Don’t frown at me. You have at least one. Some guilty little pleasure that you don’t want to share publicly because well, its embarrassing. Deep sigh.

My guilty little pleasure is my Kindle. I have had an Amazon Kindle Fire for four years. It has very specific uses. I watch my beloved Sky News. I play two games – Candy Crush Saga and Soda and then my library of books. Lots and lots of different types of books from Biographies to Murder Mysteries and everything in between.

Since that is all I have on my Kindle I had a tough time believing that I had completely filled all of the available space on it. I didn’t care what the little messages said I couldn’t accept that I had 100% filled up all of the storage space. I admit I have amassed a large and varied collection of e-books with grateful thanks to the University of Michigan and the Google Project but still that could not be right.

So into the depths of my personal library I delved and began weeding out the books. I slogged through the titles and deleted 500 books over the course of a weekend. 500 from the device and the cloud. It hurt but I knew I could access them again if I wanted to read them again. But my Kindle continued saying it was full and I had to purchase and install additional storage if I wanted to continue. So I continued to clear the hundred ( or that’s what it seems like) or so hidden caches on my device but still no space. I cleared out another 300 books to no avail. Now I am angry. What nonsense is this?

So I found and used the contact me link. Whoa! Amazon is not fooling around when the contact me link is clicked. Instantly my phone rang. “This is Amazon Technical Assistance. My name is (indecipherable) how can I help you? “

The well-meaning young lady had too strong an accent for me to understand and I was not able to communicate clearly enough that the built-in Kindle fix was not taking care of the problem. Technical assistants dearly love to read the screen aloud to you. I can read the screen for myself and am usually able to follow its instructions. So with the strength of conviction I firmly requested an English speaking technician.

It took a few minutes but once I explained the problem and he remotely looked into my Kindle he knew just how to fix the problem. The latest automated update had used up a huge portion of my Kindles memory because it had not removed the bits that were no longer needed or were duplicated in the update. He quickly removed them and asked if I would like him to clean up my Kindle for faster speed. Yes please and do any other clean-up that you think will be helpful says I. From the Amazon store he quickly downloaded the free Ccleaner (Ccleaner can delete temporary or potentially unwanted files left by certain programs.)and in moments the Kindle I loved was returned to my control.

Do you clear your caches regularly? Do you know everything on your e-reading device? Have you cleaned your device lately? Do you believe everything it says and follow the directions it gives as blindly as I do? If its a device, keep it clean to enjoy it longer.

Thank you for reading and sharing my history and Norwich Community blog freely with your family or friends or anyone you think might be interested or in a position to take on some of the suggested projects. Don’t hesitate to contact me for further information. I am happy to pass along anything I can. Together we can make a difference. Email comments on this blog to berylfishbone@yahoo.com View my past columns at http://www.norwichbulletin.com/section/blogs.

There is so much in this world I do not know and proudly share with anyone who will listen what I learn as soon as I learn it. Take for example the Free Seed Program offering offered by The University of Rhode Island Cooperative Extension, URI Master Gardener Program, Ocean State Job Lot and Burpee Seeds.

I never looked into what happened to the seeds that were not purchased by a certain date. I just assumed they were counted and disposed of. Properly of course. Well look what I just learned.

I am taking this information directly off the ordering form so I don’t screw it up. “Burpee seed packets are available at no cost to individuals, schools, and other organozations in New England through the generosity of Ocean State Job Lot, which donates expiredbut still viable seed packets to URI Cooperative Extension every year. URI Master Gardner Program volunteers sort the seed packets and fill orders received via this form.”

There are order limits – 200 seed packets per individuals, and 300 seed packets per school. There is a selection of herbs, flowers and vegetables and some are in limited quantities. Substitutions may be made when supplies run out. There are even four varieties of surprise packages – flower mix, veggie garden mix, salad mix, and the super surprise mix of flowers and vegetables. They may be a little out of date but if Burpee and the Master Gardners consider them to be still viable, so will I.

Lots of us talk about how there is a need for more community gardens. How gardening should be taught in the schools. How cheery flowers make us feel and how good they are for the environment and for the bees and the butterflies. But how many of us are doing anything about it besides talk?

