Category Archives: Stuff

Stuff that is happening in Newburyport, MA, matter, material, articles, activities of a specified or indeterminate kind that is being referred to, indicated, or implied.

Newburyport and Friendship

I read about Mr. Ryan’s definite departure from our fair city with great sadness.

Mr. Ryan has probably become one of the Newburyport Blog’s biggest friends.

I know this comes as a surprise to many and horror to more than a few.

The Tom Ryan that I have come to know in the last year and a half is a completely different Tom Ryan than the often cruel, smart-assed editor of the Undertoad, who often seems to have a huge chip on his shoulder.

It’s as if the Tom Ryan of the Undertoad is a “persona,” and the Tom Ryan that I have come to know is a completely different person.

And if the Undertoad editor is a “persona,” believe me, I more than understand.

Over the last year and a half plus, I find that as the editor of the Newburyport Blog I have begun to develop a “persona” myself. A completely ditzy person, who talks to birdbaths, has stuffed animals making political commentary, and who occasionally makes an intelligent observation.

And as I put myself “out there” in a small community, it feels as if the “persona” serves as some sort of protection or shield.

I could honestly say that it is very possible that Mr. Ryan is the best friend that the Newburyport Blog has had thus far.

Mr. Ryan calls up and checks on me. Sees if I’m doing Ok. Tells me I’m doing something worthwhile (yes, hope that is true) and not to lose heart. And there is no agenda.

Possible small gestures that have gone a long, long way. And no one else in Newburyport, MA has come close to showing the consistent compassion, empathy and support that Tom Ryan has.

Actions speak loudly.

Now as the election heats up and I may disagree with Mr. Ryan on this or that, I still may well get “Toaded.” But all those “small” kindnesses have added up to a mountain of consideration. It would take an awful lot of wild “Toading” to negate all the kindness that Tom Ryan has shown to me and the Newburyport Blog.

Mary Eaton
Newburyport

Newburyport, Tour of 87 High Street

First of all the frogs are furious with me. First they threatened to leave (go ahead, leave guys, there are other frogs out there, believe you me, how about 1000’s). Then they threatened to unionize (like that’s really going to work). And then they were hurling themselves against the door (I mean it was really over the top) trying to get out to go with me when I was leaving.

Such drama at the Newburyport Blog. Wow.

Second of all, I have a wild suggestion. If a reader of the Newburyport Blog finds a post where they might be discussed- pleasantness works so much better than, for example, an offensive phone call threatening to sue the editor of the Newburyport Blog, moi, for who knows what. Really.

Third of all, preservationists out there, relax. It’s Ok.

I got a very nice email, much to my complete surprise, from Peter and Leslie Tolan inviting me to take a tour of 87 High Street (see earlier posts).

And, I am very jealous of, among other things, the gorgeous original staircase, and the huge original fireplace, which is in the dining room. Yes, serious High Street envy for this Newburyport Blogger.

And they were nice people too, with nice kids. And they’ve been walking among us undetected for quite a while. So, boo.

Ok, there will be or already is a “magical hedge” (see earlier entry). But family in town and our gorgeous small seaport city appear to be the reason for buying the house.

And I didn’t get the sense that vast streams of Hollywood folks were following in their wake (whew). I could be a total pushover (being nice to the editor of the Newburyport Blog could do that), and maybe I’m wrong and my radar could be out of wack. But the owners of 87 High Street passed the Mary Baker Eaton, Newburyport Blog inquirization.

So welcome to the neighborhood and welcome to Newburyport, Massachusetts.

Mary Eaton
Newburyport

Newburyport, A Sidekick on Another Local Blog

Is George Cushing of Frog Pond at the Bartlet Mall, the political consultant to the Newburyport Blog ever excited.

George has found another blog that has a “sidekick.” (George is not sure whether he likes being referred to has a “sidekick,” but for the moment he’s decided to go for it.)

The other “sidekick” is on another local blog called H2oTown watertown’s watercooler.

The editor of H2oTown is Lisa Williams, and Lisa has recently started Placeblogger (probably more about Placeblogger at a later date, because it’s a pretty interesting concept).

George is both excited and at the same time wildly jealous. Because Lisa’s sidekick has his own video. And now George wants his own video. All the frogs want their own video. Good grief.

Forget it George, no video. In fact, I’m so sick of seeing photos of frogs lately on the Newburyport Blog, that I’m not even going to put a picture of you on this post, so there.

(George is not happy with this.)

Ms Williams sidekick is called “Nicnoc”. And you can press here to see the original post on Nicnoc.

