Christmas here in Connecticut
Our First Christmas in Connecticut and the
End of a Very Transformative Year | December 2022
It has been a while since we posted anything about our travels on our website. Much has happened since last summer, and we’d like to finally give all of you a recap on what’s been happening with us, so we have included several new pages of adventures to share. First of all, we’d like to wish you a Merry Christmas and hope everyone is well and enjoying this holiday season. An interesting note regarding the above photo of our front yard area that Mary took last week when we got some snow. The stone bunny survived the 3000 mile journey from our porch in California and is now happy to greet visitors as they drive up to our new house here in Unionville. He has proven to be a very sturdy character! We did get substantial snowfall last Sunday but sadly it has melted away, and now, as I write this on Christmas Eve, it’s been very cold (about 13 degrees) outside but there is no more snow - so we won’t have a white Christmas after all.
When we set off on our trip last December, we had no idea what would happen or where the journey would take us ultimately. We only knew that we had a unique opportunity to see parts of the country we had never been and it was a novel experience to travel in the motorhome like that. As I recall, we originally thought we would do a lap around the country, and be back in California for Sam and Ivana’s wedding with the motorhome. But as we got closer to the halfway point, we realized that we were going to buy a house in Connecticut and it would be logistically impossible to drive the motorhome back. So our intended trip around the country got cut short after all. Perhaps we may resume some travelling in the RV at some point, but for now it is parked in the driveway. If any of you ever have the opportunity to travel like this, I would encourage you to do so! We loved the freedom and convenience of taking our home with us where ever we wanted to go. And it was great to not need to pack a suitcase as we traveled from place to place. Once we got the hang of it, the RV lifestyle was a lot easier than we first thought.
Mary has a new job with a firm in Glastonbury and I’ve decided to hang up the truck driving and am in the process of getting a forklift certification and will look for warehouse work to keep busy. Mary has found a new choral group that she already did one holiday performance with and I am exploring songwriting and may eventually try to start a group or join one. I have been volunteering at the Farmington Food Pantry at the request of our neighbor for the holidays. We absolutely love living in Connecticut and especially love New England in general. For us, it is a new and different way of living than what we were used to in California. It amazes us how our surroundings and the people we interact with can really give a different perspective on our own life and the life that we have lived so far. Living here reminds me of those old Norman Rockwell paintings which I’ve always admired. There is a feeling of Americana that I’m sure is just me, but is refreshing in some way. Mary and I moved here to experience the next part of our lives and to live with gratefulness and sense of wonder. We have barely scratched the surface exploring the area - there is so much yet to see and experience. We have had visits from Hanna Ruth and Steve and Lori so far and look forward to having anyone who would like to visit us - so just let us know! We would love to have you.
Window shopping in Essex, we had dinner at The Black Seal Seafood Grill
Carmine likes to gaze out the big window
Carmine loves Christmas lights
The town of Essex has a real life "Polar Express" called The North Pole Express ! Its a 90 minute train ride with real actors that entertain both kids and adults.
"Polar Express" leaving the station in Essex
First signs of snow fall
Mike gets a new/old truck finally!
We got a good 4-5 inches of snow but ultimately it all melted away by Christmas
It's a winter wonderland!
Our neighbor Danny was kind enough to plow our driveway after the storm.
The snow looked like cotton on the trees
First fire of the year in the basement fireplace
We got this new rug just in time for the holidays!
Vinnie loves a good nap
Mary's new choral group in Southbury
It's like a Thomas Kinkade painting!