Simply Saratoga May 2011

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May / June 2011

Contents

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8

Reviews 8

Amigos Cantina

For locals or visitors this restaurant is a hit.

12 Russell Banks Admired by critics, readers and peers

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24

Things to Know

26 Simple Truths I AM Good Enough!

30 Financial

Things to Do 16 Save the Date

Features

own war”

Preliminaries

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34 Susan McBurnie 24 Bottle Notes Mother eXtraordinaire To Mirror, Contrast, Salty or Sweet...

Questions answered here! 42 “Fighting their

28 Check-Up

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Cover Photo by MarkBolles.com

They can’t forget, and neither should we.

48 Saratoga’s

Sutton Sisters They both want to win!

Roth IRA’s 56 Yaddo Gardens The Yaddo Garden Association will celebrate it’s 20th Anniversary this year.

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Home & Garden 66 Picnic Time!

70 Spring Cleaning 74 For the Gardener Hydrangea Care 76 Sunnyside

Gardens

30 years in the making 80 Flower Speak Are You Listening?

VIEW ON-LINE "flip through" the pages of this magazine and link to the advertisers' websites at SaratogaPublishing.com

18 Art Fest June 9 - 12

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Owner/Publisher Chad Beatty General Manager Robin Mitchell Creative Director Chris Bushee Art Director Tiffany Garland Editor Arthur Gonick Writers Yael Goldman Daniel Schechtman Helen Edelman Michael Okby Patty Novo Andrij O. Baran Kerry Mendez Meghan Lemery Advertising Jim Daley Cindy Durfey Graphic Designer Katy Holland Copy Proofreader Anne Proulx Contributing Photographers Creative Photo & Graphic Stock Studios Photography Printing Fry Communications

Published by Saratoga Publishing, LLC Five Case Street Saratoga Springs, NY 12866 tel: 518.581.2480 fax: 518.581.2487 SaratogaPublishing.com Simply Saratoga is brought to you by Saratoga Publishing, LLC. Saratoga Publishing shall make every effort to avoid errors and omissions but disclaims any responsibility should they occur. No part of this publication may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system, or transmitted in any form or by any means without prior written consent of the publisher. Copyright (c) 2011, Saratoga Publishing, LLC 6 | Simply Saratoga

Photo by MarkBolles.com

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Foodfor Thought

Ole’ Amigos!

Story By Helen Susan Edelman Photos by ©stockstudiosphotography.com

ere’s something you don’t hear a restaurant owner say too often: “Don’t fill up on that!” But that’s what Robert Chrust tells his customers, with a cautionary nod at the chips and salsa on the tables at festive Amigos Cantina, a burst of energy on a Schuylerville side street. Chrust’s advice is worth heeding; the meal to come will be both fabulous and filling – and you won’t want to turn away a forkful.

Chrust first arrived in the area in 1987, relocating from Key West, Fla. so his youngest child could attend the independent Waldorf School in Saratoga Springs. The lanky, athletic Chrust also taught circus arts, unicycling and juggling. Four years ago, Chrust (who has a background in retail as well as teaching) and Teddi, his life partner, moral support and inspiration, decided “to start a new chapter.”

“I knew it would be challenging to convince enough people in an area without a large Hispanic population to eat here,” he says, somehow giving me all his attention while keeping an eye on the front door, the bar and the kitchen, and greeting all comers, many by name.

But Amigos Cantina has turned out to be a magnet, filling up 40 indoor seats and 10 bar stools on Friday and Saturday nights and 30 more outdoors in the summer. (Reservations suggested.) Companion and I were there on a Sunday evening in March and the restaurant was comfortably busy, a warm oasis in a cold season. People come to dine from Saratoga Springs, Stillwater, Scotia, Schenectady, Albany and Bennington, VT. – but many are Schuylerville residents and “regulars,” Chrust is pleased to point out. “We have local foot traffic as well as visitors from Canada docked on the Hudson.” He attributes the success in large part to the restaurant’s consistent ability “to fulfill expectations,

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both for the food and for the experience.”

The tables themselves are notable for their beauty and charm. Every one is hand-painted by an artist friend of Chrust’s to depict a Mexican scene and – along with an enchanting collection of original, south-ofthe-border folk art on the walls and lively music – contribute to a vibrant environment - heavily accented with party colors and sounds in a casual atmosphere.

Thus, surrounded by mood-setting art and artifacts, eager to taste-test the menus posted at www.amigoscantina.net, and prepped to enjoy dinner by a friend who heads to Amigos Cantina to quell her cravings for shrimp enchiladas, Companion and I were receptive to Chrust’s suggestion to sip margaritas while we considered what to eat. This versatile drink is available in a long list of variations and ours were fruity delights. The beverage roster is as creative as it is diverse, offering a panoply of alcoholic and non-alcoholic choices: wines, beers, tequilas, liqueurs and specialty frozen drinks, sparkling water, Aztec lemonade, Mexican sodas, juices, milk, coffee and tea.

Meanwhile, there were decisions to make about dinner. Crab cakes were first (also Chrust’s recommendation) and they were perfect — light, savory and perfectly browned, teasing, but not satisfying our appetites, leaving lots of room for a smorgasbord to come of flavor and texture. Shrimp enchiladas were a must, of course, and we could see why they are so compelling; the dish is spicy but not overpowering. We also tried veggie fajitas (succulent and crispy - my personal favorite) and chicken tacos (zesty and crunchy). Teddi – who was serving that night – brought over side enhancements such as beans, guacamole and piquant sauces (one is being labeled and marketed by the restaurant). If only we’d had more time and physical capacity, we’d also have ordered a tamale, a burrito, a chimichanga and a quesadilla, but Chrust had already tipped us off about the house-made desserts, and there was no way we were going to pass on that temptation. An excellent decision – both the flan and the cheesecake were, as my teenagers would say, “awesome.” (Plan to bring some of your dinner home. There’s plenty and you’ll want more soon.)

“Nothing is frozen here,” Chrust assured us. “Everything is fresh, prepared today for dinner.” Other food particulars: the corn/canola oil blend he uses contains zero trans fats; the corn tortillas are wheat- and glutenfree; all water used in food and drinks has been carbon filtered; the red chili sauce is made with a beef stock and is spicy; and the green chili sauce is vegetarian and mild.

Opening a restaurant was risky for someone who hadn’t been around the hospitality industry, Chrust admits, but he brought in a chef with 12 years of experience cooking southwestern-style Mexican cuisine in Arizona and trusted his instincts and his business judgment to make it work. He determined to stay sane by serving only dinner and by not working seven days a week (made possible by hiring a solid staff he trusts, including his own son). Nevertheless, his background in juggling comes in handy as he manages everything from menu planning to décor, staffing to working with food vendors, taxes to advertising. “I’m happy with it,” he reports. “I have a good quality of life here. I go with the flow

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and I’m dedicated.”

He brings his enthusiasm to town on four wheels. Chrust sometimes drives his “tacomobile,” a van painted with the name of his restaurant powered by an engine fueled by vegetable oil. It was built by his son as a senior project at the Waldorf School.

Something is going very right. One of the highest compliments Chrust has received was from the Mexican owner of an ethnic-cuisine eatery in Hudson Falls. “He came the first weekend we were open with his wife and kids to check us out,” says Chrust. “But the real honor was that he came back for dinner with his parents.” ¡Bueno appétit!

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Amigos Cantina 42 Ferry St. Schuylerville, NY 518-695-9595 www.amigoscantina.net Open 4:30 p.m., Tuesday-Sunday Takeout food available Private parties by arrangement

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B o o k m a r k

Russell Banks: Tough topics, incisive prose Story By Helen Susan Edelman Photo Provided

The day he recently turned 71, Russell Banks found himself on the receiving end of an avalanche of good wishes.

“I didn’t know what happened until I heard that Garrison Keillor (of “Prairie Home Companion”) had announced my birthday on NPR,” said novelist, poet and essayist Banks, both surprised and amused by the honor.

The mention was a nod to Banks’ deep imprint on the international literary landscape.

The author of 16 acclaimed novels (two have been made into movies) and two books of nonfiction, Banks’ impressive list of prizes — including the John Dos Passos Award, the O. Henry Memorial Award, the American Book Award and the American Academy of Arts and Letters Award — represents the admiration of critics, readers and peers. He has been translated into 20 languages, and was the New York State Author and a teacher for both the New York State Writers Institute and Princeton University. A few months ago, he received the $50,000 Commonwealth Writer’s Prize established to encourage dialogue and understanding of different cultures through reading.

At home in Saratoga Springs, Banks is gracious and expansive, funny, cynical and remarkably handsome in his unelaborate wood-paneled study

where he has been writing for more than a decade.

(He and his wife, prominent poet Chase Twichell, also have homes in the Adirondacks and Miami.)

But birthday cheer doesn’t lull Banks into complacency. Sitting in a wooden chair, two sociable Border Collies at his feet, he waxes bleak about the state of the world: violence, poverty, natural and human-created disaster, slimy politics, race and class-related conflicts and an encompassing miasma of misery.

“But there is hope and redemption in the dignity of the individual,” points out Banks, who is a visionary, not a curmudgeon.

“That’s the point of human connection, to recognize the worth of each other’s inner lives. The novel is about that subjective experience, affirming the ‘other’ who is otherwise just a statistic. It’s about acknowledging that the individual is important whether that person is sitting on a throne or in a stick lean-to.” He says that heroes are the people who struggle for a better life every day, despite the world’s flaws.

Banks’ novels deliver two gifts: a story so compelling that a reader will lose sleep to finish it, about believable (if unsavory) characters in believable (if hideous) situations, many drawn from history; and lush, graphic descriptions of settings that force the reader to duck a branch or wipe away the sweat.

“It’s all in the pacing,” says Banks. “You have to

“...there is hope and redemption in the dignity of the individual”

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know when to give the reader more, when to let the story take over, when a fact will get in the way.”

Such meticulous narrative and dialogue, including local dialect, has required Banks to travel for extended on-location reconnaissance, from Haiti to New Hampshire (where he grew up and was, briefly, a plumber) and from Liberia to Kansas; amass his own encyclopedic knowledge of political history, anthropology, geography, behavior and current events; and interact with natives, expatriates and outsiders intimate with the culture of a place.

“I want to be able to convey how the light falls, what it feels like when your shirt sticks to you from the humidity, and what it smells like,” says Banks, whose ability to evoke human character is equally three-dimensional. His use of elements such as gait, gesture and tone of voice are woven into his fiction with such genius that the effect is as vividly cinematic as it is verbal. He also reveals that he writes from the point of view of the listener hearing the story, not the narrator’s.

The grittier the subject, the more tenacious this author’s commitment is to its exposition. But beauty and moral rectitude infuse the contrast that is the real context for every story. Informative, thorough and exact without ever being academic or moralistic, Banks presents the evidence, the reader comes to his own conclusions. Though his work is exotic in the literal sense, the emotional response is intensely personal.

Fundamental to this are Banks’ electrifying stories: a decent-man-gone-greedy from New Hampshire thinks he’ll

get rich quick in Florida until his life intersects with impoverished Haitians who pay to be smuggled to America (“Continental Drift”); a school bus crash robs a tiny Adirondack community of its children and produces aftershocks of despair and alienation (“The Sweet Hereafter”); an American woman wanted by the police for youthful crimes flees to Liberia, marries a government functionary, bears three sons and devotes herself to protecting chimpanzees, only to lose both her past and her present in a violent coup (“The Darling”); a famous artist collides physically and emotionally with the unstable daughter of a famous doctor, his own wife, a grieving caretaker and the doctor’s widow, resulting in disaster for every character (“The Reserve”); and a reclusive atheist narrator haunted and imprisoned by the life story of his larger-than-life father, abolitionist John Brown, retells the bloody, iconic story (“Cloudsplitter”).

