Day: September 16, 2013

Don’t Stir Up the Hornets’ Nest

Posted on by Marty Luster

This huge nest is over our driveway. Hornets can be real nasty. They can attack in droves and unlike other wasps and bees, live to sting again.

We are going to leave this one alone. They are far enough away from our house not to threaten us. The nest will die out over the winter and the surviving fertile females will not repopulate the nest.

The Annisquam Exchange is having a Furniture Sale

Posted on by Donna Ardizzoni

http://annisquamexchange.com/AnnisquamExchange/Annisquam_Exchange.html

August 12, 2013 The Annisquam Exchange
Annisquam Exchange is having a Furniture Sale on September 21st. The sale starts at 9:00 am. Anyone wishing to sell should bring their furniture at 8:00 that morning, if you do not sell the items they must be taken away.

Annisquam Light in Chains

Posted on by God's Morning

annisquam light in chains

The 29th Annual Annisquam Arts & Crafts Show is coming up Saturday and Sunday, October 12 & 13 (Columbus Day Weekend) from 10:00-5:00 at the Annisquam Village Hall.  It is always a wonderful show with over 40 artists and craftspeople, and great reason to take a trip to Annisquam.  Look for some of my photo montages there.

E.J. Lefavour

http://www.khanstudiointernational.com

Steve Almond and Duckworth’s Fabulous Writer’s Book Club Event

Posted on by Kimsmithdesigns

Ken Duckworth ©Kim Smith 2013Ken Duckworth

Last night guests enjoyed a beautiful dinner prepared by Ken Duckworth, followed by a lively book discussion led by Steve Almond.

Steve Almond and Chris Anderson Duckowrth's ©Kim Smith 2013Author Steve Almond, left, and Eastern Point Lit House Co-founder Chris Anderson

The The Writer’s Book Club event was hosted by Duckworth’s and Eastern Point Lit House. The book of the evening was Stoner, written by John Williams, and it is Steve’s all time favorite. He had with him his own worn copy, from which he read several passages and quoted often. For the most part, the group adored the book and, after listening to the discussion while photographing, I am putting it at the top of my list of books to read this winter when design work and filming slows down.

Duckworth's ©Kim Smith 2013

Steve Almond baby Rosalie ©Kim Smith 2013

Steve Almond, his wife Erin Almond, 11-week-old baby Rosalie, and Lit House Co-founder Jenn Monroe leaning into the stroller.

This year there are two more upcoming  Writer’s Book Club book discussions hosted by Duckworth’s and Eastern Point Lit House. Last night the house was packed and I suggest you purchase your tickets now. I simply can’t imagine a more enjoyable dinner/literary event, with Duckworth’s warm and welcoming ambiance, Ken’s beautiful and divinely delicious dinners, along with discussing great books. And here’s a scoop for GMG readers: Ken Duckworth himself is going to be cooking and leading the November 17th discussion!!! As I said–better order your tickets now!

Steve Almond Duckworth's event ©Kim Smith 2013

Chris Michelle Anderson Steve Almond Duckworth's event ©Kim Smith 2013Co-hosts Chris and Michelle Anderson

Previous Post on GMG about Steve Almond: 

Don’t Miss Steve Almond at Duckworth’s!

Chance to be in a TV audience on Local Music Seen with Allen Estes Tomorrow at 2pm

Posted on by Vickie & Peter

Tomorrow (9/17/13) we will be taping two show of Local Music Seen with Allen Estes.

If you’d like to be in the audience, come to the Cape Ann TV Studio in Blackburn Park (directions here) at 2pm.  Ring the doorbell and say, I’m here for Local Music Seen.  Don’t worry about what you look like, you won’t be on camera.  Your presence allows the performers to connect with a live audience, which gives the show an added dimension.  And your clapping, cheering, whistling, etc. will be captured on the soundtrack.

We will be taping a show with Toni Ann Enes followed by a show with Marina Evans.  Hope to see you in the live studio audience.

Toni Ann
Toni Ann
Marina Evans
Marina Evans

Bloody Marys – from the Judges’ Bench

Posted on by Fredrik Bodin
Gallery owner EJ hosted the contest, delivering eight rounds of interesting Bloody Marys to the five judges. Of course we only sipped each one for evaluation, except for the one we really liked!
Gallery owner EJ Khan hosted the Bloody Mary contest, delivering eight rounds of interesting Bloody Marys to the five judges. Of course we only sipped each one for evaluation, except for the one we really liked!
Judges carefully rated each cocktail based on taste, presentation, originality, and garnish. When the points were added up, we had winners for 1st, 2nd, and 3rd place. All contestants did a great job. From L to R: James Eves, Karen Ristuben, Kathy Downer, and Ed Collard.
Judges carefully rated each cocktail based on taste, presentation, originality, and garnish. When the points were added up, we had winners for 1st, 2nd, and 3rd place. All contestants did a great job. Judges from L to R: James Eves, Karen Ristuben, Kathy Downer, and Ed Collard.

In light of the recent iPhone releases of the 5c and 5s a poll for iPhone users or potential iPhone users

Posted on by Joey Ciaramitaro

I’m fairly confident that we can all agree that smartphones of today including Apple’s iPhones and the high end Android phones are incredible marvels of innovation, productivity and communication powerhouses.

