Let's Not Toy Around A Very Merry Toy Store (2017) Amato's Toy and Hobby of New Britain closed at the end of February in 2022. I blame this movie. I really wanted to like this awful movie. Believe it or not, on a certain amygdalan level, I happen to like dopey Hallmark/Lifetime movies where everyone is pretty … [Read more...]
RWA: Lake Gaillard
Commune With Nature Lake Gaillard, North Branford December 2021 All Regional Water Authority (RWA) properties require a purchased permit to access and this particular one is not open to the public at all. Also, Gaillard is a commune in the Haute-Savoie department in the Auvergne-Rhône-Alpes region in south-eastern … [Read more...]
The Ref (1994)
"Mary, Gag Your Grandma" The Ref, 1994 It's a Christmas movie! It's a Connecticut movie! It's a Christmas in Connecticut movie! About... sports? No. "The Ref" has nothing at all to do with athletics unless you include hopeless family infighting as sport. And the family featured here certainly does their best to … [Read more...]
Book Review: A Connecticut Christmas
Dreaming of a White People Christmas A Connecticut Christmas Caryn B. Davis, 2017 I'm sure half of you reading this expect mean ol' Steve to get all Grinchy about this book. Well, it's not going to happen. It's a lovely little book full of Christmassy photos and interesting little blurbs. Who doesn't love … [Read more...]
Saponare Christmas House
Scary Christmas George Saponare Christmas House, Windsor December 2018 I’m not a decorator. Of course I’m not an interior decorator; what I mean by my opening salvo is that I just don’t decorate anything. Once, while helping my wife get the Christmas decorations out of their basement lair, I asked, “if you lived … [Read more...]
Chrismis Tree Lane
The Worst Chrismis Tree Lane, East Granby Because CTMQ is a one-man operation and because I act as writer, editor, publisher, and photographer... I can devote entire pages to dumb things. This, my friends, is a really, really dumb thing: But! Hark! There's an explanation! Albeit a terrible one, but an … [Read more...]
Christmas Village
HO-HO-HO... NO-NO-NO Christmas Village, Torrington December 2017 I do not like lines. I avoid them at all costs. If you read everything I ever write on CTMQ, you’ve noticed that I’ve done my best to avoid lines at the places in Connecticut with lines: Sally’s Apizza, Pepe’s Pizza, Lake Compounce, and a few … [Read more...]
Site of First Christmas Tree in US… Maybe
“Fröhliche Weihnachten!" Site of First Christmas Tree in US Windsor Locks CTMQ readers know that I love my dubious superlatives. Writing about one of our country’s oldest states means that I come across a lot of them. There are so many – and so many are impossible to really, truly corroborate. But this one … [Read more...]
Wood Memorial Gingerbread House Festival
Oh Snap! Wood Memorial Library Gingerbread House Festival, South Windsor November 28, 2014 I have no idea how many gingerbread house festivals there are in Connecticut, let alone New England, but I'm still confident that this one is one of the largest around. How can I be so confident? For one, I stay on … [Read more...]
A Cardinal House Model Trails
One Cardinal Rule Here A Cardinal House Train Layout December 27, 2015 The B&B closed in 2018 or so, and the trains were on COVID hiatus, but the owner tells me he plans to bring them back in 21-22 winter. There are many lists on CTMQ. I like my lists. One such list I’ve tried to keep up with is the … [Read more...]