My View of Life on the Dock
The day started with the GMG crowd meeting for morning coffee, the I went off to the 2011 Magnolia Polar Beach Swim. This years swim was a fundraiser for the Greater Boston Food Bank. Thank to all that participated in the event and helping make a difference in 2011.
Rockport Music is pleased to announce its 2011 Winter/Spring season, featuring over 25 concerts and events in the beautiful, oceanfront Shalin Liu Performance Center in Rockport, Massachusetts (Boston Globe – Best of the New 2010!). An intimate 330-seat venue, the Performance Center is unique in America, as it features stunning views of the Atlantic Ocean through a floor-to-ceiling glass window that serves as the backdrop to the stage. From January through May audiences will enjoy the finest classical chamber music, outstanding jazz with faculty from the renowned Berklee College of Music, a Celtic fiddler, an Austrian cabaret artist, legendary rock performers from the 1960s, high definition (HD) live broadcasts from the Metropolitan Opera and HD broadcasts from England’s famed National Theatre.
Click Here For The Complete Calendar
It was great to share such a great time with so many of you at the Rocky Neck Plunge Yesterday.
What a way to ring in the new year.
Remember for the rest of our lives we can always say we did it-together!
January 2nd 2011 is best to….
Cut Hair to Retard Growth, Mow to Retard Growth, Castrate Farm Animals, Harvest, Pick Apples and Pears, Wean, Potty Train, Perform Demolition, Wash Wooden Floors, Wash Windows, Start Diet to Lose Weight, Advertise to Sell, Buy a Car
So if you are motivated, I hope this list helps you with your chores! 🙂
By the way, I’m starting the 365 Project where you post a photo everyday for 2011. If you took a picture yesterday, you can get started too! I was going to do this on my own, but I think doing the Project will keep me motivated. Here is yesterday’s post 
Click in the photo and it will take you to the project. Let me know if you are going to do it! —Sharon
Click The Picture For The Slide Show-Good Harbor Plunge Pics Tomorrow
Hi Joey,
Last time up there we stopped @ "Stuff" on Main St. and bought a jar. It was worth saving for the holidays !
Happy New Year…
(going to Fla. to thaw out after the plunge ?)
Best,
Kevin & Vanessa
YMCA SKI/SNOWBOARD TRIPS – Jan 8, Feb 12 & Mar 12
The YMCA is hosting a Ski/Snowboard Trips for grades 6 and up; younger children may participate if accompanied by a parent. Trip fee is $70 per trip and provides for Lift Ticket, Motorcoach Transportation, Equipment Rentals, Snowtubing and Lesson Tips.
Saturday January 8: & Saturday March 12: Pat’s Peak. Saturday February 12: GUNSTOCK. Transportation is provided with drop-off and pick-up at the Rockport Teen Center and the YMCA. Space is limited – Pre-registration required. For more info, please call Rick Doucette at 978-283-0470 x1702 or visit www.cayteenandcamp.org
Did you know?
That today was the annual New Year’s Day Rocky Neck Plunge sponsored by Imagine of Rocky Neck. If you missed it, you can see a little of it here. If you were there, now you can relive it (assuming you’ve warmed up enough to want to). Great fun was had by all. You can click on the link below to see some video, since I haven’t figured out how to embed it into the post yet.
Also, when Paul Frontiero posted his last Art Rock location at Good Harbor Beach, for the first time, I knew where it was (along with at least 5,000 other people). I wanted to go look for it, but the storm had started, so I let it go and went out shooting around Annisquam instead. Today at the Rocky Neck Plunge, Ed Collard, who had gone and found the Good Harbor Beach Art Rock, presented it to me as a gift. Ed and Paul, may your kindness be returned to you a hundredfold. I have to say that the people of Cape Ann have proven in my short time here, to be the kindest people I have ever met. Here is my precious Art Rock.
Some Boston fireworks and New Year wishes for everyone here on Cape Ann (or wherever you are right now reading GMG).
Photo by E.J. Lefavour of Boston’s 375th Celebration fireworks
http://www.khanstudiointernational.com/
Did you know?
