NNY Living Nov/Dec 2011

re e i m e Pr ssue!

I

L I v I ng NN Y

NOV. / DEC. 2011

A north country holiday Traditions, family spell home in Northern New York

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/nnyliving @NNYLivingMag

Homes

FOOD

ARTS

HEALTH

Inside a Wellesley Island cottage

Preparing for the perfect party

Michael Ringer on his inspiration

Surviving the holidays guilt-free

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>> Inside NOV/DEC ’11

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36 | COVER |

| THIS IS NNY |

| FOOD |

| destinations |

| ARTS |

26 FINDING HIS MUSE Still a teacher at heart, artist Michael C. Ringer tells us what inspires his creations.

40 A TASTE OF OLD ITALY For Brenda Cavallario, Cavallario’s Cucina executive chef, nothing says Christmas like Panettone breads.

16 ASK A HEALTH PRO Is too much hand sanitizer a bad thing? We have some answers for you in health.

| FEATURES |

| MY NNY |

| WELLNESS |

36 A holiday mainstay ‘The Nutcracker’ enters its sixth season at Watertown’s state office building.

| WOMEN |

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30 CELEBRATING THE SEASON Holiday activities abound in the north country giving us all plenty of reasons for fun.

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20 AN ADIRONDACK GEM 36 hours in Lake Placid and you’ll fit right in with locals. | HEALTH |

17 GUILT-FREE HOLIDAYS ‘Top 10’ to-dos so you don’t pack on pounds this season.

24 FALL FOLIAGE ESSAY We sent our photo team on the hunt for spectacular fall colors in the north country.

35 A SEASON OF GIVING One firm works to brighten the holidays for many.

38 THE PERFECT PARTY Preparing for a holiday party?

Learn how to pull it off like a pro with these tasty delights.

44 YOUR BEST SHOT One Lewis County resident captures fun with windmills.

46 CHASING THE DREAM It’s never too late to check off a few bucket-list items.

Chamber Recognizes Its Dedicated Members With A Surprise Visit Watertown, NY - On October 27, the Greater Watertown - North Country Chamber of Commerce surprised its longtime members with a surprise limo visit, balloons, flowers and a framed certificate. The members selected for the visit have been a dedicated part of the chamber ranging from 25-60 years. The chamber staff and ambassadors visited the selected members throughout the day honoring their dedication to the business community and their support of the GWNC Chamber of Commerce. These members include: 35 years 60 years D.L. Calarco Funeral Home Inc. Meade Optical, Inc. 135 Keyes Avenue 1000 Washington St. 55 years Excellus Blue Cross Blue Shield 215 Washington St. 50 years Key Bank, N.A. 200 Washington St. 50 years Best Western of Watertown 300 Washington St. 40 years McDonalds/Lettuce Feed You 120 Washington St. 35 years Watertown Animal Hospital LLP 1445 Washington St. 35 years Taylor Concrete Old Rome State Road 35 years Harleysville Insurance of NY 215 Washington St.

30 years Curtis Furniture Route 342 30 years Watertown Vending 16947 Ct. Rte., Dexter 25 years Knorr’s Grocery & Convenience Store Main St., Redwood 25 years Fort Pearl 557 Pearl St. 25 years Rustic Golf Club 16451 Ct. Rte. 59, Dexter 25 years Black River Valley Club 131 Washington St. 25 years Watertown Concrete 24471 St. Rt. 12 25 years Inkwell Graphix 135 Eastern Blvd.

For more information about the chamber membership, visit the Greater Watertown-North Country Chamber of Commerce at 1241 Coffeen Street, online at www.watertownny.com, call 315-788-4400 or e-mail membership@watertownnny.com

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The Chamber would also like to thank, Clarence Henry Coach, Sherwood Florist, and Party Rentals for providing the limo, flowers and balloons for the day’s event.

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C o n tr i b u t o r s Norah Machia is a veteran Watertown Daily Times reporter who lives in Watertown.

She writes about a north country giftgiving event that has blossomed through the years thanks to the Kathleen E. and Paul G. Carr Foundation. (p. 37)

Joleene DesRosiers is a freelance writer who lives in Pulaski.

She takes a behindthe-scenes look at the annual Nutcracker holiday production. In Women’s Wise, she writes about NNY’s inspirational women. (p. 35, 46)

Kyle R. Hayes is a Johnson Newspapers staffer and magazine editorial assistant. In our cover story, he writes about north country holiday traditions. In Arts, he visits with renowned artist Michael Ringer. (p. 30, 24)

Darcy Norfolk is an Adirondack resident and general manager for AdWorkshop in Lake Placid. She offers plenty to do in ‘36 Hours in Lake Placid’ for the casual traveler and families alike. (p. 20)

Katie Stokes is a freelance writer who lives in Hounsfield. In her debut column, ‘The NNY Life,’ she writes about how to find your niche in the north country. (p. 18)

Varick Chittenden is founding director of Traditional Arts in Upstate New York and a SUNY Canton professor emeritus. In ‘Modern Folklore’ he writes about how to tell if someone is from the north country. (p. 14)

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SALES & SERVICE

General Manager John B. Johnson

Executive Editor Bert Gault

Managing Editor Robert D. Gorman

Magazine Editor

Kenneth J. Eysaman

MARKETPLACE A New Attitude …....................................... 22 Agape Shoppe …......................................... 8 Allen’s Liquor and Wines ….......................... 8 Ameriprise Financial …….......................… 23 Arena Bar and Grill …................................ 22 Blue Seal Feeds …...................................... 37 Budget Blinds ….......................................... 41 Center for Sight .....................................….. 15 Clarence Henry Coach …......................... 43 Curtis Furniture …........................................ 41 Essenlohr Motors …..................................... 12 For Pete’s Sake Entertainment …............... 10 Gerald A. Nortz Inc. …................................ 34 Great Adirondack Steak & Seafood ........ 22 GWNC Chamber of Commerce ................ 5 Jefferson Bulk Milk Cheese Store ........….. 39 Lewis County General Hospital ...........….. 32 Lisa A. Sawdey …........................................ 15 Marguerite’s Cranberry Emporium …......... 8 Mary Kay Cosmetics ….............................. 19 Netto Fire Equipment …............................... 6

Publishers

John B. Johnson Jr. Harold B. Johnson II

NNY Community Foundation …................ 19 North Country Storage Barns ................….. 7 North Croghan Outpost …......................... 45 Northwestern Mutual …................................ 2 Ogdensburg Command Performances …......................................... 28 Painfull Acres Amish Furniture …............... 48 Quik Med Urgent Care ….......................... 13 Smith Housewares ….................................. 45 Spring Valley Gardens …........................... 33 SLC Chamber of Commerce …................ 29 SU Setnor School of Music …..................... 34 Sunshine Dental …...................................... 17 Syracuse Stage …....................................... 47 The Diane Rehm Show .............................. 29 The Silver Bench …..................................... 44 Thousand Islands Winery …....................... 45 Timeless Frames …...................................... 23 Truesdell’s Furniture ….................................. 9 Waterbury Fine Jewelers .......................... 47 WWTI-50 …..................................................... 3

RONALD NETTO RONNY NETTO, JR. rnettojr@centralny.twcbc.com

WELDING SUPPLY, LLC FIRE EXTINGUISHER RECHARGE & INSPECTION WELDING SUPPLIES • SAFETY EQUIPMENT INDUSTRIAL GASES 731 LeRay Street • Watertown, NY 13601 Phone: (315) 782-0242 • Fax: (315) 786-FIRE OPEN MONDAY - FRIDAY 8:00-5:00

Editorial Assistant Kyle R. Hayes

Advertising Director Karen Romeo

Advertising Specialists

Clarissa Collins, Katie Nelson, Connie Campany

Circulation Director Cindy Werner

Photography

Norm Johnston, Justin Sorensen, Jason Hunter, Melanie Kimbler-Lago, Amanda Morrison

Ad Graphics, Design

Rick Gaskin, Julia Keegan, Brian Mitchell, Heather O’Driscoll, Scott Smith, Todd Soules NNY Living, is published six times a year by Johnson Newspaper Corp., 260 Washington St., Watertown, NY 13601.

Copyright 2011, Johnson Newspaper Corp.

All material submitted to NNY Living becomes property of Johnson Newspaper Corp., publishers of the Watertown Daily Times, and will not be returned.

Subscription Rates Six issues are $10 a year for Watertown Daily Times and affiliate newspaper subscribers and $15 a year for non-subscribers.

Call 315-782-1000 for delivery.

Submissions Send all editorial correspondence to keysaman@wdt.net Advertising For advertising rates and information in Jefferson County, email ccollins@wdt.net In Lewis County, email ccampany@wdt.net In St. Lawrence County, e-mail knelson@ogd.com Printed with pride in U.S.A. at Vanguard Printing LLC, Ithaca, N.Y. Please recycle this magazine.

| HOMES |

| ON THE COVER |

42 SUCCESS IN SMALL SPACES Interior designer Peggy DeYoung takes us inside a project at one Wellesley Island home that just might be a guest house most guests will not want to leave. | COLUMNS |

8 EDITOR’S NOTE 14 MODERN FOLKLORE

18 THE NNY LIFE 46 WOMEN’S WISE

| DEPARTMENTS |

8 9 11 12 13 16 17

UPFRONT BEST BETS BOOKS & AUTHORS SOCIAL SCENE CALENDAR ASK A HEALTH PRO WELLNESS

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36 HOURS IN ...

THIS IS NNY ARTS FOOD CHEF’S TABLE HOMES MY NNY

Photographer Amanda Morrison staged a classic Thanksgiving dinner with the Lassally family from Fort Drum. Clockwise from top left, Gonzalo E. Lassally, wife, Amber J., daughter, Claire M. Greene, 10, son, Rowan W., 4, and daughter, Charlotte I., 7 months. Mr. Lassally is a first sergeant stationed at Fort Drum. Special thanks to Truesdell’s Furniture for providing the dining set.

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136 Court St., Watertown International Fair Trade & Local Crafts, Thrift & Job Shoppe

Shop with us for the Holidays!

Fine Jewelry, Exquisite Gifts, Home Decor, Art & Sculptures, Textiles, Gourmet Coffee & Tea, Imported Chocolate and more...

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*Bring this coupon and save a $1.00 on our special coffee of the month

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“Lewis County’s Premium Gift Shop”

For a Unique Shopping Experience Visit Marguerite’s for the Holidays

7614 N. State St. Lowville 376-4411

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EDITOR’S NOTE Army 1st Sgt. Gonzalo E. Lassally and his wife, Amber J., weren’t exactly looking for a house in Adams.

What happened after the couple and their three children showed up to model for our first NNY Living cover shoot is a story worth sharing.

Sgt. Lassally, a Florida native who has been stationed at Fort Drum for an incredible 11 years, and his wife, a Carthage native, presently live on post. Since their family grew by one roughly eight months ago, Ken Eysaman quarters on base have grown tight and the family has given more than a little thought to buying a home if they found “the right house.”

We just happened to be staging the cover shoot for our premiere issue in the childhood home of magazine Editorial Assistant Kyle Hayes, whose parents recently downsized to a single-story ranch in Belleville and put Kyle’s homestead on the market. Enter the Lassally family: young, committed to the north country and with three beautiful children eager to call a new place home – 10-year-old Claire M. Greene, 4-year-old Rowan W. and 7-month-old Charlotte I. The house is great for a family. Just ask Kyle, whose father, Barry, also grew up in the East Church Street home. Couple that with the fact that Sgt. Lassally has extended his duty at Fort Drum with a new three-year assignment and they were nearly sold at first sight.

After a two-hour photo shoot with an 18-pound turkey, all the traditional Thanksgiving sides and, yes, real wine for the adults, Sgt. Lassally and his wife explored the home, sizing up rooms and picturing the faux holiday dinner they had just finished as the first in a new home. Less than 24 hours later, the good sergeant and his wife made a purchase offer and, at this writing are nearing a closing date on the house.

Stories like that make the north country such a special place. Sure, you could ar-

gue that something like that could happen anywhere, but I prefer to call it the first major success of NNY Living, the newest publication by the Watertown Daily Times and NNY Business magazine.

We also couldn’t have pulled off the cover photo without the generosity of Wendy Truesdell at Truesdell’s Furniture on Route 11 North. When we told Advertising Specialist Clarissa Collins what we had in mind for the cover, not only did she connect us with her friends the Lassallys, but she phoned Wendy, who was quick to offer a dining room set for our shoot. We sincerely appreciate Wendy’s help in pulling off this first issue. n

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We are pleased and excited to deliver a new bi-monthly magazine that celebrates the finer points of life in Northern New York. From arts, music, theater and culture to food and wine, health and wellness and homes, we are committed to publishing a magazine that pays special attention to the many great reasons why we choose to call our region home. In the spirit of the coming season, this issue focuses on north country holiday traditions.

