Babson Boulders at home

Posted on by Matthew Green

The Babson Boulders of Dogtown are one of the harder-to-find attractions in Gloucester; you have to download a map and go trekking through the woods. It’s well worth the walk, and can be a lot of fun (especially when it isn’t tick-and-mosquito season).

But you can also get your own miniature, customized “Babson Boulders” at home. Here’s mine:

Truth

 

It was a gift from the artist, my friend Michael Foley.  I don’t know of anyone else who makes these!  You can see more of his work, including other “boulders”, on his website or on Facebook. He also has work at “The Art Nook” on Bearksin Neck.

– Matthew Green

 

Tweet of The Day From @BeHealthy

Posted on by Joey Ciaramitaro
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Joey_C Joey_C shared a Tweet with you:
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Don’t give up trying to do what you really want to do. Where there is love and inspiration, you can’t go wrong. -Ella Fitzgerald
02:11 AM – 03 Jun 13
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The Latest Striper Video From Brianmoc

Posted on by Joey Ciaramitaro

After one of the slowest May in years (10 years according to my logs) warmer winds and less rain brought bigger fish up river for Thursday, Friday, Saturday but not Sunday as the fish rested that day. Bait was herring dropping back but warm on Sunday. it got so warm we will be looking for the sand eels as bait in the coming weeks. Finicky fish all three days as the bass had all the bait they could eat and there heads where down pushing bait out of the marsh

Video Interview With June 2013 Goetemann Artist in Residence : Allison Hornak

Posted on by Joey Ciaramitaro

Allison Hornak speaks about her Goeteman Residency On Rocky Neck. Check out her website to learn more about her work and her vision

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Painting and building are my practice.  I have devotion toward material, and I am as devoted to aerosol paints as I am to mud.  All material is flesh and connotes promiscuously within society and nature.  Then there is the problem of the impulse to order.  As an artist I need to still stuff.  Each piece acts as a halt—a submission, as a person, to the need to resist chaos.  What chaos?  Every artwork, every mark: a deceleration.  Every one a breaking.  Since, still, at the end of the day, at a turn, rupture is in the lull.  This is my protest.  I (am) matter too.

 

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A Night at the Shalin Liu Performance Center in Rockport

Posted on by Joey Ciaramitaro

Fred Bodin submits-

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This is the view of Old Harbor from the top floor event/intermission area. One can go up there to eat and sip a glass of wine before the concert and during the intermission.

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Here’s the view from our seats, and a wonderful performance by the Rockport High School Madrigal Choir. Seated nearby was Fr. Matthew Green, who has charmed us at holiday events singing Gregorian Chants. Rockport Music – Rockport, Massachusetts

This is a Call Out to all Masters in the Craft of Deviled Egg Making

Posted on by God's Morning

deviled egg competition

It is time for the World Renowned GMG Biennial Deviled Egg Competition.  Those who would like to have their special deviled eggs included in the competition, be featured on the blog, and go down in deviled egg history,  just bring ‘em on Sunday, June 9th at 9:30am at Khan Studio and the Good Morning Gloucester Gallery, 77 Rocky Neck Ave., Gallery 3.  This is way bigger than Topsfield Fair competition and doesn’t cost anything to enter.  I’m specifically calling out Kathy Chapman, Gigi Mederos/Stevie Black, Paul Frontiero, Sue Lovett and Joanne Souza – competitors in the last Deviled Egg Competition; but all those deft in the art of deviled egg making are welcome.  Beware, I did not enter my world famous deviled eggs in the last competition to give people a fair chance.  Not so this year – I’ll be there with my eggs and will show no mercy.

We’ve assembled a distinguished panel of experienced deviled egg competition judges, including: Joey C., Ed Collard, Paul Morrison, Adam Bolonsky and newcomer, Richard Rosenfeld.  If you missed our first GMG Deviled Egg Competition in 2011, or are not sure how the judging works, you can see the distinquished panel at work here https://goodmorninggloucester.wordpress.com/2011/08/22/2011-good-morning-gloucester-deviled-egg-competition/

People who don’t like deviled eggs or are not entering into the competition, feel free to bring along something non-egg related to share for Mug Up.

E.J. Lefavour

Rubber Duck Review: Brothers Brew Coffee Shop, Rockport

Posted on by paultmorrison

“Who made these doughnuts?!” Rubber Duck and I were at the GMG Mug Up yesterday and I overheard that. I’m always on the make for a good doughnut. Let me digress, I gave up on eating a good doughnut about 35 years ago when people started making healthy, non-fat, sugar free, free range, gluten free, organic carob with oil-less sunshine sprout doughnuts.

