The Powerful Sound of Silence on Veterans Day

Veterans Day, as always, was a time to reflect and honor those who have served. The beautiful setting of Rye's Village Green made the event all the more poignant.

To every Thanksgiving table, guests bring an appetite for more than just the feast. It’s a day to rejoice in family and friends, and all the blessings on earth that have gotten us this far.

Interior designer Michele Green, together with business partner Barbara Sperling, owns The Open House, one of Rye’s newest home decor stores. Michele’s design philosophy includes balancing an unexpected mix of classic and modern elements to create spaces that are both beautiful and relevant. The result is as sophisticated as it is comfortable.

When the long rays of sunlight begin to pierce the Canadian Arctic’s winter darkness, and the frozen tundra thaws, rambling herds of musk ox begin to show their downy undercoat. Called qiviuk (pronounced kiv-vee-uk), it’s finer than cashmere and warmer than wool. It falls naturally to the ground in soft gray clouds of gossamer-like fleece, leaving the animal’s outer guard coat. The musk ox is both a majestic and extraordinary beast, not only because of its luxurious fiber but also for its remarkable place in history.

There are times in life when fate smiles on you in an unexpected way, and you wonder if you’ve done something wonderful to deserve it or if it’s just good luck.  Maybe you find yourself upgraded on a long flight or your child becomes a professional athlete and buys you a condo in Palm Beach. Or the ultimate: you are invited to be a guest at Thanksgiving dinner. No ironing linens, no greasy roaster. It is the gift of time and tranquility, the true golden ticket.

Here’s a Thanksgiving “diet” that even your cardiologist might approve of. For each bit of caloric overindulgence before, during, and after Thanksgiving dinner, you can expiate your cumulative sins by taking a post-prandial walk of sufficient length and vigor.

Now that the days are shorter and the darkness of winter is upon us, we rely more on artificial lighting in our homes. Make sure to choose bulbs that draw the least amount of electricity, and therefore require the least amount of coal to be burned. This means opting out of old-fashioned incandescent bulbs.

Thanksgiving Day. What’s not to like? Even turkey, which most days tastes like salted paper towel, is delectable. Normally bland turnips turn into tantalizing tidbits for the taste buds. There is no tree to purchase or trim, no frantic trips to town to buy Uncle Ralph a tie that we know he will never wear, and no marathon wrapping sessions in the attic. It’s neither too cold nor too hot, and some orange, red, and yellow leaves remain on the trees.

This is a special season for Americans, one in which we take the time to count our blessings and be thankful for family and friends. The culmination of this good will is the Thanksgiving feast, which ranges from soup to nuts. The important message is not the food itself, but the sharing of it — quite literally — with family and friends.

You may not know it, but working quietly to preserve the beauty of Rye is a group of talented women of all ages. The 60 active and 37 sustaining and affiliate members of the Rye Garden Club (RGC) share a love of gardening and the natural world and are dedicated to the Garden Club of America’s mission to stimulate a knowledge and love of gardening.