Banks’ seventeenth novel, “Lost Memory of Skin” will be released in September. The book explores homelessness, convicted sex offenders and the Internet.

His personal stories are also an opus. There was the writer’s conference when he and mentor Algren Nelson took off for four days, resulting in Algren being fired; the book jumpstarted by a New York Times article; the failed yearning to be part of the Cuban revolution; and the mother-in-law who sent Banks to college.

“Ultimately, people continue to pursue the dream, they keep rolling the rock uphill, sacrificing themselves,” Banks says. “We all look for a glimmer of triumph.”

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Photo by MarkBolles.com

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Savethe

Date

May 3 to 8 and May 11 to 15 St. Clements Horse Show Yaddo grounds, next to Oklahoma Track, Saratoga Springs Held May 3 to May 8 and May 11 to May 15. This is one of the largest horse shows on the East Coast. For more information, visit saintclementshorseshow.com or call (518) 587-2623.

May 13 to 15 Saratoga Spring Invitational and Euro and Auto Shows Saratoga Automobile Museum, Avenue of the Pines Join us this weekend for two exciting exhibits. For more information, visit saratogaautomuseum.org or phone (518) 587-1935.

Vesper, the 2010 winners of Battle of the Bands

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Saturday, May 14 Fire Tower grand opening Scout Rd., Wilton Come learn the history of fire towers in the area and celebrate the rededication of the Cornell Hill Fire Tower at Historic Camp Saratoga as it makes its permanent home at Wilton Wildlife Preserve and Park.

The ceremony begins at 10 am and activities and events will take place at the conclusion of the ceremony.

For more information, visit www.wiltonpreserve.org.

Saturday, May 21 Ride 4 Autism Horseshoe Inn, Nelson Ave., Saratoga Springs Benefitting the greater capital

region chapter of the Autism Society of America, registration for this motorcycle ride begins at 10 am, with a cost of $25 per rider and $15 for the BBQ. For more information, visit ride4autism.weebly.com.

May 21 and 22 Lakeside Farm Arts and Crafts Show Lakeside Farm Cider Mill, Schauber Rd., Ballston Lake A must-attend show to begin the season. For more information, call (518) 899-5138.

Friday, June 3

Saturday, June 11

Battle of the Bands Spa Little Theater, Saratoga Springs The night begins at 6 pm. Visit www.spac.org for more information.

Elk’s Flag Day Parade Downtown Saratoga Springs Beginning at noon, this parade will begin on North Broadway and continue to Congress Park. For more information, call (518) 584-2585.

June 3 to 5 Cambridge Valley Balloon Festival 25 N Park Street, Cambridge This family-friendly event is held at the Cambridge Central School, with events around the village all weekend. Free parking and admission to the festival. For more information, visit www.cambridgenychamber.com/balloonpage.html.

Saturday, June 4 Lupine Festival Wilton Wildlife Preserve and Park Join us for a number of fun activities such as live animal programs, live music, children’s crafts, pond exploration, and the possibility of seeing the endangered Karner Blue Butterfly. Programs will run from early morning with bird walks, through 3 pm. For more information, visit www.wiltonpreserve.org.

Saturday, June 11 Wild Scavenger Hunt Galway Preserve, Crane Rd., Galway We’ll test your knowledge of local flora and fauna with a wild outdoor scavenger hunt. Don’t worry, it will be a team effort! The scavenger hunt will be held at 3 pm, followed by a bonfire with a hotdog and hamburger roast at the Galway Preserve from 4:30 to 6 pm. This event is free, but donations are appreciated to cover costs. For more information, call (518) 5875554 or visit saratogaplan.org.

this year’s SaratogaArtsFest: fabulous visual art, opera, dance, children’s activities, theatre, literary art, film, and music. For more information, visit www.saratogaartsfest.org or call (518) 580-8010.

Sunday, June 19 Sundae on the Farm At Clear Echo Farm in Schuylerville Spend Father’s Day on the farm with us from noon to 4 pm. Farm tour, horse-drawn wagon rides, children’s activities and pony rides.

For more information, call (518) 885-8995 or visit www.saratogafarms.com.

Sunday, June 26 Family Fun Day Saratoga County Fairgrounds, Ballston Spa From 3 to 9 pm, bring the family for food, live music, family games and activities for the kids followed by a fireworks display at dusk. For more information, visit ballston.org.

June 9 to 12 Saratoga ArtsFest Downtown Saratoga Springs There’s something for everyone at

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Fifth Annual

SaratogaArtsFest All Photos Provided

T

he fifth annual SaratogaArtsFest is coming to town June 9 through 12, bringing its usual diverse, packed schedule of events and activities. The city-wide celebration will once again offer programs spanning music, dance, visual art, film, theatre and literary art at venues throughout Saratoga Springs. The full festival schedule and program details are available at www.SaratogaArtsFest.org.

A small sampling of the many highlighted artists include jazz icon Dave Brubeck, performing with his son Chris’ group Triple Play; the renowned Lar Lubovitch Dance Company; pianist and sought-after jazz sideman Warren Bernhardt; Noel Paul Stookey of the famed folk trio Peter, Paul and Mary; filmmaker Lucy Walker; visual artist John Van Alstine; fiction writer A.M. Homes; the popular improvisation troupe Mop and Bucket Company; and members of the New York City Ballet, who will perform a special tribute to Saratoga Springs. These performances will take place alongside dozens of other events and activities, many of them featuring local artists, to create a program for a wide range of audiences and age groups.

Forty-one arts organizations from the area will participate in SaratogaArtsFest 2011.

“SaratogaArtsFest is a celebration of local talent.

From our schools to our businesses to our arts organizations, Saratoga Springs is known for excellence and diversity in the arts,” said Mary Ellen O’Loughlin, executive director of SaratogaArtsFest. “The festival showcases all that is available here, many artists who have national and international recognition.”

The ARTSPASS, the festival admission package available for adults and seniors, provides access to the fourday roster of events throughout SaratogaArtsFest as well as discounts and perks at area shops and eateries during the festival.

All Admission Packages can be purchased online at www.SaratogaArtsFest.org. The adult ARTSPASS can also be purchased at the Skidmore College Bookstore and three downtown locations - Impressions on

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Broadway, Mimosa Gallery on Beekman Street and Saratoga Beads on Henry Street. Prices are adults/seniors $35, students $20, military $15, and children ages 5 to 17 $5. Children under age 5 are admitted free.

The mission of SaratogaArtsFest is to promote Saratoga Springs as a premier arts destination. SaratogaArtsFest showcases local arts organizations through programming of local, national and international emerging and established artists. The festival is made possible by a collaborative alliance of community partners committed to increasing appreciation and enjoyment of the arts, expanding audience and strengthening year-round cultural tourism in the Saratoga region.

Special Features For 2011 In addition to bringing back many favorite activities and events of past years, SaratogaArtsFest 2011 will offer some fresh approaches designed to bring the arts together in new and creative ways.

• More Film - SaratogaArtsFest will offer an expanded roster of film screenings in collaboration with the Saratoga Film Forum, Saratoga Arts, and Skidmore College’s Tang Museum. The wide-ranging subjects include skateboarding (a rough cut of the film Virgin Blacktop), the artwork created by “pickers” at the world’s largest garbage dump outside Rio de Janeiro (Waste Land), opulent African bottle-top art (Fold Crumple Crush: The Art of El Anatsui) and the birthplace of the blues (Delta Rising).

• Kids Do Art - An array of hands-on art activities will be available for children on Sunday afternoon, June 12, at Universal Preservation Hall. The three-hour open house will include art stations for drawing, jewelry making, clay sculpture, paper maché, crafts and more. Music, drama, magic and puppet shows will also be on hand to round out the artistic experience.

• Bringing the Arts Home - To celebrate the rich history of artistic expression in Saratoga Springs, the festival will feature artists whose work has been shaped by Saratoga experiences: - Cellist Ashley Bathgate, who graduated from Saratoga Springs High School in 2000, will bring her TwoSense ensemble to share rock ‘n roll music and cutting-edge contemporary works with the high school’s Chamber Orchestra.

- In the theatrical production of Garbage Boy, playwright Christopher Millis touches on themes he experienced as a youth in Saratoga and as an artist at Yaddo.

- The Enormous Room, a newly commissioned work choreographed by New York City Ballet dancer Justin Peck, draws on the rich history of the city and its longtime commitment to the arts.

• Tempered by Memory: For the Community, from the Community - This multimedia show at the Spring Street Gallery will highlight the creation of a sculpture that uses pieces of salvaged steel from the 9/11 World Trade Center attack. The interpretive exhibit will tell the story of the sculpture project from inception to installation. The sculpture will be placed in front of the newly renovated Saratoga Springs City Center and will be dedicated in a ceremony on Sept. 11, 2011.

• To See Ourselves - A lively, cross-disciplinary conversation, moderated by Yaddo President Elaina Richardson, will feature leading artists such as A.M. Homes, Justin Peck, Marcus Dean Fuller, and Lucy Walker. The panelists will explore the notion that art shapes and challenges our concept of humanity through the presentation of diverse characters.

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Purdy’s Discount Wine and Liquor Each year, in the spring, wine retailers and restaurants begin planning which rosés to choose for the upcoming season. Their suppliers begin bringing samples and full color glossy information packets, full of pretty labels and beautiful shots of somewhere you wish you were (especially when it is mud season and you are in upstate NY.) We in the business look forward to this process every year.

Too many people, having tried overly sweet and characterless rosés in our youth, have been disinclined to return to them, dismissing them as cloying soda pop, tarring them all with the same brush. This is a shame, since good rosés are made with skill and passion by winemakers all over the world. They are most often light to medium bodied wines, very dry, but with beautiful fruit and excellent acidity. They are drunk with relish by knowledgeable consumers everywhere. They may be the greatest gift of the wine world to people who must endure the pleasures of summer.

Rosés are the passion of people who dine outdoors. They accommodate a wide range of flavors very happily and the best examples are perfect with both fish and meats and are especially suited to simple grilled foods. They range in style from classic light-bodied but bone-dry rosés of the Mediterranean to the extraordinary flavors and acquired tastes of the rosados from the Tondonia vineyards of Lopez de Heredia in Rioja, Spain (which see four years in cask and 6 years in bottle before release). While rosés have been made from almost every red grape known to man, and I have seen them from France (and from every region of France), Spain (especially from Rioja and Jumilla), Italy (including rosés made from, of all things, Nebbiolo), and California (including a superb Pinot noir rosé from Etude in Carneros), the best known examples remain those of Provence in France, the product of a culture whose entire purpose seems to be the consumption of wonderful food served outdoors with marvelous rosés over extraordinarily extended luncheons.

Rosés can be created through blending, in which case a small amount of red wine is added to a white wine. This process is most frequently used in Champagne and by sparkling wine producers.

