Susan Branch's Blog, page 31

SEPTEMBER ELEVENTH . . .

Hola dearest Girlfriends ♥ ♥ ♥ . . .  MUSICA

It’s a very good day for counting our blessings out loud . . . Despite the evil we know exists, it is still an amazingly beautiful and wonderful world filled with good-hearted, thoughtful, giving, kind people everywhere. Pray, Love, Remember. ♥

I really can’t bear to see the replay of the Twin Towers falling.  I don’t need to see it again to remember, my memory is painfully clear.  So this is one of the days I am my own chaperone, do what is best for me, and turn off the TV.  I honor this day they way I want, working in the garden, cooking something wonderful, hugging my kitties.♥  The Toy Wife is on TCM right now. It is wonderful background noise for blog writing and the dresses are GORGEOUS.

We are home from our little jaunt off to Rhode Island ~ the washing machine is going strong, the day is beautiful, the laundry’s all going on the line to dry. We had a lovely time with PBS,(You can see a couple of pictures if you scroll down HERE) but there is no place like home.

I think you can see why . . . I mean LOOK at those eyes! Jack is so soft and mooshy, and as squirmy as he looks . . .

Home is where someone expresses her joy at our presence in no uncertain terms by wiggling all over the table cloth in the dining room.♥

It’s where leafy late-afternoon shadows dance down the walls . . .

And the sun set so beautifully behind the house next door.

Back to my own little world this morning, doing my favorite thing, writing away on the new book . . . it’s good to take a break, it makes you that much more excited to start again!

This afternoon, out come the fall decorations . . . we can feel a little nip in the air here, I’m wearing a sweater this morning, although the windows are all still open.  We’re going out for our walk the moment I press the “Publish” button on this post.

Not quite ready for this yet, but it’s coming!  Our next stop to sign books is Best of British, up in charming Newburyport, MA on Sunday, September 28th, at noon o’clock ~ it ought to be beautiful! Joe and I are going for a short leaf-peeping trip and stopping at this small store that imports lots of things from the British Isles to sign books.  It’s free, open to the public and we’d love to see you.  In case you need a weekend getaway. You can read about this and other events HERE.

Blessings Girlfriends . . . XOXO

HAPPY SEPTEMBER

HAPPY SEPTEMBER GIRLFRIENDS, Rabbit-Rabbit, one day late, but with heart!  MUSICA

♣ Are we ready for a change of seasons? ♣

We are so ready!  Did you all see the new fall leaf garland Janie designed for us?  She was inspired by the garland of leaves I put in my window every year ~  but hers is going to last a lot longer than mine do!  They do not curl and will not crumble!♣ 

SO!  This was our big excitement last week.  AUTUMN BOOKS!  Arriving at our Studio in California.  

The first book under our own Spring Street Publishing imprint.  We are so proud. Our first child.  And she is a beauty.  All ribbons and curls, oooh what a girl . . .

For all of you still waiting for yours, they are on the way!  And you are the very first to have them. They aren’t in any bookstores yet, nor are they on Amazon.  JFY.  Just for you.♥ Because we like us best.

Here’s Sheri, Kellee and Robin, with Alfredo behind the camera, getting the books ready to ship, putting a signed bookplate into every copy before they go out.  They’re all gone now, because this is the MOST hard working crew (Thank you Everyone!♥), so if you haven’t gotten yours yet, look for it today or tomorrow!  

About a half an hour ago an email went out from our Studio to all our favorite Independent Bookstores to tell them about AUTUMN, so hopefully you’ll be able to find copies in your local stores in time for Thanksgiving!  Fingers crossed.  If you want your bookstore to carry my books and calendars, be sure to tell them, they have so many things on their minds these days, they just forget.  I think we know exactly how they feel!

This is my To-Do list this morning: ✔1. Pack two hundred more pages of my new book to send to  my dad (Blog Daddy) to read and edit. (done!)  ✔2. Pack a thank you gift to Jessica and Bob for watching the kitties when we went to Nantucket. (done!) (Jessica sent this picture  via phone while I was over there.♥)  3. Sign as many bookplates as I can.  4. Go get my yearly blood test.  ✔5. Sign and send updated contracts for Time Factory for the 2016 calendars and for Publications International for new Mom Tell Me Your Story and Recipe Books. (done!)  ✔6. Send new 2016 covers for all five calendars to Time Factory for their catalog layouts. (done!)  7. Read over schedule for Rhode Island PBS co-hosting appearance next Tuesday night (not to make total fool of self).  8. Send requested photos and bio to stores for signings in November.    It’s like my Back to School list.  Lots too do, but this time of year makes me WANT to do it.

 and p.s. The book girls, the book.  It’s really my thing now, more than anything else.♥ I’m working hard to choose just the right words.

I would have also added #9 to the list: Work in the garden, but I changed my mind because apparently we are going out with a bang here on Martha’s Vineyard, weatherwise, it seems, this is what it looks like outside this morning:

 . . . drippy and dark, but it’s not raining. I wish I could tell you the sprinklers were hitting the door, but that’s not it either. It’s supposed to be 80° here today, we’re luckier than Boston, they have the same humidity we have but it’s 90° up there.  So I am inside for the duration.  With my little cool boxes of air conditioning keeping me happy.

Isn’t this gorgeous?  I can just about smell these flowers, and feel those clouds overhead, and breath that misty air while standing on that bridge. We have a lot to do between now and next Spring, but we are really trying to have everything under control so we can go there ↑ and take you all (virtually, I have to say, not to start any rumors I may have to explain to Joe) to Scotland via England and the Queen Mary 2, in May.♥ Are you ready? The thought just sends a chill through my whole body. I hope we can do it!!  Fingers crossed!

I’ve been doing a little investigation to see what we might be getting ourselves into, and I like what I’m finding, just look how beautiful this place is!

To drive on this road, past that little white house, stopping for sheep to cross, listening to old MUSICA, willy nilly, with no schedule nor rhyme nor reason to the day . . . this is my idea of nirvana.  

This too.  Walk over this bridge?  Please.  Would we not love this?  I think we would.  So we are trying.

My dad is doing the first edit of the book right now (the most important one, he one with the ♥ in it ~ you all know how good he is with words).And on September 14, I plan to send the whole thing to the “real” editor to see where we stand. Also on my To-Do list is an educational adventure which I’m doing in the evenings after my day of writing and painting is done. It’s important that I understand the people when I get to Scotland so I can eavesdrop in the pubs and find out what’s on the menu without saying, “huh?” all the time. From what I hear, in some places the accents are quite strong and it’s not always easy.  So I have accepted the additional burden of attuning myself to the Scottish accent and maybe a bit o’ slang while I’m at it. You ken?

Aye, it’s a heavy burden but I found the perfect way to make it not only bearable, but a pure pleasure.   Have any of you read Outlander by Diana Gabaldon?  I loved the book (it goes back in time from the 1940′s to the 1740′s and is wildly romantic) so when I heard they’d made it into a movie for cable TV, I actually had to do the unthinkable (because of those ridiculous “packages” you have to buy), and sign up to get Starz, just so I can watch Outlander.  I had to.  For science.  It’s my back-to-school project.  And, shockingly, it only added $10 to my monthly bill.  So I’m glad I did it ~ for more reasons than one, as I’m sure you can see. #1. It’s working, The movie is filled with people with strong accents, and I’m beginning to understand them ~ can even speak a little of it to my bathroom mirror and whisper into Jack’s pointy ear that he’s my little Sassenach.

But #2, the movie has been wonderful. A wee bit more violent than I like and there seem to be naked people here and there, but what else is new.  I just look the other way while they bandage up his shoulder, don’t see much of the jousting, and hope for some kissing.  And in the meantime I turn to Joe and say, “what’d he say?” less and less all the time.  So when we get there, maybe we’ll be ready. I love my school and my teachers are never boring.

Oh, we are in for a good time . . . and between now and then we have a lot to look forward to . . .

In late October we go home to California, crossing the country our favorite way, by train, packing up our teapot for our room with a view . . . It’s going to a short visit because I have a book to finish, but any visit will be wonderful ~ I’m homesick for my family ~ so we are going.  We’ll have a week at my Dad’s and another at my Mom’s, and one more in San Luis Obispo. And of course, we will bring you along via the Blog, and there will be Twitter from the Twain for those of you who are on Twitter and updates on FOSB Facebook too!

And then, we’ll be home for the holidays, and then we’re THERE Girlfriends, back to where it all began!  Our little English relatives, to see what they have been up to.

