Old Buddies - and it is almost like they are my buddies, too, yet I've never met them....

When I drive out of Putnamania every morning I drive along the River Walk.

There are always some folks walking on it by themselves, with a friend, or with a dog or two...

BUT, guaranteed there are always 2 older men in the last parking lot. One backs his car in, and the other drives in head first. This lines them up so they are sitting side by side. They roll their windows down and have a morning chat.

I look for them every morning. I feel like they are my old buddies, too. I wonder what they talk about and if they look forward to their morning visit as much as I look forward to seeing them there.

This is not a picture of them, but it sure is a good representation of their morning friendship, overlooking the Quinebaug River and solving the world's problems.

I hope someday I am backing my car into that parking spot and having an early morning visit with my good friends, too!

I am a Putnamaniac because I have some buddies that I have never even met!

Full Moon Snowshoe Hike - a great warm up to the Super Bowl!

The Super Bowl, scheduled for Sunday, February 5th, is approaching fast - and lots of us are happy to see the New England Patriots in the Big Game!

Since I have never been good at sitting around and waiting for something to start, The Last Green Valley's Full Moon Showshoe Hike is timed just perfectly to provide me with an invigorating warm up to the Super Bowl!

This is a "Member's Only" program, however, I am sure they would welcome some guests - and a single membership is only $25. Well worth it, and I believe deeply in donating locally! You can see the benefits of your donations.


Check this out, from The Last Green Valley's Website: 

Full Moon Snowshoe Hike

Sunday, February 5, 2012, 4:30-6:30 p.m.

West Thompson Lake, 162 West Thompson Road, Thompson, CT.

(Alternative date for inclement weather is Monday February 6, same time.)

Strap on your snowshoes and come along with Bill Reid, TLGV Director of Outreach Programs & Chief Ranger, and Cathy St. Andre, U.S. Army Corps of Engineers Park Ranger, for an invigorating full moon hike at the West Thompson Lake site.  From the parking area adjacent to the white garage buildings, we will hike a woods trail about one mile to the west shelter pavilion where we will enjoy views of the rising Snow Moon and learn more about the West Thompson Lake site.  We'll get warm sipping cocoa around a bonfire before hiking back along the shoreline road to the parking area.  Total hike is approximately two miles.  Participants are responsible for their own showshoes.  If there is not enough snow for snowshoeing, we will hike anyway.  For additional information, directions, and to sign-up for the hike, please contact Bill Reid at 860-774-3300 or Bill@tlgv.org.

I for one, can't wait to hike this hike before the game! I will be invigorated and ready to cheer loudly!

I am a Putnamaniac because I am looking forward to the Full Moon Snowshoe Hike before the Big Game!

The switch to Black and Whites

Putnam Police Department recently made the switch from pretty blue cars to black and whites, just like the kind that Officers Reed and Malloy drove on that great old tv show, Adam 12.

 

It is funny how things seem so drastically different when they first change.

The black and whites stood out like sore thumbs, and I did not like them. I was very partial to those pretty blue cars.

However, now that the black and whites have been around for a while, I like them just fine, too.

Putnam even has an Officer Reed, and he is a good guy and almost as cute as the Officer Reed from Adam 12, pictured on the right below. (I may be biased since I am friends with his dad...Putnam's Officer Reed's dad, that is...).

Why is it that when something new comes around or a change takes place that it takes some time to get used to? I mean, what the heck does it matter what color the police cars are? Does this happen to you, or are you accepting or oblivious to change?

I am a Putnamaniac that has come to love the new black and whites!

Home Sweet Homebody, me!

Sometimes I joke with myself over the years about why I like to buy homes.... I mean - I am  rarely home to enjoy them!

However, as I was driving home towards Putnamania tonight, after visiting great friends in RI, after a long week, having spent last night away from home for work, and being in the old Ford Focus for a good 3+ hours today, I was headed straight towards this moon on the horizon... Did you see it????

It was like Mother Nature was asking the classic question... is it partially full or partially empty?

My answer of course was that it is partially full and getting fuller by the minute.

That is also the case for the value and enjoyment of my life. It just keeps getting fuller.

I keep busy - busier than most - but I would not change it for the world. That is what I am. My belief is that you should do what works for you! And so I do.

As Bill Shakespeare said "To thine own self be true"

If you do that, at the end of the day, you will be a productive and happy person.

At the end of the day, I am thrilled to come to my Home Sweet Home here in Putnamania, worn out, and full of experiences, but happy and at my home sweet home!

Are you honest with yourself, and do you live the life that suits you the best?? Think about it, and listen to your own heart. By taking care of yourself, you will take care of others.

I am a Putnamaniac because it is my Home Sweet Home, and I am a homebody!

