Around Sunset at the Harbor
Leaving New York Harbor
Photos by Joe Bruno
Recently, Art and Lynn Brady visited Untermyer Park and Gardens in Yonkers. The park is an historic 43-acre city public park overlooking the Hudson River. It is, a remnant of Samuel Untermyer's 150-acre estate “Greystone,” given to the city of Yonkers for the enjoyment of all.
Photos by Art Brady
There is a light-hearted person in the Transportation Security Administration who restores faith in the soul of our bureaucracy. To add it here squishes it down to the illegible. Click here for the moment of gentle humor.
Contributed by Joe Bruno
1. Don’t sweat the petty things and don’t pet the sweaty things.
2. One tequila, two tequila, three tequila, floor.
3. Atheism is a non-prophet organization.
4. If man evolved from monkeys and apes, why do we still have monkeys and apes?
5. The main reason that Santa is so jolly is because he knows where all the bad girls live.
6. I went to a bookstore and asked the saleswoman, “Where’s the self-help section?” She said if she told me, it would defeat the purpose.
7. What if there were no hypothetical questions?
8. If a deaf child signs swear words, does his mother wash his hands with soap.
9. If someone with multiple personalities threatens to kill himself, is it considered a hostage situation?
10. Is there another word for synonym?
Contributed by Barbara Wallach
This is what a tree farm looks like.
Contributed by Simone
Contributed by Donald Butt
Contributed by Donald Butt
Newton found out what was clogging his sink
It was an amicable and productive board meeting
Even on the greyest days, Mauldin thought of color
Sadie and Clara loved their daily 5:00pm fishing meet-up
Munjack could turn the simplest statement into a soliloquy
Looking at an idle playoff season, the Mets, Red Sox, and Yankees turned their attention to the very large lanternfly problem
Art and photos by Jane Hart
Art and photos by Sheila Benedis
OCTOBER 2: NATIONAL NAME YOUR CAR DAY
National Name Your Car Day encourages a special commitment to your wheels. It’s time to give your trusty automobile what it really needs: a name. Name Your Car Day is yet another demonstration of that love thang we Americans have with our rides. Although it might sound a bit, well, crazy, studies reveal that when we name inanimate objects, like our cars (which are, after all, rather animated), we assign almost human-like attributes that make us feel more in control. Name your little red corvette (or clunky little Chevrolet Spark), “Swifty,” and see what happens.
Admittedly, naming your car isn’t something universally done. This holiday aims to correct that. Now a bit of advice. When naming your car, make sure you consider its personality, your personality, and the color of the car. And don’t forget to refer to your license plate. If numbers or letters on your license plate form the initials of a particular name, use that. A further example: If your license plate contains the letters HRY, “Harry” would be a natural. If the license plate contains the letters EVL, consider Evil Ed or Evelyn. Keep these hints in mind and you will more than likely have a perfect name. (And your car will like it, too.) Make a day of the naming. Take Swifty or Harry or Katie or whomsoever out for a spin, a nice wash and shine. After all, you spend all that time together and take such good care of each other, isn’t it time for a name?
Name Your Car Day was created in 1990 by St. Louis television feature reporter John Pertzborn. The day honors his 1954 blue-and-white Buick that “shakes, rattles, and rolls.” The car’s name? What else: Elvis. Twenty-five percent of people have a name for their car, and the most popular name given to it is "Baby” (which we personally feel is an insult to your car, but then nobody asked us). There have also been many famous cars with names, such as Herbie from the Love Bug, General Lee from The Dukes of Hazzard, Bandit from Smokey and the Bandit, and Lightning McQueen from Cars.
OCTOBER 3: BUTTERFLY AND HUMMINGBIRD DAY
Two small but beautiful and colorful flying creatures share the spotlight on Butterfly and Hummingbird Day. It may seem odd to honor them together, but, besides being attractive, they’re both great flower pollinators.
There are about 20,000 species of butterflies, some sources say 17,500; others, as many 24,000. There are about 750 species in the US, where the white cabbage butterfly is the most prevalent. The life cycle of a butterfly begins with eggs laid on leaves, which hatch into larvae — known as caterpillars — that eat those leaves and flowers, and grow in size, shedding their skin many times. Next phase: pupa — or chrysalis, from which they finally emerging as butterflies.
Out of the cocoon, butterflies pump fluid into the veins of their wings to expand them, then rest for a few hours before taking flight for the first time. Cold-blooded, chilly air affects butterflies’ ability to function. Below 55 degrees, their body temperature may drop too low to enable flight. Like many of us, they may warm by shivering or by lounging in the sun. Between 82 and 100 degrees is their best range.
Butterfly wings have thousands of scales that reflect light, giving them color. Underneath those scales, their wings are actually transparent. Some butterflies fold their wings in to help camouflage themselves from predators. Others have bright colors so that some predators, aware that many bright-colored insects are toxic, will avoid them, even though they’re not actually poisonous.
