Hi Friends!
Togetherness, during this year of change, feels so very different! Thankfully, we are all finding ways we can gather while we stay safe and healthy at home. Today’s letter is a very long one! You will need a cup of tea or perhaps some eggnog. 🙂 Get cozy, sweet friends! Hope you’ll enjoy…
Longtime friends of our blog know how much I cherish the hand-lettered words and beautiful watercolors of my very favorite author and artist, Susan Branch. ♥ Susan’s creativity has touched my heart ever since since 1986 when her very first book was published. Six years ago, Susan’s blog inspired me to enter the wonderful world of blogging. I always look forward, with immense joy, to the times I can gather with Susan and her Girlfriends. We always celebrate togetherness as the entire room overflows with creativity, kindred spirits, and kindness!
A few memories from a book signing with Susan Branch in 2013
I was overjoyed to meet (and hug!) Susan for the very first time at a small, independent bookstore during her cross country road trip to celebrate her book, A Fine Romance. New friendships made that evening continue to grow today. Long after most everyone went home, Susan and Joe lingered to chat with us about their travels in England as we gathered outside around their van.
A lovely tea party with Susan in 2013
Later that same week, Susan gathered with even more Girlfriends at a tea party in her honor in Wilmette, Illinois. It was such a treat to hear more stories about Susan and Joe’s travels in England. As we all waited in a very long book signing line, dear new friendships formed among kindred spirits. Of course, there were more hugs as Susan signed my books!
Another delightful tea party with Susan in 2016
Meanwhile, Susan wrote and illustrated the next two books in her wonderful memoir trilogy, The Fairy Tale Girl and Martha’s Vineyard, Isle of Dreams. So, she and Joe celebrated with another cross country tour in 2016. There was an even bigger tea party, in Wilmette, Illinois in Susan’s honor! Kindred spirits reunited that day to celebrate deepening friendships as we met more new friends. Susan has a such a wonderful way of bringing us together. Of course, there were more hugs from Susan! She truly touched my heart with her ever-so-kind words that day. Oh my! I was so surprised when she told me that she enjoys stopping by to quietly read our little blog. ♥ Kindred spirits!
Togetherness suddenly changed for us all this year. Throughout the Spring and Summer months, while she stayed at home, Susan worked extra hard on a new book in her home studio, on Martha’s Vineyard. She realized that we would all need a little ‘extra’ Christmas spirit THIS year!
My copy of Home for Christmas arrived, hot off the press, several weeks ago. I carefully tucked it away until the first week of December when I knew I would need a little ‘extra’ Christmas. What a delight! Susan’s charming story of her very special family Christmas in 1956 will warm your heart, bring back fond memories of your own, make you smile, and might even bring a few tears.
As I read about Susan’s family Christmas, so many memories of our family Christmas celebrations in the late 1950s and early 1960s danced through my heart! I’m sure my parents will enjoy this little gem of a book, too. The past few days, I’ve been sharing some of my favorite family Christmas memories with my mom and dad…
Susan shared her memories of looking at Christmas decorations in their California neighborhood in 1956.
Our family loved to visit my Aunt Judy and Uncle Jimmy during the holidays. Their Chicago neighborhood was a Candy Cane Lane, too! I have such warm memories of bundling up for an after-dinner walk down their block on Christmas Eve. One house had a large glass case with a life-sized Santa Claus playing an organ! Christmas music drifted down the block as we walked and admired the twinkling lights and decorations at each house. It was a Winter wonderland! After our walk, we would sit in my aunt’s fancy living room (Do you remember plastic slipcovered furniture?), sipping Christmas punch (while trying not to spill it), and singing Christmas carols while Aunt Judy played the organ.
Susan shared her joy as her grandma arrived for the holidays!
Our special tradition was always to celebrate Christmas Eve with my dad’s side of the family. Each year, we would gather at a different home for a magical Christmas Eve celebration! Several years, we chose to celebrate a different country each Christmas Eve. One year, we had an old English Christmas, another year, we celebrated a French Christmas, and so on. I will always remember my Aunt Gilda (a wonderful artist, teacher, and world traveler) illustrating the invitations as I carefully helped her color them. We would tuck a special recipe into each invitation, so that each family could bring a special dish from the country we were celebrating.
