8 Things I Genuinely Love About Being in Connecticut

8. It's is new to me! The shopping centers, the restaurants, the site to see, the places to go - everything is new and different. I felt like I'd been EVERYWHERE in Dallas and now I have a whole state to discover. From New Haven and the Yale area to West Hartford and all the shopping to Mystic and the water and boat and the country scenic driving. It's nice when I have the time, to get out and explore. I look forward to those "adventure" days.  

7. A leisurely breakfast is easy to find around here. David and I like to go to breakfast sometimes on Saturday mornings. We stop at Starbucks and get a coffee and pick up a newspaper. My favorite place is Ken's in Glastonbury. It's family owned and run. The waitress is friendly and the food is good. We always get there starving and leave there stuffed. David gets the banana pancakes everytime and we split the paper. (He get the business and automotives and I get the local cultural pages. We both fight over the sports.) It makes for a nice morning. Definietly one of my favorite things to do around here.    

6. I've Got Mail! I get more "fun mail" now than I ever did before. I am one of those "old school" girls who actually APPRECIATES a good piece of mail - a funny card, a handwritten note or letter, a little "surprise" in the mail. I look forward to Mom's tapes or Abigail’s pictures - too cute little cards from firends and family. Everyone has been so great and supportive and it's so FUN to go my mailbox and see what's in it. It takes me back home for a just a second or two. 

5. David's backyard deck. This is quickly becoming one of my all time favorite things (at least in the summertime). The breeze blows slightly in the mornings and the evenings. The sun beats down in part in the afternoon and it's shaded in part (depending on your preference). I like to sit in the sun and read, play on the computer, watch Evan outside playing and David grilling dinner. We eat dinner outside as much as possible (which I really like to do anyhow). It's a relaxing and comforting place. I can't wait to have a party out there (maybe in the fall) and grill and put up lights and play music - it's a PERFECT place for a get-together.

4. Line?  What Line?  You rarely have to wait in line in CT. The grocery store, the Wal-Mart, restaurants, the bank, the post office, you name it. Even "traffic" here (while we still have it) isn't THAT bad. I haven't been to the DMV yet - that will be the REAL test, I guess. I'll let you know.   

3. Flip Flops are always an acceptable choice. You don't have to be dressed up to go ANYWHERE here. You can go to the movies, the restaurants, shopping and all around town in your t-shirt and shorts and flip flops. Ponytails always work and makeup is optional. It's nice not to have to be dressed EVERY Saturday and you fit right in! You never say "We can't go there - we're not dressed for it."

2. LOBSTER, LOBSTER, LOBSTER! You can get lobster almost anywhere for a very reasonable price. The lobster is cheaper here than anywhere I've ever been. I was listening to the radio this morning and they were saying that lobster prices were going down again due to lack of demand. You can get a live lobster at the grocery store for $6 a pound. The local sandwich shops and hotdog stands have STUFFED lobster rolls for $9. There are lobster tacos, lobster ravioli, lobster mashed potatoes and even lobster grilled cheese everywhere you go. I think my favorite place is Abbott's (http://www.abbotts-lobster.com/). If you ever some to visit and you like lobster, I promise to take you there!

1. David and Evan - Need I Say More? Probably not, but I will anyway. I moved here in the first place to get to know them better - and I have fallen more in love with them than I could have ever imagined. David is truly my real-life Prince Charming and I am a very fortunate girl! He is kind, patient, generous, and loving. He is helping to raise a wonderful little boy to be much the same way. They are so much fun and add so much more to my life than I could have ever imagined. They are what I love THE MOST in Connecticut and they are the reason I am here.