Photo by Harry Bloomfeld
Report (and photo) by Joe Bruno: “After hearing about recycling plastic, one resident gardener decided to grow some plastic. The crop’s coming along fine.”
Late Spring Frames the Hudson, by Edward Kasinec
Photo by Carolyn Reiss
Photo by Joe Bruno
Photo by Lynn Brady
Photos by Carolyn Reiss
It has become an annual event: peonies peeping in the Rockefeller State Park. And here’s the reason why:
The joy of peonies peeping, by Ruth Dinowitz
Photos by Lane Mauer, unless otherwise indicated
From the office of Ellen Ottstadt
Spring (summer, winter, or fall): When a not-so-young photographer’s fancy turns to the setting sun. And aren’t we lucky it does. Following are the breath-taking results—all the same subject matter, all different—of such an attraction.
“Take my wife . . . please.” Rodney Dangerfield may have aced the comedy of the wife joke, but others—in all fields—have joined in the fun:
A good wife always forgives her husband when she’s wrong. Barack Obama
Marriage is the only war where one sleeps with the enemy. Tommy Lee
A man inserted an “ad” in the classifieds: “Wife wanted.” Next day he received a hundred letters. They all said the same thing: “You can have mine.” Brad Pitt
First Guy (proudly): “My wife’s an angel!”Second Guy: “You’re lucky, mine’s still alive.” Jimmy Kimmel
“First there is the promise ring, then the engagement ring, then the wedding ring . . . soon after . . . comes SuffeRing!” Jay Leno
The reason why wives live longer is because they don’t have a Wife. Brandon Breezy
Contributed by Simone
The well-coiffed men of the Victorian era wore finely tailored suits, trim waistcoats, and fancy statement hats. These men also, in contrast to their generally prim and proper aesthetic, sometimes had truly impressive beards. The Victorian “beard movement,” which started around 1850, was partially about looking manly and rugged—especially after British soldiers came back from the Crimean War unshaven in 1856. But beards were also, according to some medical professionals at the time, a way to ward off disease.
At the time, many doctors endorsed the miasma theory of disease, which (incorrectly) held that illnesses such as Britain’s common cholera outbreaks were caused by bad air. (To be fair, rampant air pollution was making people sick, just not in ways that scientists understood at the time.) Facial hair, some reasoned, could provide a natural filter against breathing in so-called “miasmas.” “[T]he moustache is emphatically nature’s simple respirator, while the hair covering the jaws and throat is intended to afford warmth and protection,” one doctor wrote in the Edinburgh Medical Journal in 1861. Clergymen and other public speakers were particularly encouraged to have beards to protect their voices.
Beards started losing popularity by the 1880s. Changing standards of masculinity played a role, but the medical justification was also weakening as microbial biology and germ theory took hold. Beards, it turns out, can hold a lot of microbes.
Source: Sarah Anne Lloyd, historyfacts.com
Contributed by Jane Hart
Art and photos by Sheila Benedis
Pringle realized it was time to buy himself a new bathing suit
Little Rylee’s vocabulary was becoming embarrassing
Legendre’s shopping cart was all hyper-allergenic
When she was bored, Cecelia would fade into the wallpaper
Jerry, a gargoyle, attracted a wide variety of birds
Art and photos by Jane Hart
Often we hear, “Well, it all depends on how you look at it.” Here’s how some Kendal photographers look at it:
Geometrics, by Edward Lannert
The Green Mammoths of Rockwood Hall, by Edward Kasinec
Green Cascades, by Edward Kasinec
White Flame, by Edward Kasinec
The New Kitchen Equipment Moves In, by Carolyn Reiss
The View From the New Community Room, by Lisa Rosenbloom
Gettin’ There in the New Community Room, by Lisa Rosenbloom
Just Hummin’ Along, by Lisa Rosenbloom
Banks of Azalea
Peonies a-plenty
Time for a close-up
Loads of Lilacs, too
Photos by Amanda Slattery
Photo by Ed Lannert
New Residents Association Office Entrance (doors and glass to yet to come)
New Terrace Lounge--from the Outside In
Pool Almost Ready to Go (we’re told to ignore the green water--not permanent)
From the Office of Ellen Ottstadt
Recently, a group of Kendalites journeyed to Buttonhook Forest for a docent tour of an area once held sacred by the Munsee Lanape, the Indigenous Peoples who lived in this area long before colonial days. They learned of the forest as sacred land of the Native Americans who previously lived in this region—now Chappaqua in the Town of New Castle—and of the significance of stone structures left by the indigenous people. Those stone structures on the land have been authenticated as a complex of prayer stones, turtle effigies, a serpentine wall, and markers of underground aquifers placed by the original inhabitants. The 20.3-acre site is being protected and preserved by a community coalition “Friends of Buttonhook Forest” together with Indigenous stewardship while legal efforts are underway to keep it from being destroyed, and the significance of the stone structures left by the indigenous people.
“The Group”
The docent explained the snake wall. Snakes were sacred to the Muncee Lenape people. The front end of the snake wall extends a very long way without bordering anything. So, it isn’t a wall that a farmer would build. Its winding, curvey structure also indicates that it isn’t a functional wall, at all.
More snake wall
Another example of carefully placed rocks that were probably a ceremonial site.
The split rock at the bottom of the photo indicates the location of an underground aquifer.
