Christmas Choirs at Kendal

For fans of choral music, the approach of the Christmas season offers the propect of enchanting concert opportunities. This year did not disappoint the residents of Kendal at Granville, for the Amelia Room was recently the site of two such concerts. 

On Sunday, December 14, the Chamber Choir from Granville High School performed a cappella a set of secular seasonal pieces. The choristers were talented and lively – think television's "Glee" – and their youth and enthusiasm reminded the audience of the jolly side of the season. 

The very next day, December 15, our home-grown choir of residents, the "Kendaliers," presented a thematically contrasting concert featuring carols and sacred music, reminders of the religious origin of the holiday. Under the leadership of Teddy Westlake, the Kendaliers have now performed in three consecutive Christmas seasons, and each year's performance has been better than its predecessor. The audience was invited to join in with the singers at various points, and the evening closed quietly as we all sang the moving prayer, "Dona Nobis Pacem." The residents have ample reason to be proud of the Kendaliers' fine work.

Observing Hanukkah atKAG

Beginning in 2005, our first year here at Kendal at Granville, members of our Diversity and Inclusion Committee have arranged for our observance of Hanukkah each year. 

This required a lot of study on the part of committee members since none of us were Jewish.  Much of the execution of the plan which evolved for our observance fell to Eloise and me.  This was probably due to the fact that Eloise lived in Granville before moving to Kendal and knew Jewish people in the area and over the years my husband and I had several close Jewish friends and had also participated in community dialogs between Christians and Jews in the Philadelphia area. 

Together with the full committee we established a simple format for our observance of Hanukkah.  Our menorah   is set up on a table close to the main entrance to our community building.  At sundown on the eight days of Hanukkah residents are invited to join in the lighting of the lights and  the saying of the traditional blessings and prayers. 

On some nights we have been privileged to have Jewish couples from the area join us.  These have been special times because they have shared with us the meaning of and the customs associated with Hanukkah.

This year it has been our very good fortune to welcome into our Kendal community two new residents, Steve and Connie, who are Jewish.  They have joined enthusiastically in community activities bringing us fresh new ideas. .  Our Hanukkah observance was greatly enhanced by their participation.  One particularly interesting aspect was their nightly show and tell about their collection of menorahs.  I personally learned from them and look forward to learning more as I get to know them better.

 

December-January Fiber Arts Exhibit

The first week in December the Fiber Arts Group and the Gallery Committee were busy with the final steps involved in hanging the fourth Fiber Arts Exhibit in our Art Gallery.

Preparations began late in the spring of 2014 with a call to residents and staff members to identify who had fiber arts works available for an exhibit.  Apparently the majority of our fiber artists had spring fever because the response to that call was almost nil. After pondering as to the reason for such an unexpected poor response it was decided to put out a second call based on the assumption that the timing of the first missed the mark. 

This time there were so many responses it was decided to divide them into two groups: one a show of works made by residents and staff members and another of pieces they owned but made by others. Thus began the process of planning the exhibit

Items were brought to the Fiber Arts meetings for inspection and a detailed list was prepared with a brief description including the dimensions of each preparatory to creating a plan for hanging and the necessary labels.

The Sunday and Monday before the exhibit was to be hung items were brought to the Fiber Arts Room where they were checked to be sure they were ready to hang.  When  needed,  hooks and wires were attached.

 

On Tuesday morning everything was transported to the Art Gallery and the Gallery Committee hung them.  At 5:00 p.m. a wine and cheese reception officially opened the show which includes quilts and quilted wall hangings; quilted and knit vests; knit, woven, and stitched jackets; knit sweaters and cardigans; knit scarves; hooked rugs; a variety of counted cross  stitch  pieces (beaded, black work, and samplers);  and items woven from home spun yarn which had been hand dyed; and more.

 

The reactions of those viewing this exhibit indicate that the results are worth all of the time and effort that went into its creation.   Not mentioned above are the many behind the scenes efforts of the maintenance, housekeeping, and dining staff essential to the success of an exhibit.  All of it adds up to illustrate how residents and staff come together to make Kendal at Granville a good place to live and work.

 

A Hip Hop Farewell to a Kendal Favorite

Kendal at Granville residents were startled earlier this fall to learn that Tiyana Payne, our Human Resources director, will be leaving us for California in January to pursue a career as a hip hop artist. You read that right. An HR expert during the week, Tiyana has been a performance artist on the weekends and in her spare time. We had known of her hobby and were cheering her on. But now she has decided to give full time to her career in music. We feel her imminent departure as our loss, but we stand with Tiyana in hoping and believing that she will find success and fulfillment as a performance artist.

Happily, before heading west, Tiyana agreed to give a concert for her friends here at Kendal. It was a memorable and lovely gift.

The day chosen for the concert was last Sunday, November 30, and by the 4:00 p.m. starting time the Amelia Gathering Room was filled with well-wishers. Tiyana spoke of how she had enjoyed her time at Kendal. She introduced her mother, Tina Pearce, who was helping out with keeping the sound system operating in an appropriately supportive fashion. Then Tiyana sang. Her first piece, written to honor her mother, rang with the love that an adult child feels for a parent whose guidance had been pivotal in the child's development. Three other songs followed, generally crafted to capture Tiyana's ambitions and efforts to establish herself as an artist in the world of hip hop. On two of the pieces she was assisted by her gifted daughter Tatiyana. 