But before we do all of that, how about a few memories of summer?  Because it’s not over yet . . .

There’s still time for a little dinner under the twinkle lights…

Out in the moonlight in the garden ~ because as much as we love our books and movies, we want some of our memories to be real and star us in lead roles. The following will be our cast and crew . . .

The most wonderful sunsets . . .

Quiet evenings at the beach . . . watching the sun slip under the waves . . .

Seeing the whole sky try to follow it down . . .

And then it’s us, who follows it home . . .

Or maybe we find someone else’s deck to park ourselves for a while.

Good Night Sunset

and Hello

Moon Rise . . .

I know you’ve been following the moon too this summer . . . what a treat she’s been, eh?  Aye, a freebie beyond compare.

flirtatious too . . .

I found this on someone else’s website and I thought, that’s the truth. I could never in a hundred years get tired of this.♥

Except now.  No . . . kidding, I’m just going to see if I can put a few more check marks on my To-Do list.  BTW, I just opened my back door ~ Martha stopped by to drop off some DELICIOUS vegetarian chili she just made (extra for us) ~ when the door opened my glasses instantly fogged up.  That should tell you something. It’s a wall of wet heat outside my delightfully air conditioned room.  The grocery shopping part of my to-do list will have to wait until some other day!  

Have yourself a wonderful day dearest ones. Do something sweet for yourself and the ones you love. Maybe something cold on ice at the end of the day?  I will too.   XOXO 

LEAVING NANTUCKET HARBOR . . . a Summer Getaway

Here we are, leaving Nantucket Harbor . . .heading home to Martha’s Vineyard . . . MUSICA . . .

It was a short trip, but oh so sweet, we really needed a little summer break, all work and no play makes us dull boys.  It’s just so amazing to me that this “other world” is only a one-hour-and-ten-minute boat ride away.  Must do more of this!  I promised you lots more pictures Girlfriends, and here they are . . .♥

This gate with the little pathway and trellis in Sconset . . .

reminded me of one of my favorite paintings by Beatrix Potter . . .

I showed you some photos of the tiny village of Sconset at the eastern end of Nantucket in my last post, but I’m from the school of “there can never be enough” when it comes to this charming village . . . so here we are again . . .

With small closely-packed cottages, picket fences and porches, and streets made from clam shells . . .

And lovely flower gardens wherever there is a patch of dirt . . .

You can see the rose trellises they put on the roofs here . . . lots of houses have them.

Another trellis on this house . . .The oldest house in Sconset is called “Auld Lang Syne” and was built around 1670.

Could you ever tire of this?  No, me either.

We went to dinner one night here at the Chanticleer Restaurant, just up the street from those little clam shell streets.  One of the prettiest places I’ve ever seen. If you ever get the chance to come here, I think you would love this.

There are several eating areas to choose from . . . this is one of the outdoor porches . . .

There is another outdoor porch on the left of this photo . . . the two porches go down both sides of this lawn . . . that’s the main dining room inside those windows, for those chilly nights when you need a crackling fire to have dinner by.

But not this perfectly mild evening . . . By the time we left, these tables were full of people eating outside under the stars.

We chose to have a table on the indoor porch overlooking the back garden . . . this is the table across from us.  Do you see the roses?  It was really just this beautiful . . . There’s also a bar where you can eat where they had live Jazz.  But in this room (our room), they played French music.

We had Pink wine . . .

Our toast . . . Here’s to beauty! And Mas MUSICA . . .

The fresh island-grown tomatoes were so sweet, they tasted just like they look . . .

And what vacation would be complete without these?

The Chanticleer is almost covered in ivy . . .

And then, off we go the next morning to Nantucket Town . . . this is the main town on the island . . .

The crosswalks are brick, the original roads are still cobblestone . . . the island is very much protected by the Nantucket Conservation Foundation.  There are many rules about what can and cannot happen here. I’m not a person who loves rules, but I’m glad they have them on Nantucket.

Because it never changes.  The cobblestone streets were built one stone at a time many years ago, not many towns in America have these! They aren’t that good for stiletto heels (if you thought you might be wearing them, I would suggest you think again . . . ) and they are bumpy to drive on, but they will be staying despite all of that.

There are lots of interesting one-of-a-kind shops too, it’s truly a browser’s paradise.

This three story brick building was built in 1772 complete with widow’s walk to get a good view of the ships coming back from sea . . . you can read about Historic Nantucket here ~ Nantucket was the home port for the ships that took part in the Boston Tea Party. How about that!

Downtown Nantucket just after alighting from the way-back machine. Of course I love color, but there is something about these wonderful old black and white photos.

All roads lead to Nantucket!

For lunch this day we went over to Galley Beach Restaurant . . . Could it get any better?  No, really, this is just about as good as it gets.  That is our table right there on the left, the first one. If I lived here I would bring my book and come here every day!

If we looked out to the right, we saw the beach, if we looked to the left, we saw this . . .

If we looked down, we saw the menu . . .

And then this . . . under all these crisp-cooked island vegetables is fresh melt-in-your-mouth codfish surrounded in Lemon Beurre Blanc Sauce . . .

Then back to the house for a nap on the porch amongst a yard full of bunnies who seem to trust us (except the look in that eye says, “Yes, I trust you, but don’t try anything.”)

This is where we were staying . . . I think the original part of the house was built in around 1860.

This is just part of the reason I think that . . . the house is filled with photos like this . . .

You can just see the widow’s walk behind the white chimney in the photo of the house above, and here, we’ve climbed the attic stairs and gone through a door in the roof for a bird’s eye view  of the bay. . .

More view from the top . . .

And I took a few more photos inside . . . this is one of the cozy guest bedrooms . . . Every room has books in it, good ones too.

It’s a house of memories . . .

Another peaceful bedroom . . .

This recipe was on the wall in the kitchen, Cousin Hattie’s Apple Pie, a family recipe I’m sure . . . It must be delicious!  It has cinnamon, apples, nutmeg and bourbon in it!  Worth framing!

A house with kitty feet on the stairs.

A house of history.

Old photos, paintings, quilts, pillows, books and rugs, nothing matching, everything old and homey and real . . .

A whole wall of family height measurements, initials and dates . . . you see 1928, 1957, 1971, and so many more . . . amazing . . .

And lots of paintings of the house . . .

 I worked on my book in the early mornings, with this as my view as the sun rose. Oh Girls, I’m loving writing this book.  

 Time marches on, our last sunset, so quiet and peaceful, and time to go home . . .

Here we are, in Nantucket Harbor, on board the Hyline, getting ready to depart . . .

This is what it looks like on the inside of our boat . . . quite comfy, there’s a snack bar, and we have a table.

Here’s the view out the front of the boat . . .

And, we’re off! The view from my window . . .

Leaving the harbor, past the lighthouse, and this big boat just coming in . . .lucky them!

I took this from the window, that’s the same big boat curling around the harbor . . .

And off we go . . . Our little getaway is over.  But we learned one thing for sure . . . we should not wait ten years before we do this again! Deep breath, ocean air, sparkling day, cry of seagulls overhead, good memories . . . so lucky. ♥  Now back to reality . . .

Love you♥ Hope you liked that! See you soon! XOXO

ISLAND HOPPING; Martha’s Vineyard to NANTUCKET!

How do you feel about a trip to Nantucket?  You’ll have to leave him . . . can you do it? Perhaps a little MUSICA will help.

I tell you it is not easy . . .

How about her?  I know, it’s hard, but you have darling people, Jessica and Bob, staying with them, so it will be OK.  They have been trained in the fine art of rubber-band shooting.

So here we go.  Dropped off by Joe’s sister in Oak Bluffs, that’s our boat straight ahead, coming to get us.

We’re going island hopping . . . My kind of travel, no car and this is the view out the window from our table on the fast ferry as we’re leaving the harbor.

Passing all the summer frolickers . . . not the clearest of pictures because the windows on the boat were a wee bit salty!

One hour and ten minutes of smooth ocean travel wearing lovely sea bands just in case, and voila, we pull into downtown Nantucket where we are met by our dear friend and whisked away to his August hideaway . . .

. . . he rented this most glorious house and invited us to come over for a visit and thank goodness we did not foolishly come up with some sort of thing like Oh no, we can’t go, we have to work!  (For a change.)  You know how “house crazy” I am . . . well Nantucket is the place to indulge. Cutest places here, I just stared out the window as we were driving along, and then . . . this!  Can you imagine a more comfortable place to sit, talk, hangout?  No, me either. Get ready, there’s more . . .