Sometimes the production of rosés is a by-product of the process of red wine making. The flavors and colors of red wines are the anthocyanins, tannins and phenols absorbed into the otherwise clear grape juice from the skins of the grapes during maceration. When a winemaker wishes to intensify the color or the flavors that a red wine will absorb from the skins, some of the juice is drawn off after very little time on the skins. This drawn-off juice is then used to make light bodied and racy rosés. This is most often done in vintages which for one reason or another are producing lighter colored grapes, or for varietals which are often lighter colored generally such as pinot noir.

And finally there are the rosés which are made for the simple and enchanting purpose of being rosés.

These are essentially made in the same way as red wines, but all of the wine is pressed off the skins after only a short maceration, resulting in an astonishing range of colors and flavors. In the case of these purpose-built rosés, timing is everything. Since different flavors, colors and tannins are released at different times in the process, experience and judgement are everything. I have talked to winemakers who felt that the difference between a perfect wine and one which was over-extracted and unbalanced was that of a slightly extended lunch hour.

The wines can be delicate, pure and almost ethereal, or they can be rich, surprisingly structured wines barely shy of being a red. They almost always maintain a crisp and vibrant acidity which makes them a delightful accompaniment to food, and they are certainly worth searching out. Most especially for those of us who thought we might have outgrown them years ago.

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Photo by MarkBolles.com

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B ttle N tes “Wine-ing” and Dining 101

By Patricia Novo Photos Provided

“I’m

making Cioppino for some friends; can you recommend some wines to go with it?” Ah … one of the most frequently asked questions in my shop centers around which wines pair well with which meals and why?

Of course, most of my customers know that I have a culinary degree, LOVE to cook and am constantly experimenting with different matches; so they are very comfortable seeking my advice! I LOVE chatting with my shop guests about this subject so when I was approached about writing on this very topic, I embraced the challenge. Please keep in mind that the following tips are not comprehensive (space prohibits), but are simply meant to serve as guidelines that you can follow with confidence.

• Match the weight or texture of the dish to the weight or texture of the wine.

Although the adage “red wine with meat, white wine with fish” leaves a lot up to interpretation, the basic principle still stands. A big, robust, tannic Cabernet Sauvignon simply overpowers a delicate fish preparation, such as Sole Meuniere. A beautiful, steely and slightly nutty White Burgundy, however? The nuances in the wine mirror the texture and flavors of the fish beautifully, resulting in a very happy match. Perhaps a better way to say this would be “match delicate foods with equally delicate wines…match big and hearty dishes with the same types of wine.”

• Mirror, mirror…on the plate? Decide whether you would like your food and wine flavors and textures to mirror each other….or contrast each other. For example, a rich, buttery and oaked example of Chardonnay served with Lobster Thermidor would be a mirror; rich and richer! Conversely, contrasting the rich dish with a crisp bottle of bubbly also works. The brightness and tingly acidity of the Champagne cuts through the richness of the dish, actually making it seem not quite so heavy on the palate. Honestly, Champagne has this effect on a wide variety of dishes…it’s amazing how well bubbly pairs with cuisines from all over the globe. Don’t just save it for celebrations!

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• Pass the salt….and the sweet! Saltiness in food is very often a great pairing with wines with a touch (or more) of sweetness. If you’ve ever had an Asian dish containing soy sauce, and often a bit of heat, with a lip-smacking Riesling from the Mosel or Alsace…or most anywhere for that matter…you already know what I mean. These types of wines not only usually contain a touch of sweetness, but also contain the balance of ACIDITY. As I stated previously, Champagne and other sparkling wines also contain this crucial pairing element…acidity. The next time smoked salmon or sushi is on your plate, order a dry bubbly or an off-dry Riesling.

You’ll thank me later.

• A method to your madness. If a shop guest asks me what wine to serve with a certain simple dish, I always ask HOW the dish is going to be prepared. Pork tenderloin that is rubbed with Cajun spices and grilled will want a different wine than one that is braised with apples and cabbage. The smoke and heat from the grill will add a dimension to the pork that will be quite happy with a medium to full-bodied wine with some spice and fruit to it, such as a Zinfandel or Syrah. While the alternate preparation will most likely love a Riesling (sensing a pattern here?) or perhaps a neutral, not overly-oaked Chardonnay which showcases the fruit and not the oak.

• Fat Is Fabulous. Well….in food anyway because fat equals FLAVOR. Fat also equals full-bodied (as in wine, not waistline.)

Visit any great steakhouse and you’ll also find a wine list that is heavy on the reds. The tannins and structure of many red wines stand up to the heartiest cuts of beef. Cabernet Sauvignon may just be a Ribeye’s best pal. So, if a big hunk of Roast Beast is on the menu…you’re better off red.

• Cross that Bridge. In the same way that the method of cooking affects which wines to choose, so does the accompanying flavors to the dish. There are many pantry items …. herbs, spices, etc. that are known as “bridge” ingredients. That is to say, they add a flavor profile to the naked dish and can open up the wine pairing possibilities. One of the most unlikely matches I have ever enjoyed was Sea Bass that had been roasted with a medley of wild mushrooms. The wine? A Darioush Cabernet Sauvignon. That’s correct…a BIG BOLD RED! I was as surprised as you are, but the meaty mushrooms added that quality to the fish as well, making the red a great choice. And…that is really the final point I’d like to make. Of course, there are “classic” food and wine matches…Foie Gras with Sauternes…Goat Cheese with Sancerre…Stilton with Port…they all follow one of the basic principles outlined above…rich with rich…tangy with tangy…salty and sweet…and the list goes on. The REAL fun lies in experimenting with different combinations to find one that you really love. After all, some of the best inventions happened…by accident! Cheers and Happy Matching….

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Simple Truths

I am good enough!

Meghan D. Lemery, LCSW-R

L

ately I have received many emails about how to work through feelings of low self-worth and shame. It seems this is something we can all struggle with at certain times in our life.

Why are we often our worst critic when it comes to accepting and loving ourselves? Why do we beat ourselves up with self-defeating thoughts?

Often these self-shaming thoughts can lead us down the road to bad habits such as binge eating, smoking, chemical dependency, etc. Often times it’s not the behavior that is the problem.

Rather, the behavior, let’s say binge eating for example, is the solution to those awful feelings of self-loathing. The behavior we choose to dull the self-defeating chatter is what we focus on to feel a sense of relief or escape from the pain within us.

Instead of focusing on the bad habit you are engaging in, dig a little deeper and see what kind of shape your mind and heart are in.

All roads lead to childhood I know it’s cliché, but it’s true. Our parents are the first introduction we get to love and acceptance in this world; and if we were taught negative messages, or neglected, abused and mistreated as a child, we are more likely to suffer from thoughts of low self-esteem and addiction.

Take a step back and ask yourself whose approval are you trying to measure up to? Are you still looking for your father’s love or your mother’s praise? Do you feel unloved and “less than”? If you have some childhood wounds, stop to explore and deal with them. You will never have inner peace and a healthy heart and mind until you deal with the demons of the past. Often times the unhealthy habit or addiction we partici26 | Simply Saratoga

Free yourself from the self-defeating thoughts that are making you sick!

pate in is a direct result of discomfort from our past. Find a therapist you are comfortable with and free yourself from the chains of the past!!!

Be patient!

I know you want to feel better yesterday, but working through pain and bad habits takes some time and lots of patience. Take one step at a time and recognize that it takes mucho courage to revisit old hurts and wounds. Don’t stress yourself out by “trying” to change. Take things slow and recognize the small ways in which you improve daily.

Everyone has junk When we are going through a difficult time in life or trying to heal from a traumatic past, it is easy to feel isolated and alone.

We tend to feel somewhat sorry for ourselves or beat ourselves up thinking we are the only one in the world who has “issues.”

I often have thought what it would be like to walk down the street with an index card taped to our foreheads listing all our self-defeating thoughts and habits. I bet we would be so much kinder to one another and ourselves. Your junk may not be my junk, but we all have it!

Give yourself compassion and love as you walk through the healing process.

Wake up!

Be aware of your thoughts. You may not even realize that all day long you are listening to the negative chatter that tortures you into believing you are a loser. Simply be aware of the chatter and take a deep breath to meditate on love and acceptance toward yourself; even if the thoughts are still there, the awareness of their existence will bring you a sense of peace.

Imagine that you are talking to a small child and trying to comfort them. Do this same exercise with yourself to soothe the “inner child.” Take deep breaths when you feel overwhelmed

and reach out for support when you need it.

Love thyself The road to recovery is a long and painful one. My wish for you is to be free of every negative self-loathing thought you have!

Take some time to give yourself the same measure of love, support and compassion that you would give your child, friend, sibling or mate. Love yourself with the same passion and loyalty you give to others and watch your heart transform into a vessel of peace and joy. Remember, its not so much the bad habits we need to focus on as much as the self-defeating thoughts we have. As we learn to love and accept ourselves, we will see our bad habits lose the power they once had over us!

Wishing you a rich inner peace, love and acceptance today and always! You are precious, dear heart!

Ms. Lemery is a psychotherapist practicing in Saratoga Springs and Queensbury. Her first novel, Please Pass the Barbie Shoes, is currently available for order on the Kindle and the Nook. Paperback publication is coming soon! Email topics of interest to: meghanlemery@yahoo.com

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Things You Should Do Before Your Next Check-Up Getting check-ups is one of many things you can do to help stay healthy and prevent disease and disability.

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ou’ve made the appointment to see your health care provider.

You’ve reviewed the instructions on how to prepare for certain tests.

You’ve done the usual paperwork.

Done, right? Not quite.

Before your next check-up, make sure you do these four things.

Review your family health history.

Are there any new conditions or diseases that have occurred in your close relatives since your last visit? If so, let your health care provider know. Family history might influence your risk of developing heart disease, stroke, diabetes or cancer. Your provider will assess your risk of disease based on your family history and other factors. Your provider may also recommend things you can do to help prevent disease, such as exercising more, changing your diet or using screening tests to help detect disease early.

Find out if you are due for any general screenings or vaccinations.

Have you had the recommended screening tests based on your age, general health, family history and lifestyle? Check with your health care provider to see if it is time for any vaccinations, follow-up exams or tests. For example, it might be time for you to get a Pap test, mammogram, prostate cancer screening, colon cancer screening, sexually transmitted disease screening, blood pressure check, tetanus shot, eye exam or other screening.

Write down a list of issues and questions to take with you.

Review any existing health problems and note any changes.

• Have you noticed any body changes,

including lumps or skin changes?

• Are you having pain, dizziness, fatigue, problems with urine or stool or menstrual cycle changes?

• Have your eating habits changed?

• Are you experiencing depression, anxiety, trauma, stress or sleeping problems?

If so, note when the change began, how it’s different from before and any other observation that you think might be helpful.

Be honest with your provider. If you haven’t been taking your medication as directed, exercising as much, or anything else, say so. You may be at risk for certain diseases and conditions because of how you live, work and play. Your provider develops a plan based partly on what you say you do. Help ensure that you get the best guidance by providing the most up-to-date and accurate information about you.

Be sure to write your questions down beforehand. Once you’re in the office or exam room, it can be hard to remember everything you want to know. Leave room between questions to write down your provider’s answers.

Consider your future.

Are there specific health issues that need addressing concerning your future? Are you thinking about having infertility treatment, losing weight, taking a hazardous job or quitting smoking? Discuss any issues with your provider so that you can make better decisions regarding your health and safety.

Saratoga Hospital Ellen Kerness Manager Marketing/Communications Saratoga Hospital 211 Church Street Saratoga Springs, NY 12866

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financial

Roth IRA here has been a great deal of discussion about Roth IRAs in the media during the past few years.

