In and Around Kendal

And We Ate So Much!

Kendal’s chefs, cooks, and serving staff outdid themselves in preparing our annual Thanksgiving feast. And we are thankful! A brief glimpse into the day:

Chef Steve on the job!

And Kevin helps serve it up!

Photos by Sally Costa

Kendal Artists on Cutting Edge of Sleepy Hollow’s Holiday Decorating

Sleepy Hollow resident Kersten Harries is passionate about temporary art installations, especially ones made collaboratively with community members. Ever since coordinating the Wishing Wall Riverwalk Community Mural, she’s been dreaming of other community projects, specifically for downtown Sleepy Hollow. A while back, she inherited a lot of large white weatherproof envelopes and saved them, waiting for a purposeful reuse. And she found it.

And came to the Sleepy Hollow community to make it real. What is it? “Together, we can make our downtown more festive for the Winter Stroll and season.”

 How? Well, what could be more beautiful than the village decorated in snowflakes—those village residents create. Kersten had it all planned out: snowflakes cut out of white weatherproof paper, each one approximately 1 sq. ft. in size, with community members of all ages learning how to fold and cut six-sided snowflakes. Creation time: November 1 - December 7, 2024. She would collect all of them, assemble them together, and, with permission, hang them in storefronts and on fences along the commercial streets of downtown Sleepy Hollow by December 14, 2024. The win-win: holiday spirit, both visual and social, with increased community engagement.

For Example: A rendering of what could be possible with oodles of snowflakes.

From whence would those snowflakes arise? Sponsors would run free community workshops and events for folks of all ages to have fun making snowflakes that would become part of the temporary public art installation.

Who arose among the sponsors? Why, we did, of course. On December 2—in two shifts—crafty Kendal residents gathered to make snowflakes. The result: over 60 unique and elegant flakes. They will join hundreds of other snowflakes for community groups to decorate Beekman Avenue in downtown Sleepy Hollow for the holiday season.

Let it snow, let it snow, let it snow . . .

Preparation Time: A Lesson in the Crafting of Snowflakes

And the Snowflakes Start Flying!

Photos by Jane Hart

Out and About

Chagall’s Pocantico Hills Church Windows: A Study

Wednesday, December 4, a hearty band of Kendalites visited the David Rockefeller Center for Creative Arts, for the Chagall Exhibition “Sketching Light: Chagall’s Windows for Union Church.” The exhibit features mixed media works on paper from the artist’s preparatory studies for the stained-glass windows commissioned by the Rockefeller Family.  Our docent spoke about Chagall’s life and other artworks, as well as his collaboration with the Rockefellers.

During the Kendal trip, the Center for Creative Arts Docent discussed the Chagall study for his window The Good Samaritan.

I Didn't Know That

A Maine Town Built a 122-foot Snowperson

To be a snowman—uhm, snowperson—is to live a life of extreme impermanence. During the coldest parts of the season, these snowy beings take shape on lawns across the world, but by the spring, they’re all but forgotten. However, one snowperson avoided this date with oblivion by entering the history books as the tallest snowman, or rather snowwoman [the eyelashes say it all], ever made. Built with 13 million pounds of snow in 2008 in Bethel, Maine, the 122-foot-tall snowwoman was named Olympia in honor of the state’s U.S. Senator Olympia Snowe. “I have to say I’ve joked that it’s just my luck I’d have a world record-breaking monument named after me and it will be gone by summer,” Snowe said at the time.

 Bethel residents needed to greatly exaggerate a snowperson’s usually quaint features to complete their creation. In this case, Olympia’s smile was made from car tires, each of her arms was a 25-foot-long spruce tree, and her red stocking cap was 20 feet in diameter and hand-knit by middle school students. Oh, and those lovely eyelashes? Alpine skis.

 Bethel previously earned the title of world’s tallest snowman when the town constructed the 113-foot-tall Angus (named after then-governor of Maine Angus King) in 1999. But Olympia surpassed her forebear, and still holds the Guinness record for the world’s tallest snowperson at the time of writing. However, the record may not hold for long. In 2020, a snowman in Austria surpassed Olympia’s height — though its extremely tall stovepipe hat did a lot of the work, and the structure has yet to be officially recognized on the Guinness website. Future challengers to Olympia’s crown may one day require the town of Bethel to again gather and build a snowperson to remember.

 Source: interestingfacts.com

Contributed by Jane Hart

Tarrytown: It's More Than Just Halloween!

Yet More Breaking News from the :

Tarrytown Ranks High in Nation for Main Street Holiday Shopping

December 5, 2024 By Rick Pezzullo 

When it comes to rivertowns, Tarrytown is often mentioned as one of Westchester’s jewels. 

Now, Tarrytown has something else to brag about. 

In a recent survey by Present.com of the best Main Streets in the United States for holiday shopping, Tarrytown ranked in the top 10 of 150 Main Streets mentioned—ninth to be exact!

“Historic main streets offer authenticity and charm, and streets like Main Street in Cooperstown, New York, or Broad Street in Nevada City, California, provide an over­all experience that’s about more than just shopping—It’s about stepping back in time to a different, less impersonal era, and being more engaged with the local community,” the sur­vey of 3,000 re­spon­dents stated.