When you get through reading this issue, pass it along to a friend, neighbor, relative or someone else you know. Help us spread the word about the many great things that make ours a dynamic place to live. If you like what you see and read, I invite you to subscribe. Subscriptions for six issues a year start at as little as $10.

And, as always, if you have any comments or news to share, drop me an email at keysaman@wdt.net or call me at 6612399. I look forward to hearing from you.

Finally, the many advertisers whose messages are displayed in the pages of this magazine deserve your support. As we continue to deliver a deeper look at the arts and culture of the north country, we must continue to support those who are committed to making it a better place.

Warm regards,

UPFRONT

[ NORTH COUNTRY NEWS & NOTES ]

Third prize — “Silent Conversation” by Nashwa N. Khan.

Mixed media category: First prize — “Casting Out” by Hope Marshall.

Second prize —“Cyber Bullying” by Megan LaBarge.

Third prize — “Portrait of a Peacock” by Jana Seiders.

Ernest Scribner Emerging Artist Award — “Thumb Wars” by Edward Yancey.

‘Meet Me in St. Louis’

The Watertown Lyric Theater took on a large scale production of “Meet Me in St. Louis” for its fall performance from Nov. 3 to Nov. 5 at the Dulles State Office Building. Directed by Kevin R. Kitto and his wife, Marietta, the classic stage production has never been done by the theater in its 52-year history. The stage version of the musical is based on the 1944 movie starring Judy Garland.

However, Mr. Kitto decided to tweak the show just a little, creating families and naming all of the ensembles with characters as well as adding a pantomime scene during the overture.

Laura Oakes, left, North Country Arts Council president, and artist Cecilia M. Thompson, right, Alexandria Bay, present the Catherine Johnson Best of Show Award to artist Kathy Kernan for her work “Mother and Friends.”

NCAC fine arts show

The North Country Arts Council hosted a fine art exhibition at the Dulles State Office Building in Watertown from Nov. 3 to Nov. 13 with an award reception on Nov. 5. The dozens in attendance were treated to a wine bar by the Paddock Club, Watertown, desserts by Covered in Chocolate, Theresa, and hors d’oeuvres by 2010 Taste of the Town winner, Keddy’s Restaurant, Carthage. At the reception, the following 15 artists were presented with awards for the show:

The Indian River High School Drama Club production of William Gibson’s “The Miracle Worker” has been given four awards by the Theatre Association of New York State. The drama club produced the story of Helen Keller’s life in late October. The awards were: n Meritorious achievement in direction: Kristie L Fuller and Phillip Dyke. n Meritorious achievement in acting: Cassie Slough for her portrayal of Helen Keller and Amy Lapp for her portrayal of Annie Sullivan. n Excellence in scenic and lighting design and execution: Mr. Dyke.

Great Race to stop in Watertown

The world’s premier old car rally, the Great Race, will be stopping at the Alex T. Duffy Fairgrounds next summer. The rally route weaves around the Great Lakes, beginning in Traverse City, Mich., on June 23. The race will stop in Watertown on June 27 as the sixth overnight shop on the nine-day trek. Approximately 100 antique automobiles are expected to take part in the race.

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Catherine Johnson Best of Show Award: “Mother and Friends” by Kathy Kernan.

Drawing category: First prize — “Skull and Corn” by Keely O’Connor.

Second prize — “236” by Stewart Nicholas.

Third prize — “When They’re Puppies” by Kat Alfredson.

Painting category: First prize — “Portrait of Cornelia” by Loretta Lepkowski.

Second prize — “The Sweet Spot” by Marion Bradish.

Third prize — “Sunflowers and Light” by Lynne Reichhart.

Sculpture category: First prize — “Operator, Operator #3” by Georgette Bacon.

Second prize — “Bears on Art” by John Bray.

Third prize — “Gourdalele #2” by Georgette Bacon.

Photography category: First prize – “Lava” by Glenn Erick Miller.

Second prize — “Black Forest” by Glenn Erick Miller.

‘The Miracle Worker’

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For Pete's Sake

BEST BETS Alexandria Bay — Dec. 3-4 Kris Kringle Market, 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. Saturday, noon to 4 p.m. Sunday, Thousand Islands Winery. Indoor Christmas market, local crafters and vendors and a visit from Santa Clause. Free admission.

Entertainment Parties, Weddings, Clubs, Venues

"For Pete Sakes Entertainment made our special day even more precious to us! DJ Pete was fantastic and played anything we asked! Thank you for the beautiful memories!"

- Cathy Calhoun "Excellent entertainment - and the music was great too!! The music kept the guests dancing all night - great job!"

- Boo Wells, Owner of The Far m House Kitchen

[ EDITOR’S PICKS ] students, $31 to $67.50. Tickets: 1 (877) 5548399 or www.cirquedusoleil.com/dralion.

Lake Placid — Dec. 30 Smucker’s “Stars

on Ice,” 7:30 p.m., Olympic Center, 2634 Main St. Opening performance for the 2011-2012 season. Performers include Kurt Browning, Jamie Sale and David Pelletier, Ekaterina Gordeeva, Tanith Belbin and Ben Agosto, Todd Eldredge, Joannie Rochette and Ryan Bradley. Tickets: $25 to $115.

Tickets may be purchased at www.starsonice.com.

Clayton — Dec. 15 “A Charlie Brown

Christmas” with jazz artist David Benoit, 7:30 p.m., Clayton Opera House, 405 Riverside Drive.

A contemporary jazz pianist, Mr. Benoit will perform classic holiday favorites from “A Charlie Brown Christmas” and will be accompanied by a children’s chorus from a local elementary school.

Mr. Benoit released his latest album, “Earthglow,” in 2010 and was honored with a Lifetime Achievement Award by the American Smooth Jazz Awards in Indiana. Tickets: Reserved, $25; general admission, $20. Box office: 686-2200.

"5 stars I give to For Pete Sake Entertainment, excellent music, the light show is outstanding and Pete's professionalism is a 5 STAR" - Robert Dalton, The Paddock Club

Ogdensburg — Dec. 10 28th Holiday

Gala, “Happy 150th Birthday, Fred!” 7 p.m. to midnight, Frederic Remington Art Museum, 303 Washington St. Wild West theme. Celebrating the 150th anniversary of Frederic Remington’s birth.

Music, silent auction and food. Enter for a chance to win “The Grass Fire” print, which retails for $2,195. Raffle tickets: $10 or five for $40. Cost: $45; non-members, $50. Tickets: info@fredericremington.org or 393-2425.

315.783.5051 NOVEM BER / DECEMB ER 2 011 | NNY LIVING

ForPeteSakeEntertainment @gmail.com

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Kingston —

Pete Souch IV Owner

Jan. 11-15 “Dralion,” 7:30 p.m. Wednesday and Thursday, 3:30 and 7:30 p.m. Friday and Saturday, and 1 and 5 p.m.

Sunday, K-Rock Centre, 1 Barrack St. “Dralion” fuses the 3,000-year-old tradition of Chinese acrobatic arts with classic Cirque du Soleil skill and technique. The 12 acts of “Dralion” encompass aerial pieces, juggling, hand balancing and trampoline work. Tickets: $35 to $80; children 12 and younger, $28 to $65; military, senior citizens and

Watertown — Dec. 1 Annual Down-

town Tree Lighting Ceremony, 5:30 p.m., Public Square. Sponsored by City of Watertown and the Downtown Business Association. Santa and Mrs. Clause will arrive by sleigh to turn on the holiday tree, music and light display. The 22-minute music and light display run every 30 minutes each night from 4:30 to 10 p.m. from Dec. 1 to Jan. 2. Mulled cider and hot cocoa served free at the lighting event, courtesy of DBA and Johnny D’s.

[ MOST READ, LOCAL AUTHORS ] Top e-books at Flower

The top five e-book titles by checkout at Watertown’s Roswell P. Flower Memorial Library are: 1. “The Help” by Kathryn Stockett 2. “Endurance : A Novel of Terror” by Jack Kilborn 3. “The Eyes of Darkness : a Novel” by Dean Koontz 4. “Crime Stories : 20 Thriller Tales” by Jack Kilborn 5. “Deadly Secrets” by Leeann Burke

The book costs $14.95. It, and others in the series, may be ordered from Chalet Publishing, P.O. Box 1154, Old Forge, NY 13420 for $14.95 plus tax and $4 for shipping, or by calling Mr. Briant at 1 (800) 237-5802.

June Kelley Pierce, a native of Waddington, has self-published, through iUniverse, the novel “Keeping Secrets.”

The book, set in Northern New York,

BOOKS is about two young cousins linked by the physical and emotional trials they suffer as children. “Despite its dark side of abuse and betrayal, the novel is also comical at times and tells of survival and the enduring strength of friendship,” Ms. Pierce noted in a release.

It can be purchased at junekelleypierce.com for $25.95 hardcover or $15.95 softcover.

Top titles by checkout

1. “Tick Tock” by James Patterson 2. “Once Upon a Time There Was You”

by Elizabeth Berg 3. “Mystery : An Alex Delaware Novel”

by Jonathan Kellerman 4. “To Have and To Kill : A Wedding Cake Mystery” by Mary Jane Clark 5. “Strategic Moves” by Stuart Woods

Books of local interest

NOVEM BER / DECEMB ER 2 011 | NNY LIVING

Sackets Harbor native and Rodman resident Michael E. Mustizer has selfpublished his first novel, titled “The Seven Isaacs,” with the help of CreateSpace, an online service. “The Seven Isaacs” is a science fiction novel about cloned children who escape after the lab they’re born and raised in shuts down. The book can be purchased on www.amazon.com and www.barnesandnoble.com.

North Country Books has released “Wildlife Images of the Adirondacks” by Eric Dresser.

“Wildlife Images” is his first book, but his photos also have appeared in National Wildlife, Ranger Rick and Adirondack Life magazines and in L.L. Bean catalogs.

The book contains 130 photos. It sells for $24.95 at www.northcountrybooks. com, 1 (800) 342-7409.

Theresa native and Old Forge resident John Briant has released the seventh in his series of “Adirondack Detective” novels.

In “As Autumn Leaves Turn” Jason Black “occupies his time with his private detective duties and (is) presently immersed in a missing persons case along with the theft of honey beehives,” according to the book’s foreword.

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SOCIAL SCENE

[ HOSPICE CHARITY AUCTION AND GALA ] Hilton Garden Inn, Watertown

KEN EYSAMAN PHOTOS | NNY LIVING

NOVEMBER / DECEMB ER 2011 | NNY LIVING

Top, from left, Laurie E. Donegan and husband, Patrick M., owner, Hilton Garden Inn and Holiday Inn & Suites. Above, from left, Lisa A. Weber, CEO, Timeless Frames, Decor and Expressions, Randy Fipps, Samaritan Medical Center, wife, Beth C., executive director, Samaritan Foundation of Northern New York, Joe LaClair, vice president, Haylor, Freyer & Coon Inc., and wife, Debbi.

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KEN EYSAMAN PHOTOS | NNY LIVING

Top, from left, JoAnne R. Wise, Sarah B. Weir and Lynne M. Bates, Watertown.

Above, from left, Mary Anne Hanley, director of marketing, Jefferson County Industrial Development Corp., and husband, Thomas F., president WPBS-TV. Watertown’s new Hilton Garden Inn hosted the Second Annual Hospice Charity Auction and Gala on Nov. 5 to benefit Jefferson County Hospice.

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[ ARTS, MUSIC, THEATER, CULTURE ] Adams — Dec. 4 Christmas Parade, 3 p.m., downtown. Sponsored by

South Jefferson Chamber of Commerce. Theme: “Honoring Our Military.” Parade applications: www.southjeffchamber.net or call 232-4215. Information: Connie Elliott, celliott003@twcny.rr.com.

Canton — DEC. 18 “Handel’s Messiah,” 7:30 p.m., St. Mary’s Church. Performed by the Orchestra of Northern New York featuring vocal soloists from the Crane School of Music’s artist faculty and the Potsdam Community Chorus under the direction of Jeffrey Francom. Tickets: 267-2277 or www.onny.org.

CALENDAR

Watertown — nOV. 19-jAN. 28 Trinity Concert Series: Concerts at Trinity Episcopal Church, 227 Sherman St. Individual tickets: $10 to $16; tickets in advance $2 less; $2 discount for military and senior citizens; students, free. Tickets, information: www.trinityconcerts.org or 788-6290. Nov. 19 French organ symphonies, 7 p.m., performed by Kyle P. Ramey, choir master and organist at Trinity. Dec. 17 Glad Tidings by Watertown Musica Viva, 7 p.m., 17-member a cappella, auditioned chamber choir. Jan. 28 Sebastian Baverstam, cello, and Constantine Finehouse, piano, 7 p.m.

