Letter from Catherine

HSPRUNG Has spring sprung? As I write this, it’s a warm seventy-five degrees outside, but tomorrow we dip down into the thirties. There is one thing you can always count on and that is the uncertainty of Arkansas weather – yet there’s no place I’d rather be!

Hopefully the weather cooperates so color can return to my flowerbeds, and I can get my hands in the soil and plants in the garden, then hope and pray I can keep them all thriving. Can you tell I am ready for spring? It’s a time of renewal and rebirth!

The pages in this issue are bound together with stories of renewal and faith. Fort Smith native, Kelly Stuckey, shares her journey of grief and joy, her steadfast faith, and her hopes for her and her son Everett’s bright futures. We’re also sharing the story of Michelle and Hailey Hadley, a dynamic mother-daughter duo who took a leap of faith and opened Hummingbird Boutique, a local shop that encompasses faith, hope and love.

You’ll also find the story of Dr. Quyen Ha, a local physician who has written a book detailing his harrowing journey to escape Vietnam to come to America in search of a better life. And finally, the much-anticipated finale to the Jimmy McGill story. Discover how he once was an addict in state prison and today is employed in a state position, which he credits to his faith in God and those who had faith in him even when he couldn’t find it in himself.

No issue of Do South® would be complete without a few recipes! If you love strawberries, we’ve got you covered with recipes for a delicious strawberry cheesecake tart and a strawberry gin fizz cocktail, plus a list of the best u-pick berry farms from around the state!

Get out and pick some berries, get your hands in the dirt. Have faith that warmer days are here to stay and all things dreary are ready to burst with color. Happy spring, y’all – see you in May!

Catherine Frederick

Owner/Publisher/Editor catherine@dosouthmagazine.com

APRIL 2022

OWNER - PUBLISHER - EDITOR Catherine Frederick

COPY EDITING Charity Chambers

GRAPHIC DESIGN Artifex 323 – Jessica Meadors

CONTRIBUTING PHOTOGRAPHERS Jade Graves, Dwain Hebda

CONTRIBUTING WRITERS Jenny Boulden, Catherine Frederick, Dwain Hebda, Sara Putman, Liesel Schmidt

ADVERTISING INFORMATION Catherine Frederick I 479.782.1500 catherine@dosouthmagazine.com

FOLLOW US

©2022 Read Chair Publishing, LLC. All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced in whole or in part in any manner without the permission of the copyright owner. Opinions contained in Do South® are exclusively those of the writers and do not represent those of Read Chair Publishing, LLC. as a whole or its affiliates. Any correspondence, including photography, becomes the property of Read Chair Publishing, LLC. Do South® reserves the right to edit content and images. Printed in the U.S.A. | ISSN 2373-1893

Annual subscriptions are $36 (12 months), within the contiguous United States. Subscribe at DoSouthMagazine.com or via mail, 4300 Rogers Avenue, Suite 20-110, Fort Smith, AR, 72903. Single issues available upon request. Inquiries or address changes, call 479.782.1500.

To reserve this free space for your charitable nonprofit organization, email: catherine@dosouthmagazine.com.