Connecticut – Thoughts From The Passenger Seat

2025, family

Wedding Review

Posted on November 17, 2025November 16, 2025 by nancyb422

My niece’s wedding is over and we are back home. Although the venue was an hour 20 minutes away, for old folks like us, we’d rather stay over than drive home in the dark.

It was held in the area of Connecticut I love most, the northeast corner for the state, better known as “the quiet corner”. It happens to be the area where my college was located before it closed in 1980, so no wonder I love it!

We drove up to the hotel in Dayville, a Comfort Inn & Suites which was a very nice hotel and 10 minutes from the venue, checked in and headed off to Putnam to join my family from Maine at lunch. Putnam has gone from a New England mill town, to a rundown town with a K-Mart when I was there, to a destination for antique shopping, biking, hiking, and leaf peeping. There are 5 or 6 restaurants to choose from right in the main area of town, and plenty of parking, and the lots were filled when we arrive at 1pm!

After lunch we all headed back to the hotel to get ready. I had showered in the morning and had my hairdresser wash and dry my hair at her salon. That isn’t something I normally do, but I thought about it far enough in advance and she had time to do it.

We left for the venue – Pinecroft Estate with plenty of time to spare. They wanted everyone there at 3:30 to have everyone gather in the heated tent and proceed to the outdoor area for the ceremony. Being mid-November in Northern Connecticut it was chilly, and I was glad I had my coat!

It was a beautiful, and short, ceremony. My sister and her husband escorted my niece down the aisle and her sister was her matron of honor. We all got teary-eyed.

After the ceremony, the photographer had everyone, wedding party and approximately 90 guest, stand in front of the barn for a group picture. I stuck my head next to my sister so we look like conjoined twins in the picture!

Everything about the reception was perfect. The tent, connected to the reception barn, was beautifully heated and, of course, had sides to it. Inside was a couch and chairs, metal outdoor tables and chairs, and one of two bars. The hors-d’oeuvres table was here along with servers passing food.

Once we got into the barn, the festivities began! The wedding party and parents were introduced, the first dance was danced, and the speeches completed.

The efficiency of the staff was incredible. The servers blended in and were never in the way. The food was prepared in the house next to the barn and delivered 4 or 6 plates at a time. My husband and I had pumpkin raviolis in Sage butter sauce.

The wedding cake was a small one that the bride and groom cut, but for the guests there was a cookie table along with coffee and tea.

Once the dancing started, my son, his wife, and my nieces and nephews never left the dance floor! I don’t know how they do it! We especially enjoy watching my niece and her husband and told her it’s evident where her 6 year old daughter gets her theatrical nature.

We were there from 4pm to 9:30pm and we couldn’t believe how it felt so much longer! But the end rolled around and we got our coats and left. Some family members continued on in the hotel lobby, but my husband and I headed to our room.

We saw most of the family in the lobby for our hotel continental breakfast before we all headed home. It was so nice to be together and we will see most of them again at our family Christmas party next month.

*Family photo taken while family photo was being taken!*

2025, Healthy Living

Beautiful Connecticut Ride

Posted on November 13, 2025November 11, 2025 by nancyb422

Last Thursday, our crew headed up to the Northwest corner of Connecticut for a bike ride. We started out in Colebrook which is just over an hour from our home. The ringleaders of our group, Mark and Marilyn had completed the ride over the weekend and instantly knew we all would love it.

There was a brief shower on our way up and the car said it was 42 degrees outside by the time we got there. I definitely wasn’t prepared for cold – even though I was told it would be! That is typical me, I just can’t understand a temperature change until I’m in the middle of it totally unprepared. Thankfully, Marilyn lent me a pair of gloves with battery pack heaters, and some toe warmers. My husband lent me an extra buff he had in his bag. At least I was wearing long cycling tights so I pulled my wool socks over the ends of them, but really wished they were my fleece lined pair! Dressed and off we went!

The ride was a mix of country roads and packed dirt roads. I was happy to not be riding on dirt roads with ruts and rocks like our central Connecticut rides! There were a couple of intense hills that for the first time on this bike I kicked it into Turbo. If we didn’t have e-bikes, we’d be sitting home on the couch instead of riding.

