Friday, December 20, 2013

Tis the Month Before Christmas


Tis the month before Christmas and all through our community things are astir.  It began on the evening before Thanksgiving with our lighting the menorah for the first day of Hanukkah.  This year the fact that it coincided with Thanksgiving resulted in the presence of the Jewish grandchildren of one of our residents being present to lead us in the blessings and prayers. 

 

Thanksgiving Day found lots of visitors present for our Thanksgiving feast.  We are blessed with a dining staff that goes to great lengths to make this a special day for us.  Tables are set up to accommodate family groups who come to share the meal with resident family members.  This saves time and confusion when the group exceeds the size of our usual table setups.   The menu includes special treats beginning with things like lobster bisque, shrimp cocktail, and continuing through turkey with all the trimmings, ham, and ending with desserts sicj as warm cherry cobbler and bread pudding with caramel sauce..  For the past several years my son, his wife and their two teen age boys, now 18 and 22, have joined me here.  The boys love being here for our holidays such as this and Easter and Labor Day. 

 

As we move on our maintenance staff bring out the holiday decorations from their assorted storage spots and together staff and residents decorate our community.  We are lucky that the staff takes on the job of putting up outside lights and bows saving us the difficulties associated with the cold weather and reaching high places.

 

Additional blessings have come to us as outside groups such like the children of Centenary Methodist church who brought us the delight of their Christmas pageant.  For me this was a real treat because it has been a number of years since I have been able to be at one of these.  Along with the children cametheir energy and enthusiasm.  It was delightful to see them skipping and running about as they prepared for the presentation.

 

Another blessing was the visit of the Granville School Chamber Singers who presented a beautiful a cappella choral collection of seasonal music.  Following their formal concert in our Amelia Gathering Room they walked through the halls singing as they went thus taking their music to residents unable to attend.

 

We were also privileged once again to a program presented by residents and staff members.  The Kendaliers directed by Teddy Westlake sang both serious and fun numbers including one about a hippopotamus and a couple about pies - namely pumpkin and cherry.  They invited us to sing-a-long with them fpr several holiday songs.  Seatee by a fireplace on stage Ginny Fletcher read  the well known Twas the Night Before Christmas to the children of staff members.  Kelly Corder played a beautiful violin accompaniment to Silent Night and Away in the Manger as the Kendaliers and audience hummed. On our way out of the Amelia Room we had our choice of pumpkin or cherry pie to top off the evening.

 

On the thirteenth we gathered for what has become our traditional holiday potluck.  On this occasion the dining staff provides the main entrees, shrimp cocktails, and some sides while residents and staff members outdo each other by bringing mouth wateringm delicious appetizers, salads, salads, sides and sinfully delicious deserts.  That event ends with a presentation of tokens of appreciation given to staff members by residents who have contributed to the staff appreciation fund since tips are not allowed.

 

Another thing that staff and residents collaborate on is contributing to the Licking County program Families Helping Families.  This too is a tradition.

 

These highlights of the activities of this season illustrate what makes Kendal  such a special place to live during  the holiday season.   The biggest blessing of all is that this sort of thing isn’t limited to the holidays  but goes on the year round

Thursday, December 5, 2013

Observing International Day


Several years ago our Diversity and Inclusiveness Committee added to our annual observance of International Day a program emphasis on our heritage from a particular country or culture.  Our committee, made up of both residents and staff, plans this event each year for residents, staff, and board members.

 The first year we did this our Polish heritage was presented by Tony Liska, a retired professor from Denison University whose family came to the United States from Poland.  The following year our presentation focused on our Welsh heritage because the first settlers in this area were from Wales.  This year our Committee chose to feature Scotland. Luckily we discovered that the chief of our maintenance staff, Bob Doherty, spent his boyhood in Scotland.

We were most fortunate that Bob not only agreed to make a presentation but joined our committee to help with the overall planning of this event.  The program on Friday, October Fourth turned out to be a huge success opening with a presentation by a genuine Scottish bagpiper dressed in full regalia.  He not only played but he explained the history of the   bagpipes, how they were made, how they worked, the meaning of each of the numbers he played and each piece of the outfit he wore.  Bob presented us with beautiful pictures of Scotland as he talked about Scottish history and people mixed in with memories of his youthful days living there. 

 Following Bob's presentation we had the opportunity to enjoy the refreshments provided by our dining staff which included Scottish eggs, shortbread, salmon and other delicacies.

Just one more example of life at Kendal exemplifying the way staff and residents join together to make possible an enjoyable and educational  afternoon in our celebration of International Day.
 
Originally published 10/14/13

 

Saturday, November 30, 2013

A Season of Thanksgiving

This week when we celebrate Thanksgiving and also Hanukkah we are reminded to take time and give thanks for our many blessings and the miracles that we experience in our lives.  For me one of my biggest blessings is that I moved to Kendal eight years ago when I was still able to be quite independent.  I was able to easily become settled in the life that Kendal makes possible.  It was an easy move as I look back in in retrospect.  Oh yes, there were all of the trials and tribulations that go with moving from my home back in the Philadelphia area -  the downsizing and packing and unpacking.  But they have faded from memory as I found a pleasant new way of way of life and made many new friends here at Kendal.  .

I'm thankful that I no longer have to plan meals, buy the ingredients, bring them home, put them away, prepare them and then clean up all of the kitchen when I have eaten.  I am grateful for good company at mealtime instead of eating alone.  I am thankful that I no longer have to worry about snow removal when it snows.  I don't have to make sure the garden is weeded, the lawn mowed, the leaves raked, and make sure the eaves are cleaned out.  I am grateful that there are many educational and entertaining programs right here at Kendal in the evening which I can attend without having to find someone to take me since I no longer drive at night..  The list of blessings is endless.

Most important now for me is the fact that I entered Kendal while I was able to get to know all of the many services that exist here to make our life comfortable and meaningful.  I believe that it has made the adjustments that I have had to make due to the changes in my life that have occurred since I arrived here.  No doubt the most significant of these is the changes in my eyesight this past year.  I have reached the point where I am considered a person with low vision.  I can no longer read without a special device to enlarge the print.  I no longer recognize people until I am very close to them.  But because I came here while I could, the adjustments that I am finding necessary are much easier and for that I am most grateful.

Monday, November 25, 2013

Kendal and the Kids


Kendal is full of teachers. And for the third straight year some of our residents have spent time this fall with second-grade students in the Newark school system in a program (“A Call to College”) designed to put the possibility of attending college in their minds. 

The intrepid Kendal classroom posse, styled “Guest Interviewees” by the program, consisted of Ted Barclay, Reed Browning, Janie Drake, Tom and Myra Gallant, Virgil Hoftiezer, David Skeen, and Harriett Stone. Each – with the Gallants operating as a spousal team – spent a morning at the Newark Public Library talking with the kids (a different group of 40-60 each week) about the way that college had made their interesting lives possible.


