Blue Moon!

I love a full moon!

It may because I have always lived where you can look up into a dark sky and see stars, meteors and the moon in  every phase.

It may be because my mother's maiden name is Moone. Once upon a time it was Moon, but that is a story for another day from many years ago when one's great-great-grandparents could change names without much ado. 

The "blue moon" is not literally blue.

Simply put, it is the second of two full moons to fall within a single calendar month.
On Wednesday, January 31st, 2018, we'll have our 2nd full moon this month.

Enjoy this old, classic song Blue Moon by The Marcels, and if the weather allows, look up Wednesday night - and every night you can!

Photo courtesy of and more info on the sky available at Earth Sky.

((KG))

Everyone knows that (( )) means hugs!

((KG)) means my friend KG - Kathy Moore Guertin - Gives GREAT hugs.

She is a sweet and kind soul.

Her work email signature is "Smile and make somebody's day" - or something quite close to that.

KG gives out hugs and smiles because she believes in their power.

They are powerful, and thoughtful, and sincere.

((KG)) makes many of my days better.

Every photo I looked at just now is all KG all the way. Beaming with goodness.

Since that is the case, I could not decide on one, but share ((KG)) with all of you. She is always a smile and a bright spot of sunshine at any time of day or season.

What would my world be like without KG and ((KG))? Glad I don't have to know that!

If you know KG, you are a lucky one, too. If not, I hope you have someone just like KG in your life.

Thumbie Wars

Not that I agree with war at all, but I did enjoy teaching a little cutie pie about "thumbie wars" tonight.

You remember - "One, two, three, four, I declare a thumbie war."

Not too many years ago, I played with my pal Seth, when he was just a little guy. Seth always won.

A new victim appeared before me tonight. She loved "thumbie wars!!"

She played right handed.

She played left handed.

She giggled with delight.

She tried to cheat.

She told me I was cheating when I tickled her.

She won every time!

Kids are the best because they are honest, with their expressions, thoughts, and feelings... Even that one who put my face in her hands years ago and told me I had a great mustache. There was nothing mean there, just honest!

Love the kids, and take time to listen to them. Most of all, have fun with them. They grow up too quickly, and we all know how that can be. 

Hen life while picking a little and talking a little!

Bauckkkkkk, bauckkkk, bauckkkk....

The hens were clucking in the early morning drizzle and fog as I approached the home of my friend this morning.


You know that sound, right?

Within an instance, my friend Kat and I were soon clucking away ourselves as only we can.

We laughed about how we sound like the girls in the hen house.

Her husband agreed and turned on his heels to leave us to cluck some more.

Thinking of how my dear Kat and I can cluck right along always makes me think of this scene and song from The Music Man.

Amazingly it has a million tie-ins to "the story of Kat & Marcy" but the easiest segue is to mention that The Music Man is coming to the Bradley Playhouse in August!

Pick a little, talk a little!

Pick the Bradley Playhouse and Discover Putnam CT! 

Have fun with your friends! 

Pulling KP duty in northeast CT is always a good thing!

For people of a certain age, "KP" duty might have negative connotations.

In northeastern CT we have Kathi Peterson, known to me as "KP."

I am very lucky to pull "KP" duty once a month. I've been doing it for a few years. I would do it more if I could.

What is "KP" duty and why do I love it?

 Meet my "KP"

Ann Kathi Peterson lines up the volunteers for the Daily Bread, our local food bank, a branch of IHSP (Interfaith Human Services of Putnam).

For a few minutes a month, I get to see a great team! Cindy, Cathy, Doug, Mara, Bob. 

Karen Osbrey is the ever-giving President of this organization, who vowed to do the "job" for as long as she was needed to do it.  Karen O can spout out the numbers, the impact, the needs, the benefits. When you hear these stats, amazingness sets in.

Terri & Bill chip in a lot of their time, too, along with many other dedicated souls to "KP" duty. 

Tonight our monthly time was cut off due to mother nature and some flying critters - that is a story for another day.

Take a look at this story about "KP", look at the smile and tell me you would not be stepping up for "KP" duty when it calls for your community.

Nightlife in Putnam sometimes includes quacking ducks and deer escorts

Walking to my car after work tonight, in the dark, it was pretty quiet in town by then....

As I got closer to the river, I hear a couple of quack, quack, quacks....

It made me laugh!

I couldn't see those duckies, but I do picture them acting like a couple of silly ducks in the dark.

As I pulled into my street - a  very short dead-end street - one, two, three, four, - SEVEN deer run out in front of me and escort me to my driveway!

It is so nice to live in a community like Putnam, with everything you need in life close by, including nature aplenty!

Jay Long, born with a name to be his destiny, runs long and strong!

Frigid weather has set upon us in the northeast causing the usual mayhem of winter.