Go out that door in the previous photo, you have your choice of THREE of these lovely seating areas on different parts of the deck. You can knit, you can read, you can write letters, you can nap, you can drink wine, you can stare blindly at the ocean.

 

With the quietest most lovely view, and the ocean breeze bobbing the lanterns around.

And rather a nice front row seat for the sunset . . .

The view, along with the light wind, makes all the little hairs on your arms stand right up; you pull your shawl a little closer.  Now watch what these lanterns do . . .

Ahhhhh!!!!  They’re solar powered; they come on all by themselves.  Aren’t they wonderful?

I’ve never seen them before but they were very close to magic as far as I’m concerned.  I got right on it . . . if you want these,  here’s where you go to get them . . .

 And soon, it was bedtime, we had a room with a view . . . and slept with the ocean outside our windows.

Thought you would like to see the dining room where we had our tea this morning.  Is this not a little bit of heaven? These wooden walls smell sooooo good! (I love traveling with you, we like so many of the same things!)

This house is old and has been in the same family for generations . . . the rooms are filled with photos like these. They are so lucky someone held on to these precious memories.

But this is my favorite, a shelf-desk just like the one Louisa May Alcott had in her bedroom. And the house is filled with books.

It’s kind of like a rambling old camp . . . seven or eight bedrooms in different wings, and there’s one wall where family members have been measuring themselves with dated pencil marks and initials since 1910.

This morning we went for walk in Sconset, which is on the other side of the island from where we came in on the boat, and very peaceful and quiet, especially during the week.  Especially at 7 am.

Back in the whaling days, the whale blubber (and other whale parts) smelled so bad, that the families built themselves “summer houses” on the other side of the island to escape it. Hence we have the darling town of Siasconset or “Sconset.”

Worth the getting-up and getting-out for . . . the day is fresh and the window boxes are fluffed on all the darling old houses…

It reminds me of England . . .a chip off the old block.

On one side of the street is that long walk along the ocean, and on the other side are houses facing the water. Here are a few we saw along the way.

From the name over the door, we are led to believe these people aren’t home much, but if this was mine I would change the name to Seldom Out.  It might not make as much sense, but it would definitely be closer to the truth.

Look how they continued the hedge in the back (left side of house) off the roof line and across the back.  Is that brilliant or what?  Then they took all the square lines and rounded them out with the smiling fence.

You want to stop for tea in every one of them.  Knock-knock, can I please come in?  Just a quick cup of tea, a nap with your kitty and I’ll be on my way.

It’s all fences and hydrangeas.

Fences, roses and porches . . . and charm . . . (Musica? Same song, same place . . . One more time.  Happy Summer my dear friends!)

And more porches, the kind you dream about . . . and roses grow on trellises on roofs!

Porches with stripes and pillows and wicker and rocking chairs . . . and starfish in the windows.

more hydrangea and bikes with baskets . . . love-love-love it.

And lots of driveways made from crushed clam and oyster shells . . .

Too early for a swim in the pool . . . but I’d say it looks like the perfect place for lunch. 

This used to be the town water pump a long, long time ago . . . see the plaque on the rock, below right?

Here it is up close:  ”The well was dug in 1776.”  Out here on this bitty island, less than half the size of Martha’s Vineyard, even then, teeming with life and determination.

And adorable houses like this one right across the street from the well.

A couple of blocks over, this is the only business on this part of the island. They have fancy groceries.

And the basics . . .

You can see why it might be popular.

When we got back to where we’re staying . . . I walked right out the door to take us down the little path to the sea . . .

I knew you would want to see this lovely little beach . . . I wish I could send this breeze to you via Internet Express.

This is the view when you look to the right . . .

 And here it is when you look to the left.  You have it all to yourself.

And this is the house as you walk back up to it from the water .  .  .  I have other pictures of the bedrooms ~ in case you’d like to see more.  We’ll be here for a couple of days.  I’ll take my camera everywhere!

But, in the meantime, I also wanted to update you on AUTUMN.  I’ve been getting letters asking for an update, so here you go.  Just before we left I got a sample of the finished product! I am thrilled with the way it looks.  There’s our long awaited ribbon, securely fastened in our new book.  Finally!  I love how it looks. What do you think of the color?  It’s like wine, brownish wine, fallish leafy color of New England.

This is such perfect timing, I am so ready for fall, I can’t help it, it’s my favorite season and we’re so on the verge right now — singing crickets and little cool breezes in the woods. The printer is saying he’s trying to have the rest of the books to us in two weeks. We are keeping our fingers crossed.  For sure, the second it comes in, out it will go, signed, to you and yours.

Autumn is the very first book from Spring Street Publishing so you’ll see this, our new logo, inside the book for the first time.  We are very excited in more ways than one.

Because being “in charge” means that our little bookie-book gets a new logo, a ribbon, a sticker and a new start on life for anyone who may have missed it ten years ago. And that makes me happy.

  And, let’s see, I had something else I wanted to show you . . 

Ah yes, this darling Pig pitcher.  He looks especially cute right now in my pantry, and he matches my elephant creamer! (The elephant is vintage, you have to find him in antique stores ~ once in a while, when I’m out and about, if I find an extra, we put him in our vintage store, so keep an eye out there if you’re interested).

Anyway, we found this beautiful little pig brand new and actually got a few of them in stock in case anyone else needs a perfect creamer for a large tea party, or for the myriad of other uses for which pitchers are famous.

He looks like he’s singing!

I think he’s adorable . . . I just got him a couple of days before we left, so far he has put milk on our cereal and that’s all we’ve had time for.  But, he made Joe smile (indulgently).

There’s a little spoon/teabag holder that matches, and I think there are a couple other piggy things in our store.  I really needed the spoon holder!

And soon, coming to a neighborhood near you, Janie has made us a wonderful new fall banner!

 And now, back to our regularly scheduled programing!  Nap on porch anyone? XOXO ♥

 

QUE SERA SERA . . .

Like this morning, I come down the kitchen stairs singing Que Sera Sera (or something, it’s always different, whatever the “guardian MUSICA angel” puts into my head when I first wake up, but today, Que Sera Sera) which brings back lots of memories, and gives me all these great ideas that run through my mind while I’m feeding the cats, emptying the dishwasher, singing, “ I asked my mother what will I be . . .” and making tea.  I can barely get to the studio fast enough (before I forget) to add the new memories and ideas to the book I am writing, and then something happens to me.  I disappear completely, I hear nothing, see nothing, only a sort of ticker-tape noise in my brain (which sounds just like when my brothers used to clothespin playing cards to the spokes of their bikes . . .very good for hypnosis) and when I wake up a. it’s 2 pm and b. I need a nap, and c. I have to do laundry, get the mail, and go to the market, on oh yes! My Girlfriends, I need to say hello!  This is my problem in a nutshell.  I knew you’d want to know.♥

Walking through town to the post office (after I spend the morning writing) is a good way to wake up from what sometimes feels like a dream . . . it’s August on Martha’s Vineyard, the weather has been beautiful (actually stunning: last night a HUGE lightening storm, pounding thunder, blinking electricity, sirens, lit candles, pulling Girl Kitty out from under couch) but today, another dry sunny coolish day, just heaven), and the gardens and trees along the way are in full leafy bloom.  The hydrangea practically froths.

The soil here on the island is acidic (because of all those leaves that are contemplating September. On their to-do list: Change), so most of our hydrangeas are blue, purple or white.

I love walking on the quiet streets past the old fences, where there’s wicker furniture on porches and in gardens. It speaks to me . . .

I thought you’d like to see this wonderful illustrated letter that came in the mail yesterday.  A real hand-written old-fashioned letter . . . a different kind of garden, but still, a garden …  it made my day. ♥

(Her toe hurts bet-tee.♥) I love that a high school girl likes our book, don’t you? That she took the time to write with her review? I love her mother too ~ all that cooking, how great. They are good sunshine-spreaders.  Wouldn’t you like to follow her around for the rest of her life and be with her when she goes to England herself someday? Stand right next to her as she looks out over the Dales for the first time, takes a deep breath and tears come in her eyes because of the beauty?  See the little lambs she drew?  I wrote her back to say thank you and told her to go to the Appendix for A FINE ROMANCE, for my little videos and more England and maybe a little Beatrix Potter . . . ♥

K I T T Y   L O V E

 I have left Kitty Love out of both of my last two posts but I woke up this morning with Jack’s eyes about three inches from mine, staring into my face; he seemed to be trying to tell me something.  Notice me.  Not that I don’t, but it is his goal that I never forget for an instant. There cannot be enough noticing.  You have to see what my house looks like.  He hints constantly:

By leaving rubber bands all over the house . . .