Butterflies generally have short lives. Most only living for 2 – 4 weeks, during which they mainly eat and mate. Not an altogether bad life. Some butterflies only live a few days, while some that migrate — like Monarchs and Morning Cloaks — may live about 9 months. Monarchs may travel over 2,500 miles to find warmth during the colder months.
Hummingbirds — from the family Trochilidae — are birds from the Americas. They are the smallest of bird species. Most hummingbirds measure 7.5 – 13 cm (3” – 5”) in length. The smallest of the species is the bee hummingbird (native to Cuba), measuring 5 cm (about 2”) and weighing less than 2.0 g (0.07 oz). There are about 325 species of hummingbirds, but only 8 of them regularly breed in the US. Like butterflies, hummingbirds may fly hundreds or even thousands of miles to migrate, which means that up to 2 dozen species can be found in the US at various times. Most hummingbird species come from South America, Central America, and the Caribbean. There are no hummingbirds outside of the Western Hemisphere. Many species can breed together, which creates hybrid species.
Each hummingbird species makes a different humming sound because the wings of each species beats at a different rate. Generally, a hummingbird's wings beat somewhere between 50 and 200 times a second. Wings aren't the only things that beat quickly when it comes to hummingbirds: their hearts beat more than 1,200 times a minute. They also take a breath about 250 times a minute, and that number is even higher when they are flying. Their lifespan ranges from 3 to 12 years and is contingent on factors such as their species, habitat, and vulnerability to predators.
Hummingbirds eat a variety of insects: in flight, mosquitoes, fruit flies, and gnats, or aphids on leaves and spiders in their webs. They drink nectar from flowers, but can also be enticed by sugar water in a feeder, so their beauty can be enjoyed up close.
Hummingbirds have such small feet that they can't walk or hop properly. Their feet are mainly used for preening. However, their small feet also allow them to fly quicker — up to 30 miles per hour when going forward, and up to 60 miles per hour when diving.
OCTOBER 4: RANDOM ACTS OF POETRY DAY
Random Acts of Poetry Day, on the 1st Wednesday in October, encourages outbursts of poetry. The day for poets and poet wannabes spreads random poetry through art, the written word, and voice. It seems that since the beginning of time, people throughout the world have been expressing themselves through poetry. Known for its distinctive style and rhythm, this genre of literature offers a great way to express feelings and ideas.
Generally, the first poems we encounter are like nursery rhymes: stanzas full of rhyming words. As we grow up, we encounter other, different kinds of poems. Some of the most popular include: sonnets, haiku, limericks, ballads, epitaphs, odes, and free verse. Along with the different types of poems, there are three main types of poetry, including narrative, dramatic, and lyrical.
Even if you aren’t into poetry, you have probably heard the names of some of the most famous poets in history: William Shakespeare, Robert Frost, Emily Dickinson, Walt Whitman, and Sylvia Plath. Modern-day poets include Sam Sax, Eve Ewing, Andrew Feld, Jane Hirshfield, and Sharon Olds.
It’s believed that poetry is the oldest form of literature in the world. Reading and writing poetry have several benefits. Doing so helps with developmental learning, helps improve ideas, and can be emotionally cathartic. It also helps people not only understand the significance of words, but also their concept of the world. And it can also help improve a person’s understanding of their fellow man and instill them with empathy. All great reasons for everyone to show this day the respect it deserves.
But who invented this holiday? That is one of the great unknowns. All we know for sure is that it was created sometime in 2014 or 2015. It just appeared on the Internet one day and people started to observe it.
OCTOBER 5: GLOBAL JAMES BOND DAY
Global James Bond Day celebrates the Bond franchise. It is held on the anniversary of the date on which the first Bond film, Dr. No, premiered in London in 1962. Based on the book by Ian Fleming, the film Dr. No stars Sean Connery as James Bond, an impeccably-dressed, tuxedo-tailored agent of the British Secret Intelligence Service.
First celebrated in 2012, to mark the 50th anniversary of the franchise, Global James Bond Day was filled with events being held around the globe. The Museum of Modern Art, for example, hosted a film retrospective, while the Academy of Motion Pictures Arts and Sciences hosted “Music of Bond Night.” There was an auction of Bond memorabilia in the United Kingdom, with the proceeds going to UNICEF. Radio stations played Bond theme songs, and Adele's “Skyfall” — recorded for the upcoming Bond film of the same name — was released.
Fleming wrote a number of books featuring Bond that became part of the Bond film series. The first, Casino Royale, was released in 1953, and Dr. No hit the shelves in 1958. Fleming's books were adapted to the screen by Albert R. Broccoli and Harry Saltzman, and the series continued following Fleming's death in 1964, with new stories being written by others. James Bond became one of the most successful movie franchises of all time.
