Thank you to Caffe Sicilia’s Maria, Nina, and Dominic for the beautiful box of cookies and treats for our Christmas celebration. Just exquisite–and fabulously delicious–admittedly we tried one (or two). Thank you, thank you ❤ ❤
Author: Kimsmithdesigns
Documentary filmmaker, photographer, landscape designer, author, and illustrator. "Beauty on the Wing: Life Story of the Monarch Butterfly" currently airing on PBS. Current film projects include Piping Plovers, Gloucester's Feast of St. Joseph, and Saint Peter's Fiesta. Visit my websites for more information about film and design projects at kimsmithdesigns.com, monarchbutterflyfilm.com, and pipingploverproject.org. Author/illustrator "Oh Garden of Fresh Possibilities! Notes from a Gloucester Garden."
FIVE DAYS BEFORE CHRISTMAS CAROL COUNTDOWN: THE PRETENDERS “2000 MILES’
Beautiful live version of “2000 Miles” – it’s easy to imagine she’s singing about a soldier coming home for Christmas.
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SUPER MOON, HOWLING COYOTES, FLYING SWAN, SONGBIRDS GOING CRAZY, AND BEAUTIFUL BRACE COVE DAYBREAK
Last Tuesday was a photographer’s magical dream morning. After photographing and filming December’s “Long Night’s Moon” descending over the Gloucester city skyline, I turned toward the east to see a peaceful daybreak scene over Rocky Neck. Perhaps the sun hadn’t fully risen I thought and hurried to Brace Cove. The sun had rose behind Brace Rock with just enough clouds that it was still pretty, not blasted out by too much light.
I then walked along the edge of Niles Pond, meeting up with Mr. Swan who was occupied with his morning swim, which often indicates he is readying to take flight. He did, and with movie camera in hand, he circled the Pond before landing at Brace Cove, near the breakwater.
Eerily, the coyotes were howling in the distance, actually howling, like wolves, and for quite a long while. I often hear their meet-and-greet yipping and socializing barks that they make shortly after sunset, and too the terrible sound they make when killing a creature, but I have never heard them howling in the morning. I wonder if it had something to do with the full moon? Do our readers hear coyotes howling regularly?
Tufted Titmouse
Further along the Pond walk there was a large flock of American Robins and they, along with a lively group of Blue Jays, Tufted Titmice, Song Sparrows, White-throated Sparrows, and Cardinals were hungrily eating every berry in sight, so much so that when I returned to the same spot a few days later, there wasn’t a berry or fruit to be seen. A magical morning at a magical place we’re fortunate to call home.
December Long Night’s Moon
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SIX DAYS BEFORE CHRISTMAS CAROL COUNTDOWN: ANDREA BOCELLI AND NATALIE COLE DUET “THE CHRISTMAS SONG”
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HAVE YOU POPPED INTO BACKYARD GROWERS POP UP SHOP?
There you will find an array of thoughtful, fun, and useful gifts; not only that, but your purchases help support this outstanding organization that gives back everyday to our community, in ways great and small.
Garden gadgets and gloves, gardening how to books, Backyard Growers tees, children’s gardening tools, one of a kind finds, and much, much more. Here are some favorites of the favorites.
Give a gift of a garden to a member of our community. A donation of $25.00 purchases a card printed on paper that is embedded with seeds. The donation provides a season’s worth of seeds and seedlings to a family, and you can plant the card in the spring–your choice, a carrot- or lettuce-infused seed card. Wonderfully clever! (and Laura made the envelopes from seed catalogues, too).
Victoria Martins is helping at Backyard Growers. She is an Americord service member and her position is community engagement coordinator. I couldn’t decide which photo 🙂
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SEVEN DAYS BEFORE CHRISTMAS CAROL COUNTDOWN: BEAUTIFUL NEW CHRISTMAS CLASSIC FROM MICHAEL FRANTI – LOVE WILL FIND A WAY
“Love Will Find A Way” from Michael Franti and Spearhead.
More from Michael Franti & Spearhead–not Christmas songs–but because he makes fun and beautiful music videos 🙂
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LEN BURGESS ICE CRYSTALS
Len writes, “With this deep winter freeze the ice crystals are back on my window.”
