The Old Lyme Zoning Commission is scheduled to meet on January 9 to finally vote on the Halls Road Overlay District plan.
As a citizen of Old Lyme for nearly two decades, and a former member of the Economic Development Commission, I would like to voice my support for the excellent proposal from the Halls Road Improvement Committee.
Enhancement of our commercial district has been called out in the POCDs of 2010 and 2020. In addition, during my tenure on the Economic Development Commission we finalized the report from AdvanceCT, which specifically called out the need for a walkable, attractive commercial district to support a viable economic future for Old Lyme. In several places, the report highlighted the dearth of housing suitable for young couples and seniors. The need for multi-family housing (also called out by the Affordable Housing Committee) is crucial for the economic sustainability of our town, and this need can be addressed by the Halls Road Overlay District plan.
Many small towns in our region such as Chester, Old Saybrook, Essex and Mystic, offer attractive, walkable village districts for their residents. Niantic is actively developing their streetscape with the addition of Sift (a bakery), Five Churches by the Bay (a brewery) and other businesses to the Morton House complex. Further afield, Westerly has been transformed into a destination for eating and music, and Wakefield hosted a street fair this summer featuring local restaurants, and music on the river that runs through town. If Old Lyme is to continue to attract new residents, it would be necessary to offer amenities comparable to our neighbors.
Finally, I would like to commend the Halls Road Village District Commission for their tireless persistence and the high quality of their thorough work. It behooves the town to reward its work with support, and act on the call for development described in the three documents referenced here.
The COVID-19 Community Levels map above, produced by the CDC and dated Jan. 2, 2023, shows New London County in the Medium/Yellow category.
HARTFORD/LYME/OLD LYME, Conn.—The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) has listed four Connecticut Counties—Fairfield, Litchfield, Middlesex and New Haven Counties—in the High/Orange category in its most recent COVID-19 Community Levels Map.
New London along with Hartford, Tolland and Windham Counties are listed in the Medium/Yellow category.
The COVID-19 Community Levels map —which was launched earlier this year—informs CDC recommendations on prevention measures, such as masking and testing. The guidelines include a color-coded system available on the CDC website of “Low,” “Medium,” and “High.” This approach focuses on preventing hospitals and health care systems from being overwhelmed and directing prevention efforts toward protecting people at high risk for severe illness.
To protect the most vulnerable residents and preserve capacity in our health care system, people living in the counties designated in the High/Orange category are advised to wear a mask indoors in public, stay up to date with COVID-19 vaccines, and get tested if they have symptoms. Additional precautions may be needed for residents who are at high risk for severe illness.
“We are now witnessing the long-anticipated winter COVID-19 surge. With 2023 right around the corner, we are in a far better place with this pandemic then we were in 2020,” said Connecticut Department of Public Health Commissioner Manisha Juthani, MD. “We have many more tools at our disposal to deal effectively with COVID-19, including vaccines and updated boosters, Test to Treat locations, the mobile van clinics, and the wide availability of COVID-19 self-test kits.”
Commissioner Juthani added that links to all these resources can be found in the DPH COVID-19 toolbox at www.ct.gov/coronavirus. Additionally, the Federal Government has now made available four (4) free self-test kits per household. These free self-test kits can be ordered by visiting www.covid.org/tests.
Residents living in the counties designated the Yellow/Medium Category, who are at high risk for severe illness, should talk to their health care providers about when they should consider wearing a mask and any other precautions they should consider taking. These residents should also stay up to date with COVID-19 vaccines and get tested if they have symptoms.
Editor’s Note: This article is based on a news release issued Dec. 30, 2022 by the Connecticut Department of Public Health and sent to LymeLine by Ledge Light Health District.
Editor’s Note: We are delighted to re-publish this mouth-watering piece by our friend and former colleague at ‘Main Street News,’Linda Ahnert of Old Lyme. She wrote it back in 2005 but has recently updated itfor us.
In England, ‘Figgy pudding’ has morphed into the traditional Christmas pudding pictured above, which is served in all parts of that country on Christmas Day. Photo by Hello-I’m-Nick on Unsplash.
