North Stonington, CT

North Stonington, CT is situated north of Stonington. A farming town that reminds me of my hometown in rural Upstate NY/Pennsylvania. Whenever I get homesick, I find myself going for a drive around North Stonington. It is beautiful with all the farmlands and there are some historical homes to appreciate!

Here are some suggestions of what to do in North Stonington:

Wheeler Library

A beautiful historical library established in 1908. The upper level is GORGEOUS, with the wood everywhere. There are also many busts around, it reminded me of Trinity Library in Dublin, Ireland. The basement is where the year-round book sale is! Always a wonderful selection, I almost always leave with 6-8 books each time!

The Tin Peddler

A market and cafe with local sourced food. I love how their focus is on supporting the local farmers. Naturally, with my stance of supporting local farmers, I had to check them out shortly after they opened the doors back in 2020. It quickly became a favorite spot. The cafe offers sandwiches, soups, salads and more. I love their roasted turkey sandwich with the bacon-cranberry jam. It’s so delicious! Gluten free options. I also love how easy it is to order online and pick up at their drive thru window. The staff is always super friendly.

Hike Hewitt Farm

Hewitt Farm is 104-acres with fields, wetlands, rivers/ponds and trees. There are some historical houses (but please respect the privacy of the homeowners) to admire too. The hiking trail is just over a mile long with visible markers. The map also can be found on this website here. It’s a beautiful area to enjoy the outdoors!

Farm stands

There are a few stands selling fruits, vegetables, flowers, etc. If you drive around on the back roads, you’ll come across them. Kady’s Farm Stand is easily found at the intersection of Norwich Westerly Road and Main Street.

Terra Firma Farm

It’s a worthwhile to mention that this North Stonington based farm sells delicious milk. Seriously, they have the BEST. I loved chocolate and coffee. They also offer yogurt, eggs, meat and more. You can order their products online and get delivery if you live within a 30 miles radius of the farm. Over the summers, they host summer camps for kids. I was fortunate to get a tour there twice for field trips when I worked at the school. The farmer, Brie is very educational and informative about farming. Contact her first if you want a farm tour, or have questions. For those visiting from out of town, you can find some of their products at McQuade’s Marketplace in Mystic, CT.

North Stonington Fair [July]

The fair season is one of the best parts about summer! I’ve been a long time fan of the North Stonington Fair. This 4-days long fair occurs annually in mid-July. The small community ambiance is one big reason why I love it there. It’s noticeable that North Stonington residents have a lot pride by the hard work they put into hosting the fair. Each day has a schedule of different activities, competitions, shows and events. It is posted on their website here. I love checking out the agriculture shows - especially cows and goats. They also make a fun subject to photograph when I walk through the barns! Often the farmers are there and can be available to talk with if you have questions. Another favorite event that I never miss are the tractor pulls. A motor sport event where tractors (or vehicles) are modified to pull set weights. Whoever travels the furthest usually wins. I always find it so fascinating. Especially how people work on their tractors/vehicles year-round to win these competitions! The fair has all the typical rides, games, baking contest, princess/queen show, quilt show, food concession stands and more. It’s always the best time at North Stonington Fair! 2022 North Stonington Fair is happening July 14-17.

It’s amazing how a town that I’ve never worked or lived in could hold a piece of my heart, but it truly reminds me of my hometown. I love the pride of the residents and the beauty of nature to make North Stonington a beautiful town to visit! It always does my soul good to take a drive through the countryside.

Mystic Seaport: Where History Meets the Sea

If I had to name my most favorite spot in Mystic… it’d be the Mystic Seaport Museum. That won’t come as a surprise if you’re following me on Instagram (@knotsoloud) as I’ve posted many, many photographs from there! I have been visiting them for years, so often that my parents gifted me a membership one Christmas. I’ve been a proud member since 2013!

Mystic Seaport is DOG FRIENDLY! I bring my Dalmatian and we’d walk around the grounds, enjoy the beautiful scenery of Mystic River. The drawbridge downtown can be seen from many points at Seaport. I was particularly excited when ‘Bring Fido’, a traveling app for people with pets used my photo of my dog and I at the Seaport!

It’s one place that is gorgeous during all seasons. I really can’t pick a favorite. The Mystic River is gorgeous in the autumn with the trees changing colors. The reflection of its colors on the river’s water just enhances the beauty of Mystic. The snowy covered grounds is also a sight! I was lucky to be granted access (member privilege!) right after a snow storm, one of my favorite photographing memory! Summer is colorful, with those sailboats in the river.

Mystic Seaport Museum is known for their 19th century seafaring village, the shipyard, and sailing ships. Each of the building in the village is set up as an exhibit. The exhibits portrays all the craftsmen and trades that contributes to ship building. It is very interesting to learn about what goes into building a ship.

The shipyard is where it all happens, the constructing of a boat. There is always a boat there that is being restored. There is an observe deck near the boat that is being restored so you can watch the volunteers at work. It amazes me to watch them work!

There are a few ships at Mystic Seaport to tour. The Charles W. Morgan ship is a favorite. It is the oldest surviving wooden whaling ship from the 19th century.  I watched it go under a multi million dollar restoration project in 2010, it was very fascinating to follow the progress. I followed it closely up to the day it was re-launched into the Mystic River. That day was a very memorable event. Thousands of people came out on their boats on the river or stood along the Mystic River to see the ship sail. I stood near the drawbridge when I saw it sail down the Mystic River to embark on the voyage around New England for the summer. It is currently docked and an active exhibit at Mystic Seaport so I highly recommend you to check it out.

The Mystic Seaport hosts many events throughout the year. A favorite of mine is the Wooden Boat Show at end of June. I attend the event annually! It shows a collection of beautiful traditional and classic wooden boats. The festival is usually all weekend long, so there is plenty to do. There are demonstrations and performances to see, special tours of wooden boats, and vendors/exhibitors.

Another worthy mention about the Seaport, is that they offer sailing programs. This is where we learned how to sail the year we purchased our sailboat. The instructors were very informative and helpful. My husband enjoyed it so much that he returned for Dyer Dhow racing series.

Don’t forget to stop in the Museum bookstore on your way out. A collection of nautical related books, apparel, souvenirs, nautical home decor products and many more!

Hours and pricing information are available here on their website here.

All photos are my own. Prints are available for purchase.

Old Wethersfield, CT

Do you know where the oldest and largest historic district in Connecticut is?! Old Wethersfield, CT! Located 10 minutes outside of Hartford, CT. It is the quintessential New England village! I went to visit one weekend in early 2020, because I had noticed a lot posts at a particular location. I quickly fell in love with Old Wethersfield, I’ve returned many, many times! If it wasn’t for my love of the shoreline living, I would’ve picked to live in Old Wethersfield.

Here are some suggestions of what to do in Old Wethersfield:

Heirloom Market at Comstock Ferre

This is the particular location that often popped up on Instagram. A natural food market combined with a cafe. What I love about the cafe is that they use fresh and local ingredients! They do offer gluten free options. I’ve stopped in for their sandwiches several times, even when I’m just passing through. It’s THAT GOOD! Walking in there always feels like a year-round farmer’s market. I also admire how it’s housed in an old historic (200+ years old!) industrial antique building. Truly the best spot to visit!

Walk around the district

It’s the best town for historic homes. I’m always in awe of the homes there, often photographing them during all seasons. I’ve learned the history of some homes which has been so fascinating to discover. I often walk on Main Street from Heirloom Market down to Wethersfield Cove and back. There’s also some historical buildings. The one that you can’t miss as it’s the first you see coming in Old Wethersfield from I-91 - the First Church, the brick church with a beautiful white steeple. Witch trials were held there during the 17th century. There is a cemetery behind it with some stones dating back to 1600’s.

Wethersfield Cove

At the end of Main Street, you’ll find yourself at Wethersfield Cove. It is a park, with a cove that is connected to Connecticut River. Plenty of picnic tables and benches are around the park to enjoy the beautiful waterfront views. Many people have fished here and use the public boat launch to access the Connecticut River. You can’t miss the historical building at the cove, the warehouse, built in 1600s. It was restored in 1934 and currently operates as a museum [Wethersfield Historical Society].

Visit the museums

• Webb-Deane-Stevens Museum. The houses are from 18th century and was home of Revolutionary War diplomat Silas Deane. They are available to host for weddings, the rustic barn on their property would make a beautiful backdrop!

• The Buttolph-Williams House, which was the setting in the book ‘The Witch of Blackbird Pond’.

• Hurlbut-Dunham House, a historical brick house was the home of social and civic leaders, Jane and Howard Dunham.

• Keeney Memorial Cultural Center is across the street from Webb-Deane-Stevens museum. It houses the visitor’s center for Old Wethersfield, where you can get more information about the town and what it has to offer. The Wethersfield Museum is also housed in there, providing more information about the history!

Silas W. Robbins House [bed and breakfast]

I quickly fell in love with this beautiful bed and breakfast. It is one of the most gorgeous home I have ever seen in my life! The house even caught the attention of Hallmark Channel, as it was the setting in a Christmas movie, ‘Christmas at Honeysuckle Lane’. The owners does an amazing job of exterior decor each season, especially at Christmas time! I’ve been lucky to photograph the house during all seasons. One year I finally got a tour of the inside - it is as gorgeous! It’s surely on my bucket list to stay there overnight!

