The countdown has started for the Summer Olympic Games 2024 (or J.O. [Jeux Olympiques] 2024 as the French say) and the excitement is growing. The dates are July 26 through Aug. 11, and Aug. 28 through Sept. 8 for the Special Olympics . Paris will be the host of the events. The interface of an historical city like Paris with venues for sporting events should be magical while … [Read more...] about Letter From Paris: Let the Games Begin … in Paris … in 2024!
Columnists
Gardening Tips from ‘The English Lady’ for August, ‘The Border Between Summer And Fall’
August has always been one my least favorite months in the garden; but plentiful spring rain has resulted in bountiful fragrance, bloom and foliage. We have a relatively short growing season here in New England and to enjoy a healthy colorful border is so satisfying. However, by this time in the season, when early perennials have gone by, there are a few gaps to fill in with … [Read more...] about Gardening Tips from ‘The English Lady’ for August, ‘The Border Between Summer And Fall’
Letter From Paris: For Five Days in June, France Burned
"You should not go to France. it is too dangerous." My American friends expressed their concern when I flew out to France for a summer vacation in early July. I must admit that the news coverage of what happened in that country in late June was pretty scary: riots for five days and nights, hundreds of burnt cars, carcasses of buses left on the streets, black … [Read more...] about Letter From Paris: For Five Days in June, France Burned
Letter From Paris: Memories of Crimea … a Strategic Peninsula Steeped in History, Culture
Subsequent to the Russian occupation of Crimea in 2014, which took place 60 years after USSR First Secretary Nikita Khrushchev transferred it to Ukraine in 1944, the strategically-important peninsula has frequently made news headlines. I visited the region twice and have always been fascinated by the important events and famous people with which it is associated. In … [Read more...] about Letter From Paris: Memories of Crimea … a Strategic Peninsula Steeped in History, Culture
A View From My Porch: Some Funny Things Happened on the Way to the Celebration
The celebration: “Rock the Phoebe’s” joyful acknowledgement of the century and a quarter anniversary of the founding of Old Lyme’s Phoebe Griffin Noyes (PGN) Library in 1898 was scheduled for the evening of June 23. The funny things: A letter, signed by 23 members of the Greater Old Lyme community was sent to the library on May 25. This was then followed … [Read more...] about A View From My Porch: Some Funny Things Happened on the Way to the Celebration
A View From My Porch: A Treatise on Electric Vehicles — Baby Boomers, ‘Beach Boys’ & Battery Benefits
After some sluggish early sales, there has been a considerable increase in the number of electric vehicles (EVs) on the roads in the United States. EVs comprised 5.8 percent of all new vehicle sales in the United States in 2022; up from 3.2 percent in 2021; and that’s more than three-quarters of a million of the roughly 14 million new cars and light trucks sold in 2022. The … [Read more...] about A View From My Porch: A Treatise on Electric Vehicles — Baby Boomers, ‘Beach Boys’ & Battery Benefits
The Movie Man: ‘Oppenheimer’ is a “Must See That Will Age Exceptionally”
Director Christopher Nolan has broken ground by applying his style of non-linear storytelling to biopics, which tend to be predictable Oscar-bait consisting of exceptional costumes, set design, and performances that attempt to master said protagonist’s quirks. With that said, expect to have difficulty following along, but your first impressions will be strong enough to inspire … [Read more...] about The Movie Man: ‘Oppenheimer’ is a “Must See That Will Age Exceptionally”
A Letter From Paris: Celebrating ‘Le Quatorze Juillet’ in Spectacular Style
Watching the 14th of July defilé [parade] is a well-anchored tradition for the French. This year, as always, it was a two-hour impeccably choreographed event. Each French president takes it very seriously since it is an opportunity to display the military profile of the country, the vision for its future, as well as the latest technology, and to reaffirm the fact that … [Read more...] about A Letter From Paris: Celebrating ‘Le Quatorze Juillet’ in Spectacular Style
Gardening Tips From ‘The English Lady’ for July: The Month of ‘Hollyhocks and Hammocks, Fireworks and Vacations’
OLD LYME -- 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, however it is important to keep an eye on the weather. Here in New England, plants … [Read more...] about Gardening Tips From ‘The English Lady’ for July: The Month of ‘Hollyhocks and Hammocks, Fireworks and Vacations’
Gardening Tips for June from ‘The English Lady’: “If a June Night Could Talk, it Would Probably Boast it Invented Romance”
We have had a few cool nights recently, which is just wonderful since I can sleep with the windows open -- at least when the smoke from Canada blows away! I cannot remember the last time we had a real spring like we are experiencing this year, with plenty of gentle rain. This beneficial rain is wonderful for all the spring plant growth and such a … [Read more...] about Gardening Tips for June from ‘The English Lady’: “If a June Night Could Talk, it Would Probably Boast it Invented Romance”
A Special Memorial Day ‘View from Our Porch’: Town Budget Meeting Reflections
By Christina J. & Thomas D. Gotowka This “View” was supposed to be “Electric Vehicles: Can Elon overcome the legacy of the Beach Boys?”, but Christina encouraged me to ignore the plan and provide some follow-up on last week’s annual town budget meeting. We were troubled by the article by Elizabeth Regan and published on May 16 in The Day, which characterized the … [Read more...] about A Special Memorial Day ‘View from Our Porch’: Town Budget Meeting Reflections
Gardening Tips from ‘The English Lady’ for May, ‘The Gateway to Summer’
“The darling buds of May” is such an apt phrase for one of the most enchanting months, which brings bloom on spring bulbs and flowering trees -- the Amelanchier, the Dogwood and the Cherry to name a few -- and new, awakening foliage on trees winking in the sun. By now, you have probably removed most of the winter debris, pruned broken branches and re-edged … [Read more...] about Gardening Tips from ‘The English Lady’ for May, ‘The Gateway to Summer’
A View From My Porch: Just Another Day at the Beach — A Treatise on Connecticut Beach Access
I will introduce this topic by acknowledging the courage of Ms. Kathleen Tracy and her co-plaintiffs, who have seen the most recent beach access case against the Miami Beach Association (MBA) through to its conclusion. That specific lawsuit, which really began with a fence in 2016, ultimately required more than six years of effort and anguish; and certainly, some considerable … [Read more...] about A View From My Porch: Just Another Day at the Beach — A Treatise on Connecticut Beach Access
Letter From Paris: A New Spire – and Rooster – Set to Rise Above Notre Dame Cathedral
The spire and the rooster of Notre Dame will soon be back in the sky of Paris. On April 15, 2019, the world watched in horror as the spire of Notre Dame was consumed by flames and finally crumbled down. It left a gaping hole in the cathedral at the center of its vault. Four years later, the installation of a tabouret -- (literally, a stool) -- which, … [Read more...] about Letter From Paris: A New Spire – and Rooster – Set to Rise Above Notre Dame Cathedral
A View From My Porch: Finding Fenway — A Feline Interest Story
Nearly a year ago, Christina and I announced in LymeLine that we were “on the lookout for two adoptable kittens; we hope to find a pair of orange tabby sisters.” Our plan was to name them Fenway and Wrigley. We had lost Finn, our pet of more than 15 years, as a result of an inoperable and inexplicable carcinoma of the lung, which appeared on a radiograph at an emergency … [Read more...] about A View From My Porch: Finding Fenway — A Feline Interest Story