Category: Friday Links

  • What’s Open in Boston on Patriots’ Day + Parking, Trash & MBTA Schedule Changes & More

    Here's a rundown of what's open and what's closed in Boston on Patriots' Day and the MBTA schedules for – Monday, April 15, 2019. Plus tips and information on getting around Boston, parking, marathon issues, trash pickup, and other aspects of this day in the city.

    We will update this post as more of the 2019 information becomes available. Follow us on Twitter where we'll announce updates.

    Update 04.09.19 – The City of Boston has posted its Patriots' Day Weekend traffic advisory with timelines for parking restrictions and street closings.

    Update 03.23.19 – The MBTA has posted its 2019 Marathon info, including: getting to the marathon, additional service & more.

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    Yes, there were women patriots. Women like Abigail Adams.

    Patriots' Day is a Massachusetts State Holiday Only.

    Open:
    Restaurants, Bars, Convenience Stores, Supermarkets, Retail Stores, Liquor Stores

    Financial Services: Banks may open if they wish. All markets are open. 

    Federal Offices and Facilities are open: This includes the Postal Service.

     

    Closed:
    Massachusetts City, Town, State Operations: This includes Schools, Libraries. Only emergency services are available. 

     

    Boston Parking

     

    One of the most common questions we get is about street sweeping on Patriots' Day. Here's the page from the city website with the answer. It says: 

     

    "On City holidays, we suspend street sweeping during the day, but we still sweep streets at night. On the weekends, we sweep some streets at night. Please always check posted street sweeping signs for information. If you still have questions, please contact 311."

     

    You don't have to feed the meters. Other parking rules apply. Many more streets than in the past will be cleared of parked cars to accommodate the Boston Marathon and Patriots' Day activities.

     

    Be sure to check your car in the days leading up to the marathon to be certain it is not in a tow-away zone for the event. 

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    Street Closures and Parking Restrictions for Marathon Weekend

    The City of Boston a very helpful page detailing all the things you need to know about street closures and parking restrictions for this weekend. Here's a link to all that information.

    Boston Trash Collection  

    The city has changed the way it publishes the schedule for holidays so that you now have to go to the city site and look up your specific address in order to get information
     

    MBTA Marathon Monday Service Information, April 15, 2019

     

    Marathon Monday 2019 MBTA Quick Look …

    • Blue, Orange, Red, and Silver Lines "will operate a regular weekday schedule with rush-hour levels of service before and after the race…" (See the MBTA page for special service notes on the Green Line.) 
    • Commuter Rail trains "… will operate a regular weekday schedule with additional trains on the Framingham/Worcester Line to support additional crowds."
    • "Buses and trackless trolleys will operate a regular weekday schedule on April 15th …"
    • "… Some bus routes will be detoured to accommodate the Marathon and other festivities. (See the MBTA website for more info.)
    • "All Commuter Boat and Ferry Service … will operate a regular weekday schedule."
    • "THE RIDE service will operate a regular weekday schedule."

     

    MBTA PARKING

    "Customers planning to park in an MBTA garage or lot should allow additional travel time and note that some garages and lots may fill very quickly due to heavy parking demand. "

    "For the most up-to-date service information, please see T-Alerts, visit the mbta.com/marathon, and follow the T on Twitter @MBTA and @MBTA_CR."

     

    The MBTA has published their Boston Marathon Guide with all sorts of helpful travel tips for spectators and runners.

     Tips Include: 

    • The MBTA advises, "Copley Station is closed for the entire day on April 15th."
    • "Bicycles are prohibited onboard MBTA subway vehicles on April 15 …"
    • Check T-Alerts for the most up-to-date service information.
    • "Spectators can access almost the entire marathon course on the MBTA."
    • "You can park at an MBTA station and take the subway or Commuter Rail in."
    • "… All subway lines and the Silver Line will run additional service before and after the marathon."

     

    Official 2019 Boston Marathon information Here.

     

    Related Posts:

     

    Tracking a Boston Marathon Runner

     

    Routes for Visiting Runners – Boston Marathon Weekend

     

    Parking Your Car for Boston Marathon Weekend

     

    Views from Hereford Street 2009

    Do you have enough memory for all the photos you'll want to shoot of the spring blooms? Do you need a new camera for the season or as a gift? Begin your shopping by Click right here to check the prices at Amazon on great items like Sandisk memory cards.