And here is Nicnoc’s bio:

“Nicnoc has come from the planet [untranslatable] in search of new methods of governance for his homeworld, whose government is mired in petty feuds. His plans to visit the White House are nixed, so he decides to take in a Town Council meeting in Watertown, MA, instead.” (H2oTown, June 26, 2007)

And here is Nicnoc’s very cool video on YouTube:

Many thanks to Lisa Williams and H2oTown watertown’s watercooler (and of course Nicnoc).

Mary Eaton
Newburyport

Newburyport, The Anniversary of George Cushing’s Debut

In all the whirl wind in my brain about 87 High Street and what that could mean for Newburyport, MA and the residences therein (except for the realtors, who must be salivating), George Cushing reminded me that a year ago, yesterday, July 18, 2006, George Cushing of Frog Pond at the Bartlet Mall, made his debut on the World Wide Web, here at the Newburyport Blog.

Who would have thought, one whole year. Wow, George.

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George Cushing pleased as punch at the
anniversary of his debut on the Newburyport Blog

And so much has happened since George has arrived. And who knew that frogs could be that popular.

(I, of course, am jealous.)

The twins appeared. Not that they’ve done much, but they are cute. And they still are way in the apprentice stage. They think they could be political consultants to the Newburyport Blog, but they may have to wait quite a long time. I don’t care how great they may be at researching Hollywood celebrities. Sorry.

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The Twins

And of course Georgiana Tadpole, George Cushing’s great love. The activist frog from the vernal pool behind the Wheelwright House.

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Georgiana Tadpole

Yes, George and Georgianna, horny little things that they are, have sired, goodness knows how many tadpoles this spring in Newburyport, MA. 100’s, I hope not 1000’s. Yes, and some of them must have made it to tiny frog status.

I have to say, I really haven’t kept up. I refuse to be an aunt much less be a grandmother to tiny frogs sired by George and Georgiana. Just forget about that one.

But Georgiana and sometimes George will go visit and see how the little things are coming along. That’s a drama for a whole other blog (and believe you me that one will not be written by moi).

So I’m very proud of George Cushing of Frog Pond at the Bartlet Mall. At least for this blogger, he has been a most welcomed addition to the Newburyport Blog.

Happy (late) anniversary George.

Mary Eaton
Newburyport

87 High Street Newburyport, Wow

The “Twins” are going nuts on me. They are so ridiculously excited that we have a “celebrity,” a real live Hollywood celebrity, celebrity who has bought 87 High Street.

As the Twins pointed out to me, if they (the celebrities) wanted to lay low and not be noticed they wouldn’t be doing all that “stuff” to 87 High Street, High Street being the historic and much beloved (and highly visible) gateway to Newburyport, MA.

Well, no the Twins are NOT going to go beyond their apprenticeship status at the Newburyport Blog, I mean really, just look at the twerpy little things. I mean I have an image to protect here, geesh.

The Twins

However… The twins appear to be better than moi at researching Hollywood celebrities that are buying a Newburyport, High Street home.

They found out that the gentleman in question went to UMass Amherst, and they went and looked up alumni magazines, and low and behold these silly little frogs found an interview with the gentleman, in the Winter 2000 issue. Wow. (I got to secretly admit, not bad.)

The article was by Ali Crolius, in a section called “La Stories, Catching up with the sunset kids”.

The gentleman and lady “had just moved to a 1912 Pasadena mansion so grand it had been used for exterior shots in Dynasty…”

While waiting the writer “stood in the immense kitchen drinking coffee with the nanny, coo-chooing with Beatrice, Peter’s and Leslie’s youngest, and employing visualization techniques to halt the rain so I could see the Hockneyesque gardens in sunlight.”

Well, folks, I think the “Twins” have discovered or confirmed that the new owners of 87 High Street have more money than most of us here in Newburyport, MA could possibly fathom.

From what I can make out they have either moved on from Pasadena, or bought another mansion further up the coast. Maybe I’ll get the twins to research that one too, since they are so wide-eyed celebrity goofy.

What the Twins and I figure is that a High Street mansion must look like a bargain basement deal, compared to the mansion where Dynasty was filmed.

And this is what we are wondering. There aren’t exactly a lot of other Hollywood celebrity types hanging around Newburyport, MA. Are these folks going to tell their friends about us (ie. Newburyport, Massachusetts)?

And lots of preservationists (and even some maybe un-preservationists) all over our fair seaport city are NOT happy with how 87 High Street has been revamped. Is this a vast understatement or what? So what does this say about the potential upcoming stewardship of possible beloved properties in Newburyport, Massachusetts?

