Dolly Parton partly funded Covid-19 vaccine research AND ‘Bringing Up Baby’ Yoda at NASA SpaceX milestone launch were same day happy news this week!

Posted on by Catherine

Two wonderful feel good stories made news this week on the very same day.

DOLLY PARTON story UP FIRST

Headlines on November 17, 2020 concerned the promising results from Moderna’s Covid-19 vaccine trials. Fans including researchers were enthusiastic about Dolly Parton being listed in the acknowledgements for helping to fund their work, “the Dolly Parton Covid-19 Research Fund”. Thanks to a long friendship with Dr. Naji Abumrad, she donated one million to Vanderbilt University Medical Center to help support Covid research.

plus don’t miss jAD aBUMRAD’S terrific PODCAST “DOLLY PARTON’S AMERICA”

His son, Jad Abumrad, creator of Radiolab, produced a chart topping podcast about Dolly: Dolly Parton’s America. Fans of Radiolab and Dolly learned about his father’s friendship with Dolly there. Before I read the name of the doctor friend I was hoping it might be him. Here’s an excerpt from the transcript with some of the marvelously rich and layered story telling about Dolly and his dad:

JAD: The memory that kept intruding was from almost exactly 20 years earlier. I’d gone to Lebanon with my dad for a wedding. This is when I was just getting into recording, so I had my recorder with me everywhere I went. And the day after the wedding, my dad had driven us up the mountains to show us the village where he was born and raised. A little village called Wadi Chahrour. It’s this little enclave where literally half the village has our last name. It’s high up in the mountains, actually the exact same elevation as the mountain where Dolly lives. The air sort of has that exact same kind of thinness to it. And when we finally got to see his house, it looked a lot like Dolly’s.

JAD: When I saw her house …

JAD: I told him about it later.

JAD: It reminded me instantly of your house in Wadi.

NAJI ABUMRAD: Yeah. It’s almost identical like Dolly. There was one bedroom. We were five kids and two parents, and so you put your floor mat and you sleep side to side. And when you wake up in the morning, you stack the floor mats in the corner.

JAD: Wow. So seven people in one room?

NAJI ABUMRAD: Seven people in one room.

JAD: Jesus. How did you even sleep?

NAJI ABUMRAD: You sleep. You learn.

JAD: God! Tell me who you are, just so I have your introduction.

NAJI ABUMRAD: What do you mean? I’m Naji Abumrad. I’m your father.

JAD: [laughs] And what do you do when you’re — when yeah, what do you do otherwise?

NAJI ABUMRAD: Right now, I’m a professor of surgery at Vanderbilt. And …

JAD: I didn’t expect to want to put an interview with my dad in an episode about a visit to Dolly’s Tennessee mountain home. But as I mentioned at the top of the series, I mean, I really couldn’t have even done this series without him.

JAD: Can I ask you a personal question?

DOLLY PARTON: I guess.

JAD: This is something — it’s something I’ve always been curious …

DOLLY PARTON: It’s not that personal.

JAD: No. It’s like, it’s more personal but — for both of us, I guess. I’ve never under — how did you meet my dad?

DOLLY PARTON: Well, your dad was — I had — first time I met him was years and years ago. I was having some health problems, and then I didn’t connect with him again ’til my friend Judy and I had a wreck …

[NEWS CLIP: Dolly Parton suffered a few minor injuries in a car crash in Nashville on Monday.]

DOLLY PARTON: … several years back.

[NEWS CLIP: Police say she was riding in an SUV that was hit by another vehicle.]

DOLLY PARTON: And so when they rushed me to the emergency room, he came to the emergency room. And then after that, we just kind of …

JAD: They became friends.

DOLLY PARTON: Friendship.

JAD: That’s cool.

DOLLY PARTON: He’s a good man.

JAD: I feel like I have to be completely transparent about this. Now I had always been really tickled and a little bit confused. Like, what could they possibly have in common? But then seeing how similar his house looked to hers, and then also thinking back to something she had told me in one of our conversations.

I don’t know how well you know him, but you can never know your parents like — like other people do.

DOLLY PARTON answers Jad, Dolly Parton’s America podcast, Neon Moss episode

JAD: To make a long story short, I decided to ask him some questions. And it turned out she was right. My dad and my mom left Lebanon same year that Dolly wrote My Tennessee Mountain Home. 1972.