     

    Details:
    Words: Penny & Ed Cherubino
    Photo: Penny Cherubino

  • Zeppola Day Is Coming! Here Are Our Favorite Places for This Seasonal Treat

    We have a weakness for the sweet treat called Zeppola (AKA Zeppole di San Giuseppe) that appears for a brief spotlight appearance in time for March 19th, Saint Joseph Day. 

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    Our all time favorite is found at Modern Pastry in the North End.

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    Last year a friend took Penny to Antoine's Pastry Shop in Newton. There she found a Zeppole more like the ones we used to buy by the dozen in Rhode Island. 

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    Here's a freshly-filled example from Maria's Pastry Shop in the North End.

    These pastries differ from pastry chef to pastry chef. Just take a look at some of these images.

    While a few bakeries may keep these around until Easter, some places will only make them until the 19th, so get out there this weekend and find your favorite!

    Related Posts:

    Enjoy a Zeppole This Weekend! March 19th Is Zeppole Day

    March 19th Is Zeppole Day! RI Style Zeppole

    Zeppole from Modern Pastry

    It's Zeppole Season!

    March for Zeppole di San Giuseppe!

    What's on your Food Lover's Shopping List?

    Details:

    Words: Penny & Ed Cherubino
    Photos: ©2010-2016 Penny & Ed Cherubino 

  • Zeppola Day Is Coming! Here Are Our Favorite Places for This Seasonal Treat

    We have a weakness for the sweet treat called Zeppola (AKA Zeppole di San Giuseppe) that appears for a brief spotlight appearance in time for March 19th, Saint Joseph Day. 

    6a00e54fc42bb88834014e86d3acf4970d-500wi

    Our all time favorite is found at Modern Pastry in the North End.

    6a00e54fc42bb8883401bb08c93f89970d-800wi

    Last year a friend took Penny to Antoine's Pastry Shop in Newton. There she found a Zeppole more like the ones we used to buy by the dozen in Rhode Island. 

    6a00e54fc42bb888340168e862ff76970c-800wi

    Here's a freshly-filled example from Maria's Pastry Shop in the North End.

    These pastries differ from pastry chef to pastry chef. Just take a look at some of these images.

    While a few bakeries may keep these around until Easter, some places will only make them until the 19th, so get out there this weekend and find your favorite!

    Related Posts:

    Enjoy a Zeppole This Weekend! March 19th Is Zeppole Day

    March 19th Is Zeppole Day! RI Style Zeppole

    Zeppole from Modern Pastry

    It's Zeppole Season!

    March for Zeppole di San Giuseppe!

    What's on your Food Lover's Shopping List?

    Details:

    Words: Penny & Ed Cherubino
    Photos: ©2010-2016 Penny & Ed Cherubino 

  • Make Way for Ducklings: The Art of Robert McCloskey at the MFA!

    Our Monday Post, "No Way for Ducklings" reminded us to tell you about the Museum of Fine Arts (MFA) current exhibition "Make Way for Ducklings The Art of Robert McCloskey."

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    The MFA says:

    "With art from Make Way for Ducklings at its center, the retrospective presents more than 50 works, including studies for other books written and illustrated by McCloskey: Lentil (1940), Homer Price (1943) and Centerburg Tales (1951), which recall his youth in rural Ohio, and popular Maine tales including Blueberries for Sal (1948) and Time of Wonder (1957). Works are drawn primarily from the rich, but rarely exhibited holdings of the May Massee Collection at Emporia State University in Kansas.

    "An exhibition highlight is the miniature bronze model for Nancy Schön’s Make Way for Ducklings sculpture, commissioned for the Boston Public Garden in 1985. As well as celebrating McCloskey’s achievements as author-illustrator, the retrospective also includes a selection of his independent work connecting him to prominent American painters such as Thomas Hart Benton and Edward Hopper."

    Sounds like a good reason for a visit to the MFA!

    Do you have an Amazon Gift Certificate to use? Or do you need to buy one for a gift? Remember to click over to Amazon from here to support this site!

    Details:

    Words: Penny & Ed Cherubino
    Photography: © 2017 Penny & Ed Cherubino  

  • Make Way for Ducklings: The Art of Robert McCloskey at the MFA!

    Our Monday Post, "No Way for Ducklings" reminded us to tell you about the Museum of Fine Arts (MFA) current exhibition "Make Way for Ducklings The Art of Robert McCloskey."