The University of Rhode Island Cooperative Extension, URI Master Gardener Program, Ocean State Job Lot and Burpee Seeds have been and continue to take action. An action that can help you take an action in your community. Just go to https://web.uri.edu/mastergardener/freeseeds/ for more information, the order form, pick up dates or mail information. There is a postage and handling fee if you want the seeds sent by mail.

You can make a difference. Even if you just choose a bunch of seeds and hand them out to friends, family , strangers, churches or other organizations. You can make a contribution to a better community and a better world without it costing more than postage. .

Time is running out. Orders need to be in by February 9th. Please call 401.874.2900 with any specific questions and be certain to say thank you next time you are in any of the nearby RI Job Lots for their donation of seeds to this program.

Thank you for reading and sharing my history and Norwich Community blog freely with your family or friends or anyone you think might be interested or in a position to take on some of the suggested projects. Don’t hesitate to contact me for further information. I am happy to pass along anything I can. Together we can make a difference. Email comments on this blog to berylfishbone@yahoo.com View my past columns at http://www.norwichbulletin.com/section/blogs.

GPS and instant and updating directions are wonderful and a life saver for the directionally challenged such as myself and if I know what my destination is. It just not always the case for me. I like GPS but I like old fashioned maps too.

There is just something about maps that you have to lay out on a flat surface and trace lines with your finger that make me feel happy and secure. I have a better sense of where I am and where I am going.

For example I was taking advantage of the Bird Talk at the Agway on Otrobando Avenue the other night and by the register was a free Give away the – Connecticut Farm Map. You know I grabbed one of those straight away.

This is the third and latest edition of the map and designed “ to help consumers to identify the fresh, high quality produce grown in the state and to create a greater awareness of farms and farm products.” I am an advocate for fresh and locally grown produce and products which can sometimes be a bit of a challenge.

By looking at the map on the table I can plan short and long trips throughout the state with an eye towards stops for my usual shopping haunts as well as expanding my day trips to include Agritourism, Christmas Trees, Farm Stands, Farmers Markets, Honey, Ice Cream, Livestock,Maple Syrup, Greenhouses, Orchards, Pick-your own, Seafood and wineries by checking the various icons on the route or area I am going to. Wool is under livestock if knitting or crocheting is your interest.

I first located Norwich, CT and then began tracing the routes and areas with icons of things I am interested in. Not much is available locally but places of interest pick up only a short distance away. Planning stops for fresh ice cream and honey can be used to break up a long drive. Exploring greenhouses in other areas can be that breath of fresh air we need in the spring. A neighbor and I once spent a delightful Mothers Day visiting area greenhouses with a lunch at a place we had never been. Gave us a great memory and stress relieving laughs through a tough time.

On the back of the map are descriptions, addresses, phone numbers and emails for the various farms, the latest farming initiatives, and lots of other contact information for the state agricultural programs that you are probably unaware of unless you are directly involved. Always trying to be better nutritionally, I am thinking of framing the Connecticut Grown Crop Availability Calendar for my refrigerator. I am having some issues believing watermelons can be locally grown even from as far away as New Jersey in March. But how our grocery stores are convincing us what is local and what is fresh is a blog for another day. Look for your free copy of the CT Farm Map and “Shop Locally On my friends. Shop On!”

Thank you for reading and sharing my history and Norwich Community blog freely with your family or friends or anyone you think might be interested or in a position to take on some of the suggested projects. Don’t hesitate to contact me for further information. I am happy to pass along anything I can. Together we can make a difference. Email comments on this blog to berylfishbone@yahoo.com View my past columns at http://www.norwichbulletin.com/section/blogs.

I was helping a company prepare for a trade show and I asked for their checklist to be certain they had everything needed for their exhibit. “Every show is different so we don’t use a check list.”

That was the moment that I pulled out my written generic checklist for local and international exhibits and trade shows. Yes. Those of you who know me know I have a list for almost everything. Lists are handy and they keep us from forgetting things. I am a master of forgetting things so I need all the lists I can make and then some. So here is a very Basic Exhibit Checklist that can be used from local bake sales to International Trade Shows.

You have to be responsible for adjusting the list for your specific needs. Some of the items on the list are now on your cell phone but is your cell phone available for use by others and will it work in that specific area? How long does your phone hold a charge? Oh so many questions! Oh so many possible answers!

