They put the romantic in Willimantic!

At my usual stop at the Willimantic Reservoir/Airport path today after work for my jog I saw a pretty cool thing. It made me smile from ear to ear - not at first, but eventually!

There was a couple ahead of me...walking very slowly... the lady looked uncomfortable and was wearing even more uncomfortable looking sandals... They were holding hands.

My initial, impatient reaction was "get out of my way slowpokes".

Like I should talk about being a slowpoke! Although I am fast and efficient at accomplishing most things. jogging is not one of them. I have one speed jogging - s l o w....

I passed them and went along my way, out to the end and back.

Coming back, I passed them again - face to face. This time I was feeling pretty good, with the positive effects of my daily jog kicking in.

I noticed something. The gal was quite pregnant - no wonder she was walking so slowly and looked so uncomfortable when I went by them the first time! They were still holding hands and still going very slowly. She remarked to him how nice it felt to be out for a walk on such a nice day.

Nice indeed.

I am a Putnamaniac because I saw a couple who put the romantic in Willimantic this afternoon!

Oyster Shuck-Off is close at hand - May 6th!

Have you ever tried to shuck anything??

It is not easy.

Of course, coming from RI, growing up near the Narragansett Bay, and having been married to a quahoger for a short time many years ago, I have tried shucking little necks (quahogs). I have also opened scallops. None of it is easy!

Have you ever looked at an oyster?? They look impossible to open with a knife, and it also looks like it might be pretty easy to slice the palm of your own hand in doing so. Who was the first guy (probably an American Indian of some variety) that looked at an oyster and thought "mmmm, I think we should try to eat this".

Yuck - I would have stuck with the dandelions and berries!

However, oysters are a big delicacy for many people, and a good old fashioned oyster shucking contest always brings a crowd.

The fabulous Putnam restaurant, 85 Main, will be hosting another shuck-off on Sunday, May 6th. It draws a big crowd and offers a ton of fun!

Here are their flyers:

Here is a link to the 85 Main Oyster Shuck-Off page, where there is an application, if you would like to try your hand at shucking!

Another great excuse to visit Putnam and have a great time!

I am a Putnamaniac that loves all the fun events so close at hand, like The Oyster Shuck-Off!

Would you be this brave?

Today I met three generations of a Russian family that recently moved to Putnam.

They are depending upon the youngest of the group, a boy of about 12 years old, to do the major amount of communication for them all.

This boy is doing very well with the responsibility given him by the family.

Clearly they are a close knit bunch, and I am sure with this transition, they are closer than ever.

I am so glad they are in Putnam, which I hope they will come to love as I do. 

Would you be so brave to do such a thing as this?

I moved from RI to CT years ago. That was a small move, and a good one for me. However, I did not have as much luck with my "big" move to PA. I met some wonderful people that I miss all the time, but I moved back to CT very quickly. I would not be brave enough to move to a new country all by myself.

What do you think of this?

I am very impressed with these brave people, most of all the young son that is aiding them greatly!

I am a Putnamaniac that is impressed with the bravery of those who leave their country to come to the USA, and hope they love Putnam as much as I do!

First Friday time! From May through December, enjoy the First Friday of every month in Putnamania!

It is almost that time of year in Putnamania again!

First Fridays!!

Plan your visits now, because starting on Friday, May 4th, the First Friday Fun begins!

What exactly are First Fridays?

On the First Friday of every month, from May through December, downtown Putnam is hopping with entertainment, singing, musicians, art shows, dancing, demonstrations, and all sorts of store & restaurant specials.

No two months are ever the same.

It is always a great time. It is family friendly!

What a great way to get to know Putnam.

There is plenty of municipal parking, and all the entertainment and fun is right here.

Your first friday visit to Putnamania will not be your last!

I am a Putnamaniac that loves the family friendly fun on First Fridays!

Was your mother also a scientist, skilled in the field of food portion distribution?

I was at an event recently and saw a mother dividing up a goody amongst her three young children.

Her hands were steady and her eyes were sharp.

These skills were acquired from necessity. With 3 children each looking for their fair share, a mother has no choice but to divide evenly. 

My mom used to have to divide things between 4 of us children.

My mom's mom used to have to divide things between 6 children.

It is pretty clear that any mother with more than 1 child must also be a highly skilled scientist.

Was your mom like is?

If you are a mother, did you do the same thing for your kids?

 I am a Putnamaniac because my mom was most certainly a skilled scientist in the field of equal food portion distribution!

Book Sale at St. James this weekend - for book lovers and bargain hunters!

If you love books and if you love a bargain, St. James in Killingly is the place to be this weekend!

They have gazillions of books to choose from and ridiculously low prices...like from 25 cents to a one dollar each in most cases.

And just think, once you have enjoyed these treasures, you can pass them on to a friend, or better yet, re-donate them so they can be resold at next year's book sale!

The details:

When:
Saturday, April 28, from 10 am - 6 pm
Sunday, April 29, from 7 am - noon

Where:
St. James Church Hall, Franklin Street, Danielson, CT

Books of all varieties!

Also Featuring Baker’s Dozen Coffees & Homemade Pastries

Pass it on - reading is fundamental - especially with great prices and proceeds going to a good cause.

I am a Putnamaniac because the St. James Book Sale this weekend is a great place for book lovers and bargain hunters!

Digging for Israel Putnam's Buried Treasure!

The Renegade Garden in my condo's back yard requires lots of digging, mostly through a gazillion rocks.

Secretly I hope to find Revolutionary War hero Israel Putnam's buried treasure.

Doesn't he look like a guy that would have buried some treasure along his trails??

So far I have had no luck in finding buried treasure, however I have uncovered many of these fine geological delights:

One really cool rock has the imprint of a long ago fern embeded into it. I love it! However I am sure that I would love to find a box of love letters that Israel Putnam intended to send to his true love while he traveled about the countrysides, doing heroic acts.

There is a ton of history about Israel Putnam throughout CT, and this website has quite a bit of info and other interesting links. Check it out to read about Israel, who frequented some of the same areas that this Putnamaniac has.

My favorite Israel Putnam story is that he crawled into a wolf den to kill the wolves that were killing many local farmers sheep! I drive past Wolf Den Road every day, on my way to and from work. This keeps the old hero fresh in my mind daily!  Here is a great youtube video showing this infamous wolf den. The narrator is great!

So, I will keep digging for treasures, whether they are old love letters, buried gold pieces, or even just some local history. Imagine life in those days!! Such a difference from today.

I am a Putnamaniac that loves to dig for buried treasures of all sorts in my Renegade Garden!