Susan Branch's Blog, page 30

BEGIN AGAIN ~ Happy New Year!

MUSICA Hello Darlings!  Happy New Year!  

Another year gone by . . . but before we say goodbye, I thought I’d reinforce the old memory bank with a look back at a very good year.

January 2014 was a snowy one here on Martha’s Vineyard . . . we had a fire in the fireplace almost every day . . . it was very cozy to paint and work on my new book with the crackling of the fire . . .

Watching out the windows to see the wild turkeys visiting our feeders . . . adding to the magic.

We burrowed in for a long winter’s nap . . . it’s never quite long enough for me.  I don’t ever get tired of this sight.

Or this one.  My sweetheart doing the aphrodisiac thing . . . I look out the window, there he is, he sees me, he throws a shovelful of snow at the window, and I count my blessings.

I love it when the snow comes in sideways and sticks to the windows.

Jack does too, he’s the kind of kitty that likes to loll in front of the fire.

Almost every day, Joe and I walk in the woods, we bundle up, and out we go . . . unless there’s ice, or it’s 20 degrees, we always try to go.

That’s ice at the water’s edge.  But this is the view, one of them, and being out here is the best part of our day no matter what the season is.

The sky and colors change constantly.  I take a big breath of this cold freshest-of-the-fresh air, and let it circulate through my blood stream and whatever else I do that day is enriched by it.

But all good things must come to an end. So the other good things can begin.  

Snowdrops . . . our first flower of the season.  I lay on the cold ground, getting up close and personal with them. And the dirt smells good.

Then I bring nature inside to be with us.

And bake a lamb cake to celebrate SPRING!

And while I do, outside our kitchen windows, others are celebrating too.

The birds and the bees are as happy as we are . . . the earth blooms for us, a surprise every year even though we’re pretty sure it’s coming.

Still all grey and brown, and yet . . . hope springs eternal.

And then things get even more serious and we all come down with . . .

And it becomes physically painful to stay indoors . . .

This gorgeous Magnolia tree bloomed for us for many years, but then one day, it died. It was a huge loss, she had come with the house and we lost her on my watch. I have mourned her ever since.

I know we can never replace her, but this year, we tried.  A new girl was planted.  Now we have something special to look forward to in 2015, will she bloom?

We hope so.

Spring was becoming lusher and lusher as it moved toward summer.  The roses began to bloom.  June is a perfect month on this island.

I could roll in these.

Perky.

And the long dirt road through the woods to the water, birds singing, squirrels chasing each other up the trees and across the branches, and the smell of the green things growing ~ it’s all very good for

Jack runs from window to window in the spring . . . watching the world go by, keeping his eye on all the critters in the neighborhood and on his sister, hiding just below the window . . .

We let her out because she never goes further than two feet from the foundation of the house.

  And then it was time to clean the house because my high school girlfriends came to visit!  I drove them all over the island, we ate everywhere!  Here we are at Nancy Luce’s grave.  We had a wonderful time!

And then it was time for me to realize a huge dream and go visit the home of an author I love named Gladys Taber ~ her very old house is called Stillmeadow, and there I am, verklempt. Tears. It was everything I hoped it would be.  I got to go inside this little house in Connecticut that Gladys wrote so much about (I feel like I can call her Gladys because we share the same birthday which makes us almost related.)   It felt like she was nearby, like she’d just run to the market and would be right home.

Summer progressed, we planted the garden, we ate lobsters and watermelon under the arbor, Joe painted the house, I painted my watercolors and worked on a new book . . . and then it was time to hop a fast ferry to go visit a friend who was spending August on Nantucket, which is about an hour from here, east . . . another little speck of a place, just a little bit out to sea.

And as all of you who virtually traveled along with us know, it is ADORABLE over there.  Cutest little houses in the world.  Pathway made from crushed seashells.

Please.  How can it be this cute! We walked up and down, up and down, all the little lanes to see them all.

This is a wonderful restaurant called Chanticleer ~ you can sit outside in the garden, or inside in the garden.

Gorgeous Chanticleer on the inside . . .

Peachy pinky heaven.  Even the salt is pink.

And home again, to watch the sun set on the beach we walk to everyday.

And then we started our own publishing business called Spring Street Publishing, and published our first book . . . AUTUMN from the HEART of the HOME.  We didn’t know how to do this when we started, but after 10,000 mistakes, now we do!  Here’s our first production, just arriving at the Studio in California, greeted by Sheri, Kellee, and Robin.

And more things bloom in the garden . . . and the bees buzz and the butterflies flit . . . and the clock ticks . . .

And a bunny cools his tummy on the shady lawn on a warm late summer day . . .

And the clock keeps ticking.  We had lots of book signings this fall (I put the pictures HERE under Events) for Autumn and for A Fine Romance . . . which “forced” us out of the house, and we took good advantage of it . . .

Because it’s very beautiful in New England in the Fall . . .

We visited old graveyards where we walked and smelled the musty leafy smell, kicked up crunchy leaves and read the years on the headstones.

We stopped by this lake because once we saw it we really had no choice.  Did you know that New England is filled with lakes?  It is!  And there are darling little 1940′s cabins on the shores of most of them that are rentable!  Keep that in mind!

We stopped in Salem to leave flowers on the memorial for my ancestor Elizabeth Howe who was hung because they said she was a witch.  Saddest thing in the world, she was the mother of six, a farmer married to a blind man.

Then we went to Plymouth, where the Mayflower landed in the freezing winter of 1620. If you’d like to read a really great book, read The Mayflower by Nathaniel Philbrick.  You’ll love it!  

The Mayflower house was filled with wonderful old things.

Including this beautiful old book ~ read what it says about Foolishness!!!!  Help!  Run Children!!!  Makes me happy I live today.  People calling people witches and the rod of correction would have done me in!

Lovely old embroidery too, redwork.

And an old Tricorne hat ~ you don’t see these everyday!

Then again, back home, and out on our walk seeing the colors changing, for just a while, because soon, we are off again . . .

On the train ~ here we are in South Station in Boston . . . about to board the Lake Shore Limited for California . . .

It’s a three-day cross-country trip in our room-with-a-view . . .I’ve been taking the train across the country since around 1984 . . . the only way to fly!  Because of the view from our windows . . .

What a gorgeous time of year to travel!

It couldn’t have been prettier.

Sunrises and sunsets right from our bed, rocking along, singing a song, side-by-side.

And then we get there, and here are my sister’s twins to meet us . . . that’s Paden on the left (I’m pretty sure) and Mason on the right (I think), or perhaps that’s Mason on the left and Paden on the right!  Oh well, I’m better than I used to be! I’m sure eleven year old boys don’t like to be called “beautiful,” but I can’t help it.  These boys are beautiful.

Sisters . . . This is Shelly and me. She’s the youngest of my eight siblings and I’m the oldest. Gotta show each other our pictures and catch up ~ we sat outside near the sea for lunch as often as humanly possible.  We have always loved to do this.  We are girls who lunch.

And we bring our Mom . . . so it’s me, my mom, Pat and then Shelly.

And here we are again, Mom and me, our Uncle Dick and Shell.

And here we are on Thanksgiving . . . that’s my brother Brad on the far left.  Joe was truly the photographer on this trip!

Seal Beach is where we are . . . and this was where we walked . . .  

It’s fun to watch the surfers.

And the birds ~ we loved these shore birds . . . so photogenic!  The one that’s sort of got his head down is a baby and he wants to be fed!

Just so cute!

And Decorative!

There were lots of old family photos on display while we were there ~ there’s my dad’s twin sisters in the middle and on the right . . . that’s how Shelly got her twin boys!

And here they are Girlfriends, Blog Daddy and his darling wife, Jeanie. I’m showing off his elfish ears . . . He couldn’t hide his leprechaunism even if he tried.♥

Jeanie invited their friends and we had a wonderful tea party.

We also had Thanksgiving dinner.  

My mom has my Grandma’s rose bush in front of her house . . . we picked these two roses, one from my Grandma’s bush, one from my mom’s, and kept them on the dashboard of the car the whole time we were out there.  They dried like this; we carefully packed them, and now they’re on my kitchen shelf.

Here we are driving north along the Pacific Ocean, almost to Santa Barbara, to my Studio on the Central Coast.  It’s one of my favorite things to see, it smells like Home to me.  Home in California.

This is our Studio garden in California . . . things grow really well in this ancient river bed.

Joe and I were feeling very “Vita” when we planted this garden; it was after our first trip through the gardens in England and we were inspired!

We even planted a “long walk” ~ something all the gardens have over there . . . it was exciting to see how big the hedges have gotten.

