BOOOM Day! Four Strong Men and this monster truck… came this weekend AND TOOK IT ALL! MUSICA. We’re leaving for our cross-country trip, heading out on the ferry on the noon boat TOMORROW! I’ve been kissing the walls here all morning. Saying Thank you to the House. We’ve grown very tired of doing this every day so we are ready!. As Rachel put it, because she just moved too (poor thing), “we’re lucky to have these First World Problems”… too much stuff. Well, because we saved everything “in case” we found a use for it! Hopefully, OTHERS will find a use for it now! With a world like ours, no one should ever have to buy anything NEW again! BOOM!
Booom, great name, it’s an adjective! Because that’s what the guys that came with this truck did. So if we leave tomorrow, that means this entire event will have taken us just under four months. Boom is right! Main idea was not to spend any longer being in limbo, doing this, as humanly possible. BOOM!
We’ve still been having our ups and downs, tears and laughter, probably a LOT more to come tonight! … because these kinds of decisions are hard on people, but it really helps to get sick of it. Doing the same thing every day for four months will do that to a person. Now we just glad it’s done! We don’t care anymore … “TAKE it” has been the attitude. (I’ll read this back later and realize I lost my mind!) We’ve been living for “tomorrow” for the last 4 months! Now we’re there. It really IS tomorrow!👏 BOOM!
It is going to feel so good, but probably not until we get to the Adirondaks . . . and then we’ll probably go antiquing all the way across country!🤣
This was my sewing room . . . look how clean and empty.
I loved it … sweetest sewing room in the world, little breeze through three huge Linden trees planted 150 years ago by Captain Gilbert Smith outside the windows, bees humming in the creamy yellow flowers on summer days . . . the fragrance . . . the birds, the church bells from across the street, the ferry boat horn up from the harbor…. 
BOOM! This is an upstairs room you’ve hardly ever seen on my blog because it was always a mess ~ nothing to see here! But LOOK, it’s almost empty! The trick has been to move it all out of its normal place and into a different location. Clean out the closet, every single solitary thing, and put it somewhere else to pack it, even across the room onto a table. Makes it so much easier to deal with when it isn’t in its normal place. It LOOKS different in a different spot, attachment falls off immediately! And when all seemed lost, that empty closet put little wings on my ankles… and hope in my heart to do it again the next day. 😳💖
This is our dining room yesterday which we’ve used as our major staging area . . . BOOOM!
All the stuff we saved for ourselves has already arrived at our house in California. Some of my favorite things are staying, but getting new homes because they BELONG to the Island. For instance, does this sweet little hutch look familiar to you?👀
Here it is at Holly Oak . . . specially made for me in about 1984 by my old friend Carlton Sprague. Remember? I wrote about him in 
Martha’s Vineyard Isle of Dreams . . . The same guy who remodeled and built everything in my first little house on the Island, my kitchen, the fireplace, my bedroom, he built my little guest shack out back, . . . the guy who made a table for the town library from the old Linden Tree on Main Street … And remember the chicken lady? Nancy Luce? Carlton brought her house back to life without taking away any of the simplicity, using his talents and passion for old things and old ways. He’s done so much for this Island but oh-so-quietly. Back then, when I couldn’t find something, I would just 
ask Carl and he would make it! I’d be sitting at the dining table writing a book, while he was working around the house. We were young together, and he’s still my friend and still one of the most interesting non-boring people I’ve ever met. He’s one of the magical things that seemed to come out of nowhere when I moved here.💫🤩
There were so many of them! 🤩
He made this armoire too … I needed a place to put sweaters. He put a little hidden jewelry drawer inside too . . . It’s been my sweater cupboard all these years. But now I won’t be needing so many sweaters!!!
I felt his hutch belonged to the island. So I called Carlton’s son Nate and his partner Rebecca, who just built their own wonderful house with their own two hands (you can see it on Instagram @trailertotimberframe), and told them I had these special pieces of furniture, and they came and took both the hutch and the armoire, that Nate’s dad made in 1984, to their home. I also gave them a 14′ starched, ironed, elegant, heavy damask, vintage tablecloth from which Rebecca’s going to make GORGEOUS curtains. Makes me so happy to know they have them. Recycling at its highest best. Isn’t that a perfect ending to that story? Just part of the fairy tale!
All is well Girlfriends. And, by the time we leave here we’ll be celebrating BEATRIX POTTER BIRTHDAY WEEK! How appropriate . . . in this time of change for us . . . celebrating the perfect example of what can happen in even the scariest moments of change if you follow your heart.💖
You know I’ve had a crush on Beatrix Potter, the person (not just the botanist, conservator, artist, storyteller, farmer, or business woman, not JUST that, but the sum of all her creative facets) for many years 🌺 ~ she’s the reason I wear that flower necklace all the time, in honor of my garden-loving friend, Beatrix Potter . . . she came to me slowly, over the years, and probably not quite totally, until this very moment ⬇️ . . .
