Recuperation journey: View of the Valley

  ... on a quiet New Year's Day.

Ansonia NAACP, MLK Bust Committee to hold fundraiser

*Editor's note: Incorrect year is listed on flyer. Ansonia native Sheena Graham is the 2019 Connecticut Teacher of the Year. 

Derby Historical Society to host 'Twelfth Night' celebration

Sharing information from a Facebook event page:

"Please join us as the Derby Historical Society marks the end of the Christmas season with our annual Twelfth Night Celebration. 
"This event features tours of General David Humphreys House by costumed docents. Spark up a conversation with one of our historical actors and take yourself back to an earlier time in American history.
"Try our mulled cider and punch alongside some samplings of colonial cookery and modern day baked goods. There will be demonstrations of colonial skills such as spinning and weaving. 
"We will also have open hearth cooking demonstrations during this event and a Dickens' Reading at 3 p.m. in Lady Humphreys’ Parlor.
"Be sure to visit our Gift Shop to find that unique item. We have colonial toys, locally made candles, history books, and watercolor prints of Derby’s yesteryear.
"For more information call 203-735-1908. Limited parking is available in back of the house. Additional on-street parking is available on nearby Thomas Street."

The Humphreys House is at 37 Elm St., Ansonia.

Recuperation journey: Peaceful New Year's Day

Balancing act seen at Pickett's Pond in Derby. Taken from a distance so as not to scare the goose away.

Happy 2019.

Artwork sought for exhibit at Valley Arts Council gallery in Ansonia

Recuperation journey: Christmas moments

I was fortunate enough to experience several "Christmas moments" during the holiday season. 

They all center on wildlife - cardinals and deer, to be exact.

On Dec. 20 I wrote this post about two deer I spotted one evening running across the road in front of a car ahead of me. The story drew a lot of readers, I'm happy to say. 
A friend said that might be my "Christmas moment." It was, until the next one.

The few Christmas cards I sent featured a photo I took through the window last winter of a cardinal in the snow. 

To continue the theme, at our family's Christmas Eve Yankee Swap I got this beautiful cardinal light. 


And on Christmas Day our son Cameron - who hadn't read my post about the deer crossing my path - surprised me with this magnificent deer.

The cardinals, blue jays, and squirrels I see outside the window each day and deer crossing my path are calling to me - giving me a signal to slow down and appreciate nature and the wildlife that surrounds us.

All coincidences? I think not.

Derby Town/City Clerk posts 2019 holiday schedule