Main Street Creamery

You cannot, I repeat, CANNOT, visit Old Wethersfield without getting an ice cream from Main Street Creamery! It’s one of my favorite ice cream shops in Connecticut with plethora of delicious flavors. Yes, there are gluten free/vegan options! Be sure to have some cash handy.

Support local

There are several shops across the street from the First Church. An antique shop, a home decor boutique, an old fashioned general store, seeds store and more. Pop in some of them and you’ll be sure to find something for yourself or someone!

Attend the events

Many events occur in Old Wethersfield from April to December! My two favorites are the Bicycles on Main [May] and Scarecrows Along Main [October].

Old Wethersfield is truly the perfect town for history lovers. The town preserved the rich history, making it perfect destination for a weekend getaway or for the day trippers. I also love that it’s a low cost, but still has plenty to do and see. You will fall in love with Old Wethersfield!

Elizabeth Park

Whenever June rolls around I always put Elizabeth Park on the list of places to visit ASAP! Elizabeth Park, located in Hartford, CT is over 100+ acres of gardens, walking path, baseball fields, tennis & basketball courts, and so much more. They host concerts and events. The park is on the National Register of Historic Sites.

Starting in late March to early April several flowers starts to bloom at Elizabeth Park. They have a variety from tulips, daffodils, Iris garden, roses and dahlias. I used to work in West Hartford several years ago, that’s when I discovered this park at the peak of season of the rose gardens.

It’s a beautiful park with plenty of picnic tables. You could pack up a lunch and bring it there and enjoy the nature. There’s a cafe on site - Pond House Cafe. I haven’t been there but it looks nice!

Last summer I made sure to wake up at 4:30 so that I could make it to Hartford at sunrise (it’s a hour commute) before it was mobbed with people walking around the rose garden. It was the best moment, having the entire garden to myself! I enjoyed photographing the garden at a variety of angles. There is a gazebo in the center covered in ivy. I could see why this was a popular spot for photography sessions, influencers and everyone!

I usually make a day out of it, visiting the rose garden then walking around UConn Law school. The buildings there are beautiful! The Mark Twain House and Museum isn’t that far from the Elizabeth Park. Of course, there’s also West Hartford Center & Blue Back Square in West Hartford for some shopping! There’s plenty to do in Hartford!

Here are some gorgeous photos from the rose garden:

Elizabeth Park is open daily, dawn to dusk and FREE!

Mystic Pizza

When you drive through Downtown Mystic, most often you’ll see someone or a group taking a selfie photo under the Mystic Pizza sign. The pizza parlor is the inspiration for the romantic-comedy movie, Mystic Pizza. It was filmed in Mystic, CT and the surrounding areas in 1987-88.

Mystic Pizza is a romantic-comedy movie following the lives of three young women (starring Julia Roberts, Annabeth Gish and Lili Taylor) who work at Mystic Pizza as waitresses. It also follows their romantic adventures. The screenwriter was inspired when she visited Mystic Pizza to use it in the movie.

When I visited Mystic for the first time in the summer of 2010, before I officially moved here, I couldn’t help but notice the amount of people taking pictures at Mystic Pizza! This is when I learned of the movie. I had never seen the movie but when I moved here, I finally watched it. Now it is one of my favorites that I watch on repeat!

Many do not realize that the pizza parlor in Downtown Mystic wasn’t the one used in the movie. The restaurant couldn’t afford to close for the duration of the filming so they created a fictional Mystic Pizza set in Stonington. After the movie was released, the original Mystic Pizza underwent a renovation to be similar to the one in the movie. If you do go for a slice of heaven, the restaurant is filled of memorabilia of still photos, posters, etc on the walls with the movie showing on all TV’s. Mystic Pizza also offers merchandise such as t-shirts, hats, stickers, glasses and more. At the time of the movie release, Mystic Pizza couldn’t keep up with the demand so a second location opened in North Stonington in 1991. Mystic Pizza II is at 211 Providence New London Turnpike, North Stonington. The menus are very similar using the same family ingredients for their pizzas. Mystic Pizza II has a more low key setting while Mystic Pizza is mostly filled with visitors who visit Mystic. Either location is worthwhile to check out and the pizza is really good!!

I do suggest that you watch the movie first before you take the self guided tour around the Mystic region. It’s fun to see the filming locations! Do keep in mind that some are private residences, so please respect the homeowners and do not trespass on their properties.

In Mystic, Connecticut:

• 56 W Main Street - The original Mystic Pizza (not filmed in movie, but inspired it).

• Drawbridge - A couple scenes were filmed here. One scene is when Bill and Jojo exchanged words about the fishing boat’s rename (which was an insult to Jojo). The second scene shows Charlie driving over the drawbridge with Daisy on the way to their first date.

• 75 Greenmanville Ave - The planetarium where Kat worked. It is the Mystic Seaport’s Treworgy Planetarium. It requires a museum admission to enter the planetarium.

• 105 Greenmanville Ave - The pizza critic scene was filmed in the tavern at Latitude 41 Restaurant. (UPDATE: Latitude 41 is no longer there, it has been demolished).

Mystic Pizza [the inspiration] - 56 W Main St

Drawbridge [a couple scenes filmed here] - Downtown Mystic

Planetarium at Mystic Seaport Museum [Kat’s workplace] - 75 Greenmanville Ave

Latitude 41 [interior shots] - 105 Greenmanville Ave

In Stonington, Connecticut:

• 72 Water Street - The fictional Mystic Pizza location was filmed here. It currently is the home of New England Science & Sailing Foundation (NESS).

• 66 Water Street (behind NESS) - The interior shots of ‘Mystic Harbor Yacht Club’ where Charlie and Daisy had their first date. It is currently the Breakwater restaurant.

• Cannon Square Park - A brief scene was shown here when Kat delivered a pizza to her mom.

• 53 Church Street - The home of Charlie Windsor (Daisy’s boyfriend). It currently is a private residence. You can see the house from the sidewalk.

• 201 North Main Street - 'Peg Leg Pub’ where Daisy met Charlie.

• North Main Street x Pequot Trail - The hitchhiking scene. Charlie and Daisy were filmed here hitchhiking when Charlie’s car had a flat tire.

NESS [Mystic Pizza restaurant] - 72 Water St

Breakwater [Mystic Harbor Yacht Club] - 66 Water St

Cannon Square [Kat delivering pizza] - Stonington

Private residence [Charlie Windsor’s family home] - 53 Church St

Private property [Peg Leg Pub] - 201 N Main St

Pequot Trail [car breakdown/hitchhiking scene] - Pequot Trail x N Main St

In Pawcatuck, Connecticut:

• 185 & 187 Mechanic Street - the homes of Daisy, Kat and Jojo. Both are currently private residences. You can view the home from the sidewalk or drive-by. The interior scenes of bedrooms/second floor were filmed at 17 Broadway Ext, Mystic (also a private residence).

• Fishing docks - Bill’s work place was filmed in one of the marinas off Mechanic Street, right across from the houses.

Private residence [one of the girls home] - 185 Mechanic St

Private residence [the other girls’ home] - 187 Mechanic St

Marina [Bill’s workplace] - Mechanic St

In Noank, Connecticut (GPS might use Groton for city):

• 15 Riverview Ave - Ferriera Lobsters, the workplace of Daisy and Kat’s mom. It is the location of Haring’s Noank.

• 87 Front Street - The movie opened with the exterior of the church where Bill and Jojo’s wedding took place. It currently is a private residence. You will notice that the steeple is gone. The interior scenes were filmed at 780 State Pier Rd, New London (formerly a church, now is a homeless shelter).

Ford’s Lobster [Ferriera Lobsters] - 15 Riverside Ave

Private residence [church] - 87 Front St

In Westerly, Rhode Island:

• Breen Street - Tim Travers’ home. The house filmed in the movie has been demolished.

• 4 Water’s Edge Road - Tim Travers’ client home that he was renovating. It is a private residence, which you can see from the road.

• 60 Ocean View Highway - The country club where Charlie had dinner with his sister (Daisy mistook the sister as a date). It is the location of Misquamicut Club.

Private residence [Tim’s client home he was renovating] - 4 Water’s Edge Rd

Misquamicut Club [country club] - 60 Ocean View Highway

The Mystic area has been in a few movies. A few Hallmark holiday movies were filmed in Mystic and Stonington as well other locations across the Nutmeg State. Meryl Streep and Tommy Jones filmed a movie Hope Springs (2012) in Stonington, CT. The Cannon Square was frequently shown in Hope Springs, as well the Breakwater restaurant. Mystic Pizza movie is one of the reasons why visitors come to Mystic! It’s amazing that 30+ years later, the movie is still popular. Happy hunting and don’t forget to get a slice of heaven!

Mystic Pizza’s sign in Downtown Mystic

Mark Twain House

The famous American author, Samuel Clemens (best known as Mark Twain) and I have something in common! We both lived in New York and Connecticut. He is known for book titles such as ‘The Adventures of Tom Sawyer’ and ‘Adventures of Huckleberry Finn’.

