Beacon Bits -- Diversity of Women

On the eve of the annually-celebrated International Women's Day (March 8th), I wanted to take the opportunity to celebrate the Women Artists of Beacon, a show which opened on March 1st at the Howland Cultural Center and will run through March 30th.

The show is a tribute to National Women's History Month, but by virtue of the women artists represented and the content of their art, it is international in scope. One only needs to look at the roster of artists (Carol Barnstead, Stephanie Fogarty, Anne Forman, Mary Ann Glass, Charlotte Guernsey, Meredith Heuer, Gwenno James, Insun Kim, Helen Lang, Maria Largo, Jill Losee, Basha Maryanska, Michelle May, Charlene Moore, Susanne Moss, Janet Ruhe-Schoen, Tinya Seeger, Robyn Tauss, Susan Richter Todd, Kate Vikstrom, and Jane Warner) to know that among others, Wales, Spain, Norway and Korea are in 'the house'.

It's the Olympics of watercolorists, photographers, painters, print makers, collagists, and sculptors with a range of landscapes, portraits, still lives and abstract expressions. Other than joining women on the Walkway Over the Hudson on 3/8/14 or attending the Women of Beacon Awards at the Howland on 3/28, going to this show on Second Saturday or during gallery hours throughout the month, is a good way to stand in awe of the diversity of women's way of seeing, the complexity of women's way of knowing, the accomplishment of women's way of doing and most of all, the individuality of women's way of creating. Go celebrate the women of Beacon who are bold, courageous, inventive, insightful, visionary, daring, reflective, interesting, curious, colorful,

 

Food for thought: Since the inception of Women's History Month, there have been a myriad number of ways to celebrate the unique perspective that women bring to the world. This art show reflects our community of women who have invested in the revitalization of Beacon, as co-creators of the Main Street scene in its galleries, shops, restaurants and businesses. Take a look around, the presence and presents of women in Beacon are visible throughout all the months of the year, not just during the month of March. Now that's a celebration!

Beacon Bits -- Winter Blues ?

Have you felt like this winter has been insurmountable ...........................................................

 

................................ or have you felt blocked and damned up by the endless snow and ice?

 

Hopefully you've been watching the 2014 Olympics in Sochi to inspire you to believe in the power of overcoming the inimitable characteristics of the cold season of the year. if so, you've witnessed seventeen days of overcoming the challenges to ski, skate, twirl, rotate, speed, jump, slide, and glide over snow and ice.

 

But as for local action, it's time to review the options for what can lift the spirits since winter may last another 6 weeks!

 

Here's my top 10 list of activities to engage in to feel rejuvenated before the sap starts to run in the Hudson Valley once again.

 

10. Stop by Clay Wood & Cotton and purchase some novelty yarn; it's never to late to learn to knit or crochet. And if you do, you'll have lots of warm scarves and hats to accessorize for long winters such as this one!

 

9. Stop by Main Street Music and purchase a ukulele, mandolin or banjo and start to take lessons. Your brain will thank you for challenging the neural pathways; learning how to play an instrument is a great way to integrate cortical functioning.

 

8. Visit one of the local bakeries (Ella's Bellas, Cake Bin, All You Knead, or the new Beacon Bread Company or Get Frosted); indulge in carbohydrates which are good for serotonin receptors -- a natural anti-depressant.

 

7. Start moving -- take a ballroom dancing class at Yanarella's School of Dance starting Sunday March 9 -- you'll be ready for the stars!

 

6. Get into some great music at the Towne Crier Café.  After attending the Nuala Kennedy concert on February 9th, I'm looking forward to Lunasa - another Irish import!

 

5. Bring some friends to Eat-Paint-Love and make a personal art happening. This is definitely 'art for the rest of us' - those who are not naturally artistic and talented but who want to re-visit the days of finger-painting and training the brain to create what it sees.

 

4. Stop by Artisan Wine Shop on a Friday or Saturday evening to learn about some new wine selections for your cellar as you partake of food and wine pairings from Tim and Mei.

 

3.  Anticipate the spring by signing up for a local CSA -- Obercreek Farm and Common Ground Farm are starting to gear up for shares of vegetables that start in the spring and carry you through into autumn.

 

2. Support a local fundraiser -- Beacon Sloop Club is having an event on Thursday February 27th at the Towne Crier Café for the renovation of the people's sloop -- the Woody Guthrie. And BeaconArts is honoring Linda Hubbard at the Dia Beacon on Thursday February 27th for her participation in the emergence of the art scene in Beacon.