Nov. 19 19th annual Holiday Victorian Faire, 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. Friday, 10

Clayton — Nov. 29 Clayton Community Band’s “Bringing the Holi-

a.m. to 4 p.m. Saturday, Jefferson County Historical Society, 228 Washington St. Three floors of crafters, artists and artisans. Homemade baked goods and lunch available. Wine and cheese reception included with admission, 4 to 6 p.m. Friday, Nov. 18. Contact: JCHS, 782-3491.

Kingston — Dec. 5 Alice Cooper: “No More Mr. Nice Guy Tour 2011,” 8 p.m., K-Rock Centre, 1 Barrack St. Admission: $57.50. Tickets: 1 (877) 554-8399 or www.k-rockcentre.com.

Nov. 30 Zoo-to-Do, 6 to 11 p.m., Black River Valley Club, Washington

day Spirit,” 7 p.m., Clayton Opera House, 405 Riverside Drive. Tickets: $5; children free when accompanied by an adult. For tickets, contact the opera house box office at 686-2200.

Massena — Dec. 16 “Handel’s Messiah,” 7:30 p.m., Sacred Heart Church. Performed by the Orchestra of Northern New York featuring vocal soloists from the Crane School of Music’s artist faculty and the Potsdam Community Chorus under the direction of Jeffrey Francom. Tickets: 267-3251.

Ogdensburg — dec.-jan. Ogdensburg Command Performances: Sponsored by Ogdensburg Free Academy, at OFA, 1100 State St. Auditorium opens at 7:15 p.m. night of performances, curtain times at 7:45 p.m., unless otherwise noted. Cost: $15 to $35, discounts for senior citizens and students ages 22 and younger. Tickets: www.ilovetheatre.org, 393-2625 or ocp@ogdensburgk12.org. Dec. 18 “Jingle Bell Rock,” 3 and 7:45 p.m. Jan. 16 “Damn Yankees.” Jan. 28 “Brigadoon.”

Potsdam — Dec. 3 Merry TubaChristmas Concert, registration, 1:15 p.m., rehearsal, 1:30 p.m., concert, 4 p.m., Potsdam United Methodist Church. Under the direction of Keith Ziemba. Player must bring person music stands and lyres. Players may obtain music in advance from the Potsdam Chamber of Commerce or at www.tubachristmas.com. Cost: Registration fee, $5; concert, free, donations accepted for local charity. Information: Potsdam Chamber of Commerce, 274-9000.

Street. Fund raising event for the New York State Zoo at Thompson Park. Black tie optional, holiday festive, social soiree with wine and hors d’oeuvre pairings with live and silent auctions. Theme: “Wine in the Wild.” Tickets: $60. Contact: Kurt Hunt, zoo public relations and marketing director, 755-0894.

Dec. 1 Annual Children’s Gift and Fund Drive Reception, 4 to 8 p.m., Black River Valley Club, 131 Washington St. Sponsored by Bernier, Carr & Associates and the Paul G. and Kathleen E. Carr Foundation. Toy and cash donations accepted. Suggested donation of two gifts, one for a boy and one for a girl, and preferably no stuffed animals. All gifts should be unwrapped.

Information: 782-8130.

Dec. 3 Santa’s Workshop, 1 to 3 p.m., Jefferson County Historical Society.

Family event with an appearance by Santa Clause, help elves make presents, decorate ornaments and picture frames, cookies, hot chocolate and festive Christmas music. Story time begins at 1:30 p.m. Admission: $5 per person or $10 per family. Contact: 782-3491 or www.jeffersoncountyhistory.org.

Dec. 3-4 Northern Choral Society Holiday Concert, 7 p.m. Saturday, and 3 p.m. Sunday, Asbury United Methodist Church, Franklin Street. Tickets are available at Kinney Drugs or from any NCS singer. Tickets: $10; senior citizens, $8; students, $5.

Dec. 17 “Handel’s Messiah,” 7:30 p.m. Saturday, Dec. 17, St. Mary’s Church. Performed by the Orchestra of Northern New York featuring vocal soloists from Crane School of Music’s artist faculty and the Potsdam Community Chorus under the direction of Jeffrey Francom. Tickets: 267-2277 or www.onny.org.

Tell us about it — Got an event you’d like to include in NNY Living?

Email editor Ken Eysaman at keysaman@wdt.net. Submission deadline is the 10th of the month prior to publication. Visit us on Facebook at Facebook.com/ NNYLiving for updates to our events calendar.

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Dec. 9-10 Craft, Food and Wine Show, noon to 8 p.m. Friday and 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. Saturday, Clarkson University’s Cheel Arena. Sponsored by St. Lawrence Chamber of Commerce. Booths sold out with vendors from Northern New York, throughout the state and Vermont. Last year’s event drew more than 4,000 people. Admission: $1. Information: St. Lawrence Chamber, 386-4000.

Dec. 19 ChrismaSing Concert, 7:30 p.m., All Souls Unitarian Universalist Church, 1330 Gotham St. Sponsored by Northern Blend Chorus. Rehearsals at 7 p.m. Mondays, Nov. 21 and Nov. 28, Dec. 5 and Dec. 12 at the church.

Songs include “Diddle Squat,” “Silent Night,” “O Holy Night,” “Mary Did You Know,” “Jingle Bells,” “Santa Baby” and “Winter Wonderland.” Contact: 7885967 or 681-3242.

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MODERN FOLKLORE

You know you’re from Upstate if ...

NOVEMB ER / DECEMB ER 201 1 | N NY LIVING

BY VARICK CHITTENDEN

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We all know them, the jokes and anecdotes and sayings that get passed around at work, printed out on a copier for anyone to see. They may come as a poem, a cartoon, a spoof memo, a doctored photograph or a list. Often they contain ethnic or racial stereotypes, political satire or blatant sexuality. They can be downright raunchy.

Called “xeroxlore” in the 1970s by the prominent folklore scholar Alan Dundes, such materials have forced us to rethink the old definitions of folklore, those expressions that are traditional in form and content, have often been passed down for generations, are shared within a community and are circulated orally in face-to-face encounters. Instead, the photocopies we find in our office mailboxes or posted by the water cooler are new forms of jokes that are printed and widely circulated to a “community” that defies geography and time. In fact, with the arrival of the fax machine and email, chat rooms and blogs, such communications can now travel around the world in an instant, to people who understand exactly what they are about though they may have no idea who sent them.

While I have seen quite a number of these office jokes over the years, my greatest source was a SUNY Canton English department secretary, Gloria, who collected a drawer full and posted those she dared on the department bulletin board. Once Gloria knew I was interested, she would frequently drop a copy of her latest “good one” on my desk, without comment. I almost always knew who had put it there.

Among my favorite examples from Gloria’s collection was a list of in-jokes,

titled “You know you’re from Upstate New York if ... ,” made up of about 20 phrases. I still remember a few: “ ... you measure distance in hours,” “you know several people who have hit deer more than once,” “you drive at 65 mph through 13 feet of snow during a raging blizzard, without flinching,” “the mayor greets you on the street by your first name,” “you know all four seasons — almost winter, winter, still winter and road construction,” and “you carry jumper cables in your car year round and your wife knows how to use them.”

I liked that. It’s fun when you can laugh at yourself, and every one of the items on the list resonated with me. As a native and a lifer, I know that the climate, the sparse population, and the remoteness, as well as the resourcefulness and intimacy of life that those “negatives” require of residents are taken for granted here. In fact, they often invoke a sense of pride that newcomers find hard to grasp.

A few years ago, as I was working on a series of live, call-in shows about our region’s identity for North Country Public Radio, I received several more of the upstate lists, this time by email. They were hilarious. Some of the phrases were familiar to me and others were new: “You know you’re from Upstate New York if … “you’ve been trick-or-treating in a blizzard,” “you refer to downtown Syracuse as ‘the City,” “you’ve attended a formal event in your best clothes, your finest jewelry and your snowmobile boots,” “it’s soda! And people who call it pop you want to slap them,” “you’re proud that your region makes the national news 96 nights each year because Saranac Lake is the coldest spot in the

nation” and “your town buys a Zamboni before a school bus.”

From these sources I began to surmise a sense of place that is recognized by the people who have known it best. Out of curiosity, I did an online search and found, to my surprise, a website that led me to similar lists for all 50 states and several for cities and regions within them.

By typing “you know you’re from” on Google, I found more than 800 entries.

Other searches could lead to people who identify with other groups, for instance, geeks, big families, dog persons, liberals, beekeepers and Phishheads.

While these lists are widely disseminated, they often include highly localized variations. Mr. Dundes has said: “You would think these things would be the same everywhere. But they are changed to fit a particular [situation].” In most of the lists I’ve seen, some items could only be familiar to people who know the places well. For instance, I found lists for Buffalo, Rochester, Westchester County and Long Island and wasn’t at all familiar with some of the references that will give local people there a good laugh.

For me, however, I know I’m from Northern New York — the real upstate

— when half the change in my pocket is Canadian, when I’ve used my summer porch for a freezer in January, when I find Croghan bologna and poutine on a diner’s menu, when the front door on my neighbor’s house has no steps and when I actually “get” these jokes and share them with my north country friends.

Varick Chittenden is a folklorist, the founding director of Traditional Arts in Upstate New York and Professor Emeritus of Humanities at SUNY Canton. A version of this column previously appeared in Voices: A Journal of New York Folklore. Reprinted with permission of the New York Folklore Society.

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HEALTH

What do antioxidants really do?

From flu shots to shoveling snow and fears of osteoporosis, ask a local health professional vomiting, having the worst headache of your life, acute trauma, etc.

Flu season is upon us and I have small children. Should I have them get a flu shot and why? Is it possible to get the flu even after being vaccinated? The New York State Department of Health recommends that anyone six months or older should receive the flu vaccine. It is recommended that all children should get the flu vaccine in order to be protected from serious complications if infected with influenza. One of the biggest cons of getting the flu vaccine is that you can develop some minor viral symptoms such as low grade fevers and malaise. Yes, you can still get the flu even if you are vaccinated.

I feel fine, quite healthy and exercise daily, so do I have to worry about osteoporosis?

Absolutely. As we all age, our body’s natural ability to absorb calcium significantly decreases. This in turn predisposes us to osteoporosis despite eating healthy and exercising daily. It is very important to always make a conscious effort to consume more calcium orally, as we get older, and always continue with healthy diet and daily exercise.

What do antioxidants do for your health?

They’re advertised in everything from fruit to coffee. Antioxidants are one of the major weapons we have in fighting off carcinogens, or cancer-causing agents.

The more antioxidants we consume the better the chance we have in fighting off potentially cancer-causing cells and maintaining our physiological integrity.

NO VEM BER / DECEMB ER 2 011 | NNY LI VI NG

I find myself sweating profusely at times, regardless of the weather. What can I do to help the situation? Excessive sweating or primary hyperhidrosis should have a full evaluation done by a primary care provider. It can be idiopathic and secondary to some social or emotional issues but it can also be a symptom of a serious underlying medical condition.

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Some people say that shoveling is the worst winter activity for your body, is that true? What are the risks of shoveling? Shoveling snow can be considered a high impact cardiovascular activity. If you are mostly a sedentary person or usually do not engage in high physical activities, shoveling snow for a first winter storm could potentially cause over-exertion and worrisome fatigue. Anytime the oxygen demand of the heart is not met, you risk having a heart attack. Shoveling snow can very easily cause this scenario.

Is hand sanitizer an effective substitute for regular hand-washing with soap and hot water? No, the old traditional method of hand-washing with soap and water should never be forgotten. Using a hand sanitizer all the time can cause your hands to lose the ability to fight off bacteria that is normally found on the skin and that can actually lead to more opportunity for infections.

BY MILLY SMITH, RPA-C I am an older adult who had chicken pox when I was younger. Should I get a shingles shot? Yes. The Zostavax vaccine is recommended for people who are 60 years old or older. This vaccine protects you against shingles, which is a more common infection in older people who may also be immunocompromised secondary to other chronic illnesses they have, like diabetes.

What is the difference between going to an urgent care center versus going to the emergency room at the hospital? An urgent care center can provide quicker and more cost effective medical care for acute illnesses such as sinus infections, urinary tract infections, broken bones, stitches and gout. The use of emergency rooms should be reserved for more serious life-threatening illnesses such as chest pain, persistent

The old adage is “stuff a cold, starve a fever,” is that a good practice? (Eating a lot of healthy things when you have a cold, avoiding eating too much and drinking more when you have a fever.) The number one thing that speeds up recovery from a cold or viral infection is keeping hydrated. Drink, drink, drink and rest are the best way for the body to restore itself and fight off viral infections. Nobody feels like eating when they are sick, and not eating for a couple of days when you have a cold is really not a big deal. Drinking is much more important.