We also have Studio Kitties . . . this is Kellee with fluffy sweet Sasha . . .

And here she is with Sammy . . . I don’t like to play favorites, I love Sasha but that freckle on Sammy’s face stole my heart. I wob him.

They dressed them up for Christmas and they LOVED it . . . this is Sheri trying not to be cut to ribbons by Sammy’s claws. His ears look like horns, but trust me, this is a HEAVEN kitty.  Perfect nap material. Just don’t make him wear a hat and beard!

And then, the clock ticks forward and off we go again, homeward bound . . .

And a deep breath, across country with Christmas lights beginning to show in the dark, we made it!

And I couldn’t wrestle a camera and do hugging and kissing at the same time, but they were so happy to see us, and vice versa!!! 

We sprang into decorating mode, it was almost Christmas!

Jackie helped out with every bit of it!

He especially helped by sleeping through it while I made the cookies, my Coconut Macaroons and my grandmother’s Frosted Molasses Cookies!

MUSICA  On Christmas Eve we went to Lowely and John’s, our best friends just two doors over . . . she is into magic also!  And the best cook in the world!

And then it was my turn for New Year’s Eve in front of the fire . . .

We made a delicious dinner; everyone brought something . . . that’s Lowely in the sparkly sweater . . .

We just wanted a cozy evening so we could eat, drink (Joe made delicious Brandy Alexander’s!) and talk about our dreams for 2015. And then suddenly, it was here . . .

We were there!  And began right away, taking my own advice trying not to neglect the gift . . .

I started painting for next year’s calendar.  (That would be 2016!)  

And I was inspired by the time of year . . . and sending best wishes to you and yours.♥

Jack allows only so much of me not paying attention to him, then he gets tired of it and starts trying to knock over my paint water or something until I stop and gather him up — this is me trying to take a photo of him in my arms, and this is the best I could do without waking Joe up to do it for me!

And now, we are full circle, it’s winter . . . no snow here yet but VERY cold out on our walk . . . this is yesterday and it was 30 degrees; this is the “bundled-up” look.

Under these clothes I look like this. Two Thanksgiving dinners didn’t help, but there’s much more blame to go around . . . we’ll talk about that later . . . OR, let’s not and say we did.

I still get wonderful photos from our Girlfriends who take A FINE ROMANCE with them to the MOST interesting places, then they take pictures and send them to me.  This is Kay Bennett and her daughter Cheryl at Highclere Castle in England!  Lucky lucky them! What a wonderful memory for the two of them. And I love our book being there . . . right there on the lawn of Highclere!  

Which reminds me to remind you . . . Downton Abbey starts January 4th!  Oh goodie!  It’s going to be exciting. I can hardly think of a better thing to do in January!  Our girl Maggie Smith, just turned 80 this week, hooray!  See, you’re never too young or too old to dream a new dream, there is so MUCH to look forward to!  Just

Counting our Blessings

Hello My Darling friends,

I’m sorry it’s been so long since I said HELLO!  And just so you know it’s really me, you’ll need MUSICA!  There it is, not Christmas music, but still dreamy and proof positive it’s me! 

As of today we’ve been home here on Martha’s Vineyard for seventeen days.  Our trip out to California was supposed to last three weeks, but we ended up staying six.  It was wonderful, fun, lovely watching the world fly by outside our train windows, spending time with my darling family, making two Thanksgiving dinners, enjoying each other’s company under the blue skies of California with the swooping seagulls, driving across the desert to Arizona to be with Blog Daddy, but then we got home so late and hit the ground running, with just a little time-out for a week of the flu!  I think I may be the only person in the world who likes getting sick.  I don’t do it very often, which probably has something to do with it, but it is nice when you are suddenly “forced” to stay in bed and watch old movies and read your book right smack in the busiest part of the year.  You stretch your legs under the covers, wiggle your toes, moosh your poor head into the feather pillows and say ooh my throat, and you drink a cup of chicken soup, suck a cough drop and fall asleep and say, soon I will feel better, but I think not today.  Plus Joe and I did it together, so we kind of reveled in it.  And now, here we are, back on our feet, counting our blessings, the suitcases unpacked, laundry done, cookies baked, twinkle lights hanging in the kitchen windows, gifts wrapped and sent, I even got a new computer in all of the pandemonium. And of course it’s been wall-to-wall snuggles with Jack and Girl Kitty.  Now it’s Christmas Eve, and we are bringing the Bourbon Old Fashioned’s down to my girlfriend Lowely’s house (two doors over) for cocktails and Christmas Eve Dinner!  I just wanted to send you a note to wish you all the very Merriest of Christmases, and let you know I’ll be back soon for “A Year in Review” so we can catch up and get ready for 2015. Missing you! Sending Love and blessings to you and yours ~ XOXO  

HEART MAGNET

Being pulled by the Heart Magnets of Martha’s Vineyard ~ MUSICA ~ going home the old way. . .

We’re almost there! Looking forward to Home Sweet Home!

Where this fine boy is waiting for us and he doesn’t even know it yet!

Haven’t seen these two since the day before Halloween.  Absence makes the heart Yearn!  Can’t wait for delicious Kitty Fur!

We are still on the train ~ almost to Chicago right now ~ just crossed the Mississippi ~ loving every quiet moment of our “room with a view” as you know if you’ve been to Twitter and seen the photos I’ve been sending from my phone ~ but I keep losing Internet connection for the computer ~ I’ve already had this post disappear once and now it’s really slow ~ I better not push my luck! I just wanted to say HELLO dear Girlfriends . . . I’ll see you soon!  We have lots of catching up to do!  I know you’ve been busy too . . . it’s that time of year!  With Love XOXO

HEART of the HOME

Today, I thought I’d talk about the Heart of the Home . . . which means many things to many people, including me . . . but this is where it all started in my life . . .MUSICA

In the kitchen.  We never took photos of my mom’s stove when we were growing up, we had too many other much more interesting subjects . . . but this is one of the rare ones where the stove insisted on being in the picture, a photo-bomb so to speak.  These are two of my little brothers, Brad on the left and Chuck on the right and the little person in front is my sister Paula.  She’s about one, which means I’m about eleven at the time of this photo.  I grew up with that stove, learning to cook by helping my mom in our tiny kitchen.  This is where my mom and my grandma made Thanksgiving dinner for our big family and where Blogdaddy tasted and approved everything, especially the gravy and the stuffing. He was our own, built-in, Good Housekeeping Seal of Approval. (That’s him showing us that if you hold a piece of bread in your mouth when you cut onions, you won’t cry, which didn’t totally solve the problem for me, but it did help; then I learned to hold my breath completely and that helped a little more until of course I had to breathe and then everything went haywire.)

My stove at home, on the other hand, gets photographed every five minutes. Since I learned to cook on one just like it, this stove says H♥ME to me, my kitchen wouldn’t have felt complete without it.

Just like my mom’s, mine is a 1956 O’Keefe and Merritt . . . two ovens, two broilers, four burners and a griddle.  Back in 1989, when we moved to this house, we found a refurbished one with all the original parts ~ she’s still going after almost sixty years in service.

Just like my mom’s, my stove is prone to photo bombing too.  Here she is, getting in on the action, peeking around the carrot cupcakes . . .

Knowing the power of her lasting beauty, she stands back and confirms the cheesecake, so proud of her accomplishment, as well she should be.

She slides in next to the cheese blintzes we made for a winter breakfast party, trying hard not to take too much credit . . . but finding it difficult.

I mean, hey, after all, I agree . . . when you got it, flaunt it.♥

She’s the Queen of Butter Cookies and she knows it!

She’s back there, warming the kitchen with her magical self, filling it with fragrance of turkey meatloaf making our cup runneth over with gratitude . . .

Spicing the kitchen with chocolate; we come in from the cold to the smell of “after-school” when she and I make brownies together…

And even poking herself between the spiced pecan-making for the holidays.  My old stove is the Heart of our Home too . . . she’s been a very good girl.

Because of the way she makes the house smell, she righteously takes center stage in our kitchen . . . the Heart of the Home, where the action is.

But as you can see here, she is not overbearing, doesn’t take up too much space, never says “me, me, me” ~ like all stoves, she’s a giver,  quietly motherly and elegantly low-key, passionately nurturing. When our electricity goes out on the island (taking our heating with it), there she is, waiting to be put in service.  We close the kitchen doors and cook something by candlelight, heat up the kitchen, make it smell good, and it’s as cozy as can be as the storm rages outside.  That’s our stove. ♥

 As you have probably noticed in all these photos, she’s also a fantastic display unit for dishtowels, worth her weight in gold in so many more ways than one . . .