…WELL, It’s a gorgeous listen. Go finish DOLLY PARTON’S AMERICA here

The SECOND HAPPY STORY involved baby Yoda.

Until now I had been immune to the charms of chia pets. I brought this Baby Yoda, “the child” in the beguiling floating pod from the Mandalorian Disney+ series, home from the 7-Eleven on Bass Ave.

Here are screenshots from the LIVE NASA video as the SpaceX new arrivals joined the Space Station 11/17/2020. Astronauts are all fist pumping and smiles at the “zero gravity indicator” baby Yoda in space.

Loved watching this feed (you can see the whole playback). I wonder if the crew already in residence had the time or inclination to watch any shows and if it was possible to see current content like the new Mandalorian season? In other words did those aboard get the cultural reference?

Mesmerizing ‘Floating Tall’ 😉 scenes – Baby Yoda hovering alongside the Mandalorian

The Mandalorian trailer

And yes, this is a deliberate, second rearranged post experiment here. Will lede Dolly or Yoda first makes a difference?

So cool ‘Bringing Up Baby’ Yoda at NASA SpaceX milestone launch AND Dolly Parton partly funded Covid-19 vaccine research were same day happy news!

Posted on by Catherine

Two wonderful feel good stories made news this week on the very same day.

The first involved baby Yoda.

Until now I had been immune to the charms of chia pets. I brought this Baby Yoda, “the child” in the beguiling floating pod from the Mandalorian Disney+ series, home from the 7-Eleven on Bass Ave.

Here are screenshots from the LIVE NASA video as the SpaceX new arrivals joined the Space Station 11/17/2020. Astronauts are all fist pumping and smiles at the “zero gravity indicator” baby Yoda in space.

Loved watching this feed (you can see the whole playback). I wonder if the crew already in residence had the time or inclination to watch any shows and if it was possible to see current content like the new Mandalorian season? In other words did those aboard get the cultural reference?

Mesmerizing ‘Floating Tall’ 😉 scenes – Baby Yoda hovering alongside the Mandalorian

The Mandalorian trailer

DOLLY PARTON also in the NEWS

Other headlines on November 17, 2020 concerned the promising results from Moderna’s Covid-19 vaccine trials. Fans including researchers were enthusiastic about Dolly Parton being listed in the acknowledgements for helping to fund their work, “the Dolly Parton Covid-19 Research Fund”. Thanks to a long friendship with Dr. Naji Abumrad, she donated one million to Vanderbilt University Medical Center to help support Covid research.

plus don’t miss jAD aBUMRAD’S terrific PODCAST “DOLLY PARTON’S AMERICA”

His son, Jad Abumrad, creator of Radiolab, produced a chart topping podcast about Dolly: Dolly Parton’s America. Fans of Radiolab and Dolly learned about his father’s friendship with Dolly there. Before I read the name of the doctor friend I was hoping it might be him. Here’s an excerpt from the transcript with some of the marvelously rich and layered story telling about Dolly and his dad:

JAD: The memory that kept intruding was from almost exactly 20 years earlier. I’d gone to Lebanon with my dad for a wedding. This is when I was just getting into recording, so I had my recorder with me everywhere I went. And the day after the wedding, my dad had driven us up the mountains to show us the village where he was born and raised. A little village called Wadi Chahrour. It’s this little enclave where literally half the village has our last name. It’s high up in the mountains, actually the exact same elevation as the mountain where Dolly lives. The air sort of has that exact same kind of thinness to it. And when we finally got to see his house, it looked a lot like Dolly’s.

JAD: When I saw her house …

JAD: I told him about it later.

JAD: It reminded me instantly of your house in Wadi.

NAJI ABUMRAD: Yeah. It’s almost identical like Dolly. There was one bedroom. We were five kids and two parents, and so you put your floor mat and you sleep side to side. And when you wake up in the morning, you stack the floor mats in the corner.

JAD: Wow. So seven people in one room?

NAJI ABUMRAD: Seven people in one room.

JAD: Jesus. How did you even sleep?

NAJI ABUMRAD: You sleep. You learn.

JAD: God! Tell me who you are, just so I have your introduction.

