Shohreh Anand
“About four years ago, I helped my elderly parents clear their attic. Among the stuff in boxes, was a sixty-year-old, 8-track tape. I had it converted to a digital audio file. A rarity for its time, it was a home recording of voices of our family, my grandmother, aunts, uncles and cousins, having a celebration and joyous conversation. A nostalgic sense of happiness and sadness filled me, and I knew I had to pass along this serendipitous gift to the children and grandchildren of those voices on the tape, most of whom, long gone. From the reactions I got, they treasured this gift as much as I did.”
Shohreh Anand is a long time Chappaqua resident, and a former Chappaqua Library trustee.
Michael Johnson
“One of the most thoughtful gifts I ever received was an Apple IIGS computer as a child. At the time my parents thought of it as an important investment in their children’s future. I can remember the huge box of manuals it came with that had instructions on how to write programs for it. I was hooked almost instantly. That gift sparked a lifelong passion for technology, giving me both joy in the moment and direction for the future. It wasn’t until much later that I understood how impactful that one machine was.”
Michael Johnson is one of the original engineers at Hinge and still writes code daily. He lives in Chappaqua with his wife and cats.
Erica Molina
“Last Chanukah, my daughters gave me a deeply meaningful gift–a ‘doctored’ version of the last family photo we took before my husband, Alex, passed away. It was from my niece’s bat mitzvah, just two months before Alex’s passing, and included my niece. My daughters had it professionally edited so that only we were in the picture, preserving a special moment we shared. I could feel their love in every detail of the gift.”
Erica Molina is the Membership Engagement Specialist at Temple Beth El in Chappaqua. She lives in Armonk with her two daughters: Arielle, a freshman at the University of South Carolina, and Amelia, a junior at Byram Hills.
Susanna Reich
“In 7th grade I chose French for my foreign language, and in high school added Latin. I didn’t stick with it long enough to read the classics but was delighted when my father gave me a copy of Winnie Ille Pu, the Latin edition of Winnie the Pooh, by A.A. Milne, one of my favorite authors. Dad didn’t often give gifts, and this one felt very personal. It’s the only Latin book ever to make the New York Times bestseller list. I still have it.”
Susanna Reich, a children’s book author, grew up in Hastings and lives in Briarcliff with her husband Gary Golio, also a children’s book author. Gary studied classical Greek, so between the two of them they can usually solve a challenging crossword puzzle.
Marc E. Childs
Jee-Young Moon
Cathy Paulsen
Meg Kirschner Waxman
Steve Biren
Dana Dince
Elissa Weinhoff
Stacey Winnick
“My favorite local place to get away is Rockwood Hall on Phelps Way in Sleepy Hollow. It is the grounds of an old Gilded Age mansion. There are miles of hiking trails, the old stone foundation of the mansion and amazing Hudson River views. I enjoy going for sunset hikes with my husband, catching up with my college son over an am walk, but my favorite visit was seeing fireworks over the Hudson on the 4th with my youngest son.”
“Being raised in several countries, my ‘town’ could be several places including Tokyo. I have lived in Chappaqua for the past 17 years, the place I’ve stayed put the longest and now consider home. Flights to New York thus feel like coming home. Spending some moments on Haneda airport’s rooftop observation deck prior to boarding fills me with joy, relief and optimism. Its ambience awakens joyful memories of my childhood airplane obsession. Spotting the plane for my flight to New York gives me a sense of relief and parked within reach from the deck – a sign of peaceful society – makes me feel optimistic that freedom from fear is indeed possible”
“There are so many areas in Town that are spirit-lifting, but two that stand out are Whippoorwill Park and Glazier Arboretum. It is not an exaggeration to say that we have spent parts of almost every day with our dogs in one of those two incredible preserves! They are five minutes from our home but allow for a total escape into nature, for both active exercise and peaceful contemplation.”
“I love Rockwood Hall in Mt Pleasant on the Hudson. It has the ruins of William Rockefeller’s majestic house and beautiful special trees. When you walk the property you feel transported to the Gilded Age. The beauty of the 1,000-acre park is that anyone can walk or enjoy the ruins of the house and the nature surrounding you. I remember my children rolling down the grassy hill on a warm summer day.”
“Mid October: Haul tree out of basement because we’re bored and forgot to make plans for Columbus Day weekend. Next, spend afternoon looking for decorations in a box labeled ‘Xmas,’ but it’s behind another box labeled ‘broken lamp.’ Swear to family that the lights were not this tangled when I put them in the box last April. Go to CVS to buy new lights. Buy Batmobile ornament that hangs in office because it’s too good to share with the family. Go back to CVS because I forgot to buy lights. Plug in tree. Switch to outlet that works. That’s how we do it every year. And we like it just fine.”
“Given being born on Thanksgiving, it has always been the most special holiday for me. The tradition of making everyone’s favorite dishes, setting a beautiful table and the scent of roasting turkey creates a warm and welcoming environment. As a child, we spent Thanksgiving at my aunt’s home, and she always had a birthday cake for me with sparklers. Music and singing after dinner was a given and my dad and uncle Sam would dance across the living room which brought lots of laughs from everyone.”
“Christmas Eve continues to bring my family together for an evening of family time, laughter, and Nonna Rosaria’s original, fresh seafood recipes. I remember, as a child, setting the huge Christmas table in the basement of our Brownstone in the Arthur Avenue section of the Bronx. Decades later, we resume our traditions, now alternating host houses yearly to accommodate 60! Mom continues to make seafood salad, bacala, and stuffed lobster to name a few of ‘the 7 fishes.’ Since moving to Chappaqua, we never miss St. John and Mary’s children’s mass with its pageant and beautifully simulated story about the birth of Jesus.”
my family, my sons, my cats, dogs, animals, and chickens in the barn. The trees are lit, cats lying underneath. The room is filled with beautifully decorated gifts and warmth. On Christmas morning we pick leftover herbs from the garden and start cooking. My mom is setting up the cookies. Ryan’s chopping in the kitchen, Jeffrey and my husband Jeff take care of the animals. Aromas fill the air, and the Lord is in our hearts as we await the family.”