Life has been very busy lately, so I have not had much time to participate in the recent ActiveRain challenges/contests.  But this month's challenge hosted by Anna Banana Kruchten and Carol Williams brings back some great holiday memories, so I am carving out time to participate in their challenge "Holiday Fun and Cheer December Challenge". This special memory below is my third entry in this challangeThis particular memory is a Special Christmas Memories From My Childhood, and it also gives insight into my past. As many of you know I was born in the Azores, Portugal on a small island called Santa Maria. A Christmas tradition my parents had when we lived in Portugal was to wake me, my brother, and sisters up on mid-night Christmas Night. Mid-night on Christmas Night is when Santa Clause ... 12/28/2020

Merry Christmas To All My ActiveRain Friends In 2020.  Christmas has always been a day my wife and I have spent with our two son's, but now that both of them are married and out of the house, we have to share them with others.My oldest son oldest son moved to Seattle, WA last, and even though my youngest son is still in CT we have to take turns sharing the Holidays with the In-Laws.  So we have had to get a little more creative in celebrating Christmas.This year was the in-laws turn for my youngest son and his wife to spend Christmas with.  So we did a Christmas eve dinner at my house.  We had a spiral baked ham, and all of the trimmings that go with it.  Right after we ate we gathered around the TV set, and FaceTimed my oldest son, and my gorgeous granddaughter, Elizabeth.  While FaceT... 12/25/2020

Life has been very busy lately, so I have not had much time to participate in the recent ActiveRain challenges/contests.  But this month's challenge hosted by Anna Banana Kruchten and Carol Williams brings back some great holiday memories, so I am carving out time to participate in their challenge "Holiday Fun and Cheer December Challenge".Below is a blog I posted in 2016 about my favorite Souto Family tradition, our New Year's Day Dinner, which we always celebrate with a lobster dinner.  I picked this one because it was the second year we started to have the lobster dinner with a jumbo lobster.  Also this year was very special because it was the last year we were able to celebrate it with my oldest son and my only granddaughter, the gorgeous Elizabeth.  Shortly after this dinner my old... 12/18/2020

  Happy Thanksgiving 2020! I hope that everyone has a Happy Thanksgiving tomorrow.   Do not let the day go by without taking a few minutes to truly give thanks for all you have been blessed with, and if possible take the opportunity to be a blessing to someone else.  Tomorrow should not only be a day of giving thanks in word, but in deed as well.   Happy Thanksgiving From My House To Yours. 11/25/2020

Veteran's Day 2020 Tomorrow is Veteran's Day 2020, A Day To Honor Our Veterans, and our Men and Women who are serving in our Armed Forces. I hope that everyone takes a moment out of there day to say thank you to either a Veteran they know, or one of the Men and Women presently serving.  It only takes a minute to do this, but the impact and meaning it has on the one you say thank you to is greater than you can imagine. Those who have served our country did so willingly and without expectation of anything in return.  They did it for the honor of serving the land of opportunity, and to secure the freedoms we enjoy. Many restaurants throughout the Country will be honoring our Veterans with free meals, and discounts.  So let us join all the organization who are honoring our Veterans tomorro... 11/11/2020

Fall Has arrived in Connecticut, which means it is time for my Progression Of Fall Colors series I started Nine years ago.  This is a series I hoped to continue for many more years to come, and have been able to do so far. The first two years the pictures were of a farm which is only about a minute walk from my house.  Seven years ago I decided to change the location for the 2014 Progression Of Fall Color Series to a lake about 5 minutes from my house on RT17.  I tried that location for two years, but the colors were not as good as I expected them to be.  Five years ago I decided to change locations again to a site on Lyman's Orchards in Middlefield, CT.  But once again that site did not produce the colors I had hoped for, so two year ago I decided to keep it simple and do my Progressi... 11/08/2020

Fall Has arrived in Connecticut, which means it is time for my Progression Of Fall Colors series I started Nine years ago.  This is a series I hoped to continue for many more years to come, and have been able to do so far. The first two years the pictures were of a farm which is only about a minute walk from my house.  Seven years ago I decided to change the location for the 2014 Progression Of Fall Color Series to a lake about 5 minutes from my house on RT17.  I tried that location for two years, but the colors were not as good as I expected them to be.  Five years ago I decided to change locations again to a site on Lyman's Orchards in Middlefield, CT.  But once again that site did not produce the colors I had hoped for, so two year ago I decided to keep it simple and do my Progressi... 11/01/2020