The survey was highly complimentary of what Tarrytown has to offer residents and visitors for Christ­mas.

“Tarrytown’s historic Main Street simply oozes smalltown charm, but with a sophisticated side,” Present.com stated. “Here you’ll find unique shops, antique stores, and gourmet markets, ideal for more thoughtful gifts. Additionally, breath­taking views of the Hudson River further add to the over­all experience.”

Mayor Karen Brown was thrilled to hear of Tarrytown’s designation as a shopping destination.

“Tarrytown’s business district is charming and offers unique gift options,” she said. “The TASH holiday market, tree lighting ceremony, and the Winter Stroll create a holiday vibe shoppers love.”

Two other Main Streets in New York State, in Aurora and Cooperstown, finished one and two in the survey.

Made in NYC: 123 Brands, Trends, and Inventions That Began in the Big Apple

The Egg Cream

The egg cream is famous for having neither egg nor cream. Why then the name? A decent theory holds that it derives from the Yiddish “echt,” meaning genuine or real, in reference to the milk. The inventor is Louis Auster, who started off with a Brooklyn candy store before opening up multiple Lower East Side locations. (By legend, it was the strength of Auster’s chocolate syrup that made the drink such a success, accounting for some 90% of his stores’ business.)

Mr. Potato Head

One of the most successful toys of all time, Mr. Potato Head was first manufactured by Brooklynite George Lerner in 1949. (Lerner may have gotten the inspiration from watching a nephew poke sticks into potatoes in the family garden.) When it got its major launch in 1952, it was the first toy ever advertised on TV. It was also the first campaign ever aimed at kids. It changed marketing and sold one million units just in its first year. It’s still a winner today, an inductee into the National Toy Hall of Fame.

Toilet Paper

Here’s a worldwide product that it seems impossible to believe hasn’t been with us since the dawn of time. Its commercial form has a birthday, however: December 8th, 1857. Joseph C. Gayetty gets credit for the innovation, which he was soon enough manufacturing out of 41 Ann Street in the Financial District. Gayetty’s Medicated Paper had a good run, in common use until a splinter-free alternative came along in 1935.

Source: “Made In NYC,” by Ethan Wolff, March 2024, City Guide New York

Contributed by Bobbie Roggeman

Poetry and Art, by Sheila Benedis

World Peace

I am alone in a dark dank room

with the taste of long lost dreams

 

thoughts of people in the world fighting

I hear angry words

 

I feel the unity of the world being destroyed

it drives a dagger through my heart

 

there is no taste of joy

only the smell of rage

 

push back the darkness

I want to see the harvest moon

 

a voice in the clouds

a ray of light and hope

 

I want to feel a growing connection of people

worldwide problems being solved

 

people unified in peace

like the rhythmic forces of nature

Hanging Paper Sculpture

Art and photos by Sheila Benedis

In and Around Kendal

We Gather Together . . .

Aruna Raghavan’s family gathered together at KoH—as we’re all wont to do on Thanksgiving—including the handsome (and lovely) upcoming generation, ages 12 through 16. Three live in New York, two in North Carolina. All posed in Kendal t-shirts, demonstrating clearly the slogan: “Together, transforming the experience of aging.” Surely, Aruna would agree.

Thursday’s Star in the Bistro

Photo by Joe Bruno

Palisades Sunrise

Photo by Marilyn Bottjer

Kendal in Its Hollow

Photo by Edward Kasinec

Still Showing Fall Colors

Photo by Mimi Abramovitz

Out and About

Kendal Folk Visit American Folk (Art, That Is)

Recently, Kendalites journeyed to NYC to view the treasures of the American Folk Art Museum’s great exhibit of Shaker art and furniture. Reports are that the exhibit breaks some popular stereotypes regarding the culture’s austerity.

For the  Shakers, the Tree of Life was an instantly recognizable symbol, celebrated in sermons, gift songs, and in their early history as a representation of the unity of the Shaker Church. Hanah Cohoon’s Tree ofLight or Blazing Tree (1845) features a large central tree boldly rendered in red and green to produce a dazzling optical effect.

Contributed by Mimi Abramovitz

Quintessential Question of Cuisine

The French Conversation group sought an answer to the age-old question: Which is better, French or Chinese edibles? After extensive research, the answer seems to be: Yes!

O Mandarin: purely for research purposes, of course.

St. Georges Bistro: oh, the difficult life of the Researcher.

Photos (and research reports) contributed by Simone

Carolyn and Allie’s Great Adventure

Carolyn and Allie Reiss bundled up for their usual afternoon walk, starting at the Regeneron Pond.

But adventure spurred them on, and they decided (together, no doubt) to venture further to the Old Croton Aqueduct and then over the Archville bridge.

Happily they walked along the trail, which crossed over 117, but soon decided that was enough. However, then they realized they’d gone too far to return by the usual path, so continued southward. Looking for a way to cross Broadway, they passed along a ridge way above the entrance to Phelps Hospital, but found no way down and continued on.

