Rabbit Rabbit!!! Happy First day of October! Can it really be? What a year so far. We’re a work in progress! In January we took the train to California to get our house on the Central Coast ready to sell . . . but the day before we were supposed to sign the papers to put it on the market, we had second thoughts… wanted to wait until we got back to Martha’s Vineyard, where we’d lived for the last 35 years, to decide what to do. When we got back, we realized, doing the pros and cons, a very difficult decision to make, it would be better for us if we sold our Island house and moved to our house in California (no ice and snow, no steep stairs, no ferry boats, plus the gift of year-round gardening). A complete 360. Four months 
later, we were packed, the Martha’s Vineyard house was on the market, and we were on the road. 10 days later, August, 1st, just two months ago, we arrived and began UNPACKING. Yes, as lots of you know, very stressful. I had us taking so many deep breaths I wondered why we didn’t float away. Always questioning, was this the right thing, but forging on as that is what you do.💖
IT’S
We turn the page, and the season changes! Fall! Everyone’s favorite.
So we’re settling in more and more . . . and now that I’m paying attention, I remembered that morning light changes in California too!
On my way out to feed the barn kitties, I noticed I wasn’t alone, my shadow was there!
Long shadows were coming from new goat (Girlfriend Carrie says we should call him “Kevin Bacon”😂)… and my new birdhouse that will take the place of the old one that was on that pole in the picket fence garden!
And look! It’s the Fall Corner of my garden! Pretty soon all the leaves will fall off that tree, they’re starting to go now, wind blows them across the garden . . . Most people think there is NO Autumn in California, but it’s here, you just have to look closer! There are still falling leaves to be caught here, and wishes to be made . . . 
. . . but I’m reminded what the wise butterfly flitting around the garden would say . . . .
Feeling the freedom every time I pull a weed or plant a flower. No one is putting on storm windows. I’m spreading compost on the garden. Joe’s riding his tractor … Loving the sunshine, cool and crisp . . . so why not have a picnic!
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Doing the same thing I was doing in California all those years ago!
And with the same people . . . old friends, Diane, Terrie, and Tom. Terrie made the Margaritas this time! Delicious! But I don’t have her recipe! I DO have Diana’s recipe . . . which is also amazing!
A little dangerous . . . You see what I’m saying . . .
Late September, soft afternoon sun, which we ended up following across the garden . . . dragging the table and chairs once when we found ourselves in the shade . . .
Worth every moment . . . grabbing all the sunshine we could . . .
Joe opened icy cold oysters . . .
Terrie is showing what I was feeling!!! The day was heaven. Outside with the birds, the breeze in the trees, and look at that sun!
I think it’s the same sun Van Gogh was painting right here . . .
Finally, as the fog ate the sun, one bite at a time, when we’d squeezed out every ounce of enjoyment from it, we gathered everything up and went inside for dinner. 
Being of a certain age I think I’ve found the secret of having your party-cake and eating it too: Invite your friends to come at 3, hang out, rock and roll all you want, include music requests that inspires dancing, clean up, and still get to bed by 9! Which is exactly what we did! It was perfect!
Yes, it’s the same Touchdown Chili recipe that’s on the October page of your calendar right NOW (if you got it from me!).
But if you don’t have the calendar (we sold out last year so it’s possible you don’t) both the Chili and the Corn Pudding recipes are from my Autumn Book! I served the Corn Pudding for dessert! Warm from the oven pudding sitting in a puddle of hot maple syrup. Interesting! Delicious! Compelling! Must eat a lot of it!
In my Autumn book along with lots of other recipes and ideas!
Putting things away, and discovering treasures I haven’t seen in years! Lots of them were tucked into old diaries.
Look at this story about my dad I found and kept . . . I was writing my friend Elizabeth (she bought Holly Oak from me way back when, but of course she doesn’t have it anymore either!) telling her about a call I had with my dad . . . That’s how he was.
So many tiny bits I’ve saved over the years . . . cards that came with flowers, postcards, newspaper clippings, postage stamps, art inspiration, fortunes and astrology, special things from my family, Joe’s tooth!!!… I’m using the little sketch book a lot of you have too ~ with such nice paper, so I can write captions … and maybe watercolor a heart or two! Easy creativity!
My stickers will be perfect for it! I’ll show it to you when it’s done! I love little scrapbooks, no question that they’re ART! How could something so personal NOT be!
Joe’s feeding his creative heart too! Last night, I had to go out and get him to put his toy away and come in for dinner! It was 7:30 and the sun was going down! He loves it so much!
He’s getting the soil ready for us to plant an orchard next year . . .
An orchard with fruits and nuts and grapes . . . we’ll plant next spring, but soon we’ll seed the whole thing with wild flowers, and next year we’ll make paths by mowing through the flowers!
We want Monet’s Orchard in Bloom . . . someday . . .
Inspired as always by England . . . this one is William Morris’s garden. Sissinghurst has a wonderful orchard full of wildflowers and mowed paths too!
Okay Girls, I have to go! Going to the dentist! I’ll have to finish this tomorrow morning, but I’m sending it today because it’s ALMOST done! I started it yesterday, but then somehow, lost a lot of it, several times . . . in celebration of getting this far, I’m sending it now, so I can’t lose it again! Wish me dental success, and have a WONDERFUL DAY. Come back later for the rest of the story! We’re a work in progress in more ways than one! Love you! xoxoxo
