Month: March 2016

Click link for my Italian Easter Cookie Classic!

When I get engrossed in a project, like I have been this winter, I let everything else slide, including my healthcare. I had been suffering with tooth pain for a number of weeks, and just kept applying Orajel and carrying on.  A couple of weeks ago I noticed a voicemail message I had missed.  When I listened to it, it was the dentist’s office calling to remind me of an appointment I had never made.  Unfortunately, or so I initially thought, the appointment had been for the prior day.  I called the office and explained that I had missed the message, but also that I hadn’t scheduled an appointment.  They said that they had called me by mistake, but since they had me on the phone we should schedule an appointment.  The earliest one they had available was in April, which I took.  Later that day I got another call from the office, saying they just had a cancellation and could I come the next day.  I went and had x-rays and an exam, and found I had a badly infected tooth that needed to be pulled.  I also had a cavity and needed to schedule a cleaning.  When I was leaving, and went to the desk to schedule follow up appointments, the receptionist said: “This is your lucky day.  We just had a cancellation, so can you come tomorrow?”

Some people would say it was luck, or coincidence; but I know who was behind it, and no one could ever convince me otherwise. The tooth was pulled, pain is gone, and I’m happy.

Then my refrigerator started making this dreadful loud grinding noise. It would happen intermittently at first, but then more and more frequently.  A few nights ago I had to unplug it overnight so I could sleep.  I plugged it back in the next morning and it was quiet for a while, then the dreadful noise came back.  I told God I had a refrigerator problem and needed help.  I looked online for refrigerator repair places and decided to call Donyon’s.  They said they would come the next day and it would be $140 for the service call and repair, unless I needed part(s) which would be extra.  After I hung up, God told me to move the refrigerator, which I started to do, unbalancing a large vase stored on the top back of the fridge in the process, which smashed on the floor behind it.  I plugged in the fridge, pushed it back in place, and returned to painting, not wanting to deal with pulling it all the way out to clean up the broken vase.  Since that happened, the fridge has not made a single peep, and is even quieter than it was before it started making the dreadful noise.  It was being so quiet I had to open it to make sure it was still running.  I thanked God, then called and cancelled the service appointment.

Without pulling the fridge all the way out and looking, I don’t know exactly what happened back there, but I think God used a piece of the broken vase to wedge in and fix whatever was causing all the racket.  As long as there isn’t something dead, I don’t worry about what is behind the fridge, so I won’t be looking behind it any time soon.  I will continue to be grateful for my refrigerator and dental miracles.

E.J. Lefavour

http://www.hobbithousestudio.com

New North Shore Artist’s Work on Display at First Ipswich Bank’s Gloucester Branch

First Ipswich Bank is pleased to announce that work by local artist, Marianne Thompson, is on display at its Gloucester branch – 207 Main Street – through April.

An open reception for Marianne will be held at the branch on Friday, March 25 from 2:00 – 4:00 PM to offer the opportunity to meet her and learn more about her work.

Particulate Light. Oil on Canvas, 18x24in. 2012.

Marianne Thompson is a Canadian artist who resides on the North Shore of Massachusetts and has been painting in oils for over 25 years. She began Plein Air painting in 2011 in a group led by Gloucester artist, David P. Curtis, who has been a great mentor to her. Her dedication to the medium of Plein Air oil painting, her aptitude for color, and a unique, fearless style have engendered her success. She finds the wild beauty of Cape Ann compelling and can often be found in Gloucester or Essex attempting to capture it in paint. In addition to selling from her studio gallery at Western Avenue Studios in Lowell and website www.mariannethompson.com, she teaches oil, palette knife and Plein Air painting.

About the program:

One artist’s work will be shown every three months; Marianne’s work will be on display through April. A new artist will then be featured from May through July 2016.

For more information, please contact Rebecca Sumner, Branch Manager at 978-356-3700, or Beth Taber at 978-356-8120.

First Ipswich Bank has branch offices in Essex, Gloucester, Ipswich, Newburyport and Rowley, Massachusetts – you can find them online at www.firstipswich.com. You can find them on Facebook, too.

Seafaring Women of the 19^th Century
An illustrated lecture by Captain Laurel Seaborn

 The Cape Ann Museum is pleased to present Seafaring Women of the 19^th Century on Saturday, March 26 at 2:00 p.m..  Laurel Seaborn, a maritime archaeologist and sailing ship captain, will offer an in-depth look at the brave women who went to sea in the nineteenth century. This program is free for CAM members/$10 for non-members (includes Museum admission). For more information please call (978) 283-0455 x10 or email info@capeannmuseum.org.

During the 19th century, when women chose to go to sea in sailing ships, they contributed as nurses, nannies and navigators, and in extreme cases took command of the ship. Their journals describe the objects built or brought on board specifically for them. Besides the beds, chairs, and parlor organs that might be found during an archaeological excavation of a shipwreck, their personal possessions such as jewelry, sewing kits and children’s toys would also convey evidence of how the culture on ships changed with a woman’s presence. The investigation of these artifacts, as clues into the lives of these seafaring women, is part of Captain Seaborn’s ongoing PhD research at University of New Hampshire.

Seaborn returned to university after a career as crew and captain aboard both modern and historic sailing ships. Her work on archaeological projects includes underwater diving excavations of the pirate Blackbeard’s ship Queen Anne’s Revenge in Beaufort, North Carolina, and of Captain Kidd’s ship, Cara Merchant in the Dominican Republic, along with recording the hull shape of the 17th-century Royal warship, Vasa in Stockholm, Sweden.

CALL FOR ENTRIES
Inspired by Home Online Photo Contest

 In conjunction with the exhibition, Design/Build: The Drawings of Phillips & Holloran, Architects, opening June 4, the Cape Ann Museum is hosting an online photography contest. Photographers of all skill levels are invited to submit images based on the theme of “home” that capture the unique character of Cape Ann (photos must be taken in Rockport, Gloucester, Essex or Manchester-by-the-Sea). Whether a physical place, a distant memory or a local reminder, there is inspiration to be found throughout Cape Ann’s distinct architecture, neighborhoods and cultural districts.

Deadline for submissions: April 29, 2016

 Cape Ann Museum staff will select photos for public voting on the basis of creativity, photographic quality and effectiveness in conveying the theme of “home.” Beginning on Friday, May 6, the selected photos will be posted on the Museum’s Facebook page. The public will be encouraged to vote for their favorite photo(s) by “liking” them.

For more information please visit: http://www.capeannmuseum.org/inspired-by-home/

In my humble opinion…Willow Rest has THE best breakfast sandwich around!  It might take a few extra minutes than a rubbery drive-thru sandwich, but it’s totally worth it because it’s made with fresh ingredients, exactly how you want it.  This is usually a treat for me, but this morning I got a fried egg, cheddar, bacon on fresh wheat toast…perfection!

They not only have great food but you can grab some fresh produce, cheeses, flowers and unique gift finds!

“Art, Rocks!” Twinlights
3/24/2016
Let at 8:42 am
“Can you find me?”

Happy Puppy Day to the two pups in my life….my puggle Gracey and my grand-puggle Lena.   Best little puggles around! ❤