I recently participated in the 2012 edition of the ING Hartford Marathon. I traveled from Honolulu,…read moreHI for this one and have doubled up with the Amica Rhode Island Marathon the next day. I did enjoy the race up to a point, where the course support was great and the aid stations were adequate. I do love the urban races so much, that I probably will favor more of them versus trail marathons and ultras. The ING Hartford Marathon & Half marathon is the biggest marathon event in Connecticut. Period. There is another marathon in Roxbury, but it does not compare to ING Hartford. Seriously. The only problem I have with this race was that they started to take down the course mile markers after 5 hours. I was on mile 17 with friends when they started to do that. Obviously, I got lost when I got to mile 21 and veered off course. So much so, that I ended up on the shoulder on the I-84. When I realized that I was on the wrong path, I got back on track, but lost a significant amount of time. Thankfully that I did find the course bike marshals and they directed me back to downtown Hartford and the founder's bridge. After crossing the bridge at mile 25, I could not find where I was going. Everything seemed to be gone till a friend of mine who ran the half helped guide me to the Hartford arch and the finish line. If it weren't for her, I most likely would have been lost in downtown Hartford and posted a DNF for this race. The ING Hartford Marathon is good, regardless of my own personal experience. They have a potential growth here and I am happy that I was able to travel here and run this one for my own well being and to sacrifice a little bit of my sanity in the process. Love the crowd support in the early goiing and the residential support along the middle the course (mile 10+). Thankful also for the official gear check people who taken in my two bags, when I didn't have the gear tag with me, bout they had blank tags there and filled my race number on two tags and tied them to my bags for identification later after the race. I did like the finish at the Hartford Arch though. The finisher's medals were hot. Hope to be back sometime! B #Yelp Marathons

This past October marked the 3rd ING Hartford Half Marathon I have participated in. It is my Fall…read more"A" race. I love this race, not only because it is so close by but it is one of the most well run races I have had the pleasure of participating in. I have never run the full marathon course so my review is for the half marathon. Here are my thoughts on the race: *Expo - I had no problem picking up my number. I always go and pick up my number during my lunch break and have never had to wait that long. It's very organized. Volunteers check you in, you pick up your number and then head over to grab your shirt. I love the fact that you get a long sleeve tech shirt ( I am a sucker for those) and because they were not busy I was able to try it on to make sure I got the right size. There are a good quantity of vendors but you are not going to see (at least yet) any of the big running companies. However, there was definitely a good mix of vendors for me to geek out to. *The Start - No problem finding that - the race for both the full and the half start at the same time in front of the state capitol. This race does not have a wave start - once the "gun" goes off it's every man and woman for themselves. I hope that as the race continues to grow that they implement this system. Makes it for a less congested start and would help runners get into their "groove" easier. *Course - The half and the full separate less then a mile from the start. Signage and the well placed volunteers make it very difficult to "accidentally" run the wrong race. The half marathon makes its way through the Park section of Hartford up through and around West Hartford near St. Joseph's college before bringing the runners back down Farmington Avenue to finish under the arch at Bushnell Park. This is not a flat course by any stretch of the imagination - it's relatively hilly with the last "gentle rise" coming as you run down Farmington Avenue thinking to your self - "Self - why isn't the arch getting any closer are you sure we are running toward it." OK maybe you don't but I have said that to myself each of the three times I have run this race. Another thing I love about this race is the fans on the course - which runs through several residential areas - because it is their cheers and noise which at times has kept moving me forward when my legs did not want to go as fast. *Fuel - *Hydration (water and Gatorade) stations were well stocked and there were plenty of them throughout the entire course Although I carried my own fuel - it was good to see that they have one fuel station along the course with volunteers passing out GU. *Finish Line- Heat blankets are given to runners as soon as they cross the finish and they have sure come in handy. In an effort to be more "green" the organizers have implemented water fountains for the finishers to drink from AND THEN after you are handed your medal - you are presented with a full and reusable water bottle. Great idea and a great way to eliminate waste. I also loved the fact that this year, in addition to the water bottle, each runner was handed a reusable bag with several snacks in it. I cannot tell you how many races I have had many things to juggle (water, i pod, medal, heat sheet) and I don't have any room to carry the food. *This is a great and very well run event. I look forward to it every fall and am glad that more and more runners are discovering this great fall race

Definitely follow Riverfront Recapture on Facebook for tons of great free events. Jerk festivals,…read moreAsian Dragon Boat Races, Free concerts, Food trucks, Fireworks, etc. It's always a well organized, safe good time.