James Bond, Agent 007, started out as a Cold War-era operative but was modernized in the 21st century to confront new global realities. He is known for using the latest gadgets, drinking vodka martinis, dressing stylishly, gambling, living a solitary existence, and womanizing, all while bringing international criminals to justice. Bond has been portrayed by a number of actors besides Connery, including Roger Moore, Pierce Brosnam, and Daniel Craig.
Some cool James Bond facts:
Ian Fleming wrote about the character in 1952 as he began his journey from being a bachelor to being a married man.
The name James Bond comes from the cover of Fleming’s birdwatching book called Birds of the West Indies by James Bond. Yes, the name James Bond is the name of an ornithologist.
James Bond originally carried a 0.25 caliber Beretta pistol in early novels. It was eventually changed to a PPK.
Ian Fleming originally didn’t like the idea of Sean Connery playing Bond.
OCTOBER 6: NATIONAL NOODLE DAY
Noodles have been around for over 4,000 years. The term “noodle” has become a catch-all for all things pasta, spaghetti, macaroni and ramen. Popular the world over, noodles range in shape from flat, to round, to twisted, to sheets, to tubes, and many more. Eating noodles is the easiest way to forklift as many delicious carbs as possible into your mouth, making them a national favorite, no matter what the nation.
Noodles are made by rolling unleavened dough out and cutting into a variety of shapes. While long, flat noodles seem to be the most common, they come in several forms, names, and textures. Found in regions all over the world, noodles are made from a variety of flours. In Asian cuisine, root vegetables, such as yams and potatoes, beans, rice, wheat, and buckwheat are all found in a wide assortment of noodles. Europeans make most of their pasta from durum or semolina flour, though potato noodles are enjoyed as well. In China, you have chefs that pull the thinnest of noodles called la mian; meanwhile in Italy, you have broad flat paste layered with bolognese and béchamel sauce, better known as lasagna. And both are noodles! And, of course, each kind of noodle pairs differently with sauces and meals.
In 2002, archaeologists along the Yellow River in China found an earthenware bowl containing some 4,000-year-old — well-preserved — noodles. The oldest historical mention of noodles appears in a dictionary from the third century AD in China. The earliest noodles, were shaped into little bits, formed from bread dough, and thrown into a wok of boiling water.
It’s difficult to pinpoint exactly when and where noodles came from given that they relied on the innovation of home cooks. In Turkey and across central Asia, a dumpling dish evolved into manti, tiny tortellini-like dumplings. However, some researchers theorize that Genghis Kahn and his empire that spanned from east Asia to central Europe contributed to the spreading of dumplings. Thus, both the Italians and the Chinese lay claim to inventing the noodle. Regardless of where noodles originated one of the most alluring things about them is their variety.
Noodles have been with mankind in nearly every culture, making it one of the planets most widely eaten foods. National Noodle Day sits at the beginning of October which is National Pasta Month, filling this month with a variety of flavors and options to fill a hungry belly.
OCTOBER 7: FRUGAL FUN DAY
Every first Saturday of October is International Frugal Fun Day, falling this year on October 7. Do you believe you can have the time of your life without spending big bucks? Frugal Fun Day is the ultimate day for you to have all the fun in the world without breaking the bank. Frugality — to spend money sparingly — is a quality that may be frowned upon for its “cheapness” factor. However, today, where everything is getting more expensive by the minute, being frugal is something to strive for. Frugal Fun Day encourages you to have fun by spending $5 or less on a fun activity. If the activity is free, then even better.
The goal of the day: make people realize that money doesn’t make for a fun time, it is up to YOU to have fun. The first Frugal Fun Day was invented in 1999 by Shel Horowitz, an avid American writer — Boston Globe, LA Times, Cleveland Plain Dealer, among other publications — famous for his money-saving tips and tricks. The idea to celebrate a day of frugal fun came to Horowitz through his book The Penny-Pinching Hedonist: How to Live Like Royalty with a Peasant’s Pocketbook. Taking on a more refined approach four years after the publication, Horowitz came up with the idea that spending too much money to have fun is not necessary.
With the right mindset and some easy economical calculations, you too can have fun. First: October’s weather, with its masterpiece of shades of orange, brown, yellow, and red, gives you the opportunity to make the most of the day simply by going for a walk. If you are in the mood for relaxation, you can also take some snacks — cookies, sandwiches, coffee — to keep you nice and toasty. Taking the River Walk is another option (albeit unconventional, given the weather). But if you are not much of an outdoorsy person and your idea of fun is within the four walls of your home, then that’s fine too. Put on a movie or a TV show, or grab a book! Invite friends over and play board games. None of these are your cup of tea? Just do whatever floats your boat and have the time of your life. Just remember not to spend more than 5 bucks!
OCTOBER 8: WORLD OCTOPUS DAY
World Octopus Day celebrates the existence of one of nature’s most iconic sea creatures. Octopi are remarkably intelligent and adaptable. With some Octopus fossils predating the era of dinosaurs, they are known to be older than most creatures currently existing today. And there’s more to this amazing sea creature than a bulbous head and eight legs with suction cups.
