The healthcare landscape has changed remarkably in Connecticut. You may have noticed some name changes, new signage, and that “opportunities” for care have increased to a level that rivals access to coffee. In this essay, I’m going to review this new landscape, and consider why it developed. My goal is to help the reader make sense of Connecticut’s new, and still evolving, … [Read more...] about A View from My Porch: Not Your Grandma’s Community Hospital
Columnists
Gardening Tips from ‘The English Lady’ for August, ‘The Sunday of Summer’
August has always been one of my least favorite months in the garden; but plentiful spring rain this year has resulted in bountiful fragrance, bloom and foliage. We have such a short blooming and growing season here in New England that any extra time to have a good-looking border is much appreciated. However, by this time in the season, there are always a few gaps to fill in … [Read more...] about Gardening Tips from ‘The English Lady’ for August, ‘The Sunday of Summer’
A la Carte: Too Many Tomatoes? Lee Has All Sorts of Solutions for You
A couple of weeks ago I went to a small party at Washington Park in Groton. It was held outside in one of a half dozen “cabins,” each of which have concrete floors, a few dark-stained columns, good sturdy roofs and wooden picnic tables with attached “chairs.” It was a very casual party, with pizza, already-barbecued chicken wings and coolers of beer, wine, soft drinks and … [Read more...] about A la Carte: Too Many Tomatoes? Lee Has All Sorts of Solutions for You
A View From My Porch: An Extra Inning for ‘I See Great Things in Baseball’ — The ‘Phenom’ and More Thoughts
This has been an unusual summer. Christina and I have been very “COVID – cautious” and, of course, fully vaccinated. We’ve postponed or canceled trips, missed Brimfield, both May and July, and probably Sept. And so, I retreated to my secure baseball space, and drafted this essay. There’s a lot of baseball jargon here. In 2019, LymeLine published a series of essays on … [Read more...] about A View From My Porch: An Extra Inning for ‘I See Great Things in Baseball’ — The ‘Phenom’ and More Thoughts
Suisman Shapiro Atty. Kyle Zrenda Now a Member of Mohegan Gaming Disputes, Mashantucket Pequot Tribal Courts
NEW LONDON/OLD LYME -- Attorney Kyle J. Zrenda of Suisman Shapiro Attorneys-At-Law was sworn in Aug. 11 as a member of the bar of the Mohegan Gaming Disputes Court. Atty. Zrenda is a resident of Old Lyme, Conn. As a sovereign Indian Nation, cases related to the gaming enterprise of the Mohegan Tribe of Indians of Connecticut, including claims for personal injuries that … [Read more...] about Suisman Shapiro Atty. Kyle Zrenda Now a Member of Mohegan Gaming Disputes, Mashantucket Pequot Tribal Courts
Reading Uncertainly: ‘Beyond Words: What Animals Think and Feel’ by Carl Safina
What are they thinking? Do we deliberately misunderstand other animals? And what is the result of this “miscomprehended relationship”? Carl Safina, a professor at Stony Brook University in New York and a most curious student of other species, writes a thoroughly loquacious and engaging view of some other sentient creatures whose consciousness may well equal or exceed our … [Read more...] about Reading Uncertainly: ‘Beyond Words: What Animals Think and Feel’ by Carl Safina
A la Carte: Chicken Tikka Masala Makes a Perfect Meal With Friends
The isolation, almost a year, actually, didn’t bother me as much as those who had to fill supermarket shelves, teach children at home or lose a job. Because I live alone, I have always pretty much eaten when I want to eat and pretty much eat what I want to eat. But I sure missed the fun of sharing food with friends. So when friends offered to come to my home and cook in my … [Read more...] about A la Carte: Chicken Tikka Masala Makes a Perfect Meal With Friends
The Movie Man: Ganey Highly Recommends ‘The Green Knight,’ Says it is ‘Unlike Any Other Fantasy Adaptation’
