Missed our first Mahjong 101? This is your chance to catch up. Our first class was fantastic, and the feedback from attendees was exactly what we hoped for: people left more confident and ready to actually play. This Virtual Mahjong 101 will be a 1.5-hour teaching session by Susan Welch plus Q&A on July 6 at 7 PM for $30 per person, covering the essentials like reading the 2026 NMJL card, understanding the Charleston, and getting comfortable with the flow of the game.

It’s also the required first step for Mahjong 102. To join Mahjong 102, you’ll need to have either attended our first Mahjong 101 class or completed this virtual session so everyone is starting from the same foundation.

Mahjong 102 will be an in-person continued learning event on the evening of July 13 with tickets at $75. Once we have enough people ready to play, the goal is to start hosting regular open play Mahjong events too, so this is a great first step if you’ve been wanting to join the table.

Quick reminder: if you saved last week’s fireworks and parade guide and then immediately forgot where you put it, very normal behavior. I cleaned it up to show the celebrations still coming up, so you can grab the chairs, pick your spot, and not be the person asking “wait, is that tonight?” at 8:47 PM.

Since America 250 has history on the brain this week, Monet’s Table feels like the perfect local stop. It’s tucked inside a 1750 farmhouse, which means the building was already here before America was even America, and my move would be Saturday brunch, especially the Eggs Mignon!

This newsletter gets better when you’re involved, so send me the events, stories, businesses, people, complaints, compliments, and “how did you miss this?” notes. I listen to every one, and the goal is simple: build something that actually feels like the Quiet Corner talking to itself.

Buying a house in Connecticut is not exactly plug-and-play.

One town’s taxes can look totally different from the next. Older homes can bring up appraisal questions. First-time buyers may have CHFA options to sort through. And sometimes the thing that slows a deal down is not the big scary problem, it is the small detail nobody caught early enough.

That is where I come in.

I help buyers understand the real numbers before they get too far down the road. The goal is simple: fewer surprises, cleaner communication, and a smoother path to closing.

Thinking about buying, refinancing, or just trying to figure out what you can actually afford? Reach out and let’s start with a real conversation.

Get in touch with Kimberly Joy

Since this is America 250 week, it felt like the right time to bring Conn-opoly back into the mix. It’s our Connecticut history-inspired board game, and we’re giving away a copy below. We also made a small reader code (CT250 takes $10 off) for anyone who wants to grab a board now.

Last week’s trivia had most of you calling out The Rolling Stones, as a legendary act that didn’t play at the Shaboo Inn in Mansfield. The Shaboo Inn was basically Connecticut’s “how did this happen here?” music room, a roughly 1,000-seat club in an old mill near UConn that somehow pulled in Aerosmith, B.B. King, Muddy Waters, Bonnie Raitt, The Police, AC/DC, Miles Davis, Hall & Oates, The Ramones, Talking Heads, Elvis Costello, and Tom Petty during its wild 1971 to 1982 run. It closed in 1982 and burned down later that year, but for a little over a decade, one small Connecticut stage was punching way, way above its weight. Below is a brief documentary about the iconic spot and the bands that played there, enjoy!

🐶Adopt-a-pal: Meet Marc, a 2-month-old Lab/Retriever mix with designer-purse-litter charm, puppy chaos, and a full schedule of snuggles, adventures, and making your house cuter immediately.

🏡House of the week: This 1760 home brings the old-house charm in a big way, with 2,838 sq ft, 3 bedrooms, 2 baths, and the kind of history you can’t fake with shiplap. Set on 6.51 acres right next to Shenipsit Lake, it has that rare mix of character, space, and “wait, how old is this place?” appeal. Check it out!

🥾Dip of the week: Crandall Park (Tolland) is a classic summer cool-off spot with a sand beach, swim lanes, diving board, and raft, basically everything you need for an old-school pond day.

🔭Sky report: The week kicked off with a full Moon (the Strawberry Moon was last night, hope you were able to catch it!), so don’t expect some deep-space masterpiece early on, this is more of a “step outside and admire the big glowing rock” situation. The better sky moments happen before sunrise, with Mars meeting Uranus on July 4, the Moon hanging near Saturn on July 5, and Earth hitting aphelion on July 6, its farthest point from the Sun, because apparently summer needed one more confusing little plot twist.

Putnam | Grass Fed Man | 7 PM - Live music at The Stomping Ground.

Putnam | Local Author Visit: Becky Adams | 10:45 AM - Children's author reads "Maybe Later" under the tent (ages 4–10). Putnam Public Library.

Thompson | DIY Mini Zen Gardens | 5:30-7 PM - Find inner peace creating your own mini zen garden at Thompson Public Library (934 Riverside Dr). Create!

Windham | Learn About CT's Geology with CT DEEP | 10 AM - Discover how our land formed, including dinosaur history at Windham Library. Call 860-423-5159 to sign up.

Windham | Edible Wild Plants and Mushrooms | 6 PM - The 3 Foragers teach summer foraging from berries to chanterelles at Stafford Library. Forage!

Plan your local farmers market visits!

Killingly | 4th of July Flower Arranging | 5 PM | ($) - Create patriotic mason jar centerpieces with fresh local blooms at Mountain Laurel Floral. Arrange!

Putnam | Trivia Night | 6 PM - Test your knowledge at Bear Hands Brewing.

Putnam | Evening of Mediumship | 6-8PM | ($) - Kate, The CT Medium shares messages from loved ones in spirit at Love & Light Healing Studio. Connect!

Hebron | Family Movie: Lilo & Stitch 1 PM - Family movie at Douglas Library.

Willimantic | Pet Rocks (ages 6+) | 6 PM [FREE] - Paint a pet rock. Willimantic Public Library, 905 Main St. Details

Killingly | KPRD Summer Concert: The O-Tones | 6-8 PM - Swing, Motown, blues and soul vibes kick off the free summer series at Davis Park.

Mansfield | Summer Concerts: Community Bluegrass Jam | 6:30-8 PM - Bring your acoustic instrument or just enjoy the picking at Betsy Paterson Square.

Pomfret | Summer Concert: Claudia Schmidt | 6:30 PM- Multi-octave vocals and 12-string guitar from a 50-year folk legend at Pomfret Library.

Putnam | Evan Wood Trio | 8 PM - Live music at The Stomping Ground, Putnam.

Coventry | The Second Chance Band | 5:30–8:30 PM - Live music at Cassidy Hill Vineyard.

Putnam | Music on Main | 5-8 PM - Live music downtown every Friday night, kick off your holiday weekend at 88 Main Street.

Somers | Mermaid Vigilante | 4–7 PM - Live music at Worthington Vineyards & Winery.

Willimantic | Dyed in the Wool at The Mill Museum | 10 AM - 4 PM - A colorful new exhibit tracing natural dyes from colonial life to industry and today at the Mill Museum.

Woodstock | Garden Tea & Vintage Baseball | 4:30-8 PM - Picnic, jazz, and vintage baseball game on the Common at Roseland Cottage.

Plainfield | Live Music: John Fuzek | 1pm-4pm - Award-winning folk-rock singer-songwriter performs at Hank's Dairy Bar. Listen!

Woodstock | Vudu Sister | 2–5 PM - Live music at Taylor Brooke Brewery.

Windham | Self-Guided Historic Tour Maps | Anytime - Explore Windham Center’s old homes, cemeteries, landmarks, and Revolutionary War routes with free self-guided tour maps. Grab them here