT going to be destitute. And I’m not done yet, but that doesn’t matter, they say, you must prepare yourself. So I walk around with all this in my head, and there, all spread out on the kitchen table where Joe has left it for me, is the newspaper.
And look what it says! The unstoppables! All in their 80s and 90s, lucky to have good health, and they still work because they love it. I imagine they are all have lots of help around them, they probably have children and grandchildren, money is likely not a problem ~ and definitely they don’t have to climb whaling-captain 
ship-stairs to get to their bedrooms, but look at them! Totally inspiring. They may have had to change lifestyle a bit, but that didn’t mean everything was OVER. It didn’t stop them. And I don’t think it’s because of their ambition as this article says, I think it’s LOVE. Love of life, love of what they do, love of the people they’ve come to relate to and care for through their work. Do people ever tire of spreading love? I don’t think so. Nothing is EVER perfect, but these people, and so many like them, happen to life and don’t let life happen to them until they absolutely MUST. I want to be just like them when I grow up!💖
Yes, it’s hard; overthinking is the thief of confidence ~ but in my studio I found these cards ~ keepers, all together on a shelf. I put them on the fridge to share with Joe. The first one was painted by Kate Taylor, sister of James, a WONDERFUL singer and artist and person, and our friend. Her card says it all.’Course we can!💝
And this postcard about sharing experiences with your bestie…
And this card, so perfect for us, given to me by Joe for our anniversary . . .
And his sweetest words that brings us right back to
You Me, We Can Do This.
Reminding us our whole life has been an adventure, why not now?
There are two ways to look at it. As either our greatest loss ever, and or as another fantastic gift of life adventure. I 
question it constantly, cry sometimes, but then I read the birthday card Mother Seraphima and the sisters sent me that says, “Life isn’t about what you hold in your hands. It’s about what you hold in your heart.” And my heart keeps hold of it all. So, I think, year-’round gardening can NOT be a bad thing. Roses! The sale of Spring Street will enable us to pay off our debts. I hate debt. It makes me feel like I weigh 300 pounds. I will LOVE living near Kellee, Sheri, and Judy again, I feel empowered in our meetings so filled with inspiration. We do better when we’re together. I will love waking up to the gurgling 
water fountain outside our bedroom window, and looking out my kitchen window, past the bird feeders in the mimosa tree, at the long green farmland ~ all that glorious nature. I will love Trader Joe’s. I will love living a simpler life, will love wine with Diana next to the water, love painting at the same art table where I wrote my Autumn Book, with a view of our picket fence garden, will love a large garden project. But the things I will miss are uncountable, the history, the years, but number one, I can barely write this, are our wonderful friends. But we know we’re coming back, for as long as we are able … we’re just not coming in summer,
when the humidity melts me into a puddle. And not in the long months of winter, which, despite its many charms, can trap us inside like a perpetual pandemic. We’ll come in the spring to see the weeping cherry trees in bloom, the magnolias, and the dogwoods, for the tulips and daffodils ~ and in the fall, for the smell of autumn, for the leaves flying in the wind, for the colors, and the sweaters. And I imagine it will be more magical than EVER. All part of the adventure. All part of the gratitude, the pure gift I’ve been given in this life. I refuse to be sad, when happy is so easy. I have always loved the flow of life, and that hasn’t changed. I will say the thing I say every day, thank you God.💖
So we are packing up to move! And allowing ourselves to be excited! Because it’s exciting! I walk by the dining table where I am gathering things to take, and hear tiny, squeaky, excited mousie voices all talking at once, “why are we here, what are we doing, where are we going . . .?” The “children” are excited … Petey too! He’ll be in the old Fine Romance Van (ie garden truck), along with us, and Jack, when we drive them across country to their new home. Luckily everyone is up for the adventure! And we’ll bring you along! I’ll have to Instagram the trip! I think Jack will love being the center of attention 24-7. And I will love having him with us.😻
Downsizing! We’ll have less than half the square footage in California! Which I will love. I already feel liberated! I’m taking all our very favorite things and just LEAVING the rest of it, walking away, for an estate sale. From six sets of dishes, I narrowed it down to two! Proud of me? And everything is going to go with green. Because guess what? I get to REDECORATE! There is good in everything. You’ll see! I can’t wait to show you! Don’t cry for me Argentina. I am going to eight long green acres in the quiet sunshine where gardenias and artichokes grow.
So upward and onward: Life goes on.💝 This will cheer you up! MAS MUSICA! (The kind of MUSICA my house has always loved.💞 I tried to bypass it, but they seem determined to throw commercials in, hit “skip!” It’s worth it!!💝) I’ve always loved dolls, my mom did, and so do I. But she never let herself collect them, and me either because I just can’t bring myself to have a room full of dolls, I love them too much, they would overwhelm me (Joe would kill me), I have no doubt! I go to doll stores, alone, whenever I see one, very dangerous. Even bought one for my mom. But, I’m just too boringly practical. Almost always.
So the other day, on our way to our walk, there were signs along the road pointing to an estate sale … it was a beautiful, sunny blue-sky day so we decided to go. Because when you’re moving and trying to downsize, the first thing you think of is “Let’s go get more stuff!” (And I call myself practical🙄) But LOOK at her. ⬇️ I can’t help it, I BELIEVE her to be beautiful!💝 Wm. Morris would HAVE to approve . . .😊
She’s tiny. She has a hand-painted face, and hand-painted shoes and socks. Her underclothes were clean, but her dress was very dirty and I did my best to clean it, soaked it with lukewarm water and a drop of bleach . . .
