Special Observances, July 17 – 23
JULY 17: WORLD EMOJI DAY
Internet-age Communication now goes far beyond pressing send on a simple text message. Check your social media feeds or text messages. How many smiley faces, flying hearts, avocados, and unicorns do you see? These iconic little images, known as emojis, are more popular today than ever before — so, naturally, they have their own special day: World Emoji Day. While sometimes they may seem silly, according to various psychologists and researchers, they may play a vital role in the way we communicate today. In fact, Oxford Dictionary’s Word of the Year for 2015 was the 😂 emoji.
Before the emoji, there were emoticons (emotion + icon), developed as an expression of emotions in cold hard texts. “Emoji” was coined by Shigetaka Kurita in 1990 while working for the Japanese telecom company NTT Docomo. It is a Japanese expression, roughly meaning “picture word.” The first Apple iPhone (2007) had an emoji keyboard to nab the Japanese market. While not intended for US users, Americans quickly found it and figured out how to use it. Every year new emojis are developed. Over 1800 emojis cover much more than just emotions. From transportation, food, an assortment of wild and domesticated animals to social platforms, weather, and bodily functions, emojis virtually speak for themselves.
JULY 18: WORLD LISTENING DAY
Shhh . . . hear that? It’s the sound of World Listening Day. World Listening Day is hosted every year by the World Listening Project, a nonprofit organization “devoted to understanding the world and its natural environment, societies, and cultures through the practice of listening and field recording.” They explore acoustic ecology, a discipline that studies the relationship between humans and the natural world as mediated through sound.
Listening is indeed an art that requires undivided attention and patience from a person and benefits another who is in need of it. Listening is also beneficial for the listener, improving their listening skills and sharpening their awareness of their surroundings. As important as our sense of hearing is, we often don’t use it effectively, blocking out most sounds and voices, and not really listening to the message.
World Listening Day falls on July 18 to honor the birthday of Raymond Murray Schafer, a Canadian composer and environmentalist who is the founder of acoustic ecology. Born on July 18, 1933, he developed his World Soundscape Project, laying the fundamental ideas and practices of acoustic ecology in the 1970s. Established in 2010, each year the holiday has a specific theme tied to it. Past themes include “H2O,” “Sounds Lost & Found,” and “Listen to You!” The theme for World Listening Day 2023 is “Listen to the Sounds of Nature.”
JULY 19: NATIONAL HOT DOG DAY
National Hot Dog Day celebrates a summertime staple on a bun. Enjoy one piping hot and add some relish and mustard to go! This day pays homage to the frankfurter, the footlong or wienie, wiener, wienerwurst or even “red hot.” It tastes just as great no matter what we call it. And Americans love it. Each year, over 25 million hot dogs are sold at baseball stadiums, alone.
We make them a variety of ways. They’re portable and easy to make. While many of us prefer them grilled or toasted over a fire, we also boil, pan-fry, and rotisserie-cook them. The list of toppings is numerous – from the basic ketchup, mustard or relish to onions, mayonnaise, cheese, bacon, chili and sauerkraut. And the list keeps growing. Adults and children love them.
JULY 20: NAP DAY
Humans are monophasic sleepers, meaning they devote one part of the day to sleep, and the other part to being awake. The one exception: naps! Nap Day was invented by William Anthony, Ph.D., and his wife Camille Anthony in 1999. The couple wanted to help educate people about the power of a good nap and how getting just a little extra rest could be important to health.
Naps provide numerous benefits, as long as they aren't too long. Naps that are about 10 to 30 minutes in length improve mood, alertness, and performance — both mentally and physically. The alertness that naps provide can last for a few hours. Naps of 10 minutes in length provide the most benefit of improved cognitive performance and reduced sleepiness. Naps also provide relaxation and rejuvenation.
Not all naps are beneficial, though. If the length of a nap is too long, it can make a person groggy or disoriented. This may last up to a half an hour, and be particularly bad for those who need to do a task immediately after waking up. Naps that last too long can also negatively impact nighttime sleep, as can naps that are taken too late in the day.
