I can’t believe it, here we are, at the end of August already and all I can say is, tick-tock, how did we get here so soon, and OH GOODIE!MUSICA! I have been suffering from this hot and sticky August that seemingly will not end . . . I’m ready to move on! Love the quote, “There are only two seasons, Autumn, and waiting for Autumn!” Fits me to a T, especially right this moment. And then, a couple of days ago, at the top of my suffering, I accidentally did a happy thing . . . I opened up my Autumn Book, just to take a look. As I turned the pages a thrill went through my heart, and I realized, it’s almost here! My favorite time of year!

So I went and got some sunflowers . . . and cut marigolds from the garden for little vases . . . because 

It perked me right up! Changed everything! Sweaters are coming! Leaves! Crisp air! Corn Pudding! Makes me almost want to go on a diet. That’s how perky I feel! (“Almost” being the operative word, I am not done with toast and peanut butter yet!)
I know, not everyone looks forward to cold weather, but I love having a reason to heat up the oven and bake something! And in my glee, I planned the rest of the year: first a long breezy, colorful autumn (and can we have a normal Halloween? Why not? Everyone wears masks anyway!👺 That will cheer everyone up! The kids will be thrilled!), leaves blowing through the woods on our walk, crisp salt air off the water, quilts airing in the breeze, more cozy covers on the bed, church bells ringing and boat whistles blowing, and then a short, cozy, snow-white winter around the fireplace, with a new Christmas book and a new puzzle to do during the winter, which will be SO short I’ll have to hurry! And then, an early burst of the most flowery spring ever ~ in a brand new world filled with fresh beginnings! Covid gone, children going to school, everyone back to work, Easter egg hunts! Kitchen table Tea with girlfriends, with new remembrance, respect, and deep gratitude …

While all these nice thoughts were brewing in my head … My cups arrived on the kitchen porch!!! I’ve been waiting! I hope you got yours too … if not, you should soon. We had a little slow-down at the PO, so if you ordered one, and don’t have it yet, it’s definitely on the way!❤️

And then there’s this happy thing. Joe is outside building us a 12′ picnic table, in two pieces, one 8′ and one 4′ … so we can have a party of six for dinner, a couple at each end, and one in the middle for starry September evenings! Just planned our first one for this Friday Night!👏 I’m cooking! Joe’s grilling! Keeping our sunny-sides up.💖

Now what’s this you may be asking. It’s a surprise! Another unexpected book! It will be called Distilled Genius, Wisdom of the World, Words to Live By, (or something like that) and contain my forty-year collection of brilliant quotes from the ages, gathered into categories as I have them here in my Studio, such as Courage, Tea, Gratitude, Gardens, Happiness, all onto pages like these . . .. . . whole genius sections about Love, Dreams, Time, Girlfriends, Cooking, Creativity, Earth, Fairy Tales, Beauty . . . so on and so on… Look how cute it’s going to be! I have about 40 pages done so far. I’ve been asked to do this for years, and I do think it needs to be here for the future! Everything that has ever mattered has been beautifully said by someone whose attestment has teeth,from Marcus Aurelius, to Mark Twain, Black Elk, Rumi, Langston Hughes, C.S. Eliot, Churchill, and the Bible, to Louisa May Alcott, Toni Morrison, Shakespeare, Dickens, Anne Frank, Lincoln, and so many more … plus, plenty from that prolific genius, Anon… and lots from people with less familiar names, whose smart, funny, wise, and touching words inspire curiosity, and open whole new worlds that lie beyond them. I’ve always read quote books like novels! I hope this book will be finished for that wonderful spring I’ve been thinking about. More hope in a time of need. May have to be two books, might even be three, still waiting to see! I know, I have next year’s calendars to do, and my wonderful book, Enchanted to work on, and lots of blog posts and Zoom events and dinners to cook, and Joe and Jack, and the House of Creativity, and all those other ideas, but here I am, Girls, 73, and there is still so very much I want to do!Some of you will remember that I did my very first Zoom Webinar last week. First I had to learn how to do a Power Point slide show. That about killed me. But at the last moment, it sunk in, and I found out just how easy it is to do. All about pushing the right buttons. Then I had to write about the photos, ⬆️ that’s me reading over old diaries to make sure I had the details right ~ it was a Calgon Zoom Party, took us far, far away, back to the English Countryside!And THEN, there was a week of daily Zoom practice with the encouragement of Andrea, the wonderful person who had extended the invitation for me to speak. We got to know each other pretty well! She was very patient!

We ended up doing the same program two days in a row, because the Zoom Room had gotten so full. I knew lots of you were there, because I got pictures! This one above is from our Girlfriend Mary Brehm! She has sweet peas!

This one came from Karen England and her Kitty . . . so fun to be in everyone’s houses!

