@Urban Magazine July 2013 Issue by Do South Magazine

life july 2013 AtUrbanMagazine.com

lifestyle

featuring

entertainment

EDITOR-IN-CHIEF Catherine Frederick

Rescue the Perishing

Up Close & Personal

Ready, Set, Preserve

Ignite: The Kings of Mill Creek Mountain

Reader Story: Surprise!

Drawing a Blank

24 26 28

Urban 8

30 34 38 42

Leave No Man Behind

Holy Ghost Girl: A Memoir Ghost on Ghost

people

taste

The Art of Robyn Horn The Power of Learning Long Live Jenny Lind

MANAGING EDITOR Marla Cantrell CONTRIBUTING WRITERS Marla Cantrell Marcus Coker Bettye Sangster Fields Catherine Frederick Shannon Hensley Stacey Little Tonya McCoy Carla Minsky Anita Paddock Caroline Speir CONTRIBUTING PHOTOGRAPHERS Marcus Coker Ruby Dean Catherine Frederick Jeromy Price Stacey Little DESIGNER Jeromy Price WEB GURU David Jamell PUBLISHER Read Chair Publishing, LLC

46 48 50 52

Cocktail Hour Watermelon Mojito Foodie Tips Fruit Salad with Lime Honey Dressing

ADVERTISING INFORMATION Catherine Frederick 479 / 782 / 1500 Catherine@AtUrbanMagazine.com

travel

EDITORIAL INFORMATION Marla Cantrell 479 / 831 / 9116 Marla@AtUrbanMagazine.com

56 62

Waterpark Whizzes Fiction: Sparrow

ÂŠ2013 Read Chair Publishing, LLC. All rights reserved. The opinions contained in @Urban are exclusively those of the writers and do not represent those of Read Chair Publishing, LLC. as a whole or its affiliates. Any correspondence to @Urban or Read Chair Publishing, LLC., including photography becomes the property of Read Chair Publishing, LLC. @Urban reserves the right to edit content and images.

letter from Catherine | 5

have a love / hate relationship with buffalo gnats. The love me, I hate them. Got bit on

the eyelid last week and my eye swelled up like a bullfrog’s gullet. There’s no amount of makeup that’ll cover that up. Had to hide under a ball cap and sunglasses for a few days until I was sure I would no longer scare small children.

So, for now, I’m inside looking out at the fun my family is having in the pool. I won’t complain too much. As much as I’d love to join in, I do enjoy watching them play together. First it’s a splash contest. From massive cannon balls to painful belly flops, they all take their turn and emerge from the deep, begging for a win. Then it’s a quick game of water basketball. My eight-year-old slam dunks the rim, which leads to my hubby dunking his head under so he’ll release the ball. This, my friends, is how memories are made, and in just a few weeks,

us they need an emergency bathroom break at a gas station that looks like it’s straight out of a horror movie. You can’t buy fun like that. In this issue, we’re bringing you a trove of memories. Read the story sent to us by one of our loyal readers about the time she decided that having a birthday party was the most important thing in the world. Trouble was, her mother had already said no. The events that followed will have you laughing right along with her. From there we’re taking you just outside Lavaca, Arkansas, where a family is working together on a new tradition, creating handmade furniture that’s catching the attention of buyers across the area. The idea came after they decided to make good use of the cedar trees they were clearing from their land. Next, we’re taking you to a place where beating the summer heat has turned it into a worldwide destination. This spot draws in more than 4-million visitors a year, all ready to make

we’ll be off to make some more.

memories and get soaked over and over again.

We’ll pack into the car for our annual twelve hour road trip to

We’re also giving you some great tips on what to do with all

Gulf Shores, Alabama. For some crazy reason, the kids love the road trip and it’s where some of our best vacation memories come from. The first year we went, my son was still in diapers. He’d never had a diaper explosion, never once, until we were about an hour outside of Gulf Shores. Stripped that baby down naked in a gas station parking lot, cleaning him and the car seat up well enough to get to the condo, windows down the rest of the way. Then there’s driving through spooky towns like

those veggies and fruits you’re growing – not everything needs to be canned or frozen! And that’s just the beginning, folks. So sit down somewhere cool for a bit, grab this month’s copy and start reading. We have a feeling you’ll find a few things that will help your own family make a few lazy hazy summertime memories. And what could be better than that?