Forgotten 45 fun with the Partridge Family and WINY Radio!

One of the nicest things about Northeast CT is WINY Radio.

It is upbeat, positive, informative and all local fun! What a great addition to anyone's life!

A cool feature of the morning show, which runs from an eye opening 6am - 9am, is the "Forgotten 45". At about 8:20 each morning, we flashback to a fun forgotten 45, along with other news of interest from that day. Listeners are encouraged to request, and since I'm an enjoyer of music and fun, I request often.

Recently I emailed in this request:
Hi Gary O,
I don't know if you can use the Partridge Family's "I think I love you" as a forgotten 45, since they were from a fake family on a tv show...BUT, I sure did think I loved David Cassidy!
My best friend, Valorie and I used my family's bunk beds as the Partridge Bus, and had to take turns being Laurie Partridge. I used a hairbrush as my microphone! Good times!!!
Here is one of the BEST SCENES in tv history (a scene from the Partridge Family)!!
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bIuKtp3yCTw

"Gary O", co-owner of WINY Radio with his wife, Karen, (who seem to  have a combined work day of about 40 hours and then volunteer for the other spare few hours), answered with this great reply: 

Hi Marcy,

Great suggestion!  I will feature your song on Thursday morning.  We bought all the Partridge Family albums when they came out and memorized every word.  We also joined their fan club.  My friend, Billy Thornton, wrote a letter inviting the Partridge Family to his house for a pool party.  One Saturday, after watching cartoons all morning, we tried to get Billy to come out and play, but he insisted on raking his yard to make the place look nice because he was convinced that the Partridge Family were coming to his house.  We actually pitched in and helped him.

Have a great day!

garyo

How can you not enjoy such a fun and friendly local radio station, and all of WINY's employees are equally as fun! Just this week, another of my requests for "More Manilow" was granted by the afternoon team!

So, now I am preparing a little "thank you" from me to all the fun folks at WINY Radio. Low fat Pumpkin Partridge Muffins and low fat Berry Manilow Muffins are baking as I type! It will be a breakfast battle of champs!

And if you want to hear my Forgotten 45 Partridge request tomorrow morning, tune in to 1350am or listen online at WINY Radio!

I am a Putnamaniac that loves Forgotten 45s and WINY Radio!

Keep on the Sunny Side !

I was fighting the urge to be a bit grumbly tonight after work, since I stayed way later than I had planned, didn't get to jog, and haven't in fact jogged in a few days....

But then I walked into my beautiful home sweet home, turned on my ipod, and the first song that popped on was:
Keep On the Sunny Side.  (click on this to see the delightful old timey youtube video).
 Here are some of the lyrics - really read them - they struck my heart at the right time...

Well there's a dark and a troubled side of life.
There's a bright and a sunny side too.
But if you meet with the darkness and strife,
The sunny side we also may view.

Keep on the sunny side, always on the sunny side,
Keep on the sunny side of life.
It will help us every day, it will brighten all the way,
If we keep on the sunny side of life.

Oh, the storm and its fury broke today,
Crushing hopes that we cherish so dear.
Clouds and storms will in time pass away.
The sun again will shine bright and clear.

Keep on the sunny side, always on the sunny side,
Keep on the sunny side of life.
It will help us every day, it will brighten all the way,
If we'll keep on the sunny side of life.


So, there you have it! I guess you know I decided to turn my frown updside down and look at the sunny side of life! My ipod is oh so wise!

 

I am a Putnamaniac that loves to Keep On The Sunny Side, and I accept a nudge to get me there!

Blackstone Valley Bluegrass sure does some fast picking!

This Putnamaniac is counting down the days and minutes until I get to see the Blackstone Valley Bluegrass again!

I heard them last summer at a Fort Hill Farms event, and they were great! Fort Hill Farms informs me that they will be back again some more times this upcoming summer!

I think I am addicted!

If you are free on either of these dates, come and join me, and you will see how great these guys are!
*Saturday, January 28th, at the Killingly Grange, Rt 101 (just over the RI line). $12 for this show.
*Saturday, April 28th, at the Vanilla Bean, Rts 44 & 169, in Pomfret (just about 5 miles from me). $12 for this show, too. 
*Here is their show schedule, as you might like to check them out when you have a free night.

I have been a fan of all sorts of music since I was a little kid, including Bluegrass and banjo picking - who didn't love Buck Owens and Roy Clark on Hee Haw. They could play and so can The Blackstone Valley Bluegrass! 

Take a look and listen to some of their songs here. 

I hope you will join me and have some fun! All are welcome and the more the merrier! After all, music does soothe the savage beast.

I am a Putnamaniac because I can pick so many fun things to do here, like enjoying the fast picking Blackstone Valley Bluegrass!