My View of Life on the Dock
A lobsterman’s work is never done ~
I couldn’t resist the title of the post–the name of Shawn’s boat is the “Hot Ticket.” Many thanks to Shawn for granting permission to photograph and post photos on GMG.
See more photos here Continue reading “Hot Ticket Lobsterman Shawn Pizzo”
The peppers were so potent, I had to wear rubber gloves while chopping!
When our kids had colds, they wanted chicken soup; my husband on the other hand wants bubbling hot spicy chili. While shopping for peppers, none were labeled. I asked the grocer and she informed me that as a general rule of thumb, the smaller the pepper, the hotter. I wonder if GMG readers have found this to be the case as well.
Its a Wonderful Life, Downton-style, with special guest George Clooney. In case you missed all the hype, the fifth season of Downton Abby returns on PBS on Sunday January 4th.
Is this flotsom or jetsam or neither?
Large Tangled Mass Washed Up at Brace Cove ~ approximately 8 feet wide by 5 feet high
I’ve always used the words interchangeably to describe any debris washed up on the beach, not realizing there is a notable difference. From the NOAA website: “Flotsam and jetsam are terms that describe two types of marine debris associated with vessels. Flotsam is defined as debris in the water that was not deliberately thrown overboard, often as a result from a shipwreck or accident. Jetsam describes debris that was deliberately thrown overboard by a crew of a ship in distress, most often to lighten the ship’s load. The word flotsam derives from the French word floter, to float. Jetsam is a shortened word for jettison.
Under maritime law the distinction is important. Flotsam may be claimed by the original owner, whereas jetsam may be claimed as property of whoever discovers it. If the jetsam is valuable, the discoverer may collect proceeds received though the sale of the salvaged objects.”
It is also noted on the website that the majority of trash that covers our beaches and floats in our oceans comes from sewers and storm drains, as well as from recreational activities, namely from picnickers and beach goers.
Check out this single “Simple Machine” from Guster’s forthcoming album Evermotion , recorded live at Hearstudios in Camden Maine~ January 13th is the scheduled release date!
GMG Reader The Purple Place writes with joyful news:
“Benji was FOUND today (12/27/14) in the Friend Street Area around 4pm WOOHOO!! He was found by one of the many caring members of the Community who have been searching for HIM for the past few days! I am SO HAPPY to know he’ll now be safe and only PRAY he goes to a home to that will LOVE and Cherish him forever !!! <3″
Thank you Purple Place for letting us know. I am so grateful that you took the time to write. Thank you to everyone in the community who searched for Bengi. He’s quite an admirable soul to have survived for over a week on his own! It’s a Wonderful Life!!!
Love the warm temperature and balmy air but can’t help wishing for a bit of the white stuff.
Lisa writes:
I too saw little Bengi on Niles beach on Christmas. We had no luck catching him. Above is the link to him but no contact to the owner. Does anyone know were he belongs in Gloucester? It says this little fella has been missing since Dec 19. The police said he was reported running around Rocky Neck on Christmas Eve. If anyone knows his owner please tell them to search East Gloucester!! Last I know the little fella was seen on Grapevine.
A very special rendition of “Christmas Must Be Tonight” recorded Live at Daryl’s House. I think this is a somewhat obscure Christmas song; perhaps in time Daryl Hall’s version will help it gain recognition, deservedly so!
Going down to Bethlehem, see the little son of man
Lying away in the manger, praise the Prince of Peace
Wheels start turning, fires start burning
Shine a light on the wise men journeying from the East.
[Chorus:]
How could a little baby boy, be bringing down so much joy
Son of a carpenter, Mary carried the light
It must be Christmas, must be tonight
See the shepards on a hillside, looking up at the sky
On a cold winter night they hear the angel’s sing
In a dream I heard a voice, said fear not, come rejoice
It’s the end of the beginning, praise the new born King
Just a little baby boy, he’s brining us so much joy
Son of a carpenter, Mary carried the light
It must be Christmas, must be tonight
[Chorus]
Then it came to pass, the child was born at last
Happened right before the star that shines on high
How could a little baby boy, be bringing down so much joy
Son of a carpenter, Mary carried the light
It must be Christmas, must be tonight
[Chorus]
Must be tonight, it must be tonight
Christmas must be tonight
Son of a carpenter, Mary carried the light
All right and it’s all right, Mary carried the holy light
The original recording by The Band (1977), written by Robbie Robertson.
Highlights include Chelsea Berry singing “White Christmas,” and the cast from the Gloucester Stage’s Holiday Delights singing “Here We Come A Caroling.”
Welcome news for Gloucester’s musicians and music lovers! Diamond Cove Music is now open for business in downtown Gloucester. Tom Eaton, proprietor, specializes in stringed instruments, primarily guitars, ukeleles, banjos, and mandolins, and also repairs. He can special order music books and sheet music, too. Plans for jam sessions and music lessons are underway.
Diamond Cove Music is located at 57 Washington Street (conveniently two doors down from Sclafani’s Baker) and is open Christmas Eve Day from noon to 4pm.
For product information and store hours, visit Diamond Cove Music website here.
Thanks to my mother-in-law Janet for sending this lovely arrangement from Sage Floral ~ and thanks to Sage Floral for making our Christmas table so pretty!
