34th ANNUAL BUSINESS AFTER WORK AUCTION & TASTE OF DOWNTOWN "Sock Hop: Hopping for the Holidays" The next Middlesex County Chamber Of Commerce Business After Work is the Middlesex Chamber Business After Work Auction & Taste Of Downtown Sock Hop, March 27 at the Italian Society.  This is one of my favorite Middlesex County Chamber Of Commerce Business After Work events, because besides the great networking, they also have an Auction, and Taste of Downtown.Last year I got to taste the food of some of the best Middletown Downtown Restaurants, some of which I had not been to before.  Since then I have frequented several of the Restaurants and the food was even better than what they served at the Taste of Downtown.  Along with the food there is also an open bar with complimentary beer, wine... 03/22/2018

The 2018 Middletown, CT Craft & Vendor Fair will take place at Farm Hill School on Ridge Road this Saturday, March 24th.  The Craft & Vendor Fair will go on rain or shine between 9:00 a.m. to 12:00 p.m.The 2018 Middletown, CT Craft & Vendor Fair is an excellent  opportunity to eat good food, purchase great crafts, and have a lot of fun with the whole family.  So mark your calendar for this Saturday, March 24th from 9:00 a.m. to 12:00 p.m. for the 2018 Middletown, CT Craft & Vendor Fair. 03/21/2018

 The Middlesex County Chamber of Commerce is one of the largest and busiest Chambers in Connecticut.  The Middlesex County Chamber of Commerce host several programs each month, and is know for having some of the best Business After Hours events.  Among the programs the Chamber hosts throughout the year are Real Estate Classes.  This year the Middlesex County Chamber of Commerce is trying to reach out and offer classes to a larger number of Realtors.  So the Middlesex County Chamber of Commerce is joining forces with the New Haven Middlesex Board of Realtors to sponsor Upcoming Real Estate Continuing Education Classes On March 22, 2018.All the Real Estate Classes will be held at the Middlesex Chamber of Commerce located at 393 Main Street, Middletown, CT.  Below is a list of the being of... 03/19/2018

Looks like March Has Arrived Like A Lion with last nights Snow Storm.  Now I am hoping that March goes out like a Lamb.  Below are pictures of what I woke up to this morning.  The trees looked like some one had coated them with cotton or better yet cotton candy.    03/08/2018

          The Water's Edge In Westbrook, CT Is The Place To Be For St. Patty's Day in Connecticut on March 17th.  There will be music by the Le'Mixx Band, and great food. Space is limited, so in order to make sure you can join in the fun at the Water's Edge in Westbrook, CT on March 17th for St. Patty's Day, you need to make reservations right away.The St. Patty's Day festivities at the Water's Edge in Westbrook, CT is part of the Motown Review series which is packed with great entertainment and fun.So if you have not made plans yet for St. Patty's Day, now is the perfect time to make your reservations at the Water's Edge in Westbrook, CT.   03/07/2018

          I was looking at the flower beds in front of my house today and It Is Starting ToLook Like Spring Is Right Around The Corner.  The Daffodils are always the first flowers to come up for me, and they started to poke their heads this week.  I hope this is a sign that Spring is near!!!  03/03/2018

 The Russell Library In Middletown, CT March 2018 Book Sale is this weekend.  All the Russell Library Book Sale in Middletown, CT are always very well attended, and the March Book Sale should also have a good attendance as well.  It is starting to get close to the end of the school year so kids may need reading material for book reports, and the March Book Sale would be a great opportunity to pick up books for those book reports.  Besides picking up material for those end of the school year book reports, the Russell Library In Middletown, CT Book Sale March 2018 is a great opportunity to pick up reading material for the whole family.  There will be both fiction and non-fiction books for sale, as well as cookbooks, travel, religious, history, home, hobby, biography, and children picture ... 02/28/2018

 Mortgage Company in New Britain, CT after 68 plus years of originating mortgage loans, closed down their origination side of the business.  On December 15, 2017 Bill McCue announced to the company, that after December 18, 2017 the McCue Mortgage Company would no longer originate loans, and would only be servicing the loans in their service portfolio.  This news was an unexpected surprise, and Many Times Change Does Not Come Easy.After almost 13 1/2 years of working as a Producing Sales Manager for the McCue Mortgage Company, I found myself looking for a new mortgage company to originate mortgage loans for.  However, I did not have to wait for long.  Once the news got out about McCue Mortgage closing down their mortgage origination side of the business, my phone started to ring.  By th... 02/27/2018