“There’s a happy feeling nothing in the world can buy, when they pass around the coffee and the pumpkin pie” . . . and, of course, “Everybody knows a turkey and some mistletoe help to make the season bright.”
Have you ever thought how many food references there are in Christmas songs? It runs the gamut from figgy pudding to popcorn! And food plays a starring role in many Christmas stories and in our own memories.
I was about 10-years-old when I received “Little Women” as a Christmas present. It is the beloved book about the four March sisters growing up in New England. As the story opens, it is a Christmas during the Civil War and the March family is living in straightened circumstances. But when the girls hear of a needy family in the neighborhood, they gladly give up their Christmas breakfast to feed the hungry children. Even self-centered Amy sacrifices her favorite things—“the cream and the muffins.”
Jo March laments, “Christmas won’t be Christmas without any presents.” And for most of us, Christmas wouldn’t be the same if we didn’t have some particular food in the house during the season.
Holiday cookies are a signature Yuletide food … both to give and receive! Photo by Joshua Doherty on Unsplash.
For instance, one of my early food memories of Christmas is tangerines and walnuts. My paternal grandparents came to this country from Germany. On Christmas Eve, everyone would gather at their home. I remember my grandfather playing the mandolin and singing “Stille Nacht” and other German carols. My grandmother decorated the buffet in the dining room with evergreen boughs. Interspersed in the greens were tangerines and all varieties of nuts in the shell. Before we left, my grandmother would stuff our mittens with the fruit and nuts.
Another family that I spent many hours with as a child were the Ingalls in the “Little House” books. How I loved reading about the adventures of Laura, Mary, Carrie, Ma, and Pa as they crossed the prairie. The author, Laura Ingalls Wilder, describes the delight of the children one Christmas morning. The girls have reached into their stockings to find shiny tin cups and each has a “long, long stick” of peppermint candy, striped red and white.
But their stockings weren’t empty yet. The girls pull out small packages and unwrap them to discover heart-shaped cakes. “Over their delicate brown tops was sprinkled white sugar. The sparkling grains lay like tiny drifts of snow.” It might be a simple Christmas on the frontier, but the girls can’t imagine being any happier.
Across the pond in Merrie Olde England, Charles Dickens included numerous descriptions of food in “A Christmas Carol.” You may not look forward to your weekly trips to the Big Y but, trust me, your mouth will water reading Dickens’ descriptions of the produce in the London grocery shops at Christmas.
And who could forget the account of the Cratchit Christmas dinner? (“There never was such a goose.”) To complement this “feathered phenomenon,” Mrs. Cratchit “made the gravy (ready beforehand in a little saucepan) hissing hot, Master Peter mashed the potatoes with incredible vigor, Miss Belinda sweetened up the apple sauce . . . ”
“Some hot mixture” … or cold … Who can ever refuse a holiday-themed cocktail? Photo by Brooke Lark on Unsplash.
Bob Cratchit rolled up his threadbare sleeves and “compounded some hot mixture in a jug with gin and lemons, and stirred it round and round, and put it on the hob to simmer.” In 21st century parlance . . . I’ll have what they’re having.
Truman Capote’s “A Christmas Memory” is an autobiographical story set in rural Alabama in the 1930s. It opens on a November morning when the elderly cousin who is raising seven-year-old Buddy announces that “It’s fruitcake weather!” For Buddy this means the official start of the Christmas season. They begin the yearly ritual of gathering pecans in an old buggy and scrimping together their meager funds to buy the ingredients to bake 30 fruitcakes.
For days “eggbeaters whirl, spoons spin round in bowls of butter and sugar, vanilla sweetens the air, ginger spices it; melting, nose-tingling odors saturate the kitchen, suffuse the house, drift out to the world on puffs of chimney smoke.” When the work is done, the “cakes, dampened with whiskey, bask on windowsills and shelves.”
In our family, too, the holiday season always began on a November day. A week or two before Thanksgiving, we would receive a package of pecans from Louisiana. They were from the trees in my aunt’s yard, and she sent them each year in time to bake our holiday desserts. My mother was born and raised in Louisiana, and it wouldn’t have been Christmas in our house without cornbread and pecan pies.