    Screen Shot 2017-03-06 at Monday, March 6, 20178.41.58 AM

    The MFA says:

    "With art from Make Way for Ducklings at its center, the retrospective presents more than 50 works, including studies for other books written and illustrated by McCloskey: Lentil (1940), Homer Price (1943) and Centerburg Tales (1951), which recall his youth in rural Ohio, and popular Maine tales including Blueberries for Sal (1948) and Time of Wonder (1957). Works are drawn primarily from the rich, but rarely exhibited holdings of the May Massee Collection at Emporia State University in Kansas.

    "An exhibition highlight is the miniature bronze model for Nancy Schön’s Make Way for Ducklings sculpture, commissioned for the Boston Public Garden in 1985. As well as celebrating McCloskey’s achievements as author-illustrator, the retrospective also includes a selection of his independent work connecting him to prominent American painters such as Thomas Hart Benton and Edward Hopper."

    Sounds like a good reason for a visit to the MFA!

    Do you have an Amazon Gift Certificate to use? Or do you need to buy one for a gift? Remember to click over to Amazon from here to support this site!

    Details:

    Words: Penny & Ed Cherubino
    Photography: © 2017 Penny & Ed Cherubino  

  • Veterans Day: What’s Open or Closed in Boston Plus MBTA, Trash & Parking Info for 2017

    Here's a rundown of what's open in Boston on Veterans Day, information on Boston trash collection, parking meters, and MBTA schedules. This resource page has been updated for this year, Saturday, November 11, 2017. 

    * PLEASE NOTE the City Says: "Friday, November 10 - Veterans Day
    City offices closed. Sunday parking rules in effect. BCYF Community Centers are closed. Boston Public Libraries are open, but will close on Saturday, November 11."

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    (Photo courtesy of Boston Public Library) Photo created: 1877 – 1900 (approximate)

    We publish these reminders before each holiday to help you make the most of your time off!

    Restaurants, bars: Open

    Convenience stores: Open

    Supermarkets: Open

    Retail stores: Are allowed to open if the owners choose

    Liquor stores: Open

    City, Town, State and Federal offices and facilities are closed: This includes schools, libraries, and the Postal Service (express mail will be delivered). Only emergency services are available.

    Financial Services: As the British would say, this is a Bank Holiday with most Banks closed. But we are noticing that some banks are keeping some branches open, so check with your own institution.

    Stock market: Open, as are international markets.

    Boston Parking: The City says, "On Sundays, City holidays, and observed holiday dates, you can park for free, but all other parking regulations are still enforced."

    Street Sweeping: The City says, "On City holidays, we suspend street sweeping during the day, but we still sweep streets at night."

    Boston Trash Collection:

    The city has changed the way it publishes the schedule for holidays so that you now have to go to the city site and look up your specific address in order to get information. 

    MBTA Veterans Day 2017 Schedule has not been published: It may be that, with the new improved website, the holiday summary updates the MBTA has made available in the past will no longer be done. 

    This year November 11th falls on a Saturday. We can guess few things about the schedule. From the printed schedules we were able to access on the new site, it looks like the Subways will run on a Saturday schedule. 

    We checked a number of Bus schedules and those that included holiday information were running on a Saturday Schedule.

    Commuter Rail schedules do not include any mention of Veterans Day and refer you to the website which does not have any Veterans Day information.

    Ferry schedules do not mention Veterans Day.

    The Ride information no longer mentions holidays.

    For additional information on routes, schedules, fares, and more, the MBTA says, "Please call (617) 222-3200 for support, or for our Deaf or Hard of Hearing: customers TTY (617) 222-5146 …" or contact them at www.mbta.com.

    And if you have to work: Holiday Pay Information for Retail Establishments from the Secretary of State.

    "Retail establishments which operate on New Year's Day, Columbus Day after 12:00 p.m., or on November 11th after 1:00 p.m. are required to pay their employees time and one-half regardless of the number of employees on their payroll."

    Do you have an Amazon Gift Certificate to use? Or do you need to buy one for a Birthday or Wedding Gift? Remember to click over to Amazon from here to support this site!

    Details:

    Words: Penny & Ed Cherubino
    Photography: Courtesy of the Boston Public Library, Leslie Jones Collection. Used under creative commons license

  • Veterans Day: What’s Open or Closed in Boston Plus MBTA, Trash & Parking Info for 2017

    Here's a rundown of what's open in Boston on Veterans Day, information on Boston trash collection, parking meters, and MBTA schedules. This resource page has been updated for this year, Saturday, November 11, 2017. 