Fall Has arrived in Connecticut, which means it is time for my Progression Of Fall Colors series I started Nine years ago.  This is a series I hoped to continue for many more years to come, and have been able to do so far. The first two years the pictures were of a farm which is only about a minute walk from my house.  Seven years ago I decided to change the location for the 2014 Progression Of Fall Color Series to a lake about 5 minutes from my house on RT17.  I tried that location for two years, but the colors were not as good as I expected them to be.  Five years ago I decided to change locations again to a site on Lyman's Orchards in Middlefield, CT.  But once again that site did not produce the colors I had hoped for, so two year ago I decided to keep it simple and do my Progressi... 10/22/2020

Fall Has arrived in Connecticut, which means it is time for my Progression Of Fall Colors series I started Nine years ago.  This is a series I hoped to continue for many more years to come, and have been able to do so far. The first two years the pictures were of a farm which is only about a minute walk from my house.  Seven years ago I decided to change the location for the 2014 Progression Of Fall Color Series to a lake about 5 minutes from my house on RT17.  I tried that location for two years, but the colors were not as good as I expected them to be.  Five years ago I decided to change locations again to a site on Lyman's Orchards in Middlefield, CT.  But once again that site did not produce the colors I had hoped for, so two year ago I decided to keep it simple and do my Progressio... 10/15/2020

Fall Has arrived in Connecticut, which means it is time for me to begin my Progression Of Fall Colors series I started Nine years ago.  This is a series I hoped to continue for many more years to come, and have been able to do so far. The first two years the pictures were of a farm which is only about a minute walk from my house.  Seven years ago I decided to change the location for the 2014 Progression Of Fall Color Series to a lake about 5 minutes from my house on RT17.  I tried that location for two years, but the colors were not as good as I expected them to be.  Five years ago I decided to change locations again to a site on Lyman's Orchards in Middlefield, CT.  But once again that site did not produce the colors I had hoped for, so two year ago I decided to keep it simple and do m... 10/09/2020

Fall Has arrived in Connecticut, which means it is time for me to begin my Progression Of Fall Colors series I started Nine years ago.  This is a series I hoped to continue for many more years to come, and have been able to do so far. The first two years the pictures were of a farm which is only about a minute walk from my house.  Seven years ago I decided to change the location for the 2014 Progression Of Fall Color Series to a lake about 5 minutes from my house on RT17.  I tried that location for two years, but the colors were not as good as I expected them to be.  Five years ago I decided to change locations again to a site on Lyman's Orchards in Middlefield, CT.  But once again that site did not produce the colors I had hoped for, so two year ago I decided to keep it simple and do ... 09/26/2020

 September 11, 2001 We Will Not Forget!  9/11 will Always Be In Our Hearts, and each of us has our own special reason why that day will always be a day we will never forget.  Today is a day of not only remembering the vicious attack on our country nineteen years ago, but also a day to honor those who lost there lives.  It is also a day for us to reflect on the memories, and thoughts which went through our mines as the events of September 11, 2001 unfolded. I have shared what I remember most about 9/11 before, and have made a commitment to share this memory each and every year on September 11, so today I am fullfilling that commitment with this blog.Below is a special memory of that day, it is an event which hit close to home and will forever live in my heart and mind.Many innocent peopl... 09/11/2020

 Happy 4th of July 2020 to all my ActiveRain friends.  Today will be a very different 4th of July than in years past, because of COVID-19.  Middletown, and many of the towns around us have canceled their fireworks display, and many families have also canceled their 4th of July get togethers.  Normally our family would be having a 4th of July cook out at my nephews house in RI, but it has been canceled this year.  However, today is a gorgeous clear day, so my wife and I will grill a couple of steaks on the grill, and spend the day relaxing.Hopefully all of you will have a happy 4th of July, and spend quality time with those who you are able to get together with.  But most of all I hope you stay safe way, and enjoy this day as well.  We want the 4th of July to be a day of celebration, and... 07/04/2020

 This is a first, which proves if there is a will there is a way.  The COVID-19 Virus has caused several events to be canceled, but Middletown, CT has found away to continue one of its most popular events.  The annual Cruse Night on Main will still go on this year but with a twist.  The Middletown, CT Virtual Cruse Night on Main 2020 be a virtual cruse night.  I don't know how this is all going to work, but updates on the Middletown, CT Virtual Cruse Night on Main 2020 will be available at www.CruiseNightOnMain.com This event has my curiosity, so I will be signing in on June 4, 2020 to participate in the first ever Middletown, CT Virtual Cruse Night on Main 2020.   05/14/2020