And so, gentle readers, whether your Christmas traditions include roasting chestnuts on an open fire or whipping up a batch of wassail, may God bless us, everyone.
Editor’s Note: This is another offering from our friend and Linda Ahnert of Old Lyme.
Free COVID-19 self-tests are once again available on request from the Federal Government..
LYME/OLD LYME — On Monday, Dec. 19, the US Federal Government restarted its program to ship free COVID-19 test kits to any household that requests them. To order up to four kits for your household, visit this link.
The maximum number of test kits that can be requested for a household is four.
A limited supply of test kits is also available for pick-up at Lyme and Old Lyme Town Halls.
Hello everyone; so much to do and so little time in this holiday season … remember to breathe, stretch and take time out for yourself each day.
Maureen Haseley-Jones is “The English Lady.”
On a pleasant December day, go out into the garden — there is still time to plant your spring bulbs. The earth is still workable so enjoy the fresh air and the gentle exercise before you indulge in the Holiday festivities.
Plant the bulbs three times as deep as they measure in their upright position. For example, the Daffodils should be planted nine inches down below the frost line. Last month, I suggested that you put a bag of composted manure in the shed or garage to spread around the bulb area after planting. However, if you do not have the manure now, when the bulbs peak up from the soil in spring, you can obtain the composted manure and sprinkle it around the emerging bulbs.
At this moment, I am sitting in my armchair with a delicious cup of Earl Grey tea, inhaling the air wafting from the kitchen, the fragrance of cloves. It is an old family tradition that I follow each December, filling my great-grandmother’s brass saucepan with water – adding whole cloves – bringing the water to the boil, then turning it down to simmer gently. The fragrance is a special memory of Christmas in the kitchen in Gran’s thatched roof cottage on the grounds of our plant nursery in England.
On this side of The Pond, in early winter before snow falls or even on a sunny day with snow on the ground, there are construction projects that can be accomplished with patios, decks, ponds, and dry stonewalls to repair and build. By accomplishing these tasks in winter, you will be ready to plant in spring.
If you are not into heavy work, I suggest you call a landscape company that you trust to give you an estimate for your project. In fact, you my care to get in touch with my son Ian, at landscapesByIan.com for an estimate or a consult on stonework work or a design for the spring. Ian tells me that there is a scarcity of building supplies because of the pandemic, which might hinder your projects for your garden, unless you act promptly.
Snow is already here, so I hope you have the snow shovel handy or perhaps you require a new one? If so, buy a lightweight, wood-handled and plastic shovel instead of heavy metal. When the storm has passed and you are ready for cleanup, don’t load the shovel heavily, scoop lighter loads. You will get it done faster and with less aches and pains, or chance of injury. If you are not able to clear the snow yourself from driveways, walkways and steps, I’m sure there are some teenagers in your neighborhood who would be willing to help you out. We need the moisture from the snow for the soil and plants. My hope is that we also get a good amount of rain to carry us through to spring.
If you have not already done so, mulch around the trunks of roses, mound at least six to nine inches up the stems. As I mentioned earlier, buy a few extra bags of mulch and topsoil and store them in the garage or shed.
Tie down the long whip-like rose canes of climbers to supporting structures so they are not broken off by strong winds. If the shrub roses are planted in an exposed area, cover them with a rose cone or if they are larger, cover them lightly with burlap until April.
Amaryllises are a wonderful winter bloom since they enjoy an extended flowering period.
I just walked into my living room to check on my Amaryllis bulbs, which have striped blooms. Amaryllises can be enjoyed for a long time with little effort. As the flower buds begin to open, remove the pollen bearing anthers with tweezers, before they begin to shed — this will add days to the flowering period and remember to water.
Once the bloom is finished, deadhead it, remove the bulb from the soil and let it dry off. Store in a cool dark basement or some other cool dry place at about 55 degrees for 10 weeks without watering. When you want to start it again, pot up the bulb tightly in fresh potting soil and begin to water again. By the way, the Amaryllis is poisonous so do not let children or animals eat the flowers.