We always celebrated Christmas Day with my mom’s side of the family. After we opened our stockings and our presents from Santa early on Christmas morning, we couldn’t wait for my grandma, aunts and uncle to arrive from the countryside. Their car was filled with big surprises for the entire family. My collection of dolls seemed to grow every December! Each year, there was someone new to love and care for ~ Tiny Tears, Chatty Cathy, Poor Pitiful Pearl, Barbie, Ken, Skipper, and of course, a Dawn doll, too. (Did you play with any of the same dolls?) My mom always made a delicious, traditional Christmas dinner. We couldn’t wait for her amazing Christmas cookies to appear on Christmas Day! She had been baking cookies for weeks and hiding them so that they would last until Christmas Day. (Shhh! I might have discovered Mom’s secret hiding place for cookies!) 😉
Susan’s sweet illustration of her grandma’s car brought back a flood of happy memories, too! We had the very same 1955 green Buick! We loved driving out to the countryside every other weekend in that car to vacation at my grandparents’ home along the Fox River. In the days before expressways, it was a very long ride for my younger brothers and me! Sometimes, we had to draw that ‘invisible line’ dividing the backseat to keep us all happy. Most of the time, however, we were content playing Auto Bingo, as we searched for cows and horses along the way. Our biggest adventure with our old green Buick was our drive from Illinois all the way to California to visit relatives in 1960. Since our car didn’t have air conditioning, my dad bought a special air cooler to hang on the window for that five day drive out west. Along the way, we made frequent stops to fill the air cooler with bottles of water. (Do you remember air coolers on cars?)
Christmas ‘magic’ always fills me with childlike wonder!
Home for Christmas truly is the little ‘extra’ Christmas we dream of in 2020. As you take delight in Susan’s Christmas memories, you will savor so many memories of your own Christmas celebrations! What a gift to us all, dear Susan! Heartfelt thanks for stirring so many precious memories of togetherness to help us through this holiday season! ♥♥
Of course, Susan wasn’t able to come visit us all this year in celebration of her newest book. So, she planned several virtual gatherings of Girlfriends over the past few months. Her gatherings benefited a local senior center and several small, independent bookstores.
Visiting Beatrix Potter’s home was a dream-come-true for Susan!
In August, Susan invited her readers into her cozy kitchen, via Zoom, to share a slide show and some of her favorite memories from their trip through the English countryside that inspired A Fine Romance. What a delightful afternoon of togetherness!
In September, just as our copies of Home for Christmas arrived in our mailboxes, Susan gathered with us, via Zoom, to share some of her favorite family memories of Christmas 1956. Susan was in her kitchen and I sipped tea in our dining room, with a special feeling of togetherness.
Yesterday afternoon, 1,034 Girlfriends gathered with Susan Branch for a final gathering of kindred spirits this year. It felt like a reunion as we chatted, via Crowdcast, while we waited for Susan. There were so many friends greeting one another from near and far! From her charming kitchen, the ‘heart of her home,’ Susan answered our questions, shared her dreams, and told us about the books she is currently writing and illustrating. We are looking forward to her book of beautifully, illustrated quotations! (Just my cup of tea!) Susan is releasing the first chapter of her upcoming book, Enchanted. This very special book is an illustrated diary of Susan and Joe’s four-month adventure in England, Ireland, Scotland, and Wales. (Can’t wait to read about their travels in Ireland!)
Huge thanks, Susan and Joe, for inviting us all into your home so many times this year! It’s always a very special treat to spend time with you. You inspire us and warm our hearts every time, Susan. Sending big air hugs! ♥♥
Heartfelt thanks for visiting with us today, sweet friends!
I look forward to gathering here again very soon.
We all need a little extra togetherness right now…
Be safe! Stay healthy!
Warmest hugs,
♡ Dawn
P.S. Please let us know if you have ever attended one of Susan’s gatherings!
