Conneticut Run

We had arranged with a friend of ours, a couple of months ago, to join her and her husband at the Woodstock Fair in Woodstock, CT for the September long weekend. Of course, if we are going to drive those 6 hours east to CT....we are definitely going to make the most of our journey and see some things that we, or I, have never seen before. Lance arranged everything, so it was all a surprise to me. I never complain about the little surprises that Lance keeps from me because I ALWAYS enjoy them.

We headed out late Thursday afternoon from Batavia and the first order of business was to stop in at a clients house to drop off some glass countertop samples and discuss colors and other options. Stacey has an amazing collection of hats from around the globe and it was a treat to see some of the pieces that were displayed in their home. You can view her hats on her website at http://www.hathorizons.com/ . Needless to say we chatted there for a few hours. I am always amazed at the connections you can make with people when you share your interests and stories. We had a very enjoyable visit....but onward-ho we needed to go. Albany, NY was our destination for that night and we wanted to get there before dark.

The next morning Lance gave me the first destination to plug into our GPS and off we went to a destination unknown to myself. Hancock, MA was the only indication....and what the hell is in Hancock, MA? As we traveled along the less travelled roads, I kept on seeing signs for Shaker village this...and Shaker village that....hmmm. A few times I said to Lance, "We should go and check out one of those villages sometime." A couple of minutes later....with the ding, ding of the GPS announcing that we had arrived at our destination, the Hancock Shaker Village Museum loomed before us....very cool.

Well it was an eye opening 5 hours that we spent there going through each of the buildings and getting a small glimpse into the lives of these amazing people. It is very sad to think that some things cannot survive the test of time and cultural change. Of course, we took a gazillion photos, only a few of which I can share with you today. The weather was absolutely perfect for touring this kind of facility. We had a wonderful lunch at the Shaker Village cafeteria and just enjoyed each others company as we took in all the sights and sounds.

Next stop was Stockbridge, MA to Holsten Gallery. The quaint little street had charming little boutique style shops on either side. Holsten Gallery is housed in the back of a building, so it took us a couple of minutes to find it. Once inside, we were amazed at the calibre of artists that were represented within the galleries walls. We chatted with Stanley Wooley, an Associate of the gallery, about the history of the gallery, the artists they represent and the economy. I don't think you can get away from that subject. Time was a ticking since we had to get to our friends place in Glastonbury, CT for dinner so off we went....after we picked up some yummy salami, cheese, bread and wine from a local store. Couldn't arrive empty handed.

A lovely evening of laughter, story telling and sharing of food and wine was spent at Carol & Todd's. They had invited another couple to join us, one of whom we had met at a previous outing to Glastonbury. We had a lovely sleep with only a couple of visits by their fluffy, curious cats. The next day's agenda included a aquacise workout with Carol at her local haunt, breakfast and then off to the Woodstock Country Fair for the better part of the afternoon. All of us had our share of fair food....I am still paying for it.

We went into all the animal barns to check out the livestock. I love the personalities of the animals and chickens. We missed out on the horse pull....but got to see the oxen pull instead. That event kind of bothered me as the owners were whipping the oxen to get them to start pulling. Not MY favorite event, but we had a great time and the weather, again, was perfect.

The next day it was time to head out to the second surprise location. So again, Lance pulls out his little piece of paper with the address, I punch it into the GPS, and off we go but not before lots of hugs and warm wishes to our most gracious hosts, Carol and Chef Todd. We didn't get too far from their house before we happened upon the dreaded "TAG SALE". A must stop for Lance and I. No sooner did we get up the driveway before the first find was discovered, and purchased at a cut rate. Well....that meant a trip to the bank to get some cash while Lance continued inspecting the sale for items. We can always find something that we can add to our collection of antiques or to our family's collections. Most of these collections were started by Lance. So we loaded up the Honda Element and off we went to our destination. At this rate we may not make it the 2 hours to New Haven, CT before dinner.

Oops....East Haddam grabbed our attention before we got to our surprise location. Very cool opera house and hotel, an antique store that was over the top with mildrew and mold smells (but I did buy some very nice antique buttons). We had a very enjoyable lunch at the hotels riverside veranda.

Will we ever stop eating????

Gillette Castle was our next stop and it is a beautiful State Park. The castle was amazing...a little on the eccentric side of things, but definitely a place that you have to visit. The door and window latches and locks were very unique.

So we finally started to head to our friends, Kimmy & Fred, home in Branford, CT for another couple of days of stories, laughter, and food. Again we arrived just in time for dinner with their son, Thomas, and 2 of their friends. Very yummy dinner, warm atmosphere, great company. There home sits right on the Long Island Sound with a wonderful peaceful view. This view is what we awoke to the next morning.


Another morning of hanging out and then off to see the Thimble Islands by boat. Amazing homes seemingly floating on top of the water. To have that as your view 365 days of the year is beyond anything I have ever dreamed of. Alas....there are too many things to experience and enjoy in this life...but this is definitely one of them. Simple pleasures of being with friends you enjoy, sharing moments, laughing, savoring tastes, smells, visions.....it just doesn't get any better than that.

So we stayed one more night with Kimmy and Fred. We enjoyed their hospitality and friendship and openness to having us in their beautiful home. We wish we lived closer so that we could enjoy their company more often. It was sad to leave but the OATKA School of Glass beacons us back.....too many things to do and only the 2 of us. We thank all of our friends and the people that we encountered this weekend for making it a memorable one for us.