Dottie Hottie

Why should you save a barn?

admin — Thu, 02 Sep 2010 05:10:32 +0000

“We’re going out in Dorchester tonight. Yup. Gonna save a barn!”

Not your standard script for the babysitter, is it?

Well, on Friday, September 24th, it could be…

and even if you can’t make it, here’s why you should be supporting the Dorchester Historical Society’s Save Our Barn campaign:

One of only a few remaining barns in Boston, the Dorchester Historical Society’s Clapp Family barn is a rare artifact.

Dorchester was once a farming community (case ya didn’t know) and from these farms were fed Bostonia during the occupation of the city by British troops at the beginning of the Revolutionary War. According to DHS, “Fruits developed in Dorchester include the Downer cherry, the Dorchester blackberry, the President Wilder strawberry and the pride of the Society, Clapp’s Favorite Pear.”

The barn symbolizes Dorchester’s past, and the Clapp family is “a premier examplar of that history with its creation of the Clap Favorite Pear in the 1830s.”

To learn more or to purchase a ticket to the gala, go here.

Cedar Grove Satisfaction

admin — Tue, 24 Aug 2010 05:16:43 +0000

When you buy flowers, how long do you hope they’ll last?

A few days? Maybe a week if you’re lucky?

Well the Dottie Hottie sits here at her perch in Dot, beholding the flower bouquet she purchased at Cedar Grove Gardens, with the kind assistance of floral genius Janet, and this bouquet is still verdant and quite lovely a whole THREE WEEKS LATER!!!

Alert Michael Pollan.
Tell Martha.
And Mary, Mary, Quite Contrary, does she know about these plucky blooms that grow?

LOVE these spider mums!

Thanks, CGG!

A little stroke of luck on Dot Ave.

admin — Mon, 23 Aug 2010 02:08:45 +0000

Maybe you won’t find a pot of gold at the end of the rainbow, but perhaps if you set your eyes a bit higher, you might discover a bit of the luck smiling back at you….

Mad Men Sundays @ Tavolo

admin — Fri, 20 Aug 2010 03:20:02 +0000

Say you don’t have premium cable.
Say you love “Mad Men.”
Say you like to be among those who also don’t have premium cable and also love “Mad Men.”

What if I told you Tavolo had a solution to your quandary….

Watch the latest episode in real time every Sunday night at 10 p.m. on the big screens at the fabulous bar, try the bar and snacks menu inspired by the characters of AMC’s drama, and enjoy the costumery by the bar staff and patrons who are truly excited to return to the swingin’ sixties!

Cathy Moylan extends her Lucky Strike cig…

Lauren Bennett, manager @ Tavolo gives Betty Draper a run for her money.

WGBH spotlights Dot as hot ‘hood

admin — Fri, 20 Aug 2010 02:40:30 +0000

Excepting anchor Emily Rooney’s embarrassing bias against Dorchester and squinty-eyed skepticism that crime exists throughout the city (oh, and her really egregious grammar), Donna Latson Gittens does an expert job in highlighting the tremendous positives on life in Dorchester. D is for diversity, SMAMS rocks, Ashmont’s bumpin’, and 17 minutes into the heart of town ain’t bad for the exceptional housing crop with green space, ocean views to boot. Huzzah, Ms. Latson Gittens!

Peabody Progress

admin — Thu, 29 Jul 2010 03:01:55 +0000

Ashmont Station is really coming along. If you haven’t graced Peabody Square in recent weeks, the plaza area surrounding the T stop has opened up, welcoming a farmer’s market and the festive market promotion artists dressed in vegetable costumes that accompany it. Magnificent. The Dottie Hottie also noted that the orange barrels have given way to shiny slabs of marble and granite-looking edifices for playing spontaneous games of hot lava and perhaps reenactments of “Who’s On First” in the aforementioned plaza.

If you do happen upon the station soon, take a look at these fetching lamp post banners. Whom shall we thank for these adornments? Dot Art? Not sure as the humble artists did not sign their names, but they look pretty fly, flying up there above the squay-uh.

Did you Get Yours?

admin — Fri, 16 Jul 2010 22:38:56 +0000

Is there a finer name of an establishment on Blue Hill?

The Dottie Hottie noticed this new signage for a barber shop close to Harambee Park and couldn’t get over the cleverness. What do you all think? Is this question rhetorical or does it compel you to ask yourself, sincerely, am I getting mine?

“A family grows in Dorchester”

admin — Tue, 06 Jul 2010 05:04:43 +0000

The Dottie Hottie had the pleasure of reading Donna Latson Gittens’ piece on *choosing* to raise a family in Dorchester.

Then the Dottie Hottie made the mistake of reading the comments which, per usual with internet news stories, smack of ignorance and prejudice.

All the Dottie Hottie can say is this: Let’s remember that economic poverty is not the only poverty that exists. Of course every parent wants to provide a “safe” environment in which to raise children. No one wants to live in an environment where one cannot thrive because of the violence, drugs, and other social ills that stem from poverty. But isn’t it possible to be impoverished by homogeneity, as well? Is it not likely that a child that rarely encounters races, religions, languages, economic strata different from his own might be ill-equipped to understand and navigate these differences in the future?

Penny for your thoughts, Dotties….

UMass Parking Ticket Scholarship Fund

admin — Mon, 05 Jul 2010 20:56:10 +0000

This past Saturday, the Dottie Hottie family netted itself a surprise parking ticket at UMass Boston. It is usually our custom to go and park along the perimeter of the parking lanes –even though the signage would indicate this is a No Parking Zone. Dozens of fisherfolk do it on the weekends and we have never had a problem or faced Johnny Law telling us otherwise, because it was the weekend.

But signs exist for a reason, hey?

We did receive a lovenote from Johnny Law, aka “Officer McGillicutty” on Saturday for parking in the no park zone. The lovenote came with a cost of $5. The real “p.s. I love you” comes in the return address of the ticket. Take a look-see:

We are to remit our payment to the UMASS Boston Parking Ticket Scholarship Fund. Can you dig it? I mean, let’s ALL park illegally now, it’s for the good of the needy scholars! Do your part, won’t you, Dotties? Park n’ donate and give yourselves something to feel good about. Think of the children.

Trees Have Feelings, Too

admin — Mon, 05 Jul 2010 19:46:11 +0000

So, how was ya fawth, dotties? Did you find yourself unable to catch your proper zzzz’s due to the explosive din in the ‘hood last night? The Dottie Hottie retired around midnight last evening and must have been exhausted because sleep came quickly despite the constant snap, crackle and pop of the neighborhood fireworksters which were still going strong well into the early hours….

Today, the DH family finds itself among perhaps 3 other people in all of Dorchester that are not poolside/beachside which makes us capital “L” Loserpants. We’re just trying to keep cool indoors, get a few chores done, take a few naps on this sultry 5 of July. We’ve already gone outside (to catch a Frappuccino at Tedeschi’s on Neponset –always so clean and well stocked!) and observed some important signage on the way.

Attention canines. Not every tree wants to be your tinklepost. At least this arbor is trying its best to be courteous….