Africa 01966 USA?

Janet and I occasionally walk up Phillips Avenue, and have enjoyed a little park along the way. We'd sit on the ledge or a bench to enjoy the view. There were no sculptures or signs then, so we thought it was public. Now we know it's private, but not clearly not connected to a nearby house. Your thoughts?
Janet and I occasionally walk up Phillips Avenue, and have enjoyed a little park along the way. We’d sit on the ledge or a bench to enjoy the view. There were no sculptures or signs then, so we thought it was public. Now we know it’s private, but clearly not connected to a nearby house. Your thoughts?
There are all sorts of wild African animals in this little park, including some monkeys and people. Perhaps Marty and Barbara Luster can help us identify them.
There are all sorts of wild African animals in this little park, including some monkeys and people. Perhaps Marty and Barbara Luster can help us identify them.
These are more of the amazing granite sculptures. Does anyone know the story behind them? Let us know.
These are more of the amazing granite sculptures. Does anyone know the story behind them? Let us know.

Poll- What’s Worse? Bad Pistachio or Bad Oyster

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Ever be sitting down in front of the TV eating pistachios just enjoying the shit out of them and then run into that one bad one that ruins you for pistachios for years. 

I can’t even begin to describe that bad pistachio rotten taste, that taste that lingers and disgusts you to no end.  You try to spit it out immediately but the damage has been done.  Once it hits your taste buds there’s no turning back.  It’s like seeing things that can’t be unseen.  Like walking in on your parents having sex- horrifying.

Now pit that up against a bad oyster, that horrible horrible bad oyster.

Which one is worse?  Like if you had to endure one which would it be?

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PS- Take that shell away and rotate that oyster picture 90 degrees and what does the meat look like to you?

I see a beautiful tulip.

GHS Football vs Tewksbury Playoff

GHS is eliminated from playoffs after tough loss to undefeated Tewksbury 28-25.

Community Stuff 11/11/13

Special Dinner at Ohana- November 14, 2013 

Make reservations early for this event with a special menu, cocktails featuring Ryan & Wood products and a talk by Bob Ryan on his products – Beauport Vodka, Knockabout Gin, Folly Cove Rum and Ryan & Wood Rye Whiskey. 

November 14, 2013, 6pm

Three Course Cocktail Dinner $60

Includes 3 Ryan & Wood Cocktails

By  Ryan & Wood Distilleries

1st Course

~choice of~

Lobster Bolognese

fresh spaghetti, lobster brodo & truffle brown butter froth

Herb Salt Crust N.Y. Striploin

burrata cheese, speculoos butter, balsamic onion

2nd Course

~choice of~

Lemon Thyme Salmon

white bean veloute, tomato marmalade, yuzu saffron sabayon, bouillabaisse sauce

Hoisin Five Spiced Whole Roasted Duck

vanilla lime pomme puree, cornbread stuffing, maple brussels sprout, vinjuan demi

3rd Course

Eight Layer Chocolate Cake

peanut butter ice cream

Poached Pear Melba

raspberry vanilla ice cream, chantilly crème, almond tuile


OII 2014 Unzipped cover2a

“Outsidah” goes “Unzipped”

Just the Facts:

Who? Columnist Doug Brendel, “The Outsidah,” releases his 3rd annual “Only in Ipswich” book, Ipswich Unzipped

What? Book launch party

Where? MiXtMedia Gallery, 40 Essex Road, Ipswich (Rt. 133 at Bruni’s Marketplace)

When? 5-8 p.m. on “Black Friday,” the day after Thanksgiving, November 29th

Why? Because Doug always releases his “Only in Ipswich” books on Black Friday

How? Free and open to the public

A Little More:

Ipswich hasn’t been quite the same since Doug Brendel arrived.

He’s “The Outsidah,” writing a humorous column each week for the Ipswich Chronicle, commenting on life in small-town New England from the standpoint of a newcomer.

As if this weren’t bad enough, he releases a book each year, compiling the year’s columns and illustrating them with scratchy cartoons.

His third book in the series, Ipswich Unzipped, will debut at a party on the day after Thanksgiving, 5-8 p.m. at MiXtMedia Gallery, 40 Essex Road, in Ipswich.

The author, who is also a veteran actor and popular speaker, will read from his columns. “Hearing them, you avoid the cartoons,” Doug says. “They’re even worse than the columns.”

All three of the Only in Ipswich books will be available for purchase and autographs at the event. And various contests (like “How many clamshells are in this bucket?”) will give attendees the chance to win free books.

