Author: Nichole S.

Gloucesteropoly Game Boards Have Arrived!

Posted on by Nichole S.

Gloucesteropoly boards have FINALLY arrived. Thank you for your patience! The GHS class of 2020 has worked tirelessly for the second, and final, edition of Gloucesteropoly! As with everything else over the past few months, production delays, extenuating circumstances, and shipping issues all played a factor in the late arrival of the boards.

BUT – GREAT NEWS!!  THEY ARE HERE!  The Gloucester High School Administration is currently trying to plan proper procedures that will allow the safe distribution of the boards.  PLEASE stay tuned for updates!  As SOON as the distribution date is approved, count on Good Morning Gloucester to share the dates and times!

If you have specific questions, please feel free to contact Tracy Lowthers or Carol Finacey (GHS Class of 2020 advisors).  Their staff emails are listed below.   We look forward to getting these boards to you and we appreciate your support!

Tlowthers@gloucesterschools.com

Cfinacey@gloucesterschools.com

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Mmmm…Minglewood

Posted on by Nichole S.

We ordered some curbside pick-up from Minglewood Harborside over the weekend and everything was really delicious.  We got a firecracker roll, some spicy tuna, and avocado/tuna maki rolls as well as some dumplings, truffle fries, and brussels sprouts.

While we wish we were sitting on their deck or listening to music at their new bar, we were happy to be able to enjoy their convenient and yummy food to go.

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Owl Prowl

Posted on by Nichole S.

We took a late afternoon walk in the woods the other night and happened upon this pair of owls.  Oddly enough we were on our way out….just about to head to our car….when the two owls started to call to each other.  We stopped in our tracks and soon discovered that the pair where in two different trees about fifty yards apart.  Soon enough they found each other, sat together for a bit, and then separated again.  I wish the sun wasn’t setting and I could have stayed longer for some better shots….but I also felt like they wanted to be left alone.

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Growing Up Salty

Posted on by Nichole S.

Growing up around America’s oldest fishing port, my boys have learned a thing or two and I couldn’t be happier.  I made this little movie (click on the link to see it) after spending the day watching them work over the weekend.  There is a difference between growing up near the water….and growing up on the water.  From the beginning we thought it was important, living where they live, to experience the working waterfront…and to understand the rich, honorable, and often solemn history of the fishing industry.  I couldn’t even begin to add up the hours we spent walking the docks and going for drives to see different types of fishing vessels and to learn the inner harbors.  Thatcher, in particular, practiced reading by sounding out the names of boats…. and a big part of both Finn and Thatch’s vocabulary came from conversations about marine life and maritime history.  They both love to fish…especially Finn….and they both love to sail…especially Thatch.  Lobstering is something they have both enjoyed for a long time and they’ve become pretty savvy in recent years. I love that at 10 and 12 years-old they not only love being on the water, but they also aren’t afraid of some hard work. They spent six hours getting some gear into the water on Saturday and then practiced hauling a couple of traps as well.  I love watching them work and I’m so happy that they have had the opportunity to grow up on the water.

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Congratulations, RHS Class of 2020

Posted on by Nichole S.

I love the congratulatory messages around Gloucester and Rockport that serve as well wishes to this year’s graduating seniors.  Our hearts truly go out to the kids who are wrapping up their school careers without the usual fanfare and celebration.  This giant message sends a giant message.

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Birthday Parade for Gloucester’s “Crazy Carl”

Posted on by Nichole S.

When you are “Crazy Carl” and the amazing Dee Noble is your awesome friend….you get a really big parade to help celebrate your really big day…. with a few flamingos thrown in.  Lots of friends came out to celebrate Carl while practicing social distancing.

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Mama Duck on Mother’s Day

Posted on by Nichole S.

We happened by this proud mama duck and her ducklings on Mother’s Day.  She was doing a bang up job keeping them all in line.  I have trouble keeping my two in check…. she had seven following her closely.

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Surfing in the Fog

Posted on by Nichole S.

While the weekend was gorgeous, last Friday (May Day) was pretty foggy and dreary for most of the day.  These hearty surfers didn’t seem to mind though.  I stopped and watched them….as best as I could through the fog…for a bit.

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Looking For a Fun Surprise at Home for a Special Day?

Posted on by Nichole S.

Have you ever had Rolled Ice Cream?  Here’s your chance….and, right in your own yard!  Reach out to How We Roll Coast to Coast.  Friends of ours had plans to get this new business venture up and running this summer, but as we’ve all found ourselves at home and in need of fun surprises…especially on special days like birthdays…they have started to take reservations early.  I can not wait to see how they roll when they are in full swing in the months to come, but for now…with an awesome brand new quick freeze ice cream machine and all the supplies and fixings on hand, they will book a visit right to your driveway for a quick treat or a special surprise delivery.