Outside my kitchen window, I can see the holly bush with lovely red berries, some of which I cut to decorate the house. Holly is a good weather predictor; few berries mean a mild winter, whilst many berries denote a harsh one. My red and black friends, the ladybugs, have begun to come indoors, earning their keep by consuming white fly and aphids, which often gather on houseplants.
This week, in the house, I am planting up my first group of paper white narcissus to get a head start on bloom in about a month. I store two dozen bulbs in the vegetable keeper of the refrigerator, away from the food. I plant half of them now and store the rest in a paper bag in the refrigerator, away from food, which I will plant later. With this method, I will have continuous blooms and fragrance through the winter months. By keeping the bulbs in the refrigerator, they stay dormant, until planted.
Paper-white narcissi give off a beautiful fragrance. Photo by Jonathan Diemel on Unsplash.
I plant my bulbs in pebbles, with just enough pebbles to anchor the bulbs and enough depth for the roots to grow. Cram a lot of bulbs in the pot so they are touching – the more bulbs, the more vibrant the display. Make sure the bulb pots do not have drainage holes; if they do, cover the holes with shards of broken pottery.
I place the planted bulbs in a dark, cool room or cupboard, always keeping the pebbles moist. In a few weeks, when the shoots of the narcissi are about six inches tall, I take the vases into a cool room on the south side of the house and place them about six feet away from the window in indirect light where they remain, keeping the pebbles moist until the buds appear. When the buds appear and the stems are about 12 inches tall, bring them into the area of the house to be enjoyed. Always place them about six-feet from a sunny window and away from draughts and heat. Keep the soil or pebbles moist throughout the life of the plants.
I know that the stems of paper whites get leggy and often topple over. My tall glass vases do not allow this to occur but if you don’t have tall containers, here is a suggestion to keep the plant upright. An English gardening colleague of mine gave me his ‘gin tip’. He pours a dessertspoon of gin (not the expensive stuff) on the soil or pebbles around the plants every couple of weeks after he has watered them. This limits the height of the stems, so they do not collapse, and the gin does not affect the bloom.
Regarding alcohol, another tip my grandmother whispered is to add a few drops of brandy or port to invigorate potpourri that has gone stale. Personally, I pour a few drops of either lemon oil or lavender oil on the potpourri.
I know that many of you spread salt on walkways, and driveways to thaw ice. However, the salt ruins plants, when it seeps into borders. Use an alternative like unscented kitty litter or sand that works well. In spring, just hose off steps and paths; the sand and kitty litter are good additions to your soil.
There is still time to prune dead or diseased branches from established deciduous trees and shrubs; it is an easier task to do at this time of year, as you are able to see what needs to be done without foliage obstructing your view. If you would like to have a fall pruning, call a reputable arborist to give you a quote and whose team will come and use their practiced eyes to give you a great result.
Last winter, squirrels, raccoons or whomever, got into the birdseed in the milk shed. I bought out the supermarket’s supply of cayenne pepper that week and sprinkled it on my birdseed to keep the marauders at bay. This trick will also keep those critters out of your garbage. I also sprinkle cayenne pepper in the bird seeders for the feeders and on the suet blocks – the heat of the pepper does not affect the birds – they do not feel the heat.
To keep moths and bugs away from cupboards and in clothes; collect some remaining herbs that may be still available, perhaps sage and lavender. Tie them into bunches with string and slip over a hanger in your closet or in drawers — just this week, I put bunches of dried sage in my closets and drawers. Insects do not like fragrance and will keep away.
A few bags of soil and mulch in the garage or shed will be useful after frost. Often the frost heaves plants above the soil and exposes the roots. The plants roots can be covered and protected with the soil and mulch, until they can be resettled again when spring arrives.
When a plant is knocked askew by wind, ice or snow, do not be in a hurry to straighten it, quite often the plant will bounce back on its own. However, uprooted trees or shrubs should be straightened immediately and staked, roots covered with soil and mulched, then resettle the plant in the spring. When snow is heavy on the branches of the evergreens, gently brush the snow off with a broom — gently being the operative word.