The iPhone is a great phone, the android powered Samsung Galaxy s4 is a great phone, bottom line, end of story.

Not here to debate which is better.  What I would like to know from current iPhone users is what features you would like most to see in the next version of the iPhone or were you most disappointed weren’t included in the latest iPhone release.

I contend that instead of a cheaper iPhone made with plastic parts like the iPhone 5c, a larger iPhone with more screen real estate and a larger longer lasting internal battery would bring larger numbers of people upgrading to that iPhone or converting from Android.  I think there are a huge number of power users and gamers who don’t care about having the lightest slimmest phones, they just want a performance beast with more real estate on the screen.

I’m not discounting the benefit of small and light, all I’m saying I think there’s a whole other segment of the market that would happily give up small and light for large and without a care in the world about having to not get through a day on a battery charge.

In the comment section on this post please share your thoughts about what you would like to see in the next iPhone or additional model to complement the current iPhone.  Even if you’re not an iPhone user I’d like to hear your thoughts about the larger heavier phone with longer lasting battery and more screen vs smaller lighter phone with a battery that may not get you through a day.

I’m not trying to convince anyone that one way is better than the other- for some people they just want the most unobtrusive, smallest, lightest phone they can carry, for others maybe having a larger screen means you can read and see things a little better, for others not being able to get through a day without charging their phone might drive them up a wall.  Fortunately there are many options in phones out there which push each manufacturer to get better and better.

I personally fall into the camp where I favor a larger phone and longer lasting battery but for someone that hardly uses the multimedia capabilities of their phone a smaller phone might be a better fit for them.

For size comparison- Samsung Galaxy s4 on the left and current version of the iPhone on right.

Samsung Galaxy s4 size vs iPhone Size

Community Stuff 9/16/13

Posted on by Joey Ciaramitaro

Rockport High School DECA announces its new online school store.

Visit RHSDECA.com for website link to the RHS DECA program and click on link to our school store. Items available right away and can be shipped directly to you wherever you are. 

Profits from the online store go to the RHS DECA program.

& keep December 8 in mind as we will be doing our third Sea Shells and Jingle Bells Holiday Inn and Home Kitchen tour. 

www.rhsdeca.com

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Barbara Boudreau submits-

Hello Family, Friends and future friends,

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It’s an exciting time in life. Over the past 4 years, I have been working on The Frenchman, and now suddenly, it’s done, and what a fun ride! Releasing a novel is like growing up all over again. The writing was fun, self-reflective work involving many forks in the road. Fortunately, it was not a solo journey. There were so many people that helped along the way, much like a long road trip with flat tires, good and bad weather and varying road surfaces, but now, it’s done! Hard to put it all into words, but basically, The Frenchman is a great story.

The release will be held at the Rocky Neck Cultural Center at 6 Wonson St., Gloucester, on Sunday, October 6 at 5:00 p.m., Al and I will be doing a musical literary evening with the band at the center, an evening of cocktail party/jazz music/novel reading that we would like to share with you!

In addition, it can be found (after the release, pending review) at the following locations:

The Bookstore, 61 Main St., Gloucester – (978) 281-1548

Toadhall Bookstore, 47 Main St., Rockport – (978) 546-7323

Sawyer Free Library, 2 Dale Ave., Gloucester, MA – (978) 281-9763

Rockport Public Library, 17 School Street. Rockport, MA – (978)-546-6934

Quick look:

Robbery, escape, rendezvous, pursuit and romance all season “The Frenchman ” as Jean LaChance, running from his criminal past, finds solace in the isolation of the bleak California desert. There, in search of the money he and his unscrupulous partner have stolen, LaChance instead finds Lilly Parsons and her children. Over four days they forge a sense of belonging for the first time in their lives, loneliness and despair begin to melt away. This bond of trust is seemingly broken when Lilly flees with the children, unaware that the money is in the trunk of her car. Now LaChance is in determined pursuit of the woman and children he has grown to love, but he is unconvinced of their motive for leaving, taking the money and sending the cops. What will he do when he finds them?

The Frenchman is now available at these sites:

Barnes and Noble/Nook press – ebook only:

http://www.barnesandnoble.com/s/the-frenchman?keyword=the+frenchman&store=nookstore

Amazon.com/Kindle Publishing – ebook only:

http://www.amazon.com/The-Frenchman-ebook/dp/B00DEEXWDQ/ref=sr_1_1?s=digital-text&ie=UTF8&qid=1371422596&sr=1-1&keywords=the+frenchman

And, for those of you who want a “real” book – people after my own heart!

Create Space/Amazon – Print on Demand

http://www.amazon.com/The-Frenchman-B-Boudreau/dp/0615740693/ref=sr_1_fkmr2_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1375722166&sr=8-1-fkmr2&keywords=The+Frenchman%2C+Barbara+Boudreau

John Headshot HI

Joey:
Rosalie Parisi asked me to provide info & pic for the John Orlando
Scholarship Fundraiser being held this Wednesday, Sept 18th at Jalalpenos.
I finally got around to putting up the web site
(http://johnorlandoscholarship.org/) for the scholarship, and although
it needs some more content, it does have the info on the fundraiser and
a picture of Johnny.  Feel free to pull any of it for GMG.
Dave