The Guest Interviewees took turns with their adult versions of show-and-tell. Some sported odd hats and unusual attire. Others brandished unexpected items – a baseball bat, or a foreign flag, or a nineteenth-century lamp. They all had stories of adventures to tell. In short, the Kendal squad was living testimony to the importance of books, libraries, and education. (The photo shows Myra and Tom Gallant.)

The kids seemed to love it. For many, it was their first visit to the library. They had been prepped for these encounters with rehearsed questions – where did you go to college? what do you like to read? what are your hobbies? - but being kids, they also popped out with loads of extemporaneous interrogatories. How did you get here? (i.e., to the library). How old are you? Have you ever met someone famous?

Several residents returned to Kendal to report that, while they’d enjoyed their chance to meet the kids, they were uncertain about the long-term benefit of such brief interactions. And even knowing that this second-grade program is but part of a wider Newark program of K-12 college-focused interventions doesn’t eliminate that concern. Still, the important point is that since the directors of the program are annually charting its successes, measuring its effects, and working to find appropriate adjustments, Kendal residents can be assured that their participation allows this experiment in inspiring ambitions for college to refine itself with each passing year.

Besides, it gives us memorable anecdotes. My favorite came from Ted Barclay’s visit. He told the kids about a number of sports he had coached, including lacrosse. Sensing some puzzlement among he second-graders, he asked them if they knew what lacrosse was. An eight-year-old girl replied: “That’s what they nailed Jesus to.” How do you top that?

(This piece will also appear in the December issue of Tower Lines.)

Saturday, November 16, 2013

"Ladies Night Out" at Kendal

Last Wednesday evening the residents of Kendal flocked to the new Amelia Gathering Room – and hasn't that venue been a grand addition to the Kendal at Granville community? – to hear a concert by "Ladies Night Out," an all-female singing group from nearby Denison University. From the moment the group walked onto the stage, attired all in black and with their short skirts showing lots of knees (lest I be misunderstood: I report that fact because I heard many residents commenting on it), they held the attention of the audience.

The program consisted of nine popular song arrangements of the sort that college singing groups often perform these days, and it afforded solo opportunities to many of the young women. I knew only two of the numbers – one of them, happily, was Roberta Flack's wonderful "Killing Me Softly With His Song" – but I found all of them enjoyable. I'm told that ensemble singing is popular on college campuses these days, and if "Ladies Night Out" is a typical example of what these groups can do, it is easy to see why. In a nice touch, the singers waited around in the lobby hallway after the concert to talk with residents.

When the young women introduced themselves, we learned that they came from all over the country, that they represented all four classes at Denison, and that they were choosing majors from across the spectrum of curricular offerings. Thinking about this event afterwards, I recalled that a week earlier the new president of the university had come to Kendal to talk about his plans and hopes for Denison. In a happy way the concert had now complemented the president's visit. For the members of "Ladies Night Out," gracious and mature, were reminders of the potential and enthusiasm of the Denison student body that the university and its new president serve. Vision, talent, and leadership – these are the essentials to a good college education. Denison seems to have them all.

Monday, October 21, 2013

Rachmaninoff rocks

It's been said that everyone secretly wants to conduct a symphony orchestra. Well, maybe that's so, though it's a hope few of us will ever fulfill. But many of us may also harbor a related secret ambition: We want to be music reviewers. And this is an ambition that some of us can contrive to find ways to realize. Which is exactly what I now plan to do – in a kind of quirky way.

Last evening a large contingent of Kendal residents took the Kendal bus to the Midland Theater in Newark to attend a concert by the Newark-Granville Symphony Orchestra. The featured work was Sergei Rachmaninoff's third piano concerto, performed by Antonio Pompa-Baldi. On the bus ride home it was very clear that the general impression Mr. Pompa-Baldi had left with us was: WOW!

Despite its reputation as one of the most technically challenging works in the piano repertory, Rachmaninoff's third has been widely recorded and is therefore a reasonably well-known piece. It features Rachmaninoff's celebrated, heart-wrenching lyricism, and is studded with the kinds of sweeping melodic gestures that movie fans became accustomed to in films from the 1950s. (Though Hollywood's emulators never matched the master's sureness of effect.)

What attendance at a live concert allowed us to see and appreciate was the sheer physicality required of a performer of this work. It was not simply the fleetness of fingers that caught our eye, though several residents commented on the bus that it seemed impossible to have done what we had just witnessed with only ten of them. It was, rather, that facilitating that digital dexterity were two fast-flying arms – alternately pounding, stroking, and teasing the keyboard, and all the time leaping about from its uppermost to its nethermost reaches. I don't have the score before me, but I wouldn't be surprised if Rachmaninoff's dynamics ranged from ppp to fff. Certainly a perspiring Mr. Pompa-Baldi employed them all. It's no wonder that he used his periodic breaks to flex his hands and exercise his forearms. For when he was engaged with the keyboard, he was bombarding us with wonderful music. At the end of the evening Kendal residents joined all the others in attendance in standing to applaud a grand performance of one of the towering works of the Romantic period.

And I've now had fun pretending to be a music reviewer. But you don't have to warn me: I won't quit my daytime job.

Tuesday, September 17, 2013

Kendal at Granville Talent Review--September 10, 2013

Kendal at Granville residents enjoyed our first talent show.  It was a huge success!  It was an absolutely fun evening.  In addition to residents, the staff and board of trustees were invited to participate.  The display of talent was wide ranging.  Being a fun group of folks anyway, there of course were some clever comedy routines.  Several vocalists reminded us of their long careers in musical endeavors. That was particularly special to those of us who are new to the greater Granville area.  A violin solo offered by one of the dining room staff was a delightful surprise and display of her talent that she shares with her violin students.  The leadership team's skit highlighted the ongoing construction projects with great humor and fun props.  The best prop of the night was the sidekick to one of the comedians. The topic was "Bill Grogan's Goat" and the goat made a calm appearance on our new Amelia Room stage.  The evening was not a "dog and pony show" but an awesome representation of Kendal's talent.

Sunday, September 8, 2013

Stories Told by Our Posters

The current exhibit in our Art Gallery, made up of posters loaned by our residents, tells   stories about us.  Our Gallery Committee, of which I am a member,  arranges for a new show every two months.  Earlier this year we invited residents to share posters they have in their homes with our community at large.  We received responses from fifteen persons offering all together a total of 34 items.  This in itself tells a story about the generosity of the people who live here at Kendal.   Their willingness to share with each other has made possible three exhibits of fiber arts works created by members of our community, three exhibits of art created by Kendal residents, and an exhibit of photographs taken not only by residents but also by staff personnel. Each of these has brought a very positive reaction from viewers. Not only are the people who live and work here generous and willing to share what they have with others but they have revealed a variety of talents.

