It’s not over yet. I look forward to the final resolution of this situation. I hope it’s peaceful and will lead to better communication between the different peoples of France. Although I haven’t spent much time in France, it was a precious time for me, which I’ll never forget. For me, every French casualty hurts
. A respectful “hat’s off” to my FB friend Nadia Bodin of France. We may be related, as there is a network of Bodin folks in France. Nadia, please join the conversation, and invite your friends to chime in. Photo: Champs Ellysee, Paris. circa 1915.
Author: Fredrik Bodin
Fred Bodin is a photographer who owns a gallery on Main Street in downtown Gloucester, MA. The gallery features Fred's land and seascapes, as well as historic images printed from the old negatives.
Oh Paris, So Sad…
My heart goes out to the victims of the terrorist attack and to all Parisians.
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Nobody is More Surprised Than Me!
After whining to you all and my physical therapist, I didn’t feel half bad this morning. I asked my PT to take it easy with me, because I had muscle pain for the past 5 days. I rode the bicycle and did some side stepping. She asked me to try “free-walking” down the hallway without holding onto anything. It came easily, and I sauntered 120 feet with no sweat. She was very surprised. Last September, four months ago, I struggled to walk 20 feet.
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Life Itself at 9pm Tonight on CNN
Sometimes, life is hard. I’ve been feeling that way for the last five days. My legs are almost all solid muscle, yet there’s always a painful area in one leg or another. Coordination is off in the walking department, my appetite is lacking, and it’s a relief to sit down at any time. As you know, I’m a CNN news addict. Tonight at 9pm, they’re debuting one of their productions: “Life Itself,” about the late film critic Roger Ebert (1942-2013), who bravely battled and eventually succumbed to cancer. He was the first film critic to receive a Pulitzer Prize. I’ll be either inspired or saddened. In Comcast’s Cape Ann area, CNN is channel 23 or 760 HD. I never liked the movie reviews of Roger and co-critic Gene Sissel (1946-1999), but I have to watch this. I hope you get to see it also.
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Wine: Bigger Bottle Better?
Sometimes a bigger bottle makes a bigger impression. Valerie Marcley loves Mionetto Prosecco, so Santa delivered a bottle to Janet. The bottle is a whopping 14 inches tall, and the base has a diameter of 4 inches. It’s heavy, impressive in size, and quite good in the taste department. Contents are 1500 ML, which is the same as any large bottle of wine. The Liquor Locker sells Mionetto, and it doesn’t last long in the store. Size doesn’t matter? Well, it does matter in the world of marketing and consumers’ perception of products.
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New Year’s Eve, and Thankful
I stayed home today (12/31/14) because I didn’t feel that great. I had a cough at night and a muscle pain in my left leg from physical therapy. When Janet came home from work, we ate a simple dinner of chicken and wild rice, washed down with some bubbly. She went off to a girlfriend’s party, and I’ve been sitting in front of the fire. Soon I’ll be watching CNN’s Anderson Cooper and Kathy Griffin report on the Times Square festivities. To be honest, I couldn’t imagine seeing 2015, but I clearly will. Less than 11 months ago, I was in Beverly Hospital with tubes running in and out of my body, saving my life. For two months, I couldn’t roll over in bed without assistance. That’s in the past. I’ve had a year of recovery, loss of friends and family, and many challenges. I’m looking forward to Valentine’s Day. Happy New Year all.
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New Year’s Eve for Fred
For the past several years, I celebrated the New Year quietly, usually with dinner at home and early to bed. And that’s what I like now. We’ll be closed New Year’s Eve and New Year’s Day. Insider Tip: If you like to buy wine at the Cave, do it now. They have great wine at reasonable prices, and you can score some cheese while you’re there. Their seasonal retail beer and wine license expires on 1/1/2015. Laura’s shop is a great resource on my block, and for all of Main Street. Please remember to support the Cave and all of the unique retailers downtown over the winter. Photo taken in the Cave.
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Santa’s Out of Gas
I have to confess that the holiday season, from Thanksgiving to yesterday, two days after Christmas, have exhausted me. Black Friday, Ladies’ Night, Men’s Night, the GMG Holiday party (the last two being back to back). I was also open every afternoon except Sundays from about noon to 5:15 pm, catching the last CATA bus to Rockport. My electrician described himself as “feeling like junk”, after a tough night. I feel like that every day, especially in my legs and abdomen, from the exertion at PT, work, and related to my cancer. If not for my medical professionals and friends helping me, it never could have happened.
Tomorrow, Monday, I have physical therapy at Addison Gilbert Hospital, which may be my last session until a rollover date. I’ve been a steady show-up at PT, like a football pro who’d get fined for a no-show. January will be a time of rest. This week, I’ll be open Monday 12/29, Tuesday 12/30, Friday 1/2/15, and Saturday 1/3/15. I carry on.
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Painter Barb and cousin Vesla in NYC
My sister “Painter Barb” left for NYC after her Christmas Day visit with me. I see she arrived safely. Her photo is of her and my father’s cousin Vesla, on the left. Vesla is the Norwegian nickname for “little one.” She is the youngest from that generation of my family, which has its roots on the island of Tonsberg, off the southern coast of Norway. In the background is the Manhattan Apple store, whose products are used by my sis and myself. God bless them both.