They stopped by our house the other day and served up some super yummy strawberry and oreo ice cream treats.  I wasn’t sure what to expect, but I can tell you that it was REALLY creamy and delicious.  This will be such a great business when summer is in full swing at fairs, festivals, events, block parties and more….but for now, equally as important, it was such a ray of sunshine for my boys who are stuck at home.

If you like ice cream and are looking for a little at-home-pick-me-up reach out to How We Roll Coast to Coast (formerly from the West Coast and now living on the East Coast) on their new Facebook page and book a time for them to come to your driveway.

https://www.facebook.com/How-We-Roll-Coast-2-Coast-107026150913463/

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Fleeting

Posted on by Nichole S.

I could photograph Gloucester’s fishing fleet all day long.  It is so beautiful and tells such an important story of today and yesterday and all of the years that have made Gloucester the city that we know and love.  A story of pride and a story of heartbreak. I took this photo on Sunday.  On Monday, the city lost another fisherman.  My thoughts, prayers, and love go out to all of those who are missing him today.  Nicola “Nick” Patancia Vitale, Gloucester’s Fishermen’s Statue was hoping to guide you home, but stands in your honor instead.

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Perspective Distortion

Posted on by Nichole S.

Thatcher had a homework assignment to stage two photos showing perspective distortion.  So, after I figured out what perspective distortion is, we took a little ride.  This is what we came up with.  Photo #1 shows Thatcher putting his finger on top of the one of the Twin Lights on Thacher’s Island….  I mean, we kind of had to, right.   The lighthouse obviously looks tiny (no brainer….because it’s further away).  The second photo is meant to look like an itty bitty Thatcher is standing on the back of a massive orca whale.  It was actually kind of fun and I look forward to being able to explore that homework assignment further with him when it is ok to be out and about.

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I Have No Answers. This is Just How I Feel. Covid Stinks. Be well.

Posted on by Nichole S.
I like to write.  I find it therapeutic.  I have no answers.  I tell no-one how they should feel.  This is just me…today…putting “pen to paper” about how I feel.  Maybe I’ll feel differently tomorrow.

Today, this sucks.