NAJI ABUMRAD: What do you mean? I’m Naji Abumrad. I’m your father.

JAD: [laughs] And what do you do when you’re — when yeah, what do you do otherwise?

NAJI ABUMRAD: Right now, I’m a professor of surgery at Vanderbilt. And …

JAD: I didn’t expect to want to put an interview with my dad in an episode about a visit to Dolly’s Tennessee mountain home. But as I mentioned at the top of the series, I mean, I really couldn’t have even done this series without him.

JAD: Can I ask you a personal question?

DOLLY PARTON: I guess.

JAD: This is something — it’s something I’ve always been curious …

DOLLY PARTON: It’s not that personal.

JAD: No. It’s like, it’s more personal but — for both of us, I guess. I’ve never under — how did you meet my dad?

DOLLY PARTON: Well, your dad was — I had — first time I met him was years and years ago. I was having some health problems, and then I didn’t connect with him again ’til my friend Judy and I had a wreck …

[NEWS CLIP: Dolly Parton suffered a few minor injuries in a car crash in Nashville on Monday.]

DOLLY PARTON: … several years back.

[NEWS CLIP: Police say she was riding in an SUV that was hit by another vehicle.]

DOLLY PARTON: And so when they rushed me to the emergency room, he came to the emergency room. And then after that, we just kind of …

JAD: They became friends.

DOLLY PARTON: Friendship.

JAD: That’s cool.

DOLLY PARTON: He’s a good man.

JAD: I feel like I have to be completely transparent about this. Now I had always been really tickled and a little bit confused. Like, what could they possibly have in common? But then seeing how similar his house looked to hers, and then also thinking back to something she had told me in one of our conversations.

I don’t know how well you know him, but you can never know your parents like — like other people do.

DOLLY PARTON answers Jad, Dolly Parton’s America podcast, Neon Moss episode

JAD: To make a long story short, I decided to ask him some questions. And it turned out she was right. My dad and my mom left Lebanon same year that Dolly wrote My Tennessee Mountain Home. 1972.

…wELL, It’s a gorgeous listen.

Go finish DOLLY PARTON’S AMERICA here

Farm Bar and Grille Is An Enjoyable Stop

Posted on by Pat D

We hadn’t been to The Farm Bar and Grille in Essex for a while and the bonus points offered by the Seated App for a Monday/Tuesday/Wednesday visit gave us the extra incentive to stop. We were not disappointed! Buffalo wings or tenders are one of those dishes I like to order at different places for purposes of comparison (and for pleasure), so I ordered Buffalo Chicken tenders. Perfectly “Buffaloed” for my taste! Jim got the Grilled Cheese, the classic comfort food. The seating and service was COVID aware and safe. The food and drinks were spot on for a weekday lunch. The Seated App worked like a charm and I earned enough points to make an Amazon purchase for free with just a few steps. Win Win. Thanks Farm!

Make Thanksgiving A Little Easier. Place your orders by this Sunday, November 22nd and pick up your order on the 24th or 25th after 1pm at Tonno, Prezza or the Blue Ox

Posted on by Joey Ciaramitaro

tonnogloucester's avatarcapeanneats

This weekend is right around the corner! Place your orders by this Sunday, November 22nd and pick up your order on the 24th or 25th after 1pm. Choose to have a hassle-free Thanksgiving this year!

View original post

Shop for a cause at Backyard Growers’ Online Holiday Pop-Up Shop!

Posted on by Joey Ciaramitaro

backyardgrowersgloucester's avatarCape Ann Community

❄ Our Annual Holiday Pop-Up Shop is OPEN for the season! And, this year, it’s all online, so you can shop for a cause from the comfort of your own home 🙌🏽 Explore unique veggie-themed, garden- and nature-inspired goodies for all your family and friends, while supporting a great cause.

Proceeds support Backyard Growers‘ community, backyard, and school garden programs, connecting kids, seniors, and families to healthy, fresh produce by teaching people to grow their own food.

A Shop sneak peek:

Click here to shop!

Curbside pick-up only.

