lifestyle blog
I can’t believe the year flew by. Thank you to all the amazing readers. Many people encouraged me to start up a blog about my adventures around New England. I had no idea what to expect or where this would go. I decided to go for the ride and have fun with Knot So Loud.
Read MoreHappy Deaf Awareness Month! It’s the time to increase deaf awareness issues and culture. Accessibility is so important for us - sign language for one. The deaf world is constantly trying to teach and expose people to sign language. It will help reduce the problems formed by communication barriers. Many are not aware of the issues we face daily such as lack of open captioned movies, availability of employment, receiving high quality interpreting services, etc. It will always be a life long battle to educate people, but it’s my hope with deaf awareness month (and anytime!) to offer better quality of life for us deaf folks!
Read MoreHappy Labor Day weekend! This usually indicts the end of summer. I have to mention one of my favorite places to go during summer - Watch Hill, Rhode Island. It may be known as the location of Taylor Swift’s summer home where she has her 4th of July parties. Watch Hill is a coastal village in the town of Westerly, Rhode Island. It’s small so it’s perfect for day trippers or those who wants a quiet weekend getaway.
Read MoreNew London in Connecticut is one of the oldest seaport city on Thames River. A city filled with art, music, eateries, history and many more! When I moved to Connecticut, I lived in Groton so I hopped over to New London several times to enjoy the many things it had to offer. I’ve been in Southeastern CT for 8 years but I’m always still learning new places or things to do in New London - it’s the city that continues to always have something for everyone!
Read MoreOne of my favorite things about living in New England are the farms. There are so MANY around here. Every road trip, you will see at least one farm stand on the roadside. I love that! I didn’t see too much of that in the area that I grew up in Upstate New York. I learned more about the importance of farming once I started living here. I appreciate them so much more for the ability to provide us with fresh food!
Read MoreI was born into an Irish family with strong pride for our Irish heritage. I love everything Irish and about Ireland. It was natural that the first time I left America was for the beautiful countryside of Ireland. It was on my bucket list to see everything that my ancestral country had to offer. I recall being so nervous to leave the customs that I am familiar with especially with my deafness. I had no idea what to expect - how the people over there would react to my deafness? How will they talk to me if I didn’t understand them? Will they be more mean? Will I meet deaf people in Ireland and will they be nice?
Read MoreEvery summer I take the drive on a long scenic country road in Griswold, Connecticut until I reach Buttonwood Farm. Buttonwood Farm is a working family owned farm that sells farm fresh ice cream. They have the best ice cream in New England region. It’s THAT good. Griswold, CT also got the “sunflower capital” cred from Buttonwood Farm’s annual event in July. The Sunflowers for Wishes is a fundraiser event donating all proceeds to the Make-A-Wish of Connecticut.
Read MoreChester, Connecticut is a small rural town sandwiched between Essex and East Haddam. I discovered this town a few years ago in May during their town wide tag sale. They hold one annually around Memorial Day weekend. It’s so good that I’ve gone there three years now. I wondered what Chester looked like on an ordinary day so I took a drive up one Sunday.
Read MoreThe town of Westport in Fairfield county was the very first town I visited in Connecticut. I came to Westport in 2010 so it holds meaningful memories for me. Westport is only 50 miles from NYC so it was the perfect suburban neighborhood without the city bustle. It is known to be on the top richest towns in CT list. That makes a drive around Westport very stunning with all of the mansions and structures. The downtown main street is another beautiful spot to see.
Read MoreOne of my favorite part about summer is when the fair season officially starts! North Stonington Agricultural Fair is the first fair to kick off the season this upcoming weekend July 11th-14th. I have been going to No Sto Fair as long as I have been in CT (8 years!). It’s my favorite fair to attend in New London county. Nothing beats the small community of No Sto, the folks are amazing. They show their pride by the hard work they put into the fair and know how to welcome everyone to their beautiful town.
Read MoreLast month I blogged about my day in Stonington borough. Many local readers saw that I “forgot” a restaurant for the recommendation list… Dog Watch Cafe. Guess what? I intentionally left them off the list! Why’s that? Lemme tell you, Dog Watch Cafe is TOO good, they deserved their own post. When I moved to Connecticut in 2011, Dog Watch Cafe was one of the very first restaurants that I tried in New England. Dog Watch quickly became my go-to restaurant for many milestones and celebrations. It’s safe to say that Dog Watch is my favorite restaurant in the entire New England region.
Read MoreOne of my most favorite flowers (beside hydrangeas!) are peonies. Once I found out that there was a peony farm in Rhode Island, I had to make the drive last weekend to see it. The peony farm was located outside of Little Compton, Rhode Island. Little Compton is quaint small farming town on the coastline classified as “farmcoast”. It was the kind small town where you didn’t see much of traffic lights or big chain stores. There are many long winding roads with views of farm lands while you’re inhaling the coastal breeze. It’s perfect town for a slow paced day of driving to take in the beautiful scenery.
Read MoreThis past Saturday was one of my favorite days in the state of Connecticut… it was Open House Day! What is “Open House Day”? It’s a day when museums and attractions all over Connecticut offers discounted or free admission. Some museums and attractions also have giveaways or special activities. It’s a fun day to explore so off to East Haddam I go! East Haddam is a small town that lies on Connecticut River in Middlesex county.
Read MoreI drove over to Stonington Borough for a quiet, slow paced day. The borough is just a hop over from Mystic, CT. Stonington quickly became one of my favorite New England towns when I first moved here. I was drawn to the beautiful homes that lined the main street along with the fascinating town history. Stonington is the oldest village in Connecticut established in 1649. The borough is a perfect destination for a leisurely stroll during any season.
Read MoreCafe Otis is housed in the 19th century building located right across from the City Hall. They serve breakfast, lunch and dinner as well happy hour. The food on the menu is locally sourced and they have a craft cocktail bar too! The menu is described as Mediterranean-inspired with many vegan or non-vegan options. There was a selection of smoothies called Wild Otis with variety of flavors.
Read MoreHope everyone had a wonderful celebration. It’s one of my favorite holidays to celebrate with my family, but unfortunately it’s not always possible since they still live in Upstate New York. I made a new Easter tradition 5 years ago to go to the Easter brunch at Latitude 41 Restaurant and Tavern in Mystic, CT.
Read MoreSoutheastern Connecticut got more warm weather last weekend. Inspired by exploring Essex’s main street, I decided to explore another main street. Niantic was my pick, the only exception is that I have been there several times. I visited the beautiful seaside village of Niantic for the first time during my first summer of living in New England. I went there for the Lions’ annual Lobsterfest and their outdoor arts & crafts show. Niantic is a village that is part of East Lyme, CT surrounded by Long Island Sound and Niantic Bay.
Read MoreThe beautiful spring weather called for exploring a new town. I decided to explore Essex which is a small town on the Connecticut River in Middlesex county. I went down to the historical main street of Essex which had the Colonial seaport town vibe. The street is lined with Colonial style homes and buildings that house restaurants and shops.
Read MoreCochlear implants. A taboo word in the deaf world. For those who aren’t familiar with what cochlear implants are - it’s an electronic device installed under the skin behind the ears.
Read More