                                                                photos by Vic Feldmiller

I'm no music critic – and I know almost nothing of hip hop – and so all I can say about the concert is that I was overwhelmed by the driving energy, exuberant wordplay, and propulsive rhythm of the songs. They seemed literally breathless. They conveyed excitement and happiness and determination. They were uplifting. 

When the concert was over, an audience that was at once charmed, delighted, and impressed thanked Tiyana and Tatiyana with full applause and then moved forward to wish them well personally. Tiyana leaves Kendal with her fans hoping that her career will bloom and that we can all come to say that we knew her when . . . !

Kendal Institute on Community Engagement

The Kendal Institute on Community Engagement has been launched! What, you may wonder, is KICE? Well, let me tell you.

Late last summer Kendal at Granville was invited to submit an application for a grant of $5000 to help create programs that would promote the enrichment of lives of senior citizens. A committee of residents put the proposal together, choosing to focus on the importance of engagement with the wider community as a primary source of enrichment in our lives. In accordance with the ambitions of the granting agency, we were to try to devise a kind of program that would be useful not only for Kendal at Granville, but also, by replication, for senior communities anywhere in the country. It would, in short, be a model. We proposed to create the Kendal Institute on Community Engagement as the vehicle for organizing our efforts. Denison University accepted our invitation to partner with us as we moved forward in 2015. Early this month we received the happy news that our application had been successful.

Subsequent meetings of the steering committee have given shape to the activities that the Institute will soon sponsor. We have worked from with the basic assumption that people in retirement here at Kendal want to find ways in which they can share their talents, explore their hobbies, and cultivate new interests – all in the wider company of others who share these enthusiasms. What is often needed, we believe, is richer knowledge of the range of opportunities for participation that exist in our Licking County community. So the Kendal Institute will work to make such knowledge available – to link residents seeking opportunities with organizations that offer them.

There are, of course, all sorts of activities that invite the attention of seniors. Some appeal to the desire to be constructive volunteers in service endeavors; others appeal to those seeking a widening or deepening of their enthusiasms. But all promise to provide occasions for engagement. We decided to focus on three kinds of activities in this first year: 

1) organizations that seek to provide assistance to those in need of help or protection;

2) groups that invite participation in the arts, whether pictorial or dramatic or musical;

3) organizations that focus on the educational needs of society, whether children or adults.

Under the aegis of the Kendal Institute, Kendal at Granville will sponsor five events in the first half of 2015. All will be aimed at informing, exciting, and even inspiring residents to envision and reach for lives of fuller community engagement for themselves. In varying mixes these events will offer speakers, Q&A opportunities with community leaders, entertainment from school-associated performance groups, and of course – the essential ingredient of all successful meetings – refreshments. Most will probably occur at our new Amelia Gathering Room, but some might well take place off-site. All residents will be encouraged to attend these events, and non-residents from the wider community will also be invited.

To be more specific: in January we will kick off the Kendal Institute with a gathering that introduces all three of our focus areas for 2015 and that aims at generating some media attention. In subsequent months we will hold events that focus in turn on opportunities in the areas of social assistance, the arts, and education. We will conclude the schedule in May with a wider gathering that aims at celebrating our success in our first year (we are an optimistic group!) and at making plans for the future.

Clearly a lot remains undefined. But enthusiasm is high, and with each passing fortnight more and more of the details are falling into place. And so it is not too early to go public with the happy news that the Kendal Institute on Community Engagement has set sail. We hope you'll consider joining the voyage.

Photo Memories Follow U[

When due to technical difficulties Reed published for me my 12 October 2014 blog Photo Memories Gallery Exhibit, I did not have any copies of the photos to illustrate it.  Better late than ever here is a sampling of the photos in that exhibit.

    






                  Joh Kennedy tea rose
                 at home in Newtown
                 Square a Philadelphia
                  suburb


The band stand at Cape May, new Jersey on an
evening when the LuLu Shrine band from
Philadelphia was performing.


 Groundhog from back porch
of a Kendal resident.


Female turtle laid and hatched
eggs in back yard of that same
resident.

Zebras in Afr9ca

Deer in wooded area along Kendal hiking trail

 

Kendal Butterflies

  Black Swallowtail                                                                         European Skipper

 

 

                                  

Fall Reflection on Kendal at Granville Pond                         

 
 

 

 

 

 

Fitness at Kendal at Granville

Fitness at Kendal at Granville

Pick up any article on being fit as you age and it’s sure to put exercise at the top of the list or very close to top.  Here at Kendal at Granville we have many ways to exercise in order to maintain our fitness as we grow older.  Paved walkways throughout our campus make walking or running easy. and pleasant. In addition a hiking trail has been developed for those who enjoy exploring the grassy wooded area including our pond.  It is even possible to arrange to put a boat in the pond and exercise your arms by rowing.

One advantage of our large community building is that when the weather is inclement there are ample halls where we can walk – much more convenient than going to a mall to walk.

Our community building also has a large well-equipped fitness room and a beautiful pool.  The pool is open from seven in the morning to eleven at night.   

Twice daily our Kendal TV channel broadcasts an exercise class which allows  resident sto exercise in the privacy and convenience of their own residence.

We are also blessed to have Diane, our Fitness Coordinator, who conducts water exercises daily, works one on one in the fitness room giving individualized guidance in the use of the equipment and help with personal exercise/therapy routines.  Since I am blind and cannot see to set the various machines to suit my personal needs, I greatly appreciate the fact that she makes it possible for me to continue to use the equipment there.

