Gracious Me: Afternoon Tea!

An afternoon tea is one of life’s great indulgences. No, we’re not talking pinkie fingers at ridiculous angles or noses held high in the air. A proper afternoon tea is soothing, relaxing, and yummy. Fifty-six Kendalites signed up. And Fred, Christy, Jorge, and their staff did themselves proud when, at 2pm on January 23, the doors of the FDR opened to an honest-to-goodness tea room—gracious in design and thoughtfulness. There was a wishing tree borrowed from Lunar New Year traditions to get us in the mood. A CD provided tranquil background harp music. The table settings and decorations were exquisite, meticulously thought out to provide essentials for the menu while maintaining the relaxed graciousness of the event. And the menu met all requirements, leaving basic behind and soaring up there with the greats: Brown’s Hotel and The Savoy. First off: three tea choices in pretty pots, brought around by lacy gloved staff members. Real clotted cream, served in individual containers, as was the jam. Fred outdid himself by personally making the scones. And Executive Chef Eddie Diaz did the same with the Madeleines. Tea sandwiches met the standards of any British tea salon. And the delicious pastries were perfection. There were even ladies in hats! However, this was far from a ladies-only event. There were plenty of gentlemen who appreciate what Americans call “A High Tea.”

The whole thing was the brainstorm of Bobbie Roggemann. The planning was suberb and the execution out of this world. The perfect remedy to the grim single-digit temperatures outside. Yay, Bobbie!

Photo by Sally Costa

The “Wishing Tree”—write your anonymous wishes for the New Year and hang them on the tree.

Photos by Harry Bloomfeld (with one noted exception)

I Didn't Know That

Can Humans Glow in the Dark?

Bioluminescence, the strange biology that causes certain creatures to glow, is usually found at the darkest depths of the ocean where the sun’s light doesn’t reach. While these light-emitting animals seem otherworldly, the trait is actually pretty common—in fact, you’re probably glowing right now.

According to researchers at Tohoku Institute of Technology in Japan, humans have their own bioluminescence, but at levels 1,000 times less than our eyes can detect. This subtle human light show, viewable thanks to ultra-sensitive cameras, is tied to our metabolism. Free radicals produced as part of our cell respiration interact with lipids and proteins in our bodies, and if they come in contact with a fluorescent chemical compound known as fluorophores, they can produce photons of light. This glow is mostly concentrated around our cheeks, forehead, and neck, and most common during the early afternoon hours, when our metabolism is at its busiest. At such a low level, human bioluminescence likely isn’t an intentional product of evolution as it is for deep-sea fish, fireflies, and many other animals. And most other bioluminescent creatures rely on a compound called luciferin (Latin for “light bringer”)—which humans lack for their light show. Fortunately, we have unique ways of making light that are all our own.

Source: interestingfacts.com

Contributed by Jane Hart

Fob Foible Solved

As of January 21, 2025, the entrance to Kendal from the garages has changed. It used to be that, until 9pm, all one needed was a wave of the hand to get into the garage-floor elevator lobbies from the garage. After 9pm, one had to use one’s fob, along with the wave. No more! Now you must use the fob and wave all the time.

The cry has gone out: I don’t alway remember my fob! But you do usually have your house keys. Aha! Jeff O’Donnell has come up with an idea:

Attach Fob to Key Chain

But wait! My Pet is on my key chain. I might set it off! Jeff considered that. The fob, with its name plate, shields the Pet from accidental pressure.

Just a thought . . .

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

Baked Alaska

You probably know the name, but do you recognize this Manhattan-made dessert? Baked Alaska started at Delmonico’s in 1876. The name honored the $7.2 million purchase of Alaska a few years prior—maybe taking inspiration from the climate of the new territory.

Corning Glass Works

It started out in Williamsburg as the Brooklyn Flint Glass Works before moving to 73 Hudson St. in Lower Manhattan. In 1868, Corning Glass Works moved upstate to Corning, NY, and changed names again. Until recently it made Pyrex, a fixture of kitchens around the world. The company is still going strong today, as a major supplier of smart phone glass.

The Reuben

The origin story of this classic sandwich is somewhat contested, but we’ll run with a highly plausible rendition: Arnold Reuben (1883-1970) of Rueben’s Restaurant (1908-2001) created it in 1914 in a late-night improvisation. The first customer was a Charlie Chaplin leading lady, Annette Seelos, who could have gone down in history with her name on menus everywhere. But Arnold Reuben thought better of it, and the rest is sandwich history.