This was partially due to regulatory changes that took place in January 2010 which made it easier than ever to convert a Traditional IRA or employer-sponsored retirement plan to a Roth IRA. Even though 2010 has come and gone, the benefits of participating in a Roth IRA, either through contributions or conversion(s), are still an important consideration in the retirement planning process.

For over a quarter of a century, the traditional IRA has been the most popular savings vehicle for retirement savings.

Contributions made to this account may be tax-deductible and have the potential to reach substantial amounts over time through tax-deferred growth. So then you might ask, what’s so special about a Roth IRA?

T

Benefits A Roth IRA is an alternative savings vehicle created by the Taxpayer Relief Act of 1997. Similar to a traditional IRA, Roth IRAs can be an effective way to build funds for retirement or other financial goals. However, a Roth IRA is different from a Traditional IRA in that the account is funded with after-tax contributions and provides for tax-free distributions during retirement with no required minimum distributions at age 70 1/2.

That means the assets you are working hard to build now will become tax-free income during retirement because, rather than paying the taxes when you withdraw the funds in retirement, you pay taxes on the assets when you invest them.

This aspect of Roth IRAs creates certain flexibility beyond what is available with a Traditional IRA. You are likely aware that diversifying your portfolio by investing in multiple asset classes, including stocks, bonds and cash, can be a way to mitigate risk. The same logic applies to tax diversification: by spreading your retirement assets across different types of accounts (i.e., a tax-free Roth IRA account, a tax-deferred account like your 401(k) and a taxable account like your brokerage account), you are building in the flexibility to potentially keep taxes low in retirement. This is especially important if you’re concerned about future tax increases or you think your tax liabilities may be higher in retirement. Investors of all ages may benefit from paying taxes on a smaller amount now and letting those assets grow tax-free, rather than waiting to pay taxes on a larger amount at a possibly higher tax rate in the future.

Another benefit of Roth IRAs pertains to those who don’t expect to need all of their Roth IRA assets when they retire.

With a Traditional IRA, you must stop making contributions and start taking minimum distributions from your account at age 70 1/2. Roth IRAs have no such age restrictions: there’s no contribution cutoff (provided income requirements are met), and no rule that you must being tapping your account at age 70 1/2.

Your assets, therefore, have the potential to grow tax-free for a 30 | Simply Saratoga

longer period of time and you may gain greater control over your income in retirement with your ability to withdraw amounts tailored to your actual income needs, or eliminate them all together in any given year.

Lastly, Roth IRAs can be an effective wealth planning tool since any potential inheritance of the Roth IRA can pass to the account owner’s beneficiaries free of federal income tax. In the year following the Roth IRA account owner’s death, the beneficiary(s) will be required to start taking annual minimum distributions, but since those distribution amounts will be calculated using a life-expectancy factor based on their own age and not yours, this will allow them to enjoy continued tax-deferred growth and tax-free income over their lifetime if they so choose.

Contributions The annual maximum contribution for those eligible is $5000 or 100 percent of earned income, whichever is less. If you are age 50 or older, you may utilize the annual catch-up contribution of an additional $1000 (for a total of $6000). In order to meet the eligibility criteria, you must have earned income of less than $107,000 Modified Adjusted Gross Income (MAGI) for single or head of household filers, and less than $169,000 for married couples filing jointly, though partial contributions may be made within certain parameters above those amounts.

Thanks to the regulatory changes that took place in 2010, these income limits do not apply to conversions. If you earn more than the amounts noted above but would like to contribute to a Roth IRA, you may make a non-deductible contribution to a Traditional IRA and immediately convert the assets to a Roth IRA. Or you may convert assets that are already held in a Traditional IRA or inactive employer-sponsored plan. The catch on the latter option, however, is that the conversion amount will be added to your taxable income for that year and you will need to be prepared to pay the taxes on the converted amount come tax time. To fully reap the benefits of the conversion, ideally the assets used to pay the taxes would not come from your IRA(s).

Conclusion With the uncertainty of the Social Security System’s future and the possibility of rising inflation, along with increasing cost-of-living and health care expenses, relying on your own savings through Roth IRAs, tax-deferred or taxable savings is more important than ever. While income tax rates are set to remain at current levels at least through 2012, the opportunity to convert assets before that time may be compelling if you believe those rates will rise thereafter.

Even so, Roth IRAs aren’t for everyone, and we encourage you to talk to your financial advisor and/or your tax professional about your personal circumstances to determine whether it may be right for you.

Tax laws are complex and subject to change. Morgan Stanley Smith Barney LLC, it’s affiliates and Morgan Stanley Smith Barney Financial Advisors do not provide tax or legal advice. This material was not intended nor written to be used for the purpose of avoiding tax penalties that may be imposed on the taxpayer.

Individuals are urged to consult their personal tax or legal advisors to understand the tax and related consequences of any actions or investments described herein. © 2010 Morgan Stanley Smith Barney LLC. Member SIPC.

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Photo by MarkBolles.com

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Susan McBurnie:

Mother eXtraordinaire “Black T-shirt

with an autism puzzle on it, brown hair, average mom,” Susan McBurnie described herself, as we firmed up plans to meet—an apt description on one hand (her shirt seems perfect for her), completely incorrect on the other: Susan McBurnie is not your average mom. The older of her two children—ten-year-old David—has been diagnosed with Fragile X Syndrome and autism, is borderline mentally retarded, and has a daily routine that makes my own daily motherhood look like a vacation.

Story by Kate Towne Sherwin • Photos Provided 34 | Simply Saratoga

(FXS) is caused by a full mutation of the FMR1 gene, in which the gene shuts down and stops producing its vital protein. It takes generations for the FMR1 gene to reach full mutation, and it’s passed silently from parents to children until that point. Noticeable effects include the spectrum of intellectual disabilities (learning disabilities, autism, severe mental retardation).

FXS is the most common known cause of autism or ‘autistic-like’ behaviors, and Fragile X is carried by as many as one out of every 150 women, and one out of every 800 men. (Sources: The National Fragile X Foundation [www.fragilex.org], FRAXA Research Foundation [www.fraxa.org], Fragile X Alliance [www.fragilex.com.au])

Fragile X Syndrome

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or David, his FXS manifests itself in all the ways that the world and daily life seem baffling, complicated, and impossible. Eating is difficult. Personal hygiene is difficult. Dressing himself, sitting still, facing other people at the dinner table, even calming his mind down so he can sleep at the end of each long day are huge tasks for David.

He attends public school with some inclusion (with typical kids some of the time), where an aide helps him.

He receives speech therapy, occupational therapy, and attends a studygroup for academic help; physical therapy takes the place of gym class. After school twice a week he has a special education ABA (applied behavior analysis) tutor at home to help with behavior, sensory, and academics— David needs help “learning how to learn.� On another day, he has a special swim lesson for children with disabilities, one-to-one.

Book-ending his school day are breakfast and getting ready for the day in the morning (which Sue has streamlined into one very busy hour), and then dinner and getting ready for bed (a good deal longer than the morning routine). Peppered throughout the day, about every half hour, are activities like heavy lifting, pushing, deep pressure, and joint compressions, which help counteract the hyperarousal that is a common characteristic of FXS and Autism Spectrum Disorders.

Mix into all this the visual schedules needed to ease his anxiety, special chairs he needs to sit in, special clothes to wear because of his sensory sensitivity, speech that is difficult for others to understand, difficulty with motor skills like holding a pencil and typing, monthly doctor visits for medication maintenance and sickness because of his compromised immunity, even a twice-daily prescribed nutritional drink to compensate for his difficulty eating, and you begin to see the need for David to have an extraordinary mother.

And extraordinary she is.

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t is clear from my conversations with Sue that she is David’s whole world. She has become an “expert on David,” and how wonderful for him—would that we all had someone so completely dedicated to our physical, emotional, social, and psychological well-being. Sue can sense David’s moods and needs, and is extremely tuned into his expressions and behaviors; David, in turn, looks to his mom when he’s frustrated, angry, or sad. Sue is one of the only people who always understands David’s speech, and often facilitates his conversations and/or acts as an interpreter for him; she knows exactly what foods are most likely to be eaten by David at different meals; she’s figured out different ways of helping David be peaceful, as through watching science or nature shows with dinner; she has David’s whole day set in a consistent routine—“the only hope of a day without behavior problems or anxiety attacks.”

And she spends quality one-on-one time with him. They love to cook together, for example, and have been since he was about five.

“This kiddo makes a great pot of chili!” she enthused in one of her emails to me. She appreciates his innocence (“Santa Claus and the Easter Bunny will always be magical”), his honesty (when he refuses to take out the trash, he’s never whiney, just bluntly honest), and the fact that he “actually is the BEST helper, he loves to be included and part of the team. He cheers us on and encourages us when the jobs are strenuous.” Sue’s pride in her boy is evident even as she explains, “With Fragile X Syndrome there is … a loss of cognition. He has very scattered skills, where he knows a few things very well but struggles very hard to understand some basic concepts, like math. It just isn’t in there. But he can tell you how to fly an airplane or drive a tractor, or charge the battery in mom’s car.”

It’ll likely come as no surprise that the energy and love Sue puts into bringing up David she also puts into Fragile X awareness efforts.

I

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hen Sue immersed herself in learning everything she could about FXS after David’s diagnosis, she quickly discovered that it’s only one of the Fragile X Associated Disorders. When she saw references to Fragile X-associated tremor/ataxia syndrome (FXTAS), her father immediately came to mind. “Suddenly, the symptoms Dad had been trying to find answers to were in front of us,” Sue related in an article she wrote for the March 2007 issue of The National Fragile X Foundation Quarterly. “The balance issues, the falling, the hand tremors, the steady and relentless decline of skills all suddenly made sense.”

Sue and her sister encouraged their dad to get tested for FXTAS (he was being treated for atypical Parkinson’s and other issues), and the results showed that he was indeed a Fragile X carrier. He had inherited it from his mother, and testing revealed that his own two children (Sue and her sister), his sister (Sue’s aunt), and two of his sister’s three children are carriers as well. In all, five living family members are FX premutation carriers; David is the only one to have the full mutation.

Because of her dad and her son, and all the ways in which her family has been affected by the littleknown Fragile X family of conditions, Sue has worked tirelessly to educate herself and others.

Every year since 2004, she’s traveled to Washington, DC for the National Fragile X Foundation Advocacy Day. Over two days, she learns the latest research developments and the status of the current legislation, and spends time on Capitol Hill, meeting with five to seven Senators or Congressmen or their Legislative Assistants to discuss her own situation, and what she wants from the representatives in regards to FX and other disabilities as well.

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Specifically, Sue wants: • Funding for research into the Fragile X connection to autism, the symptoms that can be misdiagnosed as Parkinson’s and Alzheimer’s, and infertility • Support for the ABLE Act (allows individuals with disabilities to earn income without losing Medicaid insurance; the current income limit is $2000 annually) • Support for the Prevention of Harmful Restraints and Seclusion bill (limits abuse of the disabled) • Continuing education of our medical professionals, the front line in diagnosing autism, infertility, and neurological impairments • Earlier intervention for children with FXS and other PDD (pervasive developmental delay) conditions • More widespread training and knowledge among schoolteachers

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ue believes that had David been diagnosed at birth (rather than at nearly three years old) and received earlier intervention and appropriate therapies, his development would have been greatly improved and his future outlook might be significantly better. To this end, Sue drives herself and those around her to never underestimate her son and to always seek new knowledge for educating children on the Autism Spectrum.