 

Diane also offers a number of exercise classes on a weekly basis.  These include Pilates, Senior Wellness, Y9ga (with chair support), and Seated Strength and Stretch.

In addition we have a Physical Therapy Department to which we may be referred for specific therapy when it is needed.  This department provides general physical therapy, occupational therapy, and speech therapy.

 Following major surgery several years ago I benefitted from the services of the PT department during my month long stay in the Health Center skilled nursing area.  I found the therapists competent, dedicated, and understanding of my individual needs.  They also made therapy fun even though it was hard work at times to do the things I needed to do to make a full recovery.

 More recently I found myself making use of their services once more.  Following a f al I had pain in my legs and feet which caused me to shuffle along rather than pick up my feet. I also needed additional pain medication.  With their assessment and program of therapy I am back to walking as I should and have discontinued to the added pain medication. 

 

Beyond a doubt all of the exercise opportunities here contribute to our overall fitness.  I would wager that if someone were to try to guess the ages of many of our residents they would miss the mark because so many of us take advantage of our opportunities to remain fit.

 

 

 

 

 

Photo Memories Galley Exhibit

 

[This entry was written by E. Wanda Quay.]

As we finished hanging our Art Gallery August-September Exhibit entitled Photo Memories I couldn’t help noticing that the photos taken by both residents and staff here at Kendal at Granville spoke about more than just their memories. 

First of all the response of both staff members and residents to the call for photographs about memories was an indication of one aspect of the unique relationship between residents and staff here.   It illustrates how we share in making Kendal a great place to live.

When I considered the varied subject matter which included beautiful scenery from widespread parts of the United States (i.e. from the Gulf of Mexico to Cape May, New Jersey to eastern Pennsylvania to the Smoky Mountains to Yellowstone National Park to Granville, Ohio), spectacular views from seven continents of the globe, fascinating snapshots of wild animals of Africa, scenes along the Amazon, and wash lines from around the world.  Closer to home  we  saw animal life captured by the camera from the porch of one of our resident’s homes, exquisite pictures of flowers and butterflies on our Kendal campus along with our pond and trail.  Taken all together they told me that we do not have to leave our homes here to find beauty.   They also spoke of the fact that our community is  made up of individuals who bring  a vast diversity of travel experience to our population.

When planning for this exhibit the Gallery Committee decided it would not require each photo to be framed since framing is costly.  Instead they would furnish photographers with large pieces of foam board to which several photos could be attached.  Any anxiety about the appearance of such a display vanished as the photos were hung.  It turned out our photographers could arrange their photos artistically.  One of the staff members enhanced her summertime fun photos with bits of decorative lettering and small designs.

Looking at each group of photo memories gave us insight into the lives of those who took them – another way to get to know each other – a way to discover common bonds – a way to develop our sense of community here.

ewq

Update on The Newark Earthworks

Last Friday Professor Richard Shiels spoke to a packed Emilia Gathering Room audience about the ongoing campaign to have the Newark Earthworks recognized by UNESCO as a World Heritage site. This is an extraordinary effort, involving much local work and support from the United States Department of the Interior. But the focus of the effort is also something truly astonishing: we have here, in Licking County and beyond, the remains of what may be the largest mathematically-related configuration of prehistoric structures in the world. I'll repeat that: THE LARGEST IN THE WORLD. And, to bring the story home, we have here, on our own Kendal campus, a remnant of the civilization that created that configuration.

Here's a bit of the background: about 2000 years ago (say, 100 BCE to 500 CE) the dominant culture in this region of North America was what we now call the Hopewell Culture. (Two quick warnings: "Hopewell" is a modern term, adopted for convenience because we have no idea what the ancient builders called themselves; and it is not useful to think of the Hopewells as a "tribe," since we do not know whether one or many peoples were involved.) The chief legacy of the Hopewells is the structure of great earthworks (now the term preferred to "mounds") that they built. The most striking of these earthworks are not only large but startlingly geometrical – squares, circles, and an octagon. They stand as largely undeciphered monuments to the engineering prowess, mathematical sophistication and record-keeping inventiveness of a civilization that, so far as we know, did not employ writing. For more on the earthworks and the extraordinary Hopewell culture, check out the website earthworks@osu.edu.

Although the centuries of post-Columbian settlement have entailed the destruction of much of this legacy before the purposes of  farmland expansion and urban development, good fortune has left Newark, Ohio, as the home to several sprawling Hopewell sites and made The Ohio State University at Newark a leader in the study of North American archeology.

To demonstrate the immensity of the Earthworks site, Professor Shiels used PowerPoint to show how it dwarfed such famous monuments from the past as Stonehenge and the Egyptian pyramids. He also explained that, for purposes of the nomination to UNESCO, the Newark Earthworks have been packaged with two other Ohio-based monuments of Hopewell creativity, the sites at Coshocton and Fort Ancient. For sheer present-day visibility of Hopewell achievement, however, the Newark site is clearly the most impressive of the three. If the Earthworks receive designation as a World Heritage site, Licking County is likely to benefit from enhanced tourist trade, and archeological study of the site is likely to attract more funding.