JULY 21: INVITE AN ALIEN TO LIVE WITH YOU DAY
Get ready to boldly go where no human has gone before on Invite an Alien to Live with You Day! This quirky and fun holiday was created to celebrate our curiosity about extraterrestrial life and the possibilities of intergalactic relationships. It's a great opportunity for science fiction fans to have a bit of fun, but also serves as an important reminder that there may be more out there in the universe than we can imagine.
Invite an Alien To Live With You Day is celebrated every year on July 21 to remember the four-year-long Pam Dawber and Robin Williams show “Mork & Mindy.” The show is about an alien from the planet Ork named Mork, played by Williams, on a mission to Earth to study human behavior. Mork travels to 1970s Boulder, Colorado after his egg-shaped spacecraft lands there. Here, he meets up with Mindy, played by Dawber, who is a young journalism graduate who lets him live in her house. The episodes revolve around Williams’ hilarious portrayal of a bumbling alien trying to get a handle on Earth culture along with his frequent dispatches back to his home planet. Storylines are usually centered around Mork’s attempts to understand human behavior and American culture, while Mindy helps him adjust to life on Earth. Fifty-five to sixty million people tuned in each week to watch it “Mork & Mindy”'s four year run.
JULY 22: SPOONERS (SPOONERISM) DAY
Spoonerism Day honors “Spoonerisms,” tongue slips that most of us make regularly. The term ‘spoonerism’ refers to the practice of switching the initial letters of words as you speak. Say swy flutter instead of a fly swatter, or runny babbit instead of a bunny rabbit. They earned their name from Reverend William Archibald Spooner — a prominent Oxford don and, eventually, Warden (or president) from 1903 to 1924. One of his most famous “Spoonerism” was "It is kisstomary to cuss the bride," which he apparently said while performing a wedding ceremony for a couple.
Long before Spooner was born, the Greeks had a term for this sort of impediment — “metathesis,” which refers to the act of rearranging items. So, Reverend Spooner is far from the only person who has made this mistake. It is, in fact, fairly frequent. Spoonerisms are often said by accident, just as they were done by Spooner, but nowadays they are often said on purpose as well, for their humorous effect. No matter why they are said, celebrate them today.
JULY 23: HOT ENOUGH FOR YA DAY
Summer is slowly reaching its peak, and so is everyone’s patience with the weather. Hot Enough for Ya Day is a way to make light of the balmy and muggy heat. Summer days and nights are usually filled with hot and humid atmospheres with very high temperatures. During this time, people tend to lose interest in their daily activities because of how over-whelmingly hot it is. As peak summer hits, heat stroke, suffocation, high blood pressure, and muscle cramps go on the rise.
But all is not doom and gloom. You can plan interesting activities that revolve around making the most of the summer, and you can start all this by asking the question, “Hot enough for ya?”.
It is uncertain who or when the first Hot Enough for Ya Day was started — it’s been around since 1989 — but one thing is clear: Someone somewhere was so fed up with the hot weather that they went around asking people “Hot enough for ya?” for the fun of it. You can start your day with things that will cool you down. It could be eating a bowl of ice cream [Editor’s note: it’s also National Vanilla Ice Cream Day] or drinking a cold glass of lemonade. Swimming is another great option. For centuries now, people have been making a beeline for water bodies to cool themselves down. A splash in the water does the trick when nothing else works. If all else still fails, do not worry, just do whatever floats your boat within the cool vicinity of your homes.
Epiphany Poem and Art, by Sheila Benedis
Epiphany
asemic writing
no specific semantic content
calligraphic language
sinuous shapes
a poem repeated compulsively
renders itself partially illegible
bypasses meaning
unlocks the power of the illegible
viewer fills in
his own interpretation
words of a poem
crawl in
crawl out
go round and round
inside becomes outside
turning twisting road of life
movement of words
transformation
suddenly
a lively gestural scrawl
an aesthetic impulse
becomes an intuition
a form of art
an engine of quiet wonder
an epiphany
Epiphany Artist Books
Art by Hart
Mary's little lamb grew up, but not without significant psychic damage
Ralph made Minerva's morning exercise routine much easier
After a zillion dollars for MRI's, it turned out that Nellie had eaten a bad beetle
Rubber Ducky had followed Sandy from the bathtub to the bar
Art and Photos by Jane Hart
In and Around Kendal
The new pollinator-friendly garden, at the South end of Robert Fulton
Photo by Marianne Bloomfeld
The Fourth of July sky, by Carolyn Reiss
Roaming Through Rockwood Park, by Carolyn Reiss
A Rockwood rock
People Care, by Harry Bloomfeld
Living and Reading Large
Good news to all who have been struggling with the standard (and smaller) type in books. The Library has started a collection of LP (Large Print) paperback books in the carousel near the elevator on the second floor of Mary Powell. The books have an orange sticker on their spines. The collection is just at its beginning, but the hope is that it will grow little by little. Any contributions are welcome, with thanks!
