I Never Knew That

People Used to be Able to Send Children Through the US Mail

You can send a lot of things in the mail, but you can’t send a person—at least not anymore. There was nothing preventing people from mailing their own children in the early days of the US Postal Service’s parcel post service, though, and at least seven families took advantage of it. That includes the Beagues, an Ohio couple who in 1913 paid 15 cents in postage to mail their newborn son to his grandmother’s house a mile down the road. Beyond the novelty of it—when the parcel post service began on January 1, 1913, some were eager to see which packages they could get away with sending—it was a surprisingly practical way of getting one’s kiddo from point A to point B.

To start with, many people in rural areas knew their postal carriers fairly well, which meant the children were simply walked or carried on often-short trips. In other instances, children traveled on trains as Railway Mail, but with stamps instead of (usually more expensive) train tickets.

The longest known trip of a child through the mail occurred in 1915, when a 6-year-old was sent 720 miles from Florida to Virginia—a lengthy trip that cost just 15 cents.

Fortunately, there are no reports of children being injured by being sent through the mail. (Pictures of children in literal mailbags were staged.) The practice ended, as so many do, when certain higher-ups became aware of the loophole and decided to close it, also around 1915. 

Source: interestingfacts.com

Contributed by Jane Hart

In and Around Kendal

April Birthdays at Kendal

Photo by Harry Bloomfeld

If a Tree Falls in the Park . . .

An elder elm took a bad fall

Photo by Carolyn Reiss

It was so-o-o-o big—even on its side, it was almost bigger than Debbie Bell

Photo by Carolyn Reiss

Portrait of a fallen hero

Photo by Edward Kasinec

Q: When Is a Hawk Not a Hawk?

A: When it’s a window decal from the Cornell Ornithology mailing sent to Philip Monteleoni! Coulda fooled me—and did!

Photo by Philip Monteleoni

Moon Set over the Hudson

Photo by Jeff O’Donnell

Ready for a Little Refresh?

First up: the PDR—cleared out and waiting to become the temporary kitchen . . .

Photo by Joe Bruno

They're Back!

The Stone Barns goats have returned to Rockwood Park—a true sign that spring is here. Kendal photographers were out in number to commemorate and celebrate their return. Yay!

The Return, by Edward Kasinec

And the kids came, too! by Carolyn Reiss

Inquisitive youngster, by Carolyn Reiss

Lots of room to roam, by Hubert Herring

It's That Time Again: Duckies Rule!

Yes, we know, you’re excited! We all are. It’s not every day that one gets to cheer on contestants of this caliber in an athletic competition this strenuous. We speak, of course, of the annual Rubber Ducky Derby, for which our Kendal—recognizing a good thing when they see it—one of the two leading sponsors.

The date is Saturday, April 26 The place is Patriots’ Park, right on Broadway as Sleepy Hollow becomes Tarrytown. The time is 11 am-3 pm. Races take place throughout the day as duckies tire and drop out, leaving the Big Winners!

The Hope Hose and Conqueror Fire Department help out by turning the gentle-flowing Andre’s Brook into a roiling river for dare-devil ducks.

The race is in support of the Rotary Club of the Tarrytowns in all of its philanthropic efforts to support and improve our communities. And Kendal is one of the two top sponsors of the race!

And you—yes, we’re talking about you—can get skin (or feathers) in the race! Adopt a Ducky! And while you’re at it, adopt 6 or a whole tub-full of that’s 13). The more you adopt, the cheaper they are.

And to give you some idea of what’s involved, a few pictures from last year’s race.

And they’re off!

You can feel the tension in the air!

Athletes at their best!

Danger is all around them. Some quack up under the stress.

I Never Knew That

Ancient Rome’s “Sacred Chickens” Made Predictions About the Future

One of the oldest religious practices in ancient Rome was augury, or reading signs from the gods through the behavior of birds, the idea being that the birds were deliberate divine messengers. Augurs, or bird divination experts, would sometimes draw diagrams on the ground to help them interpret behavior from owls, woodpeckers, crows, and other wild birds.

These avian messages, called auspices, were taken extremely seriously, but wild birds weren’t always around to deliver them — so eventually, ancient Roman priests started keeping “sacred chickens” that they could call upon at any time. These fortunetelling chickens were especially prized for military decisions, and would be consulted before any major moves to make sure the gods approved.

When their services were required, the chickens would be released from their cages and fed so that augurs could interpret their eating patterns. Broadly, a chicken refusing to eat was a very bad sign, while a chicken gobbling up its food while stomping its feet was a very good one.

The most notable cautionary tale about not heeding the fowls’ warnings came in 249 BCE. According to the ancient scholar Cicero, one Roman consul commanding a fleet of ships dismissed some bad omens before going into battle. When he was told the chickens wouldn’t eat, he ordered them thrown overboard, commenting, “Let them drink.” He was soundly defeated, and later recalled by the Roman Senate.