Ad-boards – Folders, labels
Computer – lap top, memory stick with all presentations, back-up lap top, portable printer, toner/ink, external speakers.
Location specifics – Sale items, display notebooks, table, chairs, weather umbrella, weather tent, sheet plastic, company credit card, currency, phone numbers of attemding company representatives.
Miscellaneous – Attendee evaluations, clipboards, attendee request log/cards, planning notebook, 3 hole punch, membership applications, currency (if needed), shelf display, extra screws, extra hooks.
Name Badges – Plastic jackets, badge holders, lanyards, printed badges, extra badge paper, magnet badges, markers, camera, phone charger, business cards,
On-Site – Sign-in sheets, bathroom signs, break room signs.
Packaging – Transportation boxes, attendee labels, plastic sleeves, expandable folders, folders,
Paper – Regular, 3-hole punch, colored, card stock, folders, expandable folders.
Posters – signs, arrows, bathroom, conference A, B, C and Meal.
Pre-departure- Memory stick with all presentations, first aid kit (with extra band-aids), Personal products (pads, tampons, disposable shaver, antiseptic, soft cloths, paper towels, eye lubricant).
Supply Kit – Index cards, Velcro, message pad, markers, calculator, pens, scissors, box cutter, tape gun, packing tape, paper clips, stapler, staples, string, wire wrap, cable ties (various sizes), extension cord, table cloth, duct tape, flashlight, AA, AAA and flashlight batteries, tissues, hard candies/cough drops.
Transportation – Contact numbers, hand cart, carry grips.

Happy Sales! Happy Trails!

Thank you for reading and sharing my history and Norwich Community blog freely with your family or friends or anyone you think might be interested or in a position to take on some of the suggested projects. Don’t hesitate to contact me for further information. I am happy to pass along anything I can. Together we can make a difference. Email comments on this blog to berylfishbone@yahoo.com View my past columns at http://www.norwichbulletin.com/section/blogs.

Every January I write a tribute to William Tyler Olcott. This year I am hoping that there will be a special tribute made to him at the newly refurbished planetarium in the Teachers Memorial Global Studies Magnet Middle School. Olcott was an attorney who in 1902, with his wife Clara Hyde of Yantic chose to make their home at 62 Church Street (the Glebe House) in Norwich, CT. At the time it was a common two and a half story house with an elaborate wide cornice with heavy dentils.

Olcott was born January 11, 1873 and became a gentle and observant man. At 36 he developed a love of astronomy and observing variable stars after attending a lecture by Edward Pickering in 1909. In 1911, he and Professor Pickering founded the American Association of Variable Star Observers (AAVSO). To popularize the field of amateur astronomy Olcott published several books including one for children , “to blaze a trail for you among the stars in order that you might know your way about the night sky and easily come to know the many objects of beauty and interest that darkness reveals to us . . . “

To the back of his home Olcott added a wooden observatory, with a revolving hexagonal tower perched behind the roof. Sadly, the observatory was removed by the Otis Library when they used the house as a children’s library.

William Tyler Olcott died July 6, 1936 but his name and the work of the AAVSO continue on.

NASA named an impact crater on the moon in his honor for his dedication to space observation. Per NASA the crater lacks any significant appearance of erosion from subsequent impacts, and its features are relatively well-defined. The rim edge is generally circular, with a slight outward bulge to the northeast and a larger bulge to the south. It has an outer terrace and slumped edges along the inner wall. Several low ridges lie near the interior mid-point, with the western pair near the center and the eastern peaks offset towards the eastern rim.

The satellite craters Olcott M and Olcott L form an overlapping pair along the southern outer rampart of Olcott, with the smaller member of the pair Olcott L overlapping Olcott M. The satellite crater Olcott E is partly overlain by the eastern rim of Olcott.
Wouldn’t it be great if Norwich, CT in some small way paid some kind of a tribute to this man of science? Perhaps an observation field for people to set up telescopes to watch the skies for variable stars?