The Residents Herb Garden: A Bit of Give, a Bit of Take
Remember “Scarborough Fair,” the old song rejuvenated by Simon & Garfunkel? They sang, “parsley, sage, rosemary, and thyme.” Well, add garlic, onion chives, oregano, mint, lavender and nasturtium (nasturtium flowers and leaves are edible and have a mustard flavor), and you have the bounty of the Residents Herb Garden in the Terrace planter with the dragonfly hovering over it and the black sign: "Herb Garden."
This planter — and only this planter — is open to all Kendal residents, thanks to the hard work of the Herb Garden Committee. You'll be surprised the health benefits and scent of these herbs. With the offer to snip as you please also comes the plea to please use plant shears or the scissors hanging in the planter to harvest herbs for your apartment.
Meanwhile, why not think about volunteering to water or to weed the herbs? A little take, a little corresponding give. It can be very therapeutic. Imagine the tender loving care you can give the herbs, and how you can release those pent up emotions on those weeds! To sign up, please contact Janet (x1857) or Maria (x1597)
Food for Thought . . .
01. If a bottle of poison reaches its expiration date, is it more poisonous or is it no longer poisonous?
02. Which letter is silent in the word "Scent," the S or the C?
03. Do twins ever realize that one of them is unplanned?
04. Every time you clean something, you just make something else dirty.
05. The word "swims" upside-down is still "swims".
06. Over 100 years ago, everyone owned a horse and only the rich had cars. Today everyone has cars and only the rich own horses.
07. If people evolved from monkeys, why are monkeys still around?
08. Why is there a 'D' in fridge, but not in refrigerator?
09. As I've grown older, I've learned that pleasing everyone is impossible, but pissing everyone off is a piece of cake!
Contributed by Barbara Bruno
It's "Feel Good Time," by Simone
A Kendal Mystery . . .
There is a strange phenomenon going around the halls of Kendal these days. A mysterious entity is — by stealth and secrecy — awarding the A.B.C.D. (Above and Beyond the Call of Duty) Award to various (admittedly deserving) members of our Kendal community. Who can this person be?! Is it, indeed, a person? Could it be some being from a distant planet who looks down among us and, finding a virtuous and deserving person, proclaims (in an echoey voice, of course) the virtue of said Kendalite, and then makes its unearthly way through the universe to post this statement (framed even!):
Cynthia, being an A.B.C.D.-type of Kendalite, cannot rest until she can send her benefactor an appropriate response. Ergo! She has asked Res Web to release the following statement:
Whoever you may be, I want to thank you for your acknowledgment of my work for the Kendal residents; it’s done with joy, and I appreciate your thoughtfulness.
Cynthia Ferguson
For Your Funny (and Punny) Bones . . .
Contributed by Art Brady by way of Sally Kellock
Quotable Quotes
"If you tell the truth, you don't have to remember anything." Mark Twain
Contributed by Marianne Bloomfeld
Special Observances, July 10 – 16, 2023
JULY 10: TEDDY BEARS’ PICNIC DAY
It's time to gather your (or, anyway, someone’s) teddy bear and prepare for a picnic on Teddy Bear Picnic Day, a holiday that’s been around since the early 1900s, when first created to celebrate the joy of spending quality time with friends and family. It's an opportunity for people of all ages to come together, share stories and enjoy a delicious meal outdoors.
The words “teddy bear” invokes a warm fuzzy feeling in our minds and hearts. The humble childhood companion has worn many hats since its inception, from being a cuddly playmate to a collector’s item.
