HAPPY VALENTINE’S DAY!

Just a little Valentine mood MUSICA for some of my very favorite people . . . ♥

Yesterday most of our snow had melted, the grass was green, and I was having little pangs of Spring Fever . . . and today, as the sun began to come up, I looked outside to one of the prettiest snowstorms I’ve seen in a long time.

Just a beautiful day on the island.  My girlfriend Margot called at 6am to say, “You have to go look at the sunrise!”  One look and I burrowed right back into winter . . .

And now, the wind is blowing clumps of snow off roofs and trees and making it look like it’s snowing, but it’s not.

It’s just adding to the romance of an already romantic day…

As does this . . .

It’s the feet I love the most.

I took Joe his breakfast a while ago.  His Valentine’s present.

I made it in a cookie cutter.

Happy Valentine’s Day Girlfriends! I hope you’ve all received your Valentine Willards! Just as you read, we’re having a drawing for a pre-publication copy of my new book A FINE ROMANCE! 

To be entered, just leave a comment (click on the tiny grey word “comments” just under this post). Sometime after the 20th, Vanna, our resident chooser-in-chief, will pick the winning name! When the book comes in, I’ll sign it and send it to the lucky winner. Until then, especially for today, I’m sending you virtual chocolate kisses and red roses and hope (sweetheart or no sweetheart, no one needs a sweetheart to celebrate Valentine’s Day) that your day includes something special just for you. xoxo Make all your Valentine dreams come true no matter what and be your own darling sweetheart!  Love you, THANK YOU!  I’m thrilled about the book, you just have to know … yesterday, I wrote the ending and I made myself cry!  Thank you for joining me on this book-writing adventure! xoxo P.S. Just in case you need it, you can view WILLARD here!

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“Powerless” on Martha’s Vineyard

Can’t let a blizzard go by without giving you a report!  Here’s how the day began for me . . .  MUSICA  First thing I needed to do was light some candles so I could find my way through the house.

It was obviously not going to be a regular day!  The wind was whistling, the snow was blowing, windows were shaking, there was no computer, no internet, no heat, no light, no toaster, Joe was sound asleep, so I made a fire — with the help of Jack — wearing a wool beret.  Not him, me.  Which isn’t something I usually do, but I think it was almost as cold inside as it was out!  When I walked a cold wind blew in my face!

I made tea on our gas stove (thank goodness for gas stoves!), wrapped up in shawls, Tweeted a little bit on my iPhone which I had charged last night — I knew Twitter would be my only contact with the outside world and it was!  And then I went to work like “normal” — and here is what I learned: not being warm is one thing, but watercoloring in the dark is just plain dangerous!

You know that old adage, it’s coldest before dawn?  That is a true thing.  It was getting colder and colder in the house.  And then it started to get light . . . and I could see the snow for the first time . . .

And I could see the poor birds.  They looked like they’d had a rough time of it, their feathers were wet, and poking up on the tops of their heads, even the ones that weren’t cardinals! I felt bad for them.

This is Jack’s bird-watching perch in the pantry.  Every twig is covered in snow.

They were having a field day out there. Even on a normal day, it’s hard to go work when there is so much beauty going on in the kitchen!

As you can tell, at this point, I’ve given up on working, and am now concentrating on getting warm . . .

 I closed all the doors to the kitchen, and started the bacon . . .

I turned on the oven, and just then, suddenly, the lights came back on!  Then Joe came downstairs.

And we were saved!

So sorry you can’t see Joe…he had such pink cheeks!  I could barely see the cardinal through the viewfinder, but he definitely stands out, doesn’t he?  This is why I call cardinals “Nature’s Valentines.”

Here is something you hardly ever see in the part of California I’m from, snow on the floor! You would think that you would need to clean it up!  But you don’t! (At least if you’re me you don’t!)  One of the good things is, when the heat is on, snow that comes off your shoes dries in a snap and you don’t have to do a thing!  And that’s my day girlfriends.  Back to work.  Hope you enjoyed our blizzard, it’s a beauty, still going on, prettier by the moment . . . and I really hope it’s just this “bad” for everyone, and no worse!

Pretty perfect, I’d say.

Just a few more birds before I go . . . 

Look at this cutie!

Poor robin, although well-fed, looks frazzled . . .

Beautiful feathers.  Brave souls!

Well, all my excuses are gone so bye for now girls! Hope you have a wonderful day!  Don’t forget we have a new Willard coming next week!  Love you, me   xoxo

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