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EIGHT DAYS BEFORE CHRISTMAS CAROL COUNTDOWN: (Edited) RAMONES – MERRY CHRISTMAS (I DON’T WANT TO FIGHT TONIGHT)
Merry Christmas (I Don’t Want to Fight Tonight)
Addendum – My husband Tom shares a photo that he took of Joey Ramone. His band The Atlantics were opening for the Ramones at The Club in Cambridge in May 1976. I think a bootleg album was made that night and you can see the Atlantics on the marquis in the first minute of the video.
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MAKING PIGNULATA WITH GRACE AND NINA AT CAFFE SICILIA
This past week I stopped by to say hello to Maria and her family at Caffe Sicila. Nina, Maria’s Mom, invited me to come and see she and her sister Grace making pignulata. Caffe Sicilia has dozens and dozens of orders for this wonderful traditional fried pastry desert and they had already begun the first stages several days ago. Nina explains it is most typically served in Sicilian homes around Christmas time, but also other holidays too. Making this treat is a multi-step process, and labor intensive in the volume undertaken by Caffe Sicilia. The sisters offered lots of tips for making the most delicious pignulata (also spelled pignolata) and I hope I am remembering all that they shared!
The dough is rolled out, cut into marble-sized bits, and placed in cold oil.
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The bits of dough are throughly drained and set aside for several days as they release more oil. When ready to mold the pignulata, a glaze made of boiled honey and sugar is poured over the fried dough.
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Always-in-motion-Maria!
Nina and Grace grew up in Terrasini, Sicily, emigrating from Italy when they were young teens. The sisters talked about how back in their childhood days, most people did not have a kitchen oven. To bake their weekly bread and to bake treats during the holidays, families would take their loaves and cookies and cakes to the local town baker and “rent” their oven for a nominal fee. Cookies and cakes were placed on long, long wooden trays and carefully placed in the baker’s oven. Now everyone has their own oven, but most don’t bake nearly as much as they did in the old days.
Visit Caffe Sicilia and see their beautiful display of cuccidati (and every other kind of traditional Sicilian Christmas cookie), wonderfully sweet and spicy gingerbread cakes, cassata cakes, mini pignulata’s, Maria’s handmade marzipan fruits, and much, much more deliciousness!
Caffe Sicilia is located at 40 Main Street. For more information call 978-283-7345.
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NINE DAYS BEFORE CHRISTMAS CAROL COUNTDOWN: JAMES CORDEN AND MARIAH CAREY WITH ADELE, CHRIS MARTIN, RED HOT CHILI PEPPERS, LADY GAGA, AND ELTON JOHN
How to get in the holiday spirit ~ a Christmas thank you from James Corden to his Carpool Karaoke fans
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UNIQUELY FUN AND WONDERFULLY USEFUL GIFTS FROM ALEXANDRA’S BREAD
We all love stopping into Alexandra’s Bread (not just because Alexandra and Jon are always so welcoming) for their yummy cranberry scone’s, breads, cobbles, and cookies. The smells of fresh baked breads emanating from the bake shop are inviting and inviting too are Alexandra’s wonderful selection of fun and practical home and kitchen gifts. Amidst the shelves brimming with aprons, tea towels, vintage dishes, prints, and handmade ornaments, you’ll find one-of-kind gifts as well.
This very unusual sterling silver spoon is etched with schooners and the words Gloucester Mass. The handle has both a lobster and starfish.
Detail of spoon
A favorite of the favorites, I love the neat way to contain clothes pins with this clothes pin bag that you hang on your laundry line.
Alexandra’s Bread, located at 265 Main Street, Gloucester, is open Tuesday through Saturday. For more information phone 281-3064.
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BEAUTIFUL DECEMBER SUPER MOON OVER GLOUCESTER
Last of the 2016 super moon trifecta, the December Frost Moon (also called Full Cold Moon and Long Night’s Moon by Native Americans) was the brightest moon of the year according to the Farmer’s Almanac. Whatever called, it was stunning to watch as it went down over Gloucester’s skyline on Tuesday morning.
Super Moon over Fiitz Henry Lane House
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TEN DAYS BEFORE CHRISTMAS CAROL COUNTDOWN: ONE REPUBLIC’S CHRISTMAS WITHOUT YOU
One Republic makes some beautiful music
And here is there new song, “Let’s Hurt Tonight,” written for the much anticipated forthcoming film Collateral Beauty.
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CONGRATULATIONS TO MAYOR SEFATIA AND CHEF ANTHONY CATURANO FOR HUGE SUCCESS FIRST EVER SAUCE COOK OFF FOR A CAUSE!
