CONNECTICUT BRADY HOMEPAGE
Michelle and I welcome you to the Connecticut Brady Homepage. Both Michelle (Bessenaire) and I come from large families. It is our hope that this will be a place to share family news and pictures. If you have something you would like to share, please send it to us.
God Bless, John
Brady cousin, Sister Kristin Battles
Brady cousins, the Comollis
Bessenaire cousin, Karen Sweet
Brady cousin, Leslie Jay Griffith Bosch
In loving memory of
Ira R. Nadler
Feb 4, 1951
June 17, 2008
cousin Joe Casale's firm
Mark Comolli
BIRTHDAYS
Dec 1 Michael Gerard Bessenaire
Dec 7 Lucas Reeves
Dec 3 Margaret Brady
Dec 10 Jacob Allen Huntsberger
Dec. 21 Peter Bessenaire
Dec 23 Shawn Jacob Comolli
Dec. 24 Heather Noel McKee
Dec. 25 Worth Bagley
Last Green Valley: Northeastern Connecticut, the quiet corner
by Annie Graves Yankee Magazine
The skies don't lie. From on high, looking down along the East Coast at night, we're blazing away like Times Square squared, a crazy quilt of sparks illuminating the darkness. Look at us, everyone--our name in lights! A river of suburban wattage from Boston to Washington, visible from planes and satellites, flowing more or less ceaselessly.
Except ... over there. A distinct patch of northeastern Connecticut and a bit of Massachusetts that's noticeably still, remarkably dark. A break in the unrelenting mass of artificial brilliance that lights the night. So much so that airline pilots use this patch of darkness as a point of reference. And by day, it's green. Deeply, profoundly green. The Last Green Valley, so they say.
Of course, it's not really the last. But it is the last good-sized, unspoiled spot on the East Coast city-sprawl continuum: more than 1,000 square miles of peace and old-time nostalgia pressed between the Quinebaug and Shetucket rivers. A wide, quiet corridor of pretty villages and dreamy landscapes hidden within one of the most densely populated parts of the country. With Worcester to the north, Hartford to the west, and Providence to the east, this gorgeous chunk of green and its 35 rural towns are so precious, they've been federally recognized since 1994, when Congress conferred its mouthful of a designation: the Quinebaug and Shetucket Rivers Valley National Heritage Corridor. "Green" is more than just a word in this oasis: More than 70 percent of the Last Green Valley remains field, farmland, and forest.
Naturally, that means a superabundance of hiking, biking, and birding. Not so long ago, in fact, this region was known as "The Quiet Corner," until its more recent incarnation as the romantic and appealing Last Green Valley. It could also just as easily have been called "The Friendly Corner," once you begin exploring the intimate shops, offbeat cafes, and secret spots sprinkled liberally amidst the greenery.
Yodel Bug Art, cousin Heather (Brady/Knoph) Reeves
12/22
I was thinking about the meaning of Christmas. The birth of Christ, the coming of Santa Claus. I know that God came into this world to save us from our sins by dying on the cross, but I think there's more. God is all powerful and if He wanted He could have saved us in other, easier ways. By being born into this world, Jesus gave us the greatest gift ever. His life became an example of how we should try to live, how we should try to treat each others, without judgement and with love. I believe that as important as His death was, his life was even more important. But there is still more. My dad had a plaque in his bedroom, "Never judge a man until you walk a mile in his moccasins". We cannot fully understand another person's troubles unless we have lived them ourselves. Unless we have had cancer, or other illness, unless we have lost a job, unless we have been homeless, unless we have been a parent, unless we have faced substance abuse. We can try to understand, but we fall short. It's not our fault, it's just the way it is. Jesus walked in our shoes. He was born to a poor family, homeless at birth, born in a manger. He studied in temple, he learned a trade, he worked with his hands, he was hungry, cold, thirsty, and lonely. He also celebrated at weddings, he had good close friends who stood by his side. He experienced our human life. He understands our trials. Because He lived as one of us He gave us a great example of how to live and He let us know that He cares about us and He understands.
So at Christmas we celebrate this great love that God has for us, that He would go through all this for us.
There is a movement to "keep Christ in Christmas", I support this movement. But I also support Santa Claus. I think Jesus and Santa would have been great friends. They both stand for the same thing, love of mankind. So, wether you say Merry Christmas, Happy Holidays, or another similar greeting, it is your intention that is important. The spirit of Christmas is alive whenever you wish the best for another. From our house to yours, Merry Christmas.