They are strategically placed everywhere he knows I go . . .  They are in every doorway . . . MAS MUSICA?

He puts them on his favorite window sills . . .

They are on the kitchen floor . . .

. . .  on the back stairs . . .

. . . in the dining room . . .

. . . in the hall, and he waits.

I picked them all up . . . these are just the ones from the downstairs . . .

I hold one up so Mr. Green Eyes knows I’m getting his hints ~ finally! 

I shoot it just above his head, he leaps off his scratching post, tries for it in mid air, misses (this time), runs to get it, brings it back up . . .

And points to it.  Just in case I might miss it.  So we can do it again.

and again and again . . .

Girl lounges.  She is fine with it, as long as none of it gets on her.  If the action comes too near, she daintily walks to the door and says, let me out please.  Because, unlike Jack, she is a responsible adult and is allowed to go outside by herself (because she is part chicken and never gets further than two feet from the foundation of the house).

She lords this freedom over Jack.  He follows her every move from the top of the ironing board or window sill or screen door.  When she comes in, he sees her as a neighborhood cat, ie, the enemy.  He lies in wait, he chases her up the stairs, but she is ready. He doesn’t stand a chance. A few growls and he is back downstairs . . . boom boom boom, his feet hit the stairs . . .

. . . and there he is, looking up at me with those eyes saying, Hey, remember me?  Have you seen my rubber bands?

W I N D O W   of    O P P O R T U N I T Y

So, the window is still open, but barely, this is the fleeting  moment, the five-minute opening in summer when the peaches are ripe and juicy, the plums are red and dripping, the cantaloupe is sweet and melts in your mouth . . .  So I thought I would remind you to take advantage of the moment with two delicious recipes you really can’t make at any other time of year . . . First, healthy and ice cold . . .

When it’s really hot and the bees are drowsy, I add “ice cream croutons” to this cold soup.  Little round melon-ballers of vanilla ice cream are a wonderful surprise to find in this beautiful peach-colored soup.  Speaking of peaches . . . you could have soup for dinner, and this ↓ for dessert, commonly known in the biz as having your cake and eating it too . . . ♥

Peaches and plums baked in a crisp . . . Bake this one for 25 minutes, just heaven on a summer night.  Make your weekend special with one of these recipes.  Peaches, plums, and Cantaloupes . . . the taste of summer.♥

B  E  C  A  U  S  E

Artsy fartsy photography, just for you.♥  We’ve got it all, don’t we Girlfriends?  With l♥ve from me . . . XOXO

F O R   N O W . . .

This is Your Life!

I’ve been wanting to do a post about my sister and her twin boys and today is the day!   First, MUSICA!  The picture below on the right, is my sister as a baby. I was fourteen when she was born (she’s the youngest of eight and I’m the oldest) so my mother let me name her — I chose Michelle after the most popular girl in my Junior High School (whose name was Shelly Stewart).  Most of us call her Shelly, some say Shelly Belly, and I call her Belle, as in Mee-shell, ma belle, somblay mon kee bon tre bien on somble . . . (my “French” is phonetic in case you can’t tell!).

That is Belle just after giving birth to the loves of her life in 2003.  Two little boys, Mason and Paden Stewart.

My sister was forty-one when the boys were born . . . she had suffered with breast cancer a short time before she became pregnant, so these little dolls were and are her little miracles.  Mason is in Green and Paden is in red.  Not that you will ever be able to tell them apart.

Happy babies from the beginning. I have no idea which one this is.

But here’s the other one.  If I was forced to guess . . . (I can’t).  Sometimes I call them and ask who’s who in a photo and the boys don’t know either, which makes me feel better.

They have been such good friends from the very beginning,  We would come in when they were infants and they’d be in their crib holding hands.

They’ve been in it together from the start.

Shelly and the boys used to live in Durango, Colorado. Unfortunately, their dad wasn’t well and so went MIA early on; that’s what happens sometimes . . . my brave sister has done it all herself. ♥

Maybe with a little help from this guy.  The twins are very much loved by my brother Jim who lived right next door to them in Durango for the first seven years of their lives.

They used to go on the job with him . . .

My mom came to visit and the boys are doing what they do all the time, making art . . . paper, pens, pencils, brushes and paint, they love it and they’re good at it. That’s Mason in the Martha’s Vineyard lobster jammies.  You might wonder why the one on the right (Paden) has a beard and those amazing eyebrows.  That’s because this was November first . . . think about it.

Here’s Mason on October 31st, doesn’t he look happy?  He’s getting ready to go trick-or-treating.  Shelly is a wonderful costumer . . . look at these boys ↓

So darling!!!!  She made their swords with cardboard and aluminum foil.  On the left, if I have this correctly, is Mason, on the right is Paden.  Or it could be the other way around. Either way, they could not have had any more fun going trick-or-treating that night than we did, going along and watching them.

I’m pretty sure this is Paden with the beautiful eyes.  But it’s hard to tell because Mason’s eyes look just like Paden’s!

I can almost hear Shelly going Arrrgh.

See what I mean about the eyes?  Holy Smokes as my dad would say.  Here we are in Las Vegas at the Shark Tank (celebrating my Mom’s 80th birthday), and these are stuffed toy sharks.  The one on the right is the Hammerhead shark.  They will know who they are based on who had the Hammerhead.

Mason, Brianna (their next door neighbor) and Paden, Adorable children, and beautiful eyes on all of them.

One way you can tell who they are (which doesn’t always work):  Paden is usually in the green shirt, Mason wears blue.  

Paden is not happy because he is having his picture taken under the giant statue of Marilyn Monroe in the Seven Year Itch called “Forever Marilyn” and he would just rather not.  I really don’t blame him.

These may be the only two pictures I have of them where they aren’t smiling.

They take paper and crayons or pens everywhere they go. They have sent us their art for years.

Here are a couple of samples of their wonderful work ~ Paden’s snowman, and . . .

Mason’s fish that looks like he might have a bit of chicken in him (I mean the fish — around the mouth). (Ooops, just got a call from Mason, this is an Angry Bird, of course, what was I thinking!)  The colors in both of them are wonderful . . .

They send me their art and I send them mine . . . these are the two tickets to paradise I made for them for their seventh birthday.

They are very proud of their Lego creations.  They put these things together, look close, there are like five of them on the table . . . 

This is another of their passions.  Minecraft. It’s a really popular video game and they LOVE it ~ at least they did last October when I took these pictures, by now I wouldn’t be surprised if they didn’t have a whole new passion.

Joined at the hip, they have magnificent obsessions ~ they know every species of shark (and draw great pictures of them); they also know the scientific name for all dinosaurs and whether they eat carnivores or herbivores (and draw great pictures of them).  When they were around seven, their school quit teaching cursive, so they asked Shelly for books with cursive writing and they taught themselves.   Boys after my own heart.  Here boys . . . Here’s some sharks for you:

Click HERE for Fun Facts about Dinosaurs.  I bet you know all this stuff already!

So these are their own home-made Minecraft characters. (His name is Enderman.) 

They make these little box creatures out of paper.(He’s a zombie.)

This one is like a snowman-pumpkinhead. (Actually to be exact, he is a “snow golem.”)  I know this may not be the most interesting thing to the Girlfriends, but for sure the TWINS will love it.  Right guys?  I thought the characters you made were wonderful . . . really creative . . . I liked them all but the craziest one was the tarantula! I don’t know how you did that!

These are their friends . . . from the left is Michael, then Seth, Mason, Ryan, and Paden ~ you can tell by their pinkies that they have decided to drink “elegantly!”  That’s what I heard.   You might note that perhaps the twins could be actors, they have very interesting facial expressions!

Shelly and the boys are HUGE animal lovers. MAS MUSICA?  This is Gracie who is no longer with us, except in this beautiful frame, which she deserves because she was a doll of a love bird. She stood on Shelly’s shoulder while she put on her make up, and took seeds out of her mouth.  Adorable birdlet we all loved.

From the left, starting with Shelly’s dog Elsie ~ then my brother Brad’s two Jack Russells, Samantha and Orbit ~ and then Shelly’s Pepper, Chica, and at the top right, that’s Schmoopy . . . and that really cute little hairless dog over there with the red car is Paden.