Octopi are members of the class Cephalopoda — “head foot” in Greek — while the name “octopus” comes from the Greek word “októpus,” meaning “eight foot.” Octopi are unusual and unique animals. They have 8 arms, which more often than not have suction cups at the bottom. The arms have clusters of neurons in them, allowing different arms to do different tasks at the same time. (Talk about your multi-tasking!) The neuron clusters may be considered brains. Thus, octopi have nine brains, a central one that controls their nervous system and one per arm. But their amazing characteristics don’t stop there. Octopi have not just one, but 3 hearts! Two for moving blood to the gills and the other for pumping blood through the rest of the body. The octopus has no internal skeleton or a protective shell, it squeezes through narrow openings. Lacking any bone structure, an octopus has even been known to escape from a jar with a closed lid.
Octopi are highly intelligent and have been known to perform tasks ranging from opening jars to using tools. They are incredibly flexible, are great at hiding, and can be found in every ocean in the world. In addition, octopi are visually stunning, coming in various colors, a multitude of sizes, and all sorts of shapes. Some live in the very shallow waters of the sea, while others can be found thousands of meters below the surface. Sometimes called the “chameleons of the sea,” octopi are often able to change colors to blend in with their surroundings as a form of protection against predators.
World Octopus Day was started in 2006 by The Octopus News Magazine Online — yes, there is such an e-publication — to celebrate the uniqueness of the octopus. It has been annually observed since then.
Here are some other cool facts about these cephalopods:
300 species of octopuses
500 million neurons in their brains and arms
A rare type of octopus has tentacles that glow in the dark
The largest octopus on record weighed 156 pounds
An octopus can swim nearly 25 miles per hour for short distances
They mainly eat mollusks, crustaceans, and even smaller species of octopus
Some species of octopus lives in every ocean in the world and along every coast of the US
The female octopus lays up to 400,000 eggs
Large octopi only live up to 5 years
One of the most common octopi — aptly named the common octopus — grows to about 12 to 36 inches in length and weighs between 6.6 and 22 pounds. The largest is the giant Pacific octopus, which usually is about 16 feet in length and 110 pounds. The largest of these ever recorded was 30 feet long and 600 pounds. The smallest octopus is the octopus wolfi, which is shorter than an inch and weighs less than a gram.
Octopi — big or small, today we celebrate them all!
And one more note on the octopus, via the poet Ogden Nash:
The Octopus
Tell me, O Octopus, I begs,
Is those things arms, or is they legs?
I marvel at thee, Octopus
If I were thou, I'd call me Us.
A good, long toss
Photo by Joe Bruno
Uriel Schlair’s watermelon patch now hosts 5 melons. Can you find them all?
Photo by Peter Sibley
Susan Yao’s pumpkin gets bigger by the minute
Photo by Carlisle Spivey
Photos by Bob Abamovitz
Photos by Cynthia Ferguson
Saturday, September 30, 2023
1:00pm to 5:00pm
Oktoberfest will take place at the KD Pavillion, at the Kingsland Point Park, 1:00 pm to 5:00 pm
Food and entertainment for all ages! All welcome!
Parking fee for Sleepy Hollow Residents Only: $5.00
Parking fee for all other vehicles: $10.00
Hudson Pharmacy will be at Kendal to administer flu vaccinations to Independent Living residents on the following dates and times in the Gathering Room:
Wednesday, October 1 1 10 am – 4 pm
Friday, October 13 10 am – 4 pm
Monday, October 16 12:30 pm – 4 pm
Please sign up at the Resident Care Center if you want the flu vaccine. Please bring your insurance information to the Resident Care Center when signing up.
ALL APPOINTMENTS MUST BE MADE NO LATER THAN OCTOBER 4TH
We will be scheduling a COVID-19 vaccination clinic at a later date and will send another notice to you with those dates. We will NOT be scheduling a vaccine clinic for RSV. Please check with your doctor regarding any other vaccines you may need.
If you have questions, please call the Resident Care Center at extension 1030.
Contributed by Ellen Ottstadt
Thus spake Marianne Bloomfeld:
I broke my foot, is what I did. It forced me to take a “vacation” from the gym, the pool, walks in Rockwood Hall Park, driving, and a lot of other things. It did provide me with an outpouring of sympathy, uplifting stories of people who survived a broken foot, and an excuse to not do things that I didn’t want to do anyway. And I got an attention-getting item of footwear.
Photo by Harry Bloomfeld
The Beatles split 49 years ago.
The movie Wizard of Oz is 84 years old.
Elvis died 46 years ago. He’d be 88 today.
Michael Jackson’s “Thriller” video is 41 years old.
Mickey Mantle retired 54 years ago.
The movie Saturday Night Fever is 48 years old.
The Ed Sullivan show ended 52 years ago.