Because I love dishtowels . . . they’re decorative; they’re a fun and easy project to make, and they perk things up for the holidays or anytime.  She wears them well.

Another reason I love my stove so much is for that shelf up top, not a big thing, but a fun little item to have.

It’s not only cute and adds charm, but it’s handy for potholders at the ready . . .

And gives me one more way to celebrate the seasons as they change . . .

It takes just moments to go from flowery summer to owly fall; I add a couple of snowy trees, and it’s winter . . .

And then, it’s Christmas.  I hang my banners there, and see the little snowman in front of the cardboard house on the left . . . we have those houses in our web store . . . they come like a card, you can take them apart and lay them flat.  I’m house-crazy year-round, but especially at Christmas.

The stove-shelf can actually lay flat if you want to have the ultra clean look, which for me is almost never; I do like clean, but not “ultra.”  Except for when we paint the kitchen, then it’s nice to see it like this.  I love the stove-on-stove look ~

So much so, I hunted around and found this little stove in an antique store and it’s now pretty much a permanent part of the stove shelf; good for all seasons.

Hello Kitty.  While I decorate my shelf this little guy watches my every move from the top of the fridge . . . Girl sleeps through it all on the back of the couch in the “wood room”  ♥

The stove is the first thing I go to in the morning, when the world is hushed, her pilot light burning softly . . .

. . . on windy days and chilly fall mornings, she warms up the tea kettle . . . my footsteps are the only noise, I take my cup through the house to my studio and start the day . . .

. . .The sun comes up and casts long shadows, lighting the stove with rays cutting through the trees out back . . .

Yes, all this is good.  But cute is never really enough, is it?  The bottom line is, is she practical? That is the question.  Cute + Practical = Please come live in my house.  Despite practical shelf and dishtowel display, can she cook?  Oh yeah, she can cook.

What better time of year to celebrate the little-white-stove-that-could than Thanksgiving?  She’s the gift that keeps on giving, like this most delicious Pumpkin Cheesecake.  If you’ve never made this, try it this year, you will be so happy you did!  It’s really easy.  I promise!  It’s in the Autumn Book, but click on the name ↑, it’s there too.

And so’s he, by the way, the gift that keeps on giving. ♥  This is Joe pouring off the juices from the turkey so I can make the gravy, the famous (at least in our family) gravy my grandma made . . . Here’s a little tip for . . .

Joe and I are away from the Island, in Arizona now, visiting with my darling Blogdaddy (the Daddio that leaves so many interesting comments in our “comment section”) and his wonderful wife Jeanie.  We’re making this gravy (I don’t have the recipe here to put up ~ traveling as we are makes it difficult, I’ll ask Kellee if she can put it on Facebook for you.  If you have the Autumn Book, the recipe for the gravy and lots of other things is in there) for Dad and Jeanie tomorrow night, with all the fixings, and then next week, we’re going back to California to do the same thing with my mom.  We are the bread dryingest people you know right now . . . getting ready to make my Grandma’s Stuffing everywhere we go, like this . . .

My grandma’s turkey stuffing is easy, it’s made the old-fashioned way with air-dried bread . . . takes about three days for it to dry properly.  When I’m at home, I use my ironing board to lay out the bread in the pantry, so I can close the door, no kitties allowed . . .  I think we may have it laid out all over our luggage in the back of the car on this trip!  Where there’s a will, there’s a way . . .

Because we can’t have Thanksgiving without this . . . it doesn’t matter where we are.

Here I am rubbing the sage to drop it into the bread, now mixed with melted butter, sauteed onions, and celery . . . it’s just one of the things we are thankful for, it says Mom, it says Grandma, it even says Great Grandma.  Traditions are so important, they make the world a saner place.  Old ones are especially wonderful, so if you don’t have them, remember you can start now and do something the same way every year, and someday, your traditions will be as old and revered as our Grandma’s Turkey Stuffing.  You’ll be able to carry them with you no matter where you go, and make home in any environment.  As you can see, the littlest things can have the greatest meaning.  Connecting your traditions with the five senses, such as warmth and fragrance, makes them even better.  Throw in some MUSICA and a bit of heart and you have foreverness.

We’ll make our favorite cranberry sauce too . . . if you have my calendar, you’ll find this recipe hanging on your wall right now! 

Don’t forget to make extra so you can make delicious Christmas Jam with it ~ that recipe is on your wall too!

You put this on buttered toast or biscuits and your taste buds go to the moon, and you get to go along for the ride.

So yes, that old stove is the practical of the practical, she’s been bringing people together for a very long time. Still going strong, born about the same time Norman Rockwell painted this lovely picture . . . look at the eye of the man in the lower corner.  I think that’s Norman Rockwell . . . Is he happy, or what?

Touch hands Girlfriends . . .

 “Ah friends, dear friends, as years go by, and heads grow gray, how fast the guests do go.  Touch hands, touch hands with those that stay; strong hands to weak, old hands to young, around the Christmas board, touch hands.” ♥ James Patrick Erdman

♥ XOXO ♥ 

A CASE for AMTRAK

Hello from Sunny California! As some of you know, I posted lots of photos of our cross-country train trip on Twitter . . . but I know not everyone is on Twitter, so I thought I’d do a little recap here for those of you who missed it.  I’m posting from our hotel room in Seal Beach, California, starting with MUSICA and a question:

Let’s do both at the same time! You will need sustenance for this post! I’m not kidding. I would suggest you make a pot! I’ve been working on this post off and on, between visits with my family, early in the morning, getting the photos together, this is my third day . . . and here we go!

So this was me (and Joe), in our train “room with the view” crossing the country the pretty way, from Boston to Los Angeles, “Twittering from the Twain,” a very human, feet on the ground type of travel. And with all the connectivity we have today, it’s very easy to “work” on a train. Not a lot of sketching and painting, because of the train rocking, but almost anything else; knitting, writing in diary, reading, having tea, anything on the computer; all is possible on the train.

We start at dawn on Martha’s Vineyard with a boat ride.  This is what it looks like when the first morning boat comes in, lots of worker bees coming to the island, trucks and cars unloading and loading. I discovered, watching this, that the new-man purse is a cooler.  Almost every guy getting off the boat carried one ~ I figured out it was more than just lunch when I saw someone open his and pull out a hat!  See that cart in the background, upper right ~ when you come and go from the island, you put your luggage on the cart, they drive it on and you can pick up your stuff on the other side. Very sane.  In thirty years, we’ve never had anything go missing.

Joe is just finishing putting our luggage on the cart.

And off we go, 45 min to the mainland.

Arriving in blue-sky Boston at about 10:30 am.

South Station and here’s our stuff, on the cart, ready to board.

South Station . . .Boston, USA.

Our other three black bags on the cart behind Joe will be put in the luggage car; we won’t see them until LA.  We of the “bring it all mentality” (if that counts as a mentality) will have these bags in our room.  Joe is in cat-bird seat of joy of travel.  See Club Acela in the background?  That’s where we go to wait for our train.

Anyone who has a room on the train, gets to hang out in the Club Acela (most big cities have them) and drink free cokes and coffee and have free pastries while waiting for the train to arrive.

And here it is.  All Aboard!  Are you ready?  The red cap comes and gets us and our bags, we follow him to the train and he deposits us and our stuff in our room with a view.

This is the viewing perch.  We have brought the necessities of life for train travel.  I’ve been taking the train to California and back since the 1980′s when I realized just how much I did not enjoy the whole flying experience, since, despite appearances these days, I am not cattle, and so I decided to try something else.  And fell in love with the quiet gentleness of it.

We get settled, hang up our jackets, get out our books, and soon, in the gentlest possible way, the train moves a tiny bit, and then, rocking gently, we lumber out of the station on the first leg of our trip. There are hooks in the room, perfect for hanging these very accommodating French market bags filled with the little extras from home that make life sweet, carrots, oranges, celery and peanut butter, gingersnaps, and somewhere in there, a large chocolate bar. You can see what you want through the holes before you go for it.

I used to only bring an extension cord.  But we had to get over that as we’ve been “gifted” with more and more electric equipment: must have: battery chargers for iphone and camera, cord for computer, then there is the most important of all, the tea pot.

Because what is morning without your own cup of tea in your room with a view?  Minus the normal styrofoam cups. Why? Because we can. Oh, so civilized.

And so here we go . . . with appropriate MUSICA . . . to see how America is looking these days . . . past lakes and rivers . . . it’s

She is looking wonderful, as we ride along roadsides . . .

Passing traffic as we leave the city . . . Where our train, speeding in one direction, and this truck going in the other, gives quite an interesting distortion for the camera.