Elmira, NY

Elmira, NY is the home to Mark Twain’s summer property, Quarry Farm. It perched on the hilltop overlooking Elmira and Chemung River. The house remains there to this day and currently owned by Elmira College. The Center for Mark Twain Studies (CMTS) was also established when Quarry Farm was gifted to Elmira College. Through an application process, the CMTS offers Quarry Farm Fellows for scholars which allows them to reside at Quarry Farm for up to 4 weeks. While it is a private residence, the house is visible from the road. 

Mark Twain’s octagonal study also was donated to the college. It used to be 100 yards from the Quarry Farm where Mark Twain wrote many of his works. The study is on Elmira College’s main campus in downtown Elmira. I grew up passing it often as it is visible from the main street (Park Place). I’ve had several school field trips to the study too. The study is a small octagonal shaped building, it has some Mark Twain’s books on display and historical photos of his life. The study is opened for tour from Memorial Day to Labor Day on Mondays-Fridays 10am-4pm. 

Also on the EC campus there is an exhibit inside Cowles Hall, the building that is right next to the study. The exhibit focuses on his time in Elmira, his family and Elmira College connections. The hours are same as the study touring hours. There is a statue of Mark Twain and his wife, Olivia Langdon on the campus. 

Mark Twain’s family is also buried in Elmira at Woodlawn Cemetery. The family plot can be visited either on your own or the trolley tour. The trolley tour is offered by The Chemung County Historical Society in July and August. The trolley will take you by Quarry Farm, the study and the cemetery as well many other historical sites that is not related to Mark Twain. 

Hartford, CT

Although he spent more time in Elmira, his main residence was in Hartford, Connecticut. The Hartford home currently operates as The Mark Twain House & Museum. It is opened for tours daily 10am-4:30pm, with tickets purchased in advanced. The Victorian Gothic Revival house has 3 floors with 25 rooms. Twain also had Tiffany & Co. to decorate the ceilings and walls in the house, which was beautifully done. The family lived here for 17 years before their financial instability forced them to move to Europe. 

After the family moved, the house was owned by several families. Facing demolition in 1929, a non profit organization focusing on preserving Mark Twain’s memorial purchased the home. It was declared a National Historic Landmark in 1962. 

I visited the grounds for the first time during summer. I was stunned by the detailing of the beautiful home. Inside was even more stunning. I also learned about the paranormal encounters that some guests have had while touring the home. If you didn’t know, one of Mark Twain’s daughter died in the home from an illness. Ghost Hunters even did an episode at the house one year. The museum hosts Graveyard Shift Ghost Tours during Octobers! I’ll have to return to join this tour in the fall. 

 Virtual Tours

Mark Twain House, Hartford: view here.

Quarry Farm, Elmira: view here.

This blog is not sponsored. All opinions are my own.

Cochlear implants

Cochlear implants. A taboo word in the deaf world.

For those who aren’t familiar with what cochlear implants are - it’s an electronic device installed under the skin behind the ears. It consists of many parts to help transmit sounds to the outer device (it looks similar to hearing aids). This process requires surgery which is usually done in the same day or overnight. It is a common misconception that cochlear implants would cure deafness. It does not. The cochlear implants are another aid for deaf people to be able to hear some sounds and speech. After surgery, they have to go through intensive therapy on speech and learn the sounds.

So many people describe cochlear implants as a “medical miracle” but yet dumbfounded when they come across deaf people who turned it down. It is a controversial topic in the deaf community. There are some deaf people who are against it because they feel that it oppresses them so they actually frown upon the deaf people who do get cochlear implants. Most often the deaf people with cochlear implants feel rejected from the deaf community.

I learned about this controversy when I attended college. I went to Rochester Institute of Technology (RIT) which had many colleges including National Technical Institute for the Deaf (NTID). This is the reason for the large deaf community in Rochester, New York. I observed many sub groups within the deaf community at RIT. There was the “deaf pride” group who were raised by deaf parents, attended deaf institutes, fully emerged into the deaf culture. There were the “mainstreamed” folks who were raised in a hearing world but immersed some deaf culture in their lives such as using sign language. There was the “oral” group which often applied to those with cochlear implants; they often didn’t use sign language but relied on lipreading and talking. It was interesting to learn about from all kinds of D/deaf lives.

Those who are against cochlear implants don’t see their deafness as something that needs to be fixed. They use examples of successful deaf people out there in the world - famous actors/actresses, artists, athletes, and even musicians proving that there are many who are satisfied with being deaf. It’s often explained that deaf people can do everything but hear. Another reason why the fear of cochlear implants is impacting the deaf culture is the belief that if technology continues to be used to help deaf people then sign language/deaf culture would decline.

Most deaf children are born to hearing parents. It is common for doctors to push cochlear implants. With the hearing parents’ initial shock once finding out their child is diagnosed with deafness, it can provide a false sense of hope that they will be cured with cochlear implants.

During college I met so many deaf people who received cochlear implants at a young age and were no longer using it. When I asked them for their reasons, the common replies were (1) that they weren’t happy with their parents’ decision (2) it causes a lot of headaches or (3) did not see a benefit in using them/were not a successful tool for them. Those that I did know that actively used cochlear implants were the ones who decided later on in their teens/young adult years. Again, that does not apply to everyone but it was an observation I had from my college years.

So what is my opinion on cochlear implants?

My parents heard about them when I was 8 years old. They met with someone to discuss the whole process of getting cochlear implants for me. At the time, it was determined that I was not a viable candidate for cochlear implants because the company who manufactured them was very new. The technology at the time also was not advanced for my level of hearing loss (profound loss). The company was specifically targeting senior citizens who lost their hearing or late deafened people.

The technology advanced over years so cochlear implants were a possibility for me again. I was asked in my high school years if I would consider getting them. I let the fear of being in surgery prevent me from making a decision.

When I went to college, I had many friends who had cochlear implants so I was able to learn more about them. As I mentioned before, some friends described they received more headaches which I did not want. The implants also would take away any residual hearing, which I have a tiny bit of, that I wanted to hang onto! Another turn off for me was having to get the cochlear implants updated every few years so that meant going in for a few surgeries throughout my life. I still have a fear of being in any kind of surgery so that wasn’t appealing to me!

I am not against cochlear implants. I support people who want them. I have seen where it is successful for some people while it wasn’t for some other people. The key in my final decision was that I am comfortable with being deaf. I like my silence. I don’t like major changes. I couldn’t imagine going from my silent world to a world with sounds. I’ve had so many people who couldn’t understand how I would pass up on them when they could be a huge asset. The results of cochlear implants aren’t same for everyone so there is no way of knowing how successful it would be for me. It wasn’t enough of a risk for me to take because it took a long time for me to love myself as a deaf individual.

All opinion in this blog are my own. It does not reflect the opinions of other deaf members.

Celebrate International Firefighters Day in Connecticut

Every year on May 4th, International Firefighters’ Day [St. Florian’s Day] is observed. The date was chosen because St. Florian had passed away on this day. St. Florian, the patron saint for firefighters, he was the first known commender in firefighting. 

In Connecticut, there are a few places to go and learn about firefighting history:

The Fire Museum — Manchester, CT

The Connecticut Firemen’s Historical Society was established in 1970. Many of memorabilia and history were becoming lost to other states. The society was formed of firefighters who worked to preserve the history and keep it in Connecticut. The museum is in a restored fire station. The United States Navy Seabees and many other volunteers helped to fix up the station. Now it is a museum that stores some apparatus, firefighting equipment and more. The hours are from 12-4pm on Fridays and Saturdays [April-November]. If you have a larger group wanting to tour the museum, it is encouraged to call ahead. Admission is by donation. 

Fire Museum — Manchester, CT.

I went to this museum and was stunned at how beautiful it was, the collections were preserved so carefully it was very impressive. The 1901 wooden firehouse was bigger than I expected it to be, but the self-guided tour took at least a hour. In one of the rooms, there were photographs from the CT Fire Photographers Association. It was fun to recognize some photographers that I follow on social media. I throughly enjoyed touring the firehouse and would highly recommend it to anyone for a visit. The museum is hosting an open house with antique fire apparatus show on June 4, 2022 from 10am-3pm. Visit the website here for more info. 

The fireman’s pole is still intact here, but couldn’t do a slide on it!

The photos gallery of CT Fire Photographers Association.

Posing with one of the apparatus at the museum.

Museum of Fire History at The Carousel Museum — Bristol, CT

The museum preserved the firefighting legacy of Carlyle “Hap” Barnes, who was an avid collector of equipment, memorabilia and technology. The collection consists of over 1,000+ pieces of apparatus, some dating back to 17th century. Opened Wednesdays-Saturdays 10am-5pm and Sundays 12-5pm. Admission fee is $8/adult, $7/seniors + students, and $5/kids age 2-14.

Fire Fighter fireboat at Mystic Seaport Museum — Mystic, CT

The Fire Fighter currently docked at Mystic Seaport Museum once helped with recovery efforts during September 11th. It has the ability to pump 20,000+ gallons a minute, which made her the most powerful fireboat in the world. The Fire Fighter was the longest serving fireboat for New York, decommissioned in 2010. The historical vessel is available for guided tours during Mystic Seaport Museum hours.