We don’t stop very often. Always for lunch, meaning whatever we can fit in our small bike bags, and occasional water breaks.

This time we happened upon a small cemetery – the Munson Cemetery. I only took a picture of one nearby stone, but google led me to the Find a Grave website. The Judd and Munson families are interred there. The oldest grave is for Sarah Booth Munson and she appears to have ties to Hamden and New Haven. I’m not going down that rabbit hole though!

Our ride also took us through the Great Mountain Forest which is a 6,042 acre forest that within Norfolk and Falls Village. It has 13 miles of road to ride on. We went in one entrance and came out another. And we saw a porcupine! It looked so cute waddling away.

The last 2 miles felt like 10 miles and it felt like it was all uphill back to our cars. 28.9 miles (I need to start riding around the parking lot to get that whole mile!).

*Just kissed the border of Massachusetts*

We definitely warmed up during the ride, and on the way home we celebrated ourselves with a cup of Dunkin’ pumpkin spiced coffee and an a glazed donut stick. I think we earned it!

2025, leisure time

Saturday Morning

Posted on October 25, 2025 by nancyb422

I love sitting in my comfy family room chair on Saturday mornings drinking my two medium sized cups of coffee reading emails and watching the crazy birds at the window feeder. Today, they are particularly out of control –

Usually the birds sit on the roof above, but we’ve added a little “eyebrow” over the window which initially confused the birds but now they wait their turn on the side supports or the roof of the pergola. Or float in mid-air waiting their turn.

We have all the common birds of Connecticut: the house finch, tufted titmouse, northern cardinal, blue jay, mourning dove, field sparrow, and probably more. The cardinal family is particularly bossy, the mourning dove barely fits but can’t resist, and the blue jay is messy, and sometimes will allow smaller birds to share their space.

When it gets quiet at the feeder it’s usually because of this –

We’ve seen feathers around once or twice but I do love cats so it’s hard to hate him! When he’s elsewhere in the yard, he will give you that cat stare but meet up with him in the road and he will happily lay down and give you his belly to pet!

2025, Memories

38 Years of Life Together

Posted on October 12, 2025 by nancyb422

On October 10th, my husband and I celebrated the second of two anniversaries that were life changing for both of us.

38 years ago, on the Saturday of Columbus Day weekend, I boarded a plane from Hartford Connecticut to my new home in Castro Valley California.

My boyfriend/future husband and I met on May 2, 1987 in the Monteiro Bay Jamaica airport. A girl from Connecticut and a guy from California who both made last minute plans for the same week at the same resort. What better place to meet than the back of a box truck selling beer, followed by a 2-1/2 hour bus ride to Negril separated by an aisle and a row with some flirting going on. How did we know?

Following the end of the week, we lived on letters and phone calls, a long weekend encompassing 4th of July, a family wedding reception in Connecticut, and a week long visit to California to become engaged and plan my move.

The day came quickly, and I said my goodbyes to my dad and twin sister at the gate and I boarded the plane.

2025, biking

My New Ride

Posted on September 27, 2025 by nancyb422

I have to go back to my last bike ride to explain my “new ride”.

We headed out on with friends for a ride on a beautiful Friday morning, September 12th. We met at the covered bridge in Colchester and headed out for a ride I’ve done before. It’s a good ride and I enjoy it the most out of the 3 different routes I’ve done.

It has packed dirt, country roads, paths through woods, and ferocious up and down hill, rocky forest roads.

There was a section the first time I rode that had huge puddles and I had to make a sharp turn between two trees that I didn’t make and fell into a tree! I didn’t get hurt just very muddy! Coming out of that section there is a steep, rocky (very rocky!) hill that I walked my bike up.

It was still muddy with huge puddles but I was able to ride up the hill! It wasn’t until I got to the top that I realized it was THAT hill. I did a little happy dance when I got off the bike. This is my favorite ride of all I’ve done and one along the shoreline is another favorite.

My bike, a Salsa Confluence, is a good bike but it’s designed more for roads and bike paths. There are no shocks in the handlebars and unfortunately the death grip I have on them along with bumping along over the rocks is wrecking my hands!

