Happy November! Happy Veterans Day! Happy Thanksgiving!! If I take a look at the people who are in my life—and that includes all of you—then this is the moment when I can express great gratitude. Thank you for being part of this journey with me. This month we feature a flowering tale by Barbara Lloyd McMichael: Scott the Gardener brings joy to all of those who pass through his neighborhood in a suburb south of Seattle.
What the Gardener In My Neighborhood Grows by Barbara Lloyd McMichael offers thanks to Scott the Gardener whose abundant flowers: Cosmos, Celosia, Globe amaranth, Gayfeather, gladiolus, marigolds, 16 varieties of dahlias, Rudbeckia and zinnias, statice and salvia, snapdragons and strawflowers, single stem sunflowers, branching varieties of sunflowers, and a rogue Brazilian vervain are all gifts that keeps giving.
My Small Book by Patricia Vaccarino
Few people will remember that a Carnegie Library once stood in the center of Yonkers, but because of my small book people will know of the heroic effort that was made to save the most beautiful building in Yonkers. The Death of a Library: An American Tragedy is about the Yonkers Carnegie Library and the people who tried to stop it from being destroyed in 1982.
No one should ignore this message!
Dr. Corning's latest work is Superorganism: Toward a New Social Contract for Our Endangered Species. As the evidence of our global survival crisis continues to mount – with mega droughts, catastrophic floods, rampant wildfires, melting glaciers, devastating hurricanes and more, the expression “too-little-too-late” comes to mind.
Dr. Peter Corning’s groundbreaking work Superorganism is a cautionary tale of the ancient human societies that have vanished – many of them as victims of ecological disasters. To purchase Superorganism in its entirety, go to the local bookstore nearest you or order online via Cambridge University Press or Amazon.
Inspired by Patricia Vaccarino’s essay about Short Sand Beach in Oregon, Ed Murphy writes about his beloved backyard in the Telemark wilderness of Norway.
A Little Bit of Thanks Goes a Long Way by Patricia Vaccarino
This Thanksgiving there should only be one regret—that we have not taken the time to give enough of ourselves. Giving of ourselves takes many shapes and forms. Take a look around and ask yourself: What can I do to lift someone’s burden or make their load a little lighter?
Love 22 by Patricia Vaccarino
Love 22 slid unannounced into my life on a blustery day in November. He looked like he had been blown like a tumbleweed across the campus quadrangle. The sun was hidden behind a blank slate of sky. Wind sheared through the tops of plain grey trees that had shed their leaves.
Ethnic Thanksgiving: Cultural Appropriation? by Anna Faktorovich
On its surface it appears to be a simple decision: it can be dull serving the same stuffed Turkey with cranberries and potatoes every Thanksgiving. A modern home cook might be itching to surprise guests with some spices or out-of-the-box meats, sweets and starches. Why not make the turkey in curry paste or serve it with peanut sauce? Recipes for foods across the world are more readily available today on the web than ever before.
A Mouth-Watering Thanksgiving Feast by Mary Beth Johnson, CEPC, CCC
Chef Mary Beth Lawton Johnson has been cooking incredible meals on the land and on the sea for over 25 years. As a professional chef who has made her career as a private personal chef in the luxury field, we are truly grateful to have her tips for making a memorable, mouth-watering Thanksgiving feast!
Book Reviews: The Slip by Prudence Peiffer
For a little piece of forgotten New York City history, read The Slip. Also embrace the book’s stronger message: the artists who live, work, and break bread together, are the ones who become successful. With a little help from friends, all things are possible in the art world. -Patricia Vaccarino