From charmingly historic to Hollywood flashy?? A possibility? Good grief.

(And folks, we have NO protection. Guess what, there is NO Local Historic District… Oh, ye of ongoing hesitation, you might want to rethink this one, like having a Local Historic District might actually be a good thing.)

Mary Eaton
Newburyport

Newburyport, MA, Decorated Down to the Pets

Ok, I’m still on the subject of 87 High Street.

In the Newburyport Planning Board minutes, May 2, 2007, there is mention of a “hedge that had to be removed because of excavation” that “will be replaced and will also be extended further along property than it did originally.”

Which reminds me of a story I haven’t thought about for a long, long time.

Many years ago two delightful gentleman gave me a (art/painting) one person show in the “Hamptons.”

Since I knew nothing about the Hamptons and they knew a whole lot, they drove me around, showing me “the sights.” “The sights” consisted of homes owned by celebrities that used the Hamptons as a second (or third or fourth or whatever) home.

One of the homes that was pointed out to me was owned, I believe, by a film producer.

We drove by the newly acquired home by the gentleman in question. And the second day it had a huge 16 foot hedge, swarming with folks pruning it, which was NOT there the day before.

So, I said, “say what?” And these two lovely gentleman explained to me that this happened in the Hamptons. In fact, as I recall, they said a house and a guest house could be completely furnished by professionals without input from the owners. Everything, right down to the pets.

The pets??

So the owners could just walk right in and feel at home and not even have to think about it.

The pets??

So when it comes to the hedge at 87 High Street that will be “replaced” and “extended,” I’m wondering if it will be replaced by a small hedge that grows, or would it be replaced by one of these 16 foot hedges that I saw, lo those many years ago, that magically appears in one day.

How the hedge is replaced, I imagine, would tell us all quite a bit. Like whether or not this place could be furnished right down to the pets.

And believe you me, for this Newburyport blogger, the fact that that possibility could even remotely exist in Newburyport, Massachusetts is really, really beyond way weirder than fiction.

Mary Eaton
Newburyport

Trying to Research 87 High Street, Newburyport, MA

Some very astute readers of the Newburyport Blog sent me in some information on the new owners of 87 High Street, the house/mansion that I got nosy about and then went for a snoop. (See earlier entry.)

I went back and took a look at the Newburyport Planning Board minutes to make sure that yes indeed, these were the same folks.

And I thought, yippee, is this ever going to be fun to research. Forget about researching zoning stuff, I can research a California gentleman who is a producer, writer and director and whose wife is no slouch either, an independent TV producer and editor, I think. Wow.

Plus the gentleman in question co-produces a show with Denis Leary. Now forget about the “easy on the eyes” stuff (see previous post), Denis Leary is “hot,” often literally smok’n hot.

However… let’s just say that researching these folks made Stephen Karp look available. Researching these folks was like excavating slabs of granite with a plastic spoon (sort of alliterates with Peter Tolan or maybe doesn’t alliterate with Peter Tolan, I don’t know). Ok, so you get to scrap away a little dust, but that’s it.

Salemdeeds.com did give me an address in California. So having Googled myself half to death on these folks and getting nowhere, I decided, let’s find out about the town that they list as their primary residence.

Answers.com and Wikepedia.org call this place in California one of the wealthiest communities in the United States.

Epondunk.com says that in 2002 it was ranked No. 3 in Worth magazine’s list of 250 Richest Towns.

According to the Answers.com folks like Oprah Winfrey, Kevin Costner, Steve Martin and even Steven Spielberg, dwell in this community, just to name a few.

Before I started my research, I was thinking real seriously of calling up this family up and saying, “Hi, I’m Mary Eaton from the Newburyport Blog, why in the world did you pick us?” Not a hope of a phone number anywhere, much less, if I found one, getting through what I’m sure is the wall of people to protect our new neighbors from everyone who would like a “piece” of these folks.

I was going to say that Peter McClelland’s piece was pretty unwelcoming to the new owners of 87 High Street. I thought it was unwelcoming, didn’t you think it was unwelcoming?

I was also concerned that people in New England could be somewhat taciturn and careful about their acquaintances. Not often a group to run over with cookies and casseroles.

But I have a feeling that the new owners of 87 High Street might be happy that no one would run over with cookies and casseroles when they come for a visit. I have a feeling that the cookies and casserole thing, with this sort of moola, could kind of take care of itself.

This is really a whole new breed of buyer for Newburyport, Massachusetts.

And is this the beginning of a trend? Good grief, what if we become the New England version of the “Hamptons?” I’m not kidding here.

