Author: Pat D

The annual Elks Hoop Shoot was held this week, hosted by our very own YMCA. Around a dozen players and families gathered to determine winners in 3 age categories with the guidance of several Gloucester Elks 892 members. The tournament was run by Lisa St. Peter and produced a list of names to send along for the next level of competition. CONGRATULATIONS to all the winners and thank you to everyone who came for the event which has not been held in 2 years. Special thank you to the GHS Girls Basketball program and the Elks volunteers for their assistance. The YMCA once again has done a great service to the community with this event. WINNERS: for 8/9 year olds: Mia Tuinei and Will Armstrong; 9/10 year olds: Flora Tuinei and Ryan Moseley; and for 12/13 year olds: Mailed Lusk and Brandon Fleming. Good job! Hope to see you next year! Photo dump ahead……

We have gotten to the time of year when Buswell Pond has become a popular destination for ice skating. I am sure they are all being very cautious though these scenes always make me nervous. With the predicted weather warm up, I am not sure when we might see this again.

George’s on Washington St has some news to share! They express gratitude to the City for the year round alcohol license. See you there soon!

Everything shone with such a pretty blue color at the Little River Landing recently. ALMOST made it feel a little bit warm. I love watching this area change throughout the seasons.

The Annual Elks Hoop Shoot event is almost here: Wednesday Dec 28 from 6-9 PM at the YMCA (at the Crossings). It’s free and fun! GMG Jim and I will be there helping out and hope to meet some of you. No preregistration required. Did I mention the FREE part? Get the kids out of the house and onto the basketball court for some fun. Ages 8-13 eligible.

Sharing information from the City of Gloucester Facebook page:

Ice wonder world along the boulevard.

My small gift to you is a simple recipe to liven up your holiday libations. I have recently discovered Chandon (pronounced with a soft CH and pursed lips…not a hard CH like chowder…think Paris, not Boston. I mention this because I got some side-eye looks and barely civil correction before I learned better). But I digress a bit. I discovered Chandon Garden Spritz, a sparkling wine with traces or bitters and oranges. It’s become a favorite despite being a little difficult to find locally.

I make ice cubes out of cranberry pomegranate juice using orange chunks, rosemary springs and fresh cranberries. These ice cubes are festive and tasty in the Spritz drink. I call it Itsy Bitsy Ritzy Spritz just to amuse myself. I’m sure they would liven up most drinks that need a little ice.

Although difficult to find locally, I do find it at Mile Marker One restaurant so kudos to them! They even have cute little Chandon Garden Spritz pillows decorating some furniture. So, in addition to the fine menu offerings for your meals, there are also very fine offerings behind the bar. The ice cubes are my own though……try it! Merry Christmas to you all and thank you for your continued support of the blog and the podcast. Although we are not broadcasting today, we hope to “see” you again soon.

The recent storm battled extreme high tides, left many without power, and generally soaked the city. Although the temperatures were fairly mild, the wind was fierce. The skies changed quickly from dark clouds to spots of sun here and there and back to threatening again. I hope these video shorts demonstrate the waves, the skies and the general atmosphere about 3 hours after the morning high tide. As the temperatures dropped drastically overnight and many of us are waiting for our Christmas Eve festivities, perhaps you will enjoy these scenes from yesterday.

Sunset across the harbor a few days ago. Stay safe everyone!

Thank you to everyone for your support with Pat D’s Photos new Night Lights featuring (mostly) Cape Ann. They are going quickly and new stock is in transit. Night Lights that are in stock can be delivered by Santa’s elves before Christmas. New items are in transit and we are also restocking the most popular ones. Please message me or comment here with questions or orders. I will put the currently in stock items below with PayPal links. Other photos are the items in transit to arrive very soon. Also please remember any of the images you like on Pat D’s Photos can be placed on night lights, magnets, coasters, puzzles, prints, glass prints at your request. PatD’sPhotos.com is my new website but it needs a little work though you can see items there as well. Email GMGPatD at gmail.com Again, thank you for the support!

The following items are in transit and available for pre-order. Not available for delivery before Christmas. Pre Order to reserve yours!

Good Morning Gloucester was invited to the Dec 20 2022 Rotary meeting and allowed us to video a greeting from President Dr. Mike Sarraf to our followers. It’s a genial group of ordinary people interested in serving their community. Here’s a link with some further information if you are interested in joining or assisting this organization. In the meantime: President Dr. Mike Sarraf:

It was a perfect day for a pub atmosphere and I craved a BLT from Stones on Main St, so off we went. On this rainy weekday, there were a few people with the same idea. We sat in the side room which is done up very nicely with high tops as well as some armchair seating. Ali was our server and she was attentive and efficient. I had the BLT I’d been craving and Jim ordered is “usual” peanut butter burger. It was a relaxed, festive lunch and we were fueled up to go on with our day.

When I was teaching, I worked closely with the yearbook advisor and I am here to tell you it’s a huge undertaking each and every year. The fundraising is always the hardest part, so I plan to go to Bravo tonight for our dinner. Great food AND I get to support the yearbook. Win Win. Sharing their Facebook post. Order online or in person.

Pat D’s Photos is happy to offer a new item in response to several requests. Night lights with Cape Ann/Gloucester scenes now ready for you! These have just arrived in time for holiday deliveries to the Cape Ann area. I cannot guarantee shipping arrival prior to the holidays but you can always place an order to be shipped if preferred. These images are also available on other products such as notecards, magnets, prints, glass prints and more. Just ask! Reach out via Pat D’s Photos on Facebook by commenting or messaging if interested. Email GMGPatD at gmail.com. Thanks to all for your support throughout our second full year! The encouragement keeps us going. Joey has generously allowed me to offer these directly here via PayPal. Or feel free to reach out.

As many times as I have driven by this cemetery on High Street in Ipswich, I still cannot stop admiring the handiwork of those maintaining it. This tiny private cemetery (about 15 graves according to Historic Ipswich), is always well groomed and preserved in an obviously loving manner. And that’s what drew my attention. It’s like an old friend waving from roadside as we drive by. It’s commonly called the Nourse Family Cemetery and honors its members year round and each season with appropriate graveside decorations. Some additional information can also be found at Find A Grave. Next time you drive by, give your regards to the family and its caretakers.

Save the Date! It’s only 10 days til the annual Elks Free Throw Hoop Shoot contest for ages 8-13 to be held at the YMCA from 6-9 PM. No need to pre-resigster. Just show up and shoot! Contact Lisa St. Peter for info (email on poster)

I was craving some comfort food for lunch recently as we were driving around so we stopped at the Farm Bar and Grille on Western Ave in Essex to see what was going on there. We were not disappointed to find friends at the bar, satisfying meals and creative drinks. I had not intended to have a cocktail but when at the Farm…… The Snow Ball Mimosa hit the spot! Jim had the pastrami sandwich and I had a fish sandwich. It was Taco Tuesday, but we went with comfort. The service was friendly and the food delicious. Even though we had not been there in a while, we felt like old friends in a familiar setting.

Pat D’s Photos will be one of the vendors at the West Gloucester Trinitarian Congregational Church this Saturday Dec 17 from 11 -3 and we hope to see you there. The lovely church ladies will be offering “light fare” and what is better than church lady food??? Here are some of the items we will be offering and this is our last show before the holidays, although free delivery in Cape Ann is available most anytime. Give us a follow also at Pat D’s Photos on Facebook.

I just LOVE our holiday trees and I thought you might like to see them too especially if you’re from away. They deserved a visit from a special visitor.