And then it gets truly beautiful as we head toward Chicago . . . a one-and-a-half-day overnight trip from Boston.

The gentle rocking movement of the train encourages three things, sleeping, eating, and watching out the window.  It is exactly the same sort of “watching” we do when we watch flames in the fireplace, or the Atlantic ocean when we cross on a ship.  Mesmerizing.

It’s fall, in case you didn’t notice!

East of Chicago, trains are different than the ones on the west side of the country.  The west-side ones are double-deckers, with rooms upstairs and down. The trains on the east are like these, only one level but with high windows.  Doubling the viewing pleasure.

What can I say? This part of the country is all rivers and streams, lakes and trees and woods.

Our dear conductor did very nice thing and opened back of train so I could take a photo, so I could see it the way Lincoln saw it, or Roosevelt, from their little porches on the backs of trains.  Train travel is our heritage. The history of it is long and interesting.

the views from the lounge were spectacular . . .

And so it goes, rocking and swaying down the tracks . . .

And this is the perfect place to do it!

On a very colorful day . . .

We are going fast and the late afternoon sun is turning everything gold. Thank you God.

Weather was coming into Chicago, and as we got closer we felt it and saw it . . . I just love this photo.  The train moves so quickly that often you just don’t get the photos you want.  This one was a little miracle.

Hill and dale . . .westward we went . . .

It began to rain . . . I loved the way this tree was dropping its leaves. Lots more nature for the viewing down here at people level than at 30,000 feet.  Leaves blow past our window in constant tatters, piles of them flying by too fast for our cameras to catch.

We stop all along the way, night and day, to pick up and let off passengers.

Many streets and neighborhoods look like this.  You often see pumpkins on people’s porches ~

and once, at four AM Halloween morning, we were stopped in a train station somewhere, I looked out the window and saw a witch getting on the train!  Hat and all! No, I did not go looking for her, I stayed tucked in my bed. Next day, Chicago . . .

And here we are, arriving in Chicago.

Back to Club Acela . . . we were late coming in; so what is usually a six-hour lay-over between trains, was only one. That was good news and bad news.  Bad news: no Michigan Ave for shopping and lunch.  Good news: it was freezing and storming out there, not fit for man nor beast, and we didn’t have long to wait for the next train, the one that would take us the rest of the way, to Los Angeles. 

In the station, amazingly accommodating Red Caps pick you up at the train in these little carts, see the wagon on the back?  That’s our luggage; we sit on the front. They deposit you in the Club Acela, then come back and get you when it’s time to go.  Heaven forbid we should walk the length of a train! Actually we did give our cart up on our way in, to someone who had walking issues, but on the way back, we had it all to ourselves.

And here we are again, in our room with a view, heading west ~ we each have our own window, there is one behind me too.

And just in case you would like to see the dining car, this is it.  It’s where we sit for each meal (if we want to come, they will even deliver it to your room if you ask nicely); meals come with your ticket, but tips are appreciated by the servers.  We are usually seated with perfect strangers from every walk of life, from 747 pilots, to Amish couples, to people traveling through America from other countries, kids going back to college, doctors coming home from conferences and us. Some are very friendly, rarely someone isn’t, but politeness is the name of the game in this room.

Here’s the breakfast menu . . .

 I think they might be lying when they say this is the low-cal choice!  Of course, being the health nut that I am, this is what I had, every day.

On the left, those are two Albuquerque doctors we actually met later that night at dinner; they just happen to be in this picture; and that’s Joe behind them with his camera.  This is the Observation car, speaking of rooms with views.

The thing to do, if you want to travel by train, is get an Amtrak credit card (Chase, Mastercard) … you get points, and travel for free. Oh yes, you do!

Can you imagine? Free! While rocking in your little bed on the train.

And the moon too, and the stars, all from your bed.  There are many in congress who would like to do away with the train system (not the freight part, just the people part).  Over the years I have seen a huge difference as they cut back on everything. Many of our routes have already been discontinued; a few years ago they came this far →.← from taking away the Boston to Albany route, which meant I would have had to drive five hours to get the train in New York to get to Chicago! We were saved by the bell, but it’s a very bare bones route these days, no dining car for one thing; and often not the kind of repairs you would hope to see in the sleeping cars. But many other routes have not fared even this well; they are already starting to put trains in museums.  Some folks have to drive hundreds of miles to get on a train. Beggars can’t be choosers. It’s a terrible thing in my opinion . . . and in the opinion of this guy . . . 

Just a regular person, not an Amtrak employee (fighting for his middle class job), but just someone who cares, who took the time to write this smart letter, make copies and leave them lying around in the lounge car.  I could not agree more.  Even if you will never take the train yourself, I would hope our children could see our world from these windows if they want to. It’s voting day, an appropriate time to think about the stuff that makes America great; personally I vote a straight “I love the train” ticket.  Train lovers love America, they love the middle class. Trains use much less energy than any other form of travel, they could even be updated using our wonderful creativity; it costs nothing to drag along a few extra train cars . . . maybe a massage car, or a meditation car, a car for MUSICA, a children’s play room, a library, a tour guide or lecturer, or any old thing; I wish Disney would buy it!  But not to be too picky, if we could at least just keep what we have I would be happy.  The cross-country trains provide much needed down time in this crazy world of ours, that’s something to protect.

FYI, with l♥ve from the Heart of the Home and me.

Back to our regularly scheduled programming.

And now, for your arm-chair training enjoyment, the wide open spaces of the wild and wonderful mid west . . .

Skies began to clear, the storm was behind us . . . And here is just a part of the beautiful heartland of our country.  Falling in Love with the English Countryside?  Now we fall in Love with the American Countryside.

Where generations of families came from all over the world to make a place for themselves; here they farmed the land. . .

. . . and laid mile after mile of track; we see houses that are so far from each other, we’re pretty sure they must celebrate Halloween at the grange!  It is not neighborhood door-to-door trick-or-treat around here! But when we come through at Christmas time, they all put on their twinkle lights, and it’s really kind of touching to see the country pulled together like that.

And another sunset, getting redder all the time, as we go toward Colorado . . . whistle blowing across the land . . .

And stop here in Albuquerque. Sometimes we get off here, get a car at the airport and drive one hour to Santa Fe, then up and over the mountains to see our family in Durango . . .

  It’s always a one-hour layover, they wash the windows and we get to walk and drink in the fresh air . . . and look at the Native American jewelry they sell in the station. 

The dirt in New Mexico is red! The sky is blue, the trees are green and the adobe is either white or brick colored.  It’s very primary out here.

And now for the land of sagebrush and rock . . . it’s cowboy country right outside your window . . .

There’s a poem called Out Where the West Begins written in 1917 that sings a song of this part of the country . . .

“Out where a fresher breeze is blowing . . .”

“Where there’s laughter in every streamlet flowing . . .”

 ”That’s where the west begins . . .”

One more of these . . .

And the next morning we come over the mountains to arrive in Los Angeles, our destination, and travel spot for the next three weeks.

Yes, to go away we had to leave these faces for three weeks . . . and it was hard, but our friends, Will and Debby, are staying at our house on the island and sending photos and we know they are in good hands . . . And in exchange . . .

We get this . . . for the last two days we’ve been with these faces; my nephews, along with my mom and my sister Shelly ~ and my sister’s twins, Paden, on the left and Mason, on the right.  They are eleven and this is the first time in my life I’ve totally been able to tell them apart. Whew!  Maybe they can now forgive me for all the times I’ve had to say, “Which one are you?”

Paden on the left, Mason on the right.  Poor things, they don’t know how to have fun. I feel so bad for them.

They helped us move into our hotel . . .

After they finished with the cart . . .

which took a while . . .

But we finally got it together . . . it’s so nice to have some (extra) men around the house. ♥

Yes, I know, I’m almost done being delightful. I just want you to know, it might take me a while to get your comments moderated (which I have to do in order to prevent spam from loading up our comment section), but I’ll get there ~ never fear.  We’re off to my mom’s as soon as I get done here. Until then, one small favor? If you could close your eyes for a moment and say a little prayer for Blog Daddy, he doesn’t feel well.  We’re going see him in Arizona on our way home in a couple of weeks, but until then, could you please surround him with your blessings, Girlfriends?  Thank you! You are the best! XOXO to you and a special Muah! to Blog Daddy. ♥

If you don’t have our November Calendar, here’s what you almost missed!  Happy November Girlfriends! XOXO Make it a wonderful one for you and the ones you love.