. . . in 2022, and our picnic in Beatrix Potter’s Garden. Not at Hilltop, where I’m standing … which is heaven, but even better . . . just across that meadow … MAS MUSICA! (This is Al Bowlly One of my grandma’s favorites, isn’t he wonderful?💖)
. . . to her garden at Castle Cottage . . .
. . . the house where Beatrix lived from 1913 to 1942 with her beloved husband, William Heelis (for whom the British National Trust main offices are named). It was a BYO Picnic Basket Party, Joe and I sailed over on the Queen Mary 2, and I invited everyone on our blog to join us in the 
Lake District . . . Girlfriends came from lots of different countries to experience this day together. The day before I was lucky enough to tour her house, which was nice but unfortunately (because I love old things), modernized… but I found her on the old brass doorknob to the house, worn smooth from her hands, with age and use, and stood quietly in the room where she died in 1942, and saw her last view … and remembered her words about her never-ending love of nature:
These little critters were my very first introduction to Beatrix. I saw these figurines in a shop in California when I was around 22, and to me, they were so perfect they practically glowed in the dark! I saved my money, and got them one at a time, without even knowing who Beatrix Potter was . . . but they were the beginning, and they have followed me wherever I’ve gone, all my life.💖
Slowly I learned more and more about Miss Potter . . . each thing I learned made me more curious . . . and I wanted her around me.💞
She was good for my soul. I added wildflowers between the pages of old BP books I found . . .🌺
And sometimes I watercolored her line drawings I found in these old books . . .
I turned the bedroom under the eaves of our house into my Peter Rabbit Room . . . and gave my Peters a Christmas bonfire.🔥
I wrote a book and shared my excitement about going to Hilltop for the first time, going back in time, walking where she walked, seeing her stove, her hat, her clogs, her doll house, her embroidery, walking up to Moss Eccles Tarn with Joe where, in the evening, Beatrix and William would row and fish . . . and so much more. And in honor of Beatrix, Kellee put LOTS of BP things in our webstore on a special Birthday Celebration page. And just for you, and just this week only, Kellee has devised our very first “coupon code.” Ha! But it’s worth 10% off all items in the Beatrix Potter section of our store. Just put in BPBDAY10. Celebrate! Heroes R US! 
Considering that she raised sheep, I never understood why she didn’t make a lamb figurine, so I drew one of my own. 💖
I painted her and Castle Cottage in my book as symbols of dreams come true . . . imagining . . . 💫
I love celebrating her, remembering her, passing my discovery of her along to a new generation because there is nothing better than having a hero. It gives you a star to reach for. Read about her. She’s amazing.💖💖💖 
By the time I finished reading the excellent Linda Lear biography, I had learned so much from Beatrix . . . I felt for her presence everywhere I went in Near Sawrey . . .
She grew up in a wealthy family and due to the overwhelming worldwide success of her charming books, she could have done anything, gone anywhere, had anything, been the toast of London, Queen of the world if that was what she wanted. She could have worn silks and satins, lived in a REAL Castle, and had breakfast in bed her whole life. Instead, 
she thwarted customs concerning women in those days, and followed her dreams. She was born wanting to DO something with her life, even though it was not expected or even encouraged. Look at those eyes➡️. 👀 There were terrible setbacks, she stepped over them ~ and in a nutshell: her confidence grew, she broke away, overcame heartbreak, bought a small farmhouse in the Lake District, her favorite childhood place. She raised sheep, and instead of satin, she wore the itchy heavy fabric she made from their wool ~ she surrounded herself with nature, farmland, and animals, spectacular views of meres, fells, pikes, crags, tarns, and dales ~ she never put electricity or running water into either of her houses. And used her money to buy up farms to keep them from developers, which she gave to the National Trust and are still working today. She was happy and it was wasn’t money that gave her that. She was happy because she chose the life that fit HER, the one she really wanted. That’s what made her my hero. (A lot like Carlton when I think about it.)🌺
Now, I’m afraid . . .
I’ve started to look like her. It’s the Miss Tiggy Winkle look we all love so much.💝
Here’s the view from my kitchen window this morning. So green. I never want to forget. We had a delightful weekend . . . doing the last things on my list . . .
Hugging goodbye (for now) to the GENEROUS, hard-working, creative, glow-in-the-dark MAGICAL women that changed my life and made it SO 
MUCH FUN, made this Island a true heaven . . . for all the TGIFs, for every glass of wine, every delicious dinner, every accidental meeting downtown after a storm, every lit candle, every cozy evening in front of the fire, for the rings we put on each others birthday candles, all the beach parties, picnics, Halloween Chili-offs, dropped off 
treats, flowers, gorgeous table top, and garden tours, for every song, every sailboat ride, every sunset, and every farmers market, and 
every time we got lost trying to get to a party and laughed ourselves silly . . . for the sunrise drives around the Island, for every smile of understanding, for every lightening of the burden, for every forgiving …. For every time you made your own dreams come true. For the LOVE. They were part of my dream and they came TRUE! As in: Once Upon a Time, there was a knock at my door ~ and there stood a magical princess. I said, “You look so pretty.” And she said, “I did it for you.” Girlfriends Forever. Waaaah. It was the BEST BEST BEST.