    * PLEASE NOTE the City Says: "Friday, November 10 - Veterans Day
    City offices closed. Sunday parking rules in effect. BCYF Community Centers are closed. Boston Public Libraries are open, but will close on Saturday, November 11."

    6a00e54fc42bb88834019b005fae72970d-500wi

    (Photo courtesy of Boston Public Library) Photo created: 1877 – 1900 (approximate)

    We publish these reminders before each holiday to help you make the most of your time off!

    Restaurants, bars: Open

    Convenience stores: Open

    Supermarkets: Open

    Retail stores: Are allowed to open if the owners choose

    Liquor stores: Open

    City, Town, State and Federal offices and facilities are closed: This includes schools, libraries, and the Postal Service (express mail will be delivered). Only emergency services are available.

    Financial Services: As the British would say, this is a Bank Holiday with most Banks closed. But we are noticing that some banks are keeping some branches open, so check with your own institution.

    Stock market: Open, as are international markets.

    Boston Parking: The City says, "On Sundays, City holidays, and observed holiday dates, you can park for free, but all other parking regulations are still enforced."

    Street Sweeping: The City says, "On City holidays, we suspend street sweeping during the day, but we still sweep streets at night."

    Boston Trash Collection:

    The city has changed the way it publishes the schedule for holidays so that you now have to go to the city site and look up your specific address in order to get information. 

    MBTA Veterans Day 2017 Schedule has not been published: It may be that, with the new improved website, the holiday summary updates the MBTA has made available in the past will no longer be done. 

    This year November 11th falls on a Saturday. We can guess few things about the schedule. From the printed schedules we were able to access on the new site, it looks like the Subways will run on a Saturday schedule. 

    We checked a number of Bus schedules and those that included holiday information were running on a Saturday Schedule.

    Commuter Rail schedules do not include any mention of Veterans Day and refer you to the website which does not have any Veterans Day information.

    Ferry schedules do not mention Veterans Day.

    The Ride information no longer mentions holidays.

    For additional information on routes, schedules, fares, and more, the MBTA says, "Please call (617) 222-3200 for support, or for our Deaf or Hard of Hearing: customers TTY (617) 222-5146 …" or contact them at www.mbta.com.

    And if you have to work: Holiday Pay Information for Retail Establishments from the Secretary of State.

    "Retail establishments which operate on New Year's Day, Columbus Day after 12:00 p.m., or on November 11th after 1:00 p.m. are required to pay their employees time and one-half regardless of the number of employees on their payroll."

    Do you have an Amazon Gift Certificate to use? Or do you need to buy one for a Birthday or Wedding Gift? Remember to click over to Amazon from here to support this site!

    Details:

    Words: Penny & Ed Cherubino
    Photography: Courtesy of the Boston Public Library, Leslie Jones Collection. Used under creative commons license

  • WBUR’s Magic Pill Podcast Has Me Out Walking Every Morning …

    Since September 1st, I have been up and out for a walk every morning and have achieved my Fitbit goals every day. (When Ed pops in here to edit this post, he can confirm my record!) (Confirmed! And, although Poppy & I like to sleep in, we're beginning to feel pressured to join her.)

    Thanks to WBUR and their inspiring podcast, The Magic PilI, I have reconnected with and have been motivated to increase my fitness by one of my favorite doctors, Eddie Phillips, MD. 

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    When he was my sports medicine doc at MGH, I remember Doctor Phillips showing me the exact stretch he is demonstrating in the photo above. Sadly, for me, Dr. Phillips has moved on. He has founded and directs the Institute of Lifestyle Medicine in the Department of Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation at Harvard Medical School, www.instituteoflifestylemedicine.org.

    As a former patient, I can say that what you hear on the WBUR Podcast is the same advice and attitude he had with me as a private patient.

    He doesn't tell you what to do, he'll tell you what you can do. He will have you thinking about small, achievable, specific goals and milestones, not big scary, "I'll never really do that …" objectives.

    Host-magicpill

    His partner in this program is Carey Goldberg, editor of WBUR's CommonHealth blog. She is a well-respected journalist and adds warm, personal interviews and background research to each episode. 

    I waited to write about this until I was sure I was well on my way to being a continuing success story as a person following Doctor Phillips' philosophy that exercise is a Magic Pill that most of us can use to live a healthier life. 

