Shop Bananas!
https://www.instagram.com/p/BDbC7IODytd/
Many thanks to AnnMarie! The meter maid was hot on my heels and Banana’s AnnMarie came to the rescue with a dollar of change. Love our Main Street shop keepers!
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."
EASTER SHOPPING AT ALEXANDRA’S BREAD!
I love stopping and shopping at Alexandra’s Bread because of these two! As everyone in the community knows, their bread, scones, and cookies are beyond delicious, but it is Jon and Alexandra’s friendly smiles and congenial chatting that always make the trip a joy.
Happy Easter! Happy Spring!
https://www.instagram.com/p/BDY6P5Gjyvr/
Charming kitchen towels
Children’s aprons
I have a thing for aprons, and Alexandra has the best!
Oil cloth apron
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SUSAN KELLY FROM GENEROUS GARDENERS DESCRIBES THE NEW SPONSORED TAGS FOR GLOUCESTER’S CITY GARDENS!
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LIVE FROM THE MAYOR’S HOT TOPICS MEETING AT CITY HALL!
Mayor Sefatia Romeo Theken’s Hot Topics Meeting. This month: Ten Pound Island
Mayor Romeo Theken led a lively and informative meeting on the topic of the future of Ten Pound Island. For the most part, the participants were civil and listened thoughtfully to each other’s opinions. Mayor Romeo Theken assured the audience that absolutely nothing has been proposed and that there are absolutely no plans (or any interest in whatsoever) to build a building on the island. There is unfortunately the possibility that there may be a liability issue to the city with visitors to the Island and for that reason, it may be necessary to put up several signs. Insurance issues are currently being investigated by the Mayor’s office.
Jack Clarke of Mass Audubon has been hired to study the area for wildlife. He will begin his survey on April 8th.
Jack Sweeney, Mayor Romeo Theken, and Ed Mowrey
Jack Sweeney and Richard Weiss
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CAFFE SICILIA’S LAMBS OF EASTER
Pecorelle di Pasqua are a traditional Sicilian Easter treat although, when Easter falls very close to Saint Joseph’s Day as it did this year, Maria shared that the Lambs of Easter are often found on Saint Joseph altars. Maria’s are so charming I am planning to purchase several to Not eat but to decorate our Easter table. They are very reasonably priced, especially considering all the work that is involved with making and how expensive is the marzapane.
Each lamb is molded from almond dough and after drying, skillfully hand painted by Maria. I popped into Caffe Sicilia Wednesday morning to say hello and happily caught Maria just as she was beginning to paint and decorate the Easter lambs. We filmed her working with my movie camera for Gloucester’s Feast of Saint Joseph Community Film Project and here is a glimpse with iPhone photos and Instagrams.
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https://www.instagram.com/p/BDVaM5xjyqB/
With thanks, appreciation, and the deepest gratitude to Maria Cracchiolo and her parents Nina and Domenic Damico for their continued help with Gloucester’s Feast of Saint Joseph Community Film Project. From the project’s onset, they have opened their kitchen doors and very generously shared Sicilian traditions and baking techniques. We are so very fortunate to have Maria, her family, and Caffe Sicilia in our Gloucester Community. With thanks again to Mayor Sefatia for suggesting we knock on Maria’s door!
Happy Spring! Happy Easter!
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SHOPPING FOR EASTER TREATS AT NICHOLS CANDY HOUSE!
Where does the Easter Bunny live?
In a house made of chocolate of course! Easter Bunny House handmade by Jan.
https://www.instagram.com/p/BDTcb02Dyue/
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Peeps in a Puddle
For your jelly bean lovers
I love the look of this very old gas fired stove. It has an extremely powerful flame and within seconds of Don igniting, the water was boiling hot. I meant to ask Barbara how old are their stoves and find out more about them. If she, or anyone from the shop, is reading this post, please write in the comment section and let us know. Thank you!
https://www.instagram.com/p/BDTbx9ujysq/
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SEASCAPES AND TEXTURES FROM JON COONEY
Shot at various locations including Halibut Point State Park, the Back Shore, and more. From Jon Cooney Productions
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SNEAK PEAK EXQUISITE COSTUMES (AND PHOTOS) FOR EGES UPCOMING TEMPEST
BenÂ
Thank you Marty and director Dawn Sarrouf for sharing this sneak peak and fantastic photos of the East Gloucester Elementary School’s upcoming performance of the Tempest.
Show times are Friday and Saturday, April 1st and 2nd at 7pm; Saturday, April 2nd matinee at 11am; and Monday April 4th at 6pm. COME!
All Photos Courtesy Martin Del Vecchio
ElijahÂ
ClaireÂ
DestonÂ
ElianaÂ
EvanÂ
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A TURTLE ALLEY EASTER!
We’re so fortunate in Gloucester to have not one, but two, F-A-B-U-L-O-U-S chocolatiers. Yesterday I visited Haley Baker at Turtle Alley where they are in full Easter mode. Tomorrow, I’ll be at Nichols Candy House. Shop local for your Easter baskets!
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https://www.instagram.com/p/BDQzAUuDyh7/
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KIM SMITH POLLINATOR GARDEN PROGRAM AT MARBLEHEAD’S ABBOT LIBRARY WEDNESDAY NIGHT
Please join me Wednesday, March 23rd, for my Pollinator Garden program at the Abbot Library, 235 Pleasant Street, Marblehead. The program begins at 7:00pm and is sponsored by Marblehead’s three garden clubs, The Driftwood, Cottage, and Marblehead Garden Clubs. I hope to see you there!
