A Touch of Evergreen

Glancing across the fully staged Thanksgiving table, I noted the space beside the ceramic pumpkin centerpiece felt slightly unanchored against the bright noon light. Near the rim of a porcelain platter lay a slender sprig of fresh thyme, set aside from earlier kitchen duties. Resting my rifle upright against a crystal salt cellar to secure my footing, I took hold of the woody stem with both gloved hands. With measured deliberate steps across the cream linen runner, I maneuvered the sprig into the hollow crook of the pumpkin's ceramic stem. Resting upright in disciplined symmetry, the fragrant green foliage completes our festive arrangement with quiet dignity.