A brand new soulful recording of have “Yourself A Merry Little Christmas” by Sam Smith, published December 7, 2014
U2 “Christmas (Baby Please Come Home)”
The Beatles “Christmas Time (Is Here Again)” with archival footage
David Bowie and Bing Crosby “Little Drummer Boy/Peace On Earth”
Band Aid 30 “Do They Know Its Christmas? 2014”
TJ, Chef Paolo La Boa, and Shelia
There’s a special magic created when a restaurant is owned and operated by the chef, and without doubt, that joy is happening at Pinoli Restaurant. In Gloucester, we know it to be true with wonderfully popular restaurants such as Duckworth’s Bistrot (Chef Ken Duckworth) and Passports (Chef Eric Lorden). It takes enormous amounts of hard work and tremendous passion to own and operate a restaurant. That heart and soul is evident in the exquisite cuisine and in every detail of Chef Paolo La Boa’s newly opened Pinoli.
We went Thursday night, which was the very first night Pinoli was open to the general public. Our experience was so enjoyable, you would never, ever have known the doors had opened only hours earlier.
I can’t tell you much about the wine list because at a quick first glance, the word Lambrusco jumped off the page, and it was reasonably priced. I don’t see Lambrusco on many menus, unfortunately so, because there is nothing comparable to a delicious sparkling red wine, and Pinoli’s Lambrusco is just that, with subtle effervescence, dry, and full flavored, neither sweet nor too acidic.
My husband Tom commented on the warm and inviting décor, especially the thoughtfully designed ambient lighting. The combination of the menu’s cleanly designed font and lambent lighting made it very easy to read the menu.
Ryan, our waitress, provided spot on service and was knowledgeable about every ingredient on the menu.
For his first course, Tom had the half portion of Tagliere di Salumi, an absolutely fantastic farm board of handpicked cured meats and local cheeses, served with delicious fried dough.
I had the delightfully colorful and crispy fresh mixed seasonal green salad, Misticanza di Campo, which also included thinly sliced watermelon radishes–just beautiful! The salad was dressed with a tasty housemade red wine rosemary vinaigrette and generous shavings of parmigiano. Pinoli makes their own vinegar; the current selection includes rosemary infused red wine vinegar and honey flavored vinegar.
Tom wasn’t too, too hungry and had ordered a half serving of the tortelli filled with chard, spinach, herbs, and ricotta, served with walnut pesto (Pansotti all Salsa di Noci). A half order is truly a half order, so I didn’t dare ask for a taste as I didn’t want him to go home hungry. He was savoring every bite. The next time we go I hope to sample a pasta, with pesto, for which Chef Paolo is so famous. I think the very best pesto is made from the most tender new leaves of the basil plant and am curious to know if it is possible to source that locally at this time of year.
My secondi, Fritto di Barca, was one of the most deliciously prepared fresh fish dishes I have ever had and it also included a medley of Genovese-style fried vegetables. I have never had fish fried with such a light hand, and just loved the fresh seafood and veggie combination. As I am not a fan of monkfish, I asked if it could be served without, only wishing for the calamari and shellfish. My request was honored without fuss or hesitation. The Fritto di Barca was served with sliced lemon and a creamy dipping sauce, with a hint of anchovy, although the fish was entirely delicious on its own and did not require a dip in the sauce.
The made-to-order cannolis tasted as beautiful as they looked. Filled with mascarpone cream and a touch of candied orange peel, they couldn’t have been more yummy. As opposed to serving one large cannoli, two petite cannolis is a terrific idea for sharing dessert with your companion. Accompanied by piping hot full-flavored coffee, they were the perfect end to a deliciously joyful dinner.
Buon appetito!
Newsworthy to note is that Pinoli will be open for brunch after the first of the new year. For the time being their hours of operation are Wednesday through Sunday, from 5pm to 10pm.
For more information visit Pinoli’s website here.
Pinoli guests Kathy Numerosi and friend Joanne
Darlene Love’s final performance for the David letterman Show, a Christmas tradition that she, Letterman, and Paul Schaffer began 28 years ago.
Love recounts in a Huffington Post article how the tradition began, and how she got her feet back on the ground while listening to her song playing when working as a maid at a client’s home after her career had tanked:
Huffington Post
By Christopher Rosen
… In the past, Love has also said how she wants to start an annual Christmas show in New York with Paul Shaffer, Letterman’s famous band leader. It was Shaffer who got Love connected with Letterman in the first place, all the way back in the mid-80s, when the pair performed together in the musical “Leader of the Pack.”
“Paul Shaffer played Phil Spector in that play. So, David Letterman came down to see the show, and one night on his show, Dave said to Paul, ‘That Christmas song the girl does in the play you’re in is the greatest Christmas song I’ve ever heard. We need to get her on our show,'” Love recalled in an interview with HuffPost Entertainment in 2013. “It was just one coincidence after another! I started doing the first Christmas show in 1986 […] Every now and then they let me sneak in another song. ‘Christmas (Baby Please Come Home),’ however, is the song. And that’s how all of that came about.”
Prior to her resurgence in the mid-’80s, Love had financial troubles that resulted in her becoming a maid. Love has said it was “Christmas (Baby Please Come Home)” that helped remind the now-Rock and Roll Hall of Famer of her talent.
“I was cleaning this one lady’s house in Beverly Hills and I heard ‘Christmas (Baby Please Come Home)’ on the radio. I said, ‘That’s me singing that. This is ridiculous! People are playing my records. If they want to play my records that means people still want to hear me,'” Love said last year. “I quit that job and decided to go to work.”
Taping of the very first time Love performed the Letterman Show, with Love wearing Joey’s favorite women’s style, high-waisted jeans.
Good Morning Gloucester 