Holiday Craft Show @ Wadsworth Mansion 12/5

Vendors listed below - click on vendors to see their work

Alforno's Artists for World Peace Barb's Bags Bela Designs Bittersweet Ridge Dancing Shakti Yoga and Gifts From My Neighbor's Garden Hometown Bakery Jacqueline White Fine Art Killam & Bassette Farmstead Kim's Cottage Confections Meriano's Bake Shoppe Middletown Garden Club

Pamela Roose The Purple Pear by Tina Quilibet Rotters Potters The Shade Tree, LLC Silver Moon Herbals Susan Parks Soap Twigs & Tweeds Wendy Black-Nasta Designs Westmont Mosias Windgate Farms Woolen It Be Nice

Zip in Town

Zipcar that is. Our household got its very own ZipCard that unlocks either a Toyota Prius or a Honda hybrid parked on Church Street on the Wesleyan campus. Join Zipcar for a small yearly fee of $50 and an application fee of $25 and you too can rent one of these fine cars for an hourly rate $8, which includes gas, insurance and 180 miles of travel. If you are part of the Wesleyan University community, the yearly fees and application fees are less. We joined through Yale University (where my husband works) and received $35 worth of free rentals in the first month of membership.

The Zipcar is ideal for people who just need a car occasionally for a few hours – to go to the mall or other errand. (Probably why they work so well in college communities.) If you need a car for the week or the weekend; Zipcar is not the most economical choice.

According to the Zipcar website many people go “carless” or downsize to one car after joining. We know two New Haven Residents who have done just that and reported saving thousands annually.

We tried Zipcar out this past week, renting the Prius to pick up my daughter at the airport for a Thanksgiving visit. After joining up our membership card was mailed to us. We made the reservation on the www.zipcar.com website which told us what car or cars were available in the area. The fact that the Zipcar location (The Allbritton Center, 222 Church Street) is within walking distance of the Village District and downtown is a huge plus. Unlocking the car was as simple as waving the membership card in front of the windshield. After a uneventful ride up and back, we simply returned the car to its parking place on campus. We did need to make sure we returned the car with at least ¼ tank of gas. If we had needed to purchase gas, a gas card, which works at any gas station, is stored in the glove compartment.

Right now there are only two Zipcars in Middletown to rent but more are likely to arrive here if this service becomes popular. Zipcar rentals are also available in Hartford on the Trinity campus, New London on the Connecticut College campus and in New Haven on the Yale campus. Available at more than 100 locations Zipcars are found throughout the country----I’m thinking we may use Zipcar on our vacation. I saw on the Zipcar website that you can purchase gift cards for memberships or driving. Hum…who on my holiday list would like that for Christmas?

From 1934: Wrubel Introduced to Strand Audience

This article is from 75 years ago today, published in the Hartford Courant on November 29, 1934.

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"Allie" Wrubel is one of our city's most famous native sons, as a charter inductee into the Songwriter's Hall of Fame in 1970 (Phileas Fogg mentioned Elias Paul Wrubel among other famous Middletown musicians). He was born in Middletown in 1905 and attended Wesleyan before heading to New York and Europe to pursue a musical career. He played saxophone in dance orchestras, including the Paul Whiteman Orchestra, and toured Europe with his own band. In 1934, at the age of 29, he moved to Hollywood and wrote songs for film musicals. He had a slew of hits and won an Academy Award for the song, "Zip A Dee Doo Dah."

From 1946 until his death in 1973, Wrubel lived on a 400 acre estate in Twentynine Palms, a town in the southern California desert.

Holiday on Main Street

Holiday on Main Street sponsored by the Middlesex Chamber of Commerce, the city of Middletown and several area businesses and organizations continued Saturday with "hayrides" down Main Street, and a story hour with Curious George and Mayor Sebastian Giuliano. The celebration continues every Saturday until Christmas.

Next week Fire Chief Gary Oulette and Clifford the Big Red Dog greet families to a story hour at Middletown Fire Department on Main Street, and Wesleyan and the Connecticut Commission on Culture and Tourism sponsor a free showing of the Disney film Mickey's Christmas Carol at the Goldsmith Family Cinema.

Tree Lighting to Take Place As Scheduled

Trevor Davis, Chairman of the Middlesex County Chamber of Commerce Central Business Bureau, announced “Holiday On Main Street” will kick-off today, Friday, November 27 from 1:00 p.m. to 8:00 p.m. The CBB Holiday on Main Committee, chaired by Al Santostefano and co-chairman Rich Greco, in conjunction with the Middletown Commission on the Arts, invites everyone to ring in the holiday season by attending the three tree-lighting ceremonies along Main Street, Middletown.

Festivities will begin on the South Green at 5:00 p.m. with a carol sing and the first tree-lighting will take place on the Green at 5:45 p.m. and will be led by Mayor Sebastian Giuliano and Santa. Also on hand on the South Green will be the Middletown High School band and chorus along with the Woodrow Wilson Middle School chorus. Last year, over 1,000 people were able to enjoy the holiday sights and sounds on the South Green and more are expected this year.

