EDITOR'S LETTER

Stop, look, listen. Three strikes and you're out. Red, yellow, green. Small, medium, large. Three blind mice. Moe, Larry and Curly. The world is loaded with things that come in threes. And, at this very moment, you hold in your hands the third anniversary issue of Connecticut Cottages & Gardens. As an anthropology major in college, I gained a whole new appreciation for this number through an interesting ethnography on an industrial culture, Acirema. Three was the basis for how it structured its government, segmented the population and organized its belief systems. The number even played a role in its folklore and in some of its children's games. While this theme seemed so obvious to outside observers, the members of the society itself were unaware of its role. As I continued to read about Acirema, I had a nagging feeling that perhaps I had visited this exotic society; as unusual as it sounded, it also had a familiarity about it. If you haven't figured it out already, the strange society was none other than our own! (Acirema is "America" spelled backwards.)

The lesson in all of this is that you need to take a step back to really be an observer. This is certainly the case when I look at design, architecture and art right here in Connecticut. While some aspects seem so familiar, others are entirely new. Over the past three years, I have been reintroduced to our design sensibility and reminded of how far we have come as a state. I hope we have dispelled those out-of-date clichés about Martha, old-time Yankees and boring suburban cul-de-sacs overgrown with split levels. In their stead is a place that is redefining how we live in the Northeast.

Connecticut has proven to be the perfect breeding ground for fresh and interesting design. So, as we finish year three and embark on another, you can be sure that we will continue to celebrate a trinity of Connecticut: its history, mystery and majesty!

D.J. Carey
Editor in Chief
dj@ctcandg.com

Listen to DJ on the radio!
A Fashionable Life WGCH 1490 AM