The items in this exhibit tell us of the diverse interests of those who live here as well as where they have traveled, what kind of art appeals to them, where they have lived before,
what their hobbies are,  what they like to collect, and more as we talk with them about how they came to have a particular poster.

Some of the posters feature announcements of  exhibits at well known art museums here in the United States and abroad such  as the Museum of Contemporary Art in Los Angeles, The Metropolitan Museum of Art in New York City,  and The Museum of Fine Art in Boston., They include work of famous artists such as Claude Monet's The Stroll, and Vincent van Gogh's Blossoming Almond Tree.  Others are by relatively unknown local artists such as Vearl S. Wince right here in Granville .  The techniques displayed range from traditional oils and water colors to more modern abstracts to Tseng-Ying Pang's wash art to a LanSat Image (Landscape Satellite) of the Agricultural Land Usage of the Chesapeake and Delaware Bay area.  Together the story they tell us is of a population whose interests in art are rich and varied/

As you approach the Art Gallery on the left you will see a poster of Naples, Florida by Paul Arsnta ult.  To its right is one by Ted Rhodes titled  Country Road at the Bluffs located in California.    Further along in the Gallery itself you will see a group of three posters made up of that LanSat Image of the Chesapeake and Delaware Bay, a print of Gary Niblett's gaucheros in Canyon Diablo located in California on either side of a poster of Red tulips by Mary Marks an artist who lives in Cincinnati.  Incidentally since hanging the show we have learned that Mary Marks is the daughter of a good friend of one of our residents. The story told by these posters is that they carry the memories of the former homes of their owners. At the same time they tell us our residents have found there way here one way or another from opposite ends of our country as well as well as from throughout the heartland bringing with them their heritage from their past.

On the left inside the Art Gallery proper is a group of three posters each of which relates to travel.  The first of these is s picture of the Silver Jubilee train, the first streamliner train in 1935 from London to the northeastern parts of England.  Part of the story here is that the owner of this poster has a collection of trains.  One of the others in this group transports us half way across the world  with its poster from the Fine Art Series of the Alaska Airlines.  The third poster in this group reminds us that all travel starts from home.  It is Vearl S. Wince's A Personal  View - featuring the local train station here in Newark which borders on Granville.So the story continues telling us how our interests  which reach from sea to sea.

Sprinkled throughout the exhibit are five beautiful reproductions of paintings by different artists with a common interest - tulips.  These come from the collection of posters by one of our residents who obviously loves the annual festival of tulips held in Holland, Michigan..

Actually each of the posters tells us something about the life of its owners, but there isn't room here for all of their stories.  For me the common thread that runs through this show is the story of a diverse lively community of residents that make Kendal a pleasant place to spend this time in my life.       

Tuesday, August 6, 2013

Saying "Goodbye" to Jim

At the last meeting of our Residents' Association we said  "Goodbye" to Jim, our IT person who has been with Kendal at Granville beginning back in the days when it was being built.  At first he was someone who seemed able to do many things well.  It quickly became apparent he would be an asset and fortunately for all of us he agreed to take on the responsibility of an Information Tech.  As each one of us has moved in he has helped us get our televisions set up and operating properly and if we had computers he has helped us with them as well.  When we got new ones, he has provided guidance and assistance  through all of the hazards associated with such an undertaking

I particularly got to know and work with Jim because not very long after I came here Jim brought together those of us who as computer users were interested in exploring ways we could help each other.  One of the things that grew out of that was I took on the task of teaching a class for beginners.  Jim helped me to use the computers available in our staff training room for our classes.  At one point there were so many students that I had to divide them into two sections.  Jim was always on hand when any problems occurred and lent his support to me when I had questions or needed advice.

It also became apparent that it would be helpful if we had available a dedicated computer work station which could be used for teaching one on one.  In addition it would be a useful tool for the treasurer of the Association. 

Fortunately two of our residents responded positively to my plea at one of our early Residents' Association meetings.  They provided the funds for not only a computer but all of the accessories needed to set up  a complete work station.  Jim was of inestimable help in getting it all together and helping to keep it maintained.

In 2009 I had serious surgery to remove a large tumor from my chest and had to give up teaching the classes.  However, upon recovery I was on call for help with the work station.

In his farewell words to us Jim said something which I think portrays a great deal about the atmosphere here at Kendal.
He spoke of the fact that he was here at a time in his life when individuals find themselves involved in looking out for and helping their parents.  He said here at Kendal he has felt as if he had over one hundred fifty parents and in addition with the kind of staff that we have here he has had seventy some brothers and sisters. 

Then at the official farewell party he added this comment about his experience here, "It's been the best job of my career."   Jim thus confirmed Kendal's belief that a Kendal community should not only be a good place to live but also to work. 

We are grateful that Jim has been with us meeting one challenge after another as we started and grew together through everything from the frustrations caused by cable companies and four day power failures to the humdrum constantly recurring problems presented by working in a field which changes faster that one can change ones clothes.

I might add that Jim is just one of many such dedicated staff members who helps to make our lives better on a daily basis.

Friday, August 2, 2013

The Amelia Gathering Room: Exploring New Opportunities

In June, when Kendal at Granville residents celebrated the end (well, almost the end) of the two-year Phase II construction project, we also dedicated our new assembly venue, the Amelia Gathering Room. The celebration and dedication were absolutely in order. For thanks to this new room, Kendal at Granville now – at last! – has a facility large enough to accommodate the entire resident population of the campus. And since the room is equipped with both a stage suitable for larger performance groups and an advanced audio-visual technology system, the Entertainment Committee is already working on lining up various singing groups, theatrical troupes, and musical ensembles for the entertainment of residents.

I should add that the Amelia Gathering Room was confirmed as part of the Phase II construction plan only after it became clear that it was feasible to meet the cost of the room through dedicated gifts from friends and residents of Kendal; and the facility was in fact named at the request of a generous and anonymous donor in honor of someone close to the donor.

In the weeks since June we have already begun to taste the opportunities the Amelia makes available to us. Take these three examples:

In July the Kendal at Granville Residents Association was able for the first time to hold its monthly meeting in a room large enough to accommodate anyone who wanted to attend. By no coincidence, the meeting drew the largest crowd of residents in the history of the association. Sure beats the older room, where space was tight and chairs a bit uncomfortable. And fuller attendance will allow more residents to be actively engaged in Kendal activities.

Later in July about a dozen members of the Licking County barber shop quartet organization gave us a concert. It was a happy evening, with richly-harmonized barber shop favorites, a few novelties, some good sentimental stuff, and a patriotic song or two – a menu to please the taste of almost anyone. Some singers were rookies, but at least one veteran was in his 53rd year of membership. The Amelia Gathering Room rocked!