I finally visited the Hartford waterfront today thanks to the Dragon Boat and Asian Festival. I…read morecan't say enough about how impressed I was! It was as scenic and as pleasant as can be. It was jam packed with couples and families and folks of all ages enjoying the sun, the scenery, and a perfect summer day. Hartford has really come a long way since I moved here in 1987. The Science Center, the Convention Center, a re-invigorated downtown, the Lincoln Sculpture Art Walk, and the beautiful Riverfront. I can't wait to see what the future brings.

My child went to MDD from 9 months to 27 months. There are so many wrong things about this daycare…read more My child was so miserable there. Every morning she was crying not to go daycare because her teachers force her to follow every rule. I feel terrible that I didn't take my child from this daycare early enough. -Till 21 months, my child was in the infant room. 21 month old toddler and 3 month old were in the same room. Their needs are so different from each other. But daycare doesn't care about their development needs. They didn't give fork/spoon during her lunch in infant room. -The classroom my child goes had 4 times flea problem in 2 months. My child got constantly got ticks/fleas in this daycare. My child also got so sick in this daycare. Almost once a month, she was getting a virus from daycare and not going to daycare because of fever. -It is not very clean place. Infant rooms smell like poopy diaper. -Transition from infant room to toddler room was not smooth. My child couldn't adjust to her teachers and had nightmares first months. They could transit slowly. -They don't use technology at all. They decide to close the daycare for half an inch snow and they don't send any email or text to parents. They put some sign in checking desk. Then you have to arrange your work last minute because of bad communication. -There are so many holidays, vacations, closings. You have to take so many day off from you work because of MDD's abundant holidays. -This daycare is very structured. Teacher prepares an art project and children make the same exact art and teacher is so proud of everybody did the same thing. It doesn't encourage creativity, self expression. -If it is music time, children have to sit in circle. If they stand, they are forced to sit. Everything is about following the rules. This is same for every activity. They are forced to do whatever teacher wants like a nun school. If child cries or doesn't want to participate a certain activity, teachers force them. They don't care what child wants. -You have to take your child to daycare at 9 am, if you are late, you might be invited to parent/teacher conference about how their program is structured and missing one activity will destroy the child such as such. -There is always birthday or some reason to eat cake,cupcake, ice cream or other junk food. One week, every other day my child ate sugary things. We don't give sugar to her at home. -The first thing teacher says to my child every morning "what pretty dress/cloth you have". I don't want my child appearance oriented. These praises are so wrong. -Teachers always say to toddlers, "you are big girl/boy, don't do this", "don't do that". It creates too much pressure on toddlers that they have to behave like big girl. They ignore child psychology. -They don't ask any feedback from parents, they don't listen. If you are late 1 minute, the director lectures you 5 min and you have to pay 5 min late fee thanks to her lecturing time. We were so miserable as a family in this daycare. We are so glad we left.

Wonderful staff. Extremely fair business practices. My son is very comfortable and happy here. And…read morethat's a tall order for a 2.5 year old! I love that my son is learning to wait his turn, follow directions, stand in line, and explore this creativity. Front office staff is awesome and teachers are very open with feedback from the day.