So when I heard someone smacking their lips about a doughnut I tried them out.

Brothers Brew Doughnuts
Brothers Brew Doughnuts before the carnage.

I found my doughnut. A real doughnut. These doughnuts may have been made with all the above tasteless modern touchy feeley whole earth ingredients but somehow I doubt it. They exuded the real caloric loaded goodness you got from the pastry shop 30 years ago. As I sampled each flavor (the stuff I have to do to review food around here) the GMG regulars all told me of a secret. These doughnuts came from Brothers Brew in Rockport (If you can find Shalin Liu you’re there). But the real secret is they make a BACON DOUGHNUT!

So after picking up my Rockport Beach and Dump Sticker I swung in at 2PM today to check them out figuring no way would there be a bacon doughnut left from the morning. Because the other thing I was told is that the local contractors swarm the place in the early morning and eat all of the bacon doughnuts.

The place and the staff was nice as always (I’ve been there plenty of times and powered through a lot of tasty brownies, and lemon squares and other stuff but see above, I had given up on doughnuts.)

“One small Sin coffee to go and is there a chance a bacon doughnut is still here?” Yes?

Brothers Brew Bacon Doughnut!
Brothers Brew Bacon Doughnut!

Ran outside locked myself in the car and tried it out. Now that’s what I am talking about. I am moving to Rockport because of this pastry. Oh wait, I already have!

Brothers Brew On Facebook Look, their Facebook photo has bacon doughnuts on the left! Don’t tell me they have been making these for the past five years and no one told me.

Beauty in Our Midst

Posted on by Kimsmithdesigns

Habitat Gardening

Native cherry tree ©Kim Smith 2013

Sunday morning I was planting my friend Janet’s butterfly garden over at Beach Road. She has the most beautiful native cherry tree (Prunus) growing alongside her home. The tree was planted by her parents and has been beautifully maintained over the years. Black Cherry and Chokecherry are often thought of as weed trees however, when they are well-cared for, they will reward you with lovely boughs covered in racemes of tiny white five-petaled flowers. Cherries are a caterpillar food plant for the Eastern Tiger Swallowtail and while at Janet’s, we saw several Eastern Tiger Swallowtails investigating the foliage and racemes. The fruits, too, of the cherry are much loved by the songbirds.

American Robin nest ©Kim Smith 2013

Yesterday was a great day for butterfly sightings and Robins! Under the eaves of Janet’s porch is an American Robin nest. Pa and Ma Robin flew to and from the nest, scolding loudly each time I walked past as they were none to happy to see me.

American Robin male and female ©Kim Smith 2013

Ma and Pa Robin conferring over my extremely annoying presence

American Robin nest -1 ©Kim Smith 2013 copy

What a sloppy nest by Robin standards!  ~ I actually think it is interesting with the blue streamers

More about the American Robin on GMG

Gloucester Stage Benefit Featuring Chelsea Berry – Saturday June 8th

Posted on by Vickie & Peter

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The fun filled evening kicks off with a cocktail hour with an open bar and appetizers and a special preview performance of musical selections sung by the cast from Gloucester Stage’s season opening production of the Tony Award winning musical Spring Awakening followed by a buffet dinner, silent auction, a performance by acclaimed local singer/songwriter Chelsea Berry. The evening concludes with a dancing to the music of of DJ Sam Lurie of Total Control Entertainment.  Get your tickets today, help support Gloucester Stage Company.

SingerSongwriterShuffle for the month of June @ Giuseppe’s Ristorante

Posted on by Joanne

singersongwriter for june

Each player has a twenty minute time slot. Such a great variety of talent. I would want to miss hearing anyone.

This Thursday’s performers are,

Dave Simmons
Sarah Hoonah Smith
Julie Doughherty
Kathy Comeau
Toni Ann Enes
Inge Berge
Brian O’Connor

Hosted by Memory Layne

Saying farewell to Holy Family Parish – thank you to everyone!!

Posted on by Matthew Green

 

Yesterday was my last Sunday at Holy Family Parish.  It was a bit emotional to be presiding my last Masses at the parish.  I got a very nice surprise when a group of friends of mine from the Wednesday night “Sing” and the Monday night Sea Chanty group showed up!