Photos by Harry Bloomfeld
“Take my wife . . . please.” Rodney Dangerfield may have aced the comedy of the wife joke, but others—in all fields—have joined in the fun:
Some people ask the secret of our long marriage. We take time to go to a restaurant two times a week. A little candlelight, dinner, soft music and dancing. She goes on Tuesdays, I go on Fridays. George W. Bush
I don’t worry about terrorism. I was married for two years. Rudy Giuliani
Two secrets to keep your marriage brimming: 1. Whenever you’re wrong, admit it. 2. Whenever you’re right, shut up. Shaquille O’Neal
The most effective way to remember your wife’s birthday is to forget it once. Kobe Bryant
You know what I did before I married? Anything I wanted to. David Hasselhoff
My wife and I were happy for 20 years. Then we met. Alec Baldwin
To Be Continued . . .
Contributed by Simone
This past April 24, Sleepy Hollow High School’s Asian American Culture Club hosted an intergenerational celebration at Kendal on Hudson, featuring cultural exhibits from nine Asian countries, presented by students. Directed by students Niva Pandya and Kieran Raghavan (yes, grandson of a very proud Aruna), the event fostered community dialogue through shared traditions, food (prepared by Chef Eddy Dias and his fabulous staff), and personal perspectives.
For a wonderful Youtube film of the club’s presentation, click here.
Three of the Sleepy Hollow High School students who gave the presentation. (Kieran, Aruna’s grandson, is front and center.)
Students circulated to answer Kendal questions.
In 1940, the average worker in the United States earned $1,368 a year—roughly $25 a week. And while that figure did rise during the course of the decade, it still sounds like a meager amount by today’s standards, thanks to inflation. Back then, however, a dollar could stretch remarkably far. According to the inflation calculator provided by the US Bureau of Labor Statistics, $1 in 1940 is equivalent to $23.34 in 2026. So, a dollar was enough to stock up on some essential groceries or cover a modest night out. Here’s a look at exactly what you could buy for a buck back in 1940.
10 Loaves of Bread
A 1-pound loaf of white bread cost about 10 cents in 1940, meaning $1 bought you 10 loaves at that price. But a loaf could often be found for even less if you shopped around, so a dollar could get you as many as a dozen loaves, making bread an important staple in most homes.
3 Dozen Eggs
In 1940, a dozen large white eggs cost about 33 cents (and possibly as little as 27 cents), so you could get at least three dozen eggs for a dollar. Being relatively affordable, eggs were considered the perfect protein, and most households ate them daily. And if you wanted bacon with your eggs, you could get at least 4 pounds of bacon for a buck.
20 Hershey’s Chocolate Bars
In the US today, a standard Hershey’s milk chocolate bar typically costs between $1.80 and $2.20. Back in 1940, it cost just 5 cents, so a dollar could get you 20 bars. The size of the bar might have differed slightly, though—Hershey was committed to maintaining the 5-cent price point throughout the 1940s and up through the 1960s, but it adjusted the size of the bar to account for fluctuating cacao prices. Coca-Cola also maintained a 5-cent price point in the mid-20th century, so you could get 20 bottles of Coke for a dollar, too.
4 Pounds of Coffee
In 2025, the average price for a pound of coffee surpassed $9. In 1940, a dollar could buy around 4 pounds of coffee, enough to keep a household caffeinated for at least a week. But a couple of years later, things took a turn for the worse: Coffee was rationed in America from November 1942 to July 1943 to make sure there was enough for the soldiers fighting in World War II.
6 Gallons of Gasoline
The price of gasoline has been on the rise in 2026, with the national average for a gallon now passing the $4 mark. In 1940, $4 would have been a shocking price, since at the time, a gallon of gas cost around 15 cents. While that’s still quite high accounting for inflation, you could buy 6 gallons at the pump and still get change for a dollar.
4 Movie Tickets
In 1940, a standard movie ticket cost a quarter, and matinee showings could be as little as 10 cents. It was a good year for movies, too. You could watch Charlie Chaplin in The Great Dictator; Cary Grant, Katharine Hepburn, and James Stewart in The Philadelphia Story; and Disney’s Pinocchio and Fantasia, all without spending more than a dollar.
33 First-Class Stamps
A first-class stamp cost 3 cents in 1940, and remained the same price until 1959 (when it increased to 4 cents). So, for $1, you could stamp 33 letters — more than enough to keep up with family and friends in an age long before email and social media.
2 Men’s Haircuts
According to Yelp, the cost of a men’s haircut in the US today typically ranges from $25 to $40 (though it can, of course, be cheaper or much more expensive). In 1940, a standard men’s haircut in a barbershop cost around 50 cents—and might have included a shave. For women, a standard cut in a 1940s salon would likely have exceeded a dollar—but would still have been far below the $60 or so charged by a midrange salon today.
1 Pair of Silk Stockings
A pair of medium-quality women’s silk stockings cost about a dollar in 1940. That same year, nylon stockings became available to the American public for the first time, causing quite a stir—customers rushed to stores in the thousands, and four million pairs sold out in four days. Nylon was generally cheaper than top-tier silk, but nylon stockings were a premium product upon their nationwide release—being stronger, more durable, more elastic and less prone to wrinkling than silk—and demand was extremely high, driving the price up to around $1.25 a pair. So, if you only had a dollar, you’d have to stick with silk.
Source: Tony Dunnell, historyfacts.com, May 7, 2026
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Photographs of life at Kendal on Hudson are by residents.