Remembering her dad has been behind some of her inspiration as well. Sue regrets not doing so many things she now sees she could have done for him in the last years of his life. “The message in this for me? Reassess. Look anew at my life and at the lives around me. See what I can do to help my loved ones live even a part of their desires. Take an inventory of what I have seen others love; see if I can help to recover some of those happy memories.”

It’s a message she’s certainly been able to live out in her mothering of David. She and her husband Dave have strived to create a rich environment, not only for David to grow up in, but also for their typically developing younger daughter, Andrea (who has an “excellent,” though admittedly onesided, relationship with her big brother). Their home is in rural Charlton, and Sue’s business, Woodside Stables, is a horse boarding and riding stable that lets her be a stay-at-home mom for her kids. Her husband, a regional factory representative for New York truck equipment manufacturer Viking-Cives, is often able to work near home; he reads to David and Andrea every night before bed, even doing the voices of the different characters in the stories. Theirs is a “good, cohesive family,” in Sue’s words, totally devoted to their children. “I am truly very focused on their successes, their self-sufficiency, confidence, and their sense of self-worth. Being a mom of a child with a disability has really made me a much better parent than I ever thought I would be … and by far a better person, more generous, more forgiving, more intellectual, and certainly more involved than I ever dreamed I would be.”

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Photo by MarkBolles.com

“Fighting their own war” Normandy I’ve stood upon your rocky cliffs As I scanned the sea for imaginary ships.

I’ve walked upon your hallowed ground, Long gone now are your battle sounds.

Normandy The water slaps against your weathered shores, Just as it did so many years before.

But now it doesn’t run red anymore; From all those battered bodies.

Your air now pure with the smell of the sea, Gone is the smoke from the burning debris.

The scene of much suffering and misery.

Will man ever learn from what he has seen?

Normandy

Dr. Leo Hoge

The bullets, the bombs, the wounded, the slain.

The sand on your beaches will always be stained.

The row upon row of endless crosses, Barely begin to tell of the losses.

Oh what have you done to deserve such a fate?

The sorrow you witnessed the tragedy and hate.

The widows and children who whisper your name, Old warriors returning, reliving the pain, As they search for their friends among the white crosses.

You alone bore witness to all that it cost us; And I pray that you won’t see such horror again, As your winds and your waves continue to rip.

When we speak thy name It will linger forever on our lips.

Normandy.

-W.D. Clark, Soldier Ballads and Other Tales

Philip Myers

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Story by Daniel Schectman Photos by MarkBolles.com

Wayne Clark has served as the New York State Military Museum’s oral historian for the last ten years here in Saratoga Springs. A veteran from the Vietnam War himself, Clark has collected over 1,950 video taped interviews with other veterans living in Saratoga and throughout New York State, an ever-growing library of tapes and DVDs stored in the museum’s archives. There’s something unique about collecting these kinds of first-hand accounts, Clark indicated, something both intensely personal and hauntingly visceral as men who once served their country dig through the dark corners of their mind, reliving experiences most of us would just as soon wish to forget – memories which, for many of these men, they simply can’t forget.

“You can read about all of these different battles in the history books,” said Clark, “but each individual that was there, they were fighting their own war, fighting for their own lives and the lives of their friends. They saw the war from a different perspective. What they saw, what they did, what they witnessed… once these guys are gone, if these stories aren’t captured, then they’re gone forever.”

Sitting on the table in a small office room several floors up from the main museum is an article someone, possibly Clark himself, has printed out and laid aside for another time. A quick glance at the headline and you can catch the gist – the last of America’s World War I vets has just passed away – the last living witness to the world’s Great War, gone.

It’s not something we think about too often, those of us whose parents or grandparents once again answered their county’s call to join in the second World War – but it’s only a matter of time, perhaps a decade or two, before the newspapers print a similar article – that the last of our World War II veterans have passed away.

In one month, June 6 will mark 67 years since the world’s largest amphibious invasion took place – D-Day. Landing on the beaches of Normandy, these men fought to turn the tides of

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Philip Myers’ Purple Heart

Dr. Leo Hoge

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war in the Allies’ favor, and for some here in Saratoga who fought during the treacherous and bloody campaign, the memory is just as fresh, just as raw as it was all those years ago.

Philip Myers was a member of the 101st Airborne Division, one of the first American divisions to parachute into enemy territory during the opening hours of June 6, 1944. Flying under the cover of darkness, Myers was one of nearly 13,000 paratroopers (along with the 82nd Airborne Division) to jump from an aircraft behind enemy lines. The objective was to secure key checkpoints off of the beaches, making it difficult for German forces to send reinforcements and to ease the Allied Forces movements inland. But complications arose.

“It was dark. We were supposed to jump down at 450 feet but we went lower to stay undetected,” said Myers.

Myers remembers those moments leading up to his jump, waiting for the go-ahead in the pre-dawn hours of the campaign.

“I was waiting in a line of men jumping from the plane,” said Myers. “Nobody was crying or anything like that. They knew what they had to do.”

Because it was still dark, many who parachuted in from the 101st Airborne Division were soon scattered on the battlefield, separated and lost from their units.

“I landed in the water, up to here,” said Myers, marking a level just below his shoulders. Carrying the weight of his pack, including ammunition, firearms and supplies, Myers struggled through the dark waters, trying to regroup with his squad.

“We tried to find every one, but we couldn’t really. We couldn’t find anybody! When you land you’re supposed to be with someone. But we landed in that water. The fields were flooded- the Germans did that.”

Slowly Myers tried to fight his way to the objective point, a bridge the Allies wished to secure. Meanwhile, back on the beaches, the amphibious assault was just beginning.

William R. Clements Jr. speaks into a video camera on March of 2001, just one of the thousands of interviews collected by Clark and his staff. His hair graying, although still full with hints of faded blonde, he remembers riding in on an LCT craft towards the beaches of Normandy.

“All of a sudden you hear this peck, peck, peck and… shells started coming in,” said Clements. “We had several direct hits. The first shell went right through the skipper – where the navy skipper was – took his legs off. We ducked behind the tank, figuring that was going to save us, but that’s probably what they were shooting at.

“Another shell hit the ramp and two guys came back past us with their rear ends gone. They were all blood and everything and their pants were blown off. Next to me there were…” Clements counts: one, two three, “four of us behind that tank. A shell hit the 50 caliber ammunition from the machine gun on the boat (which we never got to use), but anyhow it blew that up. And I looked over and two guys had the tops of their heads gone. The guy next to me had his left arm off. And I was next, you know? But somebody was watching over me. I didn’t get a scratch there.”

Clements made it to the beach, where after struggling through four feet of water in full gear, he washed ashore and began to dig himself a foxhole.

“People were dying, you know, floating in the water like

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Philip Myers

Shelia Scott, in a photo given to Dr. Hoge just days before D-Day. Scott and Hoge were later married, together for 43 years.

Dr. Leo Hoge 46 | Simply Saratoga

a bunch of corks. A lot of the guys were wearing those vests, life jackets, the kind you pushed and inflated. They had them around their stomach and they got hit and were floating with their rear ends up. Their heads were under the water and their feet were under the water, floating around like a bunch of corks in the sea there.”

Dr. Leo Hoge, now 95 years old, remembers pulling those bodies – the wounded and dead – from the bloodied sea. He sits across the table from Myers in the Military Museum, where each week a small group of veterans gather for coffee, doughnuts and camaraderie.

“It was five-thirty in the morning, and the sun was just coming up,” said Hoge, who enlisted in the Navy shortly after the bombing of Pearl Harbor December 7, 1941.

Six days before leaving England for the D-Day invasion, a young woman named Sheila Scott, who oversaw security for the women’s Royal Navy, handed Hoge a picture of herself. Scott’s position in the Royal Navy gave her unique insight into where Hoge was headed, but while she “knew when my ship was leaving, she wouldn’t tell me,” said Hoge. Hoge still carries the picture of Scott, who after the war came to the States and became Hoge’s wife (the two were married for 43 years before she passed away) around in his wallet. In the lower right hand corner of the picture Scott carefully wrote “All my love darling,” in neat, cursive lettering.

Hoge carried this picture close as the battle raged on around him off of Omaha Beach.

“We were skimming along the water at about 4 knots,” said Hoge, when off of the starboard bow a nearby ship was hit and began to sink.

“We picked up all kinds of casualties,” said Hoge, who worked tirelessly to treat and stabilize the wounded men.

The D-Day campaign raged on for days, weeks.

Both sides suffered heavy casualties, but thanks to

the brave efforts of men like Myers, Clements and Hoge, the Allied Forces earned their foothold in Europe. It was less than one year later, May 7, 1945, that an end to the fighting in Europe would be declared.

In a letter dated May 8, 1945 to his parents, Mr. and Mrs. W. Ralph Clements, William Clements described the city of Paris, where he was recovering from an injury he received crossing the Rhine River in late March. The letter read: “I stayed up with the gang at the hospital until 1 am watching our planes racing and diving over this huge city, dropping red, white and green flares all over the place. The French people say that the war is over but we have had no official statement yet. They say they expect one soon.

“It made chills of pride run through me as I stood and watched last night. Everyone was yelling and blowing whistles and my mind wandered back to the beaches on D-Day and I hope that somewhere in heaven all of those fellows who couldn’t be here to hear this as I was, would receive some sort of satisfaction in their hearts, wherever they may be.

“I thought of my buddy on the LCT who was killed as he stood right beside me and I knew he would get a real kick out of this if he had lived to see the end. They’re all great guys wherever they are. God Bless Them All.” * * * “The concrete bunkers are still there,” said Clark, who had an opportunity to visit the beaches of Normandy in the mid 1990’s. “Some of them have been blown apart of course, and there are the museums there and the cemeteries.”

In his position with the Military Museum, Clark has had an opportunity to hear the tales of many men, the horrors and the triumphs of their lives; days gone by that, at times, seem far too distant. But Clark recognizes the importance of these stories.

“It’s important from an historical standpoint to preserve these stories. Wars still continue to go on, and they’re just as brutal today as they were 60, 100, 150 years ago. There are lessons in this,” he said, “it’s just a lesson that we haven’t been able to learn from, unfortunately.”

Which is why, said Clark, he continues to collect these stories – memories told again and again in the hope that, one day, the world may learn from pain of our fathers.

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Saratoga’s Sutton Sisters find success at Holy Cross Story by Daniel Schechtman Photos Provided

“Sure, I remember the Suttons.

Great kids, and hard working athletes,” says Damian Fantauzzi.

“They were true athletes,” chimes in Rich Johns over a cup of coffee at the Starbuck’s in downtown Saratoga Springs. “Both of them gave all they had all the time.”

Fantauzzi and Johns are retired now, both former coaches and teachers from Saratoga Springs High School. Fantauzzi remembers the Suttons from the girls’ basketball team; Johns remembers them as their tennis coach, assistant basketball coach and as a longtime family friend.

“I grew up with their Dad, Rod,” says Johns. “I remember, back in the 80’s, we were looking for donations to support the new tennis club.

Rod didn’t have kids at the time, but I said to him, ‘Just you wait!

Twenty years from now your kids will be enjoying the tennis program here at Saratoga.’ So eventually Rod was good enough to donate to the program.”

