February 1 – 28, 2026
SPORTS
The month began with the UCONN women’s basketball team knocking off archrival, Tennessee, by 30 points. I could not watch the first half when the score was so close. The half started out with UCONN easily taking a 20-4 lead. Then the dreaded Lady Vols woke up and the score went back and forth. The first half finished at a 42-42 tie! I don’t know what the message in the locker-room was, but the Huskies came alive and won. One thing was very evident: UCONN has to value the ball more than they did in this game. Take care of the rock! Stop throwing it away in bad passes!
WEATHER
Bitter cold on 2/1. Supposedly temps will moderate with threats of snow later in the week. This coming weekend (2/7-2/8) we are going to have snow, bitter cold temps and windchill on top of that. The highs are supposed to be in the single digits. I had to reschedule my haircut to next Saturday. By then I’ll look like Albert Einstein.
The January Thaw has slipped to February! Temps in the upper 40’s mid-February! The New Moon is on the 17th. The January Thaw used to occur around the Full or New Moon of January. Which means (and you have probably observed this already) Spring comes later and Fall lasts longer. The seasons have slid one month.
Blizzard Calvin dumped 31” of snow in Stonington; 48” in Providence, RI; and Cape Cod is without power and passable roads! That was on 2/23. Now, 2/25, we had 3” more this morning.
LUNCH
Had lunch with Sandy and Mike who worked in the CNG cafeteria when I worked there. Two of the best people on the planet!
Had to reschedule lunch with Cheryl. She and her husband, Chris, mentored me (took me by the hand!) and showed me the ropes at the CT State Library when I was doing my research for Remembrance. More good people!
Had lunch with Ricki and Nancy at the Pickle Jar Deli. I called ahead and asked if they could put clam chowder on the menu for that day (it wasn’t). I know so many good people!
MEDICAL/HEALTH
I finally had my hearing test. It was rescheduled because of the January snowstorm. I have my new hearing aids, 2/26. I should have gone to Hear Again to begin with the first time! Watching the morning news at volume 9 instead of 14+! Can I hear you now? Yes I can!
EXERCISE
I have started using the gym at the Senior Center. It’s not a big room and the equipment is arranged close to each other. It’s OK if I’m the only one working out, or just a couple other people are in there. I have rejoined Planet Fitness so I have a back-up if the Senior Center is crowded and I want to work out. I’m still doing the Stretch & Flex class on Fridays at the Center.
I had a session with the PF personal trainer. This was determining the machines best for me right now and figuring out the settings. All that was written down so I won’t have to remember. So far so good!
RESEARCH
I’ve been working with my good friend, Jon Roe, on the Azel Roe genealogy. Jessica Vogelgesang from the Watershed Collective (formerly Friends of Wood Memorial Library and Museum) has joined in the search for information after she was contacted by Todd Cleary from PA whose 97-year-old mother is Fanny Bartlett Roe. So now we are sharing stories of the family as well as watercolor paintings of The Elms (the Roe house) that was on Route 5 in East Windsor. Now Jon has a lot more to add to his book on the family history! Did I mention Mark Twain was a frequent visitor?
And that’s a wrap. See you next month.