In the afternoon, the parishioners had a “going away” party for me in the parish hall.  There was a lot of food, including this beautiful cake:

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And another group of music friends showed up, and added live music to the mix!

live musicAfter came the evening Brazilian Mass:

and we had another going away dinner, with another delicious cake:

THANK YOU to everyone for all you’ve done for me during my time at Holy Family Parish!  The outpouring of support yesterday – kind words, business cards, greeting cards, gifts, music, hugs, etc. – reminded me once again that I have WICKED AWESOME friends in this amazing Cape Ann community! I hope to get out thank-you notes to those people who gave gifts and for whom I have a name and address, but if I miss you, please accept my thanks here!

Of course, although I am leaving Holy Family Parish, I am not leaving Gloucester or GMG! Why leave, when I am in such a great place with so many wonderful, talented, generous people?  I am starting to move my things into a new apartment today, and will hopefully finish moving my things and myself tomorrow. I hope to support myself in part by selling prints of photos, teaching origami and photography workshops (at The Hive for teens and adults and Art Haven for kids, and anywhere else I can), and possibly doing some translation work and/or language tutoring (Spanish, Brazilian Portuguese, and/or maybe Italian, although my Italian is a little rusty).

From tomorrow on, Fr. Linus Mendis will take my place here at Holy Family Parish. As of July 1, I will formally be on a year of leave of absence with permission from the Cardinal.   That implies that, although I continue to be a priest in good standing, I will not be doing any priestly ministry.  The archdiocesan policy with these things is that, since I am taking a year off,  I am not allowed to wear my clerical clothing or celebrate the sacraments in public (although I will continue to celebrate Mass in private – I am looking for a small altar for my apartment… ). Some people have asked if I should still be called “Father Matthew”, or just “Matthew”, or “Matt”, or whatever. Since I don’t know what will be going on at the end of this year (continuing as a priest for the archdiocese? seeking another option within priestly ministry, or taking another path outside of ministry?),  just call me whatever makes you comfortable. My preference is Matthew (with or without “Father”). For now, I will be signing my posts like this:

– Matthew Green

 

Mark Godfried Memorial Tag A Tiny™ Bluefin Tournament

Posted on by Joey Ciaramitaro

This year’s Tag A Tiny Bluefin Tournament will be held in memory of our dear friend Mark Godfried. The purpose of the tournament is to promote tagging research, raise funds for the Large Pelagic Research Center, and have an all around fun time! This year the tournament will take place from July 10-14. Everyone is welcome to join!

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The Large Pelagics Research Center (LPRC), under the direction of Dr. Molly Lutcavage, is a premiere research program, focused on tunas and billfish.  Based at the UMass Marine Station, Gloucester, MA, LPRC, with its tagging program, has helped identify migration routes, growth patterns, and potential spawning areas of Bluefin tuna. The tournament raises research funds to support the LPRC’s scientific investigations. Mark Godfried was a great friend and supporter of the Large Pelagics Research Center’s Bluefin research. His knowledge and passion for the species was only exceeded by his dedication to the Gloucester fishing industry. The 2013 tournament has been renamed the ‘Mark Godfried Memorial Tag A Tiny™ Bluefin Tournament’ to honor Mark’s lifetime of work.

Mark and the LPRC, aided by local fishermen, initiated the ‘Tag A Tiny™’ juvenile tagging program in 2006. Since then, over 1,258 anglers and captains have joined the Tag A Tiny™ effort, releasing over 1,645 juvenile Bluefin with conventional spaghetti tags.  So far, anglers have recovered and returned over 38 conventional and archival data tags.

In 2008, Mark Godfried was instrumental in establishing the inaugural Tag A Tiny™ Bluefin Tournament.  This tournament is unusual in that it follows a ‘tag and release’ methodology only, i.e., ‘no-kill’.  Participants are rewarded with a unique trophy for the greatest number of fish tagged, rather than cash prizes.

Our goal is to have 50+ boats tagging fish during the four-day tournament. This non-profit event is financed through cash donations so that 100% of the tournament entry fee can be donated to The Large Pelagics Research Center. For more information on the LPRC’s research, visit http://www.tunalab.org.

To learn more about the tournament visit: www.tagatinybluefintournament.com or contact us at tagatiny@gmail.com.

Quick Info:
Registration fee- $200.00
Captain’s Meeting- July 10, Baert Marine
Fishing- July 11-13
Banquet- July 14, Gloucester House Restaurant