Just a day later the men's breakfast club met to receive instruction in the martial arts – not perhaps active and physical instruction, but educational and illuminating demonstrations. Three practitioners of martial arts, one of them 78 years old and all associated with a studio in nearby Newark, showed us a variety of "exercises" (I'm not quite sure what the proper term is, but they all involved quick movements and sudden shouts), told us a bit about the complicated history of Asian martial arts, and explained how some of the differences among, say, Taekwondo, Judo, and Aikido arose. I left quite persuaded that, whatever else might be said about the lessons of the demonstrations, practitioners of martial arts are in impressively good physical shape.

So what else can the Emilia Gathering Room be used for? Well, this coming Sunday two residents, Judy Chambers and Arie Janssens, will be getting married. That's a first for Kendal – a marriage that unites two residents. And the grand occasion offers us another first – the inaugural wedding reception for the new gathering room. Everyone is invited and there's room for everyone to attend.

Exploring new opportunities indeed!



Friday, June 28, 2013

Oh Frabjous Day! Callooh! Callay!

Lewis Carroll caught the spirit of the day. The Jabberwock – better known at Kendal at Granville as the past two years of Phase II construction – has been overcome. The challenge has been met. It was time to celebrate the triumph.

And celebrate is what we did. The big event, held this morning, was formally titled the "Phase II Dedication & Ribbon Cutting Ceremony." But it was more than that. In attendance were not only the current residents and soon-to-be residents, but also representatives of some of the various groups and bodies that had helped us in various ways as we moved through the whole planning and construction process: our bankers, our architects, our designers, our friends in the Granville government and community, our friends in the media. The brand new Amelia Gathering Room, our meeting place, was on its inaugural voyage, and it was filled for the occasion! And (to continue the metaphor), as conversation after conversation testified, we were quite consciously embarking on a new era in the great adventure that is Kendal.

The ceremony was brisk, as four speakers provided brief opening remarks. Doug Helman, the executive director, greeted everyone with words of thanks to all the people who had contributed to the success of the project. Dr. Tom Mills, president of the board of Kendal at Granville, spoke of his pleasure to see the board's vision finally fulfilled. Ashley Wade, director of marketing, celebrated the diversity of interests that our residents, with their rich range of life experiences, were bringing to the community. (As a footnote, it may be added that she wept with joy – really, truly! – and in doing so caught the spirit of many in the audience.) Finally, John Diffey, president and CEO of Kendal corporation, in congratulating everyone, reminded the audience that the Kendal project was an affirmation of a set of humane values grounded in caring and generosity.

This series of short remarks was followed by a series of dedications, with attention given to the generosity of several anonymous donors. Future generations will see testimonies to these acts of generosity in the memorial plaques to be placed in the Amelia Gathering Room and the Florence Wellness Center respectively. Then David Skeen, president of the Kendal at Granville Residents Association, presented a check for $27,000 to Doug Helman as a gift from the association to help meet the costs of the A/V equipment that will enhance the usefulness of the Amelia Garthrering Room.

Finally came a ceremonial ribbon cutting. With David Skeen holding the scissors and residents from all areas of Kendal life holding the ribbon, the new facility was formally dedicated and opened. Applause filled the room.

The post-dedication activities that were on offer included tours of the new health center, tours of the new apartments, and a luncheon buffet. As the assembled guests moved into the hallways and lobbies, it was a time for chatting, for questions, for comments, and for congratulations. I suspect that many of the conversations turned in one way or another on the symbolism of day: for happy events portend happy futures. Kendal is entering a new era. Callooh! Callay!, indeed.



Tuesday, June 25, 2013

Reflections on Life at Kendal

This afternoon I want to share a personal reflection on how I feel about life at Kendal after moving here as a Founder with the first residents to settle in back in 2005 and an observation made by a resident who has only been here since early in 2012.

Last week our Resident Association Council  changed the format of their monthly meeting into an open forum to which all residents were invited to come and share their concerns about life at Kendal.  As the president opened the meeting at 1:30 p.m. he asked those present to feel free to share whatever was on their mind about Kendal be it good or not so good.  One of the very first comments came from a resident who moved here early in 2012.  This person is someone whose experience here includes using an electric wheelchair and oxygen 24/7 so he has to deal with issues that many of us do not.  This is what he had to say, "I'm concerned that we might  not be able to get to dinner if we bring up all of what's good."  Considering that our dinner hour is from 5:00 to 7:00 p.m.one would have to agree that this is a very positive reaction to life at Kendal.

To better appreicate my reflection on how I feel about my life now at Kendal I believe it will be helpful to share a little about my life before and after coming here eight years ago.  I lived in a suburb of Philadelphia, Pennsylvania and made several trips a year driving alone to visit my son and a steoson and their families in Ohio.  Having grown up in northwest Ohio and with family in Ohio I determined that I wanted to find a CCRC in Ohio.  As a former teacher of geriatric nursing and living in Philadelphia I knew about Kendal so when I learned about a new Kendal being built in Granville I applied and the rest is history.

After my retirement as a director of a school of nursing I became an active hospital auxilian so naturally when I arrived here I looked for something worthwhile to fill my time.   I joined a local church and got involved in several small groups there.   Here at Kendal my activities include serving on the Pool Committee, the Gallery Committee, and the Diversity Committee.  As a member of the Fiber Arts Group I have been responsible for three shows of Fiber Arts works in the Kendal Art Gallery.  Recently I've begun taking part in our Genealogy Group.

Aong the way a number of things have resulted in changes to the way I live my life.  I've had seven surgeries which have exposed me to three community hospitals as well as one brief stay in our assisted living  unit and a one month stay in our skilled nursing unit. I have been the beneficiary of a variety of services from our physical therapy department..  I now walk with the assistance of a rollator and I no longer drive.  Reluctantly I've had to drop out of my church activities since I no longer drive.  As a result I now take advantage of the Sunday afternoon services held here in our Central Activities Room.

Last week as I was talking with a staff member who was helping me to arrange for one of my transportation needs and fulfill a maintenance request I commented to her about my life here at Kendal as follows, "With the housekeeping staff to keep my apartment clean, the maintenance staff to respond to my calls for help when something doesn't work, the dining staff to provide me with nourishing meals, and a set of drivers to take me to medical appointments and shopping living at Kendal is the nearest thing to heaven on earth that I can ask for."  Looking back I realize that I overlooked mentioning the healthcare staff who have helped me recover when necessary and who help me keep well so that in spite of the problems I have to overcome I still feel positive about life and look forward to many more years here. 




Thursday, May 30, 2013

Plans for a Kendal Talent Show



Plans are now under way to mark the opening of the new Amelia Gathering Room with a community talent show. As a first step, the date for the show has been set: Tuesday, September 10. So be sure to circle it on your calendars. It will be an occasion for us to celebrate the opening of our new assembly venue and to enjoy the wealth of talents, skills, and interests that we nourish in our community.