This is Jack.

Unfortunately Jack didn’t make it which was a very sad day for everyone. But he was given the BEST funeral with full honors. No fish was ever loved so much.  Look at the lemon/rock circle of love, plus the little cross . . . Boys, you did an amazing job with this . . . ♥

. . . brilliantly constructed from highlighter-enhanced ice cream sticks and a pipe cleaner. Rest in Peace pobrecito.

Elsie has also gone to heaven too, and one of the boys made this as part of their memorial.  The hearts!  ohhhh. xoxo

And now, Chica, on the right, my personal favorite because of her adorable winning smile and because she never forgot me, passed on only a week ago.  She’s in heaven now and only Pepper is left to carry on.  Everyone is being very brave and so happy they were able to have their petty-pets for so long.♥

So when Aunt Sue and Uncle Joe come to visit . . . what do they bring?

Something orange . . . hmmmm, it’s Halloween . . . so maybe . . . .

Ah yes, just a little something for the yard.

Shelly loved it too.

Belle is a great cook ~ she fixed us this most wonderful lunch of spinach salad with toasted pecans and strawberries.  To balance out all that health, she made her favorite recipe for “Macaroni and Cheese.”  Here’s the recipe . . .  she changed the elbow macaroni for “shell” pasta (of course she did)  ~ this has four different cheeses and is OUTRAGEOUSLY delicious. She served it all on our great grandma’s Haviland China. (Alice Carpenter, was the boys great-great-grandma.  That’s pretty good boys!)

Course we all had to go to the giant flea market.

And now it’s time to say goodbye.  We always kiss goodbye. We are sisters for life. ♥

Bye Mason, Bye Paden, I hope you enjoyed these pictures!  You live a magical life boys, mostly because of how you are.♥ Give your mom a hug for me.  Now look away because I’m going to say something nice about you . . . These boys are fun, funny, smart, and creative, such good artists ~ they’re really great as a pair, good to each other, good to their mom, and just the best to be around.  On top of that, for the last three years they have made the principal’s honor roll at school.  I hope they keep doing that forever.  And never change and stay just the way they are (inside anyway — they are allowed to grow up,if  they  insist).

AND JACKSON BROWNE?  If you’re out there somewhere, you should let my sister make some macaroni and cheese for you.♥  

BYEEEEE, XOXO 

NOSTALGIA and me.

I was born nostalgic for things I could not have a memory of ~ I just came out that way.  For as long as I can remember I’ve been interested in old things, old MUSICA, old movies, old houses and gardens, and especially stories of how people lived in the olden days.  I’ve always loved history, I think because it’s nostalgia sanctified.  So I belonged to Martha’s Vineyard the first moment I saw it because nostalgia is a way of life here so much so that it’s called “tradition.”  People return to the island summer after summer looking for a connection to the past and they find it, alive and well.

You see it pretty much everywhere you go, the narrow streets, the fireworks in August, the ferry as it comes and goes,  the meadows and fields, the view over Nashaquitsa Pond from South Road.  Here we are at Nip and Tuck Farm (now a farmstand called Ghost Island Farm).

For years it was a dairy farm (famously owned by Fred Fisher) as you can see by the bottles decorating the back wall of the store.  I used to go there for ice cold milk from their fridge and drink it in the car as I drove to the beach.  It was the most delicious milk in the world.

When you go there now, they are playing music the old-fashioned way . . . our MUSICA today is what was playing while we were there . . .♥ ♥ ♥ ♥ ♥ ♥

Look at those beautiful beets!  I couldn’t help but take a picture.

We were there to pick up fresh veggies, arugula, green onions, and parsley so I could make one of our favorite Summer Traditions, something no summer of ours would be complete without, homemade Crab Cakes.  I thought it would be fun to take you into the kitchen while I do it . . . because it’s easier than you would ever imagine and makes the restaurant-made ones pale in sad comparison. 

We bought this canned crab meat at our fish market here on the island and you should be able to find it at your supermarket. If not, The Net Result (freshest most wonderful fish, they have lobsters too) will ship it to you.  It’s pricey, around $25 a pound, but it’s all pure meat.  And this recipe serves eight.  And btw, a 3 oz. serving of this crab meat has 100 calories, 1 gram of fat, and no carbs.  ’Course that all changes by the time I’m finished with it!

“Lump crab” is what you need ~ but they’ve gone a little nuts with that “lump” and now you can be totally confused because there’s “colossal lump,” “super lump,” and “jumbo lump.”  Ridiculous crab namers.  You don’t want claw meat, because crab cakes should look like crab, so the lump you want is the one just above claw, which in our case was “Super.”  That’s plenty big enough.  You drain it, rinse it, and then break it up a little bit.  You have to do that so the pieces will be small enough to stick together, but big enough to say I’M A CRAB when someone cuts into it. I really don’t like it when I cut into a Crab Cake and say, “Where’s the crab?”  That won’t happen with this recipe.

From then on it’s a piece of cake.  Two egg whites go into a large bowl . . .

then 2/3 c. of mayonnaise

some Dijon mustard

and Worcestershire sauce

A couple of teaspoons of fresh lemon juice . . .

which you’ll need to strain so you don’t get any seeds

chopped fresh parsley

a half-cup of minced green onion . . .

Here we stop: This is where I may have gone a little bit wrong. And you know Girlfriends, I am not here to lead you astray.  This Crab Cake recipe (on page 86 of my Summer Book) calls for 1 and 1/4 tsp. of cayenne.  The quote on the bottom of that page says, “Woe to the cook whose sauce has no sting.” (Chaucer)  Well, no woe to any cook around here, because sting is what there is plenty of.  I will say that there was not a crumb left on anyone’s plate, they were DELICIOUS.  But if you make this, I suggest you put in only one teaspoon of cayenne.  That’s all the woelessness you really need — go change it in your book as soon as you’re done here.  Thank you.

Then add a bit of salt, a half-cup of fresh bread crumbs (you make yourself in a food processor)  ~  Stir it together well, then gently fold in the crab meat.

This makes either eight large cakes or sixteen small cakes (about 3″ in diameter for the small ones), however you choose to do it.  Form the little cakes, pat more fresh breadcrumbs on each side, put them on a flat surface and into the fridge for at least an hour before cooking them.

While I was making the crab cakes, Joe’s niece Arabella stopped by for a surprise visit from Oregon with her daughter Ava.  Arabella is Joe’s brother’s daughter and she, along with her husband Blair, make their most delicious Trathen Hall wines in Oregon’s Willamette Valley. Joe’s family is all beautiful like this:

Here are the present and the future, and we who know them can definitely see the past.  You can see between the first photo and this one, Ava is warming to the camera.  And in the next one, she is her normal natural self, along with her beautiful mom.

We had to stop everything to enjoy this precious moment. I knew you would like it.  But too soon they were on their way again. As you can imagine, they are a very popular pair and had rounds to make, friends and family to see and not ever enough time.

And I was back to the Crab Cake project, making up a batch of homemade Tartar Sauce to go along with.  Another easy, fast recipe (both recipes with all the correct measurements will be at the bottom of this post) ~ a quick stir of mayonnaise, minced parsley, capers, minced green onion, minced sweet pickle (or relish), and cider vinegar produces the most fabulous concoction, fantastic with fish, amazing with French fries.

And VOILA if I do say so myself.  The Crab Cakes are broiled, four minutes on each side until toasty brown.  See all the chunks of crab meat in there?  Serve them with a big squeeze of fresh lemon juice.

I put the cakes on a bed of arugula along with the lemon and the Tartar Sauce for the first course of our dinner with friends.

Here’s what the cakes look like inside.  They actually taste BETTER than this picture looks.  I hope you try them.

Mas MUSICA?  Oui?  And now, speaking of Traditions, how about Library Days? First off, this was the pretty article that ran in the Sunday Cape Cod Times the day before I was to appear at the West Falmouth Library.  I didn’t see it myself, but one of our Girlfriends was kind enough to send it to me (Thank you Pennie!).

The event was perfect, sold out with seventy-five people in attendance and all the proceeds went to support the Library.  It could not have been nicer.

This library has been around for a hundred and fifty years. It was started by five young women in the mid 1870′s in the quiet farming village of Falmouth.  From the start, as you can imagine, it was a focal point for the community.  It’s still in the same building where it’s been since 1896 and has evolved beautifully to the information age, as a library (and all of us) should do, in keeping with tradition and a nostalgic eye on the future.