 Most of us have read or seen the play Once Upon A Mattress.  But if you have not, March 1st, 2nd, & 3rd will be your opportunity to do so when Middletown High School Presents Once Upon A Mattress.   Once Upon A Mattress is about a young Prince Dauntless whose over protective mother decreed that only the princess who can pass her test may marry her son.  But that is not all the Queen has decreed, she has also stipulated that no one else in the kingdom may marry until Prince Dauntless is married.  I could tell you the special test Dauntless's future bride had to pass, but I will leave that up to you to read the book, or see the play at Middletown High School, in Middletown, Ct to find out.Many of the High Schools and Junior High Schools are performing Broadway Plays this month.  If you h... 02/23/2018

  The next Middlesex Chamber Of Commerce Business After Work, will be held this  Monday, February 26 at the Sheraton Hartford South Hotel, in Rocky Hill, CT.  The Sheraton Hartford South Hotel is an excellent facility to host a Business After Work Event, and this will be the third time they will host a Middlesex Chamber of Commerce Business After Work Work Event.  Each Middlesex Chamber Business After Work At The Sheraton Hartford South Hotel, in Rocky Hill, CT, has been excellent and I am sure this one will be every bit as good as the others in the past.If you have followed my blog you know I love to Network, and try to make it to as many Networking Events as possible.  Networking Events are a great way to make new valuable contacts that can help us grow our business, and we can have f... 02/18/2018

Happy Valentine's Day 2018 To All My ActiveRain Friends!!!  This is wishing all my friends here on ActiveRain a Happy Valentine's Day today.  I hope everyone takes the time to tell everyone who is special to you how you feel about them, and spent quality time with them.I took my wife out for lunch at one of our favorite restaurants.  A nice lunch before things got crazy and the restaurant gets packed for dinner was just what we needed.  We do not get to go for lunch very much during the week, so this made for a little extra special Valentine's Day.   Happy Valentine's Day 2018! 02/14/2018

 The Middlesex County Chamber of Commerce is one of the largest and busiest Chambers in Connecticut.  The Middlesex County Chamber of Commerce host several programs each month, and is know for having some of the best Business After Hours events.  Among the programs the Chamber hosts throughout the year are Real Estate Classes.  This year the Middlesex County Chamber of Commerce is trying to reach out and offer classes to a larger number of Realtors.  So the Middlesex County Chamber of Commerce is joining forces with the New Haven Middlesex Board of Realtors to sponsor Upcoming Real Estate Classes In February And March.All the Real Estate Classes will be held at the Middlesex Chamber of Commerce located at 393 Main Street, Middletown, CT.  Below is a list of the being offered.  Realtors ... 01/21/2018

  Westlake Drive, In Middletown, CT., or more commonly known as just Westlake, is a short stretch of road of only 1.4 miles.  But within those 1.4 miles there are 12 Condominium Complexes, and 3 Apartment Complexes.  One might say that Westlake, Middletown, CT is Condo Haven, for anyone looking to purchase a condominium.  When you say Condominium and Middletown in the same sentence there is no doubt in any ones mind as to where you are talking about. If you are looking to purchase a condo in Middletown, Ct., you will find several different styles, sizes, and price ranges to choose from in the Westlake Condo Community.  There are thousands of condo's within the 12 Condo Complexes on Westlake Drive, In Middletown, CT, and you are certain to find one that will fit your style and needs.  T... 01/18/2018

  The Cedar Village Planned Residential Community, In  Middletown, CT.,  is also known as Julia Terrace, and is located in the South Farms area of Middletown, CT near RT 9.  It is one of the five planned residential communities that were built in Middletown, CT during the 70's and 80's.  The other four were Wesleyan Hills, Sand Hill Road, Knox Boulevard, and The Farms.  However, unlike the Wesleyan Hills Planned Residential Community which I wrote earlier about, Cedar Village Planned Residential Community did not follow the original plan it was supposed to be developed under.  Cedar Village was suppose to be developed in three different phase, which it was.  But before the first phase was completed the original builder filled bankruptcy and left the sub contractors in a very bad positi... 01/17/2018