So….we decided to upgrade me to a Specialized bike because it comes in my size and it has shocks in the handlebar stem which will make it less painful going downhill over rocks. I hope!

Now I just need to sell my Salsa!

2024, family, hikes, hobbies, Holidays, leisure time, life, photography, Travel

12/4/2024 Hump Day Photo

Posted on December 4, 2024 by nancyb422

January 1, 2020 was brisk and bright when I set out for the guided first walk of the year with my sister and niece.

Machimoodus State Park was the location and it took us through the woods and towards a view of the Salmon River before it meets up with the Connecticut River in Haddam, Connecticut.

“Machimoodus” is an indigenous term for “place of bad noises” because of noisy rumblings and echos heard by the Pequot, Narragansett, and Mohegan tribes. The sounds were real and in 1981 geologists determined “micro earthquakes” were the cause amplified by a nearby cave!

We didn’t hear any rumblings, but we saw some beautiful scenery and had a brisk hike to start out the new year!

2024, life, Memories, This Old House

This Old House

Posted on March 20, 2024March 22, 2024 by nancyb422

I’ve written about my home before but now I’m exploring the house, the area surrounding it, and the family who built it.

My family and I moved into this home I now own on Memorial Day weekend in 1961.

My parents had previously been renting a home 2 blocks from my maternal grandmother for a few years.

They found this gem of a home – Dutch colonial, 4 bedrooms, eat in kitchen and dining room, living room with a fireplace, and a beautiful covered side porch. It was just under a half acre and had a 1 car (maybe 2) garage and old chicken coop. It had a walk up attic and a walk out basement.

Picture taken from area currently Lincoln Drive by future neighbor

The previous owners, the Atkinsons, built the house sometime in the mid-20s. He was the personnel manager at H.L. Judd until his 1949 retirement but was also a “gentleman farmer” and sold baby chicks! Mr. Atkinson passed away in March of 1960 and a year later, Mrs. Atkinson was ready to sell.

The cost of the house was $25,000. My maternal grandmother gave them the $5,000 and they took out a mortgage for the rest. In a sweet coincidence, my paternal great grandmother gave my grandparents the down payment for their house in 1925.

The yard still contained what we called the chicken coop which my father took down and left the foundation. This brought years of fun playing on it because it was level from one part of the yard and “so high!” from another side and the back. We raced around on the edge for years.

I’m not sure where he was breeding his chicks for 15 years, prior to this 1927 ad but he appears to be quite well known. This will require some more research!

There was also a cherry trees, apple trees, a grape arbor, rhubarb, and asparagus that continued to grow for years in “the way back”. Brambles of raspberries, and a mulberry tree rounded out the fruit.

There are only 2 remaining apple trees just off our property with only one producing any apples. I determined it was a Wealthy apple from the advertisement and googling the apple. “Wealthy apple trees bear heavily and is very cold hearty, but also fruits in low chill locations. It’s a favorite for home orchards in Minnesota and the East.

Stick with me for the journey!

2024, Memories, Writing

ANNhurst, not AMherst*

Posted on January 6, 2024January 7, 2024 by nancyb422

What colleges have you attended?

I attended one college from 1978 to 1980 and received my Associates Degree in Secretarial Science back when that was still a thing.

Annhurst College was a beautiful liberal arts college set in Woodstock Connecticut – “the quiet corner” of the state. Laid out on both sides of Route 169 it was originally a teaching college for Daughters of the Holy Spirit, the nuns who taught in the catholic schools in the eastern part of the state. It then developed into a “regular” college for girls, and by the time I got there, it was co-ed with a 5-1 ratio of females to males. At the time I was there the student body was around 250-300 people.

The college consisted of one old brick building that housed “the gym” and sciences classrooms on the second floor, and classroom/administration building, a student center/cafeteria, and cultural center of built in the 1960s. There were two dormitories – one built in the 1960s and the other built earlier, as well as another building that housed the nuns when I went there and contained the chapel. There were also old homes that some nuns lived in and one was used for the admissions office. In the basement was The Hobbit Hole, the college bar. The only official place to drink in Woodstock because it was a dry town!