One of the sleeves had come apart so I sewed it back together.
She read some of my books while she waited for her dress to air dry. I found her chair at the estate sale, too! And I know exactly where she will go in the house in California! She will be driven in the van with me and Joe and Jack and Petey.💝 My other dolls.
XXX
And here she is … I had to show you her dancing legs . . .
What else? So much ~ Kellee is getting new things into the Studio every day. I can’t keep up!
All my paint boxes have to be packed up and I have a jillion of them. I don’t know why. I keep thinking there might be a color out there I haven’t seen yet. Taking no chances. And they DO make better colors all the time . . . Look at these I just got:
Aren’t they gorgeous? In cork! I’ve never seen that before. The colors are so rich and vibrant and they flow beautifully from brush to paper! I’ve already started using them . . .
XXX
Even the BROWN is gorgeous! I got them for you too! I also found ⬇️ the sweetest little pad of textured 100% cotton watercolor paper with a vegan leather cover.💖
I’ve always wanted to offer a little set of wonderful watercolors ~ just hadn’t found the perfect ones yet. I still haven’t been able to get brushes, sorry … but my two favorite paintbrushes 
are Windsor Newton #1 and #4 ~ you can find them at Blick … everyone should give it a try! Look what happened to me! Total accident, but fun for a lifetime! Don’t think you have to be perfect, there is no such thing. Original, no matter WHAT, is best. 💖 Do it your way! And there are so many wonderful teachers out there! Sign up for something! Think of all the nice people you’ll meet! Watercolors are like music, some very ethereal and light, some very dark and opaque, shivering high notes and intense low notes, lighthearted joy and depths of heartbreak, spring and fall, the fast and the slow, some spreads forever, some is short and stops abruptly… do it to your own song and you’ll be doing it right.🧡 Maybe, just maybe, when we get to California, I will learn how to video myself and try to give an art lesson! That would be interesting. I barely know how I do it myself! 💖
My collection of heroes is heading west too . . . I’ve been collecting these die-cut hero-cards to inspire me in my studio since George Washington arrived as a wedding invitation way back in the 80s. Slowly over the years, in bookstores and other assorted places, I found the others, from Mark Twain, to Jane Austen, and all the others. Everyone asks me about them … And Kellee found them for our webstore!
“Susan’s Picks” this week are all about Mother’s Day . . . including this greeting card I made for all the nurturer’s in your life. We also have the guided books I made for moms and grandmas to tell their stories and record their memories. Every day is Mother’s Day in so many of our hearts.💝 Speaking of which, for the Mom’s in your life:
Something new! We have a Girlfriend who makes these wonderful gold filled necklaces for us, perfect alone or for layering ~ so dainty, this one we call Counting my Blessings . . .
I am a heart girl so when I saw this one, I had to have it, and needed them for you too! So here we go! You can see the gold heart necklace HERE. (The little flower necklace you see with it is coming soon!) I hope you love it! They all come on these little cards and in a clear envelope and look really good together!
I’ve had a chain like this for a long time and love how the light picks up the little extra detail of the beads … so when I saw these I was thrilled I could offer them to you. They come in either gold OR silver ~ I wear it on its own, or add a pendant ~ it’s like a jewelry-box staple. You can see it on Kellee HERE.
Lots of new cards … these have simple summer drink recipes, reminding us to celebrate EVERY wonderful moment.☀️
And these wonderful Alphabet Stitch Kits finally came back in ~ with everything you need, including instructions, needle, and embroidery floss. Make something you can pass down to your family. This one is mine, but that space there at the bottom is for you to embroider your own name and the date…💝
But honestly, despite packing and worrying, and now instead of worrying, meditating and remembering, despite all that, I look outside and see this and go get my phone!!! Who wouldn’t!?
forsythia, magnolia trees, and garden mulch . . . part of the flash dance of spring . . .🌸 Yes we’re going, but the garden says, Hey, don’t forget me . . . and we never will.🪴🪴🪴
Went out to dinner with friends and this was the view on the other side of the window . . .👀
Driving home under a full moon . . . I’ve had forty-two years of Martha’s Vineyard full moons.😱 At LEAST 504 of them, not counting the Blue Moons! Brought here, I don’t know how . . . How lucky can you get!!!? And I hear there are full moons in California too!💃🏼
Our morning walk has been a pure gift … red bucket and flip flops on the beach this beautiful morning and no one else around! Inspires Morning Science!
And the sunsets . . . 
and new blooms . . . forty-two years of the surprise of Spring . . . I have loved this house to its very soul, and it has loved me back to mine. A part of me is embedded here forever and I could not be happier about it. The world turns, spring passes, summer comes, all is as it should be.💝
Here we go! Off to the next adventure! Good bye April . . .💝
Hello May 🌸
Plant up a storm Girlfriends, all the flowers of all the tomorrows are in the seeds of today!🪴 All Love, all joy, all hope, all truth, all courage, to all of you, all the time.💞
💖💖💖💖💖💖💖💖💖💖💖💖💖💖💖💖💖💖💖💖💖💖💖💖💖💖💖💖💖💖
I am so happy for you, Joe and Jack!
I know this New adventure will be an awesome time in life. I can’t wait to see all of your new decorating ideas!
I know this is not an easy decision for you. But being close to family and having friends in CA will help. I know what you are saying about life happening to you as I like you have kinda always lived that way too. I know one day in the coming years we will need to move back to PA as that is where our daughter is and the rest of our family and now especially because at age 71, we are finally grandparents. It’s tough being away from them as our little sweet granddaughter changes almost daily and we are missing milestones. We love living in NC and will stay as long as we can but I know that within the next 10 years we’ll need to go and it will be hard. God be with you as you navigate this new chapter of your life and go for the adventure of it and the joy of being back where you started.