After the tree-lighting, there will be free pictures with Santa and free horse and carriage hayrides until 8:00 p.m.

Also, there will be a parade up Main Street to the Chamber where the tree on the roof will be lit at 6:15 p.m. for the second tree-lighting of the night followed by free pictures with Santa.

After the second lighting at the Chamber, there will be festivities in front of Eli Cannon’s Tap Room at 695 Main Street for the third and final tree-lighting of the night, at 8:15 p.m. Here, Santa will arrive to light the tree and there will be elves on hand to provide all children with complimentary popcorn, cookies, hot chocolate and other treats.

Each tree-lighting is free of charge to the public. Holiday on Main Street Continues every Saturday until Christmas.

Eye on the Air, November 27

Eye on the Air, broadcast 1-2 PM on WESU, 88.1 FM.

Host: Ed McKeon

Guest: Historian and author Dione Longley who talks about the scandalous early history of Middletown.

Alpaca Farm Open House 11/28 and 11/29

HOLIDAY OPEN HOUSE

at

Summer Brook Valley Alpaca Farm in Middletown

November 28 & 29

(Saturday and Sunday)

10 am to 4pm

Rte. 155 toward Durham. Turn LEFT onto Millbrook Road. Turn RIGHT onto LIVINGSTON RD. Turn LEFT onto MARGARITE RD EXT. We are about a ¼ mile on the left. Our sign is posted at the end of the driveway.

Durham Dairy to hold Holiday Festival on Saturday

Deerfield Farm is a vibrant, beautiful dairy in Durham. They are a delight to visit on any day, but after a day or two in the house with relatives and food, their Holiday Festival sounds like a wonderful opportunity to get out of the house.

Ballet for the Holiday

Joseph Albano first choreographed "The Nutcracker Suite" in 1960, combining the handsome music of Tchaikovsky with stunning visuals.

The Hartford-based choreographer created his Dance Company in the early 1970s and this work has been a staple of its repertoire ever since.

The Greater Middletown Concert Association, tirelessly guided by Barbara Arafeh, brings "The Nutcracker" to the Performing Arts Center of Middletown High School, LaRosa Lane, this Saturday at 4 p.m. for one show. Tickets are still available for the show and can be reserved by calling 860-347-4887 or going online to www.greatermiddletownconcerts.org.

In other Performing Arts Center news, the Hartford Symphony Orchestra, Edward Cumming, music director, brings its "Holiday POPS Spectacular" to MHS for 2 shows on Friday December 19 and Saturday December 19 (both nights at 8 p.m.) Joining the HSO will be the Hartford Chorale, Richard Coffey, music director. According to the press release, the evening promises "sparkling carols, seasonal chestnuts and spirited choruses, all gloriously performed with the Hartford Symphony. Have Yourself a Merry Little Christmas!, O Come All Ye Faithful, Sleigh Ride, Little Drummer Boy, O Holy Night, music from Nutcracker, Messiah, and more."

For ticket information, go to www.vendini.com/ticket-software.html?e=dafba166b34adfcb35d0b74616f5e7dd&t=tix.

Conversations on Health 11/25

Wednesday, November 25, 4:40 PM on WESU 881. FM.

Post-Turkey Day Fun

Friday November 27:
The 54th Annual Wesleyan Potters Exhibit & Sale begins on this day at 10 a.m. Not sure if this work pictured on the left created by Priscilla Palumbo will be on sale but it's pretty to look out. Works by over 200 artists will be on display and on sale for the next several weeks and the show is truly a highlight of this (or any) Holiday season. To find out more, go online to www.wesleyanpotters.com/events.shtml or give at call at 860-347-5925. Regular hours are Thursday and Friday, 10:00 a.m. - 9:00 p.m. as well as Saturday through Wednesday, 10:00 a.m. - 6:00 p.m.

Middletown's "Holiday on Main Street" begins this weekend with a slew of events for people of all ages. During the early afternoon on Friday, there will be free Fun Train rides for the young ones while at 4 p.m., you can start taking free hayrides. At 5 p.m., Mayor Sebastian Giuliano heads down to the South Green to dedicate the new gazebo, to light the Christmas tree and to announce the "One Book, One Middletown" selection for 2010 (more on that in a later posting.) Joining him will be Ronald McDonald and Santa Claus with emcee Don DeCesare from WMRD & WLIS. At 6 p.m., there will be a parade heading to the Middlesex County Chamber of Commerce office for the lighting of the second tree (atop the building.) That's not all - at 8:15, there's yet another Tree Lighting in front of Eli Cannon's Tap Room in the North End (a perfect time for hot chocolate and mulled cider, though, by this time, Santa and his helpers might prefer a Samuel Smith's Winter Welcome.) All these events are free - for more information, call 860-347-6924.

