Stained glass in Notre Dame cathedral

Posted on by Matthew Green

Another jewel from my vacation in Paris!

– Fr. Matthew Green

P.S. Coming soon: details on holiday origami classes next week at The Hive (Friday Dec. 14, 6:30-8PM) and Art Haven (Tuesday Dec. 18, 6:30-8PM).

Leo-Pet of the Week & Holiday Open House

Posted on by Alicia Pensarosa

Leo, Pet of the week, Cape ann animal aid

Hello, my name is Leo and I am a one-year-old male pup.   I am lively, loveable,
and active.   I get along with other dogs and people.  I hope you might visit me at the Cape Ann Animal Aid, located at the Christopher Cutler Rich Animal Shelter, Four Paws Lane, Gloucester.

Please attend our Holiday Open House on Sat., Dec. 8 from 11 a.m. – 3 p.m.  If it snows, it will be held on Dec. 15.   You will receive a behind-the-scenes look at our new beautiful shelter and enjoy festive activities for the entire family – refreshment, raffles and lots of fun!

Also, it is okay to bring toys for shelter cats and dogs and if you want, you can give them all to me for safe keeping!!

Get your calendars early…well, relatively early!

Posted on by Sharon

calendars smThey’re available on my photo site Sharon Lowe Photography, at Premier Imprints at 48 Main St. and at Present at 271 Main St. Get yours today!

Thanks! ~Sharon

19th Century Gloucester Windmills From Al Bezanson

Posted on by Joey Ciaramitaro

This illustration appears in History of the town and city of Gloucester, Cape Ann Massachusetts, 1892, by James R. Pringle, who wrote,

“A sketch of the town in 1817 was drawn by Capt. John Beach, from a point in the harbor opposite Ten Pound island, off Pavilion Beach.  Standing out prominently in the foreground was an eight-sided wooden windmill erected on the site now occupied by the Pavilion Hotel.  This had been built in 1814 by Ignatius Webber, and its long arms, fitted with sails, made it a conspicuous object, and gave the town quite a foreign aspect.  It was subsequently removed to a position on Fort Square, where it became a familiar landmark, being destroyed by fire a few years ago.”

Another windmill, of more modern design, is prominent on Five Pound Island in an 1893 photograph by Martha Hovey, reproduced in Wharf and Fleet, by Gordon W. Thomas.

Al Bezanson

Gloucester Harbor sketch, 1817

Community Photos 12/5/12

Posted on by Joey Ciaramitaro

Hi Joey-

The Gloucester Gig Rowers Club had their 2012 wrap up/pot luck dinner meeting last night. They are based at the Maritime Gloucester and welcome rowers of all levels. This is an invitation for anyone who is interested in joining for the 2013 to check us out at gloucestergigrowers.com.

Cheers!

Janet Rice

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Seacoast Holiday Bazaar a Success!

 

Hi Joey, here’s a picture I took of Varian’s Turbine last night, while it was spinning.
John Wheeler

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Community Stuff 12/5/12

Posted on by Joey Ciaramitaro

Hi Joey
could you please post the attatched flyer about our open house this
thursday the 6th from 4-6 at our J Barrett & Co office .on Pleasant st.
a great way to start off ladies nite,, great food and drinks,,,open to
all
thanks
ann

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Free Christmas concerts by the Rockport Legion Band.

Friday, December 7, Concert @ Rockport Methodist Church — 7:00 P.M.

Thursday, December 13, Concert @ Rockport Congregational Church — 7:00 P.M.

Thursday, December 20, Concerts @ Nursing Homes (Denmar and Seacoast in Gloucester -split band) — 7:00 P.M.

John Bassett

Holiday Fair Thursday & Friday At Rose Baker

The annual Rose Baker Senior Center Christmas Fair is this Thursday and Friday (December 7th and 8th) from 10 AM to 2 PM. It is the perfect place to find the unusual gift for that special person. There are always lots of hand-knit and crochet items, toys and puzzles, jewelry, and a variety of white elephant items. And of course there is an ample supply of home-baked cakes, pies and other sweets. Put on your shopping cap and stop by.

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esmposter

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Winter Skate Flyer 2012

For more information regarding Cape Ann Skating please visit:
http://www.facebook.com/CapeAnnSkatingClub

website: http://cafsc.org/

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Hi Joey,

My name is Julie Upton and I’m a Cape Ann Resident and student of Lama Marut’s.  Stacey Fisher introduced us (see below) a little while ago in regards to his upcoming ‘virtual book tour’.  Besides being his student I am also his book tour manager.  Lama Marut wrote a spiritually minded book titled ‘A Spiritual Renegade’s Guide to the Good Life’.  We completed a successful three-month physical book tour around the US with two stops in Canada back in August.  We stopped in Massachusetts twice during the tour going to Rockport, Gloucester, Essex, Newburyport and Boston.  I am now managing a virtual book tour for him, where for ten days (from December 5-15th) he guest posts on one blog per day.  Each blog is promoted through his entire network and on the day his tour reaches your site you post the content of your choice we provide for you.  On that day Lama Marut will be checking in to your blog to see if anyone has any questions, comments or to simply talk about the content in the book.

