By Sherry Strother

It is always a pleasure to attend an event at the Center for the Environment at Catawba College, and Thursday night, August 20 was no exception. The evening was a dinner and book signing to celebrate the publication of Less is More. The book is edited by Wanda Urbanska and Cicile Andrews. Wanda lives in Mt. Airy with her son Henry. In addition to authoring a number of books, she is the host of the PBS series Simple Living with Wanda Urbanska. Cicile makes her home in Seattle, Wa. A long-time educator, she is the author of several books, including The Circle of Simplicity and Slow is Beautiful.

Dr. John Wear, director of the Center, penned one of the 29 essays in the book, which is a collection of thoughtful essays written by leading thinkers and philosophers of the Simplicity and Sustainability movements. Both Urbanska and Wear signed books for grateful attendees.

The dinner was a celebration as well – a lovely feast to honor our local foods and products. The Bread Riot’s own Maria Thompson solicited and co-ordinated the donations from local growers and merchants, including Mike and Erica Miller, The Breadbasket, and Hartsell Farms. Matt Trexler of Creative Gourmet Catering organized a wonderful menu created from the offerings. From hors d’oeuvres to dessert, it was all delicious!

Many thanks to everyone in our community who contributed to making this enjoyable evening possible!