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Simple Christmas Blessings
Christmas morning I was waiting for my sister to arrive from the Vineyard. I saw a white sedan pull up and a woman came to the house, carrying a small basket. She gave it to me on the porch, and said it was from the Rockport and Pigeon Cove Christmas Tree Committee, a private organization which has been giving for 116 years. I don’t know how they got my name as a person who may be in need. The basket contains fruit, raisons, candies, chocolates, and a large container of cookies. Totally unexpected, but so are all of my Christmas blessings. The saddest song for me in November was “Dreaming of a White Christmas.” Now it’s a happy song and I’m looking forward to 2015.
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“All You Need is Love…”
I could show you how big the crowds were at my gallery for the Good Morning Gloucester Holiday Party, but that’s not what it’s all about. Instead, here’s me kissing my beloved Janet, and the to die for cute puppy, Ginger. Ginger apparently made another friend, Carolyn KIrk, the Mayor of the City of Gloucester. Especially at this celebratory time of year, and with our world’s current conflicts, “That’s it, and that’s all there is, Love.” Fred
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Time to Put on Your Party Boots!
Put your party boots on and come on down to Bodin Historic Photo at 82 Main Street, Gloucester. Meet the photographers and writers who make Good Morning Gloucester what it is today. This event is open to all. Trust me, it’s the party of the year.
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Look Who Santa Brought Us!
During Men’s Night, our friend Matthew Green strolled into the gallery. This was a great surprise, as he’s been away for a few years. We’ll see him tonight at the GMG Holiday party at my gallery. Thank you Santa.
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I Have a Cane, And Am Now Able
After Saturday’s missing of the CATA bus, I jumped into a taxi with my cane. No big deal, I thought. I planned to pick up my rollator/walker on Sunday, but that didn’t work out. I was now committed to a cane at home and at work the next day. Dicey. I boarded the 9:30am bus by cane and walked down the long hallway at the hospital to physical therapy. They were surprised and pleased that I had the confidence to do that. I thank the AGH Rehab and Sports Medicine for getting me here.
Writing Helper
and ability to do that. “You’ve made the crossover,” my PT said. Yep, I thought, another milestone, to better prowl the jungle of life.
Continue reading “I Have a Cane, And Am Now Able”
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Feeling A Lot Like Christmas
On Saturday it started to feel a lot like Christmas. We had large flakes of snow falling, I started playing holiday tunes in the gallery, the Lobster Trap Tree was lit, and a beautiful floral arrangement was delivered to the gallery. It’s a gift from Sharon StClair and husband Chuck King of Florida. It was given to me and the “GMG Gang,” and will be the centerpiece of the gala GMG Holiday Party on December 19th. They love Cape Ann, are Friends of the Gallery, of Good Morning Gloucester, and are my friends. I wish them a very happy Christmas.
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Tree Lighting and CATA, Where Art Thou?
I’ve never seen the lobster trap tree lighting, but today I was determined. After the 5pm lighting, I walked to the nearby bus stop, and was ten minutes early. Twenty minutes after the pickup time, still waiting, cold and shivering with my walker, I hobbled back to the gallery. What to do? I called Gloucester Taxi (978-283-0099) for a ride home to Rockport. It cost $11 plus tip ($5). I had a nice and smooth ride with driver Scott. Although CATA is 99% reliable, keep a $20 bill in your wallet, along with the Gloucester Taxi business card.
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My Holiday Lights of Love
My favorite holiday decorations this year were on the Beauport Ambulance at Addison Gilbert Hospital’s “Lights of Love” cancer care fundraiser. Beauport was the major sponsor of the event. In the past ten months, I’ve been transported by ambulance maybe 50 times to medical appointments from hospitals and nursing/rehab homes, because I was incapable of sitting on a bus seat. This doesn’t include emergency rides, two of which were under life threatening circumstances. Ambulances, which I always thought of as an inconvenience while driving, are now my flashing “Lights of Love.” They may be saving someone’s life, and I say a prayer as I pull over to the side of the road to let them pass.
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Rockport Swap Shop – for Homies
The Rockport Transfer Station has a swap shop for people and one for seagulls. People take books, furniture, and what-have-you. Seagulls gladly take as much as they can eat. Both reduce (by weight) the town’s waste disposal bill. The lucky birds don’t have to pay a dump fee.
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Oh Teddy, my Teddy BEar
Over half of us still have our teddy bears. My sister (painter Barb) and I were given our teddy bears in the early 1950’s, when we were toddlers. From left to right: “Brownie,” Barb’s bear, my “Get Well” bear, who speaks, my childhood bear “Whitey,” and Janet’s “Get Well Bear.” The new bears speak when you press a button on their stomachs, saying in a lithe girl or boy’s voice things like “Laugh, you’ll feel better.” At first I thought this was corny, but then realized how important It could be to one who is bedridden or gravely ill, like I was. Oh Teddy, my two Teddy Bears, I love you both.
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AGH Lights of Love
The first person I recognized at the Light of Love event at Addison Gilbert Hospital Wednesday was Joanne Gibbs. She put her reassuring hands on my shoulders. From the start of my cancer journey, she was on my side, offering care and information when I was still in a wheelchair. She still is there for me. When you enter the health care world, there are key front line people that help save your life; She is one of them, as is Dr. MacIntyre.
Good Morning Gloucester 