I have to carry this everywhere I go!😩 But don’t YOU cry. We’ll keep meeting just like this, and I promise we’ll come back to the Island, and we’ll go to England see Rachel and Paul’s new house. We’ll meet again. . . no fear. It could never be BETTER, but more of the same is just FINE with me, it will be FUN.❌⭕️
Here we are solving the world’s problems. . .
Lowely and Martha making crepes with strawberries and whipped cream at my yard sale a few years back!💝 They made everything better.
My Girlfriends gave it ALL away . . .💝💝💝💝
Can you IMAGINE how many pictures I have like this? I could do several posts with just them. But I can hear Judy and Kellee yelling already … “It’s too long, STOP.” (They should know by now I can’t help myself!💞)
I could not have had better inspiration for my Girlfriend Book!💖
Coming to see what Margot was painting at the Whaling Church in Edgartown.👀👏👏👏
Every day was a reason to celebrate here in Camelot Martha’s Vineyard! 🥳
Last Friday night we met everyone at the beach … for one last beach party on Martha’s Vineyard this summer . . .
A big halt on busy lives for a little sit on the beach…just shooting the breeze.🥂
And it was a perfect night . . . BYO Lobster Rolls! Don’t ever think because I love my Girlfriends so much, I underestimate the value and wonderfulness of our guys. Ohhh noooo. Double lucky to have these Princes among men.💖💖💖
It would have been no fun without them!
And we’ve loved showing them that they can be Girlfriends too.💞
So darling . . .
Time for a group picture . . . ANOTHER one!💞
Where’s Margot and Tom? (Herding cats).
True love means it’s hard to get out of the parking lot!🙌
We leave tomorrow for the long long drive, going slow, taking maybe 10 days, the Northern Route! I can tell Jack knows. He seems excited too. Got him a new cat box. Highly suspect. SOMETHING must be going on!🙀 When I get to California, I get to finish this painting!💝 And that’s only one tiny thing I have to look forward to! (You know who you are!)💖
I can’t wait!
Back Home in California… I wonder if we’ll have artichokes on the bushes we planted before we went away (for the new people!🤣). No one knows what will happen next. We just don’t know! Such a fun ride!😘 We’re leaving Girlfriends behind on the Island to oversee the sale of the house, and then the “estate sale” in our wonderful old house on Martha’s Vineyard ~ it’ll happen when the house is under agreement . . . Once the house is sold, it’ll take a couple of months at least to close on it… I promise I’ll give you time to plan … and let you know when the sale will be as soon as I know. I have to say, there are lots of sweet things still here.💝 Keep a trip to see the leaves turn on the island in the back of your mind. OMG, we’re talking about fall! 🤣 
Flying away to your new, old home.Happy days are ahead and you have all the memories of life as an islander.Home is where the heart is.Happy life to you ,Joe and Jack
Wishing you, Joe and Jack safe travels.
Thanks so much for the quote about magic and fairies. I have a friend whose little girl is so sure fairies exist, even tho her friends say they don’t. I’m definitely sharing the quote with her.
Can’t wait to hear about your further adventures.
Love from Iowa.
She can make her life any way she wants it! Tell her I said so, Barb! 😘 ❌⭕️❌⭕️
Will be thinking about you as you come our way. Be safe. California is waiting for you. Hoping that Jack enjoys the ride!
Susan and Joe. I’m so very excited about your new chapter in your lives. Being a Cali Valley resident I am thrilled you’re going to be closer. I often visit Morro Bay, as my bestie lives there. Love your talents and have been to 2 of your book signings. Joe even signed my SB pocketbook calendar as you were busy and the line was long…and he was just sitting back there alone! Lol Safe travels!
So wonderful to have a house to go to! Enjoy your cross country trip and welcome back to Cakifornia.
Congratulations to you, Joe and Jack…such love, such joy, such memories. Thank you for sharing. Onward and upward!
Linda Z.
Will be thinking of you on your adventure west! Thank you for loving us!! xoxo!
Lori M from Washington State
💗!
Best wishes, Susan! Thanks for taking us along this huge journey! I know I am not the only one who is inspired by your change in direction and positive attitude, and your being so real about the joy AND the tears! This is true Susan and why we love you so! We are all here for you, sending love and hugs! Nancy
The saddest post ever! I do believe I am your number one Vineyard fan since you did a book signing at The Secret Garden many years ago. I was a summer employee and bought Heart of the Home for my mom. My kitchen is never complete without your calendar and all of your books line my bookcase. I cannot imagine saying goodbye to this beautiful place. You and Joe are brave! Wishing you both health and happiness on your adventure. Safe travels!
You’ll see… it will all be okay!💖💖💖💖💖
I’m crying tears of joy and nostalgia for you, Joe, Jack, and good California things to come! All the best wishes for a safe and scenic trip. You inspire all your Girlfriends.
Oh, Susan. Such a beautiful, loving post. I dissolved in tears as goodbye’s have always been hard for me. But I know you’re taking this piece of heaven with you. It’s bittersweet to know you’re leaving, but so happy for your new adventure.