I talked about my inspiration for A FINE ROMANCE, how I got the idea to do a diary of our trip through the English Countryside and how all of you came along as stowaways and how much fun that was.  There were lots of questions.  Here I am, trying to explain how we felt while Joe drove the narrow back roads, squished between hedgerows and cottage walls on the wrong side of the car on the wrong side of the road.  Do I look scared?  I should!

I’m immersed in nostalgia these days, because we are going waaaay back in time with my newest book and it could not be more fun to paint and write. I’ve been looking through lots of old diaries and photos . . . here’s a photo when I’m just teaching myself to paint, about five years before moving to Martha’s Vineyard.  I’m in Hawaii, but I’m so excited about my new hobby, I had to bring that metal box full of my art things on vacation with me.

I’ll leave you with this, one more little step back in time, because despite the crazy wildness of the days in which we live, this is who we are and who we will always be.  We just have to remember that and make it come alive in our own lives.  For balance.

Byee, love you ♥ have a wonderful time wherever you are! XOXO

C R A B    C A K E S

2 egg whites
2/3 c. mayonnaise
2 Tbsp. Dijon mustard
2 tsp. Worcestershire sauce
2 tsp. fresh lemon juice
1/4 c. minced parsley
1/2 c. minced green onion
1 tsp. cayenne (don’t be afraid, this is perfect)
3/4 tsp. salt
2 lbs. lump crab meat, drained and rinsed (“Super lump” I would say)
2 c. fresh bread crumbs (I make mine from sour dough bread and don’t let them get too fine)
lemon wedges

Drain and rinse the crab meat.  Make sure there’s no shell in it while breaking it up a bit.  If the pieces are really big, it will be hard for the cake to hold together, but you still want them big enough to show .  Stir together first nine ingredients, then gently fold in the crab meat and 1/2 c. of bread crumbs.  Form the mixture either into 8 large patties or 16 small ones (small ones would be a little under 3″ in diameter); press bread crumbs into each side, place them on a flat surface and refrigerate them for an hour or more.  This helps them hold together when they cook, which they do, perfectly.  TO COOK: preheat the broiler, put the rack four inches from the heat source.  Put the cakes on a lightly oiled sheet pan and broil them 4″ from the heat for 4 minutes on each side, until golden brown.  Serve on a bed of arugula with lemon wedges and Tartar Sauce.

T A R T A R   S A U C E

1 1/2 c. mayonnaise
1 1/2 Tbsp. capers
1 1/2 Tbsp. minced parsley
3 tsp. minced green onion
3 tsp. minced sweet pickle (or sweet pickle relish)
2 1/4 Tbsp. cider vinegar

Blend ingredients and chill.

It’s Quiet on our Street this Morning . . .

It’s so quiet on our street this morning. MUSICA.  All the windows in our house are open, it’s a beautiful dry day.  I’m writing this letter (’cause it does seem a lot more like a letter than a “blog post”) standing at my computer (standing! no more sitting for me, computer is perched on a box on my work-counter) across from an open window to the street. I just looked up because I heard the gravely footsteps of a runner going by, other than that, it’s all birds.

T  R  A  Q  U  I  L  I  T  Y 

 Yesterday Joe was gone all day, he took part in a sailboat race with friends.  I took advantage of it, stayed home and had the whole house to myself.  It was another gorgeous day just like today, I left all noises off, no musica, no radio, no TV ~ I just listened to the sounds of summer while I painted for my new book.  

 I wanted to show the rose hips that come from the wild roses that grow next to the dirt road where we go on our walk, because, aren’t they beautiful?

Painting and writing this book is a true joy for me.  I don’t know what I will do after it’s done because it’s so much fun ~ well, that’s kinda not true, I do have a little idea for what we’ll do after it’s done . . .

I think maybe I’ll have all the writing done by the end of August.  Maybe the whole thing will be done by next spring, God willing and the creek don’t go dry, or whatever that is.  And then maybe we’ll (Joe and me) take us all on another vacation, since we’ve been so good!  What do you think of that?  Do you feel like making another “crossing?”

Pray that the creek don’t go dry.

L a m b s !  O M G.

Oh Danny Boy, the pipes the pipes are callin’ me, from glen to glen . . . and down the mountain side . . .

I also made delicious Gazpacho (←click for recipe) yesterday, some for us and some for my girlfriend Martha because it’s Gerry’s (her husband) favorite . . . If you feel like tasting pure sunshine and health, make this.  Try to find organic tomato juice and organic vegetables ~ it makes you feel so good that afterwards, and I know this for a fact, you will lay down with your book and take a wonderful little nap.

I put shrimp in it too, the giant ones.  I went to the fish market to get them, and this is what’s growing in the parking lot.  Just your basic parking lot display.

So, when Joe got home, we decided we really need to be there when the “Super Moon” came up at 8:14 pm so we got dressed up (a little, by that I mean I put on perfume (Chanel #5) and he put on my favorite, Old Spice) and took ourselves out for a wonderful dinner with a view of the pond at a restaurant called Saltwater.  Then we went looking for the moon.

I could never in a hundred summers get tired of this.  We’re out at our best viewing position, on East Chop with the most unobstructed views.  Although I’m sure it was gorgeous no matter where you were ~ right?

One of these days we should plan to be out there in a boat for one of these big moons.

There were a few little clouds, but that only made the colors and shapes more interesting.  See the little airplane up there?

We had the telephoto lens on one of our cameras, but this is how it looked when we pulled back. I have to say, it’s much prettier when you can smell the water and hear it ripple and feel the breeze and see the colors without a lens between it and you.  But this is pretty nice too.

I tried so hard to get the moon in the same photo as the ferry, but that ferry was going too fast!

The light on the water.  This is summer on the island . . . these little pink sparkles.

So we hopped into the Fine Romance Van (oh yes, we still have her) and followed the moon into Oak Bluffs to take pictures on the harbor.  

I moved! This one is out of focus, but I thought you’d like the little dog in the boat.

Here we go.  Much better.  Those little close-together cottages you see straight ahead ~ just under the moon ~ are the outer edge of the Methodist Campground where they have Illumination night in August.

This is Beatrix Potter with her pet bunny, what do you think?  See any resemblance to our wild bunny below?

Same ears, same alert eyes, same nose!  Two days ago Joe was working out back and this little guy came bounding right past him and settled in the nearby shade of a weeping cherry tree to cool his belly in the grass, waiting patiently for Joe to move the sprinkler away from the choice new grass he had just planted.

He is our in-house lawn mower.  Lunching on our baby greens.  Isn’t he beautiful?  I love how the light shines through his ear.

Love how his legs are all stretched out in the shade, just a lazy bunny day.  See the carrot?

I’m taking pictures and Joe is throwing carrots.  I got this one in mid-air! The bunny did not seem impressed. I began to wonder if the whole rabbit-carrot thing was just some made up fairy tale, maybe bunnies laugh at us behind our back “what’s with them and the carrots?” . . . but when we went out later, bunny gone, carrots gone, but grass was still there.

Jack just saw something out the front window, peeled out of the studio, tore into the front hall and up the stairs, toenails clicking the wood, to follow whatever it is he saw from window-to-window.  He makes me laugh.  My job is to make sure all the windows are open.  Anyway, our bunny ~ he was a very nice model.

So that’s about it around here at old Branch Ranch. Things are good. Sheets are on the line, moving gently in the breeze, sprinkler is throwing sparkles in the air across the garden, robins are grazing on the lawn, a little old model T just turned the corner outside the window . . . and now I get to go back to my writing. I wrote the ending to the book the other day, and of course I cried.  Happy-joy tears and sad ones too, from feeling so lucky and then the part where life happens when you least expect it.  You’ll understand when you read it. I’m still adding details, some menus and recipes, some dialogue, mining my diaries for the juicy bits. (which of course then I leave out )

Speaking of writing, I’ve had several people ask me recently if there’s anywhere they can get the original snail mail Willards I sent out years back.  And yes, they’ve been bound into a book, I keep meaning to mention it although we’ve had this book in our webstore for a while ~ if you’d like to read them you can go HERE.

Also, the new Blotter Calendars have finally arrived.  Kellee announced it on Facebook a couple of days ago, so probably some of you know already, but I promised to mention here, so here they are.  New year, new format. Yay.  Let me know what you think!

