All Sewn Up

Many of us know of and are amazed by Marilyn Bottjer’s skills in the fiber arts. If you don’t know her work, visit the mermaid rug hanging on the C-level wall in the hall leading to the hair salon. Or check out her contributions to the Summer Art Show. What those in the know—and those not in the know—might never expect would be that Marilyn herself would be pictured in a rug.

But she is now!

Titled Marilyn Bottjer: Tokens of Friendship, the work is by Liz Alpert Fay whose show of 16 large-scale, multidimensional portraits honored extraordinary yet often overlooked women, celebrating their individuality and the artist’s evolution. Her work was featured recently at the Silvermine Art Center in New Canaan, CT. Fay created Mayilyn’s portrait in 2019. Wool on linen, hand-hooked, it measures 102” x 67”.

Sadly, the exhibit has now moved further west. Its creations honor what Fay says are the extraordinary achievements of women in the ordinary context of their lives.

If you would like to see other portraits in the show, you can do so by clicking below.  

Click here to view fiber-arts creations by Liz Alpert Fay

I Never Knew That

The Shortest Reign of Any Monarch: 20 Minutes

King Louis XIX of France holds an unfortunate record: the shortest reign of any monarch in history. Born Louis Antoine in 1775, he was technically king of France for a mere 20 minutes—in 1830, following the abdication of his father, Charles X, during the July Revolution. The dauphin abdicated his right to the throne in the same document, which he signed 20 minutes after his father. (Legitimists—supporters of the Bourbon dynasty—didn’t accept this and considered him the rightful king for the rest of his life.)

On the other end of the world-record spectrum is Sobhuza II, whose 82 years and 253 days as both paramount chief and king of Swaziland make up the longest verified reign of any monarch in recorded history.

Some consider Louis XIX’s record to be a shared one, however. Luís Filipe, prince royal of Portugal, was fatally wounded in the same attack that killed his father, King Carlos I, on February 1, 1908, but survived 20 minutes longer. The 20-year-old was technically king for those few minutes, though he was never formally declared ruler. His younger brother Manuel II became the last king of Portugal on that fateful day instead. His reign wasn’t especially long, either: Portugal became a republic as a result of the October 5, 1910, revolution, and Manuel spent the remainder of his life exiled in England.

Source: historyfacts.com

Contributed by Jane Hart

In and Around Kendal

Like Rolling Off a Log

Take a bunch of goats, put them with a felled tree, and you quickly have a log-rolling contest. Or, anyway, it looked like that to Edward Kasinec, who sent in the above picture of goat athletes.

Photo by Edward Kasinec

The Opposite of Falling to Pieces

Clermont’s latest puzzle completed!

Photo by Peter Sibley

The Rockwood Blue Bird of Happiness, per Chance?

Photo by Carolyn Reiss

A Clearwater Art Show for All

A show of Priscilla Holmgren’s calligraphy is now on display in Clearwater. Here, the artist on opening day.

Photo by Harry Bloomfeld

The Shocking Exposé You’ve Been Waiting For

It was Carolyn Reiss who recently spotted the shocking plotting and planning underway in Rockwood Park. The lady goats there were happily (we assume) grazing one lovely spring morning when a mysterious van pulled into their meadow.

Slowly the area was narrowed by moving the wire fencing, and the gals wandered innocently toward the van.

Once the gals were inside, the van was closed as suspicious characters “checked” its inhabitants, slowly rejecting the older goats (just imagine their humiliation) and the youngest ones, too (well, thank heaven for that). The others were identified as “available” and released.

Res Web has learned from an anonymous source (okay, it was Carolyn), that the girls identified as “available” will soon be made so for a—hold on to your hat—Billy goat. Yes, we know. Shocking beyond belief. Sigh. Stay tuned for birth announcements.

To State the Obvious . . .

The biggest joke on mankind is that computers have begun asking humans to prove they aren’t a robot.

When a kid says “Daddy, I want mommy” that’s the kid version of “I’d like to speak to your supervisor.”

It’s weird being the same age as old people.

Just once, I want a username and password prompt to respond “CLOSE ENOUGH.”

Last night the internet stopped working so I spent a few hours with my family. They seem like good people.

To be continued . . .

Contributed by Barbara Wallach

I Never Knew That

Some Ancient Greek Statues Smelled Like Roses

Ancient Greek and Roman statues are still awe-inspiring thousands of years later—arguably even more so because of their age. Still, the pieces that have survived the test of time didn’t do so with all their colors, extremities, accessories, or, it turns out, smells intact. 

Ancient sculptors used a variety of oils, waxes, flowers, and herbs to add olfactory dimension to their work, and roses were an especially popular fragrance. A 2025 study published in the Oxford Journal of Archaeologyshined a light on the practice, but ancient texts by the likes of Cicero, Pliny the Elder, and others also mention perfuming statues of deities and rulers. The ancient Greek scholar Callimachus once noted, for instance, that a statue of Egyptian Queen Berenice II was “still wet with perfume.” In a practice they called kosmesis, ancient Greeks would lavishly adorn statues of deities with jewelry, textiles, and oils as a part of religious observances, and perfuming was often included in this ritual. In the Delian temples on the Greek island of Delos, worshippers used a perfume called myron rhodion, made from oil, rushes, and rose petals. Some statues’ smells came from garlands of fresh flowers. Other scents came as a result of normal maintenance, since people would preserve statues by rubbing them in wax and oil, sometimes with pungent additives such as spikenard (aka muskroot).

