Seaside Garden Club

Posted on by Kimsmithdesigns
The Seaside Garden Club is excited to have the dynamic group that transformed the Grant Circle in Gloucester tell their story on October 13th at the Manchester Community Center.  Social time begins at 7:00 and the program begins promptly at 7:30.  Light refreshments will be served.
The Plant Grant Circle team consists of representatives from the Cape Ann Garden Club, the Gloucester Garden Club and the Rockport Garden Club (Lida Bernard, Stevie Neal, Laura Kraul, Dorene McManus and Leslee Shlopak).  They will present a slide show of the transformation of the center circle on the Grant Rotary from a weed infested eye sore to a beautiful gateway to Cape Ann.  Included in the talk will be the history of Grant Circle, the many obstacles the group overcame from the success of the project and a description of the landscape design.  It is a story about a great vision, collaboration and dogged determination.  Plant Grant is a campaign designed by the Gardeners of Cape Ann to refurbish and beautify the “gateway” to Gloucester and Rockport, Grant Circle. Last spring the Garden Clubs of Cape Ann (a collaboration of Cape Ann, Gloucester and Rockport Garden Clubs) submitted a proposal and were awarded the permit from the state to maintain and refurbish Grant Circle.  Collectively they cleaned up the gardens last summer while designing new gardens as a welcoming entrance to our area for residents and visitors.  The project plan builds on the site’s naturalistic foundation by adding masses of plantings in linear beds scaled appropriately to the size of the circle. Combinations of perennials and flowering shrubs provide seasonal color and variety, while new tree plantings add vertically and complement the existing mature trees on site. Join us for to hear this interesting story about a great vision, collaboration and dogged determination.
The Seaside GardenClub has some great programs on tap for this season!  Organic Lawn Care, Life Story of the Black Swallowtail Butterfly, a film by Kim Smith, Pressed Flower Card Workshop and The Art of Ikebana are just some of the exciting programs we have arranged for our club members.  We meet the 2nd Tuesday of the Month (September through June) and are always looking for new members.  Make sure to sign up for your 2015/2016 Seaside Garden Club Membership – still on $25 for the entire season! Invite your friends and neighbors, all are welcome.  Guests $5.
grant circle in process
grant circle bed planVisit our blog https://seasidegardenclub.wordpress.com/about/ or find us on Facebook!

Podcast Survey: Drives me nuts that we don’t have metrics on how many people listen to the podcasts

Posted on by Joey Ciaramitaro

Please Take Our GloucesterCast Podcast Survey By Clicking This Link

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Do you guys enjoy them?

Here’s the last 5 if you’re interested-

GloucesterCast 153 Taped 10/4/15 With Heidi Dallin, Israel Horovitz, Kim Smith, Toby Pett, Mark Ring and Host Joey Ciaramitaro

Alicia Unleashed Episode 6 Taped 9/30/15 With Special Guests Kyle Danikas, Bridget Ernest and Host Alicia DeWolfe

GloucesterCast 152 With Guests @KimSmithDesigns, Toby Pett, David Emch and Host @Joey_C

Alicia Unleashed Episode 5 Taped 9/21/15 With Special Guests Talia and Tyler DeWolfe and Host Alicia DeWolfe

GloucesterCast 151 Taped 9/20/15 With Guests Toby Pett and Kim Smith and Host Joey Ciaramitaro #GloucesterMA

Can you all leave a comment explaining how you listen to the podcast if you do?  For example, do you subscribe through iTunes, or listen to it on the Official GMG App, or just play it by clicking on the arrow on the post itself?

I want to try to cater to the people that are listening every week and just any feedback at all would be appreciated.

Thanks, Joey

Panko Encrusted Armadillo Eggs- Hells Yeah!

Posted on by Joey Ciaramitaro

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This is what they looked like before they hit the grill-

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The recipe from Grillocracy

I substituted Jalapeno peppers for the hatch chiles and instead of trying to measure out the long list of spices I just scooped out a tub of jalapeno flavored cream cheese, dumped in a couple of handfuls of shredded cheddar and mixed in the rub that I had on my desk for the stuffing.  Way easier IMO.

  The cooking instructions from the recipe were spot on, so follow those and you’ve got a simple killer game day appetizer. If this stiff can prepare them on his desk at the dock, you should be able to pull this off with ease.