Oh my goodness Susan what a surprise! So hard to move from a beloved home but happy at the same time coming home to California! My heart breaks for how hard this is and rejoices at what peace and comfort you will have on the Central Coast. When the time comes I hope you will let those of us here welcome you home.
Blessings to you and congratulations on your move!
Like so many others, I am surprised and a bit sad at your news but very excited for you & Joe ! A new adventure for sure !! It was my pleasure to meet & speak with you both in Plainville MA in 2022. Wishing you easy packing & safe travels !!
The painting of your life has occupied my visual fantasies and brought much joy to the lonely and sad moments I have had to face. You have inspired me to do better and be better and my cheery days are all that much brighter because of your wit, humor and grace.
I was comforted with your home on the island and was truly saddened to hear of your news but you are very wise to make your decision on your own terms before life makes the decision for you. It takes real courage to embark on a new journey. I know because I just did it.
I left a life with two houses on 80 glorious acres high in the mountains that had been loving and giving a home to three generations for a 100 years. I was the last member of our family to close the door behind and say goodbye.
I am the same age as you and moved to raw land and built a home for our horses, dogs, cats and us, two states away from family and friends. Crying became a pass time.
I did it and so can you. image0.jpegimage2.jpegLife before
image1.jpegimage3.jpegLife now
Dear Susan,
Thank you so much for sharing your news of moving with us. It is helping me with my own decision of possibly moving closer to our family in a different state. As we get older, that is so important. It sounds like you have siblings close by in California. Cold weather is also more challenging as we age.
You will be in my thoughts because moving is emotional even when it is the right decision. You are both smart because the time to make a move is when our health is good. Safe travels.
Oh Miss Susan — you’ve done it now … Brought on the ugly cry (in a good way). I have been with you on this journey since the publication of your very first Willard. (I loved the old days of getting them via snail mail!) Everything you wrote was so deeply meaningful. You put to print the feelings and challenges my husband and I have been facing. We live in the mountains of Idaho where getting medical care can require either a 80 or 150 mile trek. Try that in a blizzard :-). I will be with you on your journey as I have for 30+ years. God Bless you both. JODI
Hello Susan, Nice blog. Good luck to you. Just want to make you aware that it was disappointing to see you included a quote by Roald Dahl. Please know and remember that he was a known bigot and antisemite and it was disturbing to me that of all the quote research you have at hand, this was the person you picked to showcase. So, I hope you understand that I felt responsible to educate you and your readers of this. This information is easily verified. Thank you. Please don’t make light of this.
Dear h,
I am sorry you felt you had to express your feelings at this time. I find your comment inappropriate. Susan is coming to terms with a life-changing decision. Don’t you feel as if she needs our support, not our negative comments? She has always been there for her girlfriends.
You are so dear … of course I did not mean offense. I am not a quote cop, I haven’t done background checks on every quote I use. Some words I use because of the beauty of the person and the profundity of their words (like Anne Frank) and for others I know less about, I take their words at face value … because I felt something from them. Some educate, some uplift, some are just funny. I try not to throw babies out with bath water.💞 Cancelling won’t help, we learn something from everything.
Susan, you are living my dream! If I could afford it and had a ready-made group of friends I would be in the Central Coast in a second. You can have a year-round herb garden (my wish)!
Flowers that grow almost as tall as you do! Not only a TJ’s nearby, but also Costco! Sorry for all of the exclamation points, I’m just so excited for you! Xoxo
So happy for you that you and Joe are returning home! With all California’s challenges lately; it’s still my favorite place in the world! Family and friends, beautiful scenery and the joy of belonging! The heart always knows!
All of us on California’s Central Coast Can’t wait for you to get here!!! 💕💕💕
Me either!!! xoxoxo
OK…it is a day after reading your astonishing news and that news has settled into reality!
SO, inquiring minds want to know… is your stove moving, too? I hope the answer is yes.
You are always a pro-multitasker through each day. How in the world did you manage to write TWO Willards while dealing with such an emotional turmoil weighing such a HUGE decision? Guess airing your raw emotions with Girlfriends could be your therapy. I know sharing the past two Willards has brought our “community” together sharing their own major moves through emotions, or given hope and gusto to those facing the “big move” decision to leave a beloved home/friends. Random lives sharing/learning from you, yet again!
Continuing on being able to shift gears in your busy day…you made me laugh out loud that through all that is going on, you BUY A DOLL then soak her dirty dress to bright white…CRAZY!!! Again, therapy in a stressful time.
Our dilemma is opposite of yours. Our final move may be from a lifetime in CA to MA. Heartstrings have been stretched 3,000 miles for over 25 years. Both kids moved to MA after college and planted deep roots while raising our 5 grandchildren.
I HATE humidity…am too old to learn to drive on ice and snow…we already live in a single-story house…stairs are a staple in East Coast homes…love being barefoot nearly year ’round…have always yearned to be close to Fall woodlands, but still near an ocean…our clinic and hospital are excellent and 15 minutes close…do not want to commute into Boston and new Drs…next to zero storage/closets in charming New England homes 😵💫…grandbabies are either graduated from or entering college…their lives are on the move…will our kids stay in MA or move after we move there????
Bottom line indecision IS paralyzing!
West Coast…East Coast?
Bicoastal family…
heart strings stretched 3,000 miles
We are here…they are there!