As for that remnant of Hopewell culture that sits on Kendal land, it is a small (burial?) mound, not unlike other unstudied mounds that lie scattered in Licking County along the valley of Raccoon Creek. Professor Shiels visited our mound just before his talk, and because it had never been archeologically investigated, there was little he could say aside from admiring it and confirming that it appeared to be authentic. But that was good to hear. For maybe, if the Newark Earthworks become a World Heritage site, we at Kendal will finally learn more about the significance of the small mound that sits atop the Kendal hill and in the process learn more about the bearers of Hopewell culture who resided on this very acreage two millennia ago.

THE READING GROUP

     Among the many interest groups at Kendal is the Book Group, which has been selecting a book several months each year, and after reading it, gathering for a group discussion.  According to the convener, there are only two rules: comments must focus only on the book, and only one person speaks at a time.

     This month's book? Doris Kearns Goodwin's 2013 history/biography THE BULLY PULPIT: Theodore Roosevelt, William Howard Taft, and the Golden Age of Journalism.

      In August, the reading period was extended into September because of the length of the book--752 pages plus 115 pages of notes.  Still, the Group had it largest attendance (23), apparently because of both the topics and the author.  Of those, over half had read the entire book (13) or listened  on 18 hours of recordings (2).  Others were still reading with most intending to finish, and a few had not read it, but came to listen.

     Virtually every reader had been fully engaged with the story of how Teddy Roosevelt, Will Taft, and the progressive journalists of their period, had engaged individually, together, and sometimes in direct opposition, in working to change the direction of the U.S. government, amidst a burst of industrialization, from a laissez faire idea to a functional, regulated system, toward which we continue to struggle.

      Some did sneak in personal reasons for their interest: a shared home town or alma mater, a commitment to a similar cause, a family tie or memory, or a professional interest.  But most comments were either evaluative of a particular action or individual, analytical regarding the author's "take" on one or more of her subjects, or personal insights drawn from the text.  A new member of the community could hardly help but observe the intellectual capacity, and the willingness, of members to engage in a truly complex but exceedingly well wrought book, with individual insights, observations, and questions.

       Rather obvious, of course, were the many vexing similarities of that historical period's issues to today's ongoing battles--a bitterly divided Congress, internally divisive political parties, policy bought by special interests, isolationism versus globalism, voter suppression, environmental concerns, etc.

      Of special interest to this group was the detail in which Goodwin explores the importance of the relationships between many players--fathers and sons, sons and mothers, husbands and wives, politician and journalist, journalist and publisher, even wives and wives.  The relationship theme caused some to believe that this richness was necessarily the product of a woman author, and most to decry the loss of letterwriting which would make such research unlikely if not impossible today.

    One reader likened the book to a love story and to The Bible--a collection of stories, each with its own meaning.  Another thought it was perhaps unfair in its evaluation of Taft, and of the value of different styles of leadership.  Some were surprised and disappointed by the older Roosevelt's behavior in his effort to retain power.  Others cited Goodwin's constant recognition of secondary players, local politicos, wives, aides, brother and sisters.

      Unfortunately, the one hour discussion was apparently insufficient for enough discussion of the roles played by the journalists, except for the opportunity they had for both thorough investigation and serious readership.  While true that tariff battles can seem boring, most of the major issues, and critical roles of Sam McClure, Ida Tarbell, Lincoln Steffens, Ray Baker, Jacob Riis and others could have received more discussion if there had been more time.  And no one mentioned Archie Butts....

meh 9/26/14

Candidates and Candidacies

Next week the Kendal residents – in their collective identity as KAGRA (the Kendal at Granville Residents Association) – will hold our September gathering. This September event is a big thing. Our by-laws style it the "Annual Meeting." What that means is that while KAGRA meets on a regular, monthly basis to conduct the ongoing business of the association, the Annual Meeting is a special occasion. It is here that we choose council members for the coming operational year (October 1-September 30) and select the residents to serve on our standing committees. It is also here that we approve KAGRA's budget for the coming year.

What I want to comment on, however, is not the responsibilities of these offices or the procedures we use to fill them, but rather what we can glean about life at Kendal at Granville from reading the information that candidates post about themselves in their brief bios.

First off, it's useful to note that the slate of six candidates – three women and three men – encompasses the full range of Kendal residential terms: that is, one is a "founder" – one of the original residents at the newly-opened facility in 2005; three are persons who have joined the community in the fifteen months since its expansion; and two are mid-range residents, neither founders nor newbies. Clearly a newer generation of residential leadership is moving forward. And that's how it should be.

But what is more interesting are the career backgrounds they bring to their candidacies. One is a teacher of public speaking, argumentation, and persuasion. One worked on the country's guided missile program under Dr. Wernher von Braun. One taught in the Columbus school system for three decades. One spent thirty years as a chaplain and pastoral care educator at large hospitals.  One handled the book-keeping for a small business. Two served in the armed forces.

Then there is the range of their hobbies and interests. One is a devoté of duck hunting and fly fishing. One is a proponent of nature photography. One is an antiquer. Still other enthusiasms include travel (everyone likes this option), bridge, book clubs, Pilates, policy development, gardening, library work, and church activities. Moreover, in some fashion or another, all are fans of programs of lifelong learning.

I should probably add that the persons on this slate are not in any sense running against each other. KAGRA has a nominating committee, which recruits a slate of candidates large enough to fill every vacancy, but no more; and while there is an easy way for alternative candidacies to emerge, no one in my seven years at Kendal has used this route. So when the elections are over, we can be confident that all of the skills, backgrounds, and interests I've mentioned will be at play in guiding the new office-holders as they make decisions for the residents.

