I love where I live - especially in the spring and summer!

Long live long days!

Long live bright sunshine!

Long live warmth, green, and things growing around us!

I know that not everyone is on the same page in this life.

Full respect is given to each person and what makes them tick.

Truly we should be true to ourselves.

In this short life, I will admit to being a bright, sunshiny, hot weather, green and growing type of gal.

Who knows why what it is that makes each of us happy.

However, I would say embrace what makes you happy, and get through the rest of it by seeing what makes another happy!

I am a Putnamaniac that loves the green, long days of spring and summer!

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Goals set + doing them = sense of accomplishment!

"To do" Lists are great!

There is always a list going in my house, my job, my mind....

Big goals, little goals, short-term goals, long-term goals. 

Writing it down helps me a lot, and it has worked that way since I was a kid.

See the list.  Do each item on the list. Cross them off. Make a new list!

In the meantime you get a wonderful sense of accomplishment when you take a look around at your life and see what you have done, simply by doing it!

Whomever at Nike came up with their slogan "Just Do It" was pure genius! Don't you think?

No matter if I have 15 spare minutes, a few hours, or a day, I can do something on my list!

Example: After work tonight I went for a quick jog, got home and had a little free time. Looked at the list.
*Bulkhead needed some touch ups.
Paint + brush + a few minutes = Sweet looking bulkhead! Good as new.

 I am a Putnamaniac that is happy to squeeze in the items on my "to do" lists!

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My garden days are always like spending a day with my poppa!

I am now past the age that my maternal grandfather (Poppa Si Moone) was when I was born.

He called me "Sweetie-Pie" and I was his shadow from the time I was born, until he retired and moved to Maine when I was about 10 years old.

Growing up we lived next door to Poppa & Nanna and all the uncles - 4 of them. 4 rotten uncles! They teased the heck out of me, but I could take it since any torture was worth spending time with my Poppa and Nanna.

I was in that garden between our houses from spring to summer to fall, helping Poppa; digging, hoeing, weeding, planting, learning, and all around having general fun. Downtown was spent sitting on his lap in their living/dining room.

When they moved I first experienced a broken heart, and I was HEARTBROKEN!

However, we all learn to keep on trucking in life, and I certainly survived.

To this day, when I am out in my yard and garden, I do feel my grandfather looking down over my shoulder, saying "Good job Sweetie-Pie", or maybe "Don't plant those quite so close".

That is a GREAT FEELING!

I am a Putnamaniac that still likes spending time with my Poppa in the garden!

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Just look around you! What do you see? Are you missing out?

A few weeks ago I attended an outdoor festival in the town of Griswold, put on by their recreation department, for families with children. YouthTopia!

Perfect - and right up my alley!

The sky was overcast and downright foreboding that morning, and the wind was brisk.

Focus and swiftness were needed to set up in case of a downpour!
Unload the car - check.
Set up the tent and tables - check.
Ready for the event - check!

Chit chatted with families, telling them about who and what I was representing - The Last Green Valley (where I love to live, work and explore)! Lots of materials were passed out!

Then, there was a slight lull. I took a sip of water, took a breathe, turned around and saw this:

What a sight and sound right there before my eyes! How had I missed it? Doesn't it make you wonder what you might be missing?

Stop and look around once in a while! What a delight we may have right before (or behind) us!

I am a Putnamaniac that loves to find what is right in front of my eyes (and sometimes behind my back)!

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Do you ahhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh where you live?

So, I ahhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh a lot about where I live.

I look, and I ahhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh.

I smell, and I ahhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh.


I taste, and I ahhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh.

And as of tonight, I painted - a scene of where I live, just a mile away from my house, and I ahhhhhhh.

This is a painting of the Quinebaug River, looking down at Rotary Park from Church Street. I jog by all the time!

And yes, tonight I painted it!

HOW?

Artique, a paint bar exists! YAY! I have attended a few times now, and I always choose the same host, Kathy Guertin, although Artique offers a few greats hosts/hostesses.

They take you step by step through each stroke, and voila! You are now an artist!

Find your inner artist. Love where you live!

I am a Putnamaniac that loves to discover her inner artist at Artique-Putnam!

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The Man Who Came to Dinner - a funny classic revisited at The Bradley Playhouse!

Have you heard of "The Man Who Came to Dinner"?

I'd heard of it, but did not know the premise.

Thanks to The Bradley Playhouse in Putnam, I have now been not only informed, but entertained and amused.

The Bradley Playhouse has a way of doing this for us with their great productions using local talent.

The Man Who Came to Dinner is a comedy, and based on a true story and quite the character from years ago. As with the shows of those years (this original film was released in 1942), it is full of some of that good old fashioned comedy.

The Bradley Playhouse has already entertained full houses for the first weekend, but never fear, there are still 2 weekends left for you to sit back, relax, laugh, and forget all the troubles of today with a flash back to some good old time comedy.

Buy tickets online here, or call the Bradley at 860-963-7832.

I am a Putnamaniac that loves the shows and my local theater, The Bradley Playhouse! 

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We've got the whole world in our hands (aka you don't have to stop to smell the roses)!

Just got in from a jog around East Putnam - sweet! This morning's original plan was to attend a 10K trail run event, but time did not allow for that plus the time for driving to and from. Luckily I can improvise and just hit the streets.

I passed a snake, which put a little jump in my step, and spotted a chipmunk scurrying into a stone wall. He obliged with my request to stay there and not visit my veggie garden.

Birds were singing loudly! The greens are as green as they can get! The wild roses in the woods are at peak aroma right now, and I did not have to stop to smell them. My feet kept moving the rest of this Putnamaniac along and I could smell just fine.

Upon arriving home, I walked in to hear some of the Jukebox Gold Sunday morning show on WINY Radio - they play great stuff, and heard (not this version, but this song); "He's got the whole world in his hands."

We really do have it in our hands, don't we. Get out and enjoy it, even if it is just a solitary walk!

I am a Putnamaniac that is so happy to have the whole world in my hands, especially the area I live and work! 

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First Friday = FUN, FUN, FUN!

It has been a long time - again - since I have sat down to capture the fun and good that surrounds me here in northeast CT, particularly in Putnam.

That is because I have been out as much as possible seeing the good people, visiting the good places, and having more fun than I could have ever imagined right before my eyes (all 4 of them)!

But, I did want to take a moment to remind everyone about Putnam's First Fridays, which occur on the first Friday of each month, May - October.

FREE!!

An art and culture based street fest.

It is family friendly.

You will see nothing but smiling and welcoming faces.

If you have never been, now is the time to treat yourself to a little bit of fun and the good life. A mini-vacation for you!

Details here on Discover Putnam.

I will be there as Ranger Marcy for The Last Green Valley, so be sure to find me and say hi. I give out free hugs, too!

I am a Putnamaniac that loves First Fridays! 

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