Safe travels! And much love to you all in your new home!
Happy travels!! Enjoy the journey.
It is here, the time has come! A new chapter in life and it will be fabulous! To all, don’t be sad that it’s over, be happy it happened! Have a safe trip and excited to see what is to happen in California. Okay, ready, set, go!
Dearest Susan,
Wishing you the best as you make your way across country to your new life. We’ve been in our home now for 43 years so just thinking about leaving it helps me get an inkling of what you must be going through. ❤️ P.S. Just for the record….the picnic at Castle Cottage was 2018! I was there. Can you believe it’s been 6 years already!
Just Bravo Susan and Joe!
We love you, want you to have happiness and beautiful days no matter the location. Such a good idea to take your time heading to California. A nice glide to a lovely landing. You can process, laugh, cry, listen to music and enjoy the countryside.
Ecstatic that England is in your sights!
All the best and safe journey you cuties!
Kim from NC
aww….sweet memories! I have a quote on my office wall that says: Change, of any sort, requires courage. I wish you much courage as you travel life’s next changes. Safe travels. I will miss your island home too.
Oh Susan, I’m so happy for you and proud of you and yet I can also feel the ache in your heart. Thanks for sharing all of this! You have always given us more confidence by opening your life so honestly. No wonder your GFs around the world love you so much! Safe travels to you, Joe, and Jack. And soon a welcome back to California!
Susan, I am so excited for you and just love your final Willard from Martha’s Vineyard. You have an amazing way of stepping over the challenges. Thank you for writing and for all you have done for everyone! I really think you should read the book, The Ride of Her Life,, as you travel west. Can’t wait for you to be back in amazing California! 💖💖
I simply adore Beatrix Potter as well. You never outgrow her! The movie is one of my favorite films ever.
Safe travels to you guys! One door closes and another opens! I love your attitude and positive outlook. You have been blessed with such wonderful friends! I’m looking forward to your adventures in California!
Tough to leave a place where there was so much joy. New memories are just across the country! 😁 Travel safe.
Tears of joy for you
and tears of sadness because there’s both.
Do I dare say Bon Voyage?
Peace, Prayers, and lots of love for the years of joy you have shared in the past and the years of joy to come!
Judy in Wisconsin
I’m excited for you! Safe travels and enjoy our beautiful and amazing country as you drive from one side to the other.
Beautiful post! Prayers for safe travels Sue and Joe.
I remember going to Hilltop with your book in my hands. I shared it with the docents, and as I wandered, they read your book…. And loved it. They said they needed to have copies in Their sweet shop. I wonder if they did? Thank you dear Susan for sharing the joy of your home. I treasure that I can look at the photos ( the Peter Rabbit room was my favorite). Safe journey Susan, Joe and Jack. Welcome home soon. Oma and I send you much love ❤️
Not that I know of, but what a wonderful idea!😁 xoxoxoxo
Safe travels to all 3 of you! Welcome back to California (my home state!)
Dear Susan,
The time has come. Best wishes to you, Joe, and Jack as you travel to your new life in California. All of us in New England miss you already. Take care and stay healthy!
Smiles,
Karen Holly
Oh, Susan! I have been crying from where you wrote you were going around kissing walls. Your girlfriends must be crying too. They will all miss you. I am sure whoever buys your house will fill it with love too.
Deep breath…exhale… Onward to your next adventure.
It will be fun decorating and setting up a new home. Home… There’s no place like home. The furniture, the pictures, the stuff…all make a home.
Please Twitter from the toad for us. Be safe.
Oh my goodness. I cried reading this sweet tribute to your friends, the island and your home. I went through this a little over a year ago moving form Florida to Texas. I get it….at some point you just wanna get on with it and get there already! Wishing you, Joe and Jack safe travels. I know you’ll have fun along the way. I look forward to seeing your trip. How funny that you and Rachel are going through this big transition at the same time. It’s easy to see why you are both such great friends. You both have such big hearts and so much in common. Wishing you all the best on your new chapter. Change can a good thing! Safe travels. ❤️
oh Susan, I have been reading surreptitiously (sp?) all along about your moving plans and adventures–what a story this is! I’m sad to say I did tear up a little.
What treasures you’ve had in Martha’s Vineyard, not just your home and the lovely, endearing furnishings but the friends–irreplacable!
May God keep you and Joe and kitty safe and sound as you travel across the country back ‘home.’
Treasures! 😘
This is so exciting. And onward! Thank you for taking us along on this journey, Sue.
Wishing you a happy, gentle journey across country. Make more memories in your new home.
Im a little misty eyed. This was your romantic start life over house. Its like security, hope and faith and love all in one. But then again that all comes from Joe, and hes going with you, so I guess youll be okay!!!! I will miss the old girl. All the decorating ideas I got from it. I wish you both all the love and blessings you can find in your new/old home!!! Tell me-does Vanna stay with the old house or is she coming along!!!?????