Burst pipes, no heat, slick roadways, no room to put all the snow, and in general an overall crimp in our routines.

Personally I have been known to use the weather as an excuse not to be exercising regularly. I'm probably not alone.

Meet Jay Long.

This guy is a machine, and no weather is stopping him.

Yesterday morning it was hovering close to zero, which of itself is no major deal, but the winds were HOWLING! And if you are an outside jogger, you know that as the vehicles whiz past you, there is an additional blast of air, plus the stinky exhaust.

Yesterday morning, in these conditions, with sand, ice and snow on the roads, Jay Long was pounding the pavement. He is a machine.

This is a hometown hero. Nice guy, nice family, works and volunteers in the community, and runs and runs, usually to help a cause.

The photo used is from Gerardi Insurance Services' facebook page.

Jay is one of the Gerardi Team, and this shot is after Jay ran the Baystate Marathon last October. Soon after he ran the New York City Marathon, where he ran on behalf of the Meb Foundation (Charitable Foundation of US Olympic Marathoner Meb Keflezighi).

If you see Jay out running, or any other determined soul, slow down, drive carefully and give them a friendly toot or shout out the window!

Cheers for the good guys!

Do you find the waiting is the hardest part or do you love anticipation?

Driving home tonight I sang along with Tom Petty, belting out "The Waiting is the Hardest Part."

The next song in my Putnam Ford Escape sing-a-long was Carly Simon's "Anticipation."

You might be thinking that the DJ spinning those discs was a genius by playing these songs back to back....

I mean - the waiting is the hardest part, and then anticipation....best combo ever!

However, I found these songs, played one after the other, on different stations, as I played the radio scan game!

But, the songs got me thinking.

Are you one who finds waiting hard, or do you love anticipating whatever it may be?

For one, I love some anticipation. At Christmas, you could wrap up an empty box and give it to me. I'm happy to NEVER open it, and just anticipate what it may be.... and wait for Christmas to always be in the future and something to look forward to.

As a child, my thinking was different. I could not wait to be a teenager, then to get my license, then to be 18.... My grandmother, "Nanna Moone" cautioned me that soon time would go by too quickly so don't wish my life away. She knew what she was talking about!

Currently, there are so many fun events and things to do in all seasons here in northeast Connecticut, and especially in Putnam, that it is easy to anticipate the next big thing, and sometimes the waiting is the hardest part!

But, time does fly and before you know it, the fun has come and gone and you are anticipating the next great thing!

 Check out Discover Putnam to see some of the fun waiting for you!

It's a Small World, Time Flies and other such phrases come to life!

Common phrases like "It's a small world"

 

And "Time flies" 

are common because they are SO true!

How many times have you yourself been in situations to use them.

Yesterday I had the pleasure to use both.

As my office was relocated just yesterday, to a mere one story up (20 steps) in the same building, no less, I met new people I had never met nor laid eyes on before in my life - or so I first thought.

After enjoying a lovely conversation with an attorney who clearly loves her work and mission in life to assist the elderly with complicated issues, I attended to some actual work myself.

As the day approached the close of time for a usual work day, another young man popped in to introduce himself.

He asked again if my name was Marcy. He mentioned he'd grown up in Rhode Island, too. We discovered we came from the same town, North Kingstown. Although clearly he was much younger than me, I thought maybe he attended school with my much younger siblings... Negative... that was not ringing any bells.

Next question posed to me was where I was working circa 1990. That was easy! A job I loved at the Davisville Credit Union, East Greenwich branch.

He said I had worked with his mom! Since that was close to 30 years ago, I could not recognize who this polite, handsome young man could be - until he said that his mom was Bea.

HOLY SMOKES!!! Memories came rolling back. Bea was awesome to work with, a wonderful woman overall, and clearly knows how to raise great kids!

The phrase "Everything happens for a reason" comes to me often, too.

 

Some things in life take a while for you to find what the silver lining is and why they happened, but yesterday's case was instant gratification! 

That simple move up one flight and those 20 stairs reminded me of the amazing people I have had in my life and that I still get to meet more every day. 

It also reminds me that northeast Connecticut attracts the best people! 

In 2 degree weather, the cops can't help but do their duty!

Behind the wheel, on a frigid day, with temps just above a degree and winds starting to whip, you can't wait to get home to your cozy abode.

Then, your car dies, leaving you stranded on the side of the road.

DOOM!

Knights is shining armor?

Yes - they do exist.

A CT State Trooper, on his rounds -  or going somewhere - sees you, puts on his lights, and pulls over to assist.

Thankfully this situation was not mine today, but I saw it unfold before my windshield and then in my rear-view mirror.

Thankfully there are good guys that do their duty, even when it is just above zero degrees!