Hanukkah Kendal-lighting

Ok, so that was a bad pun! Hanukkah at Kendal was a big success this year. On all eight nights we participated along with 15-20 others who diligently showed up with us in the main lobby. We said the blessings (one-sentence prayers giving thanks) first in Hebrew, then in English, and lit the candles in the menorah (candelabra – an electric one, actually). It was wonderful to have volunteers to read the English version and do the actual lighting.

After that my wife and I presented a mini-lesson each night lasting 5-10 minutes on some aspect of the holiday. We covered the historical aspect of the military victory of the Maccabees reclaiming the Temple in ancient Jerusalem and dedicating it to worship service once again, the rabbinical de-emphasis of the military victory and their new emphasis on the miracle of the oil lasting 8 days in the ancient Temple in Jerusalem, the traditional foods we eat for the holiday, the dreidle (top) that is used in the game we teach the children to play, the menorah as an art form, Hanukkah music and songs, liturgy, and more.

It was a delightful 8 days, and the dining room staff made traditional latkes (potato pancakes) for everyone one night, and sufganiyot (jelly doughnuts) on another night. The Festival of Lights was fun, entertaining, educational, and uplifting. And while Kendal may have its roots in the Quaker tradition, the characteristic of diversity and inclusion certainly prevails here at Granville.

Christmas Music at Kendal

Last evening the Granville High School Chamber Singers visited Kendal to deliver a smooth and delightful performance of seasonal tunes. The residents turned out in large numbers, and the Amelia Room, decked out in seasonal colors and markers, provided an appropriate setting. Before the program began the ensemble's talented director, Kristen Snyder, explained that in recent days they had been making the pre-Christmas rounds of performance venues. Happily, we were on their schedule and in fact became the appreciative beneficiaries of their final concert before the high school and the Chamber Singers began their Christmas breaks.

The singing was marked throughout by close harmonies and precision of elocution. From the opening number – "Go Tell it on the Mountain" – to the rousing, concluding performance of "We Wish You a Merry Christmas" (including vocal romps on the words "figgy pudding"), the Chamber Singers proved themselves a skilled and well-trained ensemble. Along the choral way, Santa Claus came to town, chestnuts roasted on some fires, jingle bells rocked, and silver bells enchanted. An unexpected encore brought attention to a smaller ensemble, the Blue Notes, who sang a dazzling arrangement of "The Dance of the Sugar Plum Fairies," featuring the difficulties of chromatic passages and tight harmonies.  

The residents loved the show. And once again we were all made to realize how fortunate we were to have so many exciting performance organizations in our vicinity. The holiday season is well and truly under way a Kendal.

Thanksgiving 2015 at Kendal at Granville

What a great Thanksgiving holiday we had at Kendal! Last year we were invited to join family in St. Louis, and we dutifully made the trek. This year we were again invited there, and also to relatives in New Jersey, but on November 9, I came down with a cold that quickly morphed into bronchitis, and it soon became evident that I wasn't going to be fit to travel, so we resigned ourselves to stay home and join the festive dinner here if I felt better.

I fully recovered from my illness just before the holiday so we went to dinner and we weren't disappointed at all! The dining room was decorated in colorful tablecloths and napkins, We had traditional turkey and stuffing, mashed potatoes, sweet potatoes, green bean casserole, and pumpkin pie, but there were several other choices available, too. All of it was prepared perfectly and we thoroughly enjoyed the dinner. The food was fantastic.

But then, come to think of it, it's fantastic at almost EVERY meal and that was one of the reasons my wife and I moved here last year. It's not only the food but the opportunity to join other residents and engage in lively and interesting conversation. Rarely do we talk about our aches and pains, which is stuff no one else really wants to hear anyway. I call that kind of conversation an “organ recital.” “Oh, my spleen really bothered me last night...hah!”

No, we talk about current events, personal experiences, fashions, science, books, movies, sports, business, and a variety of interesting topics. And if the subject at one moment doesn't interest you, wait a few minutes and we'll be onto something else.

There are so many well-educated and knowledgeable people here in so many different areas, everyone has a story to tell, and that's what makes Kendal a special place. I've liked everyone I've met here, and I really look forward to meal time in the dining room.