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    Here is a link to the Podcast Pilot. It's a great introduction and I hope it will lead you to take one episode daily (your daily dose of get-up-and-go) for the next twenty-one days and see if you, like me, find yourself still on the move two months from now. 

    I hope WBUR will add more episodes of this inspiring program. Anytime I feel that I'm about to slip off my training routine, I'll go back and listen to the 21 existing episodes again. But I would love to have this team offer some sort of Magic Pill continuing education and inspiration.

    Do you have an Amazon Gift Certificate to use? Or do you need to buy one for a gift? Remember to click over to Amazon from here to support this site!

     

    Details:

    Words: Penny & Ed Cherubino
    Photography: Courtesy of WBUR, Magic Pill 

  • WBUR’s Magic Pill Podcast Has Me Out Walking Every Morning …

    Since September 1st, I have been up and out for a walk every morning and have achieved my Fitbit goals every day. (When Ed pops in here to edit this post, he can confirm my record!) (Confirmed! And, although Poppy & I like to sleep in, we're beginning to feel pressured to join her.)

    Thanks to WBUR and their inspiring podcast, The Magic PilI, I have reconnected with and have been motivated to increase my fitness by one of my favorite doctors, Eddie Phillips, MD. 

    0613_mp-eddie-11

    When he was my sports medicine doc at MGH, I remember Doctor Phillips showing me the exact stretch he is demonstrating in the photo above. Sadly, for me, Dr. Phillips has moved on. He has founded and directs the Institute of Lifestyle Medicine in the Department of Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation at Harvard Medical School, www.instituteoflifestylemedicine.org.

    As a former patient, I can say that what you hear on the WBUR Podcast is the same advice and attitude he had with me as a private patient.

    He doesn't tell you what to do, he'll tell you what you can do. He will have you thinking about small, achievable, specific goals and milestones, not big scary, "I'll never really do that …" objectives.

    Host-magicpill

    His partner in this program is Carey Goldberg, editor of WBUR's CommonHealth blog. She is a well-respected journalist and adds warm, personal interviews and background research to each episode. 

    I waited to write about this until I was sure I was well on my way to being a continuing success story as a person following Doctor Phillips' philosophy that exercise is a Magic Pill that most of us can use to live a healthier life. 

    MagicPill3000x3000_lines-400x400

    Here is a link to the Podcast Pilot. It's a great introduction and I hope it will lead you to take one episode daily (your daily dose of get-up-and-go) for the next twenty-one days and see if you, like me, find yourself still on the move two months from now. 

    I hope WBUR will add more episodes of this inspiring program. Anytime I feel that I'm about to slip off my training routine, I'll go back and listen to the 21 existing episodes again. But I would love to have this team offer some sort of Magic Pill continuing education and inspiration.

    Do you have an Amazon Gift Certificate to use? Or do you need to buy one for a gift? Remember to click over to Amazon from here to support this site!

     

    Details:

    Words: Penny & Ed Cherubino
    Photography: Courtesy of WBUR, Magic Pill 

  • Tip on Rotating Your Eggs with Links to our Other Eggy Posts

    Boiling a batch of eggs is a regular assignment for my favorite little cooking pot. I use Jacques Pépin's egg boiling method. (You can see it in this video at the 1:30 location.) The pot lets me boil the water and then gently lower the eggs into it in their little basket. 

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    We do a constant rotation of our egg supply. New eggs come in and the older ones are hard boiled. We find that hard boiled eggs are used up quickly around here. In fact, when we are facing a busy week, we may boil a dozen eggs to be sure we have material for quick meals.

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    We follow all of Jacque's directions if we are going to use the eggs right way. But, most of the time, we stop the cooking by replacing the boiling water with ice water and putting the whole, unpeeled eggs back into the pot.

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    Then we put them back into their carton marked as "hard boiled."

    Links to our other Eggy Posts:

    Click on the caption to go to the post!

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    Egg & Cauliflower Curry

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    Simple Spring Supper: Asparagus & Eggs

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    Eggs Overboard! A Rescue Plan

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    No Mayo Potato Salads (with eggs)

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    Breakfast for Supper on a Piece of Toast

    What's on your Food Lover's Shopping List?

    Details:

    Words: Penny & Ed Cherubino
    Photos: ©2008-2016 Penny & Ed Cherubino