We're Better Together!

Straight Talk from our Community Compass
August 2026

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MYRNA: A beloved family tradition that we partake in at least once a year is what my father's father's side of my family loosely called a Hungarian gypsy picnic. Sütni szalonna (pronounced 'SHOOT-nee sah-LON-nuh' and known as szalonnasütés) is a traditional Hungarian campfire ritual. It involves roasting a thick, fatty, smoked pork back fat on a wooden stick over an open fire and dripping the rendered lard directly onto thick rustic bread (we use rye). I still remember my great-grandmother holding the stick. She'd feed everyone else, then peel off the burnt fat and eat it. My family includes thick cut bacon (szalonna), onions, peppers (hot and sweet), tomatoes — and my favorite — ‘petchenia’ (phonetic spelling of pecsenye, meaning roast meat or pan-fried pork) seasoned with garlic powder and paprika. Since the Hungarian butchers have all closed up shop where we used to get the fat back, we just use the strip bacon fat these days to grease up the bread ('greezy' bread). The great-great grandsons have now taken over the cooking, and my dad has been hosting since the 1970s.

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CAROL: Last month, I visited the Connecticut studio of Robert Lee Morris, the creator of wearable art whose name was the first to be associated with the term ‘designer jewelry.’ I was with a group from the Museum of Arts and Design in New York. And let me say up front that jewelry is my drug of choice, so I was delirious. To call his body of work astounding is to grossly understate the case. In addition to his own designs, he had iconic collaborations with fashion designer Donna Karan and artist Andy Warhol, and he recently has expanded his practice to create monumental mobiles, chandeliers, and more. He is as warm and gracious as he is talented. Despite my intoxication, I managed to take some photos to share.

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KAREN: Creative projects seem to be the theme for this summer. I'm back to watercolor painting and working on my unfinished novel. I have had a lot of fun shopping, too, at second-hand and vintage stores like the Newburgh Vintage Emporium Ware-house and Grandpa's Vintage Attic to give my place a new look -- with old pieces! Don't you love my "new" waste bin? I do! (See slideshow.)

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JENIPHER: Before partnering with Hugh & Grace, I did my research. I wanted products backed by science and a company committed to supporting women's health from the inside out. That's why I'm so excited to share that Hugh & Grace has been named the official women's health partner of the brand-new Professional Women's Baseball League! It's inspiring to see a company dedicated to hormone health, clean ingredients, and overall wellness supporting female athletes at the highest level. If you're curious about how these products can support your health journey, click here to learn more, or feel free to reach out to me directly. I'd love to chat!

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LAURA: In April, I lost my sister after her long battle with COPD. Along with the sadness came the complicated emotions that often accompany the loss of someone with whom you've shared a lifetime — but not always an easy relationship. As adults, we sometimes have to make difficult choices about boundaries. Those decisions are rarely made without love; they're made in the hope of creating healthier lives. For a long time, I wondered if some family wounds would simply remain unfinished. Instead, healing arrived in an unexpected way. Over the past few months, my two adult nieces, Jean and Nicole, have become an extraordinary gift. We've discovered that understanding can grow where old assumptions once lived. Rather than dwelling on what separated our family, we've chosen to focus on what brings us together. Their openness has reminded me that healing doesn't always come through the relationships we lose. Sometimes it comes through the ones we're given the chance to build. I've found comfort and gratitude for the reminder that it’s never too late to write a gentler family story.

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CARLA: It can be so easy to get caught up in doing more and 'being more.' Yet there’s so much to be found in the art of slowing down to enjoy the moments along the way. When we pause to immerse ourselves in the moment — whether we’re doing the dishes, gardening, sitting in traffic, or hiking in nature — we make space for life in the here and now rather than letting it pass us by.  

Some Photos Representing Our Experiences
Slideshow Photos: Courtesy of Team Members

"Working with others on a publication where your team members’ sense of vision, direction and purpose are completely in tune with yours is extremely rare. The working relationship and positive environment at SANCTUARY is definitely something special, and I couldn’t be more proud of the result. I value the exemplary contributions and hard work that every member of our team has provided in order for us to put together unique and relevant content each and every month. I'd like to send a special shout-out to my senior editors whose years in the publishing industry and wide range of expertise help to make my job so much easier." 

​~ Myrna Haskell, Executive Editor

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Learn more about the women behind Sanctuary:

Our Team

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"Find a group of people who challenge and inspire you. Spend a lot of time with them, and it will change your life forever."
~ Amy Poehler
Actress, Comedian, Writer, Producer