Sure enough, roughly twenty years later, daughters Patricia and Katherine Sutton could be seen on the tennis courts of Saratoga – and the basketball courts – and the lacrosse fields. But it was lacrosse that eventually became the sport both sisters continue to dedicate much of their lives to, later joining the team at the College of Holy Cross in Worcester, Massachusetts.

“I played all three sports through the teams at high school,” said Patricia Sutton, or ‘Trish,’ as she is better known to her friends. “I think they really shaped me into the athlete that I was in college and it made me a really versatile player.” She adds, “So although I didn’t continue on with basketball and tennis, lacrosse kind of became my passion.”

Trish, who went on to play lacrosse for her college career at Holy Cross, was the stuff of legends on the field – the kind of player a program remembers long after she has graduated. In 2007 she earned the ‘Crusader of the Year’ award – one of the highest honors bestowed upon student-athletes. To this day Trish holds career records at Holy Cross for points (291), goals (215), and draw controls (171). She was also a member of the team when it won its first and second Patriot League Championships, propelling the team to its first ever appear-

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ances in the NCAA Tournament during her junior and senior years.

After graduating in 2007, Trish returned to the Capital District, where she began work as an assistant coach at SUNY Albany. Meanwhile, her younger sister Katherine (better known as ‘Kat’), began her own college experience.

“It’s actually funny,” said Kat. “Growing up when my sister was here, I always told myself, ‘I’m not going to Holy Cross. I’m not going to follow in my sister’s footsteps.’ But when it came down to it, I took official visits at four other schools and Holy Cross was just the best fit.”

Kat is finishing up her junior year as a member of the lacrosse team at Holy Cross, earning some pretty impressive accolades herself during her career. Like her sister, a former senior captain on the Saratoga Springs lacrosse team coached by Sue Hoffman, Kat was awarded the Patriot League Rookie of the Week award twice for her performances in 2009; and in 2010 she earned a spot on the second team for the All-Patriot League. During the off season, Kat trained with Aidan Howley and the local ‘518’ athletes, helping her to stay in shape and get ready for the following year. The training paid off. Kat led the team in 2010 with 36 goals and continued on a streak spanning multiple seasons and 43 games where she scored at least one goal in

every game. On April 4, 2011, Kat was named the Patriot League’s Offensive Player of the Week.

While it’s clear there are many commonalities between the two sisters, few might have guessed that their mutual love of lacrosse would bring them back together playing for the same team – a first for the Suttons, who are five years apart in age.

“We found out in the late summer of 2010 that our assistant coach was going to grad school and that the position was open,” said Kat. “We had a lot of family discussions about it and my sister made it very clear that this was my college experience and that if I wasn’t comfortable with her being the coach and being a huge part of my college experience – well, that was up to me. But I think she was a great player. I saw her succeed in Albany and I wanted that at Holy Cross. I wanted us to be a successful team here, and I thought what she had to offer was awesome. I wanted that for our program.”

Trish rejoined Holy Cross, her old alma mater, in the fall of 2010, taking on the role of assistant coach for her sister’s team. Although there have undoubtedly been a few challenges along the way transitioning from a sistersister relationship to a coach-player dynamic, “so far it’s worked out really well,” said Trish. “I think we know

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each other’s tendencies pretty well, we know how the other responds. And she’s a very good player, so that makes it easy.”

“I think we’re both very competitive,” said Kat. “We’ve always competed against each other in the house, and not necessarily in sports. But she’ll beat me up and I’ll throw something back at her. So we’re both very competitive, which I think really shows as a coach and player, because we both want to win here. I think both of us are willing to give up everything to have a successful team,” – which is exactly why having her older sis52 | Simply Saratoga

ter as a coach has worked out so well for Kat. For Trish, coaching women’s lacrosse is something she knew she wanted to pursue early on.

“I think when I finished college I really didn’t want to give it up quite yet, so my next stop was to get involved in the coaching side. I was very lucky over the years to have very good coaches with Damian and Rich and Sue Hoffman. So learning from them and having great experiences with them really kind of encouraged me to continue that same path and share my

knowledge with other players,” said Trish.

Kat, who still has her senior year ahead of her at Holy Cross, hasn’t hung her coaching whistle around her neck just yet, but much like her sister, “I would love to stay involved in sports.

They’ve been a huge part of my whole life so I think coaching is definitely a possibility.” She adds, “Maybe I’ll even coach with my sister one day, you know, really bring our relationship to a whole other level.”

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Planting a lasting legacy at Yaddo - For 20 years, the Yaddo Garden Association has kept the Trask’s gift alive and they want you to join them.

Story by Arthur Gonick Photos by Yvonne Bastian and MarkBolles.com

Visitors

who walk on the grounds and in the gardens at Yaddo are not only overwhelmed with a sense of beauty, but a sensation of timelessness. It seems as if this place was always here.

In fact, without the efforts of hundreds of people donating thousands of hours of volunteer effort, this gift that we all cherish today might have been lost forever. But thanks to the focused efforts of the Yaddo Garden Association, which is now celebrating its 20th anniversary, the gardens are in bloom for all to the approximately 30,000 annual visitors to enjoy.

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“I feel that Katrina Trask would have been so proud of what this Association has accomplished in following her vision of what Yaddo was meant to be. The mission of Yaddo itself is to allow the arts to be nourished and grow in this unique atmosphere. We are truly privileged to have been a part of bringing this vision of the Trasks back to what it was meant to be.

“My wish for the future of the YGA is that we continue to attract more young people to build on the foundation we have begun.” - Margaret Jacobson (YGA President)

sary, the gardens are in bloom for all to the approximately 30,000 annual visitors to enjoy.

The Yaddo Gardens were originally established in 1899.

They were a gift from Spencer Trask to his wife, Katrina and were laid out in the manner of the Italian classical gardens that they had visited during their trips abroad. The gardens make up about 10 acres of the 400-acre estate. This is the only portion of the estate which is open to the public.

The main areas are the rose and rock gardens; these are reached after crossing a great lawn which is downhill from the Yaddo Mansion and passing a pool containing fountains, water nymphs and cherubs. The entrance to the rose gardens is through a gate which is made of terracotta, marble and iron - molded with the Trask’s initials, thus it is known as the “ST/KT” gate. The beauty and detail of this and the other structures, statues and of course floral life is more than evident from the photos contained here and in the

Yaddo Garden Association Founder Jane Wait

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“For those who love gardening, you won't find a more delightful environment.�

- Eleanor Boyle

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“A special memory I have of working in the garden is pruning one of the rose bushes that was planted by Katrina Trask. A few of my favorite things about the YGA are the good friends, good food and good times we share.”

- Gay Gamage

memory of those who are fortunate to have visited this treasure.

It is a signature place of enchantment and romance: hosting an average of 40 weddings and many times more wedding photo sessions each year. It is hard to imagine Saratoga Springs without the Yaddo Gardens, yet two decades ago that was a real possibility.

It was Katrina’s wish that these gardens would remain open to the public after their deaths (Spencer died in 1909, Katrina in 1922.) However, years of neglect, vandalism, theft and the ravages of time took their toll, and by the early 1990’s the gardens’ condition was extremely bleak. Far from the Trask’s vision, far from anything that would be suitable for a photo backdrop. The Corporation of Yaddo, which offers residencies to creative artists at the Mansion, had little funds for the gardens’ upkeep.

It is incredible to contemplate today, but there was talk at that time that the gardens would actually be closed.

Fortunately, we know that this is a story with a happy ending, and the road to reclaim the Gardens began the donation of a sundial by Charles Wait in memory of his father, Newman E. Wait, Jr., to replace the original one that was

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ddo! a Y t a s r a e y ’s 20 A G Y e t a r b e l e C ance of its 20th n Party in observ

gs.

Yaddo Garde in Saratoga Sprin GA) is hosting a (Y n io iat oc , Union Avenue ss ns A n de ar de G ar o G o dd Ya dd e The Ya ay July 10 at th 2 to 5 pm, Sund m fro

ry dication and rsa ive nn A r the event. A de fo ns so er irp ha C son are Honorary ill be held. d John Hendrick Whitney Rose’ w an ou ey yl tn ar hi ‘M W d ou pe yl velo Mar y of the newly de

planting ceremon beverages will be rs d’oeuvres and ho s, nt ce do A conducted by YG s will be held. e gardens will be several gift basket r Also, tours of th fo es ffl ra d an served

attendance. l Club will be in cia So ian or ict V e rs of th they wish. rty attire. Membe period clothing if ian Dress is garden pa or ict V r ea w to Guests are invited

more information, r an invitation or Fo . or ct fa ne Be a for per person, $100 ww.yaddo.org Tickets are $50 0746 or visit w 458 ) call (518

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“A special memory I have of working in the garden is pruning one of the rose bushes that was planted by Katrina Trask. A few of my favorite things about the YGA are the good friends, good food and good times we share.”

- Gay Gamage

stolen from the balcony overlooking the Rose Garden. At the dedication of the new sundial, Charles’ mother, Ms. Jane Wait, watched as Charles’ children planted rose bushes, and noticed that even though it was June there were no other roses blooming there.

Ms. Wait formed the Yaddo Garden Association (YGA) in 1991 with 17 members, and quickly went to work.

Their mission was simple: to renew the Gardens with historic integrity.

Those simple, but significant beginnings set into motion a series of activities and accomplishments that have continued to this day: a growing labor of love and of countless people’s voluntary efforts.

Beginning with planting 350 rose bushes in 1992, every aspect of the gardens have been uplifted with signs of the YGA’s effort. According to Barbara Hefter, Yaddo Garden Association’s Publicity Chairperson, the most significant accomplishments include nearly $400,000 that was raised to reconstruct the 38 pillars of the Pergola, which was crumbling. The Four Seasons statues, which were sinking, have been righted. The ST/KT gate was re-pointed.

Ms. Hefter noted that fund-raising came from a variety of efforts, large and small. “In addition to corporate and private angels, the YGA has had a rose quilt show

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“One of my favorite things about the YGA is the esprit de corps of the members.�

- John Nelson (former Vice President, Corporation of Yaddo)

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“My wish is that the gardens continue to be maintained in their beauty and provide such beautiful respite and solace for all.” - Faith Palma

YGA members and friends), raffle sales, sales of a Yaddo coloring book, and tours of the Yaddo Gardens during the summer months.”

But it is the people, from Ms. Wait’s original group to those that volunteer their time today which have ultimately led to the Yaddo Gardens’ renewal. And yet the need for constant maintenance is an ongoing one, even with a current roster of 180 members, 50 garden volunteers and 11 docents (who lead garden tours), there is always a need for others to pitch in.

When you look at the volunteer numbers Ms. Hefter provided for 2010, you can easily see that there is plenty of room for newcomers in a variety of capacities: Volunteer hours for the 2010 season: 3,387 garden hours from approximately 50 garden volunteers 219 docent hours from approximately 11 docents 787 other hours from 15 members of YGA Board of Directors 4,393 total volunteer hours “Volunteers return to work in the gardens in early May and that is the time when the YGA is recruiting new garden volunteers and people to serve as garden docents for guided tours,” Ms. Hefter said. “There are no requirements. The YGA asks that volunteers share a love of gardening and docents share a love of history.” Garden volunteers work on Tuesday, Thursday and Saturday mornings through October, and docents will lead garden tours in the summer and early fall. For more information, call (518) 584-0746.