For more information about this event, contact MiXtMedia’s Susan Burton via 978-356-0408 or sue@susankburton.com. Or reach Doug Brendel personally via 978-810-1005 or Outsidah@DougBrendel.com. For news of other performances by “The Outsidah,” follow Doug’s blog at Outsidah.com.

GloucesterCast 11/10/13 With Guests Kim Smith and Toby Pett and Host Joey Ciaramitaro

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GloucesterCast Podcast Taped 11/10/13 With Guests Kim Smith Toby Pett and Host Joey Ciaramitaro

Topics Include: Donuts from Brother’s Brew, Gloucester High Only Plays 7 Regular Season Football Games, Passports and Olive Kitteridge Filming, Frances McDormand and Bill Murray in Town, Toby’s Psychotic Dining Expectations, Sista Felicia bringing The Thunder, Mass Office of Travel and Tourism, Betsy Wall and Catherine Ryan

They Still Dry Cod Old School Style In Southern Ireland

Hi Joey-

I thought this was an interesting sight to share : located in the midst of Southern Iceland’s lava fields, seemingly endless rows of Cod drying on wooden racks.

Best-Janet

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World’s Easiest Method on How to Grow Milkweed From Seed

Milkweed Eastern PointCommon Milkweed Patch Eastern Point

Now is the perfect time of year to collect and to plant milkweed seeds, either from pods that are just splitting open or from pods that have already split and are showing their silky fluff.

There are several different methods of propagating milkweed and the following is by far the simplest. Gather milkweed seeds and store in a paper bag. At the location in your garden where you are planning a milkweed patch, lightly scratch the soil with a rake. Scatter the seeds over the soil. Sprinkle a thin layer of soil over the seeds, just enough to keep them from blowing away. That’s it! Next spring, by mid-May, you will have a patch of milkweed seedlings. This super simple method works for Common Milkweed (Asclepias syriaca) and Marsh Milkweed (Asclpeias incarnata).

Note ~ when collecting seeds from wildflowers, never remove the plant from its location, and never take all the seeds.

If you’d like to learn more about this beautiful plant species, and how growing milkweed in your own garden directly benefits the Monarch Butterfly, there are over 25 posts covering milkweed on Good Morning Gloucester; too numerous to list here. Type milkweed in the search box in the upper right hand corner of the GMG home page to see all.

Monarch Butterfly Marsh Milkweed ©Kim Smith 2011

Cape Ann Milkweed Project

News Release: MONARCH WATCH ANNOUNCES ‘BRING BACK THE MONARCHS’ CAMPAIGN

How Exactly is Monsanto’s Roundup Ravaging the Monarch Butterfly Population?

Where Are All the Monarchs?

Monarch Caterpillars Feeding on Common Milkweed ©Kim Smith 2011

Monarch Butterfly Twins ©Kim smith 2011Two newly emerged Monarchs, with chyrsalides attached to the rib of Common Milkweed leaves

REMEMBERING THE RWANDAN GENOCIDE

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Dr. Timothy Longman will speak about the role of the Christian church in the genocide that wracked the tiny African state of Rwanda 20 years ago and the importance of memory in the ongoing process of national reconciliation there on Sunday, November 17 at 7 p.m. at the Rocky Neck Cultural Center, 6 Wonson Street, Gloucester. The event is free and open to the public.

Over four months in 1994, the small East African state of Rwanda experienced one of the most intense waves of violence in modern history. In the two decades since, a regime dominated by the main targets of the genocide—the minority Tutsis—has undertaken an impressive program of national reconciliation. But it’s also been criticized for its own human rights abuses and for war-making in neighboring Congo.

Professor Longman will talk about the complex relationship between the church in Rwanda and the violence and how the government has tried to preserve the memory of the genocide among Rwandans both as a means of reconciliation and a defense against a repeat of it, even as it has acted to suppress memories of other types of political violence, especially its own.

Timothy Longman is the director of the African Studies Center at Boston University and assistant professor of political science. He has been conducting research in Rwanda since 1992. His book, ”Commanded by the Devil: Christianity and Genocide in Rwanda”, will be published by Cambridge University Press.

Longman argues that Rwanda’s churches became implicated in the 1994 Rwandan genocide because of their historic links with the state, their active engagement in ethnic politics, and the ongoing cooperative ties between leaders of the churches and the state.

His current research focuses on state-society relations in Africa, looking particularly at human rights, transitional justice, democratization, civil society, the politics of race and ethnicity, religion and politics, and women and politics.