And by “community” we mean everyone who lives or works at or with Kendal at Granville – residents, staff members, board members alike. For this is truly a community event. And all sorts of talents will be on display. 

Thus this invitation goes out to singers, who are encouraged to come forward, perhaps as soloists or perhaps as duets or trios or choirs; and if you need an accompanist, just give the word and one will be found. 

The invitation is extended as well to all who play or played instruments in a band or an orchestra at some point. Here’s a chance to pull it out and surprise your friends. Again, accompanists can be found.

The Amelia Gathering Room will finally offer us the chance to have a piano on a stage, and that in turn affords the pianists in our midst an opportunity to share their gifts more broadly with the community.

We all recall a time when reading or reciting lovely poems or famous speeches was a part of our school education. So here’s a call to reciters in our company to help us recover the rich pleasure of hearing the spoken word deliver moving literature.

Surely some members of the community are comedians, right? Here’s a chance to hone your comedic timing, and to show your friends and neighbors your comic gifts.

And then there are the magicians. More than a few of us over the years have tried our hand at creating illusions. So here’s an opportunity for these prestidigitators to work up the old conjuring stunts and card tricks, and show us that the hand is still quicker than the eye.

This catalog of talent categories is not meant to be inclusive. Almost surely there are still other kinds of talents out in the community, still other kinds of gifts which can be shared. And so the three invitations go out. First, please don’t be shy about stepping forward to identify yourself as a participant; you will have fun, and your friends and neighbors will be delighted. Second, please recruit friends and pass on the names of community members whom you would like to see participating. Third, please mark your calendar and, even if you finally choose not to go up on the stage, join all of us on September 10 as we applaud the gifts of our community. 


Monday, May 20, 2013

Looking Ahead

For almost two years we have been looking ahead to the end of the construction of Phase II here at Kendal at Granivlle.  The project began with a ground breaking celebration and excitement about adding twenty-four new apartment, thirty-two new skilled nursing beds, and eleven assisted living units as well as our longed for Gathering Room and remodeling of the dining area and kitchen.  There was lots to talk about as to design and decor mixed in with the comings and goings of construction workers and supplies. 

Of course, this was accompanied by adaptation to the rearrangement of furniture and routines.  The most difficult part of this was during the work on the dining room and kitchen when the serving area was moved into one dining room which was consequently displaced into the main lobby.  At that time our dining and kitchen staff and maintenace staff really stretched themselves to the utmost to make it all work smoothly for us.  We rejoiced with them when the remodeled areas were open providing us with improved service and a reconfiguration of the space which lessened congestion in the serving area.

As the initial excitement  faded and it all became "old hat"  we began to grow anxious to see it come to an end.  When our Executive Director, and a representative of the construction company gave their regular reports at our Residents' Association meetings, there were invariably questions about "how soon?"   Both of them not only told us what we could look forward to in the next few week  but also patiently answered our questions and responded to occational complaints. 

Late last month we were provided with an opportunity to visit the completed new health center and the new apartments.   Those of us who had been patients in the old health center were impressed with the changes we saw showing how carefully the planners had listened to suggestions for improvement.  We were likewise impressed with the changes  to the apartment plans

Now as the end of Phase II is drawing near we are heartened by the arrival of the first contingent of residents to move into the  new apartments and look forward to the arrival of the others scheduled to move in this summer.  April 29 was a red letter day as the the occupants of skilled nursing were moved into the new skilled nursing beds. 

Constrution on the Gathering Room has progressed to the point where we can look into it through the windows and  see how grand it looks.  We look ahead to the kinds of programs  which can be held there with a stage and a lot more space for both the presenters and the audience.

Best of all we look ahead to the completion of the final phase of this project which began back in the summer of 2011.  According to our Director and construction representative we can anticipate the dedication of all of this at the end of June.  We look ahead to joining together in one really big celebration in our new Gathering Room. 

Thursday, May 9, 2013

Kendal U.

On two occasions in recent weeks we've enjoyed visits from faculty members from nearby colleges. They appeared as part of the ongoing program of the Kendal Speakers Committee to bring outstanding academic lecturers to the campus. Both were hits.

Judith Dann, Associate Professor of Humanities at Columbus State University, spoke of her work on an archeological excavation on a Roman bath house in Isthmia, Greece. Illustrated with projected images, the presentation treated both the historical background of the location – Isthmia was important as one of few sites for the staging of the ancient Olympic games – and the nitty-gritty of daily life at the dig. Anyone whose ideas of archeological digs had been shaped by the Indiana Jones epics would have found the collision with reality chastening. But even while dampening expectations of tales about dramatic chases and escapes from Nazi scientists, Dr. Dann conveyed something of the intellectual excitement that comes when careful record-keeping and painstaking sifting are rewarded with an unexpected insight into the social habits and belief systems of people who lived two millenia ago. Residents were able to see the people of ancient Isthmia as neighbors.

Karen Spierling, Associate Professor of History at Denison University, spoke about the Reformation, and she too had a series of projected images to help her deliver her message. Dr Spierling's goal was to complicate people's views of the Reformation. She set out to do this by presenting evidence that undercut the tendency of many moderns to let received and rigid views of the Reformation obscure evidence of interconfessional cooperation and interactions among Catholics and Protestants, and the range of joint projects designed by people in both camps to make daily life in an era of religious quarrels somewhat more pleasant and predictable. She stated that her goal, when she taught college students, was to prepare them for the real world of today in which the complicated social and political circumstances they read and hear about from the media are not reducible to formulaic oversimplifications. The residents appreciated her point of view and applauded her goal.

From the remarks I heard afer both talks I concluded that the residents of Kendal at Granville share an enthusiasm about the importance of education – and perhaps that's not surprising, given the number of retired teachers in our ranks. Even more happily, the residents are optimistic about the future of education. This is important (says someone who is very much a partisan on this issue) because in this era of challenges to many of the foundation stones of the American polity, education needs all the advocates, defenders, and cheerleaders it can muster. Drs. Dann and Spierling have shown us the project is good hands.

Thursday, April 11, 2013

Spring Has Sprung at Last

Although spring officially arrived on March 20 the kind of weather we associate with this season of the year delayed its appearance here until April ninth when we had our first really warm spring day.  Until then only a few brave crocus plants had dared to poke their heads above ground and bloom confirming the meteorologists announcement of spring.  With the warm sunny breezes at last the daffodils and forsythia, two of my favorite early harbingers of spring which had been holding out for just such a day began popping out everywhere.  Our periwinkle ground cover around the apartment complex here at Kendal became like a carpet of bright sparkling blue flowers.  In the enclosed garden area by the health center buttercup yellow dandelions appeared to the dismay of the landscape committee. 