Smoked Hatch Chile Armadillo Eggs

GOOD HARBOR BEACH SUNRISE PANORAMAS AND SURFERS

Posted on by Kimsmithdesigns

Good Harbor Beach sunrise surfer ©Kim Smith 2015JPGAfter attempting to photograph the Moon, Venus, and Jupiter in the night sky Wednesday morning, the colors were so spectacular  I couldn’t help but stay to photograph the rising sun. The beach was soon alive with surfers, paddle boarders, photographers, and dog walkers, in that order. The three panoramas were taken at about ten minute intervals. Click on the image or drag panoramas to your desktop to embiggen.

Good Harbor Beach Panorama Sunrise -1 ©Kim Smith 2015

Good Harbor Beach Panorama Sunrise -2 ©Kim Smith 2015

Good Harbor Beach Panorama Sunrise -3 ©Kim Smith 2015.

Thinking I would just take a few shots of the night sky, I had run out the door wearing only a light sweater. Staying longer than anticipated I came home shivering. Bundle up if out for an early walk on these gorgeous, albeit chilly, October mornings.

Good Harbor Beach surfer ©Kim Smith 2015

Good harbor Beach sunrise seagull ©Kim Smith 2015Few more snapshots here. Continue reading “GOOD HARBOR BEACH SUNRISE PANORAMAS AND SURFERS” →

Lit House Book Club Event at Duckworth’s!

Posted on by Kimsmithdesigns

oct15_book_club_smallOn Sunday, October 18 @ 5 pm we’ll be hosting our next book club event at Duckworth’s. Our very special guest host is Margot Livesey. We’ll be discussing To the Lighthouse by Virginia Woolf. Seating is limited. All are welcome. Tickets are available at: http://www.easternpointlithouse.com/#!the-lit-house-book-club/c56l

Margot Livesey grew up in a boys’ private school in the Scottish Highlands where her father taught, and her mother, Eva, was the school nurse. After taking a B.A. in English and philosophy at the University of York in England she spent most of her twenties working in shops and restaurants and learning to write. Her first book, a collection of stories called Learning By Heart, was published by Penguin Canada in 1986. Since then Margot has published six novels: Homework, Criminals, The Missing World, Eva Moves the Furniture, Banishing Verona and The House on Fortune Street. Her seventh novel, The Flight of Gemma Hardy, will be published by HarperCollins in January 2012.

Do Some Early Shopping at Two Great Events this Weekend

Posted on by God's Morning

Huge Neighborhood Yard Sale at Trefrey Park on Rocky Neck (across from parking lot), Saturday 9:00-1:00.

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Annisquam Arts & Crafts Show, Village Hall, Annisquam, Saturday and Sunday, 10:00-5:00.

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North Shore Arts Association announces Special Lecture by Les Bartlett:

Posted on by James Eves

“Resident Spirits – The Masculine
and Feminine Soul as Found in
Cape Ann Quarry Paintings”

Lecture by Les Bartlett – Saturday, October 10th, 3pm

“I will be recounting my visual journey through the works of men and women who have painted Cape Ann Quarries. This will include selections from the works of Childe Hassam, Leon Kroll, Lester Stevens, Gabrielle Dev Clements and Erma Wheeler. The history of Cape Ann Quarry Painters will be looked at in the light of the Hudson River School Painters who had an early interest in what Cape Ann had to offer as a source of artistic inspiration. I will include several of my own works to illustrate the artistic resiliency offered by our Cape Ann Quarries.” – Les Bartlett

$10 Suggested Donation to Benefit the NSAA Building Restoration Fund

The North Shore Arts Association’s galleries are open, free to the public, Monday through Saturday, 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. and Sunday, Noon to 5 p.m. More information on all North Shore Arts Association events is available by visiting  their website at www.nsarts.org, and by email at arts@nsarts.org, or by telephone 978 283-1857.

Tourist from St Louis Missouri

Posted on by Manuel F. Simoes

A delightful couple from St Louis Missouri who come to Gloucester at least two times a year.  We exchanged emails and they sent me a photo they took at Stage Fort Park, the lobster they said was bought off a boat at Capt. Joe’s.

