Delamar

 I visited West Hartford recently to have lunch with some folks with whom I worked.  The lunch was in Artisan, the dining room of Delamar Hotel in Blue Back Square.

Delamar's lobby has some fine art.

Including this interesting metal bench.

And this oversized wrinkled replica of a British 20 pound note.

Delamar has a relationship with the New Britain Museum of American Art.  The hotel often hangs art from the museum's collection in the lounge.  These are all the original paintings for magazine covers.

BOOKS

Natalie opened her one room Cannondale bookstore a few weeks ago.

She has worked for decades in big name brand tech companies.  Natalie still works in tech part time, but she wanted to create her little bookstore as a change of pace.

Penny Ha'Penny

 Two friends started a small shop 40 years ago in the out-of-the-way village of Cannondale.  One -- Penny -- was British.  Eve is an American born to British parents; she is a ha'penny.

Penny Ha'Penny sells mostly British goods like logo cups and dinnerware, glassware, tee shirts, dolls, souvenirs and food.  I bought a bottle of non-alcoholic wassail to put away until the Christmas season. 

Eve's friend Penny is gone so these days Eve runs the store by herself.  She is getting on in years and has wondered what to do with the shop.

Enter longtime customer Roseanna and her teen daughter Josie.  Eve has been discussing passing the store on to Roseanna.  I hope the talks succeed.  The store deserves to continue and Eve deserves to retire with the confidence that what Penny and she built is in good hands.  

Cannondale

 Cannondale is a tiny village where Redding and Wilton meet.  It is named for the train station, like Georgetown and Branchville further north.  Two commuter trains passed through while I was there. 

Cannondale looks like it is from a previous age.  I visited some small shops while I was there.  Photos from those shops are coming in the following days.

Mural at Scott's Jamaican Bakery

Scott's bakery is a longstanding anchor on Albany Avenue in Hartford's North End, a primarily Black neighborhood.  

Corey Pane is a very active muralist in Hartford and other Connecticut cities and towns.  The man featured here is a friend of Pane.  

He finished this mural just a week or two ago.  The featured woman is also a friend of the artist.

Linked to Monday Murals.

Waterfire

 Last Saturday Brown University sponsored a "Brown Loves Providence" event on the Providence River to thank the city for its help during a terrible event on campus last December, when a former grad student opened fire in the engineering building.  He killed two students and injured more.

Brown President Chris Paxson spoke to the crowd, thanking the first responders, neighbors, businesses and community partners who supported the campus through the aftermath of Dec. 13. 2025.  Dean Jain of the medical school thanked the health care professionals who stepped up to save lives.

“WaterFire is really special; it brings us together to reflect, connect and share in a common light,” Paxson said. “Tonight, the fires burn in deep appreciation of everyone who protected and supported our campus in a time of great need.”

Launched in the mid-1990s by Brown graduate Barnaby Evans, WaterFire has been a powerful work of art and a symbol of Providence's renaissance. During each full lighting, more than 80 bonfires and music from around the world entertain tens of thousands of people strolling nearby streets and sidewalks.

Avon Congregational Church

Leaving Avon, Connecticut, after my visit to the house and garden tour, I stopped  beside Avon Congregational Church.  I was gobsmacked by the clouds and the light.