Bravo and huge shout out to Mayor Romeo Theken, Chef Anthony, the Tonno staff, and all the volunteers who contributed to today’s successful sauce cook off charity luncheon. Held at Tonno (Anthony donated his restaurant and the Tonno staff volunteered their time), the event raised money to benefit three families with a member undergoing cancer treatment at Addison Gilbert Hospital. The families will each receive $500.00. The additional monies raised are going to the oncology department at AGH. A wonderful time was had by all, especially the Chefs, Mayor Sefatia and Anthony Caturano.
The event was inspired by Chef Anthony (erroneously) referring to sugo as gravy. War was declared and a sugo cookoff to benefit charity was decided upon. See Mayor Sefatia explaining Gloucester-acceptable terms for sauce (practically anything but gravy) 🙂
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DON’T MISS TRACI THAYNE CORBETT’S ONE NIGHT ONLY POP UP GALLERY SHOW AT THE HIVE!
This afternoon I stopped by to say hello to Traci as she was finishing up the installation of her exquisitely beautiful paintings for her one night show at the Hive. Traci’s Dockside work is wonderfully vibrant, striking really, with a tremendous sense of authenticity and a masterly use of color and bold strokes. DON’T MISS THIS EXHIBIT!
The event is family friendly and refreshments will be served. The show is from 6 to 9 on Thursday night at the Hive, 11 Pleasant Street, Gloucester.
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ELEVEN DAYS BEFORE CHRISTMAS CAROL COUNTDOWN:BARBARA BONNEY AND MARIA CALLAS SINGING AVE MARIA
Ave Maria may not strike some as season appropriate, but I have them both on my Christmas play list. I love the Schubert Ave Maria and Barbara Bonney’s is the most beautiful ever recorded. Sadly, her recording is often mistakenly attributed to Maria Callas (look on youtube for yourself). Two extraordinarily beautiful and uniquely different voices, its difficult to understand the erroneous attribution.
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PRESENT GLOUCESTER IS OVERFLOWING WITH BEAUTIFUL HANDMADE TREASURES
At the pop up shop Present Gloucester, this year conveniently located within the Eastern Point Lit House, you’ll find a wealth of gifts for everyone on your holiday gift-giving list. Every present is handmade by local artists and artisans. Prints, paintings, garments, dolls, angels, jewelry, photos, toys, yarn, ornaments, pottery, and much more–too numerous to name all here. The photos only show a small sampling of the treasure trove of gifts you’ll find at Present Gloucester.
Present Gloucester is located at 261 Main Street, Gloucester. For more information, visit the Present Gloucester Facebook page here.
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PRETTY GOOD HARBOR BEACH SUNRISE
Chilly December morning sunrise at GHB today–only eight more days until the winter solstice, which is December 21st, and then the days will begin to get longer!
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TWELVE DAYS BEFORE CHRISTMAS CAROL COUNTDOWN: THE KILLERS’ NEW CHRISTMAS ALBUM “DON’T WASTE YOUR WISHES” FOR (RED)
Annually since 2006 the Killers have released a holiday-themed new single for Bono’s charity (RED), which strives to end aids in Africa. The band has collected all ten songs on a new website and Christmas album Don’t Waste Your Wishes, released on December 9th. Featured guests on the singles include Toni Halliday, Elton John, Jimmy Kimmel, Neil Tennant, and Dawes. The songs are melodic, quirky, comic, provocative, some a little dark, some beautifully moving, and the videos for each, always entertaining.
My favorite, “A Great Big Sled,”
“Joel the Lump of Coal”
“The Cowboy’s Christmas Ball”
There’s no video yet for this year’s single “I’ll be Home For Christmas” but here is a link to the website where you can hear it and all ten songs.
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BEAUTIFUL GIFTS FROM DANIELLE AT PASTAIO VIA CORTA
Are you looking for a special gift for a friend or loved one? Look no further! Danielle at Pastaio Via Corta is making exquisite gift baskets filled with her fabulous homemade pastas and delicious olive oils, tomatoes, and more. While there stock up on her hand made cheeses, spiced olive mixes, fresh pasta, and if you are lucky, you may catch her when she is making her to-die-for ravioli!
Local, sustainable, low carbon footprint! Spinach pasta made with Aprilla Farm flour and Cedar Rock Gardens spinach.
Good Morning Gloucester 