1. Catch the end of season winter sale at Mountain Tops Outfitters. In addition to extending your play in the snow this year, you'll be prepared for the first snow days of winter 2015!

 

While hoping that the stirrings of Zora Dora is a sign that spring is really coming, immerse yourself in the remaining days of these authentic winter days. Enjoy the transformation of nature - the outline of the trees and mountains with the sharp contrast of dark and light; the subtle presence of our natural treasures; the stillness of time and the beauty of being in this moment of time.

 

Snow padded tree limbs

Mountain gazes over ice

Flying eagle soars.

 

 

 

Food for thought:  The days are lengthening and the light is returning. It won't be long before Daylight Savings Time returns on March 9th (remember, it's spring ahead). Be aware that the loss of an hour's sleep has its cost, and that there are more accidents on the road the Monday after the clocks are changed. Early birds suffer the most with the time change. If you find yourself sleep deprived, try to adjust to the change with incremental shifts in the hour of sleep and wakening prior to the time change. Learn more about circadian rhythms and the impact of sleep on overall health. But in the meantime, use that full hour each day to venture out and enjoy the remaining days of the winter of 2014.

Beacon Bits -- New Beginnings

February 1st is the first day of spring (Imbolc) in the Celtic calendar, so it seems fitting to notice what is happening with the ongoing harbinger of Main Street renewal and expansion of businesses suitable for community life, such as--

 

o  those who are keeping resolutions to exercise and keep fit as seen through the windows of Crossfit Locomotive while anticipating the stirrings of a new venue, Oak Vino,  open in time for a Valentine's date;

Far cry from the 'virtual community' that once existed between the Yankee Clipper and Beacon Post Office

 

o  the expanded and pristine location of Roosevelt Vet on the Hudson where Dr. McArdle and her warm and friendly team are ready for whatever furry friends come their way;

Roosevelt Vet (left) with room for More Good (right) next to Towne Crier Cafe

 

o  the presence of David and Jacob Bernz at Main Street Music, where stringed instruments and lessons are ready for the plucking;

Main Street Music, located in an historic building known for its manufacture of horse-drawn carriages

 

o  the relocation to a new home (its third in Beacon) for People's Bicycle with a much deserved street presence and improved visibility for Beaconites who follow the sharrows;

People's Bicycle -- Coming Soon to a new location across from the Beacon Theatre

 

o  the sneak peak at an exciting mystery market (across from Max's on Main) for serious foodies;

 

 

 

o and the recent opening of Beacon Bread Company, a bakery and bistro that will make early birds ecstatic when they show up at 7am for freshly baked bread (every day but Tuesday), or an early breakfast plate, or a varied lunch menu for those who sleep in or take-out later in the day. Bread varieties include challah, brioche, baguette, oatmeal raisin walnut, caraway rye, Pain Aux Cereales. Heavenly!

No it's not Paris -- but the continental bakery had a recent visit from People's Bicycle for Sunday breakfast!

 

 

As you begin to explore the various venues, it will be a good time to 'make new friends, but keep the old' as Diane Keaton sang at the Golden Globes, welcoming the newcomers to Main Street as they rub shoulders with their neighbors who seem to have staying power. It's good to note that the newbies don't seem to need the fanfare of triangular flags draped in their windows to draw people inside. They know that if you build it for the community and by the community, Beacon will come flocking and knocking at their doors.

 

Food for thought:  February is a time of transition, albeit betwixt and between the darker days of winter and the early days of spring. It's a good time to remind oneself that you can't really have a new beginning without some ritualistic ending or closure followed by a period of movement towards something new. I was reminded of this when I met a new friend recently diagnosed with diabetes. Old habits die hard.  It's extremely challenging to learn new ways of eating. No sweetened iced tea. Breakfast first thing in the AM. Regular mealtimes. It's just as challenging as picking up a banjo for the first time, or using the unfamiliar equipment at a Gymboree for adults! We all need maps and landmarks to guide us towards the new habits that await us. Sometimes we even welcome the presence of an empathic guide who occasionally lapses into drill sergeant mode or whatever it takes to create a new lifestyle. It's worth it. Or at least it's a healthy response to Mary Oliver's poem in which she queries, 'what is it you plan to do with your one wild and precious life?'

 

A Picture-is-Worth-a-Thousand Words Recipe

for a Low Glycemic Vegetable Soup to Start the New Year

(with garlic, onion, celery, yellow/orange/red peppers, zucchini, kale, fennel, sweet potato, string beans, chicken stock, red beans, stewed tomatoes, parsley, oregano, basil, salt, pepper)

 

 

For the non-diabetic -- serve with a simple and delicious whole grain bread from Beacon Bread Company.