Vanna comes with me!👏🤣
Safe travels. You Joe and Jack are in my thoughts and my heart. Thanks for all the lovely times past and future in Susan’s world-wherever it may be. Love to you all❣️
My best girlfriend and I are getting closer to our trip to the island (51 days) and are so excited to catch up (she still lives in Alaska and I live in Delaware). Time for wine and catching up and seeing what the island offers and walking through the fall leaves.
I wish you the very, very best on your trip – safe travels! To Jack too! ♥
As Anne Lamott says, Traveling Mercies. I hope your trip is smooth, fun and refreshing. I know you will be back to us, but I do want to take this opportunity to tell you that you have inspired me so much! I am grateful for all that you have given me, and all of the girlfriends. I look forward to whatever you’d like to share, once you are ready!
What a sweet farewell!
Enjoy the journey and give Jack a hug from me.
Best of luck to you Susan and Joe. This is just the beginning of a new chapter.
Blessings,
Mary Peterson
Praying for Safe Travels as You & Joe cruise from the East to the West .
Thank you for taking us all with you !! : )
Linda C. of So Cal
Tears of happiness and sadness. Be safe
This post brought tears to my eyes. You are a lucky lady. Have a safe trip!❤️
Safe travels and enjoyment in your new adventures !
I love beatrice potter too. Im so glad you are coming out to Californis. Its a beautiful day today.. hope you can have event when you get settled in.
Best of luck to you ,Joe, & Jack.Enjoy your new adventure across country & happy antiquing.I can’t wait to hear about your new life in CA.Blessings.💕💐💕
Save travels!!!!
Wishing you the best on your journey, enjoy it all the way!
Happy trails & a bounty of blessings, Susan & Joe ♥ We are blessed to have you on the East Coast for so many years…so many blogs, so many wonderful books & artworks & antique shops…so many joys of everything. We love you!♥
Well you know, I love you back! Hope you’re ready to enjoy a new world here!
….oh, goodness, what a love letter ! ❤️ ‘can’t wait for more ! ☺️ ..with love, as always and safe journey !! 😘
Perfect quote from Beatrix at the end! Safe and pleasant travels!
Be brave, smile, enjoy every minute😎
I’m so excited for you!! Such a big change. A couple years ago I did a major life downsize in prep for moving 2 states away. I figure I let go of about 40% of my stuff. Took me 5 months, a huge yard sale, dozens of trips to thrift stores plus gave away tons. I totally remember getting to that “take it!” place towards the end. Truly remarkable how much stuff we accumulate.
Your trip across country sounds wonderful. And with Mr. Jack! A few years ago (in another move) I had 4 cats and a dog in the car (well…2 cats as my daughter had 2 in her car as well). It was only about a 5-hour drive but oh what an adventure! Thank goodness someone told us to be cat-friendly harnesses and leashes!)
Safe travels. Looking forward to hearing from you along the way and once settled at the other end of this move : )
Wishing you only the very best.
~Elizabeth
My heart aches and rejoices for you on this new adventure. You are so fortunate
to have so many friends that share your memories
If you’re taking the northern route to the West Coast, I don’t suppose you might be coming thru the Willamette Valley of Oregon!?
The ending of one thing is only the beginning of another!
Safe travels and “see” you soon!
Dear Susan & Joe & Jack!
YOU DID IT!!! HOORAY FOR YOU!!! 👏👏👏👏👏
Have a wonderful, safe and smooth journey across this great country of ours!!! Be happy…we have a lot to be inspired by and a lot to hope for!!! 💙🇺🇲💙
Wishing you Happy Trails!!!🛣🚙
Love ❤& hugs🤗 × 3
Barbara
Wow -you two did it!! Happy travels and landing on a soft spot in California!
I just painted a red aminita mushroom yesterday – fun to see you did too.
Hope Jack likes his maiden voyage and new home. Good luck and see you down the road:))
I’ve said this before in an earlier post, (but don’t think it got posted), to please remember to not be sad it’s over, be glad it happened!!! From a devoted California gal, who had too many goodbyes to favorite places as the wife of an AF career pilot. And who was born in the early WWll years in Phoenix as the train my dad worked for made a special stop there to allow my mom to get to the hospital for my birth! In those days the families of the train employees were housed in boxcars outfitted like a mobile home so the families could stay together. I often wonder how many other “boxcar babies” there are! But, I digress! Your new home is in a lovely place! I’m up the road a bit in Santa Cruz. Safe and happy travels!!
That’s how I feel … what a fabulous gift!💝 Love your story! xoxo
Wishing the three of you the best of everything and safe travels. Still can’t believe you are leaving tomorrow but I totally understand. Great adventures await!!! Sending hugs to you!
It’s not me who has a little lump in her throat and a little prickle of the eyeballs, reading this beautiful, wonderful, heart-rending, excitement-inducing post. Not me! Safe travels. “See” you when you’re on the other side of this great country of ours. xoxoxo
Not me either . . .🥲
Dear Susan,
Oh my heart!💞 How you put love and life onto paper is fascinating.
You have truly packed and squished every memory into your heart and soul.
How blessed to have your forever home “Joe” by your side…*sigh* 💞
Safe travels and happy trails on your road-trip HOME!
How exciting! And now you get a brand new…”Once upon a time…..❤️”
What a wonderful life!