When you receive or buy cut flowers during the holiday you want them to last. To accomplish this, vases need to be squeaky clean. If there is a build up of dirty residue that regular soap and water won’t budge, try adding a little coarse sand to dislodge the mucky residue then use soap and rinse well. For a narrow- or globe-shaped vase use a bottlebrush.
Poinsettias always add color to any space.
Poinsettias
I receive many questions about how to keep Poinsettias alive. I have a friend, who has kept the same poinsettia alive for eight years. After blooming, she places the plant in a cool room, watering when the top of the soil feels dry, then in late May puts it — still in its container — in the garden. In September, she brings it into her porch and begins gently watering.
A combination I enjoy is poinsettias in a container with ivy and forced spring bulbs.
I was always curious as to how Poinsettias got their name. Last year I heard an old story on that very subject. In a tiny village in Mexico, the tradition on Christmas Eve was to put gifts before the Crèche at the Church. A poor young boy, who had nothing to offer, went outside and knelt in the snow praying for a gift to give the newborn king. Where he knelt, a beautiful plant with vivid scarlet leaves appeared beside him and the boy joyfully presented his gift to the Christ Child. Mexicans therefore call the plant Flor de la Noche Buena (Flower of the Holy Night) and many believe the plant resembles the Star of Bethlehem. Dr Joel Roberts Poinsett, the first minister to Mexico in the 1830s, brought the plant to the United States and it is for him that the plant is now named.
On a delicious note to end my tips this year – I present my recipe for English trifle – a scrumptious dessert at Christmas.
ENGLISH TRIFLE
This dessert is made of layers, made over a three-day period; it requires this length of time for each layer to set. I use a nine-inch tall glass bowl, as the appearance of this dessert is as mouth-watering as the taste.
Ingredients:
2 pints of strawberries or raspberries (you can use frozen strawberries or raspberries, and omit the sugar) 2 tablespoons of sugar on fresh fruit 1-package ladyfingers or sponge cake or pound cake 1-cup Harvey’s Bristol Cream Sherry (omit the sherry if you do not want the alcohol) instead use water to make the Jell-O 1 small package strawberry or raspberry-flavored Jell-O 1 small package of vanilla custard mix or Birds English custard (see note) 1 pint whipped cream
Combine washed and drained fresh strawberries/raspberries and sugar in a bowl and set aside at room temperature for about an hour.
In a 9-inch glass bowl, cover the bottom of the bowl with ladyfingers or sponge cake or pound cake, cut into 2-inch slices. Drain the strawberries and reserve the juice. Cover the cake with the fruit.
Add sherry to the reserved fruit juice to make one cup. Prepare Jell-O using the fruit juice/sherry mixture as the cold-water part of the Jell-O mix, and hot water for the other part. Pour the Jell-O over the fruit and cake layer, then refrigerate until it sets (usually about two hours or overnight).
When the Jell-O is set, prepare the custard and spread over the cake/fruit/Jell-O layer. Refrigerate until custard is set.
The day you serve the trifle spread a thick layer of unsweetened whipped cream over the top.
If you are serving more people, repeat the cake, fruit, and Jell-O layers and top with the whipped cream.
The nine-inch bowl serves 6 to 8.
Note: I use Birds English Custard mix, which can be found in specialty food stores and most supermarkets.
If you have any gardening questions, feel free to email me at MaureenHaseleyJones@gmail.com. Have a wonderful Holiday and I’ll see you in your garden in January. Be safe and well.
About the author: Maureen Haseley-Jones is a member of a family of renowned horticultural artisans, whose landscaping heritage dates back to the 17th century. She is one of the founders, together with her son Ian, of, The English Lady Landscape and Home Company. Maureen and Ian are landscape designers and garden experts, who believe that everyone deserves to live in an eco-conscious environment and enjoy the pleasure that it brings. Maureen learned her design skills from both her mother and grandmother, and honed her horticultural and construction skills while working in the family nursery and landscape business in the U.K. Her formal horticultural training was undertaken at the Royal Botanic Gardens at Kew in Surrey.