This one is from Trahlyta! I got so many wonderful photos from you guys! Thank you! The program lasted about an hour and 15 minutes. I know some of you wanted to join in, but could not ~ so, as promised, here’s a link so you can see it yourself on Youtube. In the beginning, it’s just me staring at the screen, watching the names of attendees scrolling by really fast … such a fun thing to see, so many I recognized. I wish that part showed so you could read them too … but instead you just have to watch me staring at them and saying them out loud. Might want to skip that part!IN THE MEANTIME. Guess what? There are going to be more Zoom parties. In the column on the right of this Blog
you’ll see EVENTS. Here is the Link for it, but you can get there yourself when you need to check back for new event dates. I’m about to add more, so watch for them so you can register and receive an invitation to join. 

The next one will be a Sunday Afternoon Christmas Tea Party presented by the wonderful people at Titcombs Bookshop, just over the water on the Cape, from 3:30 to 4:30 pm EST on September 20 ~ BYO Tea because you’re all invited to my first virtual book event for my new Home for Christmas book! Here’s where you can sign up! If you don’t know how to do Zoom, you can Google “Youtube how to use Zoom” and they will show you. It’s just a matter of which buttons to push ~ it’s easy. When you sign up, they will send you an invitation to our zoom party … which will have a link for you to click on the day of the event. Put it on your calendar!One flower stands out on Martha’s Vineyard, it’s the hydrangea… they are everywhere! Drive up and down the streets and that’s what you see. We moved these from another part of the garden last year, and I’m so glad we did. Aren’t they romantic? They’re just starting to turn pale pink, something they do in the fall . . . and now we can see them from the kitchen windows from this dear old house I have loved for so long.💞

We’re still going on our walk everyday … joy of life. 

It’s been very warm . . . sometimes we have to cut our way through the air, it’s so thick . . . but it’s nothing like what our California Girlfriends are suffering. We pray for them every day. You too, Girlfriends in Iowa, we know about that crazy storm that shot through your state. And now, 11′ storm surges in Louisiana.😢 🙏 2020 is some kind of year!⚡️ We were spared the other night, we were told to hunker down and expect one-inch hail ~ it got very dark out there, but it never came! Thank God. Deep breath, ahhhhhh. Remembering how much we have to be grateful for. 

The woods are still green as Sherwood Forest, but every so often there are tell-tale signs that change is on the way with bright spots like this one!

And now, look, I had to show you this sweet letter I got from someone writing about our DamPanic, Go. Be. Love. postcards! Made my day!

Dear Susan, Several weeks ago I purchased a package of your “Go. Be. Love” postcards and sent them to a number of friends. Oh, my gosh! I send lots of cards and notes and have never received so many oohs and ahhs over a card I sent. My dear friends loved the postcard and just showered me with compliments and thanks. You deserve all of the credit. You created the perfect greeting to send during this pandemic and I am so grateful to be a longtime fan and follower and saw them in your online shop. Stay safe and well. Sincerely, Marge

 Just in cases YOU might need to be “showered with compliments and thanks” I thought I would share this!And the New Pumpkin Go. Be. Love. postcards came in too …

I had this pumpkin postcard printed in honor of what our Great Grandmothers did for us only a hundred years ago this August 18th!💖 Joe carved that Halloween pumpkin a few years back for our front window  ~ I thought it would be a good way to celebrate those brave and determined women, mothers, sisters, grandmothers, and best friends (and men too), who put themselves out there in a very big way for US! We should never take it for granted … they went through some very difficult and dangerous years, to make it happen!👏 Yes, Jack . . . And one more thing . . .In case YOU too need something sweet and homey to inspire you with my wind-in-the-trees formula for cozy, Kellee just put my Autumn book up at 25% off until midnight on Labor Day! You probably already have it, but maybe not, and maybe you need a gift for a friend!🍂 

And for you?

Time for a good Giveaway, don’t you agree? I think this is the perfect place to thank all of you for sticking with us through thick and thin and dampanic too, for me and for Kellee and Sheri, your kindness has meant the world to us over the years, going to work is a gift because of you, but especially these last months, you have no idea what a positive force you are. All you have to do is read the comments to know what lovely kindred spirits visit here. No matter where in the world you are, we have so much in common, I’m very proud of us.💖 Thank you.

So we’ll start here . . . 3 cups, 3 winners! As you know, these cups are mostly sold out now, but we saved these to surprise someone(s) ~ I hope one of them is YOU! Just leave a comment right at the bottom of this post, click on the teeny grey letters that say “comments,” leave a few words, and you will be automatically entered for the drawing . . . I’ll let you know who won in the next post, then I’ll send an email to the winners, who can write back with their mailing address, and voila, your cups will be on the way, either for you to keep, or perhaps to give away as a Christmas gift! And more . . .

Shipping from the printer is still on schedule for August 26th, which means we will probably have to wait until the day after Labor Day, September 8 to get HOME FOR CHRISTMAS delivered to the Studio! So, 3 more winners in this next drawing ~ and for each, a signed copy of my new book, hot off the press! If you’ve already ordered it, then Boom! You’ll have another one to giveaway! A little bit of “pay it forward.”💞
Leave a comment as suggested above … and now we will have six winners! Makes my day!Okay dear ones, that’s all she wrote for today! I hope you’re giving yourself those hugs I talked about at the Zoom Party. They do help, and you do deserve them.❤️ Petty-pet hugs are good too! XOXOXO