 



Beacon Bits -- 'Good Night, Pete'

 

Knowing that Pete Seeger was my 'neighbor,' voted at the same polling place, and that I would casually see him around town, leading us in singing at the Howland Cultural Center or at the Beacon Sloop Club, was one of the highlights for me when I moved to Beacon three years ago.  When I realized that I would see him up close and personal in the different venues, I was reluctant to bring my camera along to take a 'good' photo of him, but finally became bold enough to use the iPhone to capture a moment or two for a personal and candid image that I could personally treasure.



 

I worried after his beloved Toshi died this year, knowing that the stress of losing a life partner of seventy years would take a toll on his emotional and physical well-being. I imagined him living until he reached 100 but hoped that he would be with us to celebrate his 95th birthday in May at the first Friday potluck at the Beacon Sloop Club. I sensed something was changing when he was absent from the holiday sing along  at the Howland event in December and when he was not present to lead the Martin Luther King celebration at the Springfield Baptist Church last week because he 'wasn't feeling well.' I knew the day would come that news of his passing would be the lead story in the Poughkeepsie Journal News and his obituary would be aired on the morning TV shows. I am grateful to have known him as a folk hero, a passionate human being, an authentic soul and a role model for all of us who love the Hudson River and care about the environment, social justice and human rights. I will always be uplifted when I play the CDs that were produced locally in the last few years with the Rivertown Kids, Jeff Haynes, and friends. I will be comforted when I remember the lyrics of 'turn, turn, turn', 'we shall overcome' and 'goodnight Irene'. I will find peace knowing his time with us has passed because he will continue to inspire us to live his legacy in the songs that we sing in his memory. For now Pete -- "I'll see you in my dreams."

In Memoriam
Pete Seeger
1919-2014

Food for thought: While driving to work after the news of Pete's passing, I found myself listening (while crying and singing along with) the 2012 CD, Pete Seeger & Lorre Wyatt: A More Perfect Union, just one of several important projects Pete completed in the last couple of years; I heard the lyrics of the last four songs with a truly open heart. In his prescience, and with his ever-abiding grace and humility, Pete was saying goodbye to us long before we were ever ready to say goodbye to him. He traveled towards his death in peace, the same peace that he strove for throughout his life.

 

from "Wonderful Friends"

That old clock upon the wall

Says soon, I got to be leaving

And though we go our separate ways

There's no need for grieving....

-- so let's sing it again --

When I think of the ways that I've grown

I know I couldn't have made it alone

I owe a lot to the sharing, caring, daring

Wonderful friends that I know.

 

from "A Toast to the Times"

And here's a toast, to the times, that have been here and gone

Every where I go, those echoes ring

And here's a toast, to all the songs we sang--

And to all the songs we've yet to sing.

 

from "Fields of Harmony"

Over fields of harmony......I have flown

Through the fire and the flood.....I have come

From the whirlwind came the words......for my songs

All our years become a tale.....that is told

When my days have been consumed.....like smoke

I will lay me down to sleep......in peace

Over fields of harmony.....I will fly

 

from "Bountiful River"

Deep love, like a bountiful river

Fills the soul, renews the heart

My love is always and ever--

We will never part.....

Oh bountiful river.....we will never part

Weaving our lives with these waters....we will never part

Singing - we're in this together....we will never part

An eagle circling in heaven, fills the soul, renews the heart

The eagle and river repeating

We will never part

Life giver, this bountiful river, fills the soul, renews the heart

Our spirits are mingled forever

We will never part.

Beacon Bits -- Re-Imagining

We are always remembering what we no longer have or do. I am sure that is how the small group of dedicated volunteers who started the Mount Beacon Incline Railway Restoration Society (MBIRRS) felt when they looked at the mountain and no longer saw the railway, but could still remember the ride up to the top. Mike Colarusso, the current president of the MBIRRS, and all of the individuals who ever worked on the project (including former Beacon mayors Clara Gould and Steve Gold--among others) and those who are still working and moving forward together on the capital campaign (including Frank Skartados, Jeff McHugh, Mayor Randy Casale--among others) had a strong memory of the past or an acute imagination or vision for the future. The MBIRRS website tells the history and the narrative story leading up to the present state of affairs with accuracy and details far better than I can.