Finally I must draw attention to this description of a strength one candidate offers the community: "trying to bring common sense and good humor to all such things." KAGRA will  be in good hands. If only Kendal could place such people in Congress!

On a Thursday afternoon in early July I settled down in my den to do a task that required a concentrated period of uninterrupted time for completion.  Then the phone rang.  When I answered it was a call from Sarah, our automated phone messenger, with word that Granville had lost its water pressure due to a break in a main water line and they were working to repair it.  I made a mental note of that and returned to the task at hand.

It was only a few minutes when I got a second call from Sarah with the same message and then just a few more minutes before I received a third call.  Once more I tried to return to my task only to have the phone ring again  This time it was someone from the Granville Water Department to tell me what I had already heard from Sarah three times.  Persevering in my task I found my place only to be interrupted by the Granville Fire Chief, who often helps with sending out automatic warning messages to the Granville community.  By now I knew what he was going to say before he said it.  I was now convinced that no one in Granville had a drop of water to drink, wash with, or flush!!!

What I did know for certain was that I was lucky to be living at Kendal at Granville because in all past emergencies the staff had risen to the challenge be it four-day power outages, unending snow, or interrupted water pressure during our phase two construction project.   This day proved to be no exception. As they have before our Kendal Staff demonstrated that the are resourceful, thoughtful, and capable of dealinh with whatever comes their way.

A glance at the clock told me that the dinner hour had arrived.  I set aside my unfinished task to prepare to go to dinner.  Arriving at the dining room it quickly became evident that our staff members had been as busy as those proverbial bees.  Near the entrance I discovered large coolers filled with ice, bottled water, and soda for drinking. Bottled water was also available to take home for taking medications.

That night’s menu included spaghetti and corn on the cob.  They were prepared using bottled water.  The staff had located plastic ware for our use since they would not be able to wash dishes.

 

We heard that over in the health center they had taken advantage of the nearness of the swimming pool by carrying pails of water to flush the commodes there.  I couldn’t help thinking as I heard this about that little line so often tagged on to job descriptions that reads something like this: “And other related duties.”  Little do we know when we read that line just what it might come to mean in an emergency.

 The Granville water line was repaired later that Thursday evening but the emergency was only partially over as they announced the repair they also imposed a “boil alert” for all consumable water.  This remained in effect from Thursday  through Saturday morning.  During this time our staff performed as always calm, helpful, and reassuring that we were safe and secure as always here at Kendal at Granville.  They had indeed, “done it again.”  And very well.

 

 

 

VISIT THE ART GALLERY: AUGUST-SEPTEMBER

As a KAG resident for about six weeks now, more and more amazed by the talents and personalities here, I have delighted this month in the exhibit of resident and staff photography.

At the opening reception, the photographer most cornered was Hedda von Goeben, for a long wall celebrating "who hangs the wash, where they place it, and the country they live in."  It features vivid colored clothing gracefully hung in the South Pacific, spread on roofs above restaurants and art studios in South America, hung on ropes linking South Africa's Kelly green shanties, neatly organized on all white veranda clothes racks in Japan, attached with colored clothes pins in Tahiti.  A great idea, displaying only one of Hedda's artistic talents.

I was struck by the composition and sheer beauty of Jan Hoftiezer's pictures of the New Zealand Alps, Antarctica, and the high window flower boxes of Maastricht.  She has a photographer's eye.

Much attention was drawn to Wanda Quay's Tea Rose, the mushroom she spotted among autumn leaves, and a perfect shot of Old Faithful.  And everyone was counting the babies sheltered by Polly Redifer's mother elephant, then sharing experiences of--or dreams of--their own African safari.

Bob Doherty's focus on cooling area lakes, Kelley McCormack's collage of her "Home Away From Home" in the Great Smokies, and Kim Yang's delightful photos of laughing children and women, all remind us that they have lives beyond Kendal.

Mary Ingham's glorious shots of stages of the setting sun over the Gulf of Mexico make a Westerner like me long for that view, whereas Dan Fletcher's close-up shots of wildlife visitors outside his Kendal home tell us to get out there early and late if we want to see the wild turkey, snapping turtle, rabbits, raccoons, deer and pheasants!

Doyle Anderegg must have a great lens and quiet feet, judging by the exhibit's welcoming photos of wildflowers and butterflies he caught with open wings.

Don't miss this exhibit!

meh

Taking a Look at One Aspect of LGBT Equality

One of the ways the Diversity and Inclusion Committee of Kendal at Granville seeks to fulfill its mission to promote acceptance and inclusiveness is through holding periodic meetings of the Diversity Book Club.  The book chosen for our most recent session was “My Two Moms” by Zach Walls, the son of two lesbians and an activist on the behalf of LGBT equality. The subtitle,  “Lessons of Love, Strength, and What Makes a Family” succinctly describes the lessons of life that Zach learned as he grew up.

Zach came to write this book after he addressed the Iowa House Judiciary Committee on 31 January 2011 in a public hearing on a proposed constitutional amendment to ban gay marriage in Iowa.  A video of his testimony posted on YouTube went viral. It had more than 1.5 million views within two weeks and exceeded 15 million views by April 2012.

