Poetry and Art by Sheila Benedis
power of a tree
just look just listen
my footsteps move slowly
like dancing shadows
my faint melodies go unnoticed
but they tell a story
echoes of dreams
like the trail
a snail leaves behind
if only I could become a tree
peace and hope would be
possible in the world
a tree could turn on a light
Seasons in Leaves
Art by Hart
Hambright's apartment was short on square footage, but the high ceilings provided lots of wall space
Fendleman’s stories were complicated
Celia had storm debris to deal with
The Tour de France officials had to say no
At Camp Woofy, all the kids could be who they were
Art and photos by Jane Hart
In and Around
By the Rockets’ Red Glare
Whether on the near or the far banks of the Hudson, the Fourth of July is a time for the awe and beauty of fireworks.
The Nyack brand, seen reflected in the Hudson (and photographed by Art Brady):
Or Fireworks seen reflected in Clermont’s
Photo by Carolyn Reiss
Bocce, Kendal-Style
When it’s not too cold and not too hot — and, definitely not too wet — Kendal’s Bocce athletes come together on the Bocce Court (aka the lawn between Alida and Fulton) on Wednesdays at 1:30. On July 3, Pace students Alejandra and Jessica, interning with Physical Therapy, joined them.
Photo by Pete Roggemann
Yes, Goats Have Personalities, Too
“You lookin’ at me?!”
“Oh, my, are you looking at me?”
Photos by Mimi Abramovitz
Senior Artists: Come Meet Senior Artists
The Senior Artists of Tarrytown’s Neighborhood House invite the Senior Artists of Kendal (and those who enjoy their work) to the opening reception of their Senior Art Workshop.
Date: Wednesday, July 10
Time: 1 pm
Place: Warner Library
Come Celebrate Senior Art!
Celebrating the Fourth — the Kendal Way
The Show Did Go On!
She who organizes everything: Muriel Fox awaits the start of the festivities and her role as EmCee . . .
Frank Neuwirth reads the Declaration of Independence. He first explained that the honor falls to him since he — and Bill Rakower — were there at the time.
Under Bob Singleton direction, the Kendal Singers provide song . . .
. . . and the audience joins in “America the Beautiful”
To break the serious mood, Jon Masters, Mike Kornfield, Greg Lozier, and Philip Monteleoni perform “A Little Tin Box” from the musical Fiorello, accompanied by Linda Mahoney. They brought it up to date with a new verse about “a little gold bar in his wife’s car.”
Jon Masters with his best “Who me?!”
And a surprise Thank-You bouquet to exceptional accompanist Linda Mahoney Herring
And, finally, the item long awaited: a debate. The question: Who was the worst president before the 21st century?
Carol Monteleoni, quoting many historians, makes her case for James Buchanan.
Norman Sissman discusses the presidency of Andrew Johnson.
Ann White delivers her argument for Warren G. Harding.
All those in favor . . .
The majority rules. “Winner” of the Worst President before the 21st century goes to [drum roll] . . . Andrew Johnson.
And the evening is wrapped up with a lusty rendition of The Star Spangled Banner.
Not Everyone's Meat and Potatoes . . .
Recently a certain benevolent set of grandparents treated their foodie grandson to lunch at Stone Barns. They had chosen lunch due to the exorbitant price of dinner at this restaurant of renown ($350-450 per dinner, plus a required 22% “service charge” — yikes!).
A Stone Barns lunch is a more relaxed affair. Cafeteria-style service, and you have to take the “salad” out of its plastic protective covering yourself, ala our own Bistro-dining here at Kendal (so no service charge, ).
All three diners found the “small plate” menu interesting. And tasty. And . . . small.
Photo by Harry Bloomfeld
The bill: $48 bucks — per person (center green stuff included). Worth it? Everyone must decide for themselves.
Dr. Seuss at KoH?!
Most — if not all — of us remember not simply the prose but the pictures in Dr. Seuss’s many, many, many books. We were read them as children — or read them on our own — and/or read them to our children and grandchildren (per chance, and those beyond!).
Gerry Mahoney has raised an interesting question. Have the characters from Dr. Seuss’s books . . .
. . . migrated to Kendal on Hudson?
It doth give one pause to think . . .