BATTENING DOWN THE HATCHES

Joe’s putting on the storm windows; we’re getting ready to leave for California next week and battening down the hatches because it will almost be Thanksgiving when we come back, late Autumn when the winds and rain start to roll over the island with more regularity and all we’ll want to do when we get home is light the fire and put on some MUSICA like this. So, pour yourself a wee spot of something delicious to drink . . . I think I should change the name of this blog to Tea with Susan ♥.

M m m m m, please pass the cream.

Joe’s ladder ~ he’s up there fitting the storm windows into place . . .

Although Jack considers everything Joe does as entertainment, I think he’s taking mental notes; planning to get himself born as human next time and hoping to be a handy one . . .

He follows Joe from window to window . . .

Before we go, we’re doing our part to make our neighborhood festive, we’ve got the pumpkins up, Casper is in the upstairs window, there’s a fall wreath, and Joe just painted and installed a brand new storm door.

Halloween is coming! We’ll be gone, but our friends are staying to take care of the kitties; they’ll be the ones opening the door to the hoards of children that come trick-or-treating through our neighborhood every year.  We’ll be on the train heading for California. What a perfect time of year to travel.  The views should be wonderful.

Here’s Casper looking out from the guest room.

I’ve been outside gathering what I am sure is the last bouquet of the season from our garden.  It’s gotten cold enough that nothing much is venturing forth anymore . . . right in the middle of that bouquet is the last of the “Just Joey” roses . . . a bud.  I hope it will bloom.

These hydrangeas are pure white in the summer but they turn this  color in the autumn.

We’ve put the pumpkins on the lawn . . .

And we’re going on our walk as often as we can; we’ll only be away from home for three weeks, but we’ll miss it.  I have walked this same walk almost every day of my life since I moved to the island in 1982. That’s over thirty years to the same place! It’s always been the best part of my day.  Here’s our dirt road just after the nor’easter that came through last week.

It smells woodsy, piney, and leaf mulchy out there. The walk is almost three miles out and back, the leaves still haven’t reached peak color yet.

With the twitter of birds and not many other sounds, we dodge the water puddles, wearing hats and rain jackets. In the winter the puddles turn to ice.

There was a really high tide after the storm . . . we love this little cottage out on the end . . .

Here’s a closer view . . .

The tide was so high it came right up to the road where we’re walking . . . it’s cold, raw, salty, dark and moody out there . . .

Seagulls cry and dive under black clouds, over the beach grass and the shore . . .

There’s a HUGE crop of bittersweet on the island this year . . . more than I’ve ever seen before.

Tangles of it border the paths to the water . . .

I thought you might like to see some of the little beach houses . . .

They’re old and funky and real, no one has tried to glamorize them (thank goodness), they are perfect just they way they are.

This was the only Queen Anne’s Lace we saw out there; the last of the season and perfect.

The Queen Anne’s Lace was in front of this little place . . .

This is the other side of the red shingled cottage in the photo above . . .

And this is the view from that house, overlooking the brackish pond . . .

We followed the road down to where the pond opens to the sea . . . Joe has just found a piece of beach glass . . .

Behind where Joe was walking, if you look to the right, this is what you see.  We owned one of these little places at one time . . . the one with the little peaked roof way down toward the end, you can see a tiny chimney just behind it.  Note how little beach is left in front of these places . . . high tide attacking the rocks and sandy shore . . .

So vulnerable to the elements, but most of them have been here for over a hundred years. Fingers crossed for another hundred.

Here’s where we turn around to walk back.

past the pond, around the puddles,

through the woods . . .

Looking up at the sky through the drippy leaves . . .

Catching glimpses of the water as we go along . . .

Collecting colorful leaves to take home.

to tape on the windows in the kitchen.

Probably the best of all decorations, leaves, and they are free!

Of course Jack sees me with the camera and realizes it’s photo bomb time . . . but truly, he only makes everything better.

I decorate pretty much the same way every year, with just a few little changes now and then . . .

This is how the kitchen looked this morning . . .

And and here’s a photo from a couple of years ago . . .

I love touches of black in our fall/winter kitchen . . .  Which is just one more reason I love that little kitty peeking out behind the quilt. He is the perfect touch of black.

We keep the kitchen floors bare in the Summer, the hooked rugs come back out in the fall . . . each with a little touch of black so they look good with Jack.

Last night we had Debby and Will (old friends who will be taking care of Girl and Jack while we’re away) to dinner.  It was a spiralizer dinner, so I could show them how to use the “machine” while we’re away ~ I made them sweet potato, parsnip and apple “noodles” — and had fun setting the table . . .

I’ve owned these heavy dishes since the 1970′s, most of them were made by San Luis Obispo Artist Paula Teplitz.  They have images from nature on them, animals and leaves.

This is my audience while I work.  See what I mean about the touches of black? 

We got a new dishwasher last week which meant we had to pull the refrigerator away from the wall to install it, and Look what we found under it! One of Jack’s stashes!

Back to the table . . .

Light the lights . . . set the mood . . .

Time for dinner!

Speaking of food I wanted to share a new, low calorie, high protein delicious snack I love, which is also gluten free.  It’s rice crackers, hummus, pesto (all of which you can find in your supermarket), and a bowl of rice.

You dip the cracker into the hummus (which is good enough by itself),

Then into the pesto (making it even more delicious),

And then into the bowl of rice, making it more substantial.  These are wonderful to help us keep up our strength.

Here’s the view from where I sit at the computer every day working on my new book.  I’ve heard from several of you, wondering how the book is coming along.  It’s funny, for a person who loves words, I have a difficult time coming up with the right ones to describe how I feel about this book.  It’s so different from anything I’ve ever done.  There is so much of you in it already, like with my other books, I think about you every morning when I get up and begin work while it is still dark.  Saying to myself “Oh, they are going to love this” or “I wonder if they would like this?”  I’ll wake in the night with an idea, an idea that becomes more and more demanding until I can no longer ignore it. I won’t be able to get back to sleep until I reach over my bedside table and grab the pad of paper I keep there for this purpose.  I pat the top of the table in the dark, going lightly over terrain of water glass, books, lamp, vase, until I land on a pen and start writing as quick as I can before I forget what it was I half-dreamed.  I write maybe five lines per page — I can’t see what I’m doing, but I don’t want to write over the sentences so I leave lots of space.  After the fourth page I think, uh-oh, I hope this pen isn’t out of ink.  I pat the table until I find my bedside clock and push the button on it to make it light up and use it like flashlight to see if there is ink on the paper.  There is!  Hooray!  

I make little screams when I think I’ve written something that works (before I find out the next day that I was in a period of delusion and remove it!). It’s the hardest thing I’ve ever done, it might also be the best; I’ll know when it’s done. The book has gone to the editor, the first half of it is back, she said “LOL” to some things; she also said,”Get rid of these twenty-seven pages” ~ I love her because she is honest and I agree with her.  I’ve been rewriting; the second half will come back to me next week.  I still don’t have a date for publication, but I’m definitely getting closer, the little train that could, or would, or will, or else; I’ll be working on it while we’re on the train, in our room with a view.  Almost as nice a view as the one in the photo above, our own view that says Home, a view I see every day, one that changes with the seasons and never fails to interest me. Do I watch over it, or, after all these years, does it watch over me?

Have a wonderful Halloween Girlfriends, watch for Twitter from the Twain; I’ll be sending photos from the road. If you’re in California, there are going to be two fun booksignings in November, be sure to check out EVENTS at the top of the blog and come see me if you can . . . Batten down the hatches Girls, and have fun with your pumpkins! 

Off we go . . . ♥ XOXO

NEW ENGLAND FALL

Grab your favorite cup, fill it with something warm and delicious and come back, because I’m going to try and show you what New England in the fall is all about! MUSICA

This mug has been in my family for as long as I can remember, it was in the house when I was a little girl.  I don’t know where it came from, maybe if Blog Daddy remembers it, he will know . . . I loved it since I was little, the colors are what attracted me, and of course, anything with a house on it.  I snapped it up at the first chance I got!  Which was long ago, I’m not exactly sure when my parents lost custody, I’ve had it a long time.  It’s just

Of course, if your kitty is like mine, you are going to have company while you wait for the water to boil . . .

Back about a month ago, one of my photos showed this mug in the background; one of our Girlfriends asked for a closer look, which I promised I would do ~ seemed like tea time was the right time to do it!  (I’m seeing something almost alike in our colors here!)

This is my only clue as to where it came from . . . Germany 29 ~ but we are not German, and have not gone to Germany, so I’m thinking it might have belonged to my Grandma or Great Grandma (even tho’ they are not German either!).