One of the benefits of the Diversity Book Clubs is that it brings together both Kendal residents and staff members in a forum where they can discuss with each other books pertaining to topics on issues related to diversity and inclusion.  In our most recent event the number of staff members and residents was very nearly equal.  The co-leaders were Logan, a kitchen utility aide, and Susan, a retired Denison University professor of English. Logan had previously met the author and was impressed by what he had to say.  Therefore he recommended the book to us for study.

Our discussion ranged from personal reactions to the ideas expressed by Zach to sharing of personal interactions with LGBT persons.  Several comments related to the way in which Zach, an Eagle Scout, had used the Boy Scout Laws as a framework for his book.  Note was taken of the fact that Zach plans to work toward changing the negative views of gays within the Boy Scout organization. It was pointed out that in his book Zach states that one of his moms was regarded as a top Scout leader.  It was the consensus of the group that Zach’s approach was reasonable and well thought out.

Listening to this book and taking part in the discussion has given me the opportunity to reflect on my own personal journey to an understanding of the problems encountered by the LGBT community members in everyday life. I have come from a total unawareness that problems existed to a gradual awareness that there are people with such problems to becoming an advocate for LGBT equality.  Zach’s story has awakened me to an even greater awareness of my need to explore ways I can support LGBT equality. 

 

 

 

Celebrating Independence Day at Kendal

Sometimes everything falls nicely into place.  The stars are in conjunction. All is right with the world. "Serendipity"  – that's what it is: a serendipitous moment.

And that's the right term for the Independence Day celebrations at Kendal in 2014!

We actually started our celebrations a few days early. On the evening of Tuesday evening, July 1, a wonderful local choral group, the Vintage Voices, came to Kendal to present their annual July 4th concert. As the name suggests, the members of the chorus are senior citizens. But their voices were full and exuberant, and their program richly satisfying. The theme of the concert was patriotism, and the hallmarks of American society the singers chose to foreground were service to country and equality. The great American patriotic songs were performed – "America, the Beautiful," "God Bless America," and "The National Anthem" – and the audience was encouraged to join in on all of them. Each of the military branches was honored with the presentation of flags, borne in each case by residents who had served in the branch being recognized. Nor were the vital contributions of the myriad of persons who had not been members of the armed forces forgotten, as one choral number specifically celebrated these actions. The evening began solemnly with the posthumous conferring upon a former resident of an award for long and distinguished service to veterans. The concert was both a moment for serious reflection and an occasion for proud celebration.

On the evening of July 3rd the Granville community fireworks show lit up the clear skies over Kendal. Settled back in lawn chairs, residents could watch the colorful pyrotechnic displays while savoring the inevitable booms, bursts, and jolts that accompany them. For what would an Independence Day celebration be without some body-shaking blasts?

On the morning of the Fourth itself a contingent of about twenty residents gathered with two convertibles – our float! – to represent Kendal in the annual Independence Day parade down the main street in Granville. Some rode, some walked. The weather was spectacular, with temperatures in the mid-70s, low humidity, and a light breeze. The various floats represented many of the kinds of organizations that vitalize American communities: schools (public and private), musical groups, service organizations of all sorts and all ages, local businesses, and governmental offices. Children were everywhere. And so were people in colorful and often perplexing costumes. Many, including the Kendal gang, waved small American flags. The parade route was lined with spectators of all ages, ranks deep, often comfortably ensconced in lawn chairs while cheering, smiling, and waving. Some of these spectators were Kendal residents who preferred to watch and clap rather than walk in this spectacular setting. All in all, it was an occasion fit for Norman Rockwell.

Here, courtesy of Emily Conlon, are some photos of Kendal parade participants.

                      The Kendal Parade Gang

                   Dr. John Weigand, and Tom and Myra Gallant 
      

                                                         Dave Skeen

                              Becky Skeen

In the early afternoon the residents celebrated the Fourth with one of the spectacular mid-day meals that mark the big summer holidays at Kendal. To continue the Rockwell image, ask yourself this question. What could be more emblematically American than a special meal built around grilled hotdogs and hamburgers; brats and ribs; cole slaw, baked beans, deviled eggs, and corn on the cob; and an array of pies, cakes, and puddings?

It's true that many residents then spent the afternoon viewing the exciting World Cup matches. But that choice merely affirms that the spirit of America – as much on this 237th commemoration of the country's founding as on the grand day itself in 1776 – remains open to new and ever-broader visions.

We had a spectacular Fourth of July at Kendal. 

The Gallery Committee at Kendal at Granville

This blog begins where my last blog left off with the promise to continue the story of the Gallery Committee.  The mission of this committee was and remains to assume the responsibility for managing the Art b Gallery as Jane Heller had been doings since it opened in 2005.

One of the first tasks taken on by the committee was to obtain a museum quality hanging system to replace the hammer and nails being used.  This would free the maintenance department from continually having to repair the nail holes and repaint the walls.  The committee also was able to get the Woodworking Committee members to make a locked display cabinet with adjustable glass shelves to accommodate three dimensional art objects.  Considering the work involved in maintaining exhibits in two areas the committee decided to extend the time span for each exhibit to two months with alternating opening dates

Planning meetings are held once a month.  In between meetings members are engaged in a variety of tasks such as contacting artists, getting agreements with artists signed, putting up and taking down displays, arranging for and hosting receptions for show openings, sending thank you notes, etc.  Beyond a doubt this is one of our most active groups.