Thank YoU Susan,
“You did good!”
XoXDawn :}
Best wishes to you both on your new adventure! You came to Martha’s Vineyard a bit broken, but you are returning to California so full! God can make a way when we don’t see a way. A true full circle moment!
Martha’s Vineyard; Isle of Dreams is my FAVORITE book! So glad you became the artist and writer you were meant to be and shared your talents with the world! 🌎
God bless you & Joe in this new chapter of life! ❤️
PS: Hope you loved Band of Brothers. It can be very tough to watch at points, but the end is so worth it! Next, try ” Brooklyn” with Saoirse Ronan! A classic old fashioned love story and one of my very favorites! 😊
You have come full circle…arriving on Martha’s Vineyard at a low point in your life and heading back to California on your own terms at a very happy time in your life. One couldn’t ask for a better ‘fairy tale’. Safe travels to you Joe and Jack. The journey is the adventure, the destination the icing. Savor it all!!
Congratulations on your new venture! I wish you, Joe, and Jack all the best. I hope to attend your estate sale. Happy antiquing on your journey to California!
Are you going to be posting your travels on twitter or instagram? Have a wonderful trip! 10 days sounds glorious!
Safe journey. Happy travels and all the best for you and the two “J’s” on this next best adventure in your lives! Can’t wait to see how it goes! Enjoy yourself along the way! Love and hugs. xoxo
And for us, you are our Beatrix Potter! Your charming garden behind a white picket fence, your books sharing your life’s journey, and your lovely watercolor paintings. You remind us that there are genuinely good people out there, because you are one of them. I pray you have a safe journey and know that California welcomes you both with open arms. And cheers to the stories to come. 💕Karen
I can’t stop crying. 😢 Susan, you are my hero. I would never have the courage to make this move you will begin tomorrow. I really enjoyed reading this blog because thanks to you I was able to sail on the Queen Mary 2 in 2015, go to the Lake District and experience the magic of Hill Top Farm. Wishing you all the happiness in the world as you carry on living a new dream. XO
Oh Susan, have wanted to write to you so many times! I have been MIA from your comments for months because we just completed the same journey as you and Joe. We sold our 5,000 sq ft home in the Atlanta area and moved to a lovely, one level condo in Windsor, Ct to be near our kids in Glastonbury! I know, why leave the south for the cold winters in New England, but we need to be close to them and in a condo, we won’t have to shovel the snow.
When I walk by your home on Spring Street when we visit the Vineyard, it will bring a tear, knowing you are no longer in the house but I am so happy for you and Joe and your new life in sunny California. I hope you have a wonderful trip and will be thinking of you, the hardest part is behind you!! Much love, Peg
Susan, Joe and Jack, I am looking forward to your s-l-o-w trip across our wonderful country. You always make it so much fun to armchair travel. I don’t have to pack, unpack, pack….sleep in someone else’s bed….decided what to order for dinner. You are just the best travel guide, showing us the little things, along with the big. And, looking forward to you three living in California. I have never been, but have wanted to visit since the Gidget movies(boy, that dates me…ha!). I imagine you are going to have a lot of Martha’s Vineyard folks as guests…what fun! Ok, safe, safe, trip. Love, Rachel
So much love and gratitude to you; I started loving your work with my mom; she is gone now, and your posts make me feel close to her. You are giving me courage to try to make a similar choice myself; as a lifelong New Enlander, my husband and I are trying to consider leaving our CT home of 37 years for a house in FL near the beach. It’s heartwrenching! We were in the Vineyard last October and took a guided tour of the cemetery in Vineyard Haven given by the museum, and there was your beautiful house in view when we parked! Such a nice surprise! Many blessings to you, Joe and Jack on your cost to coast adventure. Thank you again for all you create!
Thank you for yet another lovely and inspiring newsletter, Susan.
Bon Voyage to you, Joe and Jack, may you be as happy in your new CA home as you were on the Island!
I’ll fall asleep tonight thinking of you, Joe and Jack on the drive to Adventure!!! I hope you have that wonderful relief along with some tears of having Done It!!! That’s the way I always felt once Tom and I were on our way to a long adventure. I’d always be Soooo tired and achy, but then about 30 miles up the road, Boom (Love that Name!), I’d get a deep, deep breath and start looking for things to write in our logbook.
I hope the rain lessens for you as you drive. It’s been glorious here, so nice and cool and sunny. Woke this morning to the voices of Tom’s Tomatoes giggling over the wonderful rain. The tomatoes that survived the onslaught of the deer!! I didn’t know they love tomatoes. They ate my humongous 23-year-old hostas, which they have Never done before. They even ate the Solomon’s seal and some of the wild roses!! No worries, we have some spray that makes them taste bad. And they will grow back. Still raining, and my Lovely, all 84 years of him are playing with his usual buddies at the course in Sorrento. I made a soup in celebration of being able to have the stove and oven on!! Been in Summer mode for a while. A great bean soup with all sorts of this and that, and biscuits!!
I’m so glad many of the Girlfriends introduced their daughters to Heart of the Home, because it certainly has been for us.