The teddy bear came to be due to a hunting trip back in 1902. The then President Theodore Roosevelt refused to shoot a bear tied to a tree, saying it would be unsportsmanlike. That inspired toymakers to make and sell stuffed toy bears with the moniker ”Teddy Bear.” Since then the teddy bear has become an integral part of people’s lives across the world and age groups. This led to the song “The Teddy Bears’ Picnic” in the 1900s. The melody was written by John W. Bratton and, many years later, Jimmy Kennedy, an Irish songwriter, added lyrics. And thus was born Teddy Bear Picnic Day, a chance to celebrate the simple and small pleasures of a picnic with these stuffed animals.
JULY 11: MAKE YOUR OWN SUNDAE DAY
Entering the hottest days of summer, we look to cool off in many ways. The pool or the beach is tops on our list. But, right behind in popularity is consuming copious amounts of ice cream. As a result, it’s only fitting that we celebrate more than a few ice cream holidays. On July 11, we have Make You Own Sundae Day. So, if you are an ice cream lover, today is a day for you to create your own version of this delectable treat. Kendal provides the basic platform (and in so many flavors!). You see to the garnishing.
Some say the history of this beloved dessert goes all the way back to 1904, created in Ithaca, New York. However, Twin Rivers, Wisconsin, claims that its own Edward Berners served the first ice cream sundae in 1881. There were ordinances in place that prohibited the sale of ice cream soda (believe it or not!); so, Berners came up with a compromise to serve this in a dish minus the soda. Ithaca or Twin Rivers? Who cares? Whoever came up with the idea, ever since then sundaes have been a classic treat with endless variations and combinations to make them uniquely delicious. Whether you like yours topped with nuts or marshmallows, hot fudge, caramel sauce, gummi bears, pretzels, or any other delectable addition, there's something special about celebrating this day by, not only enjoying the treat, but stirring those creative juices of yours and creating an ice cream sundae to fit your own idea of the incredibly delicious. Oh, yeah, and then consuming said art project with gusto!
JULY 12: PAPER BAG DAY
This day marks the invention of the paper bag, a staple in almost every American household. Paper bags are not only useful for carrying groceries and other items, but they can also be used as decorations and even fashion accessories. Today, millions of people — and even local governments — choose to switch to paper bags as the widespread use of plastic and its harmful effects on the environment raises alarm bells. There are many ways paper bags help fight against environmental pollution and climate change. Paper is biodegradable, which makes preferable to plastic, which isn’t. Paper bags are also made of renewable (ergo recyclable) raw materials. And they can be quite durable, (except when soggy), and now have a more upmarket aesthetic appeal thanks to high-end brands popularizing minimal and sustainable packaging. That’s for you folks out there who worry about your paper bags having a more upmarket aesthetic.
So, really, what isn’t to love about paper bags?!
The paper bag can be traced back to American school teacher-turned-priest-turned-inventor Francis Wolle. In 1852, he invented and patented the first paper-bag-making machine, after which he and his brother founded the Union Bag and Paper Company. In 1871, Margaret E. Knight refined Wolle’s design by inventing a machine to produce paper bags with flat boxy bottoms — the template for today’s foldable paper bags — earning her the prestigious title of “Mother of the Grocery Bag.” In 1883, Charles Stillwell tweaked Knight’s design, adding pleated sides o make it easier to carry, fold, and store. He invented the machine to produce it, and in 1912, Walter Deubener added a cord to reinforce the bags and handles for ease of carry. Ta da! The final product! We have many to thank—and that’s why we have Paper Bag Day!
JULY 13: FOOL’S PARADISE DAY
We celebrate Fool’s Paradise Day as a day to forget the worst sides of reality and embrace the fantasy world of our thoughts, and to normalize this practice and assert the importance of having a happy place to go to when things get dark and out of hand. A fool’s paradise is a made-up world we imagine, a world where we can find eternal happiness. While people might make fun of such thoughts as childish and naive, Fool’s Paradise Day is a day to embrace such a paradise and try to find happiness amid all the tension and pressure of the real world.
Being happy is an important necessity. Happiness is an emotion; it is a state of mind filled with contentment and satisfaction. We don’t usually believe that true happiness can ever be achieved. Life seems to be one long ride chasing the elusive entity called “happiness.” If reality is something that slows us down on our journey towards happiness, then there is a cheat we can use to feel a temporary euphoria. We can train our minds to find happiness in our thoughts. That is the origin of the “fool’s paradise.” In our quest to find true happiness, we can rest in our own thoughts as we define the parameters of our own happiness. With our imagination, we can create a paradise in our thoughts. Take a day off to create such a world inside your mind and enjoy some time pondering your adventure in that fantasy land.