Thank you for reading and sharing my blog freely with your family or friends or anyone you think might be interested or in a position to take on some of the suggested projects. Don’t hesitate to contact me for further information. I am happy to pass along anything I can. Together we can make a difference. Email comments on this blog to berylfishbone@yahoo.com

How I wish the Norwich Bulletin would return to the days when the complete text of the State of the City Address by the Mayor was printed so everyone could read it for themselves. Being a reporter is a tough job because there are always so many sides, so many bits and pieces to every story and when you are not familiar with the information being presented or have a particular prejudice for one side or another it is even harder.

The address by new Mayor Peter A. Nystrom was short and contained only a few references to the past and brought up a few points that could certainly use a bit of explanation.

Moving the thru traffic out of the city is not a brand new concept but perhaps it needs a bit of explanation and discussion with the residents and taxpayers of Norwich, CT before its presented and requested to the State of Connecticut.

Promotion of the City of Norwich, CT is a concept I have long been promoting but I would like to have heard more about to who the City will be promoted, what aspects in particular, how will the City be promoted, when will the promotions begin, where will the promotions be? How long until the residents can expect to see results? There is much more to Norwich, CT than colonial history. More industry than just what is found in the business park. More to this city than just the downtown. What can we as residents and taxpayers be looking forward to seeing and when? Who is going to be making money off the promotion and where is that money going to be coming from? Advertising costs large sums of money. Promotions cost very little.

Speaking of money there was a mention of taxes. I have a deep interest in taxes and the lowering thereof. But I would like to have heard more about how the lowering will be achieved or better yet how more businesses could be lured to Norwich so there could be some assistance in meeting the city budget without losing jobs and services.

What specifics were given? What promises were made? What hopes were raised? Is something being kept from the residents and the taxpayers? Was something made a mention of to keep a political promise but kept out of the report in the newspaper? Sometimes the old days and the old ways had a use.

Thank you for reading and sharing my history and Norwich Community blog freely with your family or friends or anyone you think might be interested or in a position to take on some of the suggested projects. Don’t hesitate to contact me for further information. I am happy to pass along anything I can. Together we can make a difference. Email comments on this blog to berylfishbone@yahoo.com View my past columns at http://www.norwichbulletin.com/section/blogs.

When the weather is constantly changing I develop an annoying sinus drip that causes me to sniff, and cough. So in my ever growing in size purse I keep a supply of cough drops, hard candies and tissues. I purchase the cough drops in handy size bags and pop them in my mouth without really looking at the individual wrappers. Until now.

I purchased Halls Cough Drops and was fiddling with the wrapper instead of my usual twist and throw away. When it happened. I noticed there was writing on the paper. There is of course, the name Halls in a pattern but also words of encouragement. For example the words “You can do it and you know it.” “Conquer today.” “Dust off and get up.” “Put a little strut in it.” “Go get it.” Each little wrapper had words of encouragement in easy to read dark blue print. In at least one tiny space is the trademarked phrase “A pep talk in every drop.” Brilliant marketing!

Now I read each one and wonder how they know just which little words I need to hear today, at just this moment. “Tough is your middle name.” “Flex your can do muscle.” “Impress yourself today.” “March forward.” “Get back in the game.”

Words and actions matter even if you are a little late to the game. Like me. The little wrappers have a facebook page. People save and trade them. They take photos of them and even keep scrapbooks. There are special wrappers for special days of the year. I don’t know if all of the varieties share their wrapper sayings. I am a bit of a purist I guess. I get the same ones all the time. “Don’t wait to get started.”

Here is the history of Halls according to a web page I found. The Halls Brothers Company was founded in 1893. The menthol hard candies were first made in the 1930’s. Warner-Lambert purchased the company in 1964. Pfizer purchased Warner-Lambert in 2000. The Halls brand was included in the “Adams Portfolio” of consumer non-drug products and was sold to Kraft Foods which in 2015 became Mondelez International.

The word for 2018 is “Encouragement.” Please use it and trade it with others frequently while enjoying a happy, healthy and prosperous new year!

Thank you for reading and sharing my history and Norwich Community blog freely with your family or friends or anyone you think might be interested or in a position to take on some of the suggested projects. Don’t hesitate to contact me for further information. I am happy to pass along anything I can. Together we can make a difference. Email comments on this blog to berylfishbone@yahoo.com View my past columns at http://www.norwichbulletin.com/section/blogs.