The Corvette turned 70 years old this year.
The Mustang is 59.
Contributed by Donald Butt
Q. Why do computers wear glasses?
A. To improve their web-sight.
Q. How does a computer get drunk?
A. It takes screenshots.
Q. What do you call a computer mouse that swears a lot?
A. A cursor.
Q. Why was the computer so angry?
A. Because it had a chip on its shoulder.
Q. Why can’t an IT guy keep a girlfriend?
A. He turns them all off and on again.
Q. What do you call a computer superhero?
A. A screen saver
Q. Why did the computer sneeze?
A. It had a virus.
Q. Where do computers go to dance?
A. The disk-O.
Q. What chemical is released in your brain when you see something funny on the computer?
A. Dopameme.
Contributed by Joe Bruno
1. Law of Mechanical Repair: After your hands become coated with grease, your nose will begin to itch and you'll have to pee.
2. Law of Gravity: Any tool, nut, bolt, screw, when dropped, will roll to the least accessible corner.
3. Law of Probability: The probability of being watched is directly proportional to the stupidity of your act.
4. Law of Random Numbers: If you dial a wrong number, you never get a busy signal and someone always answers.
5. Supermarket Law: As soon as you get in the smallest line, the cashier will have to call for help.
6. Variation Law: If you change lines (or traffic lanes), the one you were in will always move faster than the one you are in now.
7. Law of the Bath: When the body is fully immersed in water, the telephone rings.
8. Law of Close Encounters: The probability of meeting someone you know increases dramatically when you are with someone you don't want to be seen with.
9. Law of the Result: When you try to prove to someone that a machine won't work, it will.
10. Law of Biomechanics: The severity of the itch is inversely proportional to the reach.
11. Law of the Theater & Hockey Arena: At any event, the people whose seats are furthest from the aisle, always arrive last. They are the ones who will leave their seats several times to go for food, beer, or the toilet, and who leave early before the end of the performance or the game is over. The folks in the aisle seats come early, never move once, have long gangly legs or big bellies, and stay to the bitter end of the performance. The aisle people also are very surly folk.
12. The Coffee Law: As soon as you sit down to a cup of hot coffee, your boss will ask you to do something which will last until the coffee is cold.
13. Murphy's Law of Lockers: If there are only 2 people in a locker room, they will have adjacent lockers.
Contributed by Sally Kellock
This is what lions look like in the rain.
Contributed by Simone
Emily followed a fad diet and became weightless
Disregarding the serenity prayer, Bella ignored her messy desk so she could worry full-time about Erskine
Faith was on a mission: find forever homes for all the shelter pets
Al and Margie were as different as soulmates could be
After so many years, Goldilocks' therapist was still harping on the unresolved bear incident
Art and photos by Jane Hart
I love
I am a book artist
want to touch the texture of pages
nature’s smooth and rough
tree bark so tactile
the book’s color
Inspired by nature’s radiant flowers
the book’s smell
remembering nature’s senses
the book’s form
I hear and see the bird’s soaring shape
the book’s ingredient paper
sourced directly from nature
the book’s binding
requiring attention to detail
the book completed
sense of accomplishment
a beautiful sculpture
connected to nature
I am a book artist
SEPTEMBER 25: NATIONAL COMIC BOOK DAY
National Comic Book Day honors the art, artists, and stories of comic books. Most all of us had ‘em, read ‘em, traded ‘em, hid some of ‘em from parental disapproval. Ads in comic books were part of the fun. Without them, how would we have known about the relatively cheap availability of X-ray glasses, disappearing ink, dribble glasses, or whoopee cushions?
Comic books have existed in America since the English printing of the Swiss comic The Adventures of Mr. Obadiah Oldbuck in 1842. In 1896, Richard Felton drew a comic-book magazine published in the US featuring The Yellow Kid. The 196-page book, McFadden’s Row of Flats, printed in black and white, measured 5×7”, sold for 50 cents. From this effort arose the term “comic book.”
Despite the name, comic books are not all funny. They feature stories in all genres, including humor, action, mystery, romance, even fashion and paper dolls. The precursor of American-made standard-sized comic Funnies on Parade — basically reprints from newspapers’ funny pages — came out in 1933. This launched the first of four eras in American comic book history. The introduction of Jerry Siegel and Joe Shuster’s Superman — the superhero archetype — in 1938 turned comic books into a major industry, ushering in the Golden Age of Comics. The Silver Age started in 1956 with the successful revival of the then-dormant superhero form, with the debut of the Flash, and lasted into the early 1970s. During this time, Marvel Comics revolutionized the medium with superheroes such as the Fantastic Four and Spider-Man. The Bronze Age, less defined, runs from the very early 1970s through the mid-1980s, and featured a return of darker plot elements and storylines more relevant to social issues such as racism. We’re now in The Modern Age of Comics, which began in the mid-1980s. During its first 15 years, many comic book characters were redesigned, creators gained prominence within the industry, independent comics flourished, and larger publishing houses became more commercialized. It’s also referred to as the Dark Age of Comic Books, with the popularity and artistic influence of titles with serious content, such as Batman: The Dark Knight Returns and Watchmen.