As my son was driving me to a medical appointment in nearby Columbus we noted that the trees were not yet showing the early signs of awakening to spring when the stark bare wintry look of their branches begins to change to that softer somewhat "fuzzy" appearance they take on as leaves and blossoms appear.  The willows seem to be slow to turn a pale green as they begin to leaf out.  It shouldn't be long now before that changes.

Other signs of spring here at Kendal also have put in their appearance as the fencing around the construction areas at each end of our complex finally came down.  With them went a lot of the clutter outside our buildings giving us a promise that green grass and other landscaping will begin to take the place of the bare ground once more around our main building. 

Even more exhilarating has been the moving in of residents into three of our new apartments  with others to follow soon.    It's exciting to be able to greet these newcomers to our community.  We anticipate gettig to know them and integrating them into our family.  They will bring new energy to us.

Suddenly "spring has sprung" bringing with it an air of  a renewed hope for the future. 

Wednesday, April 10, 2013

Jessye Norman


Last Sunday afternoon Jessye Norman sang at Denison University. A large number of Kendal residents attended, determined not to miss a concert by one of the premiere singers of our era. We were not disappointed. At sixty-seven, Ms Norman has shifted from the operatic roles that brought her acclaim – Sieglinde, Dido, Ariadne – to more intimate numbers, and for this occasion she sang highlights from the great American songbook. 

The performances were memorably lovely. Pieces by George Gershwin, Richard Rodgers, and Harold Arlen; tributes to Odetta and Ella Fitzgerald – all these and much else offered in a voice that is rich in lowest register, stunning in its upper reaches, and thoroughly under control all across her magnificent dynamic range. She was a chanteuse without compare.

She wore a grand, rich gown that sank to the floor, and she swept it around with her hands as she walked. She spent much of the concert seated on a bench or standing at bend in the piano. She never moved abruptly. But on occasion she would stand free, in the middle of the stage, to let the rhythm of a piece touch and move her entire body. The effect was stunning.

She offered two encores – "Summertime" and "Amazing Grace." On that second number she sang two verses and then invited the audience to sing the first verse again while she riffed above us. The effect was astonishing. When the concert was over the audience applauded her rapturously – and with respect to some in the audience I use that word with its literal force. 

As we drove home on the Kendal bus a thought occurred to me. Several years ago René Fleming, today's reigning prima donna, had appeared at Denison and sung "I Could Have Danced All Night" as an encore. She too had invited the audience to join in on the melody while she soared above us, with similarly electrifying effects. So now, I reflected from my quiet bus seat, I can accurately say that I've sung with both Jessye Norman and René Fleming. What more can life offer?

Tuesday, March 19, 2013

An Afternoon with Switchback

Martin Mc Cormack and Brian Fitzgerald
Switchback

 
One of the things that makes it possible to work through life's trials and tribulations is to have a backlog of really uplifting experiences  - the kind that fill your heart and soul and mind so that your cup runneth over. Luckily I had one of those here at Kendal on Friday afternoon, March eighth, when we had the good fortune to hear a program of music presented by the “musical partnership of Brian Fitzgerald and Martin McCormack known as Switchback.”  Each of them was an established musician in his own right when they came together twenty-seven years ago.

Both of these personable performers sing and play guitar with Brian switching to mandolin part of the time.  They lived up to their billing as presenters of “An Amazing Mix of American Roots and Celtic Music.” clearly evidencing an extensive repertoire.  As the program unfolded we were treated to a wide spectrum of music ranging from the toe tapping, foot stomping, hand clapping sort to the calm tranquil, quiet meditative, easy listening kind. One could say the selections went from the sublime to the ridiculous.

The program began with a delightful instrumental number called "The Boys of Bluehill", a traditional Irish jig.  One piece that particularly touched my heartstrings was their tender rendition of “I Will Take You Home Again Kathleen.”  My mother often sang Irish songs in her beautiful soprano voice and this one was one of her favorites.  It was from her that I learned it was written by a German for his Irish bride. Thus when Martin said he was going to sing an Irish song actually written by a German, I knew immediately which song he meant. Another of my favorites was “The Umbrellas of Cherbourg” from the romantic pop-art opera which illustrated yet another facet of their talent.

We were also favored with numbers such as “The Wabash Cannon Ball," “Who Threw the Overalls in Mrs. Murphy’s Chowder?” “When Irish Eyes Are Smiling,” and "Moonshiner," an Irish drinking song about poteen, Irish moonshine.  These along with other similar pieces provided opportunities for foot stomping, hand clapping, and singing-a-long.  In addition they mixed in Johnny Cash's "Jailhouse Blues" and an interlude of solo mandolin quiet hymnlike music by Brian for good measure.

Further proof of the extent of their ability was demonstrated when they presented an original composition called "Right Then" which they were inspired to compose in the style of the songs popular in the big band era after visiting the Aragon Ballroom in Chicago.  It took me back to the days when I was dating.

The program ended with their unique version of “Ghost Riders in the Sky.”  It brought to mind a much more robust group of riders than I envisioned when back in the late 1940’s my roommate and I were lucky enough to have our dates take us to hear Vaughn Monroe sing this when he brought his band to Toledo. 

For me it ended too soon because it cut short my walk down memory lane.   For that is what I was experiencing as they played and sang.  Each number evoked a special memory since music has been at the center of my life. I grew up in a family where music was valued, I met my husband playing the cello in the Sunday School orchestra he directed and much of our courtship consisted of attending concerts or other events  where he was playing or directing music.   Needless to say a wide variety of musical activities were a vital part of our married life.  Music has become the fabric that binds my heart, soul, mind and body together.  Without music my life would be unbearably empty.  Thus I feel it a privilege to find myself in the presence of musicians with what I perceive to be kindred spirits like those of Brian and Martin.  And so it was these two Irish men charmed me with their music and helped to make me whole.  Not only me but from the reaction of the audience I would say most of them were also charmed.

Tuesday, March 12, 2013

Testing!

Believe it or not, this really is a test. We've been having some difficulty with our procedures here, and so posting this message is part of an effort to get to the bottom of the problem.

BTW, here at Kendal we're gearing up for the imminent arrival of residnts for our new apartment wing!

Wednesday, February 27, 2013

Tower Tales, Vol. V, No.1

About two weeks ago a new issue of Tower Tales appeared in the boxes of all residents. This publication features writings by persons who live at Kendal at Granville, and a new issue is published every six months or so. (In the interest of full disclosure I need to quickly note that I'm a member of the seven-member editorial board, and so cannot plead indifference in assessing the publication. That having been said, I'll immediately note that I think this new issue features many interesting pieces.)

The first thing to be noticed, however, is the cover, which displays a richly-colored photo of a twelve-patch needlework quilt created by Terrie Cheaney, one of our fine resident artists. With its ochre, orange, purple, and blue pattern, it evokes the atmosphere of the Southwest.