That millionaire philanthropist, and 10th generation Gloucester inhabitant, Roger Ward Babson (1875-1967), provided charitable assistance to unemployed stonecutters in Gloucester during the Great Depression, by commissioning them to carve inspirational inscriptions on approximately two dozen boulders in the area surrounding Dogtown Common. This boulder is the one I chose for January’s image in my 2011 Dogtown and Babson Boulders calendar because I think the message is the most important one to start out any new year with. If we all resolve to spend the New Year performing random acts of kindness, what an amazing year 2011 will be.
E.J. Lefavour
http://www.khanstudiointernational.com/gallery_dogtownandbabsonboulders.htm
Click here to see more photos of these brave souls!
Monday, January 17, 2011
10:00 AM – 2:00 PM
Danversport Yacht Club
Monday, January 17, 2011 marks the 25th anniversary of the Martin Luther King, Jr. federal holiday. To honor Dr. King’s legacy, RSVP Volunteers of the North Shore invites residents of all ages to "Thank the Troops," a free community event of writing letters and drawing pictures to our overseas heroes in need of an outstretched hand and a warm smile.
From small children to distinguished seniors, the public is invited to drop in at Danversport Yacht Club in Danvers from 10:00 am to 2:00 pm to write a card, letter or draw a picture that will help lift morale and show support to our armed forces. Danversport Yacht Club has graciously donated the Terrace Garden Room for this event. It is expected that Congressman Tierney will stop by to support the effort as well. Everyone’s notes and gifts will be sent to Operation Gratitude (OG) to be placed in care packages for the troops.
Stated RSVP Director Robin Saipe , “Tens of thousands of American service members are separated from their loved ones for long periods of time, often deployed to hostile and remote regions of the world. The troops report the most cherished items in their care packages are the personal letters of appreciation from Americans. One serviceman wrote back saying, ‘Your letter brought tears to my eyes and reminded me of the wonderful things people are capable of doing with their passion and that you were able to share with a stranger like me.’"
RSVP, and its sponsoring agency, SeniorCare, are eager to offer this simple gift of kindness to our service people and know how rewarding it will be to all who volunteer. All stationery, cards, pens and crayons will be provided and light refreshments will be served. There is no fee, and no reservations are needed. Saipe added, “All we need is a lot of heart and soul.”
RSVP has 770 chapters throughout the country engaging nearly 500,000 adults 55 and older in community service. Sponsored federally by the Corporation for National and Community Service and locally by SeniorCare, Inc., RSVP Volunteers of the North Shore is proud to have 400 members donating their time at 26 nonprofit agencies in 13 towns and cites. Please call 978-281-1750 ext. 367 for more information on RSVP or this event.
Memory Layne Writes-
Hi Joey, I had to send this, Joe spent the last three weeks in our friend’s shop carving our sign, which has been a project waiting in the wings as we have been working night and day pummeling through our first six months…I think we held the world record for "length of time a banner has been out front of a new business"….alas, it finally fell down. What a great way to start the new year with our new sign…the wood is a few hundred years old, we found it last may in Maine, it comes from an old barn up there. Joe designed it, carved it, sealed and painted and gold leafed it, with the help of some friends who had the right tools and experience….we wanted to have it somewhat match the old Blackburn sign that hangs above it, keeping it consistent with the historic look of the building.
Here are some photos of the progress…
Hey Joe,
We’re trying to compile a list of sledding hills around the North Shore here: http://northshorekid.com/story/sledding-hills-and-slopes-north-boston
Can you think of any in your area? If you or anybody else you know have some hidden gems, we’d love to hear about it! They can use this form: http://northshorekid.com/sledding-hill-submission
For those of you attending today’s Rocky Neck Plunge you may want to consider either a welder’s mask or some serious sunglasses. Once Ed Collard Strips Down It Could Get Ugly!
Rocky Neck Plunge
New Year’s Day
High Noon Gringo!
Sal Zerilli and part of his crew which produced the No Pretty Prayer documentary about The Fort sit down for a GMG interview.
The first post of 2011
Good Morning Gloucester 
