Turkey Dip - Gobble Gobble!

Turkey Dip sounds like it might be something yummy, doesn't it??

There are so many great restaurants, caterers, bakeries, delicatessens, and all around foodie type of places locally here in Northeast CT, AND with Thanksgiving coming up, I can see where you might be thinking with your tummy.

BUT, not so for this Turkey Dip.

On Thanksgiving morning, as has been done for many years now, a hearty group will jump into the Quaddick Lake in Thompson at 8 a.m. This invigorating crowd continues to grow each year!

The cause for this splashy and most often frigid early morning Turkey Dip is that it is a fundraiser for the Muscular Dystrophy Association.

What a blast to join in, if you are hearty enough, or even to watch! Best of all, it does bring awareness to another issue that many have to deal with in their lives - enough so that they started this wet and wild Turkey Dip almost 40 years ago.

So, go, and have fun, but respect the things that we all live with and challenge us with in our lives, whether it is Muscular Dystrophy, cancer, diabetes, depression....(the list is a long one, my friends, and does not stop here).

As my wise mother says "None of us get through life unscathed". She also says to make the best of every minute you have and help where you can!

Now that is one wise momma!

I am a Putnamaniac that loves Turkey Dip for Thanksgiving mornings!

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The Joshua Smith connection - kind of like my Kevin Bacon game!

The Kevin Bacon Game - remember that game, also known as The Six Degrees of Kevin Bacon?

...or is it how ever many degrees of separation from Joshua Smith???

The Joshua Smith game is much more familiar to me.

This is what happened and shows what a small world it really is.

I had the pleasure to first meet Pastor Joshua Smith this past summer, as he was preparing a summer arts program. He needed all sorts of print materials, signage, etc. to make this program happen. Since I was working at Chase Graphics at the time (they do all sorts of fabulous printing), we met there.

Pastor Joshua was very organized, polite, had a plan/vision, a great program and was so easy to work with!  This guy got two thumbs up, and if I had more hands, he'd get more thumbs up!

Time passed, the event passed and so did my visits with Pastor Joshua.

Turn the clock forward a few months to the Putnam Great Pumpkin Festival. I was set up there as a vendor, selling my Putnamania greeting cards and a-Luring Jewels. Up steps Pastor Joshua and his family. He said that he'd heard of my new position with The Last Green Valley and googled to see where exactly the office was, since he had been nearby and wanted to visit. In his google search appeared me and this blog of mine.

That connected the dots for him.

Can you believe that approximately a year or so ago, when Pastor Joshua was looking to relocate to the Putnam area from Oklahoma, he googled a lot to see what kind of place Putnam was. He read my blog, which tries to show the positivity of the community as well as all of the fun family offerings there are in our town and close by. He enjoyed it and looked forward to moving to such a great place!

Can you believe that although we'd met earlier in the year, neither of us knew of that connection at the time!?

I am pretty glad that I have the Joshua Smith connection, and even though it is not a close one, it is a familiar and good one. Coming across good people in your life is a gift. Keep seeking them.

To find out more about Pastor Joshua Smith and The Green Valley Crossing Church, click here.

I am a Putnamaniac that loved playing the Joshua Smith Connection, or the six degrees of Joshua Smith!

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We are the Putnamaniac Team - and I sure am proud of the members!

So we have this little team of Putnamaniacs in Putnam! Where else, of course?

How did we meet?
It seems that we were meant to be a team - it might have been predestined.

Two of us met through facebook (believe it or not facebook has some great qualities, including keeping people in touch easily and introducing new people) and our common love of our local WINY Radio. I used to hear a young boy on WINY Radio. He went on the air with Gary O every time there was some sort of fund raiser going on. This youngster and his mom always brought in a donation - and they still do to this day. It matters not if they are short on funds themselves that week, they make some sacrifices and bring in what they can. This is a family teaching their children well. There is no doubt the children will give back to society throughout their entire lives. It is a part of them.

Three of us (2 were already friends) met as we volunteered for Habitat for Humanity of Eastern CT (back then it was actually Habitat for Humanity of Northeastern CT). These two gals did not shy away from the dirty jobs, and there were plenty.

What else do they all do and have going on in their lives?
Families. Friends. Work. Pets. Church. Other volunteering responsibilities...
 
What do we do as a team?
We are doing some 5ks and that sort of local event to keep moving - our official team name is "Putnamania - Team Move it or Lose it"!
We do a "trash mob" by going out every other Sunday morning for just an hour to clean up whatever rubbish we find on the streets of the town that we love.

On the second Wednesday night of each month, we volunteer at our local food bank, the Daily Bread.

Do you get the point I am making here?
These are GREAT people. It just shows that giving people keep on giving. They chip in for a good cause. They work on community! I love them and what they do!
Get involved! It does a body and soul good!