After more than a year of abstaining from movie theaters, as well as keeping up with new releases (since we were all so incredibly overwhelmed by the tumultuous year that was 2020), I was finally able to screen a new movie in the manner in which this medium was originally intended: on the big screen, sitting among strangers. I can say unequivocally that it was good to be … [Read more...] about The Movie Man: Ganey Highly Recommends ‘The Green Knight,’ Says it is ‘Unlike Any Other Fantasy Adaptation’
Legal News You Can Use: Liability of Social Hosts, Dram Shops in Connecticut
When a person provides alcoholic beverages to guests in his or her home, that person may face legal consequences for an intoxicated guest’s actions. Specifically, if an intoxicated guest causes an injury to him or herself or to another person in a car accident, the social host who served the guest alcohol could be held responsible. Social host liability Social host … [Read more...] about Legal News You Can Use: Liability of Social Hosts, Dram Shops in Connecticut
A la Carte: Stone Fruit Caramel Delights the Palate in Both Summer, Winter
I have in my Kindle at least four sample books waiting for me to read. No matter the weather, I probably read four to five hours a day. But at night, in bed, I read recipes. When I find ingredients that sound really good, I tear out the page and, within a day or two, buy the ingredients and make the food. If I like the recipe, I want you to have that recipe, so I … [Read more...] about A la Carte: Stone Fruit Caramel Delights the Palate in Both Summer, Winter
A la Carte: Time for Tea … so Let’s Have a ‘New Tea Cake!’
The recipe below is, I think, almost perfect. I have been playing for more than a year to find ways to use a new flavor bean found by the Callebaut chocolate company called a ruby chip (available on Amazon.com.) It is a deep pink and looks like any chocolate chip, but it takes nothing like a chocolate chip. Instead it has floral notes and when you taste it, you look for … [Read more...] about A la Carte: Time for Tea … so Let’s Have a ‘New Tea Cake!’
Gardening Tips for July from ‘The English Lady’; The Month of ‘Hollyhocks and Hammocks’
If I had my way, I'd remove January from the calendar altogether and have an extra July instead. (Roald Dahl) Watering is so important during the heat of summer. If you planted trees or shrubs this spring, particularly evergreens, these plants require extra moisture to establish a strong root system. We have had an abundant amount of rain this spring and into the summer, but … [Read more...] about Gardening Tips for July from ‘The English Lady’; The Month of ‘Hollyhocks and Hammocks’
A la Carte: Need to Slow Down Your Metabolism? Try Auntie Todd’s Slow-Carb Muffins
Todd Lyon, restaurant reviewer, food writer, all-around great person and fashionista from New Haven, Conn., found that her body had turned its back on her ... sort of. She developed Type 1 diabetes. She loved breakfast, but found out that her favorite breakfasts (cereal, toast, pancakes, fruit juice and the like) gave her body a jolt but metabolized quickly. “Eventually, it … [Read more...] about A la Carte: Need to Slow Down Your Metabolism? Try Auntie Todd’s Slow-Carb Muffins
Reading Uncertainly: ‘Table of Contents’ by John McPhee
'Bear' with me: this review is the result of strange circumstances. In mid-April I received an email from some Lyme neighbors, announcing a new resident with a photograph – a black bear strolling unceremoniously along Ely’s Ferry Road. As it happened, I had just started a re-read of one of my favorite authors, John McPhee, and his 1985 series of essays. The very first two … [Read more...] about Reading Uncertainly: ‘Table of Contents’ by John McPhee
A la Carte: Pasta with Peaches … and Tomatoes? Try It, You’ll Love It!
I don’t know about you, but I bought my CSA (Community-Supported Agriculture) last December, 2021. Remember December, 2021? Joe Biden had been elected in early November. We knew that two COVID vaccines were being tested, but no one had them yet. I had not been inside a restaurant in almost a year and I was 1) tired of my own food, and yet 2) couldn’t really afford … [Read more...] about A la Carte: Pasta with Peaches … and Tomatoes? Try It, You’ll Love It!