Some days suck less.
Some days I’m terrified.
Some days I’m just inconvenienced…..and then I feel incredibly guilty.
Some days I’m positive.
Some days I’m devastated.
Some days we enjoy ourselves.
Some days are simply a mirror image of every.other.day.
Some days are incredibly busy….how is that even possible?
Some days are dreadful.
All days…..  I KNOW I am lucky.  We are all healthy.  I am still working (albeit from home).  I have a pay check.
How dare I complain?  For sure….. no doubt….How.Dare.I.Complain?!
One billion percent this sucks so, no SOOO, much more…for so many more.
But, does that completely negate the fact that sometimes I feel like this still sucks in our little healthy and somewhat fortunate house.  Probably. Definitely.  So, why does it still suck?
Am I the only one who is struggling with feeling like this is horrible….even though I should feel blessed?
Sometimes they sound like just words…. I am thankful for those on the front lines.  I am thankful for healthcare workers and first responders.I applaud our Mayors and Governor.  I am thankful for grocery and convenience store clerks, and gas station attendants, and delivery drivers, and utility workers, and take-out restaurant employees….and ALL those working so hard, many in unbelievably scary and horrific circumstances for the betterment of us all.
I promise, though, they are not just words.  I am so deeply grateful for them.  My heart breaks for them….and for their families.  I lay awake at night and think about what it would be like to be them.  I simply can’t imagine.
I hear stories about good deeds and heroic efforts and sometimes I smile….and often I cry.
There are the seemingly small….Nice notes and random acts to spread joy. 
The wonderfully kind….Police officers purchasing groceries for a woman whose EBT card didn’t work in the grocery store.
And then, the absolutely unthinkable……A sick doctor giving up his ventilator for another patient….and then losing his own life
When I think of the loss sometimes I can’t breath. Then sometimes my anxiety gets so high….that my heart hurts…and then I misinterpret that discomfort for being in my lungs….and then I worry I might be sick.  Am I the only one?
I stop and think about healthcare workers and their fear…..if they even have a second to grapple with emotions like fear.  They are heroes. Is there a word bigger than hero?  I think of their families.  And my heart breaks.
And then I hear myself complain about laundry, and dishes, and cleaning…and how no-one can find the trashcan.  And pee on the toilet seat.  What?!  Did I really just have the nerve to complain about laundry.  What the hell is wrong with me?
I hear stories about people who have lost loved ones and and couldn’t even say Good-bye.  And my heart breaks.
And then I complain about the Zoom schedule that I am trying to manage for myself and my two learning-at-home children.
I get frustrated that I can never find a clean corner of the house to log-in to my own meetings.   What?!  Did I really just have the nerve to complain about zoom meetings. In the warm house that I have. For a job that I still have.  And for my healthy children. What the hell is wrong with me?
I imagine the sick and the lonely and the scared.  Family can’t visit. Some are confused. Some are terrified. Many are dying. And my heart breaks again. Shatters really.
And then I think ahead and wonder what summer in our beach town will look like.  Quarantine in 45 degree weather might be bad…..but, quarantine in 80 degree weather when our beaches are closed, will be worse. Wait. What?! Did I really just have the nerve to complain about whether or not we can spend days at the beach? What the hell is wrong with me?
Literally, that is the dialogue that goes through my head on a daily basis.  And I’m ashamed. And I’m sad. Am I the only one?
Reminders pop up on my phone….telling me where we should be…. Only, we’re not.  We can’t be.  And, I get sad. And then I feel bad.
So, instead, I stop and think about the businesses who are being hit so incredibly hard.   So.incredibly.hard.
The restaurant owners and employees…many of whom I know and love.
The store owners.
The hotel and travel industry.
College students…and spring athletes.
High school seniors.
Professional sports.
Olympians.
The list goes on…and on…and on.
Then I stop and think about how sad I am that my boys’ hockey seasons came to an abrupt end.
And that there will be no spring lacrosse
And that there will be no spring baseball.
And that we canceled our April Vacation
And that I canceled a trip in May.
And that I’ll most likely cancel a trip in June.
And then I think….what the hell is wrong with me?!  There are people waiting in line for hours….overnight even…at food banks for the bare minimum of groceries…or diapers for their kids.  Did I really complain about vacations that I was fortunate enough to be able to book in the first place?
What.the.hell.is.wrong.with.me?!
Sometimes I laugh at memes or gifs…..two words I still don’t say correctly.  And then I feel guilty.
Sometimes, I even send them.  And then I feel even worse.
This isn’t a time for laughing.  So many others don’t have time for laughing…or cause for laughing. They are too busy hurting or suffering.
I get sad for my mom.  She’s almost 75 and lives alone.  She hasn’t left her house in 4 weeks and, while we drop things off, we don’t go in and we don’t stay.  We bought her two pet birds for company instead. That doesn’t feel like enough. And we miss her.
We miss my dad. We think he’s not being careful enough.  We want to spend time with them both.  And to know they’re going to be ok.
I miss my friends.  I’m an extrovert….and I love my peeps.  I love spontaneous drinks on Friday afternoons, or Saturday nights….. or Tuesdays at 4:00… I’m not picky. They mean the world to me…and sometimes I don’t feel like me without them.
I get sad for my boys.  They miss our extended family, they miss their friends, they miss their sports, they miss their freedom, they miss their life outside of these four walls.  And, they are sad for what they have given up.  They are feeling a sense of loss and they are worried about what else will happen before this is over.  Will this be over?
This is all unimaginable.  Two weeks ago I went to the post office.  I wasn’t wearing a mask.  We weren’t quite there yet.  It was a small post office. Only one person allowed in at a time. Stand behind the taped line. Credit card only. Don’t get too close.  Don’t reach past the glass.  Please follow the rules.  When I left, I cried.  It was like a scene you’d see in a newscast in other parts of the world, not here…. But, it is here. It is us. It is now.
Two weeks later I stopped at a farmstand.  I wore a mask. It was my first time. Only a few in at a time.  Please wait outside.  Please only take two dozen eggs. Stand behind the line. Please don’t touch anything you aren’t going to buy.  I got in my car…and I cried.  Somehow people’s eyes seem more telling with a mask resting right below them.  You can see the fear….and the sadness….and the solemnity much more clearly when people are wearing masks. Eye contact with strangers lasts just a second longer.  Is it just me?
This is how it is. This is how it will be.  This can’t be us, or here…but, it is.  And, what’s more, it’s hard to see a time when it won’t be again.
Our new normal is not one that I would choose.
Overwhelmed by working from home….. blessed to still have a job.
Irked by being together….. blessed to have each other.
Exacerbated by the monotony….blessed,I suppose, to be able to slow down and live in the moment.
Blessed….also, as the death toll rises….to simply live in any moment.
Our new normal is Ground Hogs Day with nightmares each night.
Vanilla ice cream with sprinkles of anxiety on top.
Meaning…. Monotony and boredom upfront with fear and despair on the side.
In the beginning I thought I would read some books.  I’ve yet to open one.
In the beginning I thought I’d tackle some home improvement projects.  We’ve collectively ransacked the house instead.
In the beginning I thought I’d fit in daily exercise. While we’ve walked or ridden bikes. My days are void of the videos I want to watch and daily routine I want to make….only to break.
I’ve discovered that with the nature of my job, I’m working more, not less. And, it’s hard. I said it, it’s really hard.  I long for the solitude of my quiet office….and co-workers who don’t scream at Fortnite opponents and Tik-tok dance their way past my desk…only to complain about what snacks we’re out of….again.
I love my kids…. Or I at least like them right now (I’m kidding….kind of)…. But, I miss adult interaction from someone other than my husband whose annoying personal habits are only magnified during these days…..as are, absolutely, mine to him!
The balance between trying to work, trying to clean, trying to oversee the boys’ schoolwork, trying to stay up-to-date, trying not to panic, trying to socially distance, trying to get outside, and trying not to count the hours on video games……is all too much.  Yet, I know we’re still the lucky ones. We are lucky.
We have enjoyed family game nights, and movies, long walks, scenic drives, and sleeping late.  We have had moments of being present and reconnecting….but, on the fringe, for me anyway, is a constant reminder of why we’re living as such…..and, if I’m being honest, what work emails I’m not answering.
Even as one of the lucky ones, I have trouble accepting any level of comfort or pleasure in our supposedly relaxed and slower life.  While I like to think I enjoy living in the moment, truth be told, I am always two steps ahead.  I am always thinking about tomorrow’s schedule, the boys’ next games, the next girls’ night out dinner reservation, and our next vacation.  I like it that way.  I like looking forward to things.  I like planning.  I like organizing.  Not having anything to “look forward to” is, however,  insignificant when others literally don’t…or won’t….have a tomorrow to look forward to.
So, for today, I will focus on my family, and my work, and doing my part to end this as quickly as possible.  I will look forward to things that are uncertain for now, but make me smile anyway.  I will thank and applaud all who are doing so much more. And I will continue to send love to those who have lost and are losing in this battle.
Be well, everyone.
Be Well