I have visited the Fire Fighter many times in the last few years when she visited City of New London then Mystic Seaport Museum. It is always so fascinating to walk around this historical vessel and think about all it has gone through. It’s like that saying, ‘only if those walls could talk’. The guides are always knowledgable about the history of the boat. As it was mentioned, it served during Sept. 11th - there is a piece from the rumbles that was created into a cross and now mounted on one of the doors on Fire Fighter. During summers, they sometimes do water works where they use the pumps. It’s such an amazing historical vessel.

Fire Fighter fireboat — Mystic, CT.

Around the state, there are many historical fire stations that have been restored, functioning as private residences (do those people still slide down the pole?!) or abandoned. I can’t list them all here as there are that many through out the state. I love to look for old fire stations and photograph them on my travels. 

Engine No.6 Pizza — Norwich, CT.

An art gallery — New London, CT.

I also enjoy seeing historical fire stations that still operates currently and some stations that have older fire trucks. I’m always looking for LaFrance trucks because my great grandfather painted the lettering on some of the trucks when he worked at the plant in my hometown of Elmira, NY. 

An antique LaFrance Westport (CT) firetruck.

Thank you to all firefighters for what you do to keep the communities safe and always there for us! A special thank you to my brother, my favorite firefighter who I am so proud of! 

Catholic Church + Deaf Accessibility

With Easter last Sunday, I have been thinking about my childhood memories of going to the church and the traditional Easter gatherings with my family. I grew up Catholic, even attended Sunday school up until 4th grade. 

On Instagram, I saw a post sharing that only 2% of Deaf people know Jesus Christ. There are approximately 400+ million of Deaf people worldwide. Honestly, that post didn’t surprise me. It took me back down memory lane of growing up in the Catholic Church and the accessibility issues that I had. 

My mom was the sole interpreter for the Church masses. Of course, she would be standing next to me, and she couldn’t interpret EVERY single word.  Adding to this we were seated in the back and not all of the speakers were clearly for people sitting that far away. I also have to be transparent, I was a child/teen at same time so yes, there were times when I didn’t always listen out of boredom. 

St. Patrick’s Church - Dublin, Ireland - 2015.

Sunday school was a hour long of religious education based on grade levels. I was among peers my age/grade. I remember every morning we all started school by standing in the lobby reciting ‘The Lord’s Prayer’. The only memory I have from this, is how I would use this time to people-watch. I had a volunteer interpreter who helped me out in the classroom. I recall that she knew some basic ASL but she wasn’t certified. We had our own corner of the table, while other kids sat in groups. I attended for a few years and don’t recall any friends that I made, likely because I was isolated in the corner. I don’t have a clear memory of why I stopped attending, but I believe that my parents saw that I wasn’t getting an education out of Sunday school. 

I also stopped attending church weekly (we went every Sunday). I only went for special occasions such as Easter, Christmas, Mother’s Day, etc. It didn’t bother me that I was missing out, I was actually relieved. That continued through my college years until the last year. I got curious and tried to find a Catholic Church in Rochester, NY that would have an interpreter. Rochester, NY is home of the largest Deaf community. I couldn’t find any, or maybe I wasn’t looking in the right places. I had a close friend who was going to a Baptist church she brought me to some events. I met other Deaf Christians. I went to a Bible meeting, it was conducted in ASL. They discussed, shared thoughts, prayed, etc. I went to a few masses where they had an interpreter for the Deaf section (approximately 20 people). The church even had a blow up screen that was focused on the interpreter for people in the back to see. It was very accessible. As much I wanted to have that, I didn’t have connection with the Baptist beliefs as I am Catholic. 

I didn’t look into the church again until I moved to Connecticut. One year I was thinking about how I wish I had a better understanding of the religion that I was raised in. Especially more so after I was married and talking about having kids. I thought long and hard how our future kids would learn about being Catholic when I wasn’t confident in knowing the religion that well myself. I decided to email several of local Catholic Churches around the area asking if they were willing to hire interpreters. I received ZERO replies. 

Kylemore Abbey - Connemara, Ireland - 2017.

After a while, I felt desperate. I emailed them again and asked if they had any parishioners who knew ASL and would volunteer their time to help me during the masses. Again, ZERO replies. I contacted two different Dioceses (a region of Catholic Churches that is ran under a bishop). There was a church locally in Norwich/Preston (20-25 minutes away) that had an interpreter right before I moved to the area. Unfortunately, they didn’t have enough Deaf participants to keep the interpreter. They were nice enough to email other Dioceses and tried to find a solution for me. 

A few years later, I found a couple of Roman Catholic Churches with interpreted masses that were in Providence, Rhode Island which would be a hour and half commute from where I lived. I didn’t feel committed to making that drive weekly. Especially if I was alone. I dropped the ball on this as I didn’t see it as a priority. 

During the pandemic, what a game changer! I was able to live stream masses, there was even a Deaf priest in Boston, MA. I was amazed to watch several masses where the ENTIRE THING WAS IN SIGN LANGUAGE. I didn’t think I’d find a Deaf priest as I had been focused on interpreted masses. It was really cool to watch that. I was so excited about finding this access and I finally was learning a bit. Unfortunately, the live streaming didn’t last long as they returned to in-person masses. I was really disappointed.

Black Abbey - Kilkenny, Ireland - 2015.

I am currently in an interfaith household. Before we got married, I attended some of the Deaf Hillel club events in college. The Rabbi who ran the Deaf Hillel was also the Rabbi who married us. The events were all signed in ASL. I recall bringing my then-boyfriend (now husband) to Passover dinner. Everyone signed. I learned so much about Passover and its meaning because the Rabbi signed the entire time. I felt guilt sometimes because I felt like I knew a LOT about the Jewish religion more than Catholic. All it took was having accessibility!

It’s always frustrating to have limited accessibility. It also doesn’t help when the religion itself is so complex. Even within the same religion, people have different beliefs and ideologists. There are so MANY types of religion, yet ZERO access for us. Many Deaf people don’t know religion. I felt like it was something important because a huge part of my childhood revolved around growing up in the Catholic Church. 

It took a long time for me to stop feeling guilty for something that is out of my control (lack of accessibility). I had been so focused on finding the accessibility that I forgot to spiritually connect in my own time. There had been few years when I didn’t feel like I was Catholic. I realized that I don’t need to be in a church to proof that I’m Catholic. I’ll continue to believe in what I know already and spiritually connect in my own way. Hopefully someday I can walk in a Catholic Church and have the accessibility provided as it should be for everyone. 

St. Mary’s Cathedral - Killarney, Ireland - 2015

Essex, CT

Essex, CT is a small town on the Connecticut River in Middlesex county. Approximately a 40 minutes drive from Mystic, it is a beautiful historical village to stroll around! I only visited it for the first time in 2019 and now I always have to go there a few times every year since! 

Here are some suggestions of what to do in Essex:

Essex Steam Train

For the last decade, I kept hearing about Essex Steam Train especially during the holidays when they have Polar Express themed rides. I haven’t ride on the train yet, but it is on my list to do. They also have dinner trains. Essex Steam Train goes on a 12-miles long scenic ride through the Connecticut River Valley. I only can imagine how beautiful the views are during fall with the foliage! The trains are 1920’s locomotive steam trains, I enjoyed walking around the train station photographing them. 

Main Street/Essex Town Green 

Historic Essex Village is a very walkable main street with shops, businesses, restaurants and more. I admire a lot of beautiful homes that lines the main street. There is a town green that overlooks the water. A beautiful gazebo sits in the middle of the park. Every time I went there during summer or fall, there’s were always people picnicking in the park. 

Olive Oyl’s 

Olive Oyl’s offers various sandwiches and sides. It’s also a fun spot as it is in a restored gas station. There is a lot of memorabilia and signs hanging on the walls. It’s my go-to for a quick bite! 

Griswold Inn 

If you prefer a sit down experience, don’t look any further than Griswold Inn. One of the oldest operating Inn in America since 1776. Back in those days, it was the destination for seafarers as the Connecticut River is right down the street. I loved all the historical tidbits about this Inn, it is full of history! It currently houses a restaurant, tap room and lounging. The interior design nods to the nautical history of the Inn, which I loved! The food is very delicious, a traditional New England cuisine. I’ve had the clam chowder and fish which were good! 

Goods & Curiosities 

The Griswold Inn gift shop is located across the street. Here you will find merch with ‘Gris’ logo, nautical inspired goods, barware/home decor, candles, books and many more. It is a fun shop to poke around. It’s always a must stop whenever I come to Essex. 

Connecticut River Museum

A short walk from Griswold Inn is the Connecticut River Museum housed in a restored 1878 three-story steamboat warehouse. I often travel over the CT River on I-95 (Old Lyme to Old Saybrook) and never realized the rich history of the river. The museum preserved the river’s history with many fishing tools, nautical artifacts, nautical equipment, etc. It also had the ‘Turtle’ which was the first American submarine built in Essex. I loved the wall mural in the staircase, an illustrated map of all the cities along the CT river. The green by the museum has beautiful views of the river! 

