Day: March 27, 2010

Signs of Spring

Posted on by paultmorrison

As a newbie I am still trying to figure out the first signs of spring on the island. Since moving from the midwest to New England in 1970 I am really looking for my spring of childhood. March was windy but ended up warm followed by a month of flowers which continued up to race day on Memorial Day in Indianapolis. Springs are a tad shorter around here but just as good as long as you don’t miss the first signs. Saint Patrick’s Day you are supposed to get your peas planted. Well dang, now the ground is as hard as Cape Ann granite. What are my poor peas doing now?

Anyway, signs of spring I have gathered in the past two years. Home and Garden Show at Gloucester High School today. Check. Top Dog opening today for their tenth season on the neck. Double check. (If you become a fan of the dog on Facebook you can learn the secret word and get money off your dogs this weekend.)

Now I wait for the first sign of summer. Cape Pond butt crack as he fills the ice chest in front of Willow Rest while I finish off my Cuban sandwich. That’s a good one. But right now I wait for Mister and Misses Bathroom sign to announce as you enter Rockport that the pipes will not freeze and you can powder your nose while picking up brochures at the Info booth. That’s the sign I love.

What’s your sign?

Cape Pond Ice – Spring Is Coming!

Posted on by Joey Ciaramitaro

Spring is just around the corner!

We are turning the corner on the coldest months in anticipation of “WOW ITS HOT!”

The air is warming and the sun is shinning.

It’s time to dig out your “coolest clothes!”

Cape Pond Ice offers a quality line of the

“Coolest Tee Shirts Around!”

&

Our staff is back and busy making ice for all your needs on those hot summer days!

Take our Virtual Tour of Cape Pond Ice

Dealers in Cape Pond Ice – Since 1848

For Fishing Vessels, Hotels, Restaurants, Saloons, Markets & Family Use

FYI- My Sister Felicia Will Be Making And Giving Out Homeade Italian Donuts At The Home and Garden Show Today

Posted on by Joey Ciaramitaro

At 2:00 today Saturday if you go to the Home and Garden Show my sister will be making her killer Homemade Italian Donuts at The Home and Garden Show.

I believe our very own Laurie Lufkin will be there tomorrow at 2:00PM on Sunday (Laurie correct me if I’m wrong) doing a cooking demo as well.

For more info including the schedule-

http://www.capeannchamber.com/

Let’s Get Together and Feel Alright Wrap Up From Caitlin Featherstone

Posted on by Joey Ciaramitaro
From Caitlin Featherstone-
Cape Ann TimeBank celebrated the beginning of spring with a crowd of dancing, grooving folks at Alchemy last Saturday.  With over 100 people attending our “Let’s Get Together and Feel Alright” dance party at Alchemy, it was one of their biggest community events ever.  The crowd was a mix of TimeBank regulars and members, interested folks and people drawn by the music of the band, Groove.

A raffle that included offers from TimeBank members piqued interest in the TimeBank and raised some money.  Winners were excited about taking advantage of massage, kayak lessons, garden design, photo portraits and a night at Inn Magnolia.

The evening netted us about $1000 US dollars.  This  does not include the immeasurable goodwill and community awareness that the event also provoked.

Thanks to members who put up posters, distributed postcards, worked the door, sold raffle tickets and organized countless details that made the evening seamless and enjoyable even for the organizers.

Thanks also to James Auditore Events, Alchemy and Groove, without whom the event would not have been possible.
For more information about Cape Ann TimeBank or to join, please contact Cheryl Davis (cdavis_62@hotmail.com) or Nancy Goodman (ngoodman52@yahoo.com).
pictures from Tom and Judy Robinson-Cox- To view the entire album of over 100 photos click here

The Miserable Music Teacher

Posted on by Joey Ciaramitaro

This morning on my way to work I was listening to music and I got to thinking about an old music teacher that I had  when I was just a kid.

This guy had a beard and was probably around 40 years old (or at least that’s how I remember him) when I was in his elementary school class.

I remember him always seeming really miserable.  Looking back on it now with a little perspective I sort of constructed in my mind what this guy was going through even if it wasn’t true at all.  You see to be a teacher and to deal with children you really have got to love kids.  And when I say love kids I don’t just mean your own kids because that’s easy, I’m talking about loving all kids in general and their innocence and playfulness and all of that.

But getting back to this particular teacher and my perception of what was going on with him-

I’m thinking that this guy must have been a serious musician and had some pretty stellar gigs playing with fantastic orchestras, traveling around and such but he probably wasn’t making enough money to support himself as a musician by playing in a band.  He loved music, it was his thing.  So thinking to himself, “Well I guess I could get a job teaching music in elementary school.  I love music, so that would be a way for me to pay the bills and do something I love- being involved with music”.

Keep in mind that this is just all how I’m looking at his life 30 something years later and I could be way off base, but to continue-

Do you remember being in music class when you were 8 years old?  It was a shit show, right?  None of your classmates are paying attention.  Every single kid is fucking around and making fart noises in their armpits and passing notes and who the hell can keep the attention of a classroom full of kids for ten minutes let alone teach them how to play in sync and remember the notes and all of that?

The  music teacher who goes into teaching loving kids and understands that it’s going to be a freaking mess probably has a chance at a happy life.  But can you imagine what is going through the mind of the serious musician that really doesn’t have a thing for kids but takes a job as an elementary school music teacher just to pay the bills?  There are teachers out there that are just wired to be teachers, and there are some that just aren’t in the right frame of mind to be.  I don’t remember this music teacher smiling, not once.  It wasn’t the right career choice but I guess that everyone needs to take jobs to pay the bills.

Hopefully you somewhat like what you do and while no job is perfect, that there are some things you can pull out of your work experience that will allow you to smile and laugh at least a little throughout the day.  Because if you can’t smile and laugh at little kids making fart noises what can you laugh at?

Elizabeth O’Dess Takes Pictures of Unearthed Boat On Long Beach

Posted on by Joey Ciaramitaro

From Elizabeth O’Dess

Hello Joe,
My neighbor, Judy Bidwell , mentioned you might be interested in
these photos taken recently at Long Beach. This structure was
unearthed/exposed after the second storm. From what I understand it
surfaces every twenty years or so (the last time was supposedly
1991), but I still haven’t had confirmation of what it was. At first
glance it appears to be the underside of a boat hull, but the exposed
wooden trunnels suggest that this may not be the case….maybe some
part of machinery such as a cog used for moving quarry rock? I would
love to know the answer if one of your reader’s know. I enjoy Good
Morning Gloucester and look forward to seeing it in my “in” box every
morning…keep up the good work.

click picture for larger version
click picture for larger version