We are old-er…
In our season of dilemma
and indecision! 🤔
West Coast…East Coast?
Both desired, but must choose one,
eventually!
So pleased for you that you have chosen in YOUR age of dilemma.
I have loved reading all of the comments. So much experience, wisdom, truths, love and support. Susan, sharing your loving, honest spirit throughout the years has truly made a heart-warming difference in all of our lives! You are a rainbow of joy!
💙💚🩵💜🧡💚🩷
Our stove has become integral to the house, or as I have said, the pilot light is the heartbeat … plus the house where we are moving is a double wide where everything is one big built in. We’ll see what we can do about that when all is said and done. Maybe something, maybe nothing, but we bought our stove in California so at least it won’t cost so much to ship us a new one!! YES, the comments. From my first letter after my first book came out, all the way to now . . . knowing how much goodness is in the world (despite the news) has made life WONDERFUL.💝
I will always envision you stepping down the stairs in the morning darkness. Turning on the burner to heat the tea then walking into your studio to swish a paint brush in water while Jack is curled up in the drawer. As the sun peeked a good morning through your window, you picked up your trusty-dusyy camera to share sunrises, shadows, Jack’s antics or something fresh out of the oven.
I am wondering if you ever felt crowded with ALL of us living together in your home?! SO many eyeballs peering at your every move. (We will be more polite at your CA abode and bring our tents! 😀💚❌⭕❌⭕
The only thing different will be . . . NO stairs!!!👏👏👏
So right about the stove…..it is part of the heart of that home. In other news though since “Dish Addiction” is a real affliction……did your Johnson Bros Rose Chintz dishes make the cut of six sets to two?? I have the same set and couldn’t bear to part with it. You and Joe are truly amazing taking this emotional yet practical journey on with grace and honesty. I hope you can feel so many of us rooting for you!
Believe it or not, we aren’t taking it! It’s too much, so many pieces, cups, saucers, tea pot, salt and peppers, serving bowls … and I don’t want to split it up, would be a sin, so we are leaving it for the next lucky soul to enjoy! I wish I could offer it on my website, but it’s even too much to pack! So, it will be here in a MOST beautiful estate sale! I feel all of your encouragement and can’t tell you how much it eases my heart. xoxoxo
What a wonderful adventure! While a major move is always bittersweet, having downsized several years ago by about half the square footage and two floors myself, I can’t tell you how much lighter it feels… It’s as though less space means more room (or less room means more space?)… Either way, it just works. 😉
Wishing you much happiness! ♥
Wow! Love your inspiring thoughts and quotes dear Susan, as we decided last month to put our house of 31 yrs up for sale. Downsizing yup! Garage sale next week. House is staged, photographed and listed. Some tears of course! A young family came to view last weekend. We found a townhouse 30 minutes away and 30 min closer to our daughter. At a stop light as they haven’t decided to make offer yet…so we can’t make offer on townhouse. But if they don’t like our house I still do and we don’t have to rush…so feel blessed. We’ve done what we can do now have to give the good Lord time to do what He does best. ❤️(I dream of redecorating too!😊) And I will still be here for my lilacs, peonies, and Lily of the Valley!
God speed and best wishes in your NEW home! Hope you’ll still be doing Willard’s! And I would LOVE a watercolor class on u tube by you! God bless you two.
I am at a similar crossroads and can relate to the feeling of perpetual home sickness. Im still searching for my next best place and not sure I will ever find it. But at least now I can mark a few of the ‘irresponsible’ choices off the list. Thank you for sharing this experience with us. All the best to you and Joe.
Bittersweet news for sure! I have a quote on my office wall that says “Change, of any sort, requires courage.” So I am sending wishes for all the changes, good changes and hard changes, to have courage, which I know you do. Best wishes for exciting new adventures and for an “easy” move.
Having recently completed a move that we DREADED, that we NEVER wanted to make, I can easily imagine some of the less positive feelings you might be having. But, I wish I’d been as smart as you and Joe are, because it’s was awfully hard to imagine all of the positives that were ahead for us. In so many ways, it’s been a new beginning! And we are happy and cozy and thriving. And, as you already know, you will be too. Like so many of your friends here, I’ll miss your wonderful house on the island and all the new stories and happenings that come from there. But, I’m awfully excited to see what the future holds, and to see all the new inspiration you’ll find in California. In fact, you’re moving to one of my favorite places!
As an aside, I think it’s fascinating that you did your Autumn book in California, rather than the East Coast which I associate so much with that season. I often find that I feel more inspired about certain things when I am away from them, so it makes perfect sense. For example, I often feel most like doing my Christmas illustrations in July and August!
Best wishes to both of you. I see a bright future ahead!
I may have to do a permanent Throwback Thursday on my blog to just show old photos of the island! Thank you for your kind words Jake! Congratulations on your move!!!👏
Throwback Thursday showing photos from the island is a great idea!