I have heard from our new “Susan Branch Blog” friends a couple of time since Lost in New Hampshire showed up at my door that early morning just a few weeks ago. They appeared bearing invaluable information for Tom and the return of his prostate cancer. It’s been our guide. Hard to top that, except I can remember other just as astonishing stories from people who had their lives changed by someone Here, in this Blog!! She gave me Marie’s email and the town where she lives in the Annapolis Valley on Nova Scotia. We’re hoping to go again this Fall, if all goes well. I’ll contact her, as I’ve enjoyed her story.
Oh, The Places You’ll Go, said Dr. Seuss!! Take lots of pictures and after you get to your new Nest, give us the Scoop!!
Ginormous, Mucho Love and Happy wishes,
Debbie in Beautiful Maine
Dearest Susan, None of this seems real, yet I know it is. Praying for safe travels , a smooth and happy transition. Praying, too, that the new owners, the new custodians of this home, will cherish it as you and Joe have.
My son came for a visit just this weekend. He spent hours paging through the many family scrapbooks (I had five children!) I have made, many of them Susan Branch scrapbooks. One in particular, from 2002, features a personalized message from you (you traveled from the Vineyard to Hyannis, Colorful Creations!) and the very first page is a photo of you with me and my bestest girlfriend of over 65 years! We met in preschool and have been girlfriends through it ALL!
I no longer live in MA-several moves ago, now, but she is still up there. I visit when I can, but we talk no less than once a week.
Did you find any of the hair ties hiding places?
I didn’t! We left a lot of things! HA!🫣 I forgot all about them!
The end of an era…..but you have so much to look forward to, Susan! And that’s really the secret of a happy life isn’t it? Always have something to look forward to. Thank you for letting us share in your beautiful life on Martha’s Vineyard, and we can’t wait to see what the future holds in California. Welcome home!
Dear Susan, such a heart felt ending to your time here on the East Coast. May you find everything you’re looking for. Bon Ton! My best to all of you.
.
Well!! You’ve done it, made your choices and moved on. California, Here you come, right back where you started from! Best Wishes to the whole community! May everyone enjoy the years ahead, no matter where you are!
Godspeed, Susan. May good health and an abundance of happiness follow you every step of the way.
Blessings to you on this monumental journey.
Thanks for all the great memories. Looking forward to many more. Safe travels to you and Joe know our hearts 💕 are with you. So happy for you both , California here they come 💕
My husband’s favorite quote: “It is good to have an end to journey towards; but it is the journey that matters, in the end.”–Ursula Le Guin
All the happy memories of the Vineyard mattered.
Best wishes in your new home.
Happy trails! I just recently found out I have to move after 32 years. I will be rereading your blog to remind myself, if you can do it, so can I!
I know exactly what youre going through. Two years ago my husband and I moved from Sherman Oaks CA to Maryland. We were in our home for over 30 years and we loved it so much. We packed up everything, shipped it, stuffed 3 dogs in the car and drove across. it was so much fun. we took 18 days and all back roads. we have been living with my mom but we just bought a house. Another old house to make new memories in and hopefully new friends. A new adventure, a new chapter to write. I’m nervous, I’m scared, I’m excited all at the same time.
Looking forward to your new book on this new part of your life! Enjoy the journey as you always do!
I’m sending you and Joe love and light in your new chapter of life and look forward to a book about your life in California together. 💚
I cried the entire way through this post, sweet Sue. I love you so very much. I’m praying for you and Mr. Joe and little Jack. Changes can be scary, but so sweet too. Big hugs from Texas. ❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️
🌺🌺🌺🌺🌺🌺🌺
Oh, my heart is full of so many emotions. Thank you for the many years you shared your Island home, life, kitties, friendships, recipes – just EVERYTHING. Looking forward to your new adventures ❤️
There will be new friends and new adventures in California. They’ll not replace the ones you leave on the Vineyard, they’ll just be the next pages in your story. Wow, do we enjoy going on this journey with you! Already looking forward to what happens next! You do so much for us. Is there anything we may do for you Susan and Joe? To encourage and support you?
Have a safe trip. Blessings to you, Joe and Jack on your new adventure.
California welcomes you back with open arms!! We Love You!! XOXO
Safe travels, soak up the lovely adventure of it all. You, Joe, and Jack setting off like pioneers for the coast!
“The land was huge, sky was high, sunlight hot, wind as free as a thought. It was a place where a man could get lost if he tried, swallowed up in its immensity.”
– The Way West by A.B. Guthrie, Jr.
Out where the west begins!💖
Love the dream-iness of Beatrix potter … happy travels and safe as you go.