MILLY SMITH, RPA-C is a board-certified physician’s assistant and an owner/operator of QuikMed Urgent Care in Watertown. Contact her at quikmeduc@yahoo.com. Do you have a question for a health professional? Send it to us. A health care professional will answer your questions on a wide range of health topics in each issue of NNY Living. Email your questions to nnyliving@wdt.net or ask us on Facebook at Facebook.com/NNYLiving.

WELLNESS

Surviving the holidays guilt-free

BY MICHELLE GRAHAM

enhance your holiday health.

10. Drink plenty of water and don’t forget about those five servings of fruits and vegetables each day. Maintaining a regular healthy eating plan through the holidays is crucial to help maintain your weight.

9. Watch out for increased levels of stress in your busy life. Added stress can actually cause weight gain. Find true balance in your life. Embrace the season, sit back and find time to relax. The season is about spending time with family and friends, not about how much added stress we can pack into our already busy lives.

7. Bring healthy foods and drinks to holiday parties. If you bring healthy options to parties, there will be no reason for you to make poor and unhealthy choices.

6. Place healthy snacks in your car so when you are on the go and traveling about you are armed and ready. By doing this you will be less inclined to stop at fast food places and over indulge with high fat and high calorie food choices.

5. Practice safety at holiday outings and parties. Make wise choices and institute a designated driver at each event. You will be happy and safe at the end of the night.

4. For big meals like Thanksgiving and

3. Watch out for those wonderful holiday drinks. They pack a high calorie punch.

A word of advice: enjoy one or two of those and then switch between water and a lower-calorie drink option. One of my favorite lower calorie drinks is the Skinny Girl Margarita.

2. Move your body. If you are not presently involved in some type of a fitness plan, get going today. Do not wait until the first of the year, no better time than the present. Make it a family event. Get everyone involved. Activities like the annual YMCA Turkey Day Run/Walk are great ways to burn some extra calories before a big meal or gathering. Besides, it is fun.

1. All things in moderation. Celebrate this amazing time of year and enjoy the foods and drinks you love. Just enjoy fewer of them. Practice true moderation this season in all things.

Michelle L. Graham, MS, is wellness director for Watertown’s Downtown YMCA. Contact her at ymca_mgraham@yahoo.com.

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Do you worry about gaining weight through the holiday season? The average American will gain anywhere from five to seven pounds between Thanksgiving and the New Year. Surviving the season can be a real challenge. The key to any challenge should be a well-thought-out plan of attack. When you have a plan you have everything. Take the necessary time to plan events carefully and your body and your waistline will thank you. Here are some helpful hints to help you survive the challenges of the season. Call it a top 10 survival guide to make it through the season without packing on excess pounds or guilt.

Even instituting a couple of these tips can

8. Get adequate amounts of sleep. Every day during this busy season can bring about challenges. Make sure you strive to get at least eight hours of sleep a day. That way you can attack any unexpected curve balls with a rested mind and body.

Christmas use lower fat, lower calorie and lower sodium options to make the foods you love. Websites like cookinglight.com and sparkpeople.com can give you recipe ideas to make your holiday season foods healthy. Also, plan your daily caloric intake carefully and plan out your day with healthy breakfast and lunch options, especially if you know that your dinner will include a higherthan-normal calorie intake.

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THE NNY LIFE

Find your unique north country niche

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BY KATIE STOKES

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Whatever brought you to Northern New York — maybe you’ve lived here your entire life, maybe you were dragged here, kicking and screaming, by the Army, or maybe you chose to live here because you truly love it, or you truly love someone who does. I’m glad you’re here.

Why am I so excited to share Arsenal Street with yet another car at Christmas time? Because just your being here has made life more interesting for everyone.

The sheer volume of people and cash the Army has fire-hosed into the leaky barrel of once-economically depressed north country region since 1985 has given us access to things that might not have made it here otherwise. But beyond new places to shop, a better movie theater (plus two drive-ins) and about a zillion restaurants, I’m raising my family in a cultural environment that’s a quirky mish-mash of traditions, accents, beliefs and license plates from states all over the United States and other countries. Not to mention our region’s dairy-farming, deer-hunting, river-people, lake-people, outdoors-loving, suck-it-up-and-fix-ityourself culture.

As someone in the middle, I’ve had a great seat to the whole cultural amalgamation show that’s been playing since before I got here. I have military friends who get lost on Fort Drum because they only go there to shop at the PX. They don’t live on base. They live across the road from me out here in our eclectic little suburban dairy farm neighborhood between Watertown and Sackets Harbor.

The emotional flexibility required by locals and military families to become so enmeshed in each other’s lives is special.

It’s like emotional rubber cement. If it

could be crystallized into some sort of peace weapon, the Beatles might have stayed together. Hollywood and reality stars might be able to stay in lasting relationships. Maybe Bill O’Reilly and Jon Stewart could hug.

Even so, finding your niche in Northern New York isn’t like falling out of bed. Well, maybe a waterbed: it takes a little effort, and a lot of momentum.

I’ve met a lot of military families here who’ve said that, upon arrival, they felt like they didn’t belong. It was hard to find stuff to do. Most of them hated the weather, especially if they had arrived during winter. But by the time I got to know them, they were over it because they were busy taking their kids to soccer practice, playing rugby, exploring the Adirondacks, teaching Zumba, finding a crappy job that eventually led to a better one, going to a McDonald’s play group they heard about online even though they would know no one there, planning a winter vacation to Disney or the indoor water park in Lake George. Just, you know, getting on with it.

Northern New Yorkers and military families alike have formed, hosted, organized or planned countless clubs, meetings, groups, organizations, businesses and churches that have given others openings into their communities and into finding their personal niche that ultimately made Northern New York home — even if for a brief time. And it happened because someone did something to improve their own life.

That’s why I’m excited you’re here.

So far, since I registered to vote in the Town of Hounsfield 10 years ago, I’ve been in three separate book clubs, two

Katie Stokes is an Oklahoma native who has called Northern New York home for more than a decade. She is a freelance writer and blogger and the mother of two children, “Diva” and “Hunk,” who have helped her carve out a unique niche in the north country. Read more about why she lives in Northern New York despite her Okie roots by clicking on the “Welcome” tab on her blog at NNYLife.com.

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writers groups, the North Country Arts Council, the Greater Watertown Jaycees, the Greater Watertown-North Country Chamber of Commerce, a terrific local chapter of a MOMS Club and the Watertown Family YMCA. I’ve taken yoga classes and participated in a cow-milking contest. I went to a David Sedaris reading at the Clayton Opera House, was slobbered on by a rabbit, a goat, a cow, an alpaca, and my children over the course of one two-hour visit to Old McDonald’s Farm. I’ve given my 5-yearold daughter a pink bow-and-arrow set for her birthday and taken her to a private Montessori school. I’ve cooked eggs that only minutes before cracking them open had the chicken poo washed off and prepared my son a gluten-, dairyand soy-free vegan cupcake, complete with frosting made from almond milk, palm oil shortening and corn-free powdered sugar — every single ingredient was bought in Watertown. I have a pair of rain boots designed by Kate Spade that I bought at a store less than three miles from my house that sit alongside my Muck boots, which I wear to traipse through mud and snow in winter, spring and fall.

A niche isn’t just one thing you’re good at. That’s the most colloquial use of the word, yes. But when you think of a niche like biologists do — as something that encompasses all relationships a creature has with its environment — you can begin to understand why it’s possible to get excited about being involved with so many different creatures, climates and cultures, if only for a brief amount of time.

I’ve found my niche.

So, yes, I’m very excited you’re here – even if you’re the car that tries to make it through a red light in bumper-to-bumper traffic when it’s obvious you’re just going to block in cars going the opposite direction in Christmas shopping traffic.

I still can’t wait to see what you’re going to bring to the Northern New York I call home.

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Clockwise from top: A bird’s-eye view of Whiteface Mountain. The Mirror Lake Inn. Snowshoeing through the woods. Music at the Cottage. A gondola makes its way to the top of Whiteface Mountain. Ice skating on the Oval. A toddler tries her luck downhill skiing.

36 HOURS

{} Discovering paradise in your own backyard

Adventure, calm awaits in Adirondack’s Lake Placid

T

TEXT BY DARCY NORFOLK | PHOTOS COURTESY WHITEFACE LAKE PLACID

Friday, 1 p.m. View from the top Upon arrival, you’ll want to get the lay of the land and what better way than at the Olympic Jumping Complex. Take the glass elevator to the top of the K-120 jump’s sky deck. You’ll enjoy spectacular panoramic views from nearly 400 feet up, including Whiteface Mountain and the High Peaks in the distance. You might even catch a

glimpse of aerialists performing spins and flips below you on the freestyle hill. www.whiteface.com/activities/jumptour 3 p.m. Check into LP’S finest Perched on the shores of Mirror Lake, the Mirror Lake Inn Resort and Spa is adorned with 300,000 cascading lights in the winter season. This cozy inn provides a storybook setting with all the amenities including an indoor pool, sauna, Jacuzzi, three restaurants, spa and salon, concierge service, private skating rink on Mirror Lake — weather permitting — and afternoon tea and cookies. The inn is ideally located just two blocks from the Main Street boutiques, restaurants and local movie theater. www.mirrorlakeinn.com.

6 p.m. Dine like a local After checking into your hotel, you’ll be ready for a hearty Adirondack dinner.

Head to Lisa G’s on Sentinel Road, a local favorite. With a wide variety of pizzas, American fare, Mexican and Mediterranean dishes, you’ll find something for everyone to enjoy. Have a nightcap here, or head next door to Liquids and Solids at the Handlebar for a specialty cocktail. Lisa G’s: www. lisags.com (518) 523-2093. Liquids and Solids:

www.liquidsandsolids.com (518) 837-5012.

Saturday, 9 a.m. Comfort cuisine Have breakfast at the View restaurant at the Mirror Lake Inn, a AAA FourDiamond Award winner. The Adirondack Flapjacks topped with local maple syrup are just one of many delicious ways to start off the weekend. www.mirrorlakeinn. com/dining-theview.

10 a.m. Explore Main Street After breakfast, you’ll want to visit Main Street, and walk the loop around frozen Mirror Lake. Shop for: gifts, souvenirs, outdoor gear and unique Adirondack home décor.

Noon Take on the 46 High Peaks No, this isn’t an afternoon hiking adventure – instead, spend lunch choosing from one of the 46 sandwiches named after the Adirondack High Peaks at Simply Gourmet on Saranac Avenue. Maybe it’s geographic bias, but the “Whiteface” — cracked pepper turkey, provolone, avocado, sprouts and mayo — is a personal favorite at $7.75. www.simplygourmetlakeplacid.com (518) 523-3111.

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The short drive TO LAKE PLACID from most points in Northern New York takes you to an intimate, alpine village with breathtaking mountain and lake views, boutique shopping, fine dining and outdoor adventure for all ages. Wellknown for hosting two Winter Olympic Games, the area continues to provide a global appeal, hosting international sporting events and training some of America’s future winter Olympians. Here you can ski the highest vertical drop east of the Rockies at Whiteface Mountain. The area also offers equally-exciting off-mountain activities such as snowshoeing, bobsledding, ice climbing, cross-country skiing and figure skating. With all of the winter events and activities, you’re sure to have a memorable winter getaway in Lake Placid.

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1 p.m. Ski Whiteface If you’re coming to Lake Placid in the winter, it’s hard not to spend the afternoon skiing at Whiteface Mountain in nearby Wilmington. Pack your skis, and head off to the two-time Olympic mountain for an afternoon on the slopes. Boasting the biggest vertical drop in the East, the views at the summit will allow you to see Vermont in the distance. www.whiteface.com

(518) (518) 523-4691 523-4691 2639 2639 Main Main Street Street Lake Lake Placid, Placid, NY NY 12946 12946 Lunch Lunch & & Dinner Dinner Menus Menus Take-Out Available Take-Out Available Now Now Booking Booking for for Holiday Holiday Parties!

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5 p.m. Après ski relaxation After a day out in the cold, warm up at the Spa at the Mirror Lake Inn. Get a custom facial, hot-stone massage or an Adirondack maple sugar body scrub. Afterward, get some cocoa and homemade cookies from the front desk to warm up, or head across the street to the Cottage for a glass of wine and a moonlight view of Mirror Lake. Mirror Lake Inn Spa desk: (518) 302-3010.

7 p.m. Cozy dinner in the village There are many options for dining on Main Street, but right within walking distance of the Mirror Lake Inn, you’ll find the Interlaken Inn just around the corner.