Jack could care less about which mug I use . . . he just wants to be where I am.  In order to distract him, I gave him a little milk to lap up . . . 

So I could take pictures.  You know how much this kitty loves me?  This much {               ↔                } or more.

Know how much I love him?  To the ends of the earth and back and then out again.♥

. . . and then, while he’s busy, milk for me.  So here we go, on a road trip through New England, are you ready?

Come on Jack, let’s go to the studio . . . my shadow goes everywhere with me.♥

So here we are, this last weekend, on the back roads of central Massachusetts, going out to two book signings . . . one at Titcombs Bookshop in the darling historic town of Sandwich on the Cape . . . and the other, a fundraiser for the Westfield Library, clear on the other side of the state.

We could not have asked for a better weekend, leaves flew off the trees as we took the side roads and stayed off the freeways as much as we could.

This leaf blew up and landed on the windshield then went for a little ride with us . . .

See the leaves coming down out of the trees?  My favorite thing about Autumn, they way the leaves fly through the air.

Look how gorgeous, this is why I moved here, I needed to smell this!

Just following signs off the road less traveled, curiosity brought us here to a place we never heard of called Wallum Lake in Douglas State Park. 

Pretty ♣  pretty ♣  pretty.  Smelled as good as it looks, fresh, clean, woodsy, fallish. Sounds of water lapping on shore.

Hard to believe the color . . . ♣

Or the lovely New England Architecture.

I thought this stone house was just about perfection of coziness. I could almost smell the corn pudding baking in there!

We saw beautiful Oak Ridge graveyard and went for a little walk.

Peaceful, old and elegant.

See the leaf flying by? You can’t make this stuff up.

Colors are wonderful, leaves are crunchy . . .

. . . Trees are brilliant . . .

And the roots . . .

go way down . . .

I think cemeteries are works of art  . . . so real and human and filled with love and loss and all the important things like memory and history and reminders of carpe diem  . . . because life is for the living . . .

Right Jack?  This little boy never spends one moment of his day worrying, especially about anything he can’t control.  Which brings me to something I would normally ignore, and that is Ebola.  I’m sorry, I realize you are inundated with it these days, but I just need to say something and then I will forever hold my peace.  

You know how when a storm is coming to your area, the media, almost 100% of the time, blows it completely out of proportion? (When we have a storm forecast for the Island my entire family calls from California, they are so worried about us, we answer the phone and tell them not to worry while we are busy lighting candles and roasting a chicken, loving every moment of it, figuring if it turns bad, we’re as ready as we’ll ever be and cross that bridge when we come to it and every other cliche we can think of that means we have a handle on it.)

This is what we do during storms.

Remember Y2K?  When the entire world was supposed to come to an end and all the planes were supposed to crash at midnight between Dec 31, 1999 and Jan. 1, 2000?  The media had a field day with that one, it went on for months. Then, when they were wrong, as they almost always are, it’s just ooops, sorry. I don’t think they are sorry. I think they like it. Because when we get afraid and fearful we are more likely to tune in and watch every word that comes out of their mouths, which means they get higher ratings ~ and higher ratings brings in money.  It’s always money these days. You can always ask yourself, OK, who makes money from this?, and you’ll usually find the answer and that will be your culprit.  

[image error]

Anyway, bottom line is this: The chances of most of us getting Ebola is somewhere between zip and zilch.  Unless we physically touch the urine, sweat, blood, vomit or feces of someone who already has ebola, we can’t get it.  It isn’t spread by a cough.  Common sense will guide us about this, our brave hospital worker-heroes, all very smart, caring, wonderful people, will have it under control in a very short time. I have complete faith.

✮ Faith ✮

 Faith that it’s the little everyday things that make life sweet.  Not denial, but faith.  Don’t let the media scare you or your loved ones.♥ Life is for the living, and that is us. If we get it, we get it.  Other than that, we aren’t going to.  So turn off these people and go about your business, with maybe just a tad more caution because you know you have much more common sense than any of these fear mongers do. I rest my case.  Off the soap box I step. With love for all of us in this beautiful season of color and nature, kitties and God. xoxo

Now, I’ve been saving this to tell you about . . .

Much more constructive to think about your health in terms of what you can do to make it better, which brings it all back to home sweet home . . . our favorite place.♥ I found something I’ve been wanting to share with you!  My new favorite thing!  And you’ll see why.

This is me making noodles out of zucchini!!!!!!  YES!  It’s true. I am making noodles out of zucchini!

Take a look at these, in a matter of moments, the easiest thing in the world ~ delicious squiggly noodles, just like pasta, only better, less fattening, healthier, and really just as good, only better! (One small caviot: I’ve been reading about GMO foods, zucchini is one of the biggies they have really fooled around with ~ only use organic zucchini when you make your noodles.)

This little machine (Kellee got a few of them in to our web store, go NOW if you want one) uses no electricity!!!  Another reason to love it.  It’s easy to clean and easy to use. You just cut off the end of a zucchini to make it flat, pop it into the pusher, crank the handle and out they come from the other side.

You can put any sauce on them, make Linguini and Clam Sauce if you want, or even the simplest thing: heat a little olive oil in a frying pan, add some garlic, maybe some mushrooms, perhaps carrots or a little broccoli slaw, and saute everything until soft . . . add the “pasta zucchini,” cook until al dente, pour onto your plate, sprinkle over salt, pepper and Parmesan, and voila!  You can add them to soup too!

Here I toasted up the potatoes before I put in the zucchini ~

Besides zucchini you can make vegetable noodles out of potatoes (like those above), carrots (get the largest you can find), beets, onions, sweet potatoes, apples, eggplant, cucumber, radishes, cabbage, and butternut squash.  FUN!  It comes with three blades, in three sizes!!!

Here I am tossing the potatoes in the pan with some shallots . .  .  Use another blade, make them slightly thicker and you have curly fries!  I mean, it’s truly the best thing in the world.  With all due respect to all the other best things in the world.

Like Kellee in her darling Pilgrim Thanksgiving apron . . .(whoever took the picture cut off the best part!)

  Or, Jack helping me with the laundry . . .

or, Girl Kitty, prepping for a nap.

or, the Turner Movie Channel (TCM) which is much better than the news and leaves you feeling up, happy, positive.

a Bountiful Harvest of the Best things in Life.

Like Penelope . . .

. . . who just naturally keeps . . .

Her face turned toward the light.♥

XOXOXOXOXO 

MOTHER EFFIE’S WHOLE WHEAT BREAD XOXO

Here’s that delicious bread recipe from Mother Effie at the Holy Nativity Convent (where the beeswax candles came from). MUSICA.

I nibble on it every day.  Lowely, my girlfriend who lives one door over, tried the recipe and gave me another loaf! Precious cargo!  It came out perfectly!

You can see all the seeds in the bread.  The thinnest slice holds together in your toaster and is the crunchiest of the crunchy.

So here we go . . . you can copy and paste the recipe, then print it out.  Makes two delicious seedy, oaty, almondy loaves.

1½ c. bulgur
1 3/8 c. boiling water/1¾ c. water
3 c. whole wheat flour/¾ c. whole wheat flour
½ c. vital wheat gluten
½ c. white flour
2¼ tsp. active dry yeast
3 Tbsp. oil
1 Tbsp. honey
2 tsp. salt
¼ c. millet
1/8 c. flax seeds
¼ c. sunflower seeds
1/8 c. oats
3 Tbsp. almond meal

1.)  Pour 1 3/8 c. boiling water over bulgur, flax seeds, millet & oats. Set aside to cool.

2.)  Combine 3 c. whole wheat flour, gluten and yeast in mixer bowl.

3.)  Heat 1¾ c. water, honey, oil and salt to about 125°F.

4.)  Slowly pour heated water mix into flour mix in mixer bowl while mixing.  Beat for 2 minutes; cover and let sit for 30 min.

5.)  Combine white flour, ¾ c. whole wheat flour, sunflower seeds & almond meal in a separate bowl.

6.)  After yeast mix has set for 30 min; add the step 5 flour mix and the step 1 bulgur mix alternatively to the yeast mix.  Knead for ten minutes.  Dough should be a little tacky.

7.) Place in a greased bowl; cover and let rise until doubled.

8.) Preheat oven to 350° ~ punch down dough and divide in two; cover and let rest 10 min.  Form 2 loaves, place each in a greased bread pan; cover them and let them rise until doubled.

9.) Put the pans in the preheated oven. Check the bread for doneness at 40 min.  Turn a loaf out into your hand (cover your hand with a potholder) ~ tap the bottom of the bread ~ if it sounds hollow, it’s done, if not, put it back into the pan and into the oven for another five minutes. And that’s it!