My thought was that it would be super cool, since he has such a huge fan base in the Cape Ann area, to launch his tour on your site.

The book has been reviewed by local papers so, if you want to post a review of the book ahead of time to promote the tour, I can provide you with one.  You post your content of choice (video, audio or written word) on Dec 5th, Lama Marut is available for conversation and it starts off his 10-day virtual world tour.

If you are interested in participating and hosting him on your site let me know and we can discuss the details.  If Dec 5th doesn’t work for you we are happy to accommodate you on whatever day works for you.  We want to book the tour as soon as possible because both Lama Marut and the book publisher Beyond Words are going to be promoting it.  And of course we will send you a copy of the book in whatever format you want it in (pdf or paper). 

To check out information on his book go to: 

http://lamamarut.org/about/lama-maruts-new-book/

Thank you so much and I look forward to hearing from you soon.

Julie Upton

GMG HOLIDAY PARTY DATE HAS BEEN SET- DECEMBER 8th AT BODIN HISTORIC PHOTO!!!

Posted on by Joey Ciaramitaro
Are You A FOB?

Then you better get your sexy ass down to Bodin Historic Photo For The GMG XMAS Party December 8th! 6PMTil We Burn Down The Neighborhood!

I’m just gonna put this out there that if you consider yourself a FOB you had better show up for our killer  OFFICIAL GMG CHRISTMAS PARTY!!!!!!

Go to all the great Middle Street Walk Events All Day- Dump The Kids with A Babysitter and Come Party With Us.

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We’re gonna celebrate it all, Kwanza, spinnin the dradel, all that fun shit!

I’m springing for the Sebastians Pizza, bring a jug of booze or some beer, we will have cups and ice and we’re gonna have a good time.

Fred Bodin writes-

Hi JOEY, our second annual GMG Holiday Party will be held on Saturday, December 8th, at Fred’s Gallery, 82 Main Street, in the West End. If last year was any indication, it will be unbelievable.  Rest assured that there will be plenty to eat and drink at this event. I think it will, like last year’s bash, be the party to remember. Hope to see you!

We will also be seeking people pledging to do the Rocky Neck Plunge With Us on New Year’s Day!

2012 GMG Downtown Gloucester Holiday Gift Series- Nelsons

Posted on by Joey Ciaramitaro

Video Series where we walk up and down Main Street and try to capture as many retailers as we can and highlight their best gift ideas one a day every day leading up to Christmas.

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Patricia Walsh Sends In Photos Of The P-Town Lobster Trap Tree

Posted on by Joey Ciaramitaro

You know by now I hope folks know that when I write the title of a post like –

Our Always Fair and Balanced Lobster Trap Tree Poll and Gloucester’s Lobster Trap Tree

and proceed to write-

“Don’t forget to bring your children down to Art Haven to paint a buoy to adorn the tree.  That’s what separates our lobster trap tree from all those horribly disfigured monstrosity lobster trap trees up in Maine that are all built out of simply traps and cheap pre-made ribbons imported from China and manufactured in sweat shops with unfair labor practices.”

Patty was offended by the post obviously not seeing the homerism angle of it so I offered to show her what good sports we are here and to post her photos of the P-Town tree.

Here you go Patty-

P-town treelobster tree

In fairness I really like what they do with their lighted lobster trap buoy bloom at the top.  Very nice.

That being said I’ll take our G-Town lobster trap tree 10 times out of 10.

Happy Birthday To Captain Dave Marciano and new Promo For The Upcoming Wicked Tuna Season

Posted on by Joey Ciaramitaro

Dave is the skipper of The Hard Merchandise. You can see him on Wicked Tuna.

Video- Dave Marciano Skipper Of Hard Merchandise On Wicked Tuna

here’s what I wrote about Dave on April 5th this year-

Posted on April 5, 2012 by Joey C

This show mark my words will be the best thing for Gloucester since The Perfect Storm.  If you’ve been under a rock and haven’t heard about it, set your DVR and watch it.  This show is a winner.

Check out The Hard Merchandise Website Here

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You can also follow Dave on Twitter–

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and this I wrote about him back in 2010-

Dave Marciano Has Balls

Posted on August 19, 2010 by Joey C

Not too many people other than my favorite blogger Doug Maxfield that have the balls to write articles like the one Dave Marciano wrote in today’s GDT-

Letter: Coalition sector support now haunting fishermen

Click the link above to read what Dave has to say.  If what he says is true (and believe me I can’t even begin to understand how complex it all is) the way of life of the independent fishermen in Gloucester Ma will be lost forever within a generation.