The issue proper leads off with a reminiscence by Wib Smith of the many summers he spent at his wife's family camp in Maine. The delightful memories include boat misadventures, struggles with weather and insects, the installation of indoor plumbing, and picnics. As a reminiscence, the piece can't help but be autumnal. But its spirit evokes happy and (usually) sunny summers.

Judy Chambers follows by relating a tragic moment in the life of her family and describing the deepening of understanding that subsequently fortified her. "The living," she concludes, quoting the advice her husband offered as they coped, "have to go on living."

Residents of CCRCs know how to look death in the eye and stare it down. Judy Ingram provides a humorous poem that does precisely that, even as it celebrates an eightieth birthday.

Our proud Scotsman, Ted Barclay, tells of his and Pat's visit to explore the ancestral Barclay lands in Scotland. (They threw in a pub or two, but even though included in the tale, that aspect of the tour is a different story.) The highlight of the visit was the opportunity to gain access to Barclay Castle, with its enormous fireplaces, impressive suits of armor, and other echoes of the past. The family boasts a fierce motto: Aut agere aut mori – Either Action or Death!

Dan Fletcher continues a technology theme begun in the previous issue of Tower Tales by explaining how his iPad won him over. Our CCRC generation tends to be behind the curve when it comes to the modern devices of communication, but our grandchildren's example is spurring us into trying to catch up, and Dan is an enthusiastic convert. As he says, even while reminding his reader of the joys of exploring book stores, "hey, I have the whole Library of Congress in my hand! Pretty cool."

No good magazine is respectable without an occasional piece on crime-busting, and in this issue Jack Ingram tells a tale from his youth, when, with the approval of the management of the bank he worked for, he investigated what appeared to be a misappropriation of funds. Lest I spoil the story, I won't say more.

Finally, Virgil Hoftiezer writes an apologia on behalf of his grand hobby of genealogy, posing the question – is it an avocation, an affectation, or an affliction? He argues powerfully for the pleasures of the chase, the excitement of making connections, and the sheer joy of discovery. He is likely to have made converts.

One point that the editorial board takes particular pride in is that Tower Tales is not a vehicle for a just a small group of residents. With this issue, the board notes, fully forty-five residents have shared their writing with the community through its pages. Never once has there been an issue with fewer than three new voices. And why? Because in sharing one's writings one is sharing something of oneself. It's a way of gifting the community.



Tuesday, February 12, 2013

Latest Book Club News

In November we had our once-a-year very special event.  This event was a visit by Dr. Carol Apollonia, the daughter of our member, Betty.  Carol is a Professor of Russian Literature at Duke University, and once a year, when visiting her mother, she leads us in a dicussion of a Russian novel or literature.  This year we read and discussed Fathers and Sons by Turgenev.  Carol helped us see the clash between the older established families and two young college men who enthusiastically embraced  the philosophy of nihilism.  At the end of the story the one young man went back to the life of his family who were part of the Russian Aristocracy.  The other young man, from a peasant family, became a scientist in the medical profession and died from infection.  This book made me realize the beauty of Russia which seemed to be lost for awhile when we thought about Russia as just the Soviet Union and those associated negative feelings.  Most of us had not been to Russia and so we enjoyed hearing Carol talk about her trips.  On one trip she went to the farm of Leo Tolstoy!

Last year Carol had us read Short Stories by Chekov. The year before, we read Anna Karenina by Leo Tolstoy and before that, Crime and Punishment by Dostoyevski.  That was a very hard book to read because of the grime, hunger, depression, and crime in the story.  We especially needed Carol to redeem that book for us.  I am eagerly looking forward to our next assignment.

We did not read a book in December.  January's book was Heart of Darkness by Joseph Conrad.  It was literally a dark book.  We counted the words "dark" or "black" forty-two times in the sixty-five pages.  This is one of those stories within a story, and maybe another story within that.  Ed said we should notice the complicated punctuation. The story was about a man sent into the heart of Africa, the heart of darkness, to bring home a man who truly had a heart of darkness.  The setting was the colonial period in England.  Margaret and I admitted that we had to read the book a second time to appreiate the telling of the story rather than just the story.

Next month we will read Birdsong by Sebastian Faulks.  The setting is World War I in France.  Jack has read the book and tells us it is a story of passionate love and deadly war.  I will let you know.

Sunday, February 10, 2013

Fearless Baseball Forecasts

In the bleak days of February one of the most welcome harbingers of the warmer weather to come is the news that spring training camps for pitchers will soon be opening. If pitchers are warming up their arms, can batters be far behind? And if batters, then surely opening day . . . !

Lots of questions tease the fan who looks forward to the season. Will Mike Trout suffer a sophomore slump? Will Albert Pujols recover the magic? Will the owners ever see the mindlessness of ten-year contracts?

But the niftiest thing for baseball fans at this time of year is that they now have a brief window of opportunity for believing that anything might be possible – even (is the temperature falling in Hades?) a pennant for the Cleveland Indians. By the end of May, of course, reality will have begun to set in. But until then, why not dream? After all, last season saw unexpected divisional victories for Baltimore and Washington. Maybe this year is Houston's turn? Or Pittsburgh's? Or Kansas City's?

Nah!

I believe in a cautious realism when surveying the future. And so, here is my forecast. (If – when – I'm shown to be wrong, I'll be as likely to bring the subject up as your favorite TV weather forecaster is easger to discuss his missed calls.) I'll start with the American League.

In the East Toronto will win. Management has added R.A. Dickey, and Mark Buehrle to its pitching staff, and Jose Reyes to its batting order. The team already has the best batter you've never heard of in Jose Bautista. Go Blue Jays! (The other big story in the East will be the collapse of the Yankees. Age will catch up with this team with a vengeance, and they'll play sub-.500 ball for the first time since dinosaurs roamed the earth.)

In the Central division Detroit will win big. When you've got the best hitter in baseball (Miguel Cabrera) and the best pitcher in baseball (Justin Verlander), and you play in the weakest division in baseball, success should be a snap. The post-season will be the Tigers' big test. As for the Indians, well, as Dodger fans used to say, wait 'til next year (or decade).

In the West I'm going with Los Angeles. Trout, Pujols, and Hamilton make a fearsome trio for any pitcher. But I'm not ready to count Texas out, and if the Rangers – with Beltre, Kinsler, Brkman, and Andrus – sneak past the Angels, I won't be entirely surprised. The AL West is, after all, the strongest division in the league and perhaps in baseball.

In the National League East I think Washington is the real McCoy. So I think they'll repeat atop the division. The Nats have a splendid pitching staff (think Stephen Strasburg and Gio Gonzalez) and a batting order that will combine able veterans with startlingly good youth (think Bryce Harper). And wouldn't it be great to have a D.C. team in the World Series for the first time in 80 years?