"Rumor spreading round in that Texas town About that shack…read moreoutside La Grange" (ZZ Top) What's "the Grange"? It's a 150-year old community organization with hundreds of chapters across the U.S. The Simsbury chapter has been around since 1931 and hosts a full calendar of agricultural fairs, music and film festivals, dance and theater events, a food collection, and special events for the community. The Simsbury location is inside a two-story building with a kitchen, a big 27' X 40' meeting hall and a raised 12' X 16' stage complete with a disco ball. You can rent the hall, tables, chairs, and use their kitchen for a song. So, when we saw the Simsbury Library was promoting a "Food and Fun at the Grange!" event with Jonathan Gorski, the owner of Avon's Amoroso's Pizzeria, well, we couldn't sign up fast enough. The description told us that Jonathan would be giving a talk, demonstrate his homemade gnocchi process, and offering some food samples. Don't be misled by my photos of the Meeting Hall showing a handful of people, by the time things started rolling at 6:00 pm, the place was packed, and I was one of the volunteers that helped lug out a dozen more folding chairs from up on the stage, a path that took me directly under the disco ball. Two of the Grange officers opened the program with a summary of the organization and their upcoming events before introducing the main event. We've been fans of Amoroso's pizza, pasta, and sandwiches since they took over the space previously occupied by Hot Heaven Pizza about a year ago. We've always found Jonathan Gorski to be a charming and welcoming host, and he sure upped his game last night. He charmed everyone with stories of his restaurant journey and Italian upbringing in upstate New York. He walked us through his process to make Ricotta Gnocchi and seamlessly answered questions about his menu, his restaurant, and ingredient choices, as he mixed a simple dough of whole milk ricotta, an egg, grated cheeses, and flour. Then, best of all, Grange volunteers passed us a paper plate loaded with sauced gnocchi, focaccia, Utica greens, and a cannoli. It was a very enjoyable evening. Thank you, Simsbury Grange and Jonathan Gorski, for collaborating on such a fun and delicious event. And if you haven't tried Amoroso's Pizzeria, set your navigation system for Avon, CT and enjoy a great meal ASAP.

Christmas in Collinsville is an annual event with a champagne stroll, craft fair in town hall, tree…read moreraffle in the historical society, and all the shops are open. It is NOT a page for the town, it's like the many other festival pages for Collinsville.

I have brought many donations to Gifts of Love over the past decade. They provide a valuable…read moreservice to those in need.

I understand that this organization has guidelines for donations it can and cannot accept. However,…read morethe general approach of personnel is not one of gratitude, but rather, 'attitude.' I always donate usable and high-quality items that are in very good condition. However, they are frequently not met with genuine appreciation, but rather, with interrogation and rejections. Since this has happened on several occasions, I will donate to other organizations in the future.

"Good golly, Miss Molly, sure like to ball. When you're…read morerockin' and a rollin' Can't hear your momma call" (Little Richard) We spent a few lovely hours at Ball & Socket on Saturday. Although much of the complex is under renovation, it promises that once everything is completed in their five buildings, this place will be amazing. Ball & Socket Arts is transforming an abandoned industrial campus into an art and cultural destination with curated art, community meeting space, and a venue for music, theater and the humanities. They have a full schedule of upcoming art displays and workshops and have hosted free outdoor concerts for years. There was one free art exhibit on display when we visited called, "State of Alarm". It's a collection of textile works, wall reliefs, and prints that represent what their website describes as "the persistent climate of gun violence, war, and political instability shaping contemporary America". Pieces were collages made from spent bullets and shotgun shells, and one was made from hundreds of bullets fired into a piece of sheet metal. I thought the colors and patterns from those shells and bullets were transformed into some beautiful pieces. After our gallery visit, we strolled over to the Artsplace building for some ice cream at Sweet Claudes, then we walked to the other side of the complex to check out two awesome sculptures and a colorful mural. We ended our visit with a walk along the Cheshire section of the Farmington trail which runs behind the Ball & Socket property. I'm looking forward to a return visit when the renovations are completed. HISTORY Ball & Socket was a working factory for almost 150 years, from 1850 until 1992. Their products included metal buttons, and a slew of stamped metal products including jingle bells, cardholders, drawer pulls, fasteners, and razor parts. It was awesome to see a piece of public art that showcased some artifacts from their product line transformed into a sculpture.

The spring sale happening Mother's Day weekend every year…read more Pottery jewelry weaving and more food and drinks

In a word, wonderful! My daughters and I were visiting from out of town and sought out unique…read moreartistic finds and the gallery shop here did not disappoint! We came away with a variety of fashion accessories and home decor items including jewelry, pottery, fused glass, kitchen items etc. that are unique and we will cherish! Cecilia was amazing and engaging and definitely made our visit even better because of her kindness and assistance. Wished we lived closer to be able to take advantage of the membership and classes. When in town again we will definitely be back !!!