Although it’s a fine dining restaurant, they also offer an affordable pub menu using locally-sourced ingredients. Rainbow trout, truffle mac and cheese and bison meatloaf are just a few of the menu options. www. theinterlakeninn.com (518) 523-3180.

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Sunday, 10 a.m. Miracle on ice Before you leave town, take a quick visit over to the Olympic Center and peak inside to see the ice rink made famous at the 1980 Olympics for the “Miracle on Ice.” It was here that the U.S. men’s hockey team defeated a Soviet Union superpower in one of the biggest moments in sports history. A regularly visited arena for some of the world’s best skaters, you

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36 Hours TELL US WHERE TO GO n ‘36 Hours’ is a regular feature of NNY Living. To recommend a destination you’d like to learn more about, email Editor Ken Eysaman at keysaman@wdt.net or tell us on Facebook at Facebook.com/NNYLiving.

may spot the likes of Scott Hamilton or Johnny Weir.

Check out memorabilia from the 1932 and 1980 Olympic Games at the Olympic Museum, before completing your stay at one of America’s best mountain resort towns. Olympic Center: www.whiteface.com/ facilities. Olympic Museum: www.whiteface. com/activities/museum.

The first step in reaching your goals is reaching the person who can help you achieve them.

As an Ameriprise Platinum Financial Services advisor I believe in putting the needs of my clients first and foremost. I’ll work with you to find the solutions you need to manage your growing financial complexity. Together, we’ll track your progress over time, adjusting your plan along the way to help you build and protect your assets.

Put your dreams more within reach.

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Getting Here Driving distance from most points in NNY — 2 hours and 45 minutes; from points west, take Route 3 East to Saranac Lake, and then follow Route 86 East to Lake Placid, which becomes Main Street once you reach Mirror Lake. For more information, visit www.LakePlacid.com.

DARCY NORFOLK is a Lake Placid resident and general manager of AdWorkshop. Contact her at darcy@adworkshop.com.

Brokerage, investment and financial advisory services are made available through Ameriprise Financial Services, Inc. Member FINRA and SIPC. Some products and services may not be available in all jurisdictions or to all clients.

Ameriprise Financial cannot guarantee future financial results. © 2011 Ameriprise Financial, Inc. All rights reserved.

NOVEM BER / DECEMB ER 2 011 | NNY LIVING

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This is nny

F

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ew places in the country change from the lush green canopy of summer to a kaleidoscope of colors that autumn in Northern New York delivers. We sent our photographers on a visual scavenger hunt in search of some of this fall’s most spectacular colors.

Here are a few of the images they came back with.

Clockwise from right, fall colors along the Black River. Canadian geese take flight in St. Lawrence County. A horse stands out against the backdrop of autumn in St. Lawrence County. A Sackets Harbor home is perched in front of changing colors. Sunlight brightens autumn yellow in Lewis County’s Whetstone Gulf State Park. Felled leaves float in water in Jefferson County.

We’d like to see your best shot.

Email us your favorite fall foliage photos and we’ll post them to our Facebook page at Facebook.com/ NNYLiving.

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Clockwise from top, photos by Justin Sorensen, Jason Hunter, Melanie Kimbler-Lago, Norm Johnston, Ken Eysaman and Amanda Morrison.

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ARTS

Inspired by the world in our time Artist Michael C. Ringer still a teacher at heart

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TEXT BY KYLE R. HAYES | PHOTOS BY NORM JOHNSTON

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Michael C. Ringer is a storyteller.

He is a published author, yes, and an esteemed painter. He is a man who took up bronze sculpting on a whim, it wasn’t easy but he did that, too.

However, above all, Mr. Ringer tells stories about the history and the detail of the places he’s been, the landscapes he’s seen and the people who have inspired him along the way.

On an early autumn afternoon, the leaves on the twisting road to his Dingman Point studio in Alexandria Bay just having changed colors, Mr. Ringer sits in the great room of his gallery, surrounded by decades of his own artwork. On a pedestal rests a mammoth bronze sculpture titled “Riding out the Storm,” on the walls are dozens of original pieces with their myriad of frames.

Mr. Ringer, wearing a utilitarian shirt with dots of stray paint wrapped up in his rolled sleeves, settles onto a leather sofa and eagerly starts to talk about his newest travel plans.

“I was just in the Adirondacks doing commissioned work for a client in Tupper Lake. Tomorrow I’m going down to the Salmon River to do some fishing and work down there and next week I’m going to the North Woods Club and I’ll be staying there for three or four days painting

right on the property.”

The North Woods Club, a private Adirondack community just outside of Minerva, is where Mr. Ringer’s “painter hero” American artist Winslow Homer created some of his most famous works.

In his newest book, “Our Mountains and Valleys: Northern New York,” Mr. Ringer writes in his own words about how he met a new client, George Lee, and his wife, Cynthia, at his gallery. Having a camp in the Adirondacks, Mr. and Mrs. Lee wanted to see some of his mountain artwork. After showing the couple around his gallery, Mr. Ringer inquired as to the location of their mountains camp.

“He simply said, ‘North Woods Club,’ and he knew by the look on my face that I knew what that meant,” Mr. Ringer said.

“After about 20 minutes, I asked him how an artist would get to where Winslow painted? He thought I’d never ask.”

Since then, Mr. Ringer has been to Mink Falls and the various locations in North Woods Club that Mr. Homer made famous four times and was just as excited for his fifth trip as he was the first.

“I’ve been up there to bird hunt and fly fish and what’s really neat for me is I’m fishing on Mink Pond where Homer painted so many watercolors,” he said.

“I mean, I can see the spots where he

painted and I’m sure I sat within 10 feet of where he was.”

The watercolor of Mink Falls that Mr. Ringer included in “Our Mountains and Valleys” depicts moss-covered rocks and trees with dark, broken logs that had fallen at the edges of the falls.

“Homer used white waterfalls and a fisherman and you see these logs that had broken off and were silhouetted in their dark jagged shape against the waterfall.

There are new logs that had fallen that could be the same ones.”

Mr. Ringer’s “Our Mountains and Valleys” is a collection of his work that spans three decades. With more than a hundred works that have never been published, he takes the opportunity throughout the book to tell short stories about each one, whether it’s a bronze sculpture or a photograph.

“My work is based on our world as it is in our time,” he said. “It’s not painted to look like it is from a hundred years ago.

So you might see an airplane flying over or a plastic boat or whatever it may be.”

That’s how Mr. Ringer likes it. He takes dozens of years of experience and education and invokes beautiful landscapes just as the world sees them today. And his fans like this approach, too.

In a review of the book, Frederick P.

Artist Michael C. Ringer is surrounded by years of artwork in his Alexandria gallery.

NOVEMB ER / D ECEM BER 2011 | NN Y LIVING

Schmitt, executive director of the Antique Boat Museum, Clayton, wrote, “In every image he reveals colors and light of scenes so easily taken for granted and oft unnoticed in the rush of our busy lives.”

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Mr. Ringer stands in an annex of sorts at his gallery. His studio.

Only steps away from the gallery of originals and a room filled with reproductions of some of his 1,500 paintings, but behind closed doors is where he completes some of his masterpieces.

On a shelf are dozens of tubes of the series one, non-fugitive paints that he uses daily. In front of a line of windows looking outdoors, a human skeleton hangs from a thin wire that’s tied into the ceiling.

It’s the real deal, Mr. Ringer said. It’s his painting help.

“I considered going to Johns Hopkins for medical illustration,” he said. “Now this guy helps me get the bend of arms or legs right. I can move him all over and he helps me with proportions.”

When explaining his creative process, it’s apparent that Mr. Ringer is a teacher.

He wants whomever he’s talking to to walk away having learned something. He talks about the Belgian, Irish and Russian linens and special gesso and varnishing he does for each of his paintings, a combination that dates back to the Renaissance.

He notes that his paintings could last 1,000 years or even longer.

Mr. Ringer was a teacher for more than 20 years, with 18 years spent at Alexandria Central School.

“I loved high school kids,” he said. “My

favorites were the eighth-graders, because that’s where I started.”

Started his artistic career, that is.

“In eighth grade we had to take an elective course, and I was not going to take an art course,” he said. “I had taken one the year before and got Bs and Cs, I just wasn’t going to do it again. Until a buddy of mine called me up and asked what I was signing up for. I told him electric shop. But he convinced me that this art class was an easy A.” In that class he met Victor R. “Doc” Lalli. Mr. Lalli is one of two teachers who Mr. Ringer talks about with true admiration, the other is Willard R. Harris, his graduate school professor at the state University at Buffalo.

“From the moment I met Doc I was just enthralled with him,” Mr. Ringer said.

“He had tried out for the Olympics as a bike rider, he was a painter, sculptor, published artist, a true Renaissance man.”

After eighth grade, Mr. Lalli was transferred to Amherst High School, Buffalo, where Mr. Ringer was headed, so he could continue to take Doc’s classes and learn as much as he could throughout high school.

“I loved art and I did very well in it,” he said. “In those next four years I learned not only a lot about painting but became very technically skilled in perspective, which Victor wrote a book about.”

Now, “Our Mountains and Valleys” is dedicated in part to Mr. Lalli.

As Mr. Ringer talks about his education and development as an artist, he takes the time to include every detail. He holds an associate degree from Rochester

The artist explains how he uses a human skeleton to illustrate the bends of arms and legs.

Institute of Technology and a bachelor’s and master’s degree in fine art and fine art education, respectively, from UB. Mr. Ringer is a teacher at heart. In casual conversation, he talks about the four aesthetics of art: realism, expressionism, surrealism and abstraction. However, every small teaching moment has a purpose today, as a retired teacher, just as much as it did when he was instructing high schools on technique and perspective.

“Knowledge gives you the freedom to do whatever you want to do,” he said.

“But lack of knowledge doesn’t give you that freedom. You need skills and those skills are learned skills. You learn to abuse those skills but in ways you understand, it’s not by accident.”

NOVEMBER / DECEMB ER 2011 | N NY LIVI NG

KYLE R. HAYES is editorial assistant for NNY Living. Contact him at 661-2496 or khayes@ wdt.net.

29

Cover story

A season to celebrate

North country boasts many reasons to spread cheer STORY BY KYLE R. HAYES | NNY LIVING

Holiday traditions are as unique as the families WHO celebrate

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THEM. Each year, thousands of north country RESIDENTS HIT the slopes to ski together or take A seat at a holiday concert to CATCH the sounds of the season. DOZENS OF organizations and businesses make MANY traditions possible by opening their doors or putting on eventS that ALLOW PEOPLE TO JOIN IN celebratING old traditionS or startING new oneS. Here, we highlight more than a dozen ways TO SPREAD holiday CHEER.

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The idea to light up the St. Lawrence River community of Lisbon came from a group of neighbors, friends and co-workers that wanted to bring the local community together during the winter.

In December 2010, the Lisbon Lights on the River project set up more than 25 light displays throughout Lisbon Beach and an estimated 7,000 people from throughout Northern New York and southern Ontario came to see the spectacle.

“Last year we had people from Lake Placid, Watertown, Plattsburgh, all over the place come to visit,” Scott A. Wilhelm, Lights on the River committee chairman, said. “The turnout was really great.”

This year’s display runs from 5 to 9 p.m. daily from Saturday, Dec. 17, to Friday, Dec. 23, at Lisbon Beach and Campground.

The event is drive-through only and there’s no set admission fee.

“Last year we took all of the proceeds and donated them to the Lisbon food pantry,” Mr. Wilhelm said. “We do accept donations at the gate and all proceeds are being spread around to various north country food pantries this year.”

A major goal the committee had was to give residents a project that would benefit the community.

“We are looking to make this big; we want to make this a north country tradition,” Mr. Wilhelm said. “We are definitely on track to double the number of displays, if not more.”

For information about Lights on the River, visit www.lightsontheriver.org.

John T. Wright, executive director of the New York State Zoo at Thompson Park, is looking to bring back a holiday tradition to Watertown.

“When I first moved here, people were always talking about Lights on the Lake in Syracuse and about how the zoo used to do a holiday light display a few decades ago,” Mr. Wright said. “So I thought, why not do it again?”

This year, on Fridays, Saturdays and Sundays from Dec. 2 to New Year’s Day, excluding Christmas Eve and Christmas, the zoo will be hosting Holiday Lights. From 5 to 9 p.m. on those nights, for a nominal fee, the zoo will be home to more than 25 lights displays that have been sponsored by local businesses, civic organizations and community members.

“We have had help from lots of organizations to make this possible,” Mr. Wright said. “But we still have room for more. This really gives people something to do during the winter and it’s an example of a community coming together.”

For information on volunteering for the event or sponsoring a light display, contact Mr. Wright at 755-0892.