Longman earned a doctorate in political science at the University of Wisconsin in 1995. He was the director of the Human Rights Watch field office in Rwanda in 1995-96 and director of Rwanda research for the Human Rights Center of the University of California Berkeley in 2001-2006. He has also conducted fieldwork in Burundi, the Democratic Republic of Congo, Kenya, Tanzania, and South Africa. He has previously taught at Vassar College, Columbia University, the National University of Rwanda, and the University of the Witswatersrand (South Africa).

This will be the second event of the Cape Ann Forum’s 2013/2014 season and the 79th since the organization was established in 2001. The last event of the fall will feature Middle East expert Omar Dahi on what is behind the conflict in Syria on Sunday, December 8 at the Gloucester City Hall. 2014 speakers will include Gloucester filmmakers Nubar and Abby Alexanian in February, human trafficking expert Paulette Lloyd in March and popular radio commentator Christopher Lydon in May.

For more information on the event go to the Forum’s Web site at http://www.capeannforum.org.

Manchester Essex Falls to Northeast in Semi-Final Football Action

A tough day on Saturday for the Hornets as they fell in semi-final action to Northeast Metropolitan 38-12. Behind 14-6 at the half, the defense played long and hard in the second half and held for several exciting stops but the offensive team could only find the end zone one more time. A good season for the Hornets comes to an end, but memories of how far they got in the tournament should be an inspiration at the start of next season!

Click on photos to see larger format

“FEAST” from; Deb Clarke

“FEAST” from; Deb Clarke

attached is the email invite with artists and information about “FEAST!”  the holiday show at The Flatrocks Gallery.  The show will be up through December 29 and lots of great art from our art community.  The gallery is located near Folly Cove on Langsford Street.  opening reception is Saturday November 9, 4-6pm.

Gallery is open Thursday- Sunday 12-5 or by appointment.

emailFeast

next 4 attachments are selections from my Family Heirloom series.  verre eglomise and mixed media on glass.  all work is for sale.

here’s the link to my blog where i finally updated my blog with more info.

http://www.debbieclarke.blogspot.com

Feast!  Nov. 7- Dec. 29
Nov. 9   6-8p  An Opening reception
Nov. 21  7:30 pm  “A Look at Some Grand Meals”- talk by Don Lindgren
Dec. 14 &15  A Fundraising weekend
Dec. 22  4-6  Songs of Joy & Peace

Flatrocks Gallery 77 Langsford St/Rt 127  Gloucester, MA
Open Thu-Sun 12-5pm (& by appt) 978-879-4683

Sista’s Helpful Tips

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It’s time to start prepare our homes for the holiday season. Before you pull out the holiday silver and start decking the halls and setting tables, take a quick peek at your chandelier. When was the last time you washed it? There is nothing more embarrassing for a hostess then gathering around a beautiful table with family and friends, ready to dig into the holiday feast, and noticing cobwebs and dusty crystals hanging directly over the holiday table. Every November I make a special trip to Home Depot, to purchase the best Chandelier cleaner on the market. Extend AFinish Chandelier Cleaner formulated with “Sheeting Action” makes a daunting task a quick an easy one! No more removing, cleaning, drying, and rehanging each and every crystal. Simply place a drop cloth or plastic sheet under chandelier; spray each crystal on all sides; stand back and watch it work its magic. In minutes your chandelier crystals will be sparkling like new!

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Henry David Thoreau Quote of The Week From Greg Bover

If we will be quiet and ready enough, we shall find compensation in every disappointment.
Henry David Thoreau (1817-1862)

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Sometimes called the first environmentalist, Thoreau, born and raised in Concord, Massachusetts, was mentored by the Transcendentalists Ralph Waldo Emerson and Bronson Alcott, his neighbors. His book Walden, about the two years he spent living in a hut he had built himself on Emerson’s woodlot at Walden Pond, has become a classic of American literature for its introspection blended with natural history. His Civil Disobedience, written as an explanation of his non-payment of taxes as a protest against the Mexican-American war, is still influential, and his books on his journeys to Maine, Canada and Cape Cod go much deeper than mere travelogues. Thoreau is also credited with the invention of raisin bread.

Jay DiPrima will read from Thoreau’s Civil Disobedience at seven o’clock next Thursday evening at the Sawyer Free Library as part of the Gloucester Lyceum Series.

Community Photos 11/10/13

Cape Ann Y swim Team with Dara Torres

Kathy Slifer submits-

daratorres

Hi Joey ,

Members  of our Cape Ann Y Masters swimming group Catherine Mciff, Andi Freedman and Lisa Zraket take a ” racing start and turn” clinic from 5 time Olympian Dara Torres at Harvard last weekend.

Go team !

Kathy Slifer

photo by Lisa Zraket


Community Stuff 11/10/13

POP GALLERY PRESENTS:

Our SPAlidays Offer!