2020 New Year Dinner At The Souto House.  We had our New Year's Day traditional Dinner today, and once again it was worth the wait.  We started this tradition over 30 years ago, and hope to continue it for many more years.Along with the huge lobster tails and claws we also had stuffing with scallops, twice baked bake potatoes, and a bottle of white wine. This year's lobster was 7 1/2 pounds, and it will be enough for two meals. This is the type of meal you walk away from the table needing to unbuckle your belt.I almost did not post a blog of this year's lobster, but I know how much my friend Endre Barath, Jr. likes to see the pictures of each year's feast, so I decided to post these pictures again this year.The first picture to the right is of the lobster before it was prepared, and the... 01/02/2020

Veteran's Day 2019 Tomorrow is Veteran's Day 2019, A Day To Honor Our Veterans, and our Men and Women who are serving in our Armed Forces. I hope that everyone takes a moment out of there day to say thank you to either a Veteran they know, or one of the Men and Women presently serving.  It only takes a minute to do this, but the impact and meaning it has on the one you say thank you to is greater than you can imagine. Those who have served our country did so willingly and without expectation of anything in return.  They did it for the honor of serving the land of opportunity, and to secure the freedoms we enjoy. Many restaurants throughout the Country will be honoring our Veterans with free meals, and discounts.  So let us join all the organization who are honoring our Veterans tomorro... 11/10/2019

Final Blog Of The 2019 Progression Of Fall Colors In Middletown, CT.  Fall has come to an end in Connecticut, and as of today the official cold Winter weather has arrived, and the end of my Progression Of Fall Colors series I started eight years ago.  This is a series I hoped to continue for many more years to come, and have been able to do so far. The first two years the pictures were of a farm which is only about a minute walk from my house.  six years ago I decided to change the location for the 2014 Progression Of Fall Color Series to a lake about 5 minutes from my house on RT17.  I tried that location for two years, but the colors were not as good as I expected them to be.  Three years ago I decided to change locations again to a site on Lyman's Orchards in Middlefield, CT.  But o... 11/08/2019

Fifth Blog Of The 2019 Progression Of Fall Colors In Middletown, CT.  Fall has arrived in Connecticut, which means it is time for my Progression Of Fall Colors series I started eight years ago.  This is a series I hoped to continue for many more years to come, and have been able to do so far. The first two years the pictures were of a farm which is only about a minute walk from my house.  six years ago I decided to change the location for the 2014 Progression Of Fall Color Series to a lake about 5 minutes from my house on RT17.  I tried that location for two years, but the colors were not as good as I expected them to be.  Three years ago I decided to change locations again to a site on Lyman's Orchards in Middlefield, CT.  But once again that site did not produce the colors I had hope... 11/03/2019

Fourth Blog Of The 2019 Progression Of Fall Colors In Middletown, CT.  Fall has arrived in Connecticut, which means it is time for my Progression Of Fall Colors series I started eight years ago.  This is a series I hoped to continue for many more years to come, and have been able to do so far. The first two years the pictures were of a farm which is only about a minute walk from my house.  six years ago I decided to change the location for the 2014 Progression Of Fall Color Series to a lake about 5 minutes from my house on RT17.  I tried that location for two years, but the colors were not as good as I expected them to be.  Three years ago I decided to change locations again to a site on Lyman's Orchards in Middlefield, CT.  But once again that site did not produce the colors I had hope... 10/27/2019

Third Blog Of The 2019 Progression Of Fall Colors In Middletown, CT.  Fall Has arrived in Connecticut, which means it is time for my Progression Of Fall Colors series I started eight years ago.  This is a series I hoped to continue for many more years to come, and have been able to do so far. The first two years the pictures were of a farm which is only about a minute walk from my house.  six years ago I decided to change the location for the 2014 Progression Of Fall Color Series to a lake about 5 minutes from my house on RT17.  I tried that location for two years, but the colors were not as good as I expected them to be.  Three years ago I decided to change locations again to a site on Lyman's Orchards in Middlefield, CT.  But once again that site did not produce the colors I had hope... 10/18/2019