January, 2025

"This Just In..."

Having trouble viewing this email? click here to read online.

2025 hasn't been written.

For you.

For your family.

For your dreams.

Not one word.

It is there – all of it – right in front of you.

Write it with passion.

With adventure.

With belief in yourself.

What a story it will be.

Happy New Year

Daniels is proud to be entering its 99^th year as one of Connecticut's oldest family run home heating companies. 

From our founder, Dominick Daniele through his son Sebastian “Barry”, on to his sons Robert, Barry and David, to today where David’s son John is the fourth generation – each and all of them have been dedicated to providing dependable service, at a fair price, with respect for their customers.

From the first days delivering coal to families in Middletown to today providing heating and cooling, home heating oil and clean burning propane for families in more than 50 Connecticut communities we’ve stayed focused on one thing – treating our customers like family. We plan to do that for decades to come.

Everyone is a year older...

Even…Super Heroes.

How much home heating fuel do you have? What’s the level in your propane tank?

Well, this is 2025. Technology is (and frankly, has been) here for a few years and now you can simply check your phone. From the kitchen to Boca Raton to Bonzi Beach in Australia you can check the levels in your tank with one glance with a Tank Monitor.

And yes, we can install one for you. It will also help us keep better track of your usage and arrange for more timely deliveries. Give us a buzz and we’ll tell you how easy it is.



860 813 9122

• Don’t buy someone else’s problems. (Chinese)
• Strange smoke irritates the eyes. (Lithuanian)
• The poor lack much, but the greedy more. (Swiss)
• It is the mind that wins or loses. (Nepalese)
• The point of the needle must pass first. (Ethiopian)
• God did not create hurry. (Finnish)
• When you go, the road is rough; when you return, smooth. (Thai)
• If you want to marry wisely, marry your equal. (Spanish)
• Where is there a tree not shaken by the wind? (Armenian)
• Wherever you go, you can’t get rid of yourself. (Polish)
• Money swore an oath that nobody that did not love it should ever have it (Irish)
• Character is habit long continued. (Greek)
• Where you were born is less important than how you live. (Turkish)
• It is better to prevent than to cure. (Peruvian)
• Don’t do all you can, spend all you have, believe all you hear, or tell all you know. (English)
• Better is better. (German)

If you tried, how would you summarize your life. In six words.

That is the premise of a book published by the editors of Smith magazine. The editors/authors asked famous and ordinary people to sum up their lives in exactly six words.

The results range from humorous to clever to sardonic to frankly poignant. Here are some:

Followed yellow brick road. Disappointment ensued.

I thought I was someone else.

Wanted world, got world plus lupus.

Tragical childhood can lead to wisdom.

I recognize red flags faster, now.

Nothing profound, I just sat around.

Found true love, married someone else.

Macular degeneration. Didn’t see that coming.

As a child, nomadic. Now static.

No words can describe my life.

Afraid of becoming like my mother.

Two boys, my life, conquering autism.

Lost and found, rescued by dog.

Can’t tonight, watching Law and Order.

My life’s a bunch of almosts.

Thought I would have more impact.

At the end of normal street.

Found great happiness in insignificant details.

Still lost on road less traveled.

Everyone who loved me is dead.

The car accident changed my life.

No wife, No kids. No problem.

Boys liked her. She preferred books.

Never really finished anything, except cake.

Cursed with cancer, blessed with friends.

I fell far from the tree.

Alone at home, cat on lap.

Educated too much, lived too little.

Full life; impossible to summarize in…

My second grade teacher was right.

Became my mother. Please shoot me.

Can’t read all the time. Bummer.

I wrote a poem. Nobody cared.

Working with what God gave me.

Same mistakes. Over and over again.

Still trying to impress my dad.

So devastated, no babies for me.

Thank God the suicide attempt failed.

Made labor-saving software: thousands unemployed.

Unfortunately, there was no other way.

Expected prime rib. Ended with hamburger.

Father, son, both hit by cars.

Veni, Vidi, but haven’t vici yet.

I came, I saw, I concurred.

Dead mom watching. I’ll be good.

Type A personality. Type B capability.

Carries flask for unsociable social events.



Polio gave me my happy life.

Loved home. Left to make sure.

There will be no beautiful corpse.

The book is “Not Quite What I Was Planning; Six-word Memoirs by Writers Famous and Obscure.” From Smith magazine (edited by Rachel Fershleiser and Larry Smith).

What 6 Words Would You Use. Tell us here.

Perspective.

It’s a good thing

It helps us figure out things.

Like where we fit in.

In the big scheme of things.

It can be humbling…

Or fascinating…

But almost always, illuminating.

You know there will be all sorts of football on. And then again, the next day.

And the next, and then the Sunday. And Monday night. Please! You gotta keep up your strength. So, prepare a few of these. Take nourishment. It’s a new year.

STEAK SANDWICH w/ Horseradish Sauce

INGREDIENTS

• 2 - 6 ounce filets (if they're a little smaller, that's ok)

• Pretzel buns

• Arugula

Steak Marinade

• ¼ cup extra virgin olive oil

• 1 teaspoon minced garlic

• ¼ teaspoon black pepper

• 2 tablespoons brown sugar

• 1 tablespoon soy sauce

• 1 tablespoon + 1 teaspoon dijon mustard

Horseradish Sauce

• 2 tablespoons mayonnaise

• 3 tablespoons sour cream

• 1 garlic clove, minced

• 1½ teaspoons lemon juice

• 1½ teaspoons horseradish

INSTRUCTIONS

1 Marinate your steak(s) at least 2 hours before you cook them. Add

the ingredients to a bowl and whisk together.

2 After the steaks have marinated make the Horseradish sauce. Add all

of the ingredients to a bowl and whisk together. Cover in fridge.

3 To cook the steaks you can either sear them in a hot skillet for 2

minutes on each side and then place them in a 350 degree oven

for about 10 minutes or you can simply grill them.

4 Before you cut into the steak, make sure they rest for about 15 mins.

5 Prepare sandwiches by slathering both sides of the pretzel bun with

the prepared sauce. Add sliced steak and top with arugula.

We admit to being a sentimentalist. Nothing we can do about it. So, we LOVE this guy’s song. Who is he? Tell us here and you may win one of those coveted gift cards, which will allow you to buy his music for someone you love.

Of course, there will be limits, too.

A glimpse at the magic and the beauty of Bonsai trees.

Quiz #2

What a lovely woman.

What's her name? Tell us here – AND – who was she “Moonlighting” with? We had the largest number of quiz participants in December in our nine years. More than 400 people played. 400!

We had a number of winners including: Susan S and Jarad D and Kathy V who recognized – along with 266 others – Peter Billingsly from A Christmas Story.

While Susan L., Sharon C and Carla T recognized the marvelous scientist Carl Sagan.

And thank you to all 111 of you who figured out the hard quiz – answer was TIME – for which Beth A was the winner. Good luck this month – and thanks to everyone who plays month in and month out!

Many Europeans once scorned the potato. In France simply growing the tuber was illegal between 1748 and 1772,

The term boycott was first popularized in the 1880s by an American journalist in Ireland. Within 3 mos. It has traveled as far as Salt Lake City.

The shoe designer Manolo Blahnik grew up in the Canary Island as a child he made tinfoil shoes for iguanas

The typical American family spends 29 percent of its after-tax income on child care costs compared with 10 percent or less in many Western democracies.

Corned beef takes its name from the salt that was originally used to brine it. The crystals so large they resembled kernels of corn.