For Your Funny Bone
Contributed by Sally Kellock
Art by Hart
A sentimental pack rat, the princess saved the pea that won her the prince 200 years ago
Titania wondered if she was imagining Arnold or vice versa
Bobo was waiting out the noisy fireworks
Milton’s ideas sounded crazy, but they worked
Mrs. Renfrew was deeply connected to her climbing vine
Art and photos by Jane Hart
Art and Poetry by Sheila Benedis
Two Worlds
Inner world
Inspired by democracy
compassion for oppressed
lightness of peace hope justice
life fragile and precious
outer world
devastated by autocracy
darkness of war
precarious safety and health
innocent people in fear
Inner world
calm peaceful
place of freedom to create art
outer world
chaos and terror
Inner world
texture and movement of natural organic shapes
bright cheerful colors
soothing sound of grateful clouds
fragrant flowers
taste of honey
outer world
jagged geometric shapes
harsh colors
shrill sound of loud thunder
smell of rotten eggs
taste of bitterness
entrance to my apartment
welcoming oasis of joy and excitement
other apartments
more neutral
may I feel my inner beauty
may my creativity uplift the outer world
Diverse Paper Weaving
In and Around Kendal
Where the Blue of the Night Meets the Gold of the Day
Photo by Philip Monteleoni
A Robert Fulton Bloom
Photo by Joe Bruno
Goat Yoga
Downward Facing Goat
Warrior I
Billy prepares for Cat and Cow
Photos by Carolyn Reiss
Strolling in Rockwood Park on a Summer’s Day
Photos by Carolyn Reiss
End of Day
Photo by Carolyn Reiss
Out and About
‘Twas a Windy Day in Sleepy Hollow Town
The winds roiled Hudson waters at Kingsland Point Park.
Made all that more fun if you have a happy buddy along with you. And Peter Roggemann did —his grandson Tate!
The Hudson churning around the newly restored light house.
Photos by Bobbi and Peter Roggemann
The Great Grillers Grilling Greatly
Last year, the Kendal Grilling Club kicked off, with great reviews. Now that summer’s back again, so are the Grillers! The first (but by no means the last) “meeting” of 2024 was June 28. And it must be said (yes, it must) that the Great Grillers did greatly with their grilling. Interested in joining them as a Griller Club member? Contact Grill Master Peter Roggemann. (And start salivating!)
Photos contributed by Peter Roggemann
Things You May Not Know: About the Oreo
Background for an Idol
Afficionados of junk food — and their grandparents — may be interested in the history of the Oreo cookie. So here it is.
The Oreo was first made in 1912 by the National Biscuit Company (Nabisco, later Kraft Foods). Developed to compete with the Hydrox chocolate cookie, the Oreo became so popular that the Hydrox eventually ceased to exist altogether.
The origin of the Oreo’s name is still in dispute, but the word oreo, in Greek, means “beautiful.”
Throughout the 100+ years of its existence, only one change was made in an Oreo’s ingredients. In the early 1990s, lard was discarded as one component of the filling and replaced with partially hydrogenated vegetable oil. Soon this switch attracted two new groups of customers: Jews who chose Kosher diets and Vegans!
It is estimated that more than 500 billion Oreos have been consumed worldwide, mostly by humans but probably also by a few hungry inquisitive pet dogs — and some voracious kitchen ants. Oreo is the best-selling cookie in the world. It is now sold in over 100 countries.
A few non-culinary aspects of Oreos history should be mentioned:
the word Oreo was a derogatory term once applied to a Black person who was perceived as adopting the characteristic mentality and behavior of white middle-class people
During the notorious Superbowl XLVII power outage, Oreo enthusiasts tweeted the phrase “you can still dunk in the dark.” That, for a while, became a popular refrain
Finally, the word Oreo is a frequently requested answer to crossword puzzle clues. Why? Well, probably because — with the equally popular “oboe” — 3 of its 4 letters are vowels.
Contributed by Norman Sissman
The Science Behind “The Dunk”
Scientists have studied the ideal amount of time for dunking an Oreo in milk. Turns out, there is a right way and a wrong way to accomplish the deed for maximum results.
In 1998, a professor at the University of Bristol in the UK looked into the ideal method for dunking a British biscuit (aka “a cookie”) into a drink, using the concept of capillary action — the way fluids move spontaneously through small tubes in porous materials — and Washburn’s equation, which describes their journey. Eventually, he determined that the typical British biscuit is best dunked for 3.5 to 5 seconds.
Using this same technique in 2016, scientists at the University of Utah’s Splash Lab determined the perfect dunk time for the much-beloved Oreo. Although the amount of time to get to “perfect” depends on preferred sogginess levels and milk-fat content, the Utah researchers determined that 3 seconds was enough to thoroughly saturate the Oreo without losing structural integrity.
Here’s the journey in slow motion. Cookies are porous. Milk travels through the small holes inside them the same way ink does through blotting paper — or a spill through a paper towel. During tests, the Oreo soaked up 50% of its potential liquid weight in 1 second. That number shot up to 80% at 2 seconds, flatlined at 3 seconds, and maxed out at 4 seconds — meaning the cookie could absorb no more milk. So if the goal was to saturate the cookie but not lose structural cohesion, 3 seconds was the perfect number.
While this test used 2% milk as its dunking medium, the optimal dunking time will vary slightly when using other milk. The higher the milk fat (like whole milk or cream), the longer a cookie can be dunked, but only by mere fractions of a second.
And now you know. Happy dunking!