SEPTEMBER 26: LUMBERJACK DAY
Lumberjack Day aims to celebrate the archetypal woodsman: the lumberjack. Actually, it was created in 2005 by Marianne Ways and Colleen AF Venable as an excuse to eat pancakes and waffles with friends. Lumberjack Day was also spurred on because “International Talk Like a Pirate Day” comes a week before it, and Ways and Venable wanted to celebrate a different character. They thought it would be better to have a day to talk like a lumberjack. It has grown to be celebrated countrywide, with people dressing up in plaid shirts and wearing beards — even having lumberjack parties. (In 2013, the day also started being called National Pancake Day, which increased its popularity.)
The term “lumberjack” refers to mostly North-American workers in the logging industry who perform the initial harvesting and transport of trees for ultimate processing into forest products. They worked hard, long, and dangerous hours to get the harvest of trees in. Lumberjacks usually lived in lumber camps, but they traveled where needed in order to find the right trees. They are stereotyped as having burly beards, and wearing long-sleeve flannel shirts, suspenders, and boots, along with having voracious appetites — particularly for flapjacks or waffles.
The term lumberjack was first mentioned in 1831 in Canada. In their original form, they existed for about a century, up until the time around World War II. They used cross-cut saws and axes to clear lumber, in contrast to modern day loggers who use tools such as chainsaws, harvesters, and feller bunchers. Lumberjacks had, hoped to have, or were seen as having, pride in their work, resistance to technological transformation, competitiveness, strength, knowledge of the woods, and aggressiveness. Most worked in Scandinavia, Canada, and the US. In the US, they first worked in northeastern states, then in the Upper Midwest, and finally the Pacific Northwest. At their height, in 1906, there were 500,000 lumberjacks. Logging camps were phased out around the time of World War II because new vehicles could bring loggers deep into the woods, so camps were no longer necessary. The new tools for logging also changed the nature of the work and helped end the era of the lumberjack.
Paul Bunyan is the main lumberjack of folklore, and real-life loggers, such as Jigger Johnson and Joseph Montferrand, also have gained legendary status. Today, loggersports keep lumberjack traditions alive, as do lumberjack shows. The Lumberjack World Championships, in Hayward, WI, have been held since 1960.
SEPTEMBER 27: NATIONAL CHOCOLATE MILK DAY
National Chocolate Milk Day sends our childhood senses all a-tingle. While this beverage is greatly popular in the US, it actually has Jamaican origins. Its chocolatey goodness can be traced back to the 1400s and its popularity continues to increase. In fact, the global chocolate milk market is forecasted to grow at a rate of 3.6% between 2019 and 2024.
The earliest known use of chocolate was by the Olmec — the first major civilization in Mexico (around 1900BC) — who enjoyed the drink from special round jars known as “tecomates,” symbols of status. The Mayans came next and worshipped a god of cocoa. According to ancient Mayan written records, chocolate drinks were served at gatherings such as weddings and to conclude other important events. They also prepared cacao drinks as offerings to their gods.
In 1687, Irish botanist Hans Sloane was appointed as a physician to the Duke of Albemarle in Jamaica. While in Jamaica, Sloane was introduced to Jamaican chocolate water, but found the drinks too bitter. He added milk for taste. Realizing chocolate milk tasted good and was also very healthy, due to the calcium and protein, Sloane brought the drink back to Europe and began preaching its medicinal benefits and selling it to apothecaries.
The Dutch company Van Houten invented a method for pressing cocoa in 1828. This produced a light, fluffy chocolate powder easily dissolved in water or milk. Chocolate milk became even more popular because this made it so easy to make. US brands caught on in the early 1900s with introductions such as Ovaltine in 1904. Chocolate milk’s popularity continued to increase, and now it’s one of the most popular beverages in the world.
Today, chocolate milk can be bought in stores, or made at home by mixing milk with either cocoa powder and a sweetener, chocolate syrup, melted chocolate, or a powdered chocolate mix. There is a debate, however, as to how healthy chocolate milk is. On one hand, it has a lot of sugar and is seen as a contributor to childhood obesity. On the other, it is seen as being restorative to athletes’ muscles.
SEPTEMBER 28: NATIONAL GOOD NEIGHBOR DAY
National Good Neighbor Day could have been designed by the residents of Kendal on Hudson. It celebrates the importance of being a good neighbor while contributing to one’s community. Relationships with neighbors can often lead to close friendships. Neighbors are almost like family. It is a blessing to have a good neighbor, but it is even a greater thing to be a good neighbor. Good neighbors watch out for each other, lend a helping hand, and are there for advice when asked. Good-neighborliness defines how pleasant and comfortable our neighborhood is — neighbors can make or break your experience of living in an area. Neighbors are like umbrellas on a rainy day, lending a helping hand in times of emergency. As Mister Rogers — the ultimate Good Neighbor — would say, “Please won’t you be…my neighbor?”