I loved it from the moment I saw it. I loved walking everyday to meals and to classes along the paths, sitting out in front of the student center after a meal, or waiting for one, riding my bike to Roseland Lake, taking the school’s bus to Putnam on Fridays to pick up supplies from K-Mart, ordering pizza nearly every night (and gaining that “Freshman 15”), and just reveling in the beauty of the countryside.

Sadly, in the spring of my 2nd (and last) year at Annhurst, it was announced that it would be closing at the end of the academic year. all underclassmen were given help to find somewhere to go at that late notice and alumni were left without “a home”. It really left a hole in the hearts of everyone.

Nancy (me) Annhurst College Graduation May 1980

Views of Annhurst College present day (2023)

Thankfully about 10 years ago, an alumni association was started up and there is an annual reunion held at the campus which is now part of Woodstock Academy (a private school).

My husband and I occasionally ride out to Woodstock on the motorcycle and he drives down Route 169 so I can have my bit of nostalgia.

*A common conversation after graduation:

ME: I go to Annhurst college. THEM: Oh! Amherst in Massachusetts wow! ME: No, ANNhurst college in Woodstock. THEM: Woodstock NY! Oh wow! ME: NO ANNhurst College in Woodstock CT. It closed the year I graduated. THEM: Oh! Never heard of it.

Tell me in the comments if you’ve ever heard of it!

2023, family, life, Memories, thoughts, Writing

The View Never Gets Old (even though it’s old)

Posted on November 4, 2023November 4, 2023 by nancyb422

I moved into this house in May of 1961, the month after I turned one year old. Before that, my family rented a home a few blocks from my mother’s family home.

I imagine my parents’ eyes lit up when they saw the four bedrooms and the 1/2 acre yard. The bonus was the covered porch on the side of the house and a double bonus was a next door neighbor with four children!

The porch was where we watched thunderstorms lighting up the woods across the street, where we hung out with friends, where we slept on hot summer nights only to be woken up by the sun, well past sunrise beating down on us!

One of my Sunday mornings watching the world go by

I left for seven years to California and looked we looked high and low for a house just like the one I grew up in. We found one that had it’s own charm but then we had the chance to buy this one from my dad and we took it. We moved back to Connecticut 28 years ago and are still so thankful it worked out.

August 2021 and the start of the family room addition. The back deck wrapped around the the porch

The side porch is still a special part of the house. It was given a facelift a few years ago, had a deck attached for the back of the house for 10 years or so, and is now a little bit larger to go with the family room added 2 years ago. During warmer weather, I sit out there with my morning coffee and newspaper. It’s the same location that my dad sat for 40 years, reading his newspaper in warm weather.

The sunrise from my side porch November 4 at 7:30

I love that this house keeps so many memories alive.

2023, life, Memories, thoughts, Writing

Daylight Saving Time Yea or Nay?

Posted on November 1, 2023 by nancyb422

Growing up I loved when the clocks moved forward an hour! This was before they started messing with when it happened. Every year it was the last Sunday in April and with my birthday being the 22nd, it was a pretty good bet it would happen on the morning of our family party.

Our relatives, including 4 close in age cousins, would come over for food and cake and us kids would play in the yard all afternoon. My dad would bring out the motor scooter with side car (on loan from his brother) and take everyone on rides around the neighborhood. It felt like the day stretched on forever!

Falling back an hour usually coincided with Halloween back in the 70s so it would be nice and dark early when Halloween rolled around. We’d get out around 5pm and by back by 9pm to sort our candy and make trades. My sisters and I went to a catholic elementary school so we’d have the next day off because of All Saints Day. It was one of the few perks of going to our school!

I came to realize very quickly that babies do not recognize Daylight Saving time! Dogs too. They are going to keep on their regular sleep, eat, poop time regardless of what the clock says!

As the years have gone by, I realize I don’t do well with the time change at all! I’m going to bed at 9 when it’s really 10 and then getting up at 5:20 – which my husband reminds me “it was 6:20” – and I feel exhausted! Or because “it’s really only 8 but the clock says 9!”, I’ll stay up for an extra hour and again, exhausted!

Arizona and Hawaii have it right – they just don’t participate. Good for them! Who do I need to talk to here in Connecticut? I think we should be a little oasis of common sense!

How to do you feel about the time change?