  Wesleyan Hills Planned Residential Community, In Middletown, CT was one of five Planned Residential Communities that were built in Middletown, Connecticut during the 70's and 80's.  Of the five Planned Residential Communities Wesleyan Hills, Cedar Village, Sand Hill Road, Knox Boulevard, and The Farms, Wesleyan Hills was the largest and best planned of the five. Wesleyan Hills Planned Residential Community, In Middletown, CT is comprised of over 560 units, which are almost split equally between single family homes and condominiums.  Wesleyan Hills is divided into sections that are identified by colors, and within each section all the street begin with the section color. The Blue, Yellow, and Green sections are composed of moderately priced houses that are affordable to "First Time Ho... 01/16/2018

 All you need to do is to take a look at the two pictures above to see how Crazy Midletown, CT Weather has been this year.  It is had to believe that these two pictures were taken a week apart.  The picture on the left was taken last Friday, and the picture on the right was taken yesterday. We got clobbered with a blizzard like storm last Thursday, it dumped over 12" of snow on us, and the temperatures were in the single digits.  Yesterday the temperatures were in the 60's, with the sun shining.With temperatures that high the snow disappeared quickly. But it will not be like this for long, because the temperatures are dropping again, and more snow early next week.It is not unusual for us to have Crazy Midletown, CT Weather but this is extra crazy!!!  ************************************... 01/13/2018

 Above is a picture of how cold it was this morning at 9:08 a.m. went left my house in Middletown, CT to go to Church.  The temperature had warmed up to -1 degree.  I say warmed up because it was -9 degrees at sunrise.  These kinds of temperatures give a new understanding to the song "Baby It's Cold Outside".It is suppose to get much warmer by the end of the week, but in the meantime inside a warm house is the only place to be!!!  *************************************************************************************************  Info about the author: George Souto NMLS# 65149 is a Loan Originator who can assist you with all your #FHA, #CHFA, and #Conventional #mortgage needs in Connecticut. George resides in Middlesex County which includes #Middletown, #Middlefield, #Durham, #Cromwell, #... 01/07/2018

Oddfellow Playhouse, In Middletown, CT 2018 Spring Registration is underway. Oddfellows Playhouse in In Middletown, CT is Connecticut's Largest Youth Theater, and offers Acting and Performing Classes for ages 3 to 19.  Oddfellows Playhouse Classes provide an opportunity for those who participate in the classes to perform on stage in a number of plays they present through out the year, or in their Children's Circus.  Oddfellows Playhouse teachers are among some of the best performing artists in Connecticut, and will teach skills which all class participants will benefit from regardless of their skill level or experience. Below is the list of classes and age levels for all classes offered at the Oddfellows Playhouse in Middletown, CT.  Ages 3-4: Little FellowsAges 5-6: First ActGrades 1-... 01/04/2018

  The January calendar is now posted for the Buttonwood Tree in Middletown Connecticut, and they will continue to have Anything Goes Open Mic In January At The Buttonwood Tree, Middletown, CT.   Every Monday evening from 7:00 p.m. to 10:00 p.m. will be a great opportunity for area residents to be entertained by aspiring artist. Open Mic Night is also a great opportunity for these aspiring artists to get on stage and show what they got.  Anything Goes Open Mic At Buttonwood Tree is open to all types of performances, experienced and novice a like.  So every Monday in the month of August will be an opportunity to showcase your talents, and nurture them with this supportive group. Recite a poem, sing a song, dance, read some spoken word, the microphone is yours for the asking. Community sp... 01/02/2018

2018 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.  Every New Year's Day we get together as a family, and we celebrate the coming of the New Year with a special New Year's Dinner, which the main course is always lobster.  With my oldest son now living in South Caroline this year it was just my wife an I and our youngest son and his wife.  Even though the whole family could not be together, the dinner was still very special. This year we each had a 7lb jumbo lobster per family.  These lobsters were so big, that one would have been enough for everyone.  We had enough left over for us all to have another meal. Along with the huge lobster tails and claws we also had stuffing, twice baked bake potatoes, diver s... 01/01/2018