Welcome home to the Central Coast of California…we have missed you. You know what’s great, VRBO’s / AB&B’s are all over the world…so my beach house i have always wanted, manifested, wished, played the Lotto…comes to me throughout the year. I am so blessed to have been able to retire on the Central Coast of California…inland, but the 46 West takes me where my heart yearns for. Anyway, we need, want a Tea House…I see you doing this. You already have the recipes…imagine your Girlfriends coming together on this beautiful area. Just a thought. Look forward to a book signing, something like you did at the Apple Farm…a few 5 or 6 years ago. XOXO
We’ll definitely think of something!💖
Dear Susan, I was not expecting this news from you. I grew up in California, married the love of my life many years ago, and we have never lived in California since our marriage. Every place we have lived over the years has been special to us, and we have created memories and made friends from Michigan to Ohio, to Minnesota, to Washington state. California still holds a special place in my heart, though. We downsized several years ago, but have space for a small garden, a rose garden for my husband, and just enough work in the gardens to satisfy my soul. Thoughts of retirement have long been in my mind, so I enjoyed reading your thoughts about it. I think from my past comments, you may have figured out that my career has been as an RN. After nearly 59 years working in the career I love, I have just this week cut back to half time. It will take some adjustment on my part, but so far I am loving it. I will look forward to every post you share about your move and your new life in California. I wish the very best blessings for you and Joe, and precious Jack.
WoW! That was NOT what I was expecting to read! What an exciting announcement! I was just turning away to go to sleep and finish the rest tomorrow, when I began to realize the turn of the topic! I have so related to your journey… I lived my teen-20’s in the SF Bay area. I fell in love with New England, but only made it as far as CT. I love all your stories and observations of the beauty of the Vineyard, because it reminds me of all the things I love about New England. I bought Heart of the Home in CA, and collected all the others along the way. They are warmth and comfort to me, as is Willard. Now I’m back on the west coast, and you will be too! Does this mean you will be living in the house you were getting ready to sell? It sounds like a “responsible” decision for you, and I can’t wait to go on your next journey with you! Moving is such an adventure!! Enjoy!!
Wise decision dear one. I am 4 years older than you and my move from FL back to MN was made by hurricane Ian☹️😝. I was ready to do the move the next year. It is important as we age to be in surroundings where we can remain as independent as possible. I love being back to the nature and family. You bring your attitude with you. You will be fine. I have followed you for many years and have fond memories of interacting with your Dad on your blog💕. Many happy times lie ahead for you both. Hugs, judi
That interaction was such a gift for both of us. I will be forever grateful. You made him feel needed. 💋💋💋💋
What a sweet post! I wish you and Joe the best of everything <3. CAN’T WAIT to see all the decorating! Bon Voyage and many blessings in your new-old home. 🙂
Dear Susan,
Wow, big news!!! I had been rooting for you not to sell in California, your heart did not seem in it. Then I went to your estate sale there, and I really didn’t want you to sell it!
I went to the sale not for the stuff (though I got some darling little treasures), but to see a place where you had lived… you’re not the only one who likes visiting the homes of your literary heroes! I had never spent time on the California central coast, and all I could think was, I want to live here! Is the climate so nice all year long?!? I strolled the perimeter around your white-picket-fenced garden (spotting Kitty enjoying a nap on the bottom shelf of the potting table nearby), gazed out over the acres, and had such a sense of peace and well being that I thought — how can they bear to sell this? How very hard to leave your beautiful, charming house on MV, but how easy to fall back in love with living among your California friends and so much nearer your family, in a place of much beauty. I have been concerned for a long time about you and Joe stationed on MV, without (it sounded like) any local nieces or nephews On Island to help you as you grow “less young” let’s call it. Congratulations on a sound decision and the release from worry that will flow from it. I was surprised to hear you mention retiring debt… you have sold millions of books and calendars and are industrious beyond belief! If you’re in debt there’s no hope for the rest of us. Hope the giddy-up MV real estate market works in your favor. Maybe Carlton can visit you and Joe in California and add some charming details to the house there.
A few years ago, I was booked to travel to your yard sale on the Vineyard, the one which you had to call off at the last moment on account of mud (after too much rain fell, boo hoo). But I haven’t given up! It is complicated to get to Martha’s Vineyard, but I’m determined to do it for your estate sale if at all possible. So this is my plea to you: for as much advance notice as possible so non-New England girlfriends have time to book travel plans. Thank you!
Oh my goodness, my heart is very full for you and Joe. But so long as you have each other, and Jack, you are already home.
Best wishes and bunches of love, xoxox Coco
I know, so beautiful and peaceful … there would be loss no matter which way we went, but year-round lovely weather will help. Light will help. And family too💝 ~ all is well. Plus we can go back to visit! Believe it or not “Susan Branch” still runs a little under the radar . . . When Little Brown no longer wanted to publish me (I wanted them to publish A Fine Romance but they thought I should stick to cookbooks), we had to do it ourselves, which makes a much smaller footprint. Most everything happens through my webstore, lots of reasons . . . unfortunately, raised as I was, money was never the priority!!! Silly me!😘 We always had enough, and that was enough.❌⭕️
Wishing you the best for your new adventure! ❤️
Dear Susan,
I have read and re-read this post many times. The first time I let out a gasp and “oh noooo!” I always liked the idea that you were in my “neighborhood”. As I continued reading I began to feel better. You have made a very wise and mature decision which I’m sure was not easy. You have such a happy and positive attitude. I’m so glad you have your California home to move to. You have come full circle. You have imbued that house with charm and good DNA. Just think! You will be the next Mrs Bowditch for the new owners. It makes me sad to think of you leaving Martha’s Vineyard but happy that you will be in California with your lovely gardens, friends, and family. Not to mention Trader Joe’s! Joe will have fun putting around in his Tractor! The gentleman Farmer!
I’m so glad I got to visit Martha’s Vineyard for my 60th birthday and visit the places that you wrote about in your books. I’m also happy that I got the chance to finally meet you and Joe at An Unlikely Story. It was a dream come true! You have touched so many of us with your wonderful stories and charm.