When we turn to the Central division I think we'll see another repeater. Cincinnati is rich with talent, especially in the remarkable Joey Votto. I suspect that the real story in this weakening division will be the fading of St. Louis. The Cardinals have lost too much talent in the past three years, and their basic mediocrity will finally assert itself. (A cruel but true prediction.)

Out in the West I forecast a Los Angeles triumph. (And wouldn't a Dodgers-Angels World Series be interesting? The TV cameras would use every half inning break to show the beautiful people who have secured front row box seats.) The Dodgers have Matt Kemp, who has triple crown potential, and a hard-hitting supporting cast – all that plus very good pitching. I admit it's hard to put the Dodgers ahead of the world champion San Francisco Giants, but L.A.'s pitching is almost as good, and their offense is much better.

So there you have my predictions. Pin them to the refrigerator so you can mock me next October!




Monday, February 4, 2013

Reflections on a Wintry Day

Today is a dreary winter day here in Granville.  A week ago on Tuesday we had a late January thaw with the temperature reaching 60+ degrees.  By Thursday wintry weather had returned with temperatures back in the single digits.  The snow which fell before Christmas and then melted with the thaw has been replaced due to fits of snow off and on so that once again the ground is snow covered.  A couple of the days were quite windy and it behooved one to bundle up well before venturing outside.  Whenever a door to the outside is opened as someone comes in or goes out, a blast of cold air enters chilling the air in our halls.  With extra openings in the areas under construct ion at both ends and in the middle there are lots of places leaking cold air into the halls as well. 

When I was growing up this was the kind of weather you liked to find a good book, a good apple, a bowl of freshly popped corn, and a comfy chair located in a warm cozy spot so you could curl up and read while the weather stayed outside.  Curling up in a warm cozy spot inside and reading or watching television is still a good way to spend a wintry afternoon or evening.   But the sort of stuff that's on television today makes reading more and more attactive - be it the old fashioned kind of book or one of the new-fangled Kindles or Nooks.

We are lucky that we have a well-supplied library in our community building and connections with the Granville Public Library that put a wide choice of books at our finger tips.  The fact that the library is open night and day also adds immeasurably to its convenience.

We are also lucky that our apartments have individual heat controls so we can keep them at whatever temperature suits each of us best.   Since each of us has a different metabolism and therefore a different tolerance for heat and cold, this is a really important feature for our personal year round comfort.

So tonight after supper I plan to curl up in my comfortable Lazy-Boy chair with the book I picked out yesterday afternoon in our library and settle in for an evening of enjoyment in my cozy living room.

Sunday, January 13, 2013

A Visit from the Hilltoppers

The new year of 2013 was scarcely upon us when a group of singers from our neighbor up the hill, Denison University, came to Kendal to share their talents with us. An all-male ensemble, aptly named the Hilltoppers, they are one of several fine musical organizations that Denison sustains, and we at Kendal were particularly fortunate to be given the opportunity to hear them because the university's winter break still had a week to run. So we wondered: What were these guys doing in town anyway? Didn't they have something better to do with their vacation?

The musical fare for the evening was wide-ranging – a Scottish folk song, some old barbershop numbers (though close harmony was not in general the Hilltoppers' preferred style), recent pop hits, a spiritual, and songs from the 1960s. All of this was enlivened and punctuated by some unexpected whoops, hollers, and yelps. As the concert proceeded we also heard some rich solo voices. There was a bit of designed choreography thrown in, but much more frequently the young men seemed to be improvising their individual and idiosyncratic kinetic turns. The audience loved it.

Before the concert began each singer introduced himself by name, home town, and major. It turned out that they had come from all over the country, and they were studying a diverse set of fields, with majors from the natural sciences, the social sciences, the arts, and the humanities. They were collective testimony to the breadth and excitement of a liberal arts curriculum.

Each number was received with loud clapping, and when the concert was over, the Kendal crowd showed its final approval with a surge of applause as enthusiastic as any accolade I can recall my friends and neighbors ever bestowing on a visiting group.

It's not hard to figure out why the Hilltoppers were so appreciatively received. First, they brought music to Kendal, and as people as distant and different from each other as Plato and Madonna have acknowledged, music has a strange power to enchant. Second, they brought talent to Kendal, and the community's residents, from lifetimes rich with experience, have come to realize that gifts are unusual and to applaud these gifts when people have given time over to cultivating them. Third, they brought youth into our midst. This is important, for contrary to some rumors, we seniors don't begrudge youth their youth. If anything, we draw hope about the future from it. It seems safe to say that the life of senior communities prospers when young people – enthusiastic representatives of the new directions the world is taking – share their universe with ours.

As the audience dispersed to their residences after the concert, I heard only one complaint: the Hilltoppers hadn't sung a Denison song. Not unimportant, I guess – though since I'm not an alumnus, maybe I'm not best positioned to judge the gravity of the omission. But even so, scarcely worthy of a demerit. And maybe that can be our excuse for inviting them back to sing an all-Denison-music concert. Sounds like a good solution to me.

Sunday, January 6, 2013

Newbie

     While watching a Netflix movie late Friday evening, the furnace of our cottage began to make weird noises.  Since we were engrossed in the movie, we ignored the noise until it became so loud that we had to be concerned.  So, at 11:30 pm we called maintenance.  The maintenance man on duty was at our door in less than five minutes.  The furnace definitely needed a new part and he could do it then or it could be done in the morning.  Assured that all was safe for the night, we opted for the morning.  Sure enough, the next morning (Saturday) we got the call from maintenance asking if we were ready for the work to be done. All completed by 10 am!
     This is my first blog--I am a newbie.  My husband and I moved to Kendal at Granville last January (2012), almost a year ago.  Experiences like this make us so glad we made the decision to come here.  If the furnace issue had occurred at our old residence, the attempts to get a repair over the weekend would have been difficult and the pricing at premium levels.  There would not have been a cheerful young man telling us "we keep parts on the shelf ready to install".
     Our first year of residence has been a positive experience.  Coming from Indiana, we knew no one here and had no connection to any institutions in Ohio.  So, why did we decide on Kendal at Granville one might ask.
     Having made the decision that we wanted to embrace the CCRC concept, we began looking for a location and visiting sites.  There were none close to where we were living so we explored locations near one of our children, near a large airport and in a community that had a college or university.  We visited several and read about others.  When we walked in the front door of KAG, we knew this place was different from the others we had visited.  The decor set a welcoming tone, then the staff were warm and residents greeted us with smiles.
      After three visits and studying the Quaker philosophy behind Kendal Corporation, we decided on Kendal at Granville.  The airport is half an hour away and we are enjoying Denison University's offerings to the public.  I did audit a class during fall semester and thoroughly enjoyed it.  We do happen to have a daughter in Columbus.  The geographic location is working well for us.