the view from Catskill yesterday
In my current search for the coziest corners of the Hudson Valley, I’ve begun strolling the streets of really old houses to find inspiration. If you see me, say hi!! Catskill has some of the best. This house, pictured above, might be my favorite.
Built (I’m guessing?) around the 1870s, with Italianate, Victorian, and Second Empire styles, the lamp post just kills me. And those fish-scale shingles and dentil moldings?? Genteel elegance if I’ve ever seen it. If you happen to know who lives in it I’d love to meet them.
Also, if you like Instagram feeds about really old houses of the Hudson Valley, you must check out Warren Battle’s @warrenonwarren. There is not one single bad post! They are all good!
OK, on to this issue:
The Backstory:
In an interview with Dan Torres for my podcast episode on the vintage base ball teams of Ulster County, I learned about Kingston Guards and Ulster Nine co-founder Taylor Bruck.
Looking into Taylor, you might see that he has an IMDB page, something he said "used the be the first thing that came up when you searched my name. Not anymore."
When you search his name now, you’ll see he recently found himself surprised to be involved in a fight between the states of New York and Texas.
Taylor is the county clerk for Ulster County, and his job would normally mean managing DMV processes, preserving 300-year-old land records, and keeping the legal paper trail of everyday life in order. But earlier this year, it landed him inside a national constitutional standoff.
Only a few months into his role as Acting County Clerk, Taylor received a legal judgment from Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton, asking him to accept and process it in New York.
"It's rare to get a judgment from a different state regarding something like abortion medication," Taylor told me. "It just doesn't happen." The judgment involved a New Paltz-based doctor, telemedicine, abortion medication, and a question that reaches beyond healthcare: Can one state make another enforce its laws?
I grew up in Texas, and so the ad campaign "Don’t Mess With Texas" immediately came to mind. I wanted to know what it feels like when Texas messes with you. So in this episode, I visit Taylor in his Kingston office, crowded with elephant statues (and now a growing donkey collection), to talk about how his administrative role quickly became a test case for New York’s brand-new shield law.
We talk about constitutional boundaries, state identity, what it means to uphold local law in a national dispute, his mysterious baseball, and how it felt to go from archivist to defendant in a case that could one day reach the Supreme Court.
Here’s my original Cozy Map Of Comfy Places, more than 100 spots organized by fireplaces, comfort food, centuries-old inns, brunch, and more.
My profile of the legendary Maureen Rodgers, owner of Rodgers Book Barn in Hillsdale, New York.
Brewing one of my favorite beers – the Cozy Flannel – with the brewer who invented it, Haley Shine.
The Hungry Eye looked at a cozy ingredient in the historic tasting room of Pogliani Select.
Coming soon: My Comfy Guide To Cozy Corners! If you have a favorite place I should know about, reply to this email and tell me.
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interesting events that look fun and are happening soon!!
Curated by Brian Wallis, Everyday Culture: Seven Projects by Documentary Arts is currently on view at CPW in Kingston: seven major projects from Documentary Arts examines aspects of everyday, yet marginalized culture: traditional artisan skills, tattooing, blues music, and community photography. On view through Sun., Jan. 11, 2026. (Info here)
One of my favorite chef teams – HAEMA – will pop up at Reflections Of Home, a multi-vendor event celebrating the Asian diasporic community in the Hudson Valley. Sun., Nov. 28 – Tues., Nov. 30, 10 a.m. – 5 p.m., Basilica Hudson. (Info here)
Local businesses and hundreds of folks will show up to Dutchman’s Landing in Catskill for its annual Parade of Lights. Festivities begin at 5:30 p.m., parade kicks off at 6:30 p.m., and fireworks start at 8:30 p.m. on Main Street. Sun., Nov. 28, Dutchman’s Landing to the top of Main Street, Catskill. (Info here)
Hudson-based filmmaker Karl Mattson of 542films will premiere his new short documentary "Here We Grow: A Film About The Hudson Youth Center" in collaboration with the Friends of Hudson and the Hudson Film Festival. Thurs., Dec. 4, 5:30 p.m. (Info here)
A James Cave Instagram Feed Annual Tradition, Hudson’s Winter Walk is always a fun time: The 29th season takes over Warren Street with live music, circus performances, window displays, late-night shopping, a fireworks show, and more. This year, you can pick up a "nano-lantern" to carry for free. Sat., Dec. 6, Warren Street is closed from 4:30 p.m. – 8:30 p.m. (Info here)
The Thomas Cole National Historic Site will host it’s annual Winter Social, with holiday shopping, tree AND building lighting, winter tours, hot chocolate, and more. You can shop items from Finch Hudson, the previously mentioned Warren Battle of Battle Brown, Return Brewing, and more. Sun., Dec. 7, 2 p.m. – 4 p.m., free entry. (Info here)
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