National Good Neighbor Day was first celebrated in the early 1970s by Becky Mattson, who wanted to connect with her neighbors in Montana. It officially became a holiday in 1978, when President Jimmy Carter signed a proclamation to establish the holiday. A Senate resolution proclaimed human values and consideration for others were essential to the system of civilization and that being good neighbors was the first step toward human understanding. To quote Joachim Prinz: “Neighbor is not a geographic term, it is a moral concept.”
SEPTEMBER 29: NATIONAL BISCOTTI DAY
Celebrate National Biscotti Day with an array of delicious cookies! This day pays homage to the crunchy Italian cookie that’s been a popular treat since the 16th century. Enjoy one (or two) biscotti today and make sure you share some with friends and family. Biscotti pair wonderfully with coffee, tea, milk, orange juice, dessert wine, and many other beverages. They come in many different shapes, sizes, and flavors — from chocolate chip to lemon poppyseed — making it perfect for any occasion or snack time craving. Also known as cantucci, biscotti are Italian cookies that originated in Prato, Tuscani. In the modern Italian language, the word biscotto (plural: biscotti) is used to refer to any kind of cookie, and the specific biscuit that is called biscotti in the rest of the world is referred to as cantuccio (plural: cantucci or cantuccini) or biscotto di Prato. Although the world biscotti is plural in Italian, it is generally used as singular in other languages.
Biscotti can be traced back thousands of years to ancient Rome. At that time, people began to experiment with twice-baked bread because it tended to last longer than bread only baked once. This cookie started out as a hard tack that could be easily carried by travelers, merchants, and soldiers. It continued in this form up until the Middle Ages when Italian chefs decided to turn this shelf-stable product into a work of edible art.
The first mentions of biscotti date back to the 17th century, but the first documented recipe of the dessert dates about a century later. The recipe for biscotti alla genovese is recorded in one of the manuscripts written by Amadio Baldanzi, an Italian priest and physician. The manuscript can be found in the State Archives of Prato. Following the rediscovery of the original recipe, Antonio Mattei, a pastry chef from Prato, created the modern recipe for biscotti. He presented his pastry at the International Exposition of 1867 in Paris, where his creation won a special mention.
According to the traditional recipe, biscotti dough contains no fat in any form, be it oil, butter or milk, and no leavening agents. Its principal ingredients are flour, eggs, sugar, pine nuts, and almonds. Being twice-baked gives them their signature dry and crunchy texture. The barely wet dough is shaped into a log, baked, left to cool, and then cut into elongated slices that are baked again until crisp and golden. Modern variations of the recipe can include butter, nuts other than almonds and pine nuts (such as hazelnuts or pistachios), as well as baking powder, various spices (anise, cinnamon, vanilla), chocolate chips, dried fruit, unsweetened cocoa powder (in chocolate biscotti), orange zest, and flavorings such as almond extract or liqueur. Once cooled after being baked for the second time, the biscotti may be dipped in chocolate.
Since biscotti are very dry, they are usually eaten by dunking them in a drink. In Italy, biscotti are often served for dessert, accompanied by Vin Santo, a white dessert wine that originated in Tuscany. In Catalonia, similar cookies named carquinyolis are also served with sweet dessert wine such as muscat. Outside of Italy, biscotti are usually accompanied by black tea or coffee.
SEPTEMBER 30: NATIONAL CHEWING GUM DAY
The gummy texture, the translucent bubble, the satisfying pop. These are just a few of the reasons why people the globe over love chewing gum. Whether you call it bubble gum, chewing gum, or chicle, there’s nothing quite as fun as munching on a piece of gum.
Despite its seemingly modern usage, chewing gum has been around much longer. The oldest piece of chewing gum was found in Kierikki, Finland. It was 5,000 years old. Found in 2007 by a British archaeology student, the piece of gum was made of bark tar, which was believed to be antiseptic. Centuries-old teeth marks could be clearly seen on the piece. In Ancient Greece, another form of chewing gum called mastic gum was chewed. Derived from the resin of the mastic tree, the gum was also believed to have antiseptic qualities and was used in maintaining oral health. Aztecs and Mayans chewed a substance called “chicle,” while Native Americans munched on the sap from spruce trees.
Chewing gum didn’t become truly commercialized, however, until 1848, when John B. Curtis invented and sold gum he called “Maine Pure Spruce Gum.” In the 1860s, chewing gum hit another milestone thanks to John Colgan, in Louisville, KY, who produced the first flavored chewing gum. He mixed powdered sugar with tolu from balsam trees, creating what he called Taffy Tolu. He also was instrumental in the expansion of chicle chewing gum. In 1871 Thomas Adams, a Staten Island inventor, also helped popularize chicle in his Adams New York No.1 chewing gum. His company later came up with and sold Black Jack, a licorice flavored gum. William Wrigley soon became the largest maker of chewing gum, and started selling both Spearmint and Juicy Fruit in the 1890s.