After visiting Lisbon Beach or Thompson Park to see the light displays, these other local holiday events will be going on throughout the area: Hospice of the St. Lawrence Valley will light the Robert Plumb Memorial Tree in Potsdam on Dec. 3 with the help of the Potsdam Chamber of Commerce. Tree lighting is tentatively scheduled for 5 p.m. Also in Potsdam, the village tree near the

JUSTIN SORENSEN | NNY LIVING

Lilly E. Marra, 4, left, and Lois A. Blewett, 4, both of Watertown, share a laugh during the 2010 Public Square Tree Lighting Ceremony in Watertown. This year’s lighting is set for 5:30 p.m. Thursday, Dec. 1 in Public Square.

Potsdam Public Museum, 2 Park St., will be lit at 5 p.m. Dec. 4. For information, contact the chamber at 274-9000.

Clayton’s village tree lighting will take place near Frink Park on Riverside Drive next to KeyBank at 5:30 p.m. Dec. 3.

right now, has 1,000 hand-tied bows from a local woman.

“We travel and find unique things that you’re not going to find in any other shop,” Mrs. Forsyth said. “I make a lot of custom pieces, like things with deer antlers that we find in the woods. We can work those into wreaths and make basket handles with them.”

Mrs. Forsyth tells many stories about families who have made visiting their business a tradition.

“I have a wall in my office of pictures that my customers send me year after year with their kids,” she said. “I have seen their progression as they’ve grown and now they’re bringing their families.”

On Dec. 3 and 4 and Dec. 10 and 11, Hemlock Haven has two open houses, where they have Santa Clause come, horse-drawn wagon rides, children’s activities, a refreshment stand and ladies making wreaths for customers to take home that day. The open houses run from

NOVEMB ER / DECEMB ER 201 1 | NNY LIVING

No holiday season would be complete without the requisite pine tree strapped to the roof of the family vehicle.

When faux trees with plastic pine cones just don’t cut it, tree farms become a destination of choice.

“It’s Christmas here all year long,” said Michele M. Forsyth, who has owned Hemlock Haven in Sandy Creek for 11 years with her husband, James.

Mrs. Forsyth said that it’s never too early to pick out the perfect Christmas tree.

Families throughout Northern New York make it a yearly tradition to come during the summer, set up a picnic in the tree lot and wander around in search of their prospective pine.

“What we do is program their cellphones with our business number and when they find their tree, we take a ride out there and tag their tree with a pink slip,” Mrs. Forsyth said. “Each slip has a specific number on it. The tree stays tagged with the number and the family gets the other half with the number. That way they know they’re always getting their tree.”

In addition to trees, custom made wreaths are a big seller throughout November and December. In their holiday shop, the Forsyths craft hundreds of wreaths a year that are sent throughout the United States and the world.

“The wreath business is just as big as the tree business,” Mrs. Forsyth said. “We’ve had people from Florida and South Carolina get one of our wreaths and say they can’t believe how good it smells, it smells like home.”

Hemlock Haven is also a destination for unique gifts. Their gift shop has a full line of candles, thousands of ornaments and,

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NO VEMB ER / DECEM BER 201 1 | NNY LIVIN G

the historic former home of local 10 a.m. to 4 p.m., but the shop is banker Edwin L. Paddock and his open from 9 a.m. to 7 p.m. wife, Olive, hosts a multitude of “There’s nothing we won’t do for holiday-themed events and gathour customers,” Mrs. Forysth said. erings. This year is no different.

“Once you come here you’re just “We do a lot to get people in the part of the family. That’s why our spirit, whether they like shopping motto is ‘Hemlock Haven, where or being with Santa or making memories are made.’” ornaments,” William G. Wood, Hemlock Haven is located at director of the historical society, 460 County Route 22A (Ellisburg said. “We have something for evStreet) in Sandy Creek. Contact the eryone and make it so people have business by phone at 387-5553. an enjoyable time.”

In Lewis County, the SimFrom 1 to 3 p.m. on Saturday, mons Farm is a family owned and Dec. 3, children will be able to operated wholesale and retail makmake crafts, ornaments and play er of Christmas wreaths, garland, games during Santa’s Workshop. kissing balls and Christmas decoWhile they’re there, they can also rations. The farm, located at 10180 have their picture taken with State Route 12 in Copenhagen, Santa Clause and the elves. Ornamakes balsam wreaths on the premments children make at the workises from fresh Adirondack balsam shop can be taken home or put on locally grown and hand selected the historical society’s commuand cut by the Simmons farm crew. nity tree.

For more information, contact the “We also have a group of volunSimmons Farm at 688-4470. teers that are setting up a very nice To see some trees that are holiday model train display,” Mr. dressed to the hilt, visit these fesWood said. “This year we have tivals: The 17th Annual Festival of one around a traditional ChristTrees, sponsored by the Clayton mas tree and another that is more Chamber of Commerce and the extensively built.”

JUSTIN SORENSEN | NNY LIVING Thousand Islands Museum will be For an adult’s night out, a candleA man listens to Jefferson Community College’s Jefferson Singers, open from Nov. 19 to Dec. 29 at the light reception will be from 6 to 9 directed by Dr. Lisa M. Scrivani-Tidd, during an informal concert museum, 312 James St., Clayton. On p.m. Saturday, Dec. 10, at the manlast December at the Paddock Arcade, Watertown. The season is Dec. 9, the chamber will host “Busision. The evening will include an packed with musical performances across the north country. ness with a Twist” from 5 to 7 p.m. upscale buffet dinner, drinks and at the museum. For information, music with the theme “Eat, Drink contact the chamber at 686-3371.

Public viewing will be throughout the day and Be Merry.” The reception is open to the The Samaritan Hospital Foun- on Saturday and Sunday. For information, public and museum members and reservadation of Northern New York is bringing contact the Samaritan Foundation at 785- tions can be made by calling the historical back its “North Country Festival of Trees” 5745. Tickets for the gala and auction are society at 782-3491. Tickets are $40. for another year from Dec. 2 to Dec. 4 at the $70 per person. Sugarplum Ball tickets are Admission for Santa’s Workshop is $5 Dulles State Office Building in Watertown. $70 per couple and $35 for an additional per person or $10 per family.

On Friday evening there will be a gala and adult or child.

“We want people to look at the historitree auction and on Saturday evening from Each year, the Jefferson County cal society as more than a collection of 6 to 9 p.m. is the annual Sugarplum Ball. Historical Society at the Paddock Mansion, historical artifacts,” Mr. Wood said. “It’s

32

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A variety of the holiday-inspired drinks at the Paddock Club, Watertown. From left, a hot chocolate with Rumple Minze, an egg nog martini, a Christmas hopper martini, a snowball, a cranberry martini and hot spiced cider.

According to David Ross, of the symphony’s marketing committee, the performance includes seasonal classics, traditional carols, music from the Nutcracker, a visit from Santa Clause and the customary sing-along to close the program.

Ron Spigelman will conduct and Steven Stull will be the baritone soloist. Also, as in years past, a local dance school will be dancing to excerpts from the Nutcracker.

General admission tickets are $20 and being sold through the Greater WatertownNorth Country Chamber of Commerce.

“The holiday pops concert is a good way to get into the spirit of the season,” Mr. Ross said in an email. “You are guaranteed to leave the concert with a smile on your face and wonderful music in your ears.”

To purchase tickets, contact the chamber at 788-4400.

If there is one concert that’s not to be missed this season, it’s the Symphony Syracuse Holiday Pops concert.

Set for 8 p.m. Dec. 14 at the Dulles State Office Building on Washington Street in Watertown, the concert is bound to be jampacked with the sounds of the holidays.

In its sixth season, the Trinity Concert Series has welcomed more than 4,000 concertgoers into a wide array of performances hosted by Trinity Episcopal Church in Watertown. This season’s holiday concert, titled “Glad Tidings,” fea-

tures the music of Watertown Musica Viva, a group of singers from many different professions and backgrounds who come together with a love of choral music and dedication to performance excellence.

The music group will perform as part of the concert series at 7 p.m. Saturday, Dec. 17, at the church. They will sing a collection of traditional carols for choir and four-hand piano as well as Benjamin Britten’s “A Ceremony for Carols, Op. 28” for choir and harp.

To purchase tickets, visit www.trinityconcerts.org. Ticket prices are $16 for adults and $14 for senior citizens and members of the military for preferred seating. General admission tickets are $14 for adults, $12 for senior citizens and members of the military. All tickets for students in kindergarten through 12th grade and college are free. A two dollar discount is applied for tickets purchased in advance.

The end of the year is a time that lends itself to innumerable social gatherings, whether it’s drinks with friends the night before Thanksgiving or a full-blown

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living history, too.”

For the fifth year, the Lyme Community Foundation will host a holiday home tour beginning at 6 p.m. Saturday, Dec. 17, from either the historic Copley House in Chaumont or the Heritage Center on Depot Street in Three Mile Bay. A candlelight reception at the Copley House will feature gourmet foods and festive music following the tour. The self-guided tour includes stops at four homes, each decorated in their own unique styles. Tickets for the tour are $20 per person. Checks or money orders with reservations may be sent to Lyme Community Foundation, P.O. Box 601, Chaumont, N.Y. 13622. Reservations requested by Wednesday, Dec. 14.

For information or to phone in your reservation, contact Barb Peck at 649-2236.

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New Year’s Eve party. However, after a summer of sangria, chilly winter nights call for something more festive.

At the Paddock Club, Watertown, they’re whipping up all sorts of holiday drinks that are fit for the season.

“The night before Thanksgiving is absolutely a huge night for us,” Paddock Club owner Robert J. Dalton said. “This year we have Annette Miller early from 5 to 8 p.m. and from 9 p.m. to 2 a.m. we have D.J. Noodle from For Pete’s Sake Entertainment.”

For the holidays, the Paddock has created some signature cocktails, including the snowball martini, eggnog martini and the Christmas hopper.

The snowball martini includes peppermint schnapps, vodka, whipped cream and is garnished with red cranberries, served in a glass with a sugared rim.

A Christmas hopper is made with green crème de mint, white crème de coco, milk and fresh cranberries.

“We really like to use fresh cranberries throughout the holidays,” Mr. Dalton said.

“When they’re in season, I snatch them all up, as many as possible.”

If there’s one cocktail that’s become synonymous with the holidays in Watertown it’s the Tom and Jerry.

“I use a pretty traditional recipe, but everyone puts their own spin on it,” Mr. Dalton said.

The landmark Crystal Restaurant on Public Square in Watertown has been serving its famous Tom and Jerrys for decades. Its hallmark drink is available from Thanksgiving to New Year’s and its rum-brandy mix is topped with a secret egg batter recipe that is made behind closed doors.

NOVEM BER / DECEMB ER 2 011 | NNY LIVING

KYLE R. HAYES is editorial assistant for NNY Living. Contact him at 661-2496 or khayes@ wdt.net.

34

GERALD A NORTZ, INC.

7490 S. State St. Lowville, NY 13367 www.geraldanortzinc.com ganortz@yahoo.com

GERRY NORTZ

OWNER

315-376-6211

FEATURES

A tradition of giving continues For nearly 20 years, the Carr family foundation has worked to brighten the holidays for many Gifts surround a Christmas Tree at the Black River Valley Club last December during the 16th annual Children’s Christmas Gift & Fund Drive.

BY NORAH MACHIA

$25,000 in cash and gifts were donated last year, said Bernard H. Brown Jr., the current CEO of the firm.

More than 1,000 invitations will be sent out for this year’s event, which will be held at a reception scheduled from 4 to 8 p.m. on Dec. 1 at the Black River Valley Club, 131 Washington St., Watertown.

The Children’s Gift and Fund Drive is open to anyone who would like to make a donation, even if they are not mailed an invitation, said Mr. Brown. The mailing list is compiled from past donors, and the firm always welcomes new contributors, he said.

Those who cannot attend the Dec. 1 reception can drop off donated toys in advance to the Bernier, Carr & Associates office at 327 Mullin St. Cash donations will also be accepted.

“For many people, this is their way to kick off the holiday season,” Mr. Brown said. “They’re doing something to help others, and that makes everyone feel good.”

Past supporters have come from a range of backgrounds, including architects and

Please see GIFTS, page 41

NOVEM BER / DECEMB ER 2 011 | NNY LIVING

It all started more than 25 years ago at the Watertown office of Bernier, Carr & Associates as part of an effort to spread some holiday spirit.

Paul G. Carr, a founding partner of the engineering and architectural firm who was chief executive officer at the time, decided that helping children from lowincome families would be the best way to accomplish it.

“I sent a memo to the shareholders asking them to buy two Christmas gifts — one for a boy and one for a girl,” he said. “I told them they needed to pick out the gifts themselves, no help from their spouses.”