We are the Putnamania TEAM! 

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A handmade Thanksgiving card! I gobble these things right up!

There is really not a lot of mail these days.

A few bills still arrive, although so many of them are paperless and paid online that we don't even get a lot of dreaded bills in the mail any more.

Of course junk mail still arrives on occasion, too.

Luckily for me, I still get some awesome cards in the mail! I get nice thank you cards, holiday cards, and yesterday I got another of those cards I love to get!

Check this out - handmade by girls I love:

Front of card: Made with beautiful felt cut outs! What detail!

Inside of card: Complete with felt turkey (LOVE IT) and the nicest note, along with this year's school pictures!

My heart exploded with love!!!

Think of your family and friends and mail them out a card once in a while. It will make their day!

I started making cards out of some of my favorite photos a few years ago, and it is a pleasure to mail them out. (FYI, I have started selling my cards, along with my a-Luring Jewels at local craft shows and coming soon online here. I thank you for considering purchasing some)!

Hopefully you get a nice card in the mail today, but if you don't please think of someone and pop a card out to them!

I am a Putnamaniac that loves to get cards in the mail! It is the nicest surprise!

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Early morning silly fun to start every day! We have it with WINY Radio!

Something I hope I never come to take for granted is having a great local radio station here in Putnam!

WINY Radio became a part of my life and routine listening habit when I moved to Northeast CT about 10 years or so ago.

The morning show starts at 6 a.m. with a perky and positive crew. One of their offerings is on air birthday and anniversary greetings to family, friends, and neighbors. All you have to do is call in and let them know who is celebrating!

Many mornings that provides me with a lot of fun, in either finding out who is enjoying cake that day or by calling in and getting someone's special day mentioned. Isn't that great?! Somehow this community bonding always puts a smile on my face. It is the little things!

Along with all the birthdays & anniversaries, there is all sorts of other silly fun we enjoy with WINY; interviews with folks putting on happenings in the area, contests with prizes, great music, live broadcasts at local events, and more endless fun!

For the sometime serious side, there is also a mid-morning talk show, where all the topics, including politics and some more difficult topics are discussed. Listeners are welcome to call in and opine during this show, too.

The afternoon offers another time set, with great music as well as their "top 5" list, recipes, interviews and more fun.

If you are not lucky enough to have a great local radio station, you are missing out on great community togetherness and fun. You can always listen to our station online and even on your phone with the "tune in" app. You will have fun!

I am a Putnamaniac that loves our local radio station ,WINY Radio!

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Pet Pals is having a wine tasting event on November 8 from 6 – 8:30 pm at the Putnam Elks!

My friend, who notices a lot of things going on for the good of many locally always keeps this Putnamaniac in the loop.

I appreciate that, because it sure is easy to get busy and miss something!

This is a good one NOT to miss! If you are a pet lover, be there!

The poop is:
Pet Pals is having a wine tasting event on November 8 from 6 – 8:30 pm at the Putnam Elks.
Tickets are $25 and available at the following locations:
Moxie’s Hair Salon – Putnam CT
Cat Hospital of Canterbury - Canterbury CT
Quinebaug Valley Veterinary Hospital - Danielson CT
Uncle Dan’s Wine and Beer - Putnam CT
GRI liquors - Griswold CT
V Town Liquors - Voluntown CT
Keifer’s Kettle Korn - Voluntown CT

You can also get tickets by calling 860-317-1720, and they will be available at the door as well.

If you can, please post at your place of work or share with friends. Anything you can do to help make this successful, will be greatly appreciated by the folks putting it on.

I am a Putnamaniac that knows a lot of pet pals who will love this event!

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Terri's Embroidery does a great job for small money (I think maybe she isn't charging enough)!

I'd been thinking about getting some Putnamania Team t-shirts, but figured it would be too expensive...

I even knew what I wanted to have printed on them...

But I only needed a few, so figured it would be too expensive...

Or no one would produce such a small quantity.

HA! I was wrong, and I am SO GLAD that I went to Terri's Embroidery & More in Putnam.

Not only is Terri a friendly and familiar face, she is honest about what she can do for you, knows her product inside and out, and most of all - she is QUICK and INEXPENSIVE! ...Like... I feel like I did not pay enough! That is a great feeling to walk away with.

I chose my nice bright green t-shirts (LOVE the color and feel), emailed Terri the image I wanted, she screened them, and here they are!

*Note that the green color is not shown well in this photo I took*

So, I highly recommend Terri and Terri's Embroidery to you! She can do lots of stuff for you. Do not be shy - just ask her!

I am a Putnamaniac that is very impressed by Terri and her business, Terri's Embroidery & More! 

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