This, my friends, is my Kitchen Soap. I think it’s kind of wonderful. [image error]I’ve had this ridged wooden soap “dish” for many years, since I first moved to the island.  I love it because it’s simple and it works.  I wouldn’t have another kind, even after all these years. The soap, sitting on the ridges, dries easily, doesn’t get mungy, and lasts forever.  And the “dish” doesn’t break if it falls into the sink.  I always look for the perfect soap for it, sometimes I get lucky and find bars that fit the way I like them too ~ but recently I got VERY lucky ~ I found someone who would make the perfect soap just for me (and by extension, for you :-)). And here it is:

Wrapped in waxed paper and our own band. It’s Organic Olive Oil, Raw Goat’s Milk and Lavender; smooth, silky, fresh, lightly-scented soap with no little petals in it to rub your skin the wrong way  . . .

I also found the wooden soap holder for it.  Cute for a housewarming gift, or for holiday, or as a stocking stuffer, or for everyday.  So here you go, hope you like it as much as I do!  We’ll carry the soap by itself too.  I told you, it’s the little things, and I meant it.  Reeeely little!

I’m clapping my hands because I got a big job of handwashing done this weekend. This doesn’t look like a lobster, despite the lobster pot, it’s actually the lace canopy that goes over our four-poster bed.

Being up there, all laid out like it is, makes it a really good dust catcher . . . I wash it every year just before winter, so it’s clean and nice while the house has to be closed up.  But it’s a two person job getting it down and back up.  Three if you count Jack.  Joe and I take it off (carefully) and shake it outside first.  Then I fill the pot with warm water, add laundry soap and a little gentle bleach ~ and slosh it back and forth squeezing and squeezing until a year’s worth of dirt and dust comes out. 

We had a gorgeous weekend, about 62º, clear, crisp and breezy, the perfect kind of weekend to get stuff done and watch the leaves beginning to fall. We spread the dripping wet lace on the lawn to dry . . . it’s much too heavy to put on the line quite yet.

We let the sun do its job and after a while, when the canopy is partially dry and much lighter, I hang it on the line to finish drying.

Noticing how pretty and colorful the leaves are under the clothesline.

Then back up the stairs we go, trying not to tangle ourselves in it.  And there she is, for another year, clean, dust-free and smelling good.

Speaking of smelling good, here’s our little helper. He thinks canopy-replacing means playtime!  (He thinks everything means playtime, this is the playingest cat in the world.)  Isn’t he adorable????

Couldn’t you just smoosh his little velvet nose?

♥  ♥  ♥  ♥  ♥

So this is what else we did . . . we got a cord of wood ~ Joe stacked it and I brought him coffee . . .

We are a team.

He drained the hoses too. Our yard slopes slightly downhill, just enough to empty the hoses.  You have to do this in snow country, let your hoses dry in the sun, otherwise, if there’s water in them, they freeze and split.  This is your normal winter chore.  We never did this in California!  Add it to the list!

I decorated my stove shelf (with the last two tomatoes from our garden ~ two of our bigger ones I might add, and too cute to eat), and did a bunch of other stuff too, but I’ll save it for next time, because I have another rather wonderful something to show you (just waiting for it to show up before I do). ♥ 

Right now I want to ask a big favor of our UK Girlfriends . . . I hope you don’t mind, this is something only a Brit can do.  It’s Amazon UK ~ it doesn’t seem to know my calendar exists.  We worked hard to get it in Amazon UK because shipping is so ridiculous from the states (and even IN the states), we thought it would help.  But I really don’t think anyone knows it’s there.  The thing that would be a huge help is if a couple of our UK Girlfriends could do a review of the calendar?  If it’s not too much trouble, it would be a big help and I’d be forever grateful to you. Just click HERE and it will take you to the right spot.  (P.S. It’s even worse for AUTUMN ♥)

AND for your reward?

I was sweeping the kitchen porch and putting out the pumpkins and saw this.  It says “hope” to me the same way as the little engine that could.  

Look at it, all brave and daring.  It knows winter is coming and it doesn’t even care, because even a month in this changing season, hearing the wind in the trees, feeling the breeze run between her leaves, and the color!  And smells of woodsmoke and mulch! Even a month in this beautiful world is worth it.  Look at the moon she’s about to get! Hooray for you, little thing. I crown thee Penelope. I always wanted to crown something.

This is as close as I think I will get.

Bye Girls, see you soon! XOXO Happy happy Autumn to you all! Don’t forget the whipped cream! 

HELLO OCTOBER

R A B B I T    R A B B I T   Hello October!  MUSICA♥

Good Morning, Gypsy Vagabond Girlfriends (and all the rest of you too), Happy October!

Here’s the view outside our upstairs window this morning.  Rain and blowing leaves for us today.

Last night, we had our first fire of the season!  

We went away last weekend.  I had a wonderful booksigning and then went up to Exeter, NH (this is our view from the hotel window) to go leaf peeping and graveyard wandering. 

Here we are, parked in front of Best of British in Newburyport MA. It’s just the most wonderful store ~ the charming owners Bernadette and Bob Williams along with the wonderful people who work there, Cathy, Dolina, Lucy, and Evan — and Wendy Louise who volunteered for the day, made it SO nice for us. (If I forgot anyone, please forgive me!)  The store is in a darling town you should put on your list to see if you are ever in this neck of the woods.  There’s plenty of reason to be here; everything in this area is filled with early history of our country. We went over to Plymouth too, and visited the Mayflower Society House.

They saved us a parking space right out front! (Oh dear, she already has her mouth open!) (Photo borrowed, with permission, from www.karenharveycox.blogspot.com ~ she was there, thank you Karen!)

I signed books for two hours having so much fun because everyone in line was talking and laughing as if they’d known each other forever. It was a Girl Party! Everyone was remembering Joe with the tea bag!  Ha ha ha ha!  We all agreed we have the “best girlfriends” ever!  We even had nuns from the Holy Nativity Convent come to say hello, my first nuns at a booksigning, and they were adorable, you would have loved them like everyone else did.  This is Mother Seraphima.♥

I asked for permission to introduce them to you; they said OK, and so, from left: Mother Pelagia, Mother Xeni, me, Mother Seraphima and Mother Martha, all from the Holy Nativity Convent.  And they’re all Girlfriends on the blog ~ They came because they’re fans of A FINE ROMANCE ~ they drove in from Brookline to have their books signed!  We had such a good time ~ they were so happy and fun to talk to, I was honored (as I was with every person I met) that they came.  They brought me a loaf of amazingly delicious bread, homemade by Mother Effie (who wasn’t with them), which I’ve been eating ever since, feeling very blessed. ♥ 

They also brought us these . . .

. . . gorgeous, handmade (they make them at the convent) 100% pure Beeswax candles with the delicate delicious scent of honey.  I have one going here in my studio right now, they’re slow burning and don’t drip at all.  And I discovered they sell them on line!  They are so inexpensive I couldn’t wait to tell you about them, what a nice Thanksgiving or Christmas gift . . . only $11 for eight candles! (11 1/2″ long x 3/4″ diameter) . . . Girl Kitty loved them too, here she is this morning,

 . . . wide awake in the holy candlelight at 4:30 am.

I munch this crunchy toast one mouse-bite at a time so it will last as long as possible.  It’s whole wheat with every healthy thing, flax seeds, oats, sunflower seeds, honey and lots more, including bulgur.  Mother Effie sent me the recipe to share ~ I’ll give it to you soon. You will love it! It’s heavenly!

Our Girlfriend Martha was also at the signing (I’m sorry to say, we didn’t take enough photos!) and brought me this recipe which I made for dinner last night.  You can print it out if you like.  Lately I’m leaning more and more toward a vegetarian diet, not rigidly, but I like it better, I feel better, so it’s easy to do. So when I saw this HEALTHY recipe from Martha, I said, oh yes, please!

Here’s how it’s done:  You start with a bunch of kale (try to get organic if you can) ~ wash it and let it dry.

Put the zest of one orange into a small bowl . . .

. . . and mix it with a half-cup of fresh orange juice.

Speaking of orange . . . 

Whisk the juice and zest together with the rice vinegar and maple syrup and set aside.

Cut or tear a bunch of Kale into bite-sized pieces . . . removing the stems.

Put the kale in a large bowl, pour the orange dressing over, mix well, and then massage it  ~ (I know, this is a first, massaging greens, but massaging softens kale, takes away the bitterness, and makes it easier to eat) just take each piece of kale between your thumb and first two fingers and give it a good rub. To know if you’ve done it right, taste it, if it’s still bitter, massage some more.  You probably know how GOOD kale is for you? ← Click there if you don’t.