But I can tell you that after attending the Annual Gala for MBIRRS at Dutchess Manor on 12/19/13, the word is official that the support to move ahead on rebuilding the railway is stronger than ever. The most recent initiative is to have the mountain itself become part of Hudson Highlands State Park, which will occur sometime in the spring, while the acreage at the foot of the mountain (e.g., the area surrounding the parking lot and back towards the remnants of the railway) will remain part of Scenic Hudson. It certainly makes sense from a logistical standpoint to gain further support from New York State. After all, it is Mount Beacon that is in our state flag, as you will learn when you view the MBIRRS video entitled "Excelsior."
 

So if you haven't become a member of the society as of yet, now is the time to support MBIRRS. You can even order items online from their gift shop, like the cap with their logo. If you already have one, get one for a friend as a gift. It is a true vision to get everyone to the mountaintop - those who can still climb and those who may require a ride with ADA accommodations. We all need to get on board.

Food for thought:  This idea that one can use memory to remember the past (retrospective memory) or imagine the future (a form of prospective memory) caught my attention this Christmas season. I said to a friend the other day during a moment of reflection, "Remember, we are always making memories." I realized that this is a good reminder for those who have  either bad memories or good memories about past holidays. Grounded only in the present moment, we can recreate new and better memories that we can take with us into the future or we can recapitulate the memories that we hold dear, but cannot have in the same way because we have lost the people or the places that were their context. The choice of our memories going forward is in our hands from each moment to moment. What a gift!

 

In Search of New Memories

Four Side Dishes for a Boneless Center Cut Pork Roast Holiday Dinner

(Inspired by my company--Danish friend,Jens Bille and his wife Bettyann, from Gallery  508)

Braised Sweet and Sour Red Cabbage
1 head red cabbage, canola oil, caraway seeds, organic balsamic vinegar, brown sugar, salt & pepper

 

Mashed Butternut Squash
Cooked butternut squash, butter, maple syrup, touch of cream, ginger, cloves, cinnamon, nutmeg, vanilla extract
After mashing all ingredients, place mixture in bowl and bake in oven to serve.

Holiday Stuffing-All the Ingredients
1 1b. loaf whole wheat bread, cubed; sautéed celery and shallots in 2 tbs .butter; poultry seasoning, parsley,
salt & pepper, 2 cups chicken stock, 1 beaten egg, 2 handful chopped walnuts, 12 diced, pitted prunes

Holiday Stuffing - Ready to Bake
Mix all ingredients until blended/wet to bake in oven in covered dish.

Vegetable Mélange for Roasting
1 fennel bulb, 8 small yams, 5 cored and peeled apples--all sliced lengthwise; canola oil,
juice and zest from 1/2 navel orange, tarragon, allspice, salt & white pepper 
Mix well to coat vegetables and bake in oven until tender.

Please note: The pork roast was not shown in deference to my vegetarian and vegan friends. Most of the side dishes shown can be adapted to be vegan. With the exception of the holiday stuffing, the recipes are gluten free; substituting gluten-free bread is possible.

Beacon Bits -- In Remembrance

This blog post is all food for thought. It has been a week where it has been difficult not to be thoughtful, reflective and emotional.

 

It has been a week since the tragic Metro North Hudson Line train accident that occurred on Sunday December 1st. That is our train. The one that runs beside our river, as steadfast as the tugs and barges that go north, only to return south. That was our train with our people. The people who commute to work on a daily basis, the people who rely on the convenience of the ride to Grand Central to take in a museum or play in NYC, the people who come up to our town to visit the Dia Museum, attend gallery openings, hike Mount Beacon and Breakneck Ridge and to check out the revival on Main Street.

 

It was hard not to want to read every article in the New York Times and the Poughkeepsie Journal News about the train derailment. It was difficult not to want to hear the updates on the radio driving to work and reports on the morning and nightly news. It was heart wrenching to know that the majority of the people on the train were residents of the Hudson Valley and that two of the deceased were living within a neighborly distance from Beacon and that a close by neighbor who was a dentist traveling to the convention got on the train in Beacon and was critically injured.

 

It was difficult to wait for the news. The news that confirmed it was not a mechanical failure. The news that the train was speeding far above the speed limit. The news that reported there was no texting and no alcohol. The news that leaked that the engineer may have dozed off during that last non-stop run from Tarrytown towards 125th Street via the fateful curve at Spuyten Duyvil. 

 

Blame will not return any of the lost life, nor reverse the critical and life-changing injuries, both physical and psychological,  for all the passengers who boarded that train without a glimmer of knowledge that this train would not reach its destination. That  early Sunday morning train that lulled many passengers to sleep. The train that traveled south with the sun rising in the east over the river on a clear but cold winter morning.

