Greeting Summer at the Provincial House

The 90 degree temperatures, the bright sunshine and the aroma of hot dogs and ribs wafting through the air was the perfect setting for the Sisters in residence at the Provincial House and their guests to say hello to summer from the comfortably  recently renovated(thanks to the generosity of our donors) pavilion.

In anticipation of the Memorial Day weekend and the official beginning of the summer season, recreation directress Claudia Bettez and her associate Patricia Podurgiel welcomed the staff and the employees of the PH to join the Sisters for this special celebration.  The delicious and ample lunch was enhanced by the music and song of Connecticut’s first “Official State Troubadour” Mr. Tom Callinan who serenaded the group with his traditional fare of old time favorites, encouraging everyone to sing along as much as they wanted.  He struck a special chord with the picnickers when he led them through a roaring rendition of “Alouette” and “Sur le pont d’Avignon” and “Those were the days”.  Several Sisters of French Canadian descent also proudly sang the Canadian national anthem “O Canada” as Tom accompanied on his guitar.

Comments reflecting joy and satisfaction could be heard from clusters of Sisters as they made their way back into the Provincial House, many still humming the melody of the final tune “Show me the way to go home”.