Oh, Susan! So nostalgic!! It’s been so wonderful traveling with you to all the places you show us here. And it is going to be wonderful still to see dear California through your eyes! That darling dollhouse you are going to!! You have certainly made the right decision. And just 6 months from now when it’s January and snowing, you will be sooooo glad to be in California! I will be thinking of you on your wonderful journey west. Have great travels. Enjoy, enjoy, enjoy!!! You have been and continue to be such an inspiration. You even make moving magical! I can’t wait to see what the next chapter will bring. I so hope and wish I can be following behind you, bringing Gene’s memories and momentos with me. We’ll just have to wait and see! God bless you both, and Jack, too! XOXOXOXO
We just did our big move from MN to NV last September. Many trips out west to different states to finally choose NV in the end. From May to September our scouting trips and then PURGE, PURGE, PURGE! We got rid of our heavy furniture in MN and bought new lighter, whiter furniture out here. Sadly, just this last March our oldest son, 49, passed away in his sleep in MN. We miss him terribly. But life goes on in NV and God is with us. Excited for you and Joe to enjoy your road trip and your new home in CA.
Safe travels! Wish you were going the southern route on Texas, but since it’s summer, I understand why you are going north. 😉🤗❤️
Susan, we just left the island after our annual visit. I drove by Spring Street, the hearts were still in the window, the little forsythia wreath on the door… the last time I’ll drive by it with your magic still in the air. Indeed the vineyard will have lost a bit of it’s magic with you no longer in residence. Wishing you wonderful new adventures in your next chapter. I hope there’s another book, I’ve read them all! I keep hoping by some miracle of miracles, some day you’ll return to Holly Oak for your return visits to MV. Wouldn’t that be something? Safe travels –
Safe travels! Your beautiful home has been so much a part of our lives that I feel as if I am moving, too. There will be so many adventures ahead and I know you will take us along.
Dear Susan, Joe, and Jack,
Thanks for your always upbeat heartfelt monthly blog. It’s such fun to read the joys and challenges life brings you and the creative ways you handle them.
Safe travels to you three road warriors as you head westward home to California tomorrow. FYI……The temperature in Arroyo Grande is currently a wonderfully cool 71 degrees. 😁 Ahhh! Here in SLO it’s a very warm 89 degrees but should cool down to the mid 60’s during the night. Fingers crossed!🤞
Hope your artichokes will be in full bloom when you arrive. Yum! Sending lots of positive thoughts for a smooth journey. Welcome back!💐🥰
Thank you for keeping us up-to-date with what is happening during such a busy time. So many emotions! I’m looking forward to learning about your new life in California. So exciting! Take care as you wend your way across the country. Good things are happening in your country. I feel it in my bones.
Betty in Aus.
Safe travels, Sue, Joe and Jack! I will look forward to seeing posts about your travels across the country.
Hi Susan, It’s Julie, (JFKapadia), from twitter.🙋♀️ I am amazed that you were able to produce this ”mini-book’ with ALL you’ve been going through! Thank you! That is a beautiful photo of you by the water. I went through a similar situation 3 years ago, in which I had to leave & ‘break down’ my childhood home where I was living at the time, and caring for my mom. It was upsetting to leave our wonderful home, (and her lovely gardens), filled with a lifetime of memories. By the end of packing however, I was completely exhausted and just needed to be done. As hard as it was to leave, (I miss it a lot), I know it was the best thing for us in the long run. My parents also had a late 19th century Cape house, which I adored, but it also had to be sold, to support my mom’s long term care, so I know all about those steep stairs! As my parents aged, they couldn’t go up those stairs anymore. I don’t think I could do it now either!🙂 This is a long way of saying that I totally understand what you are going through, and as difficult as it is, you absolutely made the right decision. Thank goodness you are going to your lovely home & gardens in CA, near family & other friends, for excellent one floor living! My regret is that I never made it to your last MA book signing. The good news is that I was able to enjoy your fun Zoom calls, so thank you for those! Also, you’ll still be near water, with your stream, & the Pacific Ocean, so that will help a lot. I’m very glad your Halloween ghost is moving with you, I can’t wait to see him/her in the new setting! I’ll be thinking of you, Joe & Jack during your journey. Please take your time, you’ve been through a lot, and if you need an extra night or two along the way, then take it. No rushing, just be safe. You can distract yourself with the Paris Olympics at the hotel in the evenings. Opening ceremonies are Friday night.🥇🗼 I’m waiting for a new apartment, so I copied what you did on your train journey, and brought my “Blessed” & “Rabbit, Rabbit” mugs to my hotel room while I’m waiting; an instant cozy feel! Good luck with the trip tomorrow. Treat yourselves well along the way. I can’t wait to hear all about Susan Branch, chapter 3! (Chapter 1: West Coast; Chapter 2: East Coast; Chapter 3: West Coast, California Dreaming.🌴🌺 You will be very happy when you’re reading about all the snowstorms back east next Feb! This is the part where I admit that I’m jealous because you’ll be closer to Disneyland, which I visited as a kid with my Aunt who lived in CA. A great childhood memory, which I never outgrew. Don’t forget to send us a ‘postcard’ along the way, (it can be short).😂 Take care. Love from, Julie K.💖
Joe never outgrew Disneyland either!🤣Thank you for the sweet words! We are home and making it sweet as fast as we can! 💝xoxoxo
Very best wishes to you and Joe. I think that you made a very brave and smart decision but I know that it could not have been easy. I hope you have a lovely trip. With love, Bridget.