Are you a member of The Last Green Valley ~ it is cheap money!

The Last Green Valley is a 35 town National Heritage Corridor in eastern Connecticut and south-central Massachusetts.

The Last Green Valley is also a member supported non-profit organization. That means they not only like and appreciate their members, they also need members!

I love where I live, and I am happy to be not only a member, but a volunteer ranger. It a so much fun to be at events like Putnam's First Fridays, Willimantic's Third Thursdays, the Brooklyn Fair, Walktobers, and Putnam's Holiday Dazzle Light Parade as a representative of The Last Green Valley.

You, too, can become a member, just $25 for individuals or $45 for a whole family for a year! Join now, or sign up a friend. You will get your money back if you attend a special member only event or two per year. You'll enjoy tons of fun, learn unknown facts, discover different places, and make new friendly relationships ~ guaranteed. What could be better than that?

I am a Putnamaniac that loves to live in The Last Green Valley, and is not only a member, but a volunteer ranger, too!

Give the gift of entertainment and pure pleasure ~ tickets to the Bradley Theater !

Everyone has a hard to shop for person. They have everything, or they don't need anything. Socks are just not going to cut it.

If you live anywhere near Putnam, including RI and MA since Putnam is just a hop, skip, and jump from many of you, tickets to The Bradley Theater are a great idea!  The entertainment is outstanding and you do not have to fight the traffic of going into a big city. Parking, dining and the theater are all within walking distance. Shows are on Friday and Saturday nights, or Sunday afternoons.

The Bradley offers flex passes or season tickets, and even group tickets are available.

I am not going to lie to you... I buy myself a season ticket every year, always look forward to every show and have never been disappointed in the performances, stage, props, music... Always top shelf.

Some of the great shows coming up in 2013 are Man of LaMancha, Anything Goes, and Dracula.

Treat a loved one to a great gift (and yes, you can consider yourself a loved one and treat yourself)!

I am a Putnamaniac because I love to treat myself to the gift of local theater with season tickets to the Bradley Playhouse every year!

Santa filled my stocking a little early this year...with love!

When I arrived home from work tonight, I had an EXQUISITE surprise in the mail!

One of Santa's Elves, a little pint of peanuts I grew up with, otherwise known as Jackie, made me a stocking!!! My very own home made stocking! Check it out!!!!! Both sides are different, and the interior is yet another fabric!!! I love the differences, and it is so perfect that there are cupcakes on one side, since I love to bake!!! It is so festive ~ the most festive stocking ever!!!

Elf Jackie is such an impressive stitcher, and she does not even know how awesome her creations are. I covet her imagination, heart, and creations all the time ~ and I really covet her skills, since I can't sew to save my life. A little bit of Jackie lives on in each of her pieces. Thank goodness!

So, I am amazed, awed, and greatful that Santa has filled my stocking, with pure love and generosity, even before Christmas this year.

I hope your stocking is filled with as much love as mine, and I hope to share some love myself with others, when they least expect it.

Love life, my friends. Pass it on.

I am a Putnamaniac that has her new Christmas stocking ~ and her heart ~ filled with very much love!

Elf on the shelf... forget that ~ I got Santa watching from my shelf!

This little "Elf on the Shelf" craze is great!

People either love it or are scared of it!

But the heck with the Elf.

I got good old Santa watching me....

I will most definitely not only behave, but be on my best behavior! There is no way I want to be on the naughty list!

What about you????? Naughty or nice????

I am a Putnamaniac that has Santa on the shelf... watching my behavior!

Don't judge a book by its cover ~ easier said than done.

It is difficult to not judge a book by its cover.

The first impression we have of others is generally what we see as we approach them.

However, take a moment to look a bit deeper.

Judging is big responsibility. If you want to judge, should you not have all the facts?

Does this person look you in the eye when they speak to you?

Are they responsible beings? Do they care for their children and raise them with values so they know right from wrong?

Do they have a job? Do they pay their bills? Do they care for more than just themselves? How do they treat others day in and day out?

I ask these questions because I am sometimes shocked at comments people will make about others that they do not know nor have ever met, all based on nothing but what a person looks like. How can that sort of opinion be of any value? Kind of like they are wasting their breath if you ask me.

As I googled looking for an image for "Don't judge a book by its cover", a picture of Susan Boyle was one of the first to appear.

We all remember this story. Check out the clip of Susan singing on Britain's Got Talent here to refresh your memory of how the snooty panel members judged Susan, until she opened up her pipes and teaches them not to judge a book by its cover. Makes me cry every time ~ for the courage and resiliency of humans, and for the shame that I ever have judged wrongly myself.

How would you feel if you were judged as you have judged others?

I am a Putnamaniac that will work very hard not to judge a book by its cover!

I WON THE LOTTERY!!!!!!!!!

No ~ Seriously ~ I won the lottery.

Not that big power ball jackpot from the other night, nor even a dollar from a scratch off ticket, but the lottery in life.

My best bud always told me I had a bad case of wanderlust, since I moved almost constantly since I was old enough to be out on my own.

Then after a certain point I was able to buy houses to live in instead of renting. Folks thought I would settle in, yet I still continued to sell, move, and buy again somewhere else, living in lots of places over the years.

Well, I think I am settled in. I have found the community and place that I had been searching for all of those years right here in Northeast CT.

Words can't describe what it is to me and to so many others. It is simply like no other place on earth.

Tom Menard Putnam town scene

I am pretty happy that I never stopped looking and finally won the lottery that I was looking for over all those years. I suggest that you never give up on what you are looking for either, because you will eventually find it!

I am a Putnamaniac that won the lottery by finding a community like Northeast CT!

The worst thing about decorating for the holidays is.... oh wait ~ NOTHING!

Today was a top 10 day for me!!!

Christmas music playing, and I had a blast decorating with not much more than a few bags of bows!

Cheap date???

You betcha!!!

In the meantime, Deck the Halls with bows oh shiny.... or something like that!

Have a blast decorating!!!

I am a Putnamaniac that loves to decorate for the holidays!