I have often thought about my house and my things and How we would manage everything as we get older. Our house was tiny when we bought it in 1987. It was only 1100 square ft and had one bath and 2 bedrooms. It was supposed to be our starter home. We had two babies in this house. The girls shared their little bedroom and were the best of friends growing up. We thought about moving when Jess was in middle school but we couldn’t get enough for our house and afford anything much bigger so we stayed. Bill put on and addition and we gained an entire second floor! The kids loved it in their teen years. Now they are grown and it’s just the two of us. We went from not having enough space to alot of space! It’s great for when they come home to visit. Now all those extra rooms seem to have filled up with stuff! It’s a little overwhelming. We decided to make a master bath and bedroom downstairs and it has been wonderful. That will help in our older years. I just need the laundry up stairs at some point. I can’t imagine giving up any of my dishes! Which ones to keep?
I’m sending much love your way and lots of positive energy that the transition will be a smooth one. I can just picture you and Joe tootling across the country in the Fine Romance van with Jack in tow! It will be quite an adventure! I can’t wait to read all about it!
Thank you for everything Sue. You are wonderful and so appreciated.
Love,
Mary
You CAN’T leave that bread oven.😘 Sounds like you made it perfect for all seasons Mary! xoxoxo❌⭕️
I know! The bread oven! I had fantasies you and Joe coming to my house and we would make you pizzaand send you home with some
Bread!
I know! The bread oven! I had fantasies you and Joe coming to my house and we would make you pizza and send you home with some
Bread!
💝💝💝
Dear Susan, you made the right choice. You’ve been blessed with a golden life and I send warm hugs and happy wishes on the wind to you and Joe for continued happiness in your golden years. ♥️
I am happy for you, Susan. Once the big decision is made, the torment stops and the new creation begins. God bless you and Joe .I am fairly certain that you predicted this move years ago. So happy that your new creation is a place you love complete with people who you already love. Thanks for taking us along again for this adventure. Never doubt how much you inspire.
Dear Susan, When I saw the email and heard the news that a new Willard was up, I didn’t get to it right away. I wanted to be able to read it leisurely. This morning when I read it, I couldn’t believe it. Was I ever surprised!!! Bittersweet is the word that comes to mind, but you also have so much to look forward too. Thankfully Instagram, Willard, and your books will keep you close to our hearts. You and Joe will walk a different beach now, but we will always be looking at the same moon. I wish you both the very VERY best on this next chapter. 🩵 🌗
Words just burble and bubble up from my heart for Y’all. Sweet n Sassy Sue, Joe & Jack. All the comments are so filled with such love and advice. Leaving our beloved Rose Creek Farm was the hardest thing ever. The right decision, but still hard. Forever in our hearts and the ‘city’ folks that bought her have the biggest hearts and cherish her and oddly enough us. 🤭 We live nearby so didn’t go far, just smaller. Love our little neighborhood. Still in the country right here by the lake in the beautiful piney woods in east Texas. But….if we another heart place it’s SLO and Morro Bay 💕
Y’all are headed for oldest New Adventures and we’re looking forward to coming along.
As always…Much Love to You n the boys
Oh I thought so Kat . . . but you did it with such finesse! 🌸🌸🌸🌸🌸
It’s OK, it will be all right. You will have times of sadness missing the life you have built on your island, but financial freedom and the lightness you will feel (I, too, just hate having any debt), plus all the things that will make your house in California a better choice for the upcoming years will make up for it. No more being cooped up all winter, no risk of slipping on the ice and breaking something, no more SADD, and no more shoveling snow are all good things! California may not have dramatic seasons, but truly they are there if you look hard. No more sticky summer humidity or black flies. You will be able to hike all year round, enjoy daphnes and camelias in winter, and enjoy the most wonderful fresh fruit. Sunsets on the beach, the roaring surf, and the long sandy beaches all make California beaches the best. How wonderful it will be to be closer to family and old friends! Wishing you all the best with all these changes. You can do it!
Wow … just wow!! Your post was so moving … I moved from CA three years ago after living there 60 years. I am now in SW Idaho to be with my son and his family … weather is so very different than CA but I return to CA every year to visit my family. Like you … when I’m in CA, I miss ID … when I’m in ID, I miss CA. haha! Best wishes to you and Joe. Can’t wait to see how you decorate the CA home! P.S. I wish the new heart necklace came in silver … hint hint … 😉
Oh Susan!
What an ongoing adventure life is! I can’t wait for this new chapter in your life to begin. I have been waiting for years for you to do an art lesson for us. Your watercolors are what drew me to you in the beginning. I loved the fact that you combined writing and watercolor! Looking forward to life in California.
😘😘😘😘
Dear Susan,
Well, if anything, after going through the house in California getting ready to sell, and now doing the same for Martha’s Vineyard- you should be more organized! It is better to have loved and lost than to never have loved at all…right? It will all work out in the end, thankfully you and Joe are a great team, and better to be prepared than caught off-guard! All the best for the continuation of your move. You’ve both got this! xxx
👏👏👏
I’ve loved reading and learning about Maine all these years. I had the joy of visiting it a few years back too and we loved everything about the state. I met and married my husband 42 years ago in Riverside CA so CA has a special place in my heart. It’s such a wonderful state as you know and I hope it brings you and Joe all the happiness your hearts can hold!! Good luck with all the packing, sorting and saying goodbye to your house, neighbors and friends! Blessings to you and Joe as you begin this next chapter in your life!!