Scent held deep significance in the lives of ancient Greeks and Romans, from the perfume they adorned themselves with to the smells of animal sacrifices sent up to the gods—so it only follows that their works of art would integrate smell as well.

 Source: historyfacts.com

Art by Hart

The striped-bass costume allowed Wilberforce to observe pond life undetected

Danielle loved her Sunday mornings on the water

Nick and Jefferson had a terrific collection of jokes

Pingry had never lost sight of his third-grade sweetie

Carlsrud wished he’d spent the extra money for a quieter hat

Art and photos by Jane Hart

In and Around Kendal

The Day Begins: a Rockwood Morning

Carolyn Reiss and her pup, Allie, take early morning strolls in Rockwood Park. The park never fails to intrigue, inspire, and entrance.

The early morning sun breaking through the mist

Six-to-eight-feet away from a human and a small white dog, but this park denizen seems more curious than frightened

The Kendal Refresh Garden in Full Color

Photo by Carolyn Reiss

Denizens of Rockwood Park

Roadside Dining, by Edward Kasinec

Our summer visitors—the goats—enjoying a well-deserved rest, by Edward Kasinec

Becoming as natural to see as his (her?) neighbors, the goats, by Mimi Abramovitz

Designed by Nature

Photo by Mimi Abramovitz

Alert to Outside Strollers

Beware: poison Ivy growing on the path in front of Mary Powell, by Carolyn Reiss

They’re b-a-a-a-c-k-k! The poison ivy you’ll want to avoid. But, by all means, step on the newly hatched spotted lanternflys!

Photo by Martin Smolin

A Beautiful End of a Day at Kendal

Sunset seen from a Kendal balcony, by Barbara Wallach

To State the Obvious . . .

Still trying to get my head around the fact that “Take Out” can mean food, dating, or murder.

The older I get, the more I understand why roosters scream to start their day.

You know you’re over 50 when you have “upstairs ibuprofen” and “downstairs ibuprofen.”

If only vegetables smelled as good as bacon.

I woke up this morning determined to drink less, eat right, and exercise. But that was four hours ago when I was younger and full of hope.

Anyone who says their wedding was the best day of their life has clearly never had two candy bars fall down at once from a vending machine.

To Be Continued . . .

Contributed by Barbara Wallach

I Never Knew That

A Great Dane Named Juliana Was Awarded Not One But Two Medals During WWII

Animals have played pivotal roles on the front lines of many battles throughout history. Horses, elephants, and even dolphins have been employed for their strength, intelligence, and adaptability. During World War II, one brave animal stood out as a hero for using an unlikely defense tactic against the enemy: her urine.

Juliana was the name of a Great Dane who had even greater instincts. In April 1941, amid the ongoing German bombing campaign known as the Blitz, explosives rained down across the U.K. When a bomb fell through the roof of the house where Juliana lived with her owner, the fast-acting pooch made her way over to the incendiary device and extinguished its flame by urinating on it. Juliana’s bravery earned her a medal from the Blue Cross, a UK. When a bomb fell through the roof of the house where Juliana lived with her owner, the fast-acting pooch made her way over to the incendiary device and extinguished its flame by urinating on it. Juliana's bravery earned her a medal from the Blue Cross, a UK animal welfare charity.

Juliana’s story came to light years later when a portrait of the plucky pup was found at a property belonging to a relative of Juliana’s owner—a plaque affixed to the painting told her unlikely tale. Elsewhere in the house, a Blue Cross Medal with the dog’s name was also discovered, and in an even more surprising turn, this one happened to be for a second heroic achievement. In 1944, three years after defusing a bomb, Juliana saved her owner’s life once again, when she managed to alert him to the fire that was tearing through his shoe shop. In 2013, the mementos were sold at auction for £1,100, or about $1,900 today.

Source: historyfacts.com

Contributed by Jane Hart

Art by Hart

Bernice was the one who introduced pizza juggling to the Olympics

Marjorie Sue was never quite herself without her baby broccolini

Kate found her sock puppet endlessly amusing

It was nice of Forster to drop the kids off every morning

Palmyra didn’t brag about her son, but she did carry his picture

Art and photos by Jane Hart

In and Around Kendal

Birthdays Abound!

Our June birthdays

And a very important celebration for 10 Kendalites!

Photos by Harry Bloomfeld

A Rockwood Rabbit Revealed

View from Afar, by Edward Kasinec

Up close and personal, by Jane Hart

A Garden Party Postponed

The June 10 Healing Garden garden party was suddenly postponed last week and rescheduled for June 17. Here’s why:

Daytime Deluge, by Jane Hart

Alida Garden Blossom

Photo by Edward Kasinec

© 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.