P.P.S. If you type ‘Susan Branch’ into the search bar in the blog Archives, you will find many posts about Susan. 🙂
Petals. Paper. Simple Thymes 
Dawn, how lovely to hear of your sweet Christmas memories. Each one is magical and certainly hold a special place in your heart. I love Susan’s newest book and placed my copy on the living room hearth as we decorated for Christmas. I’m hoping as we celebrate this season our own children and grandchildren will share their own special memories of Christmas past. Sadly, I have not been able to attend any of Susan’s meetings. I’m so glad you have! Her newest books will certainly be in my home as soon as they are published. As you know, A Fine Romance was the inspiration for our first adventure on the Queen Mary 2 to England. I am forever grateful to her for sharing her heart and spirit of love.
Blessings to you and John and your family as you celebrate Christmas this year. Love, Martha Ellen xoxo
Happy December, Martha Ellen! As you read Home for Christmas, I’m certain that wonderful memories of your childhood Christmas traditions filled your heart with joy.💕Every page brought back such special memories for me!
It will be such fun if your children and all three grandsons share their favorite Christmas memories with you. It will be delightful to see how they each remember the special family stories! When our parents were living in Arizona, I often made them little videos as special gifts. It was so funny to hear my brothers and I tell our favorite Christmas memories. Each of us remembered the details so differently from our own point of view!😉
Yesterday’s gathering with Susan was recorded and the video is posted on Susan’s Facebook page. Hope you can brew a cup of tea and spend a special hour with Susan, dear friend. I know you will just love your time together!
I do remember your very special Fine Romance anniversary trip. You and Grayden planned such a perfect adventure to celebrate your wonderful love story! It will feel so amazing when we are able to travel again safely! We just have to be patient for quite a while.
Sending love and warm hugs to you, Grayden, and your entire family! Please take extra good care of yourselves!💗
Wasn’t it grand? I am never sure if I am ever able to join events like this, but I was on line for this one. I remember Susan’s Christmas book arrived mid-September. I didn’t want to read it yet, but I could not help but take a tiny peek. I made it to page 4 and saw “For we need a little music, Need a little laughter, Need a little singing”…and that was it. I whistled and hummed that all day. SEPTEMBER. I am singing Christmas songs in September! And on November 1st, I began to decorate for Christmas and Sirius XM began broadcasting Christmas music and I have been tuned in! Never have I decorated this early or listened to Christmas music this early. But we REALLY needed a Little Christmas this year. And after Thanksgiving I read Susan’s book. And like you…it was my Christmas too. In 1956, I was 7 years old at Christmas and lived in a Craftsman style type home and my bedroom was at the top of the stairs. I will always remember how magical it was to tiptoe down the stairs ( which wasn’t easy to do, it was an old house and the stairs creaked) and as I rounded the stairwell there was the living room, the tree lit and the presents everywhere. It just took your breath away! Magical was the only word for Christmas then. While my family did not visit with relatives because my parents’ families were in Pennsylvania, in the days leading up to Christmas, I always remember snow and my mom and dad would load my sister and I on a sled cover us with a blanket and my dad would pull the sled and we would go downtown and look in all the windows of those decorated shops. Then we would go home and have hot chocolate. It didn’t cost any money, but what a memory. What a gift.
I think Susan’s little Christmas book rekindled a lot of memories this year when we needed them the most. When we need a little Christmas now!
Oh, Chris! I was so very happy to see you there yesterday! I’m really grateful that you didn’t have a change of plans at the last minute, my friend.
I can just picture you trying to tiptoe down the stairs without making a sound on Christmas morning! I remember so many snowy Midwestern Christmases, too. What fun to to go downtown on a sled ride, Chris! That would be a perfect image for a Christmas card. It’s just magical! Thank you so much for sharing these special memories with all of us.
When Home for Christmas arrived in September, I just took a teeny, tiny peek. Then I put it near my rocking chair and didn’t peek again until December 1st. That’s willpower! I knew a very special Christmas story awaited.💕 Susan was so right. She realized that we all would need a little ‘extra’ Christmas this year. I’m especially happy to know that you decorated very early this year, dear Chris!
Sending XL hugs and warmest wishes to you and Jim this Christmas season! Take extra good care of yourselves!
Keep singing, Chris! Love you!💗