Oh dear Susan and Joe…. As difficult as your decision was, it seems the absolute, exciting, adventurous and comforting choice to make! As you were tidying up the California home and posted the video of Joe on the tractor, it seemed like you were destined to be there. You have family, friends, year round gardening and a beautiful ocean to enjoy. It all makes too much sense🥰 and…. Joe’s a natural on that tractor🤣😂!
Enjoy your new adventure and i look forward to going along for the ride💕🌷💕
I can’t find my comment I made yesterday. I wonder what happened to it. Ù
Oh, Susan! I know it’s bittersweet for you. Much love and memories to you and Joe as you start your next exciting journey! I’m going to be facing the same in a few years, and will keep coming back to your wise words, as always!
Ah…moving is hard. I am about the same age as you and this year is the 50th anniversary of my move in the opposite direction: I went from the East Coast to the West Coast. You and Joe are used to making this cross country trip: now you can go in the opposite direction–you can take the train and take extended trips to visit your New England friends. The beautiful memories you hold of Martha’s Vineyard will sustain you as you transition. Downsizing will be the hardest thing you accomplish but you will feel good when it is done. Keep all the girlfriends posted–you and Joe are simply doing what many of us need to do. Be a beacon for us and maybe you will inspire us!
What a wonderful coincidence! I’m also moving back home to California at the end of this month. I’ve only been living out of state for two years but that was enough time to realize where my heart truly belongs. 😊
Bravo,Susan! What a tough, heart-breaking, wise decision. Looking forward to more adventures with you and Joe
I’m just getting time to read your Willard today Susan. I can relate to your big life changing move. Although I am in the SF Bay Area and am staying here, I downsized from 39 years in a house to a condo in a downtown area that I adore walking in every day. I’ll always have my memories as you will as well. I am so glad you are keeping the California house. I was very sad when I thought you were going to sell it. What a great thing that you have held on to it all these years so that you can easily avoid the crazy Calif. real estate market. Love your wonderful MV home but the memories will always be there. Hope, you, Joe and Jack love being in California full time. Plus maybe we’ll get you up to Northern Calif. for a book event once you are settled in.
I am so glad you are coming home to California! I can relate to so many of the concerns you have about preparing for the future and making good choices. I’ve been toying with learning to watercolor so I bought the gorgeous watercolor paints you have on your website! And I finally bought Hunca Munca too! Happy Trails to you and Joe as you travel across the country with all your peeps. XOXO
Thank you for sharing. I hope all goes well with the moving. Another excellent adventure.
Oh, I’m so happy for you! Your little house and neighborhood in California sound so charming. I can’t wait to see what you do with it! It’s more in line with the little neighborhood I live in that I’m sure many of us can relate to. It’s already got your fingerprints and footprints on it and I just know you and Joe and Jack will settle back in with no problem, and your happy gene will not go away. And please do consider some online watercolor classes! I, for one, would love that, and I’m sure many more of your girlfriends would, too. Don’t worry, be happy!
Susan, this really touched my heart. I’ve been there. This Florida girl packed her bags and moved to England in 1984 because my future hubby was British and that’s where we decided to live. We married in the beautiful little church just up the road from hubby’s parents home but after a year and a half, as much as I loved the slower paced life and excitement of living in England, I was homesick. I was only 22 and we felt that we would have a brighter future back in the good old USA. And we did! We’ve lived a blessed life. We made another huge life move a year ago when we left Florida once again to move to Texas to be near our boys. We built a home in a 55+ community which is something I thought we’d NEVER do! Never say never! We LOVE it! And we downsized too. I didn’t want to clean 4 bathrooms for the rest of my life. lol….I so understand what you’re feeling. Excited, sad and exhilarated all at once. Life is an adventure. and we are NEVER too old for an adventure! Best wishes to you and Joe as you take this leap of faith. You are truly a blessing to so many of us and your Willards are such a treat; full of positivity and encouragement. Wishing you all the best on your new adventure! <3
My husband and I did exactly the same thing 5 years ago. I cried as I read your message. The changes of life are just hard sometimes and glorious other times. I found the most difficult thing was to part with my Christmas decorations. We had 2 large houses before our current condo and I decorated like a crazy woman. I miss the decorating and the decorations so much but, on the other hand, my husband is so relieved, so we laugh about it. And I just cry for a minute at Christmas. And there is something everywhere to fill our souls. All the best on your move and just let all the feelings come right out!!!
Wow! Lots of mixed emotions must be whirling inside your heads as you prepare to move back to California. Your beautiful Martha’s Vineyard home transcends brick and timber. It is tangible evidence of a life you and Joe built together, literally and figuratively. Your island home is a state of mind, a refuge for your souls. It will dwell in your hearts forever because you’re not leaving it behind, but willingly turning it over to new caretakers who will lovingly cherish and maintain it as you have. Sending big hugs your way as you two make this emotional journey.
Welcome home! 🏡 Can’t wait to see your creative garden 🌹🌼🌸 magic at work on Lopez Drive where you will have perpetual sunshine almost everyday. ❣️ We are blessed to have in the neighborhood again!
You make me teary with your post but most are happy tears. Such a difficult decision, but SO very exciting! You have each other, and Jack, and as long as you keep coming back to visit it’s just topsy turvy opposite then, isn’t it?! I had to leave my beautiful Wickford, RI home because of my health and age but the Universe somehow worked everything out just as wonderful as She could and I see and have SO much to be thankful and grateful for. We just need to take the bitter with the sweet now don’t we. I am sending you good juju for a wonderful, safe move and I cannot wait to follow what is next up for you and your incredible inspiring life. Much love, Kerrie
Wow. I mean, WOW! What a shock! I am still processing the notion that you and Joe will not be recording your morning walks to the water. I wish you both nothing but health, happiness and the best of adventures in your “new-old” location. I can imagine that you will miss the four seasons. But you, most certainly, will be away from slippery ice and bone-chilling cold. And that is good.