In this case, the spirit of giving yields not only the tangible floral results, but apparently a great deal of spiritual fulfillment and camaraderie as the comments from current and former members and volunteers indicate at the top of these pages. Perhaps it’s the feeling that comes from contributing to something that is bigger than all of us and has brought generations such contentment, and the knowledge that you are assuring a similar future for the Yaddo Gardens for generations to come.

The Yaddo Garden Association will celebrate its 20th Anniversary at the Yaddo Garden Party this July. See the side box for details, and to learn more about the opportunities to volunteer and/or contribute call (518) 584-0746 or visit www.yaddo.org.

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“I stay involved in the YGA year after year because of the tradition of caring...caring about the earth, caring about the gardens, caring about the history.� - Donna Bates

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It’s picnic time!

A picnic is a state of mind...

Pack it correctly:

But when you’re lucky enough to live in Saratoga County the choices are plentiful!

• Soups & Chili can go right into the thermos to maintain the right temperature.

• Pre-heat your thermos by filling it with boiling water – let it sit for 30 minutes to warm it up.

• Pre-chill your thermoses by filling it with ice water, and letting it sit in the fridge for at least 30 minutes.

• Remember to pack hot & cold containers in different picnic baskets.

• Deviled eggs can be carried in the egg carton.

• Use containers with screw tops for liquids or sauces.

• Put your heavy items in the basket first and always finish with the table cloth or ground cover on top.

• If you don’t have frozen gel packs – fill plastic milk or juice jugs with screw tops, 2/3 full with water and freeze the night before.

• If you need to maintain the heat of a cooked dish, wrap your container with eight or nine layers of newspaper then wrap in aluminum foil.

Picnic Pointers Some extras you might not have thought of…

• First aid supplies • Insect repellent • Candles & matches • Cutting board & knives • Bottle opener or cork screw • Paper towels, moist wipes, garbage bags • For those that don’t want to sit on the ground… pack folding chairs and a card table! “tabelcloths” that have been tacked or taped down won’t blow away.

• Old quilts & sheets also make great table cloths / ground covers • Mason jars are great to stock up on… drop in some votive candles or cut some wild flowers and you’ve got instant ambiance!

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Recipes that travel well

Preparation: Broil or grill sausage over medium-high heat, turning occasionally, until browned and no longer pink in center, 18 to 20 minutes. Slice thickly. Meanwhile, in large bowl, whisk together oil, vinegar, mustard, honey, salt, pepper and thyme. Add greens, carrot, apple, cucumber and walnuts to bowl. Add sausage and toss to coat.

Roasted Asparagus Have this the night before for dinner, make extra and chill for the next day’s picnic – even kids like devouring these little trees!

Snap woody ends off asparagus, place on a rimmed baking sheet and sprinkle with olive oil, salt, pepper & a touch of garlic – toss to coat and roast in a 425*F oven for at least 15 minutes, till tender, but not mushy.

If you’re feeding kids – keep them on the crisp side so they stand up and kids can eat them with their hands – so much more fun!

Turkey Sausage & Apple Salad Ingredients: 1 lb mild Italian turkey sausage 1/4 cup extra-virgin olive oil 2 tbsp apple cider vinegar 1 tsp Dijon Mustard 1 tsp Honey 1/4 tsp salt 1/4 tsp pepper 1/4 tsp dried thyme 6 cups chopped loosely packed baby spinach 2 cups chopped loosely packed curly endive 2 cups baby greens 1 carrot , peeled and grated 1 Gala apple, cored and thinly sliced 1/2 cup sliced English cucumber 1/3 cup walnuts, toasted and chopped

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Recipes that travel well

Macaroni & Ham Salad Ingredients • 2 teaspoons kosher salt, plus additional for salting water • 8 ounces elbow macaroni (about 2 cups) • 2 tablespoons white wine vinegar • 1 tablespoon Dijon mustard • Freshly ground black pepper • 1/3 cup extra-virgin olive oil • 1/3 cup sour cream • 6 ounces cooked ham, cut into one inch cubes • 3/4 cup frozen baby peas, thawed (about 4 ounces) • 2 ribs celery, with leaves, diced • 2 tablespoons chopped fresh dill

Corny avocado, cheese & tomato salad For the dressing: 1/2 cup snipped basil 1/2 cup extra-virgin olive oil 2 tablespoons fresh lime juice 1 teaspoon finely grated lime zest Kosher salt and freshly ground pepper For the salad: 3 cups of frozen corn, thawed 1 1/2 pounds grape tomatoes, halved (about 3 cups) 1 pound fresh mozzarella, diced 2 medium avocados, diced Directions Combine the dressing ingredients in a blender, using 2 teaspoons salt and pepper to taste; process until smooth. Combine the salad ingredients in a large bowl and toss with the dressing. Let sit at least 15 minutes before serving, or cover and refrigerate for up to 4 hours.

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Directions Bring a large pot of cold water to a boil over high heat and salt it generously. Add the macaroni and boil, stirring occasionally, until al dente, about 8 minutes. Drain the macaroni in a colander, put in a serving bowl. Allow the macaroni to cool slightly while you make the dressing.

For the dressing: Whisk the vinegar, mustard, the 2 teaspoons salt, and black pepper to taste in a large bowl.

Gradually whisk in the olive oil, starting with a few drops and then adding the rest in a steady stream to make a smooth, slightly thick dressing. Whisk in the sour cream.

Add the macaroni to the ham, peas, celery, and dill. Add the dressing and fold to coat the pasta evenly. Serve immediately or cover and refrigerate until ready to serve.

Method Remove the stems from the strawberries and slice into thin slices. Put into a large bowl and sprinkle with 1/4 cup of sugar.

After the strawberries have been sitting for 20 minutes or so, take a potato masher and mash them a little. Not too much, just enough to get more juice out of them. Whip the cream, adding a drop or two of vanilla and a teaspoon of sugar. To serve, ladle some of the juice into the bottom of each serving bowl, then break up one biscuit per, ladle strawberries over the biscuit. Add a dollop of whipped cream.

Strawberry Shortcake Recipe Ingredients Strawberries and whipping cream: • 3 baskets of fresh strawberries • 1/2 cup sugar • Whipping cream • Vanilla

Bisquick biscuits: • 2 1/3 cups Bisquick baking mix • 3 Tbsp butter, melted • 1/2 cup milk • 3 Tbsp sugar In case your box doesn’t have this recipe on it anymore…Heat oven to 425°F. Stir baking mix, melted butter, milk, and 3 Tbsp of sugar in a mixing bowl until soft dough forms. Drop by 6 spoonfuls onto a greased cookie sheet. Bake 10-12 minutes or until golden brown. Makes 6 biscuits.

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Spring Cleaning

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Even though it doesn’t feel like it outside –

it is that time of year…

Break it down, make it manageable and before you know it you’ll be rewarded with TONS of free time for when the weather kicks in and you want to be outside!

1 # 2 # 3

Write down everything that you want done – walk through each room with a pad and a pen and jot down what needs to be changed – the pile in the corner has to go, the rugs are looking yucky, the drapes are sad…

#

When you’re done with the NEEDS list – reward yourself by working on the WANTS list!

#

4 # 5

Now prioritize that list into things that need to be done and things you want to get done.

One more time with the list. Of the things that need that to be done, prioritize the list with the most important on top and when you work through the list – cross the items off as you go – it’s a wonderful feeling to see how much you’ve accomplished!

We’ve all read about how to clean & organize… set up an undistracted period of time, turn off the phone, turn up the tunes, give yourself a goal and don’t stop till you accomplish it, but, the most important part is just STARTING – you’ll be so happy you did!

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Here is a check list Bathroom • Dust the vents and fans.

• Update to spring colored towels, shower and window curtains. Update artwork if you have any up.

• Give the shower and bath a thorough cleaning, if you’re not already doing that weekly.

• Wipe down moldings and the corners of the ceiling.

• Mop the floor.

• Wash down the toilet, sink and other fixtures.

• Wash all windows, inside & out.

• Clean expired drugs out of the medicine cabinet.

• De-clutter surfaces and replace with spring flowers.

Bedroom • Update to spring colored bed linens and draperies.

• Dust the ceiling fan and window blinds.

• Dust all furniture and decor items.

• Vacuum the floor.

• Clean out the closets and donate everything you haven’t worn - if you haven’t been wearing it - you’ll never miss it!

• Organize drawers… including socks, lingerie and jewelry.

• Tackle under-the-bed cleaning.

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t

t

to keep you on task Kitchen • Dust ceiling fans, shelving, blinds, light fixtures and ceilings.

• Spot-clean any wall surfaces that have been splattered by cooking.

• Use a wood cleaner to scour grease or cooking residue from cabinetry.

• Remove the knobs from the stove top and clean the surface and burners. Don't forget to also clean the range hood.

• Remove any visible food seen in the dishwasher catch drain.

• Update to spring colored curtains and dish towels.

• Change out seasonal dishes, serving pieces, vases.

• Clean out the storage containers without lids and the pots & pans that have seen better days.

Living/Dining Room • Dust down all artwork, lampshades, furniture, ceiling corners, fans, fixtures, etc.

• Move furniture from the walls.

• Vacuum furniture, including under sofa cushions.

• Remove draperies and launder, update colors and weights if possible • Remove books from bookcases and dust.

• Clean electronics after unplugging.

• Dust decorative accents.

• Swap throw pillows and blankets for lighter hues.

• Remove items from china cabinets and clean.

• Polish silver flatware.

• Steam clean or shampoo the carpet.

• Clean out & organize computer files, filing cabinets and dare we say… move on to the garage next ?

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Why aren’t my Hydrangeas blooming?

By Kerry Ann Mendez, Perennially Yours, www.pyours.com

H

ydrangeas are without a doubt the flowering shrub that causes Capital District homeowners the most angst. We delude ourselves into thinking we live in milder climates like Cape Cod or Rhode Island. But reality sets in when we stare at lots of big green leaves instead of masses of pink or blue mophead flowers. Before you succumb to plant rage and grab the hedge trimmer, allow me to provide some proven tips for ‘drop-dead’ (no pun intended) Hydrangeas.

Let’s start with the easiest Hydrangeas to grow in this region.

The first group, Hydrangea arborescens, is commonly known as Smooth Hydrangeas. These have pink or white, ball-shaped flowers and set their flower buds in spring on new wood (growth that emerges in spring from the prior year’s stems). All Smooth Hydrangeas do well in sun to part shade and can be

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pruned hard in late winter or early spring. Popular cultivars are ‘Annabelle’ (3’ - 5’, white ball-shaped flowers); ‘Incrediball’ (4’ - 5’, larger white flowers than ‘Annabelle’); and ‘Invincibelle Spirit’ (3’ - 5’, pink ball-shaped flowers). A portion of all plant sales from ‘Invincibelle Spirit’ goes to breast cancer research. ‘Annabelle’ is one of the most shade-tolerant of all Hydrangeas. This group of Hydrangeas is much more drought-tolerant than the mop-head Hydrangeas.

Another reliably blooming group of Hydrangeas for Upstate New York are Panicle Hydrangeas (Hydrangea paniculata).

These can be grown as multi-stem shrubs or single trunk trees.