By the turn of the century, chewing gum could be purchased in gumball machines. In NYC it was also sold out of vending machines on train platforms. Bubble gum was invented in 1906, but took a few decades for a good formula to be developed. Then it gained popularity. Chewing gum's popularity increased around the globe when GIs were given a ration of it in World War II and often traded it with locals. In 1947, Topps Chewing Gum Company started selling Bazooka, so named because its shape resembled the World War II weapon. Sometimes pictures of popular sports, television, or movie heroes were put on trading cards sold with chewing gum. In 1951, Topps started packaging baseball cards with their chewing gum. In the same year, they also had a card series called "Freedom's War," depicting scenes from the Korean Conflict.
Today, unlike its early forms, chewing gum is made out of artificial ingredients: gum base, flavoring, color, and sweeteners. Its tantalizing variety of colors and flavors provides a harmless source of fun and, even better, has oral health benefits. Chewing sugar-free gum (which hit the market in 1969) increases the flow of saliva, which is capable of reducing the risk of plaque and tooth decay. It also strengthens the teeth and neutralizes bad breath. Great news for gum lovers. (Just remember to keep up that brushing!) The most effective gum on the market for oral health contains xylitol, which fights against cavities and plaque. Gums with sorbitol also may have some benefit, but not nearly as much as those with xylitol.
OCTOBER 1: INTERNATIONAL COFFEE DAY
The history and richness of coffee date back centuries. The Legend of Ethiopia takes place in the 9th century when a goat herder named Kaldi noticed his goats started acting strangely after feeding on little berries. He was curious, tried the berries for himself, and felt the effects of caffeine. Sharing his discovery with a local monk, they started making a drink from the berries. Ta da! Coffee is born.
Coffee cultivation and trade are credited to the Arabian Peninsula — Yemen to be precise — where coffee was being harvested and sold in the port city of Mocha by the 15th century. As coffee houses began to emerge, they quickly gained popularity as vibrant social hubs for lively conversations, music, and intellectual discussions. Over time, the coffee trade extended its reach to encompass various regions across the Arabian Peninsula and the broader Middle East.
Coffee continued its journey, reaching Europe in the 16th century via Middle Eastern merchants and travelers. European coffee houses, influenced by those in the Middle East, became vastly popular in cities like Paris, London, and Vienna. These began to serve as centers of intellectual exchange and debate, further solidifying coffee’s place in European culture.
During the 17th century, coffee found its way to the Americas through diverse routes, including the Dutch, who introduced coffee cultivation in their colony of Java (Indonesia). Subsequently, coffee production expanded to other Dutch colonies in the Caribbean and South America. This development marked the rise of coffee as a significant commodity in international trade. In the 18th and 19th centuries, coffee plantations flourished in the Caribbean, Central, and South America. Industrialization in the 19th century improved coffee production and distribution, making it accessible to diverse social classes.
In the modern era, coffee’s popularity has surged, becoming one of the most traded commodities globally: #2, only after oil. Coffee chains and instant coffee have greatly contributed to its widespread accessibility and enjoyment, making it an integral part of cultures, economies, and social connections worldwide. Its enduring allure continues to unite people through shared love for this invigorating beverage.
Coffee, as we know it, is the result of processing and roasting the seeds, also known as raw or green coffee, from a coffee cherry. Each coffee plant can live up to 100 years and produces on average 10 pounds of coffee cherries per year. There are two main types of coffee plants — robusta: Vietnam and Indonesia are among its top producers; and arabica: South America and Africa are among its largest producers, with Brazil growing more than any other country.
It should surprise no one that coffee is one of the most consumed beverages in the world. In fact, after water and tea, coffee comes in #3. Almost 10 million bags of coffee around the globe are exported each month. In the US, Americans drink 400 million cups of coffee a day. Sound like a lot of coffee? Nope. The US doesn’t even make the top ten of coffee-addicted countries. The top ten countries that consume the most coffee include:
1. the Netherlands
2. Finland
3. Sweden
4. Norway
5. Canada
6. Lebanon
7. Germany
8. Brazil
9. Qatar
10. Switzerland
On this list, the US ranks 14th. There is one obvious reason that so many people drink coffee. This beverage contains caffeine, which helps stimulate the nervous system. This, in turn, helps people feel awake, refreshed, and focused. Drinking the right amount of coffee each day is also linked to longer lifespans, reduced chances of getting Type 2 diabetes, and protection for the liver. But drinking too much can mean a lot of sleepless nights.
Please note: International Coffee Day is also Homemade Cookie Day. Go for it!
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Photographs of life at Kendal on Hudson are by residents.