Source: interestingfacts.com
Photo by Dmitry Kuzmenko/ Unsplash
Contributed by Jane Hart
In honor of the mighty Oreo and the practice of dunking there with, we present the perfect Oreo-eating accessory:
For Your Funny Bone
Poetry and Art by Sheila Benedis
Future World
I look at myself on the zoom screen
I see my wavy hair
My artwork in the background
With the magnifying glass
My hair looks like tangles
The world in chaos
Shadows of war
My art like an arm reaching out
Trying to innfluence others
Is the world really so dark
Hopefully the future will bring
Changes in the world
A more peaceful time
Appreciation of art
Perhaps my arm is reaching out
Trying to reassure the world
Hopefully a more peaceful future
Meditation 3
Art by Hart
Carlton found comfort and joy among the squid
Diana had imagined her stage debut a thousand times
The square dance fell apart when the caller got hiccups
Cedric’s pricey orthopedic recliner required as many adjustments as he did
Weird but endearing, Ace was the first AI-generated child
Art and photos by Jane Hart
In and Around Kendal
Truth: Photos of Goats Simply Never Get Old!
Photo by Harry Bloomfeld
Sunflower on the Balcony
Photo by Joe Bruno
Tuesday Morning Club Enhances All Our Lives
The Tuesday Morning Club has created summertime designs for the Bistro, celebrating sun, sand, birds, and buds.
Photos by Sally Costa
They’re B-a-a-ck!
The first sightings of a new generation of the dreaded spotted lanternflys has been made in Rockwood park: nymphs, hundreds of them, on the weeds behind the Kendal walkway by the river. Smaller than your pinky fingernail, they cluster on anything that grows.
Start practicing your squishing techniques!
Tiny, spotted — and ravenous!
And hundreds of ‘em!
Photos by Carolyn Reiss
Guess Who’s Coming to Visit
Kendal is always ready to welcome new and different visitors. You’d have to look far and wide for “visitors” as “different” as those to Adirondack, Sunnyside, and Clearwater last week: baby goats! Pictured below are baby goats, Hazel & Blue, with Linda Cole from Kasey’s Cast-A Ways. How does one come by baby goats—especially ones so well attired? All arranged by Sandra Sindaco from Health Services.
Out and About
A Small Delight on Its Own Island
There’s a small oasis newly planted between Philipsburg Manor restoration and the Old Dutch Church. It’s called Statue Island because that is where The Headless Horseman statue keeps watch for Halloween. The newly opened garden and walkways on Statue Island is a small place with all kinds of plantings, the larger ones providing protection from cars driving north and south, but it’s surprising how peaceful and calm it might seem. Park at the small convenience store just behind the island and saunter over, crossing over the little-used roadway. Meanwhile, here are some lovely pictures of it that Anne White took:
Photos by Anne White
A Trip to St. John the Divine
Earlier this month, a band of adventurous Kendalites took a lovely sojourn to the Cathedral Church of St. John the Devine, the mother church of the Episcopal Diocese of New York. The visit was eye-opening — and not only because of its majestic interior, its magnificent stained-glass windows, or its marvelous carvings.
Photo by Hildegarde Gray
At present, a stunning, site-specific textile installation — Divine Pathways — is on view in the vaulted Nave of the cathedral, featuring red, blue, and gold fabric. The cathedral says it this way: “ . . . created in concert with communities and organizations from across the Morningside Heights neighborhood, New York City, and the Episcopal Diocese of New York . . . community members were invited to write their hopes, dreams, and prayers onto the ribbons that make up the piece. Individual prayers are anonymous and beyond the viewer’s sight, but their collective presence creates an experience that is both intimate and immense.”
The installation continues through June 2024.
Photo by Cynthia Ferguson
Meanwhile, Kendalites found the “every day” aspects of the cathedral to be awe-inspiring in their beauty.
Photos by Hildegarde Gray
St. John the Devine holds a special place in several Kendalite’s hearts. Hildegarde Gray’s grandfather’s funeral was held there. The cathedral was a very familiar sight to Rema Sessler, when she lived just down the road at 112th Street. And Cynthia Ferguson and her husband were married there in the St. James chapel.
Photo from Cynthia Ferguson — the bride.
Calling All Memories of Our River
Photo by Carolyn Reiss
ALERT: Deadline approaching for memories of the Hudson River: July 1.
As reported last week here on the Residents Website, the Kendal Mission for the upcoming Mermaid Festival is the history part. (Otherwise, the mission is Have Fun!)
The Festival aims to teach a new generation of Rivertown dwellers to respect, love, and take care of the river. We who savor that river every single day have been asked to help the festival and the Tarrytown/Sleepy Hollow Historical Society develop a history of Kingsland Park and use of the Hudson River.
They are particularly interested in having anyone who has memories of using Kingsland Point Park and/or swimming in or otherwise using the river to provide some oral or written history or old photos.
If you have any such memories, please let Carol Moneteleoni (cubby 4311 or ext. 1803) or Jon Masters (cubby 3306, ext. 1875) know. DEADLINE IS JULY 1.