After nearly a week of looking after my 3 young grandchildren, I needed some quiet time. The best place for me to find it is hiking the well marked trails in Steep Rock Park. It was a picture perfect day with bright blue skies, a temperate 71 degrees with a light breeze. Of course, this is also the most wonderful time of year to be in the woods as the wild flowers are in bloom, the leaves are a bright new green. Our favorite path is the one that follows the Shepaug River full and rushing after some torrential rains.  My iPhone photos can only give you a sense of why I love the place so much.

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I wish you and your family a very Happy Thanksgiving sharing familiar comfort food, hiking in the woods or roasting marshmallows by the campfire.  I plan to do all three. ENJOY the moment!

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The overall success of any project lies in the details. And, one of the details that can most easily derail a tile installation is the choice of grout color. For some reason, the grout color selection is often left to the last minute. The installer, already on the job, makes the decision. While there is no right or wrong grout color and the choice is a matter of personal preference, some colors ultimately look better than others (a lot better!). For many years I suggested a nearly matching color grout, especially when installing white tile. Recently, I have found that light or dark gray grout can look great in some installations. We call that our ‘old New York’ look.

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Several weeks ago, the Waterworks showroom in Greenwich, CT hosted a book signing for Philip James Dodd, the author of The Art of Classical Details: Theory, Design and Craftsmanship. In this beautifully organized and photographed book, Phillip proves that architecture, to be successful, requires not only a knowledge of theory and practice, but also an understanding and appreciation of the craft of building. He features architects and craftsmen who have a love for classical detail. They are students of the classical orders: Tuscan, Doric, Corinthian and Composite. Each order provides a system with its own distinct proportions, details and identity. Without them, classical architecture does not exist nor is it understood.

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