Cornus florida rubra ~ The pink flowering dogwood is truly one of our most beautiful native trees, not only for the beauty of its blossoms but because the female Spring Azure butterfly deposits her eggs on the yellow florets.
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SPRING SLEDDING IN THE HOOD!
Our awesome neighborhood gang of kids (and parents)!
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DISCOVERY OF A NEW HYBRID BUTTERFLY: THE TANANA ARCTIC
Thank you to David Calvo and Catherine Ryan for sharing the following discovery and links!
After having been misidentified for more than sixty years, the newly identified butterfly makes its home in the spruce and aspen forest of the Tanana-Yukon River basin. Arctic species of butterflies such as the Tanana Arctic are able to survive in such extremely harsh conditions because their bodies produce a natural anti-freeze.
Why is this re-identification important?  It could be holding clues about Alaska’s geological history. And the Tanana Arctic may be found to be the only butterfly endemic to Alaska. Also too it lives in an area where the permafrost is melting. Butterflies are known to quickly respond to climate change. The Tanana Arctic’s response could aid scientists in determining variaitions in the sensitive Arctic ecosystem.
Read More About the Tanana Arctic Butterfly Here:
Andrew Warren, who made the discovery, is the senior collections manager at the McGuire Center for Lepidoptera and Biodiversity at the Florida Museum of Natural History. I had the great joy to travel with Thomas C. Emmel, the director at the McGuire Center, to Angangueo and interview him at the Sierra Chincua Monarch Butterfly Biosphere reserve. You can watch the interview on youtube at this link.
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TEN POUND ISLAND: RECOGNIZING ITS PAST AND PLOTTING ITS FUTURE
Presentation by Ward One Councilor Scott Memhard tonight at the Rocky Neck Cultural Center. To learn more and see the full power point presentation come to the meeting at 7pm at the Rocky Neck Cultural Center..
“Perhaps the most innovative idea in the report is to consider creating a community boat house — possibly similar to the house boats moored along the Annisquam River — and a dock upon Ten Pound Island that could host the Gloucester High School and YMCA community sailing and boating skills programs, as well as other public programs and access for rowing and kayaking.”                          ~ Mayor’s Ad-Hoc Recreational Boating Committee, 2016
Ten Pound Island Timeline
1644 Early settlers graze rams on the Island.
1817 Mariner Amos Story famously reports seeing a sea serpent (along with many others) near the Island. See account below.
1821 Ten Pound Island Lighthouse Station is established to safely guide mariners through Gloucester’s Inner Harbor.
1833-1849 Amos Story serves as Ten Pound Island Lighthouse Keeper.
1880 Winslow Homer stays with the lighthouse keeper during the summer creating over 50 watercolor paintings.
1881 Present conical cast iron tower, lined with brick, replaces original stone tower. Wooden keepers house is constructed.
1889 U.S. Fish and lobster hatchery is established.
1925 U.S. Coast Guard establishes first in the country air station, primarily to capture rumrunners during Prohibition.
1940 Lighthouse keeper’s wife Evelyn Hopkins honors Edward Snow, the Flying Santa who dropped Christmas presents from a plane for lighthouse keepers’ children, by nailing “Merry Christmas” boldly in newspaper, which could be read from the sky.
1954 Fish hatchery abandoned.
1956 Ten Pound island Light Station is decommissioned and replaced by a modern optic. The original fresnel lens is on display at the Maine Lighthouse Museum in Rockland.
1965 Keepers dwelling razed.
1988 The Lighthouse Preservation Society initiates restoration of Ten Pound Island Light.
1989 A modern optic was installed atop the tower and relit as a Federal aid to navigation.
1995 The oil house is restored.
1996 -1997 (*Possibly longer, checking dates) Shuttle to and from the Island is provided by the Gloucester Harbor Shuttle.
Currently, Ten Pound Island serves as an active aid to navigation.
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HAPPY SNOW DAY!
Brought to you by Rosie
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EVERYONE’S FAVORITE PADRE PIO!
VIVA SAN GIUSEPPE FROM THE GROPPO FAMILY AND FRIENDS!
With love and gratitude to the Groppo family and friends. My most heartfelt thanks to all and especially to Nina and Frank.
SEE LOTS MORE PHOTOS HERE Continue reading “VIVA SAN GIUSEPPE FROM THE GROPPO FAMILY AND FRIENDS!”
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BEAUTIFUL COUSINS!
Beautiful Cousins ~ the Cousin Photo just kept growing larger and larger!
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REMINDER: TEN POUND ISLAND MEETING MONDAY, MARCH 1st
REMINDER ABOUT TOMORROW’S TEN POUND ISLAND MEETING AT THE ROCKY NECK CULTURAL CENTER
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HAPPY SAINT JOSEPH’S DAY FROM THE WELCOMING HOME OF ANN MARGARET AND FRANCES FERRANTE
SEE MORE PHOTOS HERE Continue reading “HAPPY SAINT JOSEPH’S DAY FROM THE WELCOMING HOME OF ANN MARGARET AND FRANCES FERRANTE”
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HAPPY FATHER’S DAY! AND HAPPY SAINT JOSEPH’S DAY!
Beginning in the early 1900s, the American Father’s Day was brought to Italy, a sort of reverse sharing of holidays! Fittingly, in Italy, Father’s Day is celebrated on Saint Joseph’s Day.
Three generations of Cannovas, Maria’s son Leo, Giliano Mari, and Grandfather
Father and Daughter Domenic and Maria making zeppole at Caffe Sicilia
Kensie and Grandfather Tony
Good Morning Gloucester 