Essex Coffee and Tea Company

After a lot of walking around, we needed some coffee right? I popped in Essex Coffee and Tea Company for some drinks. They offer other drinks and pastries. I was able to enjoy some gluten free goodies! The coffee here also tastes amazing!  

Essex was easily added to my favorite CT towns list. I love the spirit of Essex, as you can see the pride of the town during the various seasons. If you go around Independence Day, the whole street will be decked out patriotically with flags everywhere, red/white/blue flowers and displays. The street has a red/white/blue line that is permanent. During fall, they have a main street scarecrow contest and all the pumpkins everywhere! December is always a favorite time when everything is decorated for the holidays. Recently, I fell in love with Daffodil Days during spring in Essex! There’s always something during every season so you never have to wait to go visit Essex! 

Mystic Deaf History

Did you know that Mystic, Connecticut has some deaf history?!

I never knew this until a few years of living here. I bumped into some older Deaf adults who all told me about their former deaf school… which happened to be right here in Mystic. It used to be The Whipple Home School which established in Ledyard, Connecticut then moved a few miles away, in order to expand to Mystic. 

Mystic Oral School.

First some history tidbits. In 1869, Whipple Home School was built in Ledyard, Connecticut (formerly known as Quakertown) by the grandson of Jonathan Whipple who successfully taught his deaf son, Enoch how to lip read and speak. Zerah Whipple, the grandson, wanted to continue the success of teaching oralism to other deaf students. The first student to come to the school was a 12 Y/O boy from a rich family in Delaware, a few years later he completed his education with great lipreading and speaking skills. Zerah began to receive more students and was getting crammed in the farmhouse so he bought Silas Burrows, a retired sea captain's mansion in Mystic on a hilltop overlooking the Mystic River.

The mansion that perched on 77+ acres was reformed into a residential school where deaf students lived while they attended school. The main focus was lipreading and speaking, no usage of sign language. They continued the oralism method. There was another deaf institute a hour away in Hartford, Connecticut which is known as American School for the Deaf today. It was known as the “sign school in Hartford” during the 1900’s. All students who attended the ‘signing school’ had a free education; however, there was an admission cost to attend Whipple’s school in Mystic.

Many families were impressed with the oralism method since it made the deaf people be more immersed in the hearing world. More families wanted their deaf kids to attend the school but Whipple did not have enough funds. In July 1872, Zerah Whipple got state aid to allow more students to attend. The Whipple Home School was given over to the state of Connecticut causing the name change to the Mystic Oral School (again later changed to Mystic Educational Center). Mystic Oral School faced chronic financial troubles and challenges with the oralism method (which declined over the years) but survived at least for 108 years.

Mystic Oral School shut down in 1980 after funds ran out. In that last year, the state tried to bring ‘mentally retarded’ (please read the disclaimer about this terminology) students to the school. The admission numbers of students attending Mystic Oral School had declined so they were looking to fill up space at the school. The Department of Mental Retardation had a waiting list of 170 students, the school had space for 55 students. Many parents of the deaf argued against this idea with their lawyers, stating that mixing deaf students with these students give credence to the stereotype of ‘deaf and dumb’. As a result, 5-4 opposed this idea. 

DISCLAIMER: While I do understand the use of terminology is not encouraged in the present day. It was the terminology used back in 1979 and was the actual name of the Department. 

A year later it was closed permanently. The town of Groton used the space for their Park & Recreation programs until 2011. The school had been abandoned since then. It has been in long need of renovation to preserve the historical site. 

In November 2019, Respler Homes LLC purchased the land. Their plans showed their vision of turning the oral school into a ‘mixed use village’ named Mystic River Bluffs. The village consisted of luxury apartments, restaurant, office spaces, coffee shop, market, etc. The project became controversial in the community. You might’ve seen the red lawn signs that stated ‘Restrict the MOS Development’ pop up around the area. The signs came from the group Mystic Oral School Advocates (MOSA). MOSA is a group of citizens to express concerns about the project. Their main concern is that the sizing of the project was too large that it needed to be scaled back or eliminated, they also focused on zoning changes that would not harm the neighborhood/rural nature. 

After 10 years of MOS being abandoned, the property unfortunately degraded overtime and was vandalized. In early 2021, I was filming a quick video in front of the school explaining the Deaf history of MOS when a re-development team leader from Respler Homes LLC was checking the property. We engaged in a conversation and we had a dialogue about the future of MOS. He offered to show me the inside of the school, I was thrilled to see some of the history! 

Walking around the interiors gave me a mixed feeling. I was so amazed by the history, seeing the old classrooms, main office/lobby, dorms, staff quarters, cafeteria and old performing stage. Yet on the other hand, I was saddened by the vandalism (graffiti, broken windows, wallpapers torn down). Some of it was from state testing from hazardous materials but mostly from vandalism. The property definitely had a long way to go! 

After a long year of going back and forth to move ahead with the project, it has stalled. The future for MOS is unknown at this time. I hope with the right people and with plans that works for the community life will be brought back into the beautiful historical site! 

Perched on a hilltop overlooking Mystic River (look closely thru the branches, that’s the water!)

The former infirmary. CORRECTION 1/27/21 this is the former house of the Superintendent.

The old gym/pool.

Inside tour: the former cafeteria.

The staircase.

Old classrooms (the walls had to be demolished so only the framing is left).

Another old classroom.

Old classroom. Did you notice the ceiling fan melted from the heat?!

Hallway between Pre-K section of the school and staff quarters.

One of the rooms in the staff quarters. The night shift staff lived in those rooms during the day.

Old performing stage.

Outside courtyard near the former cafeteria.

Exterior of the school.

Former entrance to the dorms.

Loved the ship weathervane!

Mystic has a ‘sign name’ representing the oral school history. If you look up the sign for “oral”, it will make sense. The letter Y was picked from Mystic to place on chin as shown in the photo below to be the sign name for Mystic. See more videos on Instagram here.

Showing the sign name for MYSTIC. It is close to the sign for “oral”.

Historical information was learned from several library books.

All opinions in this blog are my own.

Waterford, CT

Happy first day of Spring! We saw some nice spring weather last week. On Friday, my little family hopped onto I-95 to Waterford, CT. It’s only 25 minutes from Mystic. We headed to the beautiful Harkness Park. 

Harkness Park is practically a garden by the sea with a beautiful mansion. The mansion is named Eoila, former summer home of the Harkness family. It sits on 230 acres overlooking the Long Island Sound (hello panoramic views!). The Harkness family owned it until it was gifted to the State of Connecticut in 1950’s. 

Most often photographed spot at Harkness Park.

The mansion has 42 rooms! There are usually tours but I’m not sure if they will be continuing this summer. Many weddings have been hosted there. It makes a gorgeous setting for those photographs! The mansion is available to rent for private parties, luncheons, etc. The contact information is on the website here.

Pretty flowers in the garden by the mansion (note: this was May 2021).

There are plenty of paths to walk around on the grounds, including one that takes you right through the gardens. I feel like I’m in the movie ‘Secret Garden’. The gardens provides insta-worthy backdrops, I used my pup as a model! The flowers really thrive here in late spring and summer. I also love visiting the 110 years old Japanese maple tree, it reminds me of the tree I had in the yard of my childhood home. 

Harkness Park also has a seaside trail, you can enjoy the smell of the salty air while watching ferries go by. This is the perfect spot for picnics! There are tables with BBQ as well as restrooms. The park is so spacious, that many come to fly kites too. It’s really fun to see colorful kites in the sky! The day I went there, there were people reading books, playing catch and kicking soccer balls around. There are spots for fishing down by the waterfront area. 

During summers, they have a small gift shop, the money goes back into the park. The park is opened daily 8am - sunset. There is a parking fee for out of state residents. 

My pup enjoys strolling the grounds with me!

Harkness Park is neighbors to Camp Harkness, a beautiful 102 acres land consisting of beach, playgrounds, cabins/cottages, animals, etc. Camp Harkness is one of very few state parks dedicated for residents with disabilities. There are been several events there, so be sure to watch the website here, if you have a loved one with disabilities. They host an annual deaf picnic there too.

Waterford Beach Park is a beautiful quarter mile long beach located close by Harkness Park. There is a parking lot with a long boardwalk which allows you to trek down to the beach. The views from this beach are worthwhile! Very beautiful and relaxing there. I enjoyed bringing my pup who loves the beach! They allows dogs from September to June on the beach. You can see the Ledge Light in New London from there! Do note that there is a fee for out of state residents to park and lifeguards are on duty from June-Sept. 

Last year, I tried out a new-to-me spot after exploring around Harkness Park one day. Cowlick’s Creamery for some ice cream! They have non-dairy options which is a win-win for me. I enjoyed the Dole pineapple soft serve. They also have a Dole Pineapple Refresher - a drink option with pineapple juice with pineapple soft serve which I’m looking forward to! My pup enjoyed the ‘pup cups’ - vanilla ice cream with a milk bone. They aren’t opened for the season yet however. Last year they opened at end of April so keep that in mind if you visit Waterford after April!