There are those people who say "If you can't come to Collinsville, Collinsville will come to you!" (I'm not at liberty to say who "those people" are.) The Buttonwood Tree heeds that call and presents a intriguing double bill at 7:30 p.m. Singer-songwriter Jason Krug bring his acoustic folk ensemble Citizen Spy to the performance space. Krug's recent electric endeavor, DayDrug, released a very fine CD last year - his songs are witty, sardonic, and makes one ponder on the foibles of everyday life (really.) Also on the bill is poet-author-essayist David Leff. I have his latest book, "Deep Travel", by my bedside and it's a fascinating true story of the author (and several companions) retracing Henry David Thoreau's trip on the Merrimack and Concord Rivers. The book pictured on the left, "The Last Undiscovered Place", is Leff's loving portrait of his adopted hometown (yes, it's Collinsville.) His book of prose-poems, "The Price of Water", was issued in 2008 by Antrim House Books. For more information about this event, go to www.buttonwood.org. Below is a piece from Leff's book of poems (printed courtesy of Antrim House.)

SPRING IN HELL’S KITCHEN

The dark stone canyon walls of Hell’s Kitchen are fractured horizontally, in cracks that grin and leer at hikers. Laurel clings to life on the precipitous ledges where plump mosses drip alongside the last fading tusks of winter ice. Water seeps invisibly through the jumbled rocks beneath the trail, briefly revealing itself as a sparkling stream and disappearing again. It echoes in rocky chambers, trickling and percolating in multiple voices. I bend and listen to the liquid speech suddenly joined by the melodic weet, weet, weet, weet, tsee, tsee of a flagrantly yellow warbler perched in the leafless brush like a light bulb. Other birdsong and the hum and buzz of insects will soon harmonize in an accidental orchestra prophesizing a season of the migrant, temporary, and intermittent.

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Perhaps the only thing that can rouse you from your turkey leftovers is a healthy dose of "the Dead." You're in luck because Shakedown, "New England's Premier Grateful Dead Cover Band", returns to Boney's Music Lounge for several sets of Garcia/Lesh/Weir/Robert Hunter-inspired rock and soul (the quintet also plays music by The Meters, Bob Marley, Bob Dylan and others.) They'll start "rocking the room" at 9 p.m. For more information, call 860-346-6000.

The Weekly Eater: Harbor Park

Today we introduce a new dining review column by a pair of Middletown foodies with experience in the food industry. They shall remain anonymous, known only as The Weekly Eaters, as they share their local dining experiences with us through the Middletown Eye.

A Ship Sans Rudder

The collective consciousness of the Middletown cognescenti has long dreamed of a restaurant at the river’s edge that would provide fine foods, beverages, and a warm place for a romantic interlude to complement its superb location at the bend in the river.

Let us imagine such a restaurant. It would be large enough to host a celebration, like a wedding, yet designed to provide nooks and alcoves where couples could dine in privacy. There would also be open, gregarious spaces where thirty-somethings could see and be seen. Maybe even a small dance floor. Lighting would be indirect so as not to cause reflections or glare that would obstruct the nighttime view from expansive windows looking up river towards a picturesquely illuminated bridge, or down river towards the dabs of light along River Road. Music would be live and soothing or piped in gently to the alcoves and booths. Tabletops would be dressed in white linens while stemware and silverware would be elegant and worthy of its patrons. Fully leaded crystal wine glasses, flatware of substance, napkins of cloth. Do we need every plate to match? Do we need every knife to brother-up with every spoon? No, we do not. As long as they are quality, bought even at a second-hand store if necessary, they will provide their own unique character to the setting.

And what about the food? Of course we want good value. We want the same for the wine and beer list. Do we dream of $30 entrees and $100 bottles? No, we do not. We dream of something chosen with care by someone who has put his or her heart and passion into the choosing. We want a menu that reflects someone’s good taste, experienced palate and a chef’s consummate skill. Do we want an extensive menu of frozen and reheated foods? No, we do not. Let’s have a small menu with freshness as its key ingredient. We want a wine list of favorites that are consumed by someone who actually drinks wine and actually eats from the menu in order to pair the beverages with the flavors of the food. Let that wine list be populated with the honest produce of family-owned wineries, not that stuff squeezed through a lab coat in Modesto, Parma, Adelaide or Lyon. We want beer - of course we want beer - but please make it varied and not simply different brands of “light” beer. Is that too much to ask in this golden age of the micro-brew? I think not. Let’s have beer that a man or woman would be proud to pound.

And what about the general appearance of this imaginary restaurant? Should it have the smell of lavatory cleanser upon entering? When you pass the live lobster tank, should it have more than two tired looking miniature lobsters in it? When you trudge up the stairs to the Dining Hall should it shine with bare, lacquered wood tables while above it, on the third floor, as if in heaven itself, you can wistfully see through the glass the white linen almost waving from a dark dining room? Should the lights be draped with a month’s worth of cobwebs? Should you have to be seated by the chef because the hostess is en absentia? Do we really need to have our chair pulled out for us? No, we do not. But it would be nice. Do we have to listen to the commercial radio station blaring from the open kitchen? Apparently we do. Do we need a fire in the gorgeous fireplace? Apparently we do not. Do we need food with flavor? Yes. Please. That is our dream.

As for Harbor Park, dream on Middletown, dream on.

Just the facts:

Two appetizers, one entrée, one beer, one bottle of wine = $68.04

Our waitress was excellent.