You’re probably wondering where Jack is right now.  There he is.  I said, “Jack?” He looked at me, those eyes say, “What??? Is it time yet?  Do we get to go shoot the rubber band?”  

“Yes, Jack, it’s time.”

He’s out of here like a shot, I better go catch up!

Bye Girls and Boys, have a wonderful day! Here’s some “Goodbye MUSICA” to send you on your way. ♥ XOXO

LIFE INSIDE THE CONE OF UNCERTAINTY

Have you ever experienced the Cone of Uncertainty?  It is a scary thing, the uncertain unknown . . .  MUSICA

That’s our garden this morning, from the upstairs bedroom window, it looks nice and peaceful.

And here’s Jack, in front of the window, patiently waiting for me to put down the camera and pay attention to him.  The only thing he’s afraid of is that I might leave the room before I shoot his rubber band across the bed so he can catch it in mid-air with his two paws, put it in his mouth and bring it to me and show me what a very good boy he is.  He should never worry about that. I am his slave.

But things around here weren’t all that good a couple of days ago.  The Police Departments canceled everything on the island for the Fourth of July, shut down the ferry’s to and from the island ~ the parade and the fireworks were rescheduled for the fifth, which was nice because it gave everyone something to look forward to.  But first we needed to deal with a small problem.  A hurricane was coming.  Pouring rain was forecast but nobody knew what other damage Hurricane Arthur might do.  There were some grim predictions. The news media was saying Martha’s Vineyard was inside the “cone of uncertainty.” (If you can say that with an echo in your voice, you will probably understand how it sounds to people inside the cone.) Uncertainty is such a scary thing.  All we knew for sure, before the hurricane came, is that it was HOT.  Hot, Humid and Miserable.

We closed the house up, turned on the air conditioners and hunkered down to wait out the storm.  I can’t imagine what the tourists did; the island was packed for the holiday weekend. They couldn’t very well go to the beach.  I’m sure the weather reports put them in a little bit of a panic.  We were lucky because we live here so we had a perfectly lovely day.  I climbed into my time machine and wrote on my book for a while, and went through old photo albums sorting photos to be scanned for the book including the one I took of the tree that fell on my house in the hurricane of 1985.  I marked sections from my diaries that I hope to include.  I took pictures for this post while Joe tinkered at his workbench in the barn — later he went across the street to visit his sister and keep her company so I took advantage of the moment and mooshed into the sofa with the cats and watched Miss Potter for at least the 37th time (that’s what Joe would say) while the wind blew and the rain washed over us.  It was coming down harder than ever when we went to bed.  I hoped we’d still be here in the morning. That cone of uncertainty hung heavy in our dreams . . .

Early the next day, the minute it got light, I took my camera outside to survey the damage.  The storm was just rolling out and the clouds were moving fast . . . it had stopped raining, but the winds were still gusting, and best of all, it was so chilly I had to put on two sweaters.  The storm had blown away all the heat and humidity; cool, dry air had come in and it was glorious.  It felt like late September.  It made me fall in love with Hurricane Arthur.  

U n t i l   I   s a w   t h e   d a m a g e . . .

Oh yeah, it was a wreck… disgusting linden-tree blossoms were all over my Volvo . . .

There were leaves in the bird bath!!!!! I have no words for this.

Shockingly, the backs of the lawn furniture had been caught up in the deluge and had been blown forward.  BOOM!  Must have been a real racket when that happened.

I don’t know if you could see it in the last photo, or even this one, but close-up, the leaf litter situation is dire.  Tatters all over the lawn.  A real mess.  And then there was this:

Our new hibiscus. Dead in the driveway.  (Well, maybe not dead.)  I was almost afraid to go upstairs and check out the rooms in the house to see what had gone on there.  But as homeowner, it was my job to know.  I steeled myself — for good reason — as I found out, the worst was yet to come.

Wait, don’t you want to see the worst?  Squinch your eyes together and allow yourself to get used to this painful sight slowly.

I’m not kidding. This happened. We forgot to close the window.  Wind took ‘er right down. So sad. Must go fill out the insurance papers.

But the most amazing thing is how quickly Mother Earth can heal herself.  Twenty-four hours later, even after something like that, she is green and beautiful again.

The island is coming back to life.  :-)  I hope all our hurricanes can be this wonderful.  And all the hurricanes in all the places in the world.

The next evening, on July 5th, the Fourth of July for those living inside the Cone of Uncertainty, we went with friends to the Vineyard Haven Yacht Club to have dinner next to the water and watch, from far far away, the Edgartown fireworks.  

This has royally messed with our Cone heads because now we don’t know what the date is anymore.  We are in utter confusion.  But we took it like men and quit fretting ~ what difference does it make?  Just let the soft breezes and salt air brush over us and watch the boats come in, and soon, it was like 1934 and we were beyond the reach of mundane modern-day concerns like what day it is.

Fireworks going off behind the ferry has got to be a quintessential Vineyard view wouldn’t you think? I imagine the people on board feel like they just stepped into a movie.  What if this was your first time ever to arrive on the island?  Wouldn’t that be unforgettable?  This is the work of the Vineyard elves I told you about in one of my first books.  Running ahead, putting visions like this out for anyone and everyone to see.  I might have been homesick when I first moved to the island, missing my friends and family in California, but once you know about the elves, it’s very hard to leave.

Sometimes there are nights that are so beautiful you actually forget to take pictures, and this was one of them.  We got these few, and this one of a yacht coming in . . .

But, sadly, we forgot all about pictures of the dinner and the dancing. It was actually a dinner dance at the yacht club, and I can’t tell you how much I wish I’d gotten a photo of so many things, including the HUGE bowl of fresh strawberries, the other HUGE bowl of whipped cream and the platters filled with shortcakes they put out for the dessert buffet.  

It was an old-fashioned island dance, women wore summer dresses, men had on ironed pink shirts.  Like a country dance being held in a garden, only this was the shore. The music was heavenly,  the air was cool, we walked out on the pier and looked at all the blinking lights around the harbor and heard the water lapping on shore, it was a lovely evening, and it didn’t matter one iota that no one knew what day it was.

 

“I bought a dress, a romantic dress, a purely summer party dress: white, splashed with large pink dots, a floppy full skirt and bared shoulders.  A dress for a summer tan, a summer dance.”  ♥ Alice Adams

Then yesterday, for a change of pace, I painted my Prince Charming porch frog green.  I always wished he was green, because I thought green would make a better contrast (from the beige he was before) to our white porch rail.  So there he is, green as can be.  Still all heart, sweetness and light.

There are lots of COMING ATTRACTIONS in my future I thought I would share with you.  This is one of them, coming soon . . . this is our new Blotter Calendar.  I just got the first one, hot off the press ~ I have to tell you, it turned really nice. Look how much bigger they are than they used to be.  I put that paper clip there for size, can you see how big this is?

Here’s a better way to show it . . . this is my new wall-calendar on top ~ Kellee told everyone on Facebook they arrived last week, but just in case you missed it,

 They came in last week!) ~ you can compare the two sizes ↑ here.  I have a better idea . . .

I just realized I could use one of the old blotters for comparison.  This really tells you.  The new one is 22″ x 17″ to be exact.  The Wall-Calendar, Two-Year Purse Calendar, Mini and Magnet are already in . . . and the Blotter is coming soon.

And I’m celebrating because today I send in the signed contracts for the Chinese Publishing Rights to A Fine Romance.  This is the first time any of my books will be translated into another language and I’m very excited about it.  They are going to copy the entire book using a “Chinese Handwriting Font”  – I can’t wait to see it.  It’s probably going to take months to do it, but watch this space because someday I’ll show you (and me) what our book looks like in Chinese! If I get an extra copy, I’ll sign it and we’ll make it a give-away.

More coming attractions start with “Yesterday,” when I had the very difficult assignment of going through our old Trip-to-England photos ~ I’m being reminded in this photo of the serendipity of deciding whether or not to go on and follow that path and see what’s at the end, or turning back.  Of course we went on! Look at that place! How could we not?

The reason I was doing this is because I was asked by PBS Rhode Island Television to cohost a “Brit Com” Night next September 9th from 7:30 to 10:30 pm with Kathryn Larsen.

How fun!  They are a PBS station that shows lots of wonderful English TV, such as Doc Martin, and (dare I say it out loud) Downton Abbey.  I hope they stream our show so everyone can see it. I don’t know if they do yet.