On and on. Eventually, they ended up cutting through the Sleepy Hollow Cemetery down into Sleepy Hollow.

When the sky clouded up and it began to flurry, they luckily managed to catch a ride home. Walking had somehow lost its attraction.

Walk Time 3 hours. Mileage unknown.

Photos and travelog by Carolyn Reiss (with input by Allie, no doubt)

I Didn't Know That

On the Day after Thanksgiving, What Profession Is Busier Than on Any Other Day?

For many of us, the day after Thanksgiving is primarily known as Black Friday—the kick-start to the winter holiday shopping season. But for workers in one industry, it goes by a slightly different moniker: Brown Friday. The nickname comes from the high number of service calls plumbers receive the day after a holiday that strains people’s waistbands and kitchen sinks. Many plumbers say that Friday following Thanksgiving is twice as busy as any other day of the year.

While Brown Friday gets its unappealing name from the sewage byproducts workers are often hired to handle, many plumbers report that service calls for bathroom fixes aren’t as common on that day. Instead, kitchen sinks, garbage disposals, and drains are the top offenders (though plumbers acknowledge that having more guests does put additional pressure on a home’s wastewater system). Most post-Thanksgiving plumbing issues stem from two culprits: grease and potato peels. Hot grease washed down sink drains eventually cools and solidifies, leading to buildup that can plug pipes. And when a massive heap of starchy potato peels makes its way down a partially clogged pipe, the grease and peels can congeal to create a kitchen nightmare. Fortunately, experts say there’s an easy way to prevent a Thanksgiving catastrophe: Toss meats, bones, and stringy or dense foods like those potato peels into the trash can instead of down the sink.

Or just go down to the feast in the Bistro!

Source: interestingfacts.com

Contributed by Jane Hart

Made In NYC: Brands, Trends, and Inventions That Began in the Big Apple

Pfizer

Today one of the biggest companies in the world (revenue last year was over $100 billion), Pfizer got its start in Brooklyn in 1849. Charles Pfizer and his cousin Charles F. Erhart began Charles Pfizer & Company by compounding chemicals on Bartlett Street in what is now Williamsburg. Amazingly, a manufacturing plant hung on in Brooklyn until 2009, even as the company’s reach became world-wide.

Bazooka Chewing Gum

This familiar brand has been around since 1947 and at one time boasted half of the market share in gum. It’s still going strong today, although no longer owned by its founding family, the Shorins (brothers Arthur, Abram, Ira, and Philip founded it, along with their father Joseph). After 6 years of gum sales, things really accelerated with the addition of Bazooka Joe comics in 1953. Bazooka Gum was part of The Topps Company, Inc., which is also known for dominating the baseball card industry for decades. Although headquartered in Manhattan now, Bazooka Gum started out in Brooklyn, with offices and manufacturing taking place in what is today Industry City.

The Brillo Pad

The origin story on the Brillo Pad dates back to the early 20th century and a pair of brothers-in-law. One was a jeweler and one sold cookware, and together they came up with a solution for blackened pots and pans. Combining German steel wool, soap, and the polishing compound jewelers’ rouge, they were ready to hit the market. Too poor to pay for patent services, they brought in a lawyer as a third partner and lost their names to history. But the product lives on: 225 million pads are produced every year.

Source: “Made In NYC,” by Ethan Wolff, March 2024, City Guide New York

Contributed by Bobbie Roggemann

Words of Wisdom from the Younger Set

Don’t wear polka-dot underwear under white shorts. Kellie, 11

If you want a kitten, start out by asking for a horse. Naomi, 15

Felt markers are not good to use as lipstick. Lauren, 9

Don’t pick on your sister when she’s holding a baseball bat. Joel, 10

When you get a bad grade in school, show it to your mom when she’s on the phone. Ayesha, 13

Never try to baptize a cat. Eileen, 8

Contributed by Bob Abramovitz

Art by Hart

After decades in therapy, Miss Muffet could look almost any arachnid in the eye

Gravity was not always Comstock’s friend

The Barbie-pink sky glamorized the 5 am ferry trip to the mainland

Mr. Rabbitt was afraid of being judged unmanly for having his nails done

Uncle Vincent told stories long into the night

Art and photos by Jane Hart

Thanksgiving: A Reminder

Yakov Smirnoff is a Jewish Ukrainian-American comedian, actor, and writer. He was born in 1951 in Odesa, Ukraine, then part of the Soviet Union. He was an art teacher in Odesa, as well as a comedian. As a comedian, he entertained occasionally on ships in the Black Sea, where he came into contact with Americans who described life in the US to him. That was when he first considered leaving the country.

After two years of attempting to leave, he came to the US with his parents in 1977, arriving in New York City. His family was allowed to come to America because of "an agreement between the USSR and America to exchange wheat for Soviet citizens who wished to defect." 

In 1985, on the Johnny Carson Show, he finished his act with the following reminder of how lucky we are to live in the USA.

© Kendal on Hudson Residents Association 2015, 2016, 2017, 2018, 2019, 2020, 2021, 2022 all rights reserved.  Please do not reproduce without permission.

Photographs of life at Kendal on Hudson are by residents.