Good Morning Gloucester

Last night stopped by Cape Ann Collectors at 474 Washington Street, Gloucester to see some more present and past Plein Air paintings.  Met one of this year’s artist Joe Lombardo and loved two of his painting, “Breaking Blue” and “Autumn”.

Emile A Gruppe’ “Mending the Nets”
Charles Movalli, “Lobster Cove”

The gallery also has works by past masters, including Emile A. Gruppe’ (1896-1978) and Charles Movalli (1945-2016)

Joe Lombardo
Joe Lombardo

The beach was dotted with bright yellow bags and dogs this morning for the clean up sponsored by Clean Gloucester/ Gloucester Clean City Commission.  Coffee provided by Happy Belly (thanks so much!) brightened up the damp morning.  Ainsley told me that almost 40 people helped out by picking up garbage and recyclables at Good Harbor Beach this morning.  It seems the weather did not hold anyone back!  Great turnout.  GMG was well represented by Donna Ardizzoni and FOB Melissa Cox was helping out as well.

These people take the “carry out” rules very seriously!

The Clean Gloucester people were very efficient and friendly.  They even re-use the yellow collection bags!!  Now, that’s in the spirit of Clean Gloucester!  Well done, everyone.

Alicia Cox and I were talking about the great restaurants we have in Gloucester on the Alicia Unleashed Podcast 369 last night which you can listen to here-

Alicia Unleashed 69 With Joey C and Alicia Cox Taped 10/12/17

During the podcast we complimented Maria Seniti and her staff at The Franklin Cape Ann as being one of the most consistently good restaurants in town over a long period of time.  Then I got to thinking about that Hanger Steak with pommes frittes that she sells and wondered out loud just how many over the years they have sold seeing as it’s been on the menu as long as I could remember and it’s hard to not order it as its so damn good.  Well Maria messaged me last night and offered a free hanger steak and two drinks to whoever guesses closest.  So put your guesses in the comments or on the Facebook post on this post.  Closest guess wins.  We will close it at midnight Saturday for guesses.

The podcast is timestamped so you can go right to the parts you’re interested in-

Topics Include:

Take 2

01:40 Talking about being single differences between now and 20 years ago

03:35 Millennials Playing By Their Own Rules

05:52 Coming Out Day

06:30 Alexa Uses

14:00 Talking Tolerance

23:00 Bud Light Beer Can That Lights Up When Your Team Scores

25:20 Passports Social Media

25:55 Why Is It That Every Waitress Inevitably Asks You How Your Meal Is The Second You Put A Full Bite Of Food In Your Mouth?

28:00 The Most Consistent Gloucester Restaurants Over The Longest Period Of Time (Franklin, Passports, Duckworths)

30:17 Maria Seniti At The Franklin Guessing How Long They’ve Been Open, The Hanger Steak, Guessing Game- How Many Hangar Steaks Has The Franklin Served? Guess In the comments, closest wins a Hanger Steak and two drinks.

33:00 Au Beaujolais

34:40 Meeting Toby Pett

35:30 The Slut Double-Standard

37:15 Questions For Maria Seniti

37:55 Pronto Pizza

39:25 Shoutout To Hanna Kimberley and Predicting A Movie Deal

42:00 Harvey Weinstein Pulling The “I Need Rehab” PR Move Is So Cliche

44:40 Studio Crepe Closing

48:34 JD Aspesi Puts It All On The Line Stating Rockport House Of Pizza Has The Best Roast Beef Sandwiches Ever And I’m Intrigued

52:40 Alicia Does Her Roast Beef All Wrong

53:20 Huge Roast Beef Mystery

 

I loved this movie I saw it twice.  Once with the Rabbit and then because it was such a strong female role I wanted to bring my daughters who also loved it!

Here’s the link to buy it at half price

“Tiny Art”: A New Exhibit at Local Colors

Reception: Saturday, October 14th from 5 to 8 PM

Local Colors Artists’ Cooperative, now in its 28th year, celebrates its annual art event with a special art exhibit titled TINY ART. This theme, which also coincides with Local Colors Artists’ Cooperative 28th anniversary, is a new undertaking for the Co-op as most shows have a more specific subject such as a “fish” or the “sea”.