This special day seems a bit like an oxymoron. How can a fool reach, or experience, Paradise? And, how could a place be Paradise if fools inhabit the place? Who cares? Just enjoy!
JULY 14: PANDEMONIUM DAY
Be prepared for some crazy and inane goings-on today. It is Pandemonium Day, a time of sheer bedlam and utter chaos. If ever there was a wild and whacky, unorganized day, today is that day. Everyone has a day like this once in a while. Today is a day when all sorts of unexpected things occur. It’s a time when everything is happening at the same time, and at a very fast pace. But go ahead and celebrate and embrace Pandemonium Day! Don’t let today, or any other day shake you up. If Pandemonium prevails, just go with the flow in a calm, cool manner. Sanity will return soon enough . . . we hope.
The word “pandemonium” first appeared in the 17th century, in John Milton’s epic poem Paradise Lost, which retells the biblical story of Adam and Eve and their temptation by Satan. It’s a hybrid of the Greek word “pan,” meaning “all,” and the Latin word “daemonium,” meaning “demon.” In Paradise Lost, Pandemonium is the capital of Hell, where all the demons live. These days, however, it doesn’t have such scary connotations — pandemonium stands for all things chaotic, disorganized, and unpredictable. If you feel like you’re stuck in a rut and your life is too orderly, scheduled, boring, and predictable, this is a great day for you to throw the rule book out the window! The great thing about Pandemonium Day is it tells us to go ahead. Keep in mind that even though it is alright to go crazy and wild on Pandemonium Day, it shouldn’t cross boundaries. You can bend laws, as long as it doesn’t mess up someone else’s life. The point is to not allow others to dictate how you are going to celebrate your uniqueness.
Note: Today is also STEVE FISHLER’S FINAL DAY DAY. Somehow that just seems to fit. Co-incidence? Hmmmm . . .
JULY 15: NATIONAL RESPECT CANADA DAY
Hey, guys, give Canada a break—it’s having a really hard summer! Canada, often known as the Great White North, is a beautiful country with much to be proud of. It is ranked sixth in terms of entrepreneurship and seventh in terms of the ease with which you can start a new firm. Canadian law enforcement makes it one of the safest places to live in the world. Many world-famous musicians, singers, and actors have come from Canada. Not to mention its breathtaking nature: the spectacular vistas of gorgeous lakes and snow-capped mountains. For all this and more, we have National Respect Canada Day. (And, for the day, just forget about all that smoke. They’re coping.)
Really quickie Canadian history: The Vikings’ forefathers were the first foreigners to experience Canada after the Inuit crossed. Eric the Red’s son, Leif, discovered North America during a trip around 1000 AD. Jacques Cartier, a French explorer, claimed Canada in 1534 and named it New France. New France became a British province in 1759, but efforts to anglicize 70,000 French Canadians were overly ambitious. The Confederation of Canada was formed, but dissatisfaction with British authority and rebellions demanding an elected assembly resulted in the formation of a unified Dominion of Canada in 1867. During both World Wars, Canadian forces fought alongside the British. Canada was left in a position of relative strength at the close of World War II, and its standard of life surged. Finally, with the Canada Act 1982 — with the patriation of Canada's constitution from the United Kingdom, concurrent with the creation of the Canadian Charter of Rights and Freedoms — Canada established complete sovereignty as an independent country.
JULY 16: NATIONAL ICE CREAM DAY
In 1984, President Reagan created National Ice Cream Day as the third Sunday in July to commemorate a treat enjoyed by over 90% of the US population. Americans still lead the world in ice cream consumption: 23 gallons a year.
There’s no known inventor of ice cream. But it’s history is as rich as gelato. Alexander the Great, in 4th century BCE, adored ice and snow flavored with nectar and honey. And the Bible indicates that King Solomon enjoyed iced drinks during the harvest season. During the Roman Empire, the great Caesar (of veni, vidi, vici fame) would send people to gather mountain snow (of veni eat, vici fame), just to cover it in fruit and juices. Or was it Marco Polo, who returned from the Far East with a recipe for what we now know as sherbet? That recipe developed into what we now know as ice cream, once called ‘‘Cream Ice.” Three hundred years later, in 1660, the Italian Francesco Procopio Dei Coltelli perfected his grandfather’s machine that produced top-quality gelato, and presented the general public with ice cream in his Paris cafe. The recipe blended milk, butter, eggs, and cream.