I’m not sure how many people understand how sweeping the changes will be to our port but if it all is privatized the way it sounds like it’s going, go grab all the copies you can of John N Morris’ book Alone At Sea about the Schooners and Ron Gilson’s book about the waterfront An Island No More because the way of life as independent fishermen in Gloucester will be history and those two guys captured it in a real (non-romanticized way) better than anyone.

New wicked Tuna Promo here-

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Tired of folks trying to get me to be vanilla

Posted on by Joey Ciaramitaro

It’s exhausting responding to people that can’t get the obvious humor or freak out at a swear word.

Seriously.  Exhausting feeling like I have to defend obvious outlandish statements like-

“Don’t forget to bring your children down to Art Haven to paint a buoy to adorn the tree.  That’s what separates our lobster trap tree from all those horribly disfigured monstrosity lobster trap trees up in Maine that are all built out of simply traps and cheap pre-made ribbons imported from China and manufactured in sweat shops with unfair labor practices.

Compare our Tree decorated with heart felt appreciation for our lobster industry and hard working fishermen by sweet adoring children form the Gloucester Community to the abomination seen below-“

It’s a joke.  It’s obvious homerism.   If you can’t deal with it or if the word fuck is going to send you into a tailspin please, get your blog on somewhere else.

So sick and tired of the PC police trying to vanillaize the entire world.

Political Correctness is the ruination of funky society.

You heard it here.

You wanna rail on about something?  Rail on about child abuse, rail on about cancer, rail on about how messed up our health care system is or political hacks.  But jesus h christ if the worst part of your day is that you didn’t get an edgy joke or if a four letter swear word freaks you out so much that you feel like writing a three paragraph email telling me how horrible I am- save it.

This here blog isn’t gonna change.

Here’s a site for those too sensitive for the word fuck- http://disney.com/

Fuck.

Seashells & Jingle Bells

Posted on by God's Morning

eileen oliver image

In conjunction with the “Seashells & Jingle Bells” Inn and Home Kitchen tour in Rockport, benefiting Rockport High School DECA, Gloucester artist Eileen Patten Oliver will be at the Rockport Inn & Suites, which is the starting point of the tour, on December 8th from 1-4 PM selling her Christmas Cards and prints of some of her paintings.  Tickets for the tour are also available at Rockport Inn & Suites which is one of 13 locations featured on the tour. Please come out to see this wonderful tour, support the kids in DECA, and get a beautiful card or print!

For more info visit http://seashellsandjinglebellsrkpt.blogspot.com/ 

 

Maggies Farm

Posted on by Kimsmithdesigns

Maggies Farm Middleton ©Kim Smith 2012

Last night we stopped at Mark McDonough’s newest restaurant, Maggies Farm, located in Middleton. Disclaimer: our son Alex recently started working there although, I can honestly say, our dinners were simply outstanding. And as you can see in the photos, the portions are enormously generous.

Maggies Farm Restaurant Middleton ©Kim Smith 2012-2Alex recommended the Nachos and, even though I generally dislike shouty capitals– WOW is all I can say!

The host Kai was gracious and friendly and our waitress was super professional and efficient. The ambiance was warm, welcoming, and fun, and the crowd ranged in age from 20-somethings through the ages including dating couples, sports bar fans, a group of women getting together after work, and sitting next to us, was a grandmother with her granddaughter discussing the granddaughter’s upcoming wedding plans.

Maggies Farm Restaurant Middleton ©Kim Smith 2012-3

Husband Tom ordered the Fish and Chips. I did not try the fish however, the onion rings were the best I have ever tasted–extra crispy flavorful golden brown on the outside, perfectly sweet, tender onions within. We were not sitting under the lights and I apologize for the not-so-great photos, but we’ll be back often. I ‘d love to return at lunch time for better photos and to try more items on the menu. I struggled to decide and was more than happy with the delicious Pan Roasted Chicken with cranberry cornbread stuffing, parsnips, Brussel sprouts, and gravy (and much too full after the perfectly enormous plate of nachos to eat all my dinner). The menu is a collection of favorite comfort food from many cuisines, and is comfort food at its most sublime. For sushi-lovers, the sushi looked very tempting and is half-off on Monday nights. I can see any number of reasons to head over to Maggies for lunch or for dinner as it is only a five minute drive past the long stretch of shops, stores, and car dealerships that line Rt. 114. Maggies is located adjacent to Richardson’s Farm. When the weather warms it will be lots of fun to make a night of Richardson’s mini golf and dinner at Maggies!

Maggies Farm Restaurant Middleton -4 ©Kim Smith 2012.

The name Maggies Farm Restaurant is taken from the Bob Dylan song he penned (from the album Bringing it All Back Home), after his departure from acoustic folk to electric rock. See Mark McDonough’s Gloucester restaurants Alchemy, Latitude 43, and Minglewood.

Todays Twitter Highlights 12/4/12

Posted on by Joey Ciaramitaro