The Shop is open through December 22 🎁

View original post

#BravoZulu to AIRSTA Cape Cod for their successful #medevac of a crewmember from the commercial F/V JENNIFER ANNE via @USCGNortheast

Posted on by Joey Ciaramitaro

GloucesterCast 449 With , Patrick Hurd, Chris & Charleen McCarthy, Jim & Pat Dalpiaz and Joey C Live From Mile Marker One

Posted on by Joey Ciaramitaro

GloucesterCast 449 With , Patrick Hurd, Chris & Charleen McCarthy, Jim & Pat Dalpiaz and Joey C Live From Mile Marker One

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Press play to watch and listen (video)-

When you subscribe you need to verify your email address so they know we’re not sending you spam and that you want to receive the podcast or GMG in your email.  So once you subscribe check your email for that verification. If you don’t see it, check your spam folder in your email acct so you can verify that you’d like to get them via email subscription.

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Topics Include:
Please share the podcast! If you share the podcast while we are taping we will write down your name and you will be entered into a drawing to win a prize that we will choose about 2/3 the way through the podcast.

We will be doing a live drawing for a prize during the podcast so tune in to win!!!!

Two Bruins Glasses Donated By Wayne The Mailman

Mile Marker One Huge Renovation!

Joey’s Art Show At Cape Ann Coffees All Pieces are $150 Framed and Ready To Hang on Your Wall

After the Fall Color — pat morss

Posted on by patmorss

From the past week. It’s getting more black-and-white out there, but these are all color photos.

Almost home
Go ahead, I’ll catch up. I’m talking to someone.
Buffleheads on Niles Pond
Red-breasted Mergansers practicing (almost) synchronized head dips
And back up together
Young Herring Gull at Brace Cove
Elegant when taking off
Layers of wing feathers
Norwegian Cruise Lines headed north, on today’s coldest morning – crew only?
However, the climbing ivy hasn’t given up on Green

Get ready! Holiday Lights and Cocoa Drives #GloucesterMA #CapeAnn 2020 – already found a few sparkling before Thanksgiving ✨😀 Lobster Trap Buoy Painting is ON!

Posted on by Catherine

So looking forward to sharing photos of winter lights for some merry drives and cocoa nights this holiday season! Were you planning to go big on lights or take a break this year? Hopefully this post may convince some readers on the decorated home & yard fence to GO FOR IT! Please treat the community to some creativity and smiles. The city and neighboring towns of Cape Ann have some special holiday light plans in the works thanks to Discover Gloucester’s First Annual Winter Lights Display on Cape Ann. Check out all the businesses and organizations readying light displays and local shopping!

What I wrote in 2019 still holds true in 2020: “If you’re wondering about holiday lights near you, in addition to the city’s beautiful seasonal trees and sparkle downtown, rewarding drives through Gloucester neighborhoods abound.”

These local homes were shining bright and it’s only the week before Thanksgiving. GRAB SOME HOT CHOCOLATE AND GO! The drives are festive, free, and social distancing safe for all. Perfect for 2020.

I’ll add more photographs of merry lights and displays as days go by and maybe a map if there are enough. Which houses and streets will be most lit up in 2020? Which ones not to miss?

‘Tis the Season. Gloucester’s Annual Lobster Trap Tree

2018

Gloucester’s Lobster Trap Tree adorned with hundreds of “ornaments”- buoys hand-painted by local children– is no doubt the sweetest and charming tree around.

I thought this Scotland effort was a pretty kindred spirit. Like Gloucester, the smaller* town of Newburgh, Fife, loves celebrating art by local children for their Annual Christmas Lights Display. A public appeal for funding this year surpassed its goal.

*Gloucester population 30,000 | Newburgh population 2100

https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js

Due to Covid-19 precautions, Cape Ann Art Haven buoy painting started early this year.

“It’s buoy painting time! We are instituting reservations for buoy painting. We will be open Saturdays from 10:00 am to 3:00 pm. starting November 7th. For health and safety reasons, we will have a maximum of 10 people at any one time. Masks will be required as well as social distancing. Please sign up on our Events page or click the reservation button below and come paint!”

Reservations

Please support Cape Ann Art Haven’s efforts here.