A guest of Governor William Bladen, provides the first mention of ice cream in the US in a letter written in Maryland in 1744. The New York Gazette, on May 12, 1777, printed the first advertisement for ice cream. Following the American Revolution, ice cream became super popular in the new USA. Since then there has been the steady progress: introduction of ice cream parlors, home machines, ice cream vans, ice cream floats, sundaes, and well-known brands such as ‘‘Ben and Jerry’s’’ and ‘‘Haagen-Dazs.” The effect of ice cream on society is so great that the brain of an ice cream lover has been likened to that of an addict. When the brain wants ice cream, it reacts like a passionate fanatic. Think lunch and dinner time at Kendal.
Art by Hart
It seemed that the Bluebird of Happiness was developing an attitude
Woolens tycoon Bubba Blacksheep-Haveyouany was spotted recently with his new bit of fluff
At last, the new family car was big enough for everyone
Mallory didn't know any of the high muckamucks, but she put on a convincing act
The live snack dispenser was an upgrade to the subway system
Art and photos by Jane Hart
Poetry and Art, by Sheila Benedis
Ode to Howard
I breathe you in
my husband
I hear your tender voice
see your tall quiet body
I gather up your strength
remember your never ending support
and become high
I remember you driving me to an art workshop
when I began creating baskets
thank you for placing our sleeping young son
on the backseat of the car
waiting patiently for me
never complaining
thank you for endlessly packing up my baskets
to send to galleries all over the country
thank you for climbing on ladders
when my work changed to installation pieces
hanging them on walls and from the ceiling
disregarding warnings of danger
when I went on many artist residencies
gone for a month at a time
thank you for your patience
you never complained about my meager income
even though you were comfortable with
the medieval art at the Frick
thank you for appreciating my contemporary creations
my beauty my intellect
you understood my value
Personage Sculpture
In and Around Kendal
Rockwood’s Grand Pasture, by Edward Kasinec
Hart Art With a Difference
She’s not just about pictures of strange animal life and the odd-ish behavior of the human ilk. Jane Hart recently expanded her repertoire to a delightful saddle pad she decorated for Margaret Ann Roth’s horse, Smudge. The theme: dinosaurs.
Kendal Van Fun
Think back to Spotlight, April 3, 2023. There was a note about expanded Kendal van use:
“Extended transportation service is now being offered on Tuesdays and Thursdays from 5 - 9 pm. You are encouraged to take advantage of these opportunities to eat out, go shopping, get hair/nails done, or take a later train back from the city.”
Well, Jane Hart, Margaret Ann Roth, and Jo Cameron decided to take ‘em up on it, and had a ball dining out down by the Tarrytown Harbor. They highly recommend it!
Interested? A sign-up sheet is available at the front desk. Remember, trips should be within 10 miles of Kendal, but here in the River Towns, that is a broad territory. Questions? Contact Briana.
July 29 Ice Cream Social in the Healing Garden
Photos by Art Brady
The Art of Puns
Art Brady, the Kendal King of Punning, sent the following:
Poetry in July
The Green Dragon of Rockwood Park
When one person sees it, eh, could be a vivid imagination. Could be a bit too much wine. Could be . . . well, we won’t go further. But when two people — fine photographers and upstanding pillars of our community — sent along photos of the same supposedly mythical beast, with the same caption, no less — well, we just start to wonder about that whole parallel world thing . . .
The Green Dragon of Rockwood Park, by Aruna Raghaven
The Green Dragon of Rockwood Park, by Edward Kasinec
Hooked on the Fourth
Rug-hooking is a skill that has artistic merit as well as utilitarian uses! It’s a skill that takes mastery. Designing such a project is as much a skill as doing the hooking. Marilyn Bother sent along examples of July 4th-themed samples of her amazing work, proving she is quite adept at both skills. Worth standing up and saluting!
Photos by Marilyn Bottjer