Once the kale is ready (you can even see it’s softer here), add a bag of broccoli slaw, and a half-cup each of dried cranberries, chopped walnuts and sunflower seeds. (Or instead of cranberries, try adding beets and orange segments, and maybe some creamy goat cheese).

Mix it well and let it marinate for four hours in the fridge, stirring every so often. Give yourself a hug for making such a healthy salad! It keeps in the fridge for four days.

GOOD HEALTH IS THE THING THAT TELLS US THAT NOW THE BEST TIME OF THE YEAR.  Franklin Pierce Adams

and here’s another healthy salad . . . this  delicious Quinoa salad, I wanted to remind you in case you haven’t tried it yet ~ it’s perfect for a fall dinner and would taste just as good even if you weren’t trying to be healthy!

Some beautiful new things have come into the Studio, Girlfriends ~ starting with THIS ↓

. . . A brand new dream charm for your bracelets and necklaces!  This one is magic, it says “BE  ♥ AN ♥ ELF” one of my favorite little sayings. These days, elves are more important than ever before.

This is it from the side . . . the charms come in a small clear bag, each with a different gift card and message that says it all.

Here’s our other new charm . . . To celebrate AUTUMN from the Heart of the Home . . . ♥

This “I LOVE AUTUMN” dream charm is all about the swirling leaves of fall ~ but I’m sorry to say, there is one problem . . . we only received about a quarter of our order  . . . there was a mixup with the rest of them.  I don’t think what we have will last long, but they take such a long time to make ~ I don’t think we’ll be getting anymore this year since Autumn is racing toward winter . . . so if you like it, go now!

On top of that, our annual Limited Edition Christmas Ornament has arrived! 

Santa in all his pink-cheeked glory hanging from a gingham ribbon!

I’m watching a movie called The Merry Widow while I’m writing you  ~ and they just did the most wonderful waltz, I thought you might enjoy it!  It’s Maurice Chevalier and Jeanette Macdonald.  I have more to tell you, but I need to go now ~ I’ll write more soon!  I promise!  xoxo Have a wonderful day!♥ 

It’s raining, it’s pouring the old man is snoring . . .

TIME OUT FOR DREAMING . . .

Time out for dreaming, Girlfriends. One of the things I’ve learned over time is to listen to my inner voice when it tells me I’ll do better work if I take some time to dream and just be. So that’s exactly what I am going to do, but first a new post ~ I’ll show you what I have in mind . . . MUSICA 

 I actually started yesterday ~ I don’t think I’ve ever felt it as strongly as I do right now, I think it’s trying to tell me something ~ all the way out on the walk this morning I was in some sort of nature trance, I could feel the movement of every leaf and the drift of every cloud ~ it was sending me to the moon.

Our walk lends itself to that kind of dreaming. Looking at the sky through a canopy of leaves and of course staring at the sea is an excellent exercise for dreaming.

You’re all dressed up to go dreaming, mind if I come along . . .

I love reading old cookbooks too, especially this time of the year, it takes my mind to another world . . .

. . . and makes me want to bake something . . .

Because there is nothing quite as inspiring as coming in from a chilly fall day and smelling something baking in the oven. It makes a person feel good about herself, don’t you agree?

Another good one is getting under a blanket your grandma knit for you, totally guilt free, not a care in the world, with a kitty on your tummy, to watch a wonderful old movie like Random Harvest.

Also, making dinner with the birds at the feeders and no noise at all, just the clanging of the measuring spoons, the clanking of the spoon against the bowl.

Filling the little vases with whatever is drifting around the garden . . .bringing nature indoors. And I don’t have a photograph of this but I have to report an aphrodisiac alert!  Joe just walked by my studio window carrying our new storm door for the front door! I love a man in the yard in the fall!  So inspiring!♥

I love wrapping up in a cozy shawl and lighting candles and reading or just staring at the fire as the days grow shorter.

. . . and hanging clean dishtowels on the stove . . . is perfectly inspiring to me.

Of course writing in my dairy . . . extra squiggles are tucked in the back of my diaries, everything from greeting cards to ticket stubs — this is one of them (on the right), totally and completely meaningless . . . I have no idea why I did it.  I think I’m thinking about clothes!

This was me just starting out on a lifetime of dreaming.  In those days it was the noises of the neighborhood from my bedroom window that sent me off to la-la-land. I could lay on my bed and listen to that all day. I recreate that every chance I get.

This is just a little wonderful art (which I did, of course, NOT paint!)

Back then my dreams had no edges, no solid lines, they were unformed, I didn’t even know I was doing it.  After I grew up I learned about Beatrix Potter and always wondered what her dreams were like as a child.  She has always seemed so grounded to me, I wonder if she had flights of fancy. ♥

 But she definitely helped me to form my grown-up dreams.

She gave me places to go and people to see . . .

Dreaming taught me this . . .

Every once in a while I forget, but then I remember.

Of course, the fastest way to fill my heart with inspiration is to imagine myself back in England, for example here, in Ellen Terry’s garden.  I can still smell the fresh green-ness of this place, and feel the breeze and remember that it is actually poetry in motion.

I sat in that garden, with her lilac, writing our book, having tea AND Peah-Ci-da, listening to lambs baaah, all senses on high alert.  Deep breath, ahhhh, now that was a beautiful day.

An empire of imagination.♥  I am SO HAPPY Scotland, with it’s lovely men in kilts and the entire ecosystem of fairy magic, chose to remain as part of England. I was so happy to hear the news this morning, it made me cry!  It would have been very sad to see them break up after so many years. MUSICA  And I’m sure it will be better now! Heres to the future!

Here’s a bit of English charm I know you will love, also from Ellen Terry’s garden.

And this?  This is my first glimpse of Wray Castle, the place the Potter family rented on their first stay in the Lake District when Beatrix was sixteen.  I took this photo while on a boat crossing Lake Windermere, the egret was a gift. 

I wrote about the Waterhead Hotel in Ambleside (across from where you get the boats) where there was magic in the bathroom! This is the place!  I didn’t have room for a picture in A Fine Romance, but here it is! If you haven’t read it, you can (if you squint) below.

Like a basket of drinkable kittens . . . ♥

This stone cottage in Tetbury belonged to our friends Siobhan and John.  There is a river running just below the windows, it is raining and grey outside; just behind where I am working there is a woodstove with a little crackling fire.

Dreaming . . .

Isn’t it adorable ~ a perfect storybook cottage.  I wrote and watercolored these pages while we were there:

I was channeling Beatrix Potter when I did it. I had to.  I couldn’t help myself by that time.  I’d fallen head over heels in love with everything around me.  She must have painted and drawn on many rainy English days just like mine. 

Lambie Pie.

When a picture makes me cry, I know I’m on the right track.  This is the Yorkshire Dales and the grand sweep of it is beyond my words to describe.  But the sound of those wildflowers blowing against each other was enough to do a person in.  Permanently and forever.

Oh.  I’m sorry.  I’m losing it, right Girl Kitty?  Sorry. 

 Another thing that encourages my dream state, which I need right now for growth, is piddling around.  Putting away my summer books and putting out my red winter books. . .

 . . . filling vases and cups with flowers ~ because  I need nurturing, Joe needs nurturing, kitties need nurturing, our house needs it too, and I’m assigning me the job of doing it. For the sake of my dreams. ♥

Some people hang clothes on the line because they want to dry them.  I hang them on the line so I can go outside, smell the fall air ~ and watch them fly. 

Time to pull out the hooked rugs for the kitchen floor and put the draft stop at the door.  This draft stop is one of my favorite decorations for my kitchen in the fall.  I love it because it’s useful, it does a very good job of keeping the air out, plus, “Home Sweet Home” just says it all. ♥ The design isn’t stamped on, it’s embroidered!  It’s filled with Balsam needles and smells like Christmas.  Kellee says our Goat Barn at the studio (where these are kept) smells WONDERFUL.  Why? Because we just got a bunch of them in!  Are you excited?  Because I am! I’ve been trying for two years!

My guy, this morning, on our walk where all the trees were talking to me, making me cry from how beautiful it is out there. Beatrix Potter had her beloved Lakeland, and I have my wonderful island, and especially this little corner of it right here, with that guy on it, right there.♥

And one last thing before I go and do as much more-of-the-above as possible for as long as it takes . . . this↑.  Several of you have asked for Count your Blessings to be made into a print.  And Kellee listened and did it! From us to you with love.  XOXO  Have a wonderful day Everyone, be sure to take a moment for dreaming. ♥