2019

Get ready! Holiday Lights and Cocoa Drives #GloucesterMA #CapeAnn 2020 -Found a few sparkling before Thanksgiving ✨😀

Posted on by Catherine

So looking forward to sharing photos of winter lights for some merry drives and cocoa nights this holiday season! Were you planning to go big on lights or take a break this year? Hopefully this post may convince some readers on the decorated home & yard fence to GO FOR IT! Please treat the community to some creativity and smiles. The city and neighboring towns of Cape Ann have some special holiday light plans in the works: First Annual Winter Lights Display on Cape Ann. Check out the businesses and organizations readying light displays!

What I wrote in 2019 still holds true in 2020: “If you’re wondering about holiday lights near you, in addition to the city’s beautiful seasonal trees and sparkle downtown, rewarding drives through Gloucester neighborhoods abound.”

These local homes were shining bright and it’s only the week before Thanksgiving. GRAB SOME HOT CHOCOLATE AND GO! The drives are festive, free, and social distancing safe for all. Perfect for 2020.

I’ll add more photographs of merry lights and displays as days go by and maybe a map if there are enough. Which houses and streets will be most lit up in 2020? Which ones not to miss?

‘Tis the Season. Gloucester’s Annual Lobster Trap Tree

2018

Gloucester’s Lobster Trap Tree adorned with hundreds of “ornaments”- buoys hand-painted by local children– is no doubt the sweetest and charming tree around.

I thought this Scotland effort was a pretty kindred spirit. Like Gloucester, the smaller* town of Newburgh, Fife, loves celebrating art by local children for their Annual Christmas Lights Display. A public appeal for funding this year surpassed its goal.

*Gloucester population 30,000 | Newburgh population 2100

https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js

Due to Covid-19 precautions, Cape Ann Art Haven buoy painting started early this year.

“It’s buoy painting time! We are instituting reservations for buoy painting. We will be open Saturdays from 10:00 am to 3:00 pm. starting November 7th. For health and safety reasons, we will have a maximum of 10 people at any one time. Masks will be required as well as social distancing. Please sign up on our Events page or click the reservation button below and come paint!”

Reservations

Please support Cape Ann Art Haven’s efforts here.

2019

Pretty duck sitting in the sun

Posted on by Donna Ardizzoni

Went over to Niles Pond the other day and saw this pretty duck sitting on a rock bathing in the sunshine.

LIVE GLOUCESTERCAST TONIGHT 7PM FROM INSIDE THE NEW MILE MARKER IGLOOS!

Posted on by Joey Ciaramitaro

Join Us For The Live Taping Of GloucesterCast Thursday At 7pM. You can view it and participate in the live chat here: www.facebook.com/goodmorninggloucester

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If you subscribe to the GloucesterCast Podcast it will be emailed to you so if you miss it you can still access it through the free email! Link to subscribe here

View from stands is no joke! New Balance Field Newell Stadium vanishing point is a fishing boat heading out from Gloucester harbor at sunset

Posted on by Catherine

11/18/2020 4:10pm

A fishing boat set out and I bet a GMG reader knows who it was. What a gorgeous setting for home games.

At other times we’ve been treated to great flocks of birds, schooners, cruise ship, and an ever busy back up at the cut.

The games are the real deal. And the site is singular!

GHS Boys Varsity Soccer won vs. Swampscott 11/18/2020. Their last game of the season is Friday.

Armand Sindoni Rocky Neck artist

Posted on by Catherine

A GMG reader shared a snapshot asking to know more about the specific work in the photograph by artist Armand Sindoni. It’s hard to make out from this photo.

courtesy snapshots sent to GMG – titled Gloucester Fishing Schooner “Elsie”1910

Armand Sindoni (1929-2002) was a Massachusetts native. He resided and worked on Rocky Neck. For many years he was the artist in residence for the Gloucester Schooner Festival. I don’t know what happened to his art or estate. Along with research, one might glean more information about Sindoni by reaching out to: the Rocky Neck Art Association; leaders involved with Maritime Gloucester, the Adventure and the Chamber due to the artist’s involvement with past schooner festivals; and local artist friends, perhaps L.A. Dahlmer.

Sindoni was commissioned to paint a portrait of William “Bill” Squillace, Gloucester’s 54th Mayor (1988-1991), who resigned to serve as Assistant State Treasurer.

Maybe another GMG reader can steer the question to Sindoni family, friends, or fans who might leave comments about Sindoni, the man and the artist, and more examples of his art.