Transylvania in foggy darkness and all the kids piling out of the car in their PJs at two in the morning, when they suddenly tell

To reserve this free space for your charitable non-profit organization, email: Editors@AtUrbanMagazine.com

lifestyle | 7

Rescue the Perishing @lines Marla Cantrell

Her yard is a safe house for flowers: the primrose excavated from beside I-40 just before the lanes were widened, the daylilies ripped by a new wife from an old wifeâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s garden and left to die on the sidewalk. She once passed a church being torn down and demanded the demolition crew stop, stomping her small foot, raising her big voice, and they did, long enough for her to rescue two forsythia bushes so old and so big it took a backhoe to bring them up. â&#x20AC;&#x153;Those nice men came and planted them for me,â&#x20AC;? she says, and you can imagine the workers in her tiny yard, digging by hand, the holes growing bigger, the day fading away, supper on the table at home, their wives listening for the rumble of their rusty trucks. The stories continue, past the coneflowers and the hydrangeas, past the peonies and the roses. She is saving the earth, she says, she is preserving time. She stops beside the purple irises that guard her well house. She found them one night while looking for her husband Earl, she says. She found them instead of Earl. She took the camp shovel she kept in her trunk and dug until the first light broke across the ridge. She rescued them all, she tells me, every last one.

8 | UPCLOSE&PERSONAL

Craig Rivaldo

President, CEO

Arvest Bank Fort Smith-River Valley 479.573.1100 Arvest.com

Words to Live By

The true test of a man’s character is measured by his actions and decisions when no one is watching.

What’s the one thing you want our readers to know about Arvest Bank?

Our mission is “People helping people find financial solutions for life.” Arvest associates truly believe in this mission and they are committed to helping our customers. The awesome customer service you get when you enter the doors at Arvest Bank is not an act. We hire and train people with great attitudes who genuinely like people and enjoy customer service. This is proven by the fact we have won a national service award for customer service for the South Central Region over the last four years. We are so thankful for our customers in Fort Smith and the River Valley and want you to know how much we appreciate the opportunity to be your local community bank and to serve you.

Q&A with Craig If you won the lottery, what’s the first thing you’d do with the money? Take family and friends on a huge vacation What’s on your playlist right now? Kenny Wayne Shepard Where was your first job and what did you do? Field Crew on church league ballparks at age 14 Best advice you’ve ever been given? A true professional learns from other professionals (from my dad) What’s the most sentimental thing you own? A lamp and trophy I got when I was 5 years old that now sits in my son’s room Watermelon – salt or no salt? No salt - freeze pieces and put in a blender with other fruits - it makes a great slushy, not watered down with ice (my son’s recipe) Where’s your favorite spot in Arkansas? Mount Magazine What hidden talent do you have that few people know about? I play the drums Where’s the strangest place you’ve called the Hogs? Italy Describe your best day at work. When all employees are happiest, generally the day we pay profit sharing bonuses If you could take a trip anywhere in the world, where would it be and why? Sicily, my grandparents are from there

UPCLOSE&PERSONAL | 9

Tammie White

Certified Life Coach

More Than A Game Life Coaching 479.459.1688 MoreThanAGameLifeCoaching.com

Words to Live By

Make the most of every opportunity.

What’s the one thing you want our readers to know about More Than A Game Life Coaching?

A Life Coach is part adviser, sounding board, cheerleader, manager, and strategist. Through accountability and encouragement, using Biblical principles, I want to help you become the best you possible. Everyone wants to improve in at least one area of their life. You hire personal trainers and housekeepers; your personal life should not be left out. At More Than a Game, I will help you reach your personal goals, regain your focus, maximize your potential and become that person you always dreamed you could be.

Q&A with Tammie If you won the lottery, what’s the first thing you’d do with the money? Tithe What’s on your playlist right now? Praise and worship music Where was your first job and what did you do? I was a lifeguard at the Arkadelphia city pool Best advice you’ve ever been given? Always work hard What’s the most sentimental thing you own? A cast iron bed from my great great grandmother Do you have a nickname, and if so, how did you get it? Fred, my dad gave it to me Farthest place you’ve ever been and when did you go there? The Caribbean in 2007 Last book you read. Sum It Up by Pat Summitt If you could take a trip anywhere in the world, where would it be and why? Israel, to walk on the ground where Jesus walked Describe your best day at work. When I have the chance to disciple and mentor teenage girls and young women What’s your best advice on how to survive an Arkansas summer? Make sure the air conditioner works

10 | lifestyle

woofs, wags & whiskers

River Valley Dog Rescue takes in unwanted and stray dogs, spays or neuters them, treats any medical conditons they may have, and finds them new homes.