This show challenges the artists by limiting the size of the work, but not the subject or medium they choose. The gallery will highlight the new work of the 16 members from September 30 through October 20th with a reception on Saturday, October 14th from 5 to 8 PM

Local Colors Artists’ Cooperative, 121 Main St. in Gloucester.

Hennessy’s Boston. Cheers!

 

Yesterday, at the Businesswomen’s Luncheon presented by the Cape Ann Chamber of Commerce at the Gloucester House, Hannah had yet another crowd on the edge of their seats as she spoke about her new book A Woman’s Place Is at the Top. I haven’t made every event that she has spoken at this book-season, but the ones I have attended have been inspiring to say the least. Yes, I’m married to Hannah so there would appear to be a bias, but this post is not. Of course, I’m a proud husband who gives her the full support and what not. But again, this isn’t some eulogized puff piece about how awesome my wife and her writing is. This is the view of a cameraman, and an observer, an angle that was altogether different.

To separate myself from who or what I am to Hannah may seem impossible, but I can easily sit in that place from behind my camera as I work. When I’m capturing the world around me, I can easily disappear as a person, friend, or even a spouse when my world through a lens consumes me, as it often does. Now, Hannah has a pure talent for holding a room in the palm of her hand, and no I’m not talking about dinners at our house mantled in wine and food. This is the professional Hannah, the teacher Hannah, and the scholar Hannah that you find when you come to see her talk about her book and the adventures she has had in creating it. And she damn good.

After the ooh’s, aah’s, laughter and looks of “Nooo shit, she really did that?” that usually fill the room every time she gives a talk, comes the line. The autograph line. Thankfully, the fine folks at The Bookstore of Gloucester show up when they can with boxes of books to sell. (For the record, Hannah is published by St. Martin’s Press, so no she doesn’t own the books, and she’s not self-published, so that money isn’t going to my beer fund.) So as Hannah finishes her last comments and thank-yous for coming, she invites folks to go back of the room to the table where the stacks of books are, and she will happily sign each and every one. But this never happens. Before Hannah get’s a chance to leave the podium, the line immediately forms right in front of her, every time and without delay. People race to the back, buy up as many books as they can, sometimes this more than 4 books at a time, and they rush back to queue up with an anticipation of Cosco shopper in free-sample line, that’s starving. On this occasion, the women, (all women in this event’s case), are clutched with book in hand and a story of parallelism to match. I see this at all the events. This is when it happens. As I stare at my screen, through my lens, I see the excitement, passion, and respect that these women have on their faces and what this means to them, and I’m shook.  When I zoom in to get the tight shot of the eyes of each woman, I see the admiration, the respect, and a thankfulness for Hannah coming here and sharing her story with them. A look that usually only seams reserved for the eyes of a grandparent gazing at their newborn grandchild, or a mother when her baby smiles back, or every little girl that lines up to meet Justin Bieber face to face. Yes, it’s that powerful. This occurs in the small spaces of silence between fan and writer as Hannah signs each book at their request. As I try to keep the focus of my lens, compose and move my shots, I’m taking aback by these moments over and over. They are coupled with the stories of inspiration, the requests of whom the book will be autographed to, and the multiple thank yous and “atta-girl” “You keep grinding” comments that shower her at every podium I’ve witnessed. I look down the line to see the others waiting as they chat to each other and share like moments. I found the support, love, and appreciation for what Hannah’s book has done to be remarkable and well deserved.

I realized in these moments the power of the word, the power of the pen, and the power of a woman who is inspired.

Later, after the event, Hannah asked me “Did you film any of the women getting books signed?” As I pictured my framing over her shoulder, the tight shot of each woman’s eyes with the edge of Hannah’s hair cutting into the frame, as they went between looking at what she was writing and looking up at Hannah without her with that gaze of admiration, I said “Yes honey, yes I did.”

 

If you want some inspiration, click the photo link to buy your own copy from Amazon!

Or head down the Bookstore of Gloucester and get one now!!

Every copy was sold at the event, and money was raised for the Carolyn O’Connor Scholarship. Well done ladies. Gloucester is a better place because of the work these women do.