He also asked that each gift have a minimum value of $25, and “that they use their own money. Nothing on the company credit card,” Mr. Carr added.

The most important thing, however, was that “they really thought about what they were picking out for the kids,” he said.

“We had an amazing response,” Mr. Carr said. “Everyone really ended up enjoying it.”

More than 100 toys were purchased for needy children that year. Mr. Carr, his wife, Kathleen E., and their daughter, Elizabeth, packed the toys into a van and distributed them to several local nonprofit agencies.

The gesture, which seemed to have put everyone in the holiday spirit, was so successful that it was eventually opened up to the community. Letters were sent out to clients and associates asking them to participate as well.

As the annual children’s gift drive became increasingly more popular, the engineering and architectural firm also started to accept cash donations from those who didn’t want to shop for particular gifts, but wanted to support the effort in another way.

“Cash donations gave us greater flexibility” to also help those in need who may not be served by the traditional holiday fund drives, such as elderly residents in nursing homes, Mr. Carr said.

The annual Children’s Gift and Fund Drive is now sponsored by Bernier, Carr & Associates and the Paul G. and Kathleen E. Carr Foundation. Approximately

35

FEATURES

JOHNSON NEWSPAPERS FILE PHOTO

Mother Ginger, played by Michael Boyce, releases her polichinelles during the performance of the Tchaikovsky ballet “The Nutcracker.” In Motion School of Dance has staged the production for the past six years.

‘Nutcracker’ a holiday mainstay NOVEM BER / DECEM BER 20 11 | NNY LI VI NG

Annual production at Watertown’s state office building in sixth season

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BY JOLEENE DESROSIERS There are giggles and smiles among the 30-some-odd girls who fill the In Motion School of Dance studio on Watertown’s outer Arsenal Street. Some are done dancing for the day and bounce around with fellow company members in the waiting area before their parents arrive to take them home. Others are just beginning to rehearse, eager to plié their way through their first lesson of the ever-popular Christmas show, “The Nutcraker. “ These girls, ages 4 through 18, are starting the first in a series of rehearsals for the sixth season of the traditional holiday

ballet that takes center stage at the Dulles State Office Building in mid-December.

Susan Swanson has just come by to pick up her 14-year-old daughter, Abby, and is happy to share her enthusiasm for her child and the upcoming show.

“I have taken my children to see the Nutcraker since they were born. It’s a family tradition. We went and saw the In Motion production last year because one of my daughter’s friends was in it and we thought it was beautiful,” Mrs. Swanson said. “So we met with Shereen to talk about auditioning Abby and here we are; part of the show and part of the tradition.”

Shereen Daly is the owner of In Motion School of Dance. She and fellow dance instructor Tricia Moore decided to put together a production of “The Nutcracker” after a handful of their dancers were invited to be a part of an international production that visited Watertown several years ago.

“I thought we could do the same,” Mrs. Daly said. “And so many kids were interested, too. So we spent the first year choreographing the ballet beginning in the summer. We had a few backdrops for scenery and that was it. The production has grown quite a bit over the years.”

Mrs. Daly and Mrs. Moore produce the entire show, front to back. Not only

Pet

JUSTIN SORENSEN | NNY LIVING

Students at In Motion School of Dance rehearse for the upcoming “Nutcracker” performance. In front, from left, Breanna Lees, Meagan Sloan and Savannah Grant. Meagan will be dancing en pointe in the show as Snow Queen, Toy Soldier, lead flower and Sugar Plum Fairy.

Nutcracker / history “The Nutcracker” ballet is based on the book “The Nutcracker and the Mouse King” by E.T.A. Hoffman.

Legendary choreographer Marius Petipa commissioned composer Pyotr Ilyich Tchaikovsky to write a score for “The Nutcracker Ballet” in 1891.

The following year, the first showing of the Nutcracker was performed at the Mariinsky Theatre of Russia, home of the Kirov Ballet.

By the 1930s, the production made its way to Western Europe and to the United States in 1940, performed by Ballet Russe. The San Francisco Ballet performed the first full-length “Nutcracker” in the U.S., choreographed by W. Christensen. Since, it has become an annual holiday tradition performed by many professional ballet companies and schools across the country and the world.

Despite some difference in detail in what is performed on stage today and Mr. Hoffman’s original story, the basic plot remains the same: the story of a young German girl who dreams of a Nutcracker Prince and a fierce battle against a Mouse King with seven heads.

And he really seems to enjoy it. My girls have danced since the first year In Motion did the production,” Mrs. Boyce said. “They must enjoy it because they keep coming back year after year to do it. My husband says that as long as the girls are a part of the show, he’ll be involved with it just as long.”

Putting together such an elaborate production is a very time-consuming process that requires many volunteer hands.

“We all have families and our company is made up of families,” Mrs. Daly said.

Please see NUTCRACKER, page 45

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do they choreograph the production for more than 60 cast members, they also are set designers, stage hands and costume designers.

“The first year we were just kind of pulling things together,” Mrs. Moore said.

“But over the years it’s grown so much.

Every year we add something new. We have a lot of parent volunteers who help us now, too.”

And, like many annual productions, the more performances of “The Nutcracker,” the more parents realize what goes on behind the scenes with dancers and set design and various scene changes.

“As the props began to grow and the scene changes became more elaborate, parents saw we needed more hands backstage,” Mrs. Daly said. “So they stepped up and it really made all the difference. We have so much help now that we have to rent a storage unit to keep everything for the production. It’s a good thing.”

While three younger company members roll a lighted ball across the floor in the waiting area, sharing giggles with one another after rehearsal, Renee Boyce, mother of two “Nutcraker” dancers, smiles as she talks about her family’s involvement with the show. Not only have her children been a part of the production for the past six years, her husband, Michael, has played a few key roles as well.

“It’s a family affair for us. The very first year my husband was talked into being Mother Ginger, which is a male role. He’s also played Drosselmeyer.

Farm

37

FOOD

Preparing for a perfect holiday Worry-free parties begin with a culinary ‘game plan’

BY BOO WELLS

ingredients like butter, cream and diced onions, and which recipes can be made in advance and held. I create a shopping list, categorized by the items required for each recipe, the produce, dairy, dry goods, spices, etc. The next step is to create a prep list for the menu. Working backwards from the big day, assign yourself tasks to accomplish, like dicing the onions or clarifying the

NOVEMB ER / D ECEM BER 2011 | NN Y LIVING

Your prep list is the plan that gets you from bags of groceries to a fully completed feast in manageable increments.

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If you’re like most people, you have already started thinking about what dishes to serve at your holiday meals. For me, this time of year is all about the food — especially the side dishes.

In August, I find myself day dreaming about the savory concoctions that might be worthy of an elegant holiday feast. You may serve a traditional menu, one that has been repeated from year to year, or maybe you scan the pages of cooking magazines for new and different ideas every season.

Depending on who will be joining us at our dinner table, I fall somewhere in the middle of the spectrum. If my dad will be here, sweet potatoes topped with melted marshmallows are an absolute must — far from elegant but his idea of culinary heaven. If my brother and his family are joining us, he will make the most amazing Szechuan string beans with pork — not very traditional but out of this world delicious. A well thought out menu is important for a cohesive meal, but a menu game plan is what will allow you to enjoy your guests and all the time you spent in the kitchen.

Culinary Game Plan 101: The first step is to create a master shopping list. I start by studying all the recipes I plan to cook, making notes about which recipes require duplicate

butter needed for every recipe. Prepare items that can be done in advance and safely held until needed. Your prep list is the plan that gets you from bags of groceries to a fully completed feast in manageable increments.

The French have a term for the next step. Mise en place, which loosely translates to “everything in its place,” is what will save you from the last-minute panic trip back to the store for the forgotten white pepper or shallots. Before you start breaking out the pots and pans, assign a sheet tray or even a paper grocery store bag for each recipe.

Gather and separate the ingredients for each dish, you can even go so far as collecting the specific tools or equipment needed. This step will make you aware of any item you might have missed before the stores are mobbed with other harried shoppers. When the time comes to start cooking, having everything you need right at your fingertips will allow you to move efficiently through each recipe in a calm and organized manner.

It might already be too late, you may have planned your holiday table back when there were still leaves on the trees. But, if there is still room on your table, give these recipes a try.

Boo Wells is chef and owner of the Farm House Kitchen, a catering company and cooking school in Sackets Harbor. Contact her at sacketsfarmhousekitchen@gmail.com or www.thefarmhousekitchen.com.

AMANDA MORRISON | NNY LIVING

Cheddar scallion biscuits

Butternut squash with sage brown butter

Cheddar scallion biscuits Szechuan green beans INGREDIENTS 2 cups all-purpose flour 2 ½ teaspoons baking powder ½ teaspoon salt 1 cup shredded sharp cheddar cheese 1/3 cup minced scallions, white and green parts 6 tablespoons cold unsalted butter, cut into chunks ¾ cup half and half

INSTRUCTIONS In wok, heat 4 cups peanut oil to 350 degrees.

Add a quarter of the green beans. Fry about 1 minute — they are done when they float to the top, and are wrinkled and somewhat blistered. They should retain some crunch. Drain in a colander, then on paper towels. Repeat with the rest of the beans. Discard oil.

In the wok on high heat, heat 2 tablespoons oil until hot. Add the dried chilies, garlic, ginger, and minced dried shrimp. Stir briskly for about 30 seconds. Add ground pork, and stir until brown, about 1 minute. Add the bean paste and stir for another 30 seconds.

Butternut squash with sage brown butter INGREDIENTS 2 butternut squash, about 4 pounds ¼ cup orange juice concentrate ½ cup heavy cream ½ cup finely chopped fresh sage 1 stick unsalted butter, melted Salt and freshly ground pepper, to taste INSTRUCTIONS Preheat the oven to 400 degrees. Lightly butter a rimmed baking sheet.

Cut squash in half lengthwise and remove the seeds. Place the squash halves, cut side down, on the prepared baking sheet. Bake the squash for 40-50 minutes or until the squash is easily pierced with a fork. Let cool slightly, scoop the flesh into a large bowl, discarding the peel.

Add the orange juice, heavy cream, sage, and the melted butter. Mash with a potato masher or beat with an electric mixer until blended and smooth. Season the puree with salt and pepper to taste. Transfer to a warm serving bowl.

This dish can be prepared a day in advance; before serving, reheat in a 325 degree oven for 20-30 minutes.

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NOVEMBER / DECEMB ER 2011 | N NY LIVI NG

INSTRUCTIONS Preheat the oven to 425 degrees. Lightly coat a rimmed baking sheet with non-stick spray.

In a large bowl, stir together the flour, baking powder, salt, shredded cheese and scallions.

Using a pastry cutter, work the butter into the dry mixture until it resembles coarse crumbs. Add the half and half and mix with a rubber spatula until the ingredients are just incorporated. Transfer the mixture to a floured work surface and knead lightly until the dough just comes together. It is important not to knead the dough more than necessary because overworked dough will become tough once it is baked.

Roll out the dough about ¾ inch thick. Using a 2-inch biscuit cutter, cut out rounds of dough and set them on the rimmed baking sheet. If you do not have a biscuit cutter, you can always substitute a small glass dipped in flour or you can cut square biscuits by hand.

Bake until the biscuits are golden brown. Serve warm.

INGREDIENTS 4 cups peanut oil 1 pound green beans, trimmed, washed, dried 2 tablespoons peanut oil 3 dried hot chilies, cut up 1 teaspoon minced garlic 2 teaspoons minced ginger 20 dried shrimp, soaked, then minced ¼ pound ground pork 1 teaspoon Sichuan bean paste or chili with garlic sauce 2 teaspoons white vinegar 4 tablespoons Chinese rice wine ½ teaspoon salt 2 teaspoons sugar 3 tablespoons soy sauce 2 teaspoons Asian sesame oil

Add the string beans and stir quickly to mix, then add the vinegar, rice wine, sugar, and salt, and stir for 1 minute. Add the soy sauce and sesame oil, stir, and serve.

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FOOD [ CHEF’S TABLE ]

An Italian Christmas tradition Panettone a treat for the holidays that will stir the senses, delight the tastebuds Panettone bread pudding with Frangelico mascarpone cream

NOVEMB ER / DECEMB ER 201 1 | N NY LIVING

BY BRENDA CAVALLARIO

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We all share the familiarity of different types of sweet yeast-leavened breads. Some are filled with dried fruits, such as the hot cross bun, served during the Easter season, and we are all too well aware of the sweet indulgence of yeast bread that is filled with the aromatic spices of cinnamon and nutmeg, topped with a delightful sugar glaze, better known as the classic cinnamon bun.

For the people of Italy, the Christmas bread known as the Panettone is a familiarity they share. This bread, which is also referred to as a cake, contains candied orange, citron, lemon zest and raisins and has a fluffy texture.