This month, if you spend $75 at POP, you will receive a coupon for 10% off a 60, 75 or 90 minute massage at Saltwater Massage at 161 Main Street!

Likewise, if you purchase a 60,75 or 90 minute massage at Saltwater Massage, you will receive a coupon for 20% off at POP!
We all get stressed around the start of “holiday shopping season”. Why not kill two birds with one stone as they say? Shop POP’s extensive array of soothing soaps, lotions and aromatic candles! Then, unwind with a nice massage… all on the same street! Shop local, stress less.

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TURNER’S SEAFOOD AT LYCEUM HALL SAILS INTO SALEM, PERMANENTLY MOORED AT ICONIC LYCEUM HALL

This November, Turner’s Seafood family, brothers Jim, Joe, John Jr. & Chris, are bringing four generations of experience, expertise and their passion for all things seafood to Salem, opening an authentic New England seafood restaurant and market in storied Lyceum Hall on Monday, November 18th. Turner’s Seafood at Lyceum Hall expands their culinary footprint adding to their Melrose restaurant grill and market, and up to Cape Ann for their seafood plant and market. Diners will experience the restaurant’s signature seafood cuisine, a lively oyster bar and Salem’s first fresh, locally- sourced seafood market.

Over the past five years we were casually looking for a very special space to offer our seafood dining and fresh-catch market in the heart of the North Shore. The first time I walked through the Hall I imagined a time past, a true seafood eatery with classic fish and chips prepared the way they should be,” recalled, Jim Turner, owner, Turner’s Seafood, “The genuine seafood model and quality standards that define our Melrose restaurant are the experiences our dining guests and market customers will have with us in our new Salem home, and more.”

As stewards of Lyceum Hall, the Turner family’s seafood heritage and appreciation for the region’s history culminates in a seamless fit between restaurant and the Hall’s architectural bones, influencing their thoughtful approach to the design in developing a welcoming environment, partnering with the esteemed Boston architectural firm, Niemitz Design Group. Dining guests will find familiar amenities long-valued along with new spaces to experience.

Executive Chef Yale Woodson, with a rich background in the culinary arts, especially the sea’s bounty, leads a kitchen team whose menu centerpiece will be a creative mix of appetizers and entrees from Turner’s authentic New England seafood classics paired with Chef’s interpretive culinary spirit for blending available foods of the moment.

Our team selectively sources and prepares food to please the full range of the senses, stimulating, and striving to create a memorable seafood dining experience for our guests … every visit,” explained Yale Woodson, executive chef, Turner’s Seafood.

And, it all begins very early each morning. Jim Turner and his team inspect and pick from dayboats’ fresh-catch in historic Gloucester and Boston Harbors, immediately coming to their Gloucester seafood plant where it’s expertly handled and processed to demanding quality standards. Within hours, Turner’s delivers fresh seafood to market, arriving in Salem & Melrose ready for market customers and dining guests…minutes to Gloucester.

We are privileged to continue the Hall’s heritage as a public gathering place for engaging conversation and the finest in hospitality,” noted, Jim Turner.

Anne Kennedy’s Easy Kitchen-to-Dinner Table Special

IMG_1143-1Anne Kennedy’s “Simple Favorite and Healthy 20-Minute Dinner”

Thanks so much Anne for sharing. I love not only how simple and fresh this looks, but so nutritious, too. I think we’ll give it a go tonight!

Anne writes, “This is just homemade chicken stock (or buy if you don’t have any), to which we add Chinese Five Spice, soy sauce and a bit of brown sugar to taste.  Bring to a boil and toss in handfuls of whatever veggies you like.  After a few seconds, add either thinly sliced chicken, pork, shrimp, or fish, turn down the heat,  cover for a minute or so, then eat.  Make as thin or thick as you like.  Endless variations include adding curry, sliced figs, apples and other veggies.  Yum.”

Visit Anne’s fascinating blog Haddock and Dill about mid-20th century American and Japanese domestic life, inspired by a forty-year written correspondence between her mom and grandmother.

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What is your family’s tastiest and most favorite easy dinner, from kitchen to table (it can take a minute or two longer)? Send in your recipe and we will post here on GMG. No photos needed (but gladly accepted), just your family’s endorsement!

20-Minute Kitchen-to-Dinner Table Special

*Chinese Five Spice ~ If, like me, you did not know about Chinese Five Spice powder, wiki says, ” Five-spice powder is a mixture of five spices used primarily in Chinese cuisine  but also used in other Asian and Arabic cookery. While there are many variants, a common mix is: star anise, fennel, cloves, cinnamon, and Sichuan pepper.”