They want us to talk about where we went and how I wrote A FINE ROMANCE and to give away lots of signed copies of it and also the new Ten Year Anniversary Edition of AUTUMN and Calendars too!  The give-aways will be for people who send in pledges to the station, and they’re going to show lots of photos of the trip too ~ my only trouble was choosing which ones to send! My hope is that everyone watching will end up . . .

J U S T    L I K E    U S  !

I don’t see how they could help it.  It should be a lot of fun, I’ve also never been on PBS before, so of course I am instantly on a diet. We’ll talk about that later.  

And one last thing:

I get to go back to the public library!  My favorite summer thing to do!  On July 14th (just around the corner I think …. if I knew what day it was I’d know for sure) at 4:30 in the afternoon, I’ll be speaking, signing A Fine Romance and answering questions at the West Falmouth Library on Cape Cod ~  You can read more about it HERE. Just in case some of you are in the neighborhood, I’d love to see you.  I promise we’ll try not to have any hurricanes.

There are even more coming attractions, but I will save them for next time! Hope you are having a wonderful day everyone, Byeeee for now, XOXO

 

Being Lazy . . .

Rabbit Rabbit, I’m back Girlfriends, didja miss me?  I been busy, oh so busy, doing nothing, being lazy . . .  MUSICA 

Each day I come to the studio with the intention of writing a new blog post, but the windows are wide open because the weather has been so wonderful and it gets light so early in the morning and the breeze is coming up from the harbor and the garden looks so pretty from the kitchen window so I go look at it, and what do I see, oh my, weeds, so I sit down to pull a few (under that awning they call the sky), and then it’s time for lunch and then I start writing my book and I can’t put it down until it’s time to go for a walk.  I think you get the picture. I needed what Gladys Taber said we all need . . .

 And so that’s where I’ve been.  Taking a long deep breath of home. Peeping through the deep tangled wildwood . . .  

Hanging the napkins and tablecloth to dry on the line . . . while dreaming . . . 

planting flowers (Calibrachoa) while remembering . . .

Eating lunch in the garden. For those who read this blog, you probably remember — first we went to New York and when we got back I needed to prepare my AUTUMN book for publication, and then it was time to think about the talk I was giving at the Gladys Taber Reunion, and when we got home from that I got everything ready, made salads and plans for my four high school girlfriends who were coming from California for their first visits to the island. So it’s been go go go. And after they left, it was the brown birds and the butterflies that became the problem . . . it was this . . 

I didn’t fight it. I couldn’t, I needed to breathe it in and refill my inspiration cup, and that’s what I’ve been doing. Not really lazy.  So let’s start here, in the garden, and why not, It’s July! We are in the midst of summer.  Summer!   A little of this, a little of that, and we’ll be all caught up again . . . so here we go. Finally the roses are blooming . . .

New Dawn roses on the arbor ~ Joe put up the twinkle lights for the girls.

This is what our walk in the woods looks like right now! I took the girls every day they were here. I wish I could describe how wonderful it smells, all piney and woodsy, leafy and green, I think you can see why I love it so much.  A mile and a half out to the water and a mile and a half back.  Perfect.

The reward at the end of the road.

I’ve been bringing the flowers from the garden inside so now I have a cottage garden outside, but my “kitchen garden” is now IN the kitchen.

Sheri sent me the new Emma “jug” otherwise known as a “pitcher” ~ so adorable, it’s called “Rose and Bee” and there are matching mugs and tea towels too, I had to carry it around a bit, it’s been in every room in the house, but this is the spot I love it the best. Mrs. Rabbit-Rabbit agrees. We can keep our eye on it here.

Jack kept his eye on me while I was out cutting hydrangeas. And Vice Versa.  See him?

My first Just Joey rose is in bloom!  And Just Jack Just Loves It!

 Every time I go outside I have to get out another little vase, I’m going to need another shelf soon.

Jack keeps his eyes on the birds.

This is how the garden looks as the sun is coming up . . . sunlight brushes the tops of the pickets, and puts a bright spot on the golden cypress.

The delicate yet bold old-fashioned hollyhock.  Take a deep breath of that. (I already checked it for bees, you’re safe.) The crown of any cottage garden. I have two this year but they’re already on my list for next year, I need more, because I am berserk for these. They grow over six feet high and still manage to look very sweet.

Flowers.  The glory of the earth.

Even a lawn filled with clover flowers and flitting bees is lovely.  If you’re new to this blog, you might wonder about how my picket-fence garden came to be and if so, here’s my How-To Kitchen Garden.

You can blame these guys for my absence too.  I had to schmoosh them.  It kept me very busy.

Girl Kitty prefers her schmooshing to be very soft and gentle.  She likes to be carried over my shoulder like a baby and have her ears rubbed. Her mantra?

Jack would prefer to run and play, have me hold him up to look out of windows, have me bring in grass for him to smell.  His mantra?

They have been patient while I made salad dressing 

This is Jack, asleep on my art table next to Gladys Taber’s Especially Father book.  He fell asleep waiting for me to throw his rubber band. And then just as he thought he might get me back, I did this!

But how could I not???  SO much fun!  The kitties have been very patient waiting for me to get home!  This is Lynn (above, from the left), Marilyn, Cathy and Karen (Karen I’ve known since I was nine . . . she’s the one I met the Beatles with, everyone else I met in Junior High School) . . . we are, as you can see, at Nancy Luce’s grave in West Tisbury, a Vineyard must-see as far as I’m concerned.  (If Nancy Luce doesn’t sound familiar to you, you can read more about her HERE.  Sometimes she’s known as the “Chicken Lady,” but she’s so much more than that.)

We had such a great time, dinner on the water and dinner under the arbor; after lunch on the harbor in Edgartown, we walked up North Water Street and looked at the old houses with Widow’s Walks, laughing about being on the drill team, our outfits, the routines, Miss Robathon, making our pom-poms at Marilyn’s house at a slumber party, going to Lake Arrowhead on spring break, boys we had crushes on.  It’s actually quite surprising how little I really knew about everyone. Like if they were the oldest or the youngest in their families.  Or how many brothers or sisters they had. Or something about the lives of their parents.  Things I would think I would know.  That’s because an amoeba has no brain and when I was in high school I was an amoeba, single-celled, as yet unformed. It was so fun to compare memories and meet each other as grown ups.

We ate icy raw littleneck clams and fresh hot steaming lobsters; we went shopping, we went to the Campground and to the lighthouses and to Menemsha . . . to every spot of interest we could think of.  We sang in the car, windows down, winding on the island roads, old songs, Like this one . . .still my most favorite thing to do in the world, sing in the car with the windows down, and it’s because of these people.  They started it.

It couldn’t have been better, but too soon it was time to

say goodbye, waaaah.

. . . and suddenly it was quiet and we were alone with no place to go . . . it took some adjusting . . .

I could almost hear the clover growing.  It’s a very lovely sound.

 You can also blame my new book for my absense.  Because as my inspiration cup is filling, I wake up full of dreams, I make my tea and then I start to write and sometimes I can’t seem to stop. Every day a new detail gets added, a phrase, word, painting, photo, thought, remembered conversation, or song — I don’t want it to end. (“Reaching for the infinite.” ♥ GT)

BUT . . . here we are, hard to believe it’s already 

Now it’s time to hang the flag . . .

 And celebrate the birth of our nation.  I’ve been saving this to show you . . . I found it written in crayon on the back of an old Christmas Carol book.  This seems like the perfect time for it!

Time for the red white and blue.

Time for fireworks . . .

Time for a picnic . . .

. . . and all kinds of wonderful picnic foods . . . What are you bringing? . . . How about cold Lemon Rice Salad with lots of flower petals, delicious AND beautiful — here’s the RECIPE. 

or the best picnic cake of them all . . . tender and moist, not too sweet . . .

 Pineapple Upside-Down Cake with a sticky brown-sugary edge and vanilla bean sauce.  Yum!  Here’s the recipe for that…

Or, fresh from the garden, Squash Salad with Nasty Nasturtiums.  Easy, quick, delicious, the squash stays crisp, like pickles.  Try it!

Before I go, in case you haven’t noticed, if you have my wall calendar hanging somewhere in your house, something is hideously missing from it.  You’ve probably figured it out, but if you haven’t, try not to look for July 31 because it’s just not there.  I have a weak, limp excuse and/or reason, and here it is, it comes also with a strong, forthright FIX . . . so go there to read more and add that little something to your calendar that all calendars should have.  The last day of July.

And one last little reminder for all of us

As Jack would say

Love you XOXO GO USA