St Louis (1)

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Marine Halloween at Maritime Gloucester

Posted on by Joey Ciaramitaro

Discover the spooky side of Maritime Gloucester. Get ready for marine science and mad science during our third annual Marine Halloween party!  Click here for full info and registration.

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Backyard Growers Fall Harvest Day 2015

Posted on by Joey Ciaramitaro

Hey Joey! 

Backyard Growers just had Fall Harvest Days at all 5 elementary schools in town. Could you post this?

In the course of just two weeks of Fall Harvest Days this September, 1,300 Gloucester students harvested a combined 500 pounds of veggies with Backyard Growers. All 5 elementary schools in the district harvested the crops students planted in their school gardens last spring. Parents, school food service staff, and Backyard Growers’ FoodCorps and MassLIFT service members prepared the veggies and students sampled them at lunch to complete the full seed-to-fork experience. The kids voted on what they thought of the potatoes, squash, pumpkins, beets, and carrots, and results showed that they LOVED them! Speaking of the kids response to the veggies, East Gloucester mother Dawn Sarrouf said, “I think they like them because they grew them.” 

Special guests Representative Ann Margaret Ferrante, Mayor Sefatia Romeo Theken, Councilman Bill Fonvielle, Superintendant Richard Safier, Assistant Superintendent of Teaching and Learning Arthur Unobskey, Executive Director of The Open Door Julie LaFontaine, and Director of Distribution and Nutrition at The Open Door Jen Perry all stopped by to spend some time out in the gardens with the kids.

Cape Ann TV made a video of the event at Veterans. Check it out here:  https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=govIGtwmpTI

Thanks Joey! 

Meghan 

Looking Up Hancock St. Gordon Parks 1937 / Joey C 2015

Posted on by Joey Ciaramitaro

Hancock St looking up toward City Hall Gloucester from Rogers Street. Bottom right in the photo would be Topside Grill and bottom left in the photo would be Turtle Ally.  Gordon Parks was a black man who died in 2006 at age 93.  He directed the movie Shaft and was a photographer for Life magazine.  I find it interesting that a black man in 1943 was roaming the country taking photos that would be acclaimed. 

Gloucester, Massachusetts. Street scene Photographer

Gordon Parks  CreatedJune 1943

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Sunrise at Good Harbor – Two Sisters and a Surfer

Posted on by Manuel F. Simoes

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Two Sisters from China Visiting Gloucester

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Surfer from Rocky Neck with a Gloucester Smile

Nichole’s Picks 10/10 + 10/11

Posted on by Nichole S.

Pick #1  Aeolus Quartet at the Cape Ann Museum

A Family Free Concert

http://www.capeannmuseum.org/events/aeolus-quartet-family-concert/

A live performance at the Cape Ann Museum featuring the exciting, young Aeolus String Quartet. Winners of multiple awards and the Graduate Resident String Quartet at the Juilliard School, this group promises an engaging 1-hour program with excerpts of Haydn, Dvorák, and Ervin Schulhoff appropriate for all ages.  The Quartet will introduce their instruments, the different roles they play, the different tools used by composers to make their quartet repertoire distinctive—all presented in a program that will cultivate a greater love for music and a deeper understanding of how a team can become greater than the sum of its parts.

This program is presented as part of a residency through Rockport Music’s Education and Outreach program with programs in both Rockport and Gloucester Public Schools.

Free, no tickets required

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Pick #2   The Topsfield Fair (again)

It is still going on and if you haven’t gone yet, you should.  The rides kind of drive me crazy, but there are really so many great learning opportunities at the fair.  It is kind of a shame to miss it.

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Pick #3         A Day in the City

Head to Boston while the weather is still nice!  While there are clearly SO many places to visit, a lot of great walking and exploring to do, and a massive amount of restaurants to fill your bellies at, I’d put these two things on the list for Saturday…

Janet Echelman’s Aerial Sculpture over the Rose Kennedy Greenway

Get there while you still can, because it will be gone soon….and it is pretty cool to see!

Amazing art installation aside, I’ve told you all before that I really can’t get enough of the gorgeous Rose Fitzgerald Kennedy Greenway!

