My View of Life on the Dock
Lunch at Passports is always a treat. Daughter Liv had the very filling and super yummy pulled pork sandwich. I had the wonderfully tasty and seafood-rich Adriatic stew. I only had my iPhone with me and didn’t get a great snapshot of our waitress Laila, but she was wonderful as well. Thanks Laila and Eric for the fabulous lunch!
How much do you pay for hamburger meat? For good quality, we pay more than $4.00 per pound. Do you know that the best quality, sweetest, most fresh-off-the-boat, and most tender tasty lobsters are only FOUR DOLLARS per pound at Captain Joe and Sons RIGHT NOW? What are you waiting for ?????????????????????????????????????????
Daughter Liv is always so sweet to her brother Alex ~ Laurel Beedy cell phone photo
Liv was at the MLB All Star Gala last night and shares these snapshots from her phone. She reports “…4,000 people on the Intrepid and adjacent pier…these are pix of the pier. It was so beautiful, very cool place for a party!!! The Roots played and there was even a full firework display on the Hudson.”
Thanks for sharing Liv and looks like so much fun. I love the Roots and imagine it must have been gorgeous on the Hudson at sunset!!
For Christmas Liv gave me an early edition of Emily Dickinson’s poems. I cried. The poems of Emily Dickinson play a beautiful role in my book, Oh Garden of Fresh Possibilities, but the sweetest poem found within the books’ pages is the poem written by Liv, when she was only twelve.
Emily Dickinson, published 1892
When Liv was twelve I hired her to transcribe the first draft of the manuscript for Oh Garden, which I had written in longhand, to our then new computer. I had not yet learned how to use the computer and she was quite proficient. The original manuscript included recipes and illustrations, but no poetry. She took her job of transcribing very seriously and one day, about halfway through the project, announced that I needed a poem for the book. She dashed upstairs to her bedroom, returning only half an hour later with her contribution, “My Mother’s Garden.” Her tender poem suggested to me that I include more poetry and it was a joyous experience searching for just the right poem to illuminate each chapter. The book grew to comprise many poems by Emily Dickinson, along with works by Federico García Lorca, John Keats, Amy Lowell, Chinese painter- poets, and even a funny and sweetly sarcastic poem by Dorothy Parker titled “One Perfect Rose.” When the time came, I showed my publisher, Mr. Godine, Liv’s poem. He was delighted to include “My Mother’s Garden” and it can be found on page 206.
Now I keep this cherished gift of Emily Dickinson poems by my bedside table and each time I reach to read it or simply when the cover catches my eye, I am reminded of her gentle, thoughtful love and of the most cherished gift of all, my daughter.
My Mother’s Garden
An exotic sunset-tinted rose
Intoxicating breath of a magnolia
The small windy brick path
Leading to a hidden paradise
Butterflies flutter their own petal-wings
Over the smiling face of a daisy
A hushed lullaby to the garden sings the stream
Honeysuckle vines twist their elegant tendril,
Grasping the delicate lattice
Gorgeous, vibrant hollyhocks stretch their faces
Towards the radiant sun
Drinking in the soft light
Soon the sweet mellow silence is broken
By a joyful cry of children,
Two, three, now four
Suddenly the garden is a place of singing and frolicking and dancing,
Youthful and inviting.
This blessed garden’s soul shines forth in each and every existence
From the flitting butterflies
To the smallest thriving plant
To the noisiest child that finds peaceful comfort,
In the gentle haven.
-Written by our Liv when she was twelve
@livviiiiii: Midday treat, cc: @kimsmithdesigns http://instagr.am/p/OmKDJrgAXj/
Snapshots from one of our favorite restaurants, the 7th Wave, Rockport, on Tuna Wharf. Disclaimer: Our son Alex Hauck is a chef there, nonetheless, we wouldn’t go if the food was anything but super delicious.
The atmosphere is so pleasant–relaxing, family friendly, and with lovely views all around. The wait staff is a great bunch of young college students and Elaine, the owner, always stops by to say hello. Pictured are just some of the yummy dishes from their eclectic seafood menu. We always ask what station Alex is working–sautee, grill, fry, etc. and place our orders based on what he is cooking that evening. The seafood is fried to perfection–the most beautiful golden orange brown-and simply out of this world.
Fabulous seafood medley of fresh calamari, shrimp, scallops, and clams
Mussels Fra Diavolo–and yes, the broth truly is ‘Fra Diavolo,’ or Brother Devilishly Hot! The Chef says he uses both red hot chilies and habaneros.
My kids just love it when I pull out the camera.
Charming Cottage Garden Rockport
Lovely mature catalpa tree shading gallery entrance, Bearskin Neck, Rockport
I loved this Macy Gray song from the moment I first heard it. The lyrics are full of hope. I found the song to be perfect for creating a montage of my favorite clips, filmed in and around Gloucester over the course of the past month. The footage is from works-in-progress butterfly films, 2012 Greasy Pole shorts, and random footage from a family picnic. Is it too kooky–butterflies and Greasy Pole Walkers–you tell me because I see beauty in everyone and everything.
Filmed at Niles Beach, Pavilion Beach, Good Harbor Beach, Eastern Point, Brace Cove, Gloucester Harbor Walk, and Plum Street. Created for Good Morning Gloucester. Dedicated to Joey and his beautiful family and to our beloved Gloucester community.
Thank you Ciaramitaros for your help with my Monarch film!
Thank you to my darling daughter Liv; as Craig said, “a trifecta–beautiful, smart, and funny!”
Beauty in the World Sung by Macy Gray
Featuring:
Liv
Eloise Ciaramitaro
Madeline Ciaramitaro
Joe Ciaramitaro
Stew McGillivray
Ross Carlson
2012 Sunday Greasy Pole Walkers
“Beauty in the World” is by American singer Macy Gray from her album The Sellout, which is Gray’s fifth album and first since her under-performing 2007 album Big. The Selllout is her return to musical form after almost conforming when her last album didn’t take off. “I thought after Big flopped maybe I should do what everyone else was doing,” she said. “Go out and hire the hottest producers, the best writers, get real skinny. But none of those people called me back.”
The song was inspired by hearing her daughter’s laughter on a down day. “I didn’t even know what she was laughing at. I thought ‘at least she’s happy.’ And I felt at least I hadn’t failed there, because my daughter’s happy.” -wiki
I heard through the grapevine Joey’s already planning the next Lannon adventure!
Sent to GMG via daughter Liv
Liv and Rosa
My beautiful son, born on the first day of spring, during a snow storm, March 20, 1993.
Alex, on his first day of college this past September. I don’t have too many recent photos of Alex; he was in the camera shy stage for all his high school years–although lately I am getting the feeling he doesn’t mind so much his Mom with her cameras.
Best friends favorite breakfast of bacon and chocolate chip pancakes and strawberry smoothies ~ Shaffy, Alex, Sam, Mike, Cam, and Andrew
Alex and Liv August 2006
My darling daughter is home from grad school for a few days during spring break. I adore her and we just have the best time together.
iPhone 4s photo ~ Liv and Rosie
My husband gave me a new iPhone for my early birthday present, while Liv is home, so that she can show me how to use it. My previous phone, a fossil from the Stone Age (as my son Alex often referred to it as) was not fun to use. When Siri started talking to us, I was just on the floor laughing in amazement.
iPhone 4S photo
Good Morning Gloucester 