Since its inception the committee has hung twenty-nine gallery shows and set up twenty-seven cabinet displays.  All of this has been possible because of the number of artists and art enthusiasts who live here.  Four of the gallery shows consisted entirely of the works of Kendal artists.  When the subject matter of one of these shows was flowers the committee used the opening reception to not only recognize the artists but three individuals who created flower art in their own special way. One was a resident who has become known as the “flower lady” because she gives so many of us miniature bouquets of fresh flowers on birthdays and anniversaries.  The other two were a couple who created and maintained a lovely  “oval garden” where any one of us could pick flowers.

A call for art posters brought considerably diverse responses from twelve persons. There were posters from Alaska to Florida, from Delaware to California, with some from here in Ohio including one from Granville.  Some came from well known art museums while others came from lesser known venues.  Each reflected a bit about their owners. 

The response of residents and staff to a similar call for photographs demonstrated that we have some skilled photographers in our community.  One of blue birds by a staff member brought several requests for copies.  At the present time we are planning an informal presentation of photographs mounted simply on foam board. .

Believing that young artists should be encouraged we have had nine gallery shows featuring the work of students from nine area schools ranging from kindergarten to post-secondary levels of education.

 

Currently we have a display of Heisey glass in our display cabinet made up of items on loan from twelve residents. In July and August it will be replaced by a show of half boat models with sea shells. That will be followed by what we have come to call our “Olio Shows,” i.e.  Small groups of items from more than one artist.

Our current gallery exhibit is made up of pieces of art from the personal collections of fifteen residents.  Plans underway for future gallery shows include photographs, mandalas, student art, and fiber arts.  There is no quiet time for the members of this committee as they work to assure our community of a new show each month.

I personally find working with this committee fulfilling and challenging.  It helps to give purpose to my life.  Along the way I find that I discover kindred spirits among my fellow residents.  I believe that this is one of the reasons that we enjoy visiting and revisiting art galleries and art museums. Another benefit for me and our Kendal community is that the nature of the work of the committee keeps us focused on the future.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

ART at Kendal at Granville

If you are reading this on your computer, you no doubt have some familiarity with the vagaries of computes such as crashes and frozen screens. When I discovered that the subject of Reed Browning’s most recent blog was the same as mine, I felt as though my computer had frozen and then crashed.  After reading what he wrote I have decided to post my blog with this preface.  I believe that Reed’s comments serve to back up the premise that led to my decision to write about art.  I also believe that my blog focuses on how we arrived at the events about which he has written.

Because of the extent to which ART permeates our lives here at Kendal at Granville I often think  the word should be printed in capital letters followed by exclamation points.  It all began with Jane Heller, an artist who was one of the four persons vitally involved in bringing Kendal at Granville into being.  Ever since then she has given us most generously the benefits of her talents as an artist.  It continued when the building that emerged from those dreams included an Art Studio and an Art Gallery. Then it happened as in the film, Dream Field, “If you build it, they will come.”  Artists and art enthusiasts began to come and they are still coming.

Thus far eighty-five of them have come.  This includes fifty-seven artists who create art and forty-six art enthusiasts who share items from their personal art collections   The fact that some may be counted as both artists and art enthusiasts accounts for the apparent discrepancy as to the total number who have come.

 Our artists include sixteen painters, thirty-one fiber artists, and eleven photographers. Thirty-four persons have provided items for our display cabinet and eighteen have made items available for the art gallery.   This count doesn't include all of our residents who come to our art opening receptions nor the people who create small artistic vignettes on the shelves just outside the doors to their apartments or hang art on the wall outside their apartments. 

In addition to those who came as artists two persons have developed their latent abilities to paint by taking advantage of the Art Studio and the willingness of a resident artist to teach. A painting activity in assisted living uncovered the hidden ability of another resident. Currently one of our residents, in her 90’s, is learning to draw portraits.  So not only do they come as artists but they become artists after they arrive.
Hedda von Goeben, one of our most ardent artists and art enthusiasts has enrolled regularly in art classes at Denison University with the goal of working as a ceramist.  Once she finished the course, Denison gave her the opportunity to teach ceramics to fellow residents. Eight residents have been enthusiastic participants in her classes and have demonstrated their artistic bent by producing a variety of ceramic objects which have been shown in our display cabinet.

 For the first four years Jane Heller was the curator for the Art Gallery arranging for a new art show every month featuring area artists..  With the passage of time it became evident that there was a need for others to help with the work of maintaining the gallery.  Thus in 2009 the Gallery Committee came into being.   More in my next blog about the work of this committee

Our Continuing Encounters with Art

Two grand visual arts events have come to fruition at Kendal this spring. And thus, even as we have already been celebrating the arrival of several artists into our community and our consequent emergence as a Licking County art colony, we have also become the venue for some engaging encounters with the works of exciting artists, both present and past.

First, we'll consider the contemporary artists. Throughout April and May the resident-run gallery committee has arranged for an exhibition of the creations of four Columbus-based artists to be on display. All four artists are associated with the Goodwill Art Studio and Gallery. In aggregate, these works take the viewer through a variety of alternative worlds, envisioned through a variety of media. (At this point I must say: caveat lector. I am not an artist and can only be grateful that some people are gifted enough to be able to accomplish what these folks do. Also, I know of no vocabulary that allows one to convey the complex set of responses that a person – in this case, me – feels when one's sensibilities are touched by visual or aural art. But still, humankind can't help but talk about art's impact, and so, here we go!)