Source: “Made in NYC,” City Guide, March 20, 2024

Contributed by Bobbie Roggemann

Art by Hart

The newest member of the junior hockey team was small but mighty

Arlene was the queen of oat cuisine

Roger and Maude were excellent business partners, even though they couldn’t see eye to eye

Rosella wondered if she was wearing too much glitz—or not enough

In meditation, Melissa tried to empty her mind

Art and photos by Jane Hart

Drawing with Scissors 5, by Sheila Benedis

Success!

We Did It!

We did it! Under the organization and supervision of Teddy Pulerwitz — and the hard work of a Kendal cadre of helpers: sorters, cutters, and drivers — we have reached the goal of 1,000 pounds of soft plastic. For this momentous achievement, we will receive a free bench for the lounging of Kendal residents come lounging weather. But don’t stop your soft-plastic collecting now! Teddy is contacting the teacher in charge of similar efforts at Sleepy Hollow High School to see if we can work with them for an SHHS bench. Stay tuned.

I Didn't Know That

The First Broadway Musical Was Performed in 1866

On September 12, 1866, a packed house at Niblo’s Garden theater at the junction of Broadway and Prince Street in New York City witnessed a unique spectacle with the six-plus-hour debut of The Black Crook. Dozens of dancers in flesh-colored tights twirled around the stage as glittering fairies; ominous lighting and noises announced the onset of a hurricane; and the banter between the main characters was interrupted by such plucky songs as “You Naughty, Naughty Men.” Although this was hardly the first stage performance to incorporate singing into the drama, the explosive combination of music, dancing, and elaborate set theatrics led The Black Crook to be widely recognized as the starting point for the Broadway musical.

The creation of the play was something of an accident. A Parisian ballet troupe had been booked for performances at Manhattan’s Academy of Music, but was left without a venue when the opera house was destroyed in a May 1866 fire. Its producers subsequently struck a deal with Niblo’s Garden manager William Wheatley, who determined that the troupe’s attractive performers and expensive set machinery would liven up Charles M. Barras’ original script for The Black Crook, a Faustian drama about a poor artist’s entanglements with an evil count and an agent of the devil.

While the visual effects helped divert attention from the shaky plot, it was the scantily clad dancers who took up most of the ink in reviews and ignited the largest furor among moralists who condemned the indecent display of flesh. But the indignation only served to heighten interest: The Black Crook continued for nearly 500 performances in its first run, grossed more than $1 million, and spawned a sequel called The White Fawn, all of which demonstrated to the industry that this musical extravaganza was very much a model worth imitating.

Source: historyfacts.com

Contributed by Jane Hart

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

Santa Claus

Source: Print of St Nicholas by John Pintard (1810); courtesy of the New-York Historical Society via Wikimedia

Okay, maybe not invented — St. Nick goes back many centuries in European traditions. But the Santa Claus we know today, with a sleigh, a questionable commitment to fitness, and a red suit? That’s pure New York City. Washington Irving, Clement Clarke Moore, and Thomas Nast all played roles in the creation.

Source: 6sqft.com.

First Cell Phone

On April 3, 1973, on Sixth Avenue between 53rd and 54th Streets, Motorola engineer Martin Cooper reached out to Joel Engel of Bell Laboratories at AT&T. Cooper wanted his rival to know that Motorola had reached the finish line first, developing the first mobile phone. This was the world’s first ever cell phone call, made from a Manhattan sidewalk.

Chewing Gum

Source: Library of Commerce

Although people have been chewing on tree gum for thousands of years, it took a New Yorker to make an industry out of it. In 1871, Thomas Adams of Staten Island patented a machine for mass producing gum. He was turned on to the substance by Mexican general López de Santa Anna, who employed Adams as a secretary and stayed in his home while in exile. Adams went on to build a gum empire (including Chiclets), which contributes to a $30 billion dollar industry.

Source: “Made in NYC,” City Guide, March 20, 2024

Contributed by Bobbie Roggemann

Ellen's New-Year's-Eve Song

Some of you have noted that, when watching the 2024 Kendal New Year’s Eve Program, you could not make out all the words to the paean to Ellen Ottstadt. Resident Website (and Greg Lozier) to the rescue! Here are the words, as sung to “You Are My Sunshine.” Hum along, if you wish . . .

Ellen’s Our Sunshine

Ellen’s our Sunshine, our Kendal Sunshine. She keeps us happy when skies are gray. And we are certain how much she loves us? Ellen’s here, our Sunshine’s okay.

There is no other, sister or brother, From Croton Harmon to Marrakesh. We shall survive here. Keep joy alive here. We’ll succeed through Project Refresh.

Our smiling Ellen, hard-working Ellen, Serves Quaker Values from night to day. Our admiration needs celebration. Ellen’s here, our Sunshine’s okay.

© 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.