Wishing you a safe and smooth journey. And lots of hugs and love,…
Dear Susan, this native Angelino welcomes you back to Sunny CA. We’re entering the challenge of half-sizing our lives and moving to more manageable digs, extremely hard for hubby; easier for me. Guess what, you make new friends. You give up furnishings and dont regret it because other possessions are just as wonderful. It’s like eating an elephant, just take one bite at a time.
Dear Susan,
I feel for you and the thousands of tough decisions you have had to make- that all revolve around such a big move! A part of me identified with your big old house on MV, but the more temperate weather and year round roses are such a big plus!
I kind of wish the estate sales could somehow be online, but that would be just one more thing! Best wishes on the move and new beginnings in California!
Oh! I first tried the Vivia swatch watercolors and quickly they became a favorite of mine for gifts to my artist friends. I have the cork pan set but haven’t tried them, yet! Can’t wait!
At last your heart won’t be torn between East Coast and West Coast and will, at last be back to where you were born.
Will you live in the house you put on the market or somewhere else? Wherever, you and Joe will be together and that’s all that counts.
Did you ever imagine that you could be so brave and bold?!!
Hugs!
Oh, Susan – Yes Yes Yes! Hard Hard Hard – but Yes Yes Yes! Your writings from MV are filled with contentment, enjoyment, wonderment. But your posts during your two months in CA had tones of increased joy and delight, that I started thinking to myself, “They are making a huge mistake; within five years they are going to be so sorry they sold!” And then, you just could not bring yourself to sign the paperwork. Something was going on there in your subconscious that even we your readers could feel. So, I predict that once you get there, you are going to nestle in like you have put on your favorite old sweater (or flip-flops, as the case may be).
Meanwhile, you have to jump the hurdle of the hard work of sorting & packing, then the hurdle of partings and goodbyes. Just know that we all are right there feeling it with you.
Susan, a sincere thank you for so generously sharing your Martha’s Vineyard life with us, not only your joys of home, but also the adventures and gleanings of all of your East Coast excursions. Through you we have gone places we would never go and learn things we never would’ve learned otherwise. We appreciate that.
Steady on, Girlfriend!
Oh my gosh! I’m so surprised and excited for you two, I think it’s all gonna be just great!!!
Welcome back home to good ol California.
Best wishes 🍀🙏
Dear Susan,
I knew this time would come. It did for us 2 years ago. We downsized and moved closer to family. We loved our 2 story house but knew it was time to make the move for all the reasons you stated. We love our cottage, as I love to call it. We have the cutest backyard!
We brought too much “stuff” with us, so I am still downsizing, but that’s okay.
Good lock with your move. I’m looking forward to this new adventure!
Susan, I just want to say how much I admire your approach to this change. We’re in different seasons in life, but it sounds like you’re asking the right questions and considering the right things. And I love your positive, forward-looking attitude!
I know how much you love your house ~ your love of home is a major part of why I love your work! But I’ve firmly come to believe that we all bring our homes with us wherever we go. I love my house and I know it loves me ~ it’s a little haven in the world for me. My home, though… I don’t really know how to articulate this, but my home is in my heart and it comes with me wherever I go. Think about traveling by train across the country and the way you turn that little train compartment into a tiny haven ~ it becomes home, even just for a few nights. A campsite can be home for me, or a hotel, or the houses of family and close friends. Home is any space where I feel safe with people I love, and I feel very lucky that I can bring that feeling with me even when the walls that happen to be around me change. Home is safety, security, and love, and that feeling is eminently portable because it lives in us. We sometimes mix it up with a particular building, because we associate a particular space with those feelings. But our true home is in our hearts, and that always comes with us.
I can imagine that you’re feeling a mix of emotions, as all big changes bring. Be gentle with yourself. You’ve been a wonderful caretaker for your house, and now you’ll bring your sense of home with you as you move to new adventures!
Hi Susan!! I am surprised about the move back to California… Although I totally understand. You have family close to here. (I live in AG) The weather is almost the same here all year long. But….. remember…you cant live in California because we have earthquakes… That is a comment I have said many times to people when we are traveling. This is a big transition. but we have a number of really nice beach walks near.. But you know that already. I have known who you are for many years..back to the very old days in SLO. My son who is older than we want to remember (49) went to Grandmothers House. PS I still miss the store downtown…
Thank you for sharing your deep feelings about this tough decision that have clearly moved and inspired all of your followers, Susan. (I am selfishly hoping that as you return west my 91-year-old aunt and I ~ devoted fans both ~ might actually get to see you at an appearance in Southern California sometime!) I wanted to mention that, if you don’t already watch it, CBS Sunday Morning airs so many inspiring portraits of notable people (and artists in every field) who continue to create and be so incredibly vital in their 70s, 80s and 90s. Today it was Tom Selleck, but each of these stories reminds me how much life there is still to live. Wishing you, Joe and Jack every happiness back here in the Golden State!
I am SUCH a fan of CBS Sunday Morning. You are right, SO inspiring … almost all about creativity … Randy Travis made me cry yesterday. I didn’t even realize he’d had health issues…. I was so touched. Love his voice. Thank you Mary.💖
Hello Susan, I get such a kick out of Petey and his friends! So clever to see what they are up to. I surely will be watching as you go to your new life and take us along. Good luck in your travels!