This makes the folks that bought homes in Newburyport, MA starting around 2002, and at the height of the current market look impoverished, not to mention the rest of us lowly peons.

I came away from researching these folks not with a smile on my face, but with a migraine headache. Zoning research ended up looking very soothing and relaxing. Who knew.

Mary Eaton
Newburyport

Newburyport, Easy on the Eyes

I was chit chatting with one of the array of municipal candidates and I found myself saying, “yes, that would be a good idea to visit so and so because you’re ‘easy on the eyes’.”

Now the readers of the Newburyport Blog may be scratching their heads and saying, who?? Who of this municipal array that has pulled papers or is likely to pull papers is “easy on the eyes?”

Maybe we will have a municipal “easy on the eyes” contest. Wouldn’t that be fun?

The municipal candidate in question wondered out loud to me about my assessment of themselves (the “easy on the eyes” thing).

Being the editor of the Newburyport Blog has been great, but I’ve noticed that every now and then that I get weighed down, like with this peccadillo stuff, watch every word I say, much less every word I write. Silly goes out the window. The weight of whatever sinks in. And I remind myself that the Newburyport Blog is a sideline and is supposed to be fun

And just as a btw, the “easy on the eyes” bit got lodged into my brain due to a correspondence regarding my 23 year old son, who is acting his heart out in NYC.

I got a wonderful email from a woman involved in the theater, who has a small production space that my son had briefly appeared in. This lovely lady went on to praise my son, which of course I loved, what mother would not. And she ended the email by remarking that my son was “easy on the eyes.”

Ever since then “easy on the eyes” has been wedged into my wits, and I guess it just popped out chit chatting with a Newburyport municipal candidate.

And later that night I found myself downright giggling, if not outright laughing at myself, that I would say something to anybody like “easy on the eyes,” because it was a quintessential, quirky Mary Baker Eaton thing to say. It was moi. (Remember, I have a stuffed frog for a political consultant for goodness sakes.)

And I was very relieved. Because if I don’t keep my sense of silly in all of this, I am in danger of having not just a “few peccadilloes,” but of turning into a dreary peccadillo possible porcupine. Which would be no fun at all, because peccadilloes popping up like porcupine quills tend to pop exuberant balloons.

Ouch.

Mary Eaton
Newburyport

Newburyport, My Faithful Visitor

When I started the Newburyport Blog, a local blog, I also started a blog on national issues (as well as an artist’s website and an art blog– a lot of stuff).

The Newburyport Blog ended up flourishing, way beyond my windswept expectations. But that’s not the only reason why the Newburyport Blog gets the most attention from moi.

Way back in the early days when I first had my art website, when maybe 7 people would come visit, and 3 of them happened to be me, I had a faithful visitor who every month would check every page. Who wouldn’t be happy? I was.

Now my stats (statistics) show IP numbers. An IP number is the number of a particular computer. It took me a while to figure out all of this IP stuff out. And then I realized that you could look up IP numbers. Most of the time it doesn’t tell you much, but every now and again, you will get the name of an actual company (as opposed to Comcast or Verizon). And way back when, when there were only 3 or 4 IP numbers a day, it didn’t take much time to give them a gander.

So who is my faithful visitor? Well, after a little IP-ing and a little Googling, I found out that my faithful visitor turned out to be a company used by Home Land Security.

Yikes, and I was pissed. I mean, this was an art website, for crying out loud.

So, when I started the national blog, I put this information, with the IP number and the name of the company on my national blog.

Then my “faithful visitor,” visited me a whole lot more frequently, and I was very freaked. So, I decided to take down the IP number and the name of the company. And yes, you bet, I’m chicken. I decided to concentrate on my own home town community, where hopefully my “faithful visitor” would only see fit to visit me once a month, just like in the old days.

And as a btw… I have no idea how many times these folks now come around, because I’ve long stopped, long since, checking IP numbers. So how often my “faithful visitor” comes a calling will just have to remain a mystery. Which remains fine and dandy by me.

Mary Eaton
Newburyport

(Editor’s Note: O’ you out there in Web Land, if my “faithful visitor” was checking out an art website, one would imagine that they are probably checking your blog or website out too.)

Newburyport Blog Takes the Challenge

What a blogger puts up with, geesh.

Actually for all intents and purpose I’m looking for sympathy here, but it’s purely perfunctory on my part. You see Answers.com graciously put the Newburyport Blog on their site (thank you Answers.com), and I got this “challenge” from Answers.com to write a blog post using words like “mellissophobia” (abnormal fear of bees). Good grief, like I’m really going to use “messissophobia” a whole lot on the Newburyport Blog, for crying out loud.