Source: historyfacts.org

Contributed by Jane Hart

Art by Hart

Without a gun, Harkin kept the bad guys away with Silly String

Young Crake never failed to astonish his grandparents

Liz was everyone’s favorite gerbil nanny

Woofy’s antennae told him where he could find a real treat

Ruffin wondered what last year’s runner-up Kale Queen could ever see in him

Art and photos by Jane Hart

A Work in Progress: Independent-Living Healthcare Strategy at Kendal

Highlights from the March 27 and April 7 Meetings

An ad hoc committee to address the healthcare for Independent Living Residents (IL) was convened by Jean Eccleston to address the evolving healthcare environment and how to best support access to care for IL residents at KOH. Jean has assembled a team of residents with a range of backgrounds, along with relevant staff members and Board representation. The members are listed at the end of this report, and all are willing to hear from you about your concerns and suggestions.  

One thing that quickly became apparent to us was that there is a wide range of understandings and expectations about healthcare provision for IL residents. The committee identified transparency, communication and education as important guidelines for our operation. To that end, regular updates at the Resident Council Meetings and posts of meeting highlights on the Resident Website will be provided.  

Our initial work has been focused on educating ourselves about the current state of healthcare.  We have reviewed the chronology of IL Healthcare at KOH, reached out to other CCRC communities about their experiences, and reviewed our Lifecare Contract so we all have a clear understanding of the services Kendal provides to its residents along the continuum of care. We are not alone in our struggles.  Another local lifeplan community is not able to provide guaranteed staffing for PET activation by IL residents, and at times asks them to call 911.  We are living in a brave, new world.  

Seeking input from IL residents will be an essential part of our process, and we will be exploring how to best do that at our next meeting.  We hope you will be a part of the process and look forward to your input.  

Jean Eccleston  Jessica Baron Jo Cameron  Hildegarde Gray  Erin Hennessey  Mike Kornfield Jeff O’Donnell Ellen Ottstadt Hank Schacht Claire Tenny Art Vecchiotti Lisa Wacht Sharon Wexler 

I Never Knew That

 The Curious History of Love Potions

The idea of a love potion created to win the heart of an uninterested companion has been around for virtually as long as recorded history. While no one knows for sure when these elixirs first bubbled into existence, their development through the years, in many guises, serves as a snapshot for the cultures these creative concoctions have passed through.

The Ancient Greeks Set the Tone

According to Love Potions Through the Ages: A Study of Amatory Devices and Mores, by Harry E. Wedeck, the ancient Greeks were among the earliest civilizations to foster the regular use of love potions, also known as “philtres.” The physician Xenocrates, who lived in the third century BCE, suggested that drinking the sap of the mallow plant would arouse passions in women. The stimulating effects of the roots of the satyrion and mandrake plants were well known to both the Greeks and the Romans that followed. The Greek physician Dioscorides, who served as an army surgeon for the Roman Emperor Nero, wrote of how the mandrake root dipped in wine would help win over prospective lovers.

Even those who lacked wealth and power enjoyed access to love-inducing aides, as they could find various charms and concoctions in a seedy district of ancient Rome known as the Sabura. Yet the widespread availability of such philtres, with their varying degrees of effectiveness, could also be a source of trouble. The poet Lucretius, a contemporary of Julius Caesar’s, was said to have been driven mad by a potion administered by his wife. Later, the Roman writer Apuleius stood trial for his alleged concoction of love potions to win the heart of a widow, with recipes including such stimulating seafood as spiced oysters, cuttlefish, and lobsters.

Source: historyfacts.com

Contributed by Jane Hart

From the Attic

A Bit of History in Our Neighborhood

Cathie Campbell dug up the photo above from their days living in the neighboring Sleepy Hollow Manor. Look closely at the date of the manhole cover, set down way back in 1927. But if you look at most of the homes in The Manor, they don’t seem to correspond to those built in the 1920s and 1930s. What happened? Quick answer: 1929 happened, with its stock market crash, the drop in incomes, and the slump in new homes built. Then, of course, came World War II. Perhaps that’s why many of the homes are split-level in nature. The split-level house came into vogue in the 1950s, which was about when house building started up again. And The Manor shows it.

Do you have something from “way back when” that speaks of your history, that of the town, that of the country? Send a photo our way for “From the Attic.”

Out and About

A Sleepy Hollow Birthday

If there’s one person who defines Sleepy Hollow and Tarrytown, it is Washington Irving, author, diplomat, and wanderer of the rocks and rills of our towns. Also the Daddy of the Legend of Sleepy Hollow, featuring the Headless Horseman.

And April 3 is his birthday—his 242nd, no less! Each year, the Historical Society of Tarrytown and Sleepy Hollow celebrates the day. This year was no different. Celebrants included the great man himself (in the person of Aaron Newcomer). And Kendal’s own Cynthia Ferguson, who managed to get a picture of the birthday boy’s cake as it was being cut (above). While it was being consumed, there was a talk about Irving himself and a reading of some of his favorite tales of our area. Sadly, the Headless Horseman was unable to attend.

© 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.