Author: Pat D

As we await the arrival of the New Year, I thought it might be a good time to consider how the fog we have been experiencing affects our thoughts and actions. The fog has caused Jim and I to slow down and be more cautious which seem to be beneficial steps as we approach a new year and a new beginning. The engulfing fog has also helped to blur any bad memories from the past year as we hope for all the best in 2024. The holiday season is coming to a close and we look forward to seeing you all in 2024!

We attended a recent O’Maley Shamrocks Hockey game for the boys and it was a great night for our team. Taking good shots through the glass continues to be a challenge but here in the future of GHS hockey:

We took a ride to Parker River National Wildlife Refuge a couple of days ago just to see what there is to see. We came across a hawk feasting as well as what my Merlin bird app told me was an American Bittern (apparently a somewhat rare sighting). We also saw a hawk resting atop the “Pink House”, a sight which is endangered as it’s being considered for removal.

I am happy to share greetings from Cat Cavallini: “Here’s to hoping whatever holds us back in the new year will breakthrough like the sun in the fog this morning!” (photos from Cat)

You’re probably thinking about goals as the new year approaches. One of mine is to get to the Cape Ann Museum on Pleasant St before the “Above the Fold” exhibit closes in March. If you haven’t been since your 4th grade field trip, this is a good time to put that on you list of goals. There are even free Second Tuesdays for Cape Ann residents, which makes it a win-win.

Also a win-win are the various passes available with your Sawyer Free Library card to places like The Boston Children’s Museum; Maritime Gloucester; New England Aquarium, Peabody Essex Museum and MORE! Reserve passes by contacting the library. Put it on your list for the upcoming year.

I hope you all had a wonderful weekend. It was time for me to begin to reflect on 2023 so here are some of my favorite photos. One for each month, many of them have made their way onto products for Pat D’s Photos. Thank you to all those who have been able to support our little enterprise. I hope to bring some surprises forward in 2024.

It was me. The “loser” assigned to bring fruit salad to the Christmas party. Many of you were engaged in this discussion so I thought I should follow up on how it went. First of all, I ordered a fruit platter from Jeff’s Variety and it couldn’t have been easier. It weighed a ton when we picked it up just prior to our trip to Long Island NY.

Upon arrival to Jim’s family, I confessed the shame I was supposedly under by being assigned fruit salad for Christmas dinner. Everyone enjoyed the joke AND the fruit….thank you very much! It was served with dessert. Although enjoyed by several, there was still plenty left over for my sister-in-law to share yet again for Christmas Eve.

The videos are entertaining but not high quality (there may have been some merriment occurring). As you can clearly see in these unrehearsed endorsements, fruit is universally appealing. However, they aptly prove the point that fruit is indeed welcome for Christmas! Merry Christmas to you all and thank you for following so faithfully. We enjoy meeting you and hope it will continue throughout 2024.

Did you know the Sawyer Free Library has expanded its digital collection of the Gloucester Daily Times to reach further back into our history? You can access the Daily Times from 1888 – 1965 as well as from 2009-2019. I reached back to Christmas Eve 1923 to get a taste of life a century ago for purposes of this post, but it did not take long for me to wander off into other areas of interest. Next thing I knew, more than an hour had gone by and I’d found some great additions for my family history collection to make our story even richer with details of life back in the day. Enjoy your own families and share stories over these holidays!

I’ve put together a fun holiday version of a “This or That” questionnaire in case you find you need a distraction or conversation starter when the family is visiting. As most of you know, my dad grew up here in an Irish Catholic family but I grew up in rural western New York surrounded by (mostly) Irish Catholics. So, this little game comes from that background and you are free to share your own defining questions based on your backgrounds!

This or That Holiday Version

Frankincense or myrrh?

Naughty or nice?

Mariah Carey or Bing Crosby?

Rum punch or rum balls?

Elf on the Shelf or all the Whos in Whoville?

Gift wrapping or gift bags?

Candy canes or gingerbread men?

Star or angel?

Gift cards or cash?

Hot cocoa or hot toddy?

Rudolph or Frosty?

Light the Lamp or Light the Rat?

Little Drummer Boy or Cindy Lou Who?

Grinch or Ebenezer Scrooge?

Ghost of Christmas Past of Yet to Come?

White lights or colored lights?

Steady or blinking?

Real or artificial?

Ugly sweater or matching PJs?

Die Hard or White Christmas?

I happened by Maritime Gloucester on the Harbor Loop and noticed their wreaths are now available at a discounted price. If you need a little gift or are feeling generous toward Maritime Gloucester, stop by today and pick one up at a discount.

We’ve had a few blips of color in the backyard recently. We expect to see beautiful cardinals but were surprised by the bluebirds. I didn’t catch the more vibrant blue ones, but the rest of the cast was very entertaining. Time spent gazing out the window is not lost.

Sharing news from The Cut on Main Street:

Haffner’s opened yesterday at the former Mobil/Dunkin location on Essex Ave. Reverie 73 is part of the development along with Sal’s Pizza and Crack’d Coffee Bar. It is billed as the second oldest Mobil station in America (who knew?). It is clean, bright and was hopping with business when we stopped in. For additional information click here. Best wishes and congratulations Giacalone Contracting on a job well done!

We impulsively decided to go to The Lobster on East Main St for lunch a couple of days ago and couldn’t have been happier with that decision. In a win-win situation, I ordered one of the Christmas cocktails and got myself a ticket into a raffle for a gift card. The peppermint hot chocolate was perfect! I also had the buffalo style chicken tenders and they will almost surely be my “best thing I ate this week” on the next podcast. Jim had a chicken panini and the homemade tomato soup. Delicious. The atmosphere is welcoming, the service friendly and the food fantastic. They will be open until Jan 15 for a break until April, so put it in your rotation before then!

As we enter the home stretch for the upcoming holidays, I just thought you might like a little red, white and green break!

We stopped by Long Beach to see the Cape Ann Motor Inn Christmas tree on the beach and were impressed by the festive look at the Inn on Rockport Road. They are clearly ready for you this holiday season if you find yourself short a bed or two while visitors are in town.

It’s looking very festive and Mile Marker One! Did you know the igloos are back for dining? AND there’s a Sunday brunch. Check them out here online as well as along Essex Ave. Put them in your rotation as we have.

Submitted by Helane Prottas. My apologies for not getting this shared sooner!

Jim and I were honored to be able to attend the 2023 Holiday Awards Luncheon presented by Discover Gloucester at the Cruiseport yesterday. Five awards were bestowed to a number of Gloucester’s finest promoters: Alana Horne and Kiley Davis (the MAG-nificent Contributors award); Isabel Pett (Most Valuable Event Planner award); Joey Ciaramitaro (Outstanding Appreciation award); The Gloucester House/Blue Collar Lenny and Dottie Linquata (Exceptional Service award); and Tobin Dominick (the Tobin Dominick Leadership award). A number of friends, family members, city representatives and politicians joined Discover Gloucester members to honor the winners. Here’s a few representative photos:

Pat D’s Photos is having a very special offer for today only (Dec 14 2023) to celebrate Mens Night. These ornaments/ suncatchers will be available for a discounted price of $20 at Castaways tonight from 5-8 PM. They are about 3″ in diameter, beveled glass and ready to hang (stands also available while they last). Stop by tonight or reach out in comments if interested in having some set aside for you. Local delivery also available. Contact Pat D’s Photos at GMGPatD@gmail.com