Deborah Griffing exhibits both dolls and paintings. I found that her dolls could somehow (and simultaneously) invite cuddling and portend danger, and that her paintings, with their animal forms and floating shapes, could nudge my psychic equilibrium a bit off center.  Kate Gorman's contributions are a group of wall quilts that rock with color and achieve their effects through abstract forms and a readiness to violate apparent borders. Kristen Spickard displays a set of haunting miniatures that began their artifactual lives as photographs and have been transformed into evocative silver-gelatin prints. Cody Miller, whose paintings feature marvelous eyes, manages to impress me as the most internal of the artists, inviting the viewer's speculation about the thoughts that lie in the mind of the elusive figure on the canvas.

Second, we have launched our six-part program entitled "Adventures in Art at Kendal." This is a series of hour-long interactive encounters with docents and paintings at the Cleveland Museum of Art and has been organized in part with a grant from the Granville Arts Commission. The advance interest in this program in art history was so great that Kendal was obliged to establish queues among both residents and prospective residents in an effort to be fair in accommodating the hopes of members of both groups.

The first session, held on April 30, focused on Impressionism, and since I was not lucky enough to make the cut for attending this session, I can only report on it second-hand. It turned out to be a learning experience, in both implications of that term. To begin with the awkward news: not everything went quite as smoothly on this maiden voyage as we might have wished. But we had expected glitches (that's what maiden voyages are for), and they are being addressed. And in any case – now comes the happy news – they did not affect the central features of the program: the opportunity to view Museum masterpieces, and the chance to engage a museum expert in conversations about them. After the session the attendees proceeded with their own discussion of impressionism and then enjoyed a fine Kendal meal at which – what else? – impressionism was still discussed. The buzz at these post-session events was very positive.

The email feedback which has been received has also been quite positive, and new requests to get into the queue have appeared. Meanwhile, in response to suggestions from several participants, we are now exploring the possibility of organizing a bus trip or two to the Cleveland Museum of Art later this year.

All of this is good news for the art-conscious community at Kendal.

Shrove Tuesday/Mardi Gras

Written from the Perspective of a Member of the

Diversity and Inclusion Committee

In my last blog entitled “February Lifesavers” I wrote about two events which warmed our hearts  during the unrelenting cold and snow which plagued us throughout that month.  The first week in March we saw more of the same.  Fortunately for us the two groups that helped to brighten our spirits in February had planned an event for Shrove Tuesday (March fourth) which would once again warm us up on the inside while the cold winds blew outside. 

Members of the Diversity and Inclusion Committee began their explorations of ways to observe the day by clarifying the meaning of unfamiliar terms beginning with the word Shrove. They learned it means confess and is applied to the Tuesday before Ash Wednesday which begins the season of penitence and fasting known as Lent. The French term Mardi Gras which means “Fat Tuesday” derives from the custom of eating rich fatty foods on the day before Ash Wednesday as a way to rid the pantry of lard, sugar, fat, and butter before the Lenten practice of fasting observed by many Christian denominations. 

Committee members also learned that another name for Shrove Tuesday is Pancake Tuesday because in many different parts of the world pancakes are one of the foods frequently served as one way to use up rich foods on hand.  In addition they found that in Pennsylvania Dutch and many German areas fastnachts, fried doughnuts, are quite popular on this day.  The name comes from two Gernman words: “faster” which means “to fast” and “nacht” which means “night” indicating the eve of the traditional Lenten fast. The German version is made from yeast dough, deep fried, and coated or dusted in powdered sugar or cinnamon sugar; they may be plain or filled with fruit jam. Pennsylvania Dutch fasnachts can often be potato doughnuts, and may be uncoated, dusted with table sugar, or powdered with confectioner's sugar.   It quickly became apparent that the help of our dining staff would be essential to carry out a meaningful observance of Shrove Tuesday/Mardi Gras.

 Thus it was that the Diversity and Inclusion Committee and our outstanding dining staff came together to provide us with a taste of Shrove Tuesday and Mardi Gras traditions by offering us free pancakes and fastnachts at lunch on Shrove Tuesday.  As we entered the Heller Dining Room that day we found it decorated with colorful beads, masks, and glitter which created a festive atmosphere reflecting the carnival nature of Mardi Gras.   Research on the background of this aspect of Mardi Gras revealed that it goes back hundreds and hundreds of years when followers of the Catholic religion in Italy started the tradition of holding a wild costume festival right before the first day of Lent.  Because Catholics are not supposed to eat meat during Lent, they called their festival, carnevale, which means “to put away the meat.”  Over time the practice of carnivals spread throughout the world.

In the Bistro Jim, our Executive Chef, along with members off his staff were kept busy at  the grill making pancakes.  Everyone who had a pancake or two or three proclaimed them to be light, fluffy, and delicious.  In a word: perfect.  Fastnachts and crullers were available on the counter next to the grill. 

 

A pancake flipping contest in the Heller Dining Room proved to be a fun time for both spectators and participants.  A supply of skillets and cooked pancakes gave residents and staff members a chance to demonstrate their skill or lack thereof.  The objective of the contest was to see how many times a contestant could flip a pancake in thirty seconds.  The picture below shows the three top “flippers.”  Seen on the far right is Joan, one of our newest residents, who flipped her pancake 40 times.  On her left are two staff members, Stella and David, who tied for second place by flipping their pancakes 36 times.  The spectators joined the fun by cheering and poking good natured fun according to the degree of skill  or ineptitude displayed by the contestants.