Read all about it HERE:   http://www.rosekennedygreenway.org/visit/public-art/janet-echelman/

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And then, get your pumpkin on at the

2nd Annual Punkin’ Fest on the Lawn at the D

Click below to read all about it because it sounds like there is some fun to be had!

http://lawnond.com/calendar_events/punkin-fest/

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As always, head to North Shore Kid for a more comprehensive list of family activities!

Community Stuff 10/8/15

Posted on by Joey Ciaramitaro
Item for your blog: nursery reopened at St. John’s Episcopal Church

St. John’s Episcopal Church reopened its nursery last Sunday, under the leadership of Gloucester native Carson afKlinteberg. The nursery is open every Sunday from 9 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. for children 3 and under, to complement Sunday School for children 4 and up. Sunday School and the Adult Forum begin at 9:15 a.m., followed by a choral celebration of the Holy Eucharist at 10:30. All are welcome.

Thanks, Joey!

The Rev. Bret B. Hays

SeniorCare to Host Free Medicare Counseling

Gloucester, MA — SeniorCare will host free SHINE counseling sessions for Medicare beneficiaries during the Medicare Open Enrollment period of October 15 through December 7, 2015. Counselors will be available for 45-minute sessions on Wednesday, October 28, Wednesday, November 4, and Thursday, November 12 at SeniorCare: 49 Blackburn Center, Gloucester, MA. Call to reserve your space:
978-281-1750 (TTY 978-282-1836).

SHINE, Serving the Health Insurance Needs of Everyone, provides free health insurance information, counseling, and assistance to Massachusetts residents with Medicare and their caregivers. SHINE is administered by the Commonwealth of Massachusetts Executive Office of Elder Affairs in coordination with local agencies.

SeniorCare, a Massachusetts Aging Services Access Point, with offices in Beverly and Gloucester, is a regional consumer-centered organization that provides and coordinates services to elders and others, enabling them to live independently at home or in a setting of their choice while remaining part of the community. SeniorCare can be reached at 978-281-1750 or 1-866-927-1050 (TTY 978-282-1836). SeniorCare is also a federally designated Area Agency on Aging, providing services such as Meals on Wheels and Community Dining Sites. SeniorCare’s service area includes: Beverly, Essex, Gloucester, Hamilton, Ipswich, Manchester-by-the-Sea, Rockport, Topsfield and Wenham.

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Praying With Color

The First Baptist Church in Gloucester, located at 38 Gloucester Avenue, will begin a 5-week experience combining Lectio Divina and an art component based on the book Praying In Color by Sybil MacBeth. Lectio Divina is a Benedictine model for reading, praying and contemplating Scripture as the living Word of God. Beginning on Thursday, October 8 from 6:30pm-7:30pm we will gather in the church Sanctuary to pray and meditate using paper and colored pencils or pens. All instruction and materials are provided and this experience is free and open to the public. No artistic bent necessary. If you can draw a line and a dot and you are open to the leading of the Spirit, you can participate. Young people who can be meditative for the hour are also welcome. Come and experience the Word in a new way. Please call the church office at 978-283-4808 to sign up.

Thank you

Mark Spreer

Businesswomen’s Luncheon

The Lt Governor of Massachusetts is coming to Gloucester tomorrow to speak at our Businesswomen’s Luncheon.  REGISTER NOW to join us for this great event!!

This year our Businesswomen’s Group is pleased to announce Lt Governor Karyn Polito as our keynote speaker for our Annual Fall Luncheon, On Thursday, October 8, 2015, at the Gloucester House,  11:30AM-1:30PM. Tickets are $35. Call the Chammber for more information.

For more information and to REGISTER visit the link below.

http://web.capeannchamber.com/events/Businesswomen%27s-Fall-Luncheon-2144/details

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VENUS ALIGNED WITH JUPITER AND THE MOON

Posted on by Kimsmithdesigns

Moon Venus Jupiter October 7, 2015 Gloucester ©Kim Smith 2015Tomorrow morning (as it was this morning) look east about an hour before dawn. Venus is dazzling next to the crescent moon and a little below Venus is Jupiter. Our astronomy friends will have to confirm, but I think you can see Mars, too. Go have a look for your self because these photos don’t adequately show how beautiful!

Moon, Venus, Jupiter October 7, 2015 Good Harbor Beach Gloucester ©Kim Smith 2015 .JPG