 

I cried when listening to the personal narratives of those who could still speak about their experience of being slammed against the sides of the train car as the cars left the track. I cried when I thought of the engineer, William Rockefeller, also a local Dutchess county resident, that was spoken highly of by neighbors and friends and union representatives; the one who will forever hold the grief, the guilt, and the responsibility for the role that he played in the derailment. I cried when I realized that observers were looking to vilify the engineer without understanding the nuances of circadian rhythms and sleep disorders for night shift workers and how these factors play roles in countless numbers of mass transportation and industrial accidents when workers suffer from chronic sleep deprivation and live out of sync with the natural circadian rhythms that are biased toward daytime work.

 

I was struck that two of the deceased, Donna Smith, 54, of Newburgh NY and Jim Lovell, 58, of Cold Spring NY were en route to engage in activities related to the festivities leading up to Christmas: the lighting of the Rockefeller Center tree and the singing of Handel's Messiah.  But I was mostly touched by the examples of their lives. They both were involved with family, with community, with activities and work that they were passionate about. Both of them were loving, caring and generous individuals who reached out to others, who practiced countless acts of kindness and who were living the Golden Rule . They were stellar role models for all of us, who like them, do not know when our life will come to an end. It seemed that Donna and Jim were not taking any time for granted; they practiced living the best life day to day. Some would call that spiritual wisdom. I call it a gift for those of us who did not know them, but by their example can dig a little deeper and try a little harder and live to our full potential just the way that they did. With gratitude for their lives, I ask for them to rest in eternal peace.

Storm King Mountain along the Metro North Hudson Line

 

Links for those who might want to make a holiday gift as a donation in memory of Jim Lovell (for the care of his family) and Donna Smith (for Habitat for Humanity in Newburgh.)

 

Links for those who want to learn more about circadian rhythms and sleep disorders and the role of the National Transportation Safety Board.
http://www.ntsb.gov/doclib/speeches/rosekind/Rosekind_05162013.pdf

http://safetycompass.wordpress.com/category/fatigue/
www.ntsb.gov

The latter are links passed along by a member of the National Transportation Safety Board, who responded to an email I sent to a researcher at Rush University with a specific and direct request for her to write an Op-Ed for the New York Times to better inform the public about the science of sleep and circadian rhythms.

 

Sleep induced accidents can happen to all of us. Not a day goes by that I personally am not touched when I pass a certain spot on Route 9D in Garrison where I had a close call with a momentary 'nodding off' this past summer. There but for grace, go I....or you.....
Pause and reflect and take the time to learn about avoiding sleep deprivation that can cause accidents in your life.

 

Beacon Bits -- Behind the Scenes

Yanarella School of Dance had its 55th Annual Recital on Friday 11/22/13 and Saturday 11/23/13 at the Pete and Toshi Seeger Auditorium in Beacon High School. This terpsichorean celebration signifies the success of the Main Street dance studio over many years prior to Beacon's resurgence in the last ten years post-Dia Beacon. One has to wonder how many hours of practices go into a stage ready performance, how many costume changes, how many hours of parents driving and waiting for their children to finish classes, and how many hours perfecting choreography that it takes over the course of one year -- let alone realizing that this has been going on year after year -- across generations of Beaconites who persevered through the tough times on Main Street to see that the legacy of dance can still light up even the darkest night.

Getting ready!

 

 

Time to get moving!

 

"Oops!
 

Getting ready for Polar Express

"It's almost time to go on stage again!"

"I think we are ready to go."

 

Perfect Pointe!

 

Beauty in motion

Bravo!

 

It's never too late!

Encore! Time to take a bow........

  

Food for Thought: Alvin Ailey said, "Dance is for everybody. I believe that the dance came from the people and it should always be delivered back to the people." I say there are no excuses anymore. It doesn't matter what size you are, or how old or how tall you are or whether your feet are perfect. It just matters that you have the need to express your feelings in movement and that you have the desire to be challenged to do something new. Motor learning is an excellent way to create new neural pathways. Everyone knows that rhythm is inherently natural -- just watch a baby respond to music -- and it is known that dance has social and communal implications -- just look at anthropological studies across diverse cultures. While dance may become the next hot topic in cognitive neuroscience, it may also be an immediate vehicle to connect with neighbors and friends in the spirit of community. So it's time for the new Beacon to join in the dance of the old Beacon! There is still time to register for the 2014 cycle of classes.

 

 

Thank you Angela for two years of beginner adult dance lessons!