I have a very healthy dislike of wasps, but I certainly do NOT have an abnormal fear of bees (“mellissophobia”). I don’t even have an unhealthy phobia about people called “Mellisso.”

They also want me to use the word “Belize.” Isn’t that fun. At first I thought, well, ah ha, I’ve used belie, no proproblemo. But no, this is “Belize,” which is some country I never heard of somewhere south of Mexico. Good grief. The only thing “Belize” has in common with Newburyport, MA is that it is coastal. And, well, we’re coastal. So Ok.

And yes, they want me to include stuff about a “brown recluse spider,” like we really have those in Newburyport, MA.

Would this quixotic blog post of mine mean that the readers of the Newburyport Blog would abrogate themselves from their possible perfunctory daily, weekly, monthly peek or whatever? I hope not.

And does Answers.com really think just because of some email “challenge” that they sent me that there might be the vaguest chance that I could yo-yo back and forth between Newburyport, MA and Belize for goodness sakes?

Or even worse, that I would abandon and abrogate (well aren’t we all learning fancy new words here) myself from this coastal, New England city and become some ubiquitous blogger for some coastal place, who knows where? I don’t think so.

And the quid pro quo for my either perfunctory or quixotic blogging “challenge” (depending on how one looks at it), basically is practically zippo for moi. You’d think I’d get some big blogger prize for subjecting the readers of the Newburyport Blog to words like “mellissophobia” and “Belize” and “brown recluse spider.”

But no. All I get is some cheap gift certificate to Amazon.com, if I would win this stupid thing (and the readers of the Newburyport Blog can’t even vote or anything, good grief).

And what does Answers.com get from this silly post on the Newburyport Blog, with words like “brown reclusive spiders?” For all intense and purposes they get a whole lot of links to their website. That’s what they get. Which is real smart on the part of Answers.com. Good SEO (Search Engine Optimization). My.

And yes, this blogger from Newburyport, MA fell for the whole silly thing. Although… it’s a great idea. Maybe I’ll send out Newburyport words to websites and blogs, with the promise of some grand prize. I could come up with $50 bucks (2nd place, Answers.com. $100 1st place.) for a gift certificate to Amazon.com, I’m cheap and Yankee enough to do that. I’ll have to ponder that one. Hmmm, let’s think… and La-de-da.

Mary Eaton
Newburyport

Newburyport’s Guardian Angels

I’ve just come back from seeing my son perform a “solo performance” that he wrote–an independent study for college. My son graduates from college this May.

Sitting in the dark theater surrounded by his adorable, wonderful and boisterous fellow travelers, I forgot that the amazing versatile and gifted young man on stage, performing this remarkable, poetic piece, was the child that I gave birth to.

In the audience were two people from Newburyport, Massachusetts.

The first was Greg Moss, who cast my son in a play that he wrote and directed called “Yoohoo and Hank Williams.” An incredibly poignant play, performed at the Black Box at the Tannery, a play I’ve always wanted to see not only at the Fire House, but always thought it was worthy off-Broadway.

Greg Moss’ mother is Maureen Daly, who was my son’s kindergarten teacher. Mr. Moss’ father is yes, “Mr. Moss”, Myron Moss, my son’s poetry teacher his senior year at Newburyport High School. A family that so lovingly has book-ended my son’s earlier education.

Suzanne Bryan, my son’s high school theatre teacher, was also in the audience. “Mrs. Bryan” was one of his first high school “guardian angels.” Without Suzanne Bryan, there would have been no college “solo performance” this April.

When my son was going through the Newburyport school system, I would hear parents complain and complain. But I was always amazed at the men and women who showed up everyday, who had a gift that I could never imagine having, and cajoled, inspired, were exasperated and proud of my child. I always tried to thank them.

And there were many “guardian angles.” One always worth mentioning, Bernadette Darnell. There would have been no college experience, period, with out “Mrs. Darnell.”

I hear parents say to me today, “Ah, but your son’s experience was so different from our child’s experience.” I just say “Oh.” But, what I would like to say is, “Hush, be still, listen. If you open your eyes you will find your child’s guardian angels. No one has taken them away. They are most definitely there. There is a treasure hunt ready to happen.”

The guardian angles all through the Newburyport school system, made my son’s college experience possible. It is in part because of their dedication, warmth and caring that he will graduate from college this May. And for that I can never thank them enough. I know I am proud. And I am sure that they are proud too.

Mary Eaton, Newburyport