Delicious pineapple soft serve ice cream at Cowlick’s!

My pup enjoying her ice cream and bone!

If you prefer to eat breakfast/lunch, don’t look any further than ‘Where Pigs Fly’ cafe. It is owned by the same folks of ‘Somewhere in Time’ in Mystic. If you know, then you know it’s good! One of the best in the area for breakfast/lunch! 

Waterford is close by New London and Niantic if you want to make a day or weekend out of it. My recommendations for New London is here and Niantic here. Fun fact, did you know that Waterford was named after Waterford, Ireland? The mall, Crystal Mall located in Waterford has chandeliers from Waterford Crystal. I love this tidbit as an Irish gal! You won’t regret visiting this beautiful town on the shoreline!

Gorgeous flowers at Harkness Park (note: this was October 2021).

Book Review: Signs of Survival

International Holocaust Remembrance Day occurs on January 27th every year to commemorate the Holocaust victims. January 27th was the day Auschwitz was liberated. 

I had many books related to Holocaust/WWII on my To-Read list. I thought I’d read some stories for this month in honor of the Holocaust Remembrance Day, along with a new released book. Just released on January 4th, Signs of Survival wrote by Renee Hartman with Joshua M. Greene is a memoir of the Holocaust. Renee is a survivor, with her deaf sister. The book focused on their experiences as Jews living during the war and the camp. 

Signs of Survival is a children’s book for age 8-12, so it had 128 pages. I read the entire book in one hour. It was an easy read and kept me me drawn to their stories. It is a very raw and powerful read. This book is a transcribed compilation of video interviews that Renee did for Yale’s Holocaust testimonies archive. The book does alternates between Renee and her deaf sister, Herta. 

There aren’t too many stories including deaf people during the Holocaust so that was why I picked up this book. I only wish that Renee and Herta could share more of their experiences as this short book was very impactful and powerful. I could feel the strong sisterly bond between them that preserved them through the hard times at the camp. 

I had no idea that Renee resided in New Haven, CT so this has a New England connection too. As I mentioned, she had shared this similar story in a video interview for Yale. I was able to find it via Google and watch it. I have appreciation for her sharing her story. It is tough. 

This book comes highly recommended, as I said there aren’t too many stories out there related to Holocaust with deafness or other disabilities. I am grateful that Renee and Herta shared their perspectives with us. Their stories will stay in my heart! 

Stonington Lobster Trap Tree

Have you seen the new addition to Stonington borough for the holidays?! The lobster trap tree by the fishing docks is new to our area this month. Constructed of 378 lobster traps standing 24.5 ft tall with 360 buoys and 816 lights decking it. 

The tree in day time.

It took 17 hours for the volunteers to get the tree set up and 4 hours to hang the buoys! This is my favorite part, the buoys were a community involvement project. Each buoy had been hand painted by Connecticut and Rhode Island artists. There’s 44 buoys that were created by children too. The buoys will be auctioned off in February. 

Top image: the top of the doorway. Some of my favorite buoys.

There are already plans to return the tree for the 2022 season. I hope this will be an annual holiday tradition for Stonington! Last year I traveled around New England less, due to the pandemic, this made me realized that there weren’t as many lobster trap trees in Connecticut. I posted on my Instagram asking friends and followers if they were aware of any locally to visit. I was so used to seeing them on my travels in Massachusetts, Rhode Island and Maine during the holidays. 

Oh buoy!

I went to see the lobster trap tree in the first week of December. I was blown away by how beautiful it was, especially the painted buoys. I enjoyed walking around the tree looking at each buoy (remember, there’s 360 of them!!) so it was fun to see the variety of art skills. Most of the buoys represented a local business/organization. There were many buoys dedicated to the fishing village, some buoys were painted of specific fishing boats that you normally see at the docks. Another popular icon that was repeatedly painted was the Stonington Lighthouse. 

The top image is the tree lighted up during sunset. More of my favorite buoys.

There is space on the inside of the lobster trap tree that you can walk in to explore. It is little nerve wrecking, I always fear a cave in but the tree is constructed very securely! The view is amazing on the inside especially at the sunset hour or at night with the lights on. 

Top: Sunset from inside of the tree. Two more favorite buoys. Bottom: the view from the fishing docks.

The lobster trap tree is magical to see. I have gone to visit it several times already. It’s so much fun to watch the lights come on around 4:30 PM. It stays on until 10 PM daily. There is always someone around available to take photos for you, this is a great photo opp location! If you don’t feel comfortable being around many people, it’s almost always empty during the daylight hours during the weekdays. 

The tree at sunset.

Tree at sunset, shortly after lights came on around 4:30 PM.

Where is the tree exactly in Stonington? It’s in the park right next to the fishing docks. You can’t miss it. A bonus for those with kids - there is a playground right by the tree. A short walk from the main street where the shops are. Stonington also created a fun scavenger hunt event with the local businesses when they introduced the lobster trap tree. The scavenger hunt is called “find the buoy”, a postcard with 12 shops to visit and get stamped. You then mail in you postcard to be entered to win some of the prizes. Unfortunately, the last day to enter is December 24th, on Christmas Eve so there isn’t much time to do this! 

We visited the tree often because we love it!

I love how the community rallied together to make this tree happen. A lot of help, monetary donations, time, volunteering, etc. went into this! Thank you to all who were involved to make this wonderful and magical tree! I’ve always loved the holidays in Stonington, it’s always been one of the best shoreline towns to dress up for the holidays. I admire many beautiful homes and local businesses that deck the halls. I attend the holiday stroll and tree lighting ceremony annually. I have fond memories of Christmas in Stonington, and now this new addition will bring more wonderful memories! 

My family photo!

For more information on how to purchase the buoys (auction) and view the buoys (if you are too far to visit!), you can visit the website here. For those who aren’t local, it is worth the drive! Don’t forget that Mystic is neighboring town, so you can easily make a day out of it doing everything holiday-related! Have a Merry Christmas! 

My pup modeling for me in front of the tree.

Pennywise Mystic

As I looked back at my past Christmas memories, I had a realization. For the last 5 years, my Christmas outfits came from Pennywise in Mystic, CT. Pennywise is a high quality consignment store that had been around since 1988. Owned by mother and daughter, they sell women’s clothing, accessories and shoes as well men’s clothing. 

Pennywise shop.

When I moved to Connecticut a decade ago, I discovered their shop that was on Cottrell Street (now Mystic Knotwork). I shopped there several times then they closed that shop and moved everything over to the Greenmanville shop across from Mystic Seaport. I shopped there even more when I hit the Lilly Pulitzer phase for a few years. 

Shopping for Kentucky Derby dress in 2016.

Pennywise sells many great quality and popular brands. They are selective about the brands, as not all will be accepted to be sold in the store. A few of brands I frequent are JCrew, Vineyard Vines, LOFT and Levi’s. Other brands I’ve seen: Madewell, Anthropologie, Banana Republic, Ralph Lauren, Gap and many more. Sometimes the clothing are still brand new with the original tags attached. 

The shop is very well organized. It can be overwhelming but it’s easy enough to navigate through. It’s a two story building with mostly women’s clothing and accessories on the first floor. More women’s clothing and men’s clothing are upstairs. Every time I pop in to shop, I check their color sticker sale of the day. For example: red tags are 25% off - if you find a clothing item with a red sticker tag then it is 25% off. They always have two colors each day that are discounted. 

Loved this red Vineyard Vines sweater!

The prices are reasonable for the designer brands and very affordable for other brands! They really do a great job selecting which clothes they consign - you won’t find any with stains, holes, or weird smell! I’ve always been apprehensive about shopping in thrift stores - secondhand never appealed to me. Pennywise has changed my stance on that but it is the only consignment store I will shop at! 

The customer service is always top notch. As I mentioned, it is owned by mother and daughter team. At least one of them is always there each time I popped in. They have always been helpful in locating items I am looking for or for finding things I would want. One time I passed by the shop and spotted a cute coat on the mannequin outside of the shop. I did a U-turn and popped in to ask what size/price it was. I felt bad about making her do all the work taking it off, I was really hoping it was my size… luckily it was! Even better that it was a great price! Hooray! 

The coat I literally bought off the mannequin! (the brown sweater is also from Pennywise).

A few years after shopping there, I decided to consign my clothes. The system is very effective and easy. I brought in my clothes and they will take 5-10 minutes to sort through and take what will sell in the shop. The clothes will stay on the floor for 6-8 weeks and the unsold will be donated to a charity. A win-win to make a little money and have it donated to appropriate places! The shop keeps 50% of the profits, the consigners will get the other 50%. It’s the best percentage I’ve seen compared to other consignment stores. Also, if you made money - you can request a check on the spot. Otherwise it will stay in the system as store credit which you can use if you buy things. 

Time definitely had flew by, it’s hard to believe that I have been shopping at this shop for 10 years now. Does anyone remember Steve the cat? I miss my buddy! He was the shop cat who lived there and would rub up against my leg while I was shopping or he would be napping on the counter. He lived a long life and passed away a few years ago. It’s not the same to pop in there without Steve’s greeting. 