Tablets for Covid Patients to Communicate with Loved Ones

Posted on by Nichole S.

Noah Hano is very close to his goal of $30,000 to provide tablets to Covid nurses to use to help patients communicate with loved ones who are not allowed to visit hospitals.  At last look his Facebook fundraiser had raised just shy of $25,000 and Noah and his family have been able to deliver tablets to several local hospitals.

Can you help with the final push?  Read below and then please click on the link to see how you can help.  https://www.facebook.com/donate/898937720535998/907608029668967/

Ok, so we’ve raised close to $20,000 from 212 donors and over 1100 people have been invited to the fundraiser by sharing.

Every night before I go to bed I check the total raised and I’m amazed at the generosity!!! Yes, I started this fundraising effort but each and everyone one of you made it a reality! You all deserve a pat on the back.

You all represent the good in this world!!! Thank you from the bottom of my heart.

Help us provide the critical bridge between Covid patients and their families before they die or get intubated. As many of you probably know, the family members of Covid patients are not allowed to visit their loved ones in the hospital. Often times the only means of communication is Skype, Zoom or FaceTime. Some nurses have been using their personal devices to make the connection between patient and family to say their last goodbyes before they die or get intubated. This is not practical or sanitary. As more and more patients pile in there will not be enough time to lend their devices. Many hospitals are unable to provide the tablets or phones to the nurses. We have purchased a number of tablets for local hospitals and would like to continue to provide many more. If we can facilitate one last goodbye then our mission is complete. Please donate whatever you can! If you can’t donate money, we’ll accept your lightly used tablets. NOTE: ANY EXTRA MONEY WILL BE DONATED TO THE RED CROSS.

To learn more about his mission or to donate, visit:

https://www.facebook.com/donate/898937720535998/

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Mill River Winery

Posted on by Nichole S.

I’ve enjoyed Mill River Winery in the past, for tastings, some live music, and definitely for shopping, but right now most of that is impossible.  It was such a nice treat to be able to take a nice drive to Rowley and order from their safe and convenient take out window this past weekend.  And, do you know what, they’ll even deliver their wines to many locations.

http://store.millriverwines.com/storefront.aspx

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