The Panettone dates back to the 15th century. It is an awaited tradition for many family tables throughout Italy.

Through the extensive business of importing, Panettone is available to us here in the states. You could create your own Panettone via a recipe, but I personally find the small pleasure of awaiting its arrival to the grocery shelf, with its beautifully decorated packaging, a step toward the upcoming year-end holiday season.

I was introduced to this sweet yeast bread at a young age, as it was the gift given to our family for several years by an Italian family that descended from the region of Palermo, their family name was Palermo. Just as individual families create and celebrate their own unique family traditions through the holiday season, the same may be said of the preparation and use of the Panettone.

This dome-shaped, leavened bread has the diversity to be served from breakfast to dessert. In the northern region of Milan, Panettone is served warm from the oven as a dessert joined with a sweet

INGREDIENTS 2 pound loaf Panettone, cut into 1½-inch cubes *crust trimmed optional 2½ cups heavy cream 3½ cups whole milk 1½ cups sugar 2 tsp. pure vanilla extract 9 whole eggs 3 egg yolks 1 cup coarsely chopped dark or bittersweet chocolate ¾ cup chopped walnuts or hazelnuts 2/3 cup dried cranberries

NORM JOHNSTON | NNY LIVING

beverage such as an Asti wine, or a sweet nutty Italian liqueur such as Disaronno or Frangelico.

Simply sliced and toasted with butter or fruit jam was the way my mother prepared it for us, along with reminding us “that it was a treat,” therefore a slice a day during the season was it for us. At Christmas, my personal adaptation of this traditional bread is made into a rich, warm custard-filled bread pudding, topped with a Frangelico mascarpone cream.

The following recipe is simple to prepare, a pleasure to the senses as it bakes, and a delightful treat to eat, so celebrate a little bit of Italy around your family table this holiday season. Mangia!

Brenda Cavallario is executive chef and owner of Cavallario’s Cucina in Watertown. Visit her website at http://www.cavallarios.com/ CavallarioCucina.htm

INSTRUCTIONS Arrange half of the cubed bread into the bottomed of a lightly buttered, deep dish 9-by-13-inch pan. Sprinkle half of the chopped chocolate, nuts and berries on bread cubes, repeat layer. In large bowl, whisk together cream, milk, sugar and vanilla, set aside.

In separate bowl, whisk the eggs and egg yolks untill frothy. Incorporate the cream mixture & egg mixture together and evenly pour over the bread cubes.

Gently push the bread down into liquid.

Let rest for 15 minutes. Bake in a 350-degree oven 1 hour to 1 hour 15 minutes, until bread pudding puffs and center is set. Cool slightly, serve warm with Frangelico mascarpone cream.

In a stainless mixing bowl add 2 cups heavy cream, 2 cups confectioners’ sugar and whip untill stiff peaks form. Fold ½ cup mascarpone Italian sweet cheese and ¼ cup Frangelico liqueur. Serve alongside Panettone pudding.

ADD: Try making French toast with Panettone. Top with a little softened butter mixed with honey and cinnamon from your pantry and a few fresh blueberries or raspberries.

TIP: Cut Panettone in approximately 1½-inch thick slices, dip in egg mixture; do not soak.

GIFTS, from page 35

uses the donated funds to give a “pizza party” for more than 75 children and their families at the Adams American Legion.

The annual party is held in conjunction with the Toys for Tots program conducted the by local members of the United States Marine Corp., she said.

The support from the Children’s Gift & Fund Drive has helped the nonprofit agency staff ensure that every child in their service area receives a meaningful Christmas gift, she said.

Norah Machia is a freelance writer who lives in Watertown. She is a 20-year veteran journalist.

Contact her at nemachia@yahoo.com.

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engineers with other firms, doctors, lawyers, small business owners, community leaders and municipal officials.

The Children’s Gift and Fund Drive also receives support each year from staff at the Jefferson Rehabilitation Center. They conduct their own fund-raisers to support the drive, he said.

Those who participate are still asked to bring two gifts— one for a boy and one for a girl. The gifts should not be wrapped, however, because otherwise it would be difficult for human service agencies to distribute the appropriate gifts to the children.

People are asked not to donate stuffed animals as those could cause problems for children with allergies.

“We’ve found that people select toys based on what they played with in their childhood” and some of the popular ones have been Legos, Tonka Trucks, Barbie Dolls and Lincoln Logs, Mr. Brown said.

Numerous food pantries that provide Christmas assistance to low-income families have benefited from the annual Children’s Gift and Fund Drive, including food pantries in Antwerp, Cape Vincent, Carthage, Chaumont, Clayton, Depauville, Evans Mills, Orleans, Philadelphia, Theresa and Watertown.

The donated toys have also been distributed through the Rohde Community Center, Adams, the Clayton Council of Churches and the Clayton Improvement Association, Deacons of the United Presbyterian Church, Sackets Harbor, Faith Fellowship Church and Good Samaritan Society of St. James Church.

Nonprofit agencies that have received toys and cash donations include the Children’s Home of Jefferson County, Catholic Charities, Community Action Planning Council, Jefferson County Department of Social Services, North Country Children’s Clinic, Salvation Army, Victims Assistance Center of Jefferson County and the Watertown Urban Mission.

“They have been extremely good to us,” said Nina O. Hershey, president of the Rohde Community Center board of directors. “We have really appreciated it.”

The nonprofit agency based in Adams provides assistance to low-income families throughout the towns of Adams, Ellisburg, Henderson, Lorraine, Rodman and Worth.

The Rohde Center receives a donation of toys, along with a financial contribution, each year from the annual Children’s

Gift and Fund Drive, she said.

The donated money is used to purchase additional toys to help “fill a gap” for the families who aren’t able to sign up in advance for annual Christmas assistance, Ms. Hershey said. Donations are also used by the agency to purchase gifts for older children, or those who may be lacking an age-appropriate gift, she added.

“We like to buy gift cards for the older children” so they can pick out their own items according to their interests, Ms. Hershey said.

The Rohde Community Center also

41

HOMES

Design creatively with small spaces Wellesley Island guest house proves bigger isn’t always better

BY PEGGY DeYOUNG

Island guest house Interior Design: Peggy DeYoung, Porch and Paddle, Clayton Architecture: Grater Architects, Clayton Builder: Steve Taylor Builders, Wellesley Island

NO VEM BER / DECEMBER 20 11 | NNY L IVING

The Thousand Islands are full of interesting homes — from small colorful Victorian cottages built on tent platforms to Gilded Age castles and even boathouses and houseboats.

Many of these homes were built as seasonal summer camps and now many of the owners of these homes want a year-round home with all of the amenities of a modern home. Sometimes, the structure can be altered to accommodate changing needs but often a new home replaces the old on the original land with careful attention to blend into the neighborhood and mimic the past.

In order to meet the family requirements of entertaining guests and additional family members throughout the summer, this homeowner decided to add a guest apartment.

Lot sizes can be challenging along the waterfront, so the cottage-sized guest house was incorporated underneath the original garage creatively built into a ledge by Grater Architects.

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The space needed to be self-sufficient unlike some that only offer sleeping quarters. Efficiency became imperative as a sitting room also became the kitchen and dining area, a bedroom suite also had a computer space for guests, along with a cozy but elegant full bath and a small outside stone deck for a morning coffee.

The architect’s use of tongue-and-groove sugar pine wall boards and ceiling detail provided the warmth of a historical summer home. However, wood walls and ceilings like strong colors and our owner liked red. This was combined with shades of the river.

The St. Lawrence River has wonderful shades of greens and blues that are always changing. These “water” colors were repeated in the drapery panels of a Lee Jofa heron fabric document print and in the glass tile backsplash on the kitchen cabinet wall. The bathroom mimics a grand old bath with tile wainscot and borders in an arts and craft glaze of aqua and green.

There was little room for side tables and end tables. Wall mounted lamps were used next to the sofa and the bed. The owner likes playing card games, so the small dining table is really a French card table — a colorful tablecloth from the Porch and Paddle shop changes the function easily. In a small space all the details are important, like the etched fish glassware and water colored dinnerware. This just might be a guest house that guests will not want to leave.

PEGGY DeYOUNG is a National Council for Interior Design Qualification certified interior designer. She owns the Porch and Paddle Cottage Shop in Clayton. Contact her at deerrun@twcny.rr.com.

Clockwise from top left, the living room with a sofa and throw pillows, art, lamps and window drapery panel. A wine glass with fish accents the kitchen.

A door knob with pinecone accent detail. The bedroom with night stand, lamps and windows that let ample natural light in. The kitchen backsplash with a fish-themed napkin ring. In the bathroom, heron tile keeps a river theme.

NOVEMBER / DECEMB ER 2011 | N NY LIVI NG

43

MY NNY

‘Windmills’

BY LESLIE SHELDON / COPENHAGEN

NO VEM BER / DECEMBER 20 11 | NNY L IVING

Date: July 25, 2010 Info: Jason Stone and son, Jonathan, check out some of the Maple Ridge Wind Farm turbines while hiking at Whetstone Gulf State Park near Lowville and Martinsburg. The Stones, also including Jason’s wife, Rebecca, and daughter, Rachel, who were also on the hike, are from Cooperstown. Rebecca is an

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appraiser with Farm Credit and makes frequent trips to the north country to work out of the Burrville and Potsdam offices.

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To learn more n For tickets and more information about December’s performance of “The Nutcracker” at Watertown’s Dulles State Office Building, visit: www.inmotionschoolofdance.com.

NUTCRACKER, from page 37 “But at the end of the day when you get that one phone call or that one email from someone who you don’t even know thanking you for bringing this kind of tradition to the north country, it makes all the difference in the world.”

Building a north country holiday tradition is exactly what Mrs. Daly and her company has done.

“In Motion is truly a family,” Mrs. Boyce added. “All the big girls look out for the little girls and it’s always been that way. It’s a wonderful thing to be able to look back and know that we were a part of building this tradition. I’m proud of that.”

Joleene DesRosiers is a transformational speaker and freelance writer who lives in Pulaski.

Contact her at myddes@hotmail.com. Visit her at www.jddesr.webs.com.

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WOMEN’s wise

It’s never too late to follow a dream

NO VEM BER / DECEMBER 20 11 | NNY L IVING

BY JOLEENE DESROSIERS

46

Mary Randazzo is an artist who can paint with the best of them, creating images that pour from her soul onto the canvas with great ease. But she hasn’t always been an artist.

Just about 25 years ago, Mrs. Randazzo was driving through a great canyon in California when she passed a giant, majestic tree. It stood old and withered against the rising sun, but Mrs. Randazzo saw its beauty, nonetheless. She decided she was going to take a picture of the tree — and then paint it. She had never, ever painted before. It was something she always wanted to try but never did. A camera lay ready, next to her on the passenger’s seat.

“I’ll take a picture of it on my way back through the canyon,” she thought.

She continued on her way to run some errands, fill her gas tank and visit a friend.

Several hours later she was driving back through the canyon, the old withered tree on her mind. As she reached the peak of the hill that would bring her down to where the tree stood, she blinked twice into the now setting sun, disbelieving what she was seeing. The tree, which she admired just hours before, was lying on its side in the brush, with several workmen around it. It had been cut down. Mrs. Randazzo pulled over on the side of the road with her jaw dropped. Tears filled her eyes as she watched the men pull at the limbs that once stretched out so graciously. Once again, she thought, she was a day late and a dollar short.

“It was the same thing I experienced time and time again: missing out on something because I didn’t act. And here I was, on the side of the road, watching these men cut up this tree that I learned later was roughly 300 years old. I didn’t take

‘‘

It was the same thing I experienced time and time again: missing out on something because I didn’t act.

— Mary Randazzo on missed opportunities

the time to stop and snap a photo of it.”

At that moment, Mrs. Randazzo decided she wasn’t going to wait any longer to paint. She pulled back out into the road and drove straight to an art store where she bought brushes, paint and canvas.

Mrs. Randazzo was 40 years old when she finally decided to follow a longstanding passion. Today she is 64, and she just won her first two awards for her work, which are prominently displayed at a museum in Clayton.

There may be times you’ve missed out on something because life has you running and running. And because you keep running, you miss out on the greatest things sometimes. If you slow down just a little bit, you may see something that you didn’t see before. So slow down, just a little bit.

Having said that, when will you go buy your brushes and canvas?

Joleene DesRosiers is a transformational speaker and freelance writer who lives in Pulaski.

Contact her at myddes@hotmail.com. Visit her at www.jddesr.webs.com.

NOVEM BER / DECEMB ER 2 011 | NNY LIVING

TOP OF THE SQUARE 105 COURT STREET, WATERTOWN, NY 788-5287

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