Be sure to visit this shop, they have a wide variety of brands and prices for everyone! You will guarantee find something to buy! I love that I unexpectedly made it a Christmas tradition to buy my outfit from there each year. It’s something I’ll have to continue! 

Pennywise is located at 22 Greenmanville Ave, across from Mystic Seaport and half mile away from downtown Mystic. If you aren’t local… don’t fret. They started selling online and offer free shipping over $100+. Website can be found here. Happy shopping! 

JCrew button up shirt.

LOFT sweater.

Talbots sweater.

JCrew cashmere brown top.

Interpreters

The topic of interpreters… I’ve put this off for a while, after receiving some questions. So here I am, addressing some questions!

First of all, interpreters can be quite the discussion! We could talk all day long so I’ll keep it short for this blog. I have a strong appreciation for them as they help to facilitate communication between both worlds. Without them, it wouldn’t be possible for me to get the information or get my words across. They work hard interpreting for hours at times, with the constant signing (I can’t even write for hours without my hands cramping!). Interpreters also don’t come without some challenges. As the costs of hiring them can be daunting for some businesses/offices resulting in hiring non certified interpreters.

How do I know if my interpreter is certified? Most of time I can look up the registry database online. When I have medical appointments, I do not know who they call so it was common for me to go to my appointments not knowing if I will have a certified interpreter. I am stuck with whatever interpreter that is there that day. I often ask which agency they worked for to keep in mind if I want to request the same individual again.

Why is a certified interpreter important? It’s highly preferred as they completed a program and passed exams. No difference from you preferring a certified contractor to fix your broken porch over a self-taught contractor. This is an issue because most places will not hire a certified interpreter due to higher costs. If you’re certified, the more pay, right? As a result sometimes we end up with a lower caliber interpreter.

Have you seen two interpreters at the same time at an event, or sometimes there’s only one… and wondered why is that? The more interpreters you have, the better quality of information being interpreted. After 20 minutes, the quality of signing usually decreases. So if there’s a second person, that will allow them the rest they need. It is common for them to switch every 20 minutes to keep more accurate translation. I also like it when the resting interpreter sits, still pays attention to what is being said and adds whatever the interpreter forgot to translate. They definitely help to keep each other in check!

People don’t always realize that even with the interpreters translating for me, it’s not always my voice. Wait… what? Imagine this… you know the telephone/grapevine game? Where you have a group of 6 people… you tell one person at a time a sentence then it jumbles somewhere through the game and the last person says something completely different? Sometimes that’s what happens with interpreting. This leads to another question I’ve got… do I trust them? Sometimes. As much as I appreciate them being that bridge between both worlds, it is hard to put all of me in. I constantly am lip reading them to make sure they are repeating what I say. I have my husband with me most of time, so he’s also listening.

With that, has there been any embarrassing moments? Yes, several. The most recent memory I have is at a doctor’s appointment after having a sore throat for a week. I was sharing my sore throat remedies I had been doing at home. I said that I’m constantly eating cough drops. The interpreter translated “I’m constantly eating ice cream”. The doctor smiled at me and I saw my husband speak up. We laugh about it now, but imagine if he hadn’t been there!

I’ve shared that I’m not thrilled with the skill of interpreters in my area as I live in an area of few deaf people. The majority of interpreters are in metropolis cities an hour away. I’ve had my husband interpreting for me at all of my medical appointments for the last few years now. I know it’s not technically the right thing but I just had enough of the bad experiences. It’s hard because I know my decision of not requesting interpreters is not helping to educate the doctors and medical offices that they are supposed to provide me one. It’s also not fair that my husband is doing it for free too.

I don’t always love having my ‘words’ translated by someone else, but it’s the only way I can be a contributing member of the community. Well, the other option would be everyone knowing sign language… but not realistic! I also don’t like that people aren’t really getting to know me. They’re hearing my words through someone else’s voice. I even got that comment when I started this blog, how some were realizing and learning about MY VOICE. Imagine having your mom, husband/wife, brother or a stranger say everything you want. It doesn’t always match.

I’ve had interpreters since I was in elementary school. I was in a special education classroom with a teacher that signed but I still had an interpreter that came with me to my mainstreamed classes in the afternoons. When I transferred schools, I had one same interpreter with me all day long. She worked so hard to convey information and share my words. There was a misconception that she was my mom! Many classmates thought that. I noticed that it is a common misconception with permanent interpreters. How many of you thought Marlee’s interpreter is her husband or a family member?

When I moved to Rochester (NY) … home of one of the largest deaf communities, there were a boatload of interpreters compared to my rural hometown. Interpreters were not as much of an issue but it doesn’t mean that I still ran across some ‘bad’ ones but it was rare. I miss the quality of interpreters in Rochester all the time! I constantly had different interpreters for every class in college, always had two for each class. I saw the difference in having a team vs being solo. It made me appreciate my high school interpreter even more for her hard work!

The topic of interpreters could be discussed more in depth, both positivity and negatively. Despite the bad/challenges, they are a huge help! I get excited when I see an interpreter on TV for press briefings, at a concert, or anywhere really! I appreciate their effort in helping my community to be inclusive.

Deaf Movies/TV series

It’s binge watching season! With the colder weather here, we’re starting to stay indoors more. Ever since the blog I wrote about the movie ‘CODA’ last summer, many have asked if there were more Deaf movies/TV shows. I’m finally here to give you the scoop!

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Deaf movies to watch:

Children of a Lesser God (1986)

This is probably the most well known deaf movie. Marlee Matlin, a deaf actress, won the Academy Award for her role. It is about a new speech teacher who fell in love with a deaf janitor while working at a deaf institute. He pursues her to use her voice/learn speech as she wasn’t verbal. This is a good movie, but really focuses on speech/oral aspect of deafness. It’s also ‘based’ in New England (but actually was filmed in Canada)!

Sound of Metal (2019)

A powerful movie! It follows the journey of a rock band drummer who lost his hearing. It showed how he was in a hurry to find a quick ‘fix’ or cure. While he was re-adjusting to his life without hearing, he was immersed in a small deaf community in which he learned about the deaf culture. I thought this movie was perfect for people who are stuck in both worlds! I also loved how the deafness was portrayed as a culture, not a physical disability in the movie.

Audible (2021) Netflix

This short 40 minutes documentary focuses on a deaf football player at Maryland School for the Deaf. It shows clips of his life as an athlete, a friend who lost someone to suicide and being a teenager. It also interviewed some other deaf people. The documentary captured a lot of moments showing what it feel like to be immersed in the deaf world. 

…and Your Name is Jonah (1979)

The deaf boy had been misdiagnosed so he was institutionalized with intellectually disabled. It shows the journey of the deaf boy adjusting to living with his family. This movie is a great example of language deprivation.

The Hammer (2010)

A biography/drama/sports movie about Matt Hamill, the first deaf wrestler to win a NCAA. It followed his youth years in Ohio, discovering wrestling then his success during college. I was particularly excited when this was released back in 2011 because he is a RIT (Rochester Institute of Technology) alumni. Go Tigers! I really enjoyed this movie, which had many deaf actors/actresses! The movie also was filmed through out Rochester, NY. It is one of my favorite deaf movies.

A Quiet Place (2018)

A horror/sci-fic movie about a family living in silence to hide from monsters with ultra-sensitive hearing. One of the family member is a deaf girl so the entire family uses sign language to communicate. Horror/Sci-Fic is NOT my genre at all, but I had to watch this movie. I felt like it was more suspenseful thriller but enjoyed it a lot! The girl is played by a deaf actress, Millicent Simmonds. Also, A Quiet Place II was released this year, but I haven’t seen it yet!  

Sound and Fury (2000)

A wonderful documentary showing the controversial of cochlear implants. It shows the conflict of deaf identity and struggling to belong. Definitely worthwhile to watch!

Sweet Nothing in my Ear (2008)

Another movie about cochlear implants. It is a family drama about a hearing man and his deaf wife (played by Marlee Matlin) who are conflicted on whether their deaf son should get the cochlear implants. This showed all sides/opinions. 

Born to be Wild (1995)

This may not be classified as a ‘deaf movie’ but sign language is included. It’s a kid-friendly movie of a gorilla learning sign language to communicate. The gorilla develops a relationship with a rebel teenager and they communicate using ASL. It is a cute and heartwarming movie!

Listen to Your Heart (2010)

One of my favorites! Ironically it is music-based movie which I try to avoid. A singer fell in love with a deaf girl, but the love inspires him to write music. It is a romantic drama movie, but it shows that nothing is impossible! 

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If you want to binge on TV series. There are some recommendations: 

Deaf U (2020) Netflix

A reality series following several deaf students at Gallaudet University in Washington DC. I felt like I was watching ‘Real World’ on MTV but with deaf college students! I do have to warn, this series is unfiltered. 

Switched at Birth (2011-2017)

A drama series starting out with a hearing girl who found out that she was accidentally switched when she was a baby. She meets the other baby that she was switched with, which was a deaf girl. They both immersed into each other’s lives. A lot of deaf culture and aspects are portrayed in the show. A fun and worthwhile series to binge!  

