Happy New Year! Celebrating with friends in Mystic

Merry Christmas!!

It is still cold and dark at Hangman Hill Road, but soon the sun will be up and the wood-stove will be keeping us warm.  We will be thinking of you all wherever you are - in the city, on the road, or out in the mountains.  Have a wonderful holiday!

Watch Hill Carol Sing

As part of the pre-Christmas activities this week we attended the Christmas in Song event held at the Watch Hill Chapel that was co-sponsored by the Ocean House.  The chapel is a quaint wooden building that was warmed only by the holiday spirit, some lively local residents and cheerful music.  Thankfully it was a warm evening.  Performances by the Ad Hoc Carolers were particularly jolly.  We throughly enjoyed the evening and hope it becomes a holiday tradition.

You can see a couple of us at in the Westerly Sun Spotted album at this link.

Lunch at Mangetout in New London

The Sweetback Sisters come to Old Saybrook

We kicked off the weekend with an evening in Old Saybrook at the Katharine Hepburn Cultural Center, also referred to as "The Kate" locally.  The theater opened two years ago and we have been looking for an opportunity to visit the theater.  We noticed the Sweetback Sisters were playing on Friday night and we couldn't resist.  We have been enjoying the Sweetback Sisters and their eclectic mix of old-time country and rockabilly but have wanted to see them perform live for sometime.  We were suitably impressed with "The Kate" as a venue, and the Sweetback Sisters for their talent and showmanship.  The music included many original tunes and covers of songs by Willie Nelson, Bob Wills, Josh Ritter and a favorite by Roger Miller, "My Uncle Used to Love Me But She Died".  The talent of the six band members was impressive as they moved through a variety of musical styles, passing instruments back and forth and achieving harmonies that were stunning.  You can see highlights of the performance The Kate at this link; and their version of Patsy Cline's "Love Me Honey Do" from a previous performance here.

By comparison the rest of the weekend was fairy quiet and included typical household chores, and a FEW preparations for the Christmas holiday.  Our holiday preparedness seem to be hampered by the unseasonably warm temperatures.  Let it snow, let is snow, let it snow.

Christmas Tree Tag

Bruno tagging our Christmas tree with a ribbon AND a GPS location (so we can find it later).

Asleep at the Wheel

In our part of the world, live music opportunities come in fits and spurts. So, last night we were headed out again for the second time in less than a week. The venue was the Knickerbocker Cafe in Westerly, and literally required only a short 10-minute drive to get there.

The band we went to see were the internationally recognized group "Asleep at the Wheel", who play classic Western-swing and a little rockabilly. Their set included covers of many Bob Wills songs and even a version of "Ain't Nobody Here But Us Chickens" (see video link below). It was a great evening and fantastic to see such musical talent at close quarters. Next time we need to practice our dance steps in advance and remember to wear our cowboy boots!