Panicle Hydrangeas have white flowers in summer that age to pink and burgundy in fall. Flowers can either be round or conical. This group also sets its flower buds on new wood in spring. And as with Smooth Hydrangeas, the time to prune, if needed, is in late winter or early spring. Great selections include ‘Pinky Winky’ (4’ - 6’, white and pink flowers), ‘Limelight’ (4’- 6’, lime-green flowers), ‘Little Lamb’ (4’ - 6’, white flowers), ‘Pink Diamond’ (6’, pink flowers) and ‘Quick Fire’ (6’ - 8’, pink flowers that bloom earlier in summer than others). One of the newest varieties to create a stir is ‘Vanilla Strawberry.’ It has massive flowers that open white, which then turn pink and finally rich strawberry. And the ‘icing on the cake’ is its red stems. It matures to 6’ - 7’. Panicle Hydrangeas prefer sun to part sun and are also more tolerant of drier soils.

Now on to the group that has us pulling our hair out; Hydrangea macraphylla, more commonly known as Mophead or Bigleaf Hydrangeas. These have blue, pink or blurpurple (pinkish blue) flowers in summer and fall and grow between 3’ - 5’ tall. The flowers are ball-shaped and typically 6” in diameter. That is until ‘Big Daddy’ hit the market a few years ago.

‘Big Daddy’ is for those who think big is better. Its 12” - 14” diameter balls leave no guesswork as to where they are. ‘Big Daddy’ also tends to grow taller than other Mopheads, reaching 5’ - 6’. With such hefty balls, however, come consequences. At times their size and weight can leave them dragging in the mud.

Many of the older varieties of Mopheads, such as ‘Nikko Blue,’ ‘Forever Pink,’ and ‘Pink Beauty’ form their flowers on old wood. Translation? The buds are formed later in summer or fall the prior year. Unfortunately these buds are very susceptible to freezing. Some research suggests flower buds die at 20 degrees above zero! Wimps. The shrubs live through the winter, green up, and then little or no flowers appear.

You have two ways to solve this dilemma with Mopheads that flower on old wood (and one is NOT with a hedge trimmer). First, you can protect tender buds from Old Man Winter.

In late November, after the Hydrangea’s leaves have fallen off, encircle the shrub with a hoop of three to four feet tall chicken wire. Secure the hoop in place with a couple of garden stakes weaved through the wire and pushed into the soil. Then pack the inside with raked leaves. Make sure to push the insulating leaves gently around the shrub’s branches right to the soil line.

In April, after danger of late cold snaps, remove the wire and use a leaf blower (or your hands) to remove the leaves. Then stand back and keep your fingers crossed. You should see the rewards of your efforts in a few months.

If you are not inclined to doing the above winterizing calisthenics, then work with Hydrangeas that bloom on old and new wood. Horticultural translation - they should bloom despite ruthless winters because there’s a backup of new buds in spring. I use the word should because there are never any 100 percent guarantees. As they say, ‘Life happens.’ So do bloomless Hydrangeas. Some cultivars that fall into the ‘better chances’ category are ‘Endless Summer,’ ‘Penny Mac,’ ‘Blushing Bride,’ ‘Mini Penny,’ and ‘Let’s Dance Moonlight.’

All have mounded flowers that are shades of pink or blue depending on soil pH. All Mophead Hydrangeas do better in part sun or part shade unless soil tends to stay moist. Generally speaking, pruning, if needed for height and width control, is done right after summer blooming.

The Mophead Hydrangeas are the only group with flowers that change color based on the soil’s pH. Flowers are blue in more acidic soils (lower than 6.0) and pink above 7.0.

Blurpurple may occur in that 6.0 to 7.0 range. You can discover your soil’s pH by buying a test kit (Rapitest is a super brand) at many garden centers or take a 1/2 cup sample to your local Cornell Cooperative Extension office. Based on test results, if you need to lower pH, use sulfur (follow the application rates on the package). Coffee grounds also work nicely as do pine needles. Lime raises pH, so do wood ashes.

So no more wringing your hands over growing Hydrangeas.

You can go with ‘no brainers’ in the Smooth and Panicle groups or step up to the less predictable Mophead gang. Choices, choices.

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Story by Yael Goldman Photos by Mark Bolles

W

ith all the activity, floral scents and vernal beauty returning to the greenhouses, the close-knit team at Sunnyside Gardens is getting excited for another spring while looking back on many years spent together hard at work.

Sunnyside Gardens has a colorful history.

Owners Ned and Bonnie Chapman entered the gardening industry in 1980 in wholesale distribution, selling dish gardens directly to florists.

Eventually their business shifted gears, and they began Sunnyside Gardens at 345 Church Street in Saratoga Springs – a 25-acre, local landmark that is now quickly perking up after its annual winter slumber.

Sunnyside is one of the largest garden centers in the area, and offers an incredible selection of annuals, perennials, vegetables, herbs and shrubs, most grown inside the 20 greenhouses.

The Chapmans introduce new varieties and colors each year. Ned explained that, like any other industry, gardening is always changing.

He recalls a time when just a few plants were available in a handful of basic colors, and gardening seemed like a less popular pastime.

“When we started 20 years ago, we were selling a half-dozen plants – geraniums, petunias, marigolds – and now there are hundreds,” he said. “Now, there are a few hundred colors available in petunias alone.”

“The customers are getting to know all those plants; they’re keeping us on our toes,” he said.

It seems that as the selection grows, so does the population’s interest in gardening – and these days, people are taking stock in their outdoor spaces more than ever before.

“People are creating gardens as an extension

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NEW SEASONAL EVENTS The Chapmans are coming up with new seasonal events to connect with the community and provide more opportunities for families to enjoy the outdoors. A handful of new activities will join annual favorites like the pumpkin patch, which has been a Sunnyside tradition since nearly the beginning, and the ever-fascinating Children’s Garden, which features exciting, unique plants like extra long green beans and purple broccoli.

“Educating younger kids is important,” Mr. Chapman said. “They’re our future customers.”

For starters, Lea is planning a perennial swap for Saturday, May 14 from 10 am to 3 pm. Gardeners are invited to dig up and divide their overgrown perennials and bring the extra plants to the swap where they can trade them for something new. This free event is designed to bring members of the gardening community together. Suse Beebe, master gardener from Cornell Cooperative Extension, will also be onsite answering questions and providing free soil testing.

Art in the Garden is another fun addition to the Sunnyside calendar. The Chapmans invite the community to take part in a celebration of art and nature on Saturday, June 18 from 10 am to 7 pm. Sunnyside's first Art in the Garden show will showcase several artists throughout the gardens and greenhouses. This event is free.

Calling all tomato lovers, Tomato Festival 2011 is making its debut this year on Saturday, September 10 from 10 am to 4! Participants will sample over 50 types of tomatoes and vote for their favorites. Homegrown tomatoes and homemade marinara sauces will also be entered in the contest. The Chapmans invite the community to come out to the gardens and take part in this fun-filled celebration, which will feature many exciting activities and contests.

There is no cost to attend, but families are encouraged to bring a non-perishable food item to be donated to a local pantry.

With many new events planned for 2011 and the spring season just beginning, the team at Sunnyside Gardens is preparing for a colorful summer and fall.

For more information about Sunnyside Gardens, call (518) 584-1034 or visit www.sunnysidegardensllc.com.

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of their home,” Ned said, explaining how it’s not uncommon for customers to bring in an outdoor couch cushion or swatch of fabric to pick out matching blooms.

Running a place like Sunnyside Gardens requires a knowledgeable, enthusiastic staff that’s willing to get their hands dirty, not to forget they must be passionate about gardening – so passionate they look forward to helping a customer pair plants with outdoor furniture.

“We’re not just putting pots out to sell,” Ned said.

“People buy with their eyes, and it’s our job to educate them about what works where, even if it means talking someone out of buying something.”

If a novice picks out the wrong plant and they’re garden is unsuccessful, they’ll be less likely to come back; they might give up on gardening altogether, Ned explained, “and that would be a loss for the whole industry.”

Providing the right kind of customer service is just

what Sunnyside, a family-run operation, is known for.

Bonnie and Ned have three children and they work year-round alongside two of them: their daughters Lea and Heather. Kip, their only son, is not interested in the family business, and that’s perfectly fine with them.

“We never forced the business upon our kids; we encouraged them to do other things, and they had the opportunity to see what else is out there,” Ned said.

If you ask any of the Chapmans what it means to say their business is family owned and operated, they’ll introduce you to their greenhouse relatives.

“Our staff is part of the family; we don’t look at them as employees,” Ned said.

The majority of the employees have been with Sunnyside for more than ten years, including one 42year-old gentleman who began working part-time in the greenhouses when he was only a teenager.

There is a reason why the dozen employees have stuck it out through decades of harsh winters, scorching hot summers and long hours year-round – especially without complaint, as Ned proudly claims.

“Things are alive here in the dead of winter,” said Billie Jo, whose own family has a long tradition of working at Sunnyside. For her, the greenhouse is an oasis: “It’s so nice and warm in here. When the sun comes out it feels tropical,” she said. “It’s like you’re always on vacation but working hard.”

Billie Jo has been happy at Sunnyside for many years, and she has no reason to keep track of time. “It could be ten, maybe 12 years – who knows,” she said.

Amy, a staff member coming up on her eighth spring at Sunnyside, said she loves working with her hands, specifically in an environment that changes with the seasons. She began working for the Chapmans shortly after graduating from Skidmore College.

All in all, it seems the employees credit their loyalty to their work environment: “It’s so peaceful here; when something’s getting you down, just go into the greenhouse and start watering and pretty soon all of your troubles will be washed away,” Amy said.

While the Chapmans attribute their loyal customer base to their passionate, dedicated staff, “A big part of our success is our employees,” Ned said. “They all really care, and you don’t see that a lot in this day and age.”

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Flower Speak Are You Listening?

Etiquette & Decorum by Lorna Dupouy

Some may question how can there possibly be rules of etiquette in giving or receiving flowers and ask, is not just the mere act of giving flowers a nicety, a gesture of thoughtfulness in and of itself? You may think so. However, if we were to go back to the impious era of Saratoga Springs, the 1890’s, one would find that flowers held special meanings. To give a particular flower could signal a sentiment that was considered overly forward. To accept a particular flower could brand a young lady or give a gentleman hope. Young, unmarried people had to be very careful about what was sent and accepted as they made sure to stay within the proper parameters of society.

For your enjoyment a list of flowers and their implied meanings is provided.

You might want to consider these flowers with upcoming proms, Mother’s Day and even Father’s Day.

Daffodil

tells that “the sun is always shining when I am with you” and indicates kind regards

Gardenia

states “I love you in secret” and wishes good luck to a man

Lilac

in mauve asks, “Do you still love me?”

Petunia rages, “I am furious”

Red roses indicate love and desire

Red rose

single full-bloom shows constant love

Pink rose

asks “Please believe me”

Yellow rose speaks of infidelity and jealousy, as well as friendship

Red & white roses together show unity and warmth of heart

Tulip is a declaration of love and the symbol of a perfect lover

Red tulip says “Believe me”

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Variegated/bi-colored tulip means beautiful eyes

Violet suggests, “I return your love” and it is good luck to give to a woman

Lily of the Valley pleads “Let’s make-up”

Birch leaves

are given to a man by a woman as a show of encouragement

White carnation indicates pure and ardent love, as well as good luck

Chrysanthemum shows cheerfulness and optimism

Forget-me-not

tells of faithful love and undying memory. These blooms are good when given to a woman.

Moss shows maternal love and charity Iris indicates, “I have a message for you” Zinnia tells of lasting affection §

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