Deaf Out Loud (2018)

Only 1 season, this documentary follows around three deaf families. I am so, so, so sad that more seasons were not signed for this show. I loved it! It showed a variety of deaf identities, how all deaf people aren’t the same and different opinions. If you want a glimpse of true deaf world, this is the show to watch. Also, one of the deaf families is based in Connecticut! 

Sue Thomas FB Eye (2002-2005)

A police-drama TV series following a deaf FBI agent who works in fingerprinting. Another agent noticed her lip reading skills promoting her to an elite surveillance team. This is inspired by Sue Thomas, a deaf woman who works for FBI so this show is loosely based on her life. 

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There are many more that I haven’t seen yet. I have a long list of movies to watch! Hope you enjoy some of those and let me know what you think! 

Alexander Graham Bell and the Deaf community

Book Review of The Invention of Miracles: Language, power and Alexander Graham Bell’s Quest to end Deafness by Katie Booth. I mentioned in the last blog how this book had made a great impact on me enough that it earned its own post! Here are my thoughts:

Whoa! This book was such a powerful read about a controversial person in the deaf community, Alexander Graham Bell. I didn’t know about the release of this book back in April 2021, but had spotted it in the bookstore. Only because the cover had “The Quest to end Deafness” on it grabbing my interest. I knew of Bell, learned that his name was an adversary in the deaf community while I was at college. Many of you only know him as the inventor of telephone but he also had worked as a teacher for the deaf.

I picked up the book and read the prologue. Right away, I was drawn into it with the author growing up with deaf grandparents whose lives had been impacted by Bell’s oralism. The local library finally had this book available so I read it and boy, was I glued to EVERY page! I had figured that I’d be skimming through some parts since it had explained Bell’s invention of the telephone. I’m not the one for science, but the author did an amazing job of explaining.

The book was very complicated. Like I mentioned, I only knew that Bell wasn’t liked in the deaf community but never really knew the depth of where it stemmed from. I knew he pushed for oralism. The book is 400+ pages long, divided into 3 parts. The first two was about Bell’s romance with his (deaf!) wife, his invention and brief stories about his work with the deaf. The last part focused greatly on the deaf.

At first, I respected his hard work for inventing the telephone. He was a smart man. Later on, when I read about his time with educating the deaf on how to speak… my mind frame of Bell shifted quickly. He advocated greatly for the oralism method, wanting sign language and deafness to be eliminated. It was his goal to teach the deaf people to forget that they are deaf.

There were several excerpts from the book that parallel so much to today’s world. I didn’t realize that even in the 1880’s that deaf people were being asked “did you ever try to learn to hear by the motions of the lips?” Which is equivalent to “can you lipread?”. I’m still asked that TODAY in 2021! The implication of Bell’s oralism probably gave hearing people that exception that deaf people are able to lipread.

As I was reading this book, there were several descriptions of speech lessons…bringing up memories of my own speech lessons during my childhood. I have NEVER enjoyed speech. I disliked it so much. Just like the students in the book struggling to make specific sounds, I had some difficulty with specific letters such as “k”, “c”, “p”, etc. I remember being frustrated but had to internalize that anger until I was home. I didn’t like how speech lessons also took my time away from the classroom. I felt like I was missing out on what was going on with my classmates. This was an argument used by the pro-ASL advocates against Bell’s oralism, that teaching the deaf oralism took their time away from their general studies.

I was interested to see so many similarities or connection with Mystic Oral School (MOS). If you recall, I wrote a blog about the school here. It was Bell’s oralism method that was taught at MOS. During Bell’s era, they struggled with many oral deaf students signing in secret which were many stories I heard from MOS alumni. How they would secretly sign with their friends in the dorms or at home. It seemed to be a reoccurrence for sign language to be snuck in among the oral deaf students. The book mentioned Bell advocating against ‘signing schools’ to receive public funds. I remember reading court papers from when Bell came to Hartford, CT to support MOS getting funds they needed.

Bell is a very complicated person. He was smart but unwilling to listen to the deaf voices. He knew that he wasn’t liked by many. It continued to be his goal to eliminate deafness/sign language. It was implied that Bell had a little soft side towards his deaf students, as it mentioned in the book that he helped them in finding jobs, paid for their education and bought them clothes. Yet, he still believed that ASL shouldn’t be taught. I also mentioned earlier that Bell even had a deaf wife. He also had a deaf mother, who he used sign language with at home during his childhood. His wife had been one of his former students who he taught oralism to, so his wife knew how to lip read him/spoke well. She became the example of his oralism success. Bell’s wife also had a strong dislike towards teachers of the deaf because they often looked at their students as ‘cases’ which is exactly what Bell did, especially with Helen Keller!

One part of the book that made me angry was Bell’s involvement with eugenics committee on passing sterilization laws. Indiana had been the first state to pass the law in 1907. This law inspired Nazi Germany to adopt and establish their version, resulting in 40% of German deaf being sterilized. I had no idea the connection. Many don’t realize that Holocaust targeted deaf (and disabled) among the Jews. The sterilization program they adopted from the United States eventually turned into ‘T4 program’ which was a euthanasia program. This had upset me so much that I had to put the book down briefly because I was recalling a video I watched last year of a German deaf woman who had been sterilized. She shared her sadness of never being able to conceive.

This book was excellent written, very well researched and put together perfectly. The author had really dug in the archives. It was a book full of history but so powerful that it will spark dialogues about one’s personal experience as a deaf person in today’s world. It brought out so many emotions for me. I thought about my childhood that had been shaped by Bell’s oralism. I learned how to speak/lipread first until learning sign language 3 years later when I moved to a new school that combined use of speech/ASL. I felt like I spent the majority of my childhood being embarrassed of my own deafness. There were a few incidents when I’d tell my family to stop signing in public when people were staring. I always apologized for being deaf when hearing people tried to talk to me unaware of my deafness.

How people perceived the deaf people was definitely influenced by Bell. Oralism still exists today, not as popular as it was during Bell’s era. We still face discrimination especially with jobs and accessibility challenges. Many hearing parents still aren’t receiving the resources when they give birth to a deaf child resulting in language depravation. The majority of doctors today are in favor of cochlear implants. The issue is that it’s implied that it’s a cure, instead of an assistance tool.

I thought so much after reading this book. How my life would have been different if Bell had listened to the needs of the deaf people. If he had worked with them, how much more successful would we have been today? Would we still be facing discrimination? People’s opinions of us might’ve been different? After all, Bell was a smart man and could’ve achieved a lot if he had collaborated with the deaf community. In the end, he only ended up causing great harm on the deaf community. I’m so grateful that the deaf people during Bell’s era had persevered and allowed us the freedom to use sign language today!

Don’t wait on picking up this book like I did, it’s so worth the read!

Can Deaf people drive?

“Do you drive?”

“Can Deaf people drive?”

“We can drive, but Deaf people can’t.”

Those are the questions or statements I’ve heard since childhood. I recall being in ASL class in middle school. The teacher asked the class to name one thing that they can do that deaf people can’t do. A girl said “we can drive”. I reacted to that with surprise that some people thought that way.

“What about the emergency vehicles/sirens?”

“How can you hear the car horns?”

Usually the follow up questions would be about sounds that most hearing people hear while driving. Yes, I can’t hear them, but I can see the emergency vehicles. I can’t hear car horns. I do have the added expectations to look around more.

It helps that Deaf people are known to have expansive peripheral vision. At the driver’s license testing, the evaluator even made a comment that he especially likes the Deaf drivers because they pay attention more.

There is no proof that Deaf people cause more accidents due to their hearing, or hearing loss making them less safe drivers. We are allowed to receive a regular driver’s license but any type of other licenses may be more challenging. It was only recent that Deaf drivers can be truck drivers (2013).

It was frustrating at one of my old jobs when I was a direct support professional. I was responsible to help my client learn how to be a member of the community i.e. having a job, participate in events, etc. All direct support professionals at the agency were required to get a special driver’s license to be able to transport clients. I went through the whole process of being fingerprinted, blood tested and paid fees to find out that I couldn’t get it because of restrictions about my hearing loss. Oh! I forgot to mention that getting that license also meant a pay bump. Luckily, the agency was understanding that I tried and they honored the pay bump for me anyways. It still wasn’t fun for the entire employment to feel like I couldn’t be relied on for driving. We had a team 2:1 so the other did all of the driving. I felt a lot of guilt for not being more helpful.

Emergency vehicles nowadays don’t seem to use sirens anymore. I can spot the flashing lights coming from behind me or ahead of me a mile away! There was only one moment that worked against my Deafness when I drove to my job in downtown Rochester, NY. I came to an intersection that was blocked by tall buildings and once the light turned green, I started going when a police cruiser was speeding towards me. I slammed on the brakes hard, and let the cruiser continue even though he had to slow a bit.

Being a Deaf driver can still be a challenge, but thankfully my expansive peripheral vision helps tremendously. I know that I always have to be alert. I still work hard to this day to not have any distractions. I often do double-checking at intersections/stop signs. To this day, I’ve never received a ticket (*knock on wood*). It’s a common misconception that people think Deaf people can’t drive legally but they can!