DD Male – Bull Terrier / Chihuahua Mix

Gordon Male – Black Lab / Hound Mix

Lucy Female – Black Lab / Boxer Mix

McGee Male – Hound Mix

Sissy Female – Rat Terrier Mix

Yoda Female – Wire Hair Terrier

Donations are always needed and greatly appreciated. There is no adoption fee. You must be willing to sign an adoption contract.

River Valley Dog Rescue | Magazine, AR | 479.849.5378 | Find us on

12 | lifestyle

Ready, Set, Preserve @story and images Catherine Frederick

ummers past have been a mad dash of canning, freezing,

get lost in the beauty of the place, which may seem like a crazy

and giving away excess from the garden. This year I

comment for a grocery store. But trust me, it is a thing of beauty.

wanted something different. After all, there’s only so much

canning a girl can do! My last trip to The Fresh Market in Rogers,

As I was saying, I loved the idea of yet another way to preserve the

Arkansas, introduced me to something new and delicious: dried

harvest from my garden. I found a dehydrator at my local Farmers

okra and green beans. It got me thinking that dried produce was

Coop. I did my research and discovered that dried produce is

just what I’d been looking for.

healthy. Dehydration removes up to ninety percent of the water, but leaves in all of the nutrients. You can also rehydrate dried

By the way, have you ever been to The Fresh Market? Not to be

produce later for use in soups and other dishes, which gives you

confused with a farmer’s market, The Fresh Market is described

more creativity in the kitchen. Dried fruits make a great snack, as

as a fresh concept in grocery shopping. It’s a European, open

toppings for cereal, yogurt or oatmeal, or in muffins and cakes.

style market where fresh meats and seafood are behind

You can even make beef jerky and dried crafts (flowers, dough,

refrigerated glass, not packed in Styrofoam and plastic wrap.

potpourri) in a dehydrator – all of which I’ve yet to tackle. But it

Fruits and vegetables are local and fresh and there are lots of

does save money, makes healthier snacks, and preserves food.

organics. You’ll find fresh flowers, barrels of different coffee

Dehydrator, it’s on like Donkey Kong!

beans, unique grocery items from around the world, and more specialty cheeses than I’ve ever seen under one roof. It’s easy to

lifestyle | 13

{ what you’ll need } » Produce of choice » Dehydrator (I have a NESCO

American Harvest version) » Cutting board, knife

Air-tight containers, freezer bags or a food saver

Spices, salt, sugar for additional flavor

Ascorbic/citric acid or citrus juice (optional)

Pot for blanching vegetables/fruits

{ food prep } 1. Dehydrate as soon after harvest as possible or start with

3. Dip apples, bananas, and other fruits with citrus juice or an

quality, fresh fruit and vegetables. If overripe, you won’t get

ascorbic acid to keep them from turning brown. Ascorbic

good results.

acid is available in powder and tablet form from many

2. All fruits and vegetables must be cleaned, hulled, and sliced,

grocery stores, your local coop, and some pharmacies.

removing all seeds, stems or pits. Make sure the thickness

4. Blanch (pre-cook in boiling water or steam for three to five

of your slices are consistent so that everything dries at an

minutes) vegetables such as carrots, peas, potatoes, celery,

even rate. The size of your slices or cuts will depend on how

and broccoli to speed the drying time, maintain color, and

you choose to eat them. You’ll want larger slices if using for

kill organisms that cause spoilage.

snacking, and smaller, bite sized pieces for use as toppings, in cooking, etc.

5. Add salt, sugar or other spices for additional flavoring.

14 | lifestyle

{ dehydrating } 1. Don’t overload the tray. Don’t let slices touch or overlap. It

4. Some produce will be brittle when dried, while others, like fruits, will be bendable.

slows drying time. 2. Follow the directions, temperatures, and drying times in

5. Allow slices to cool for thirty minutes to an hour before storing.

the instruction booklet. Drying times are typically between eight to twelve hours. 3. Make sure your slices are drying evenly by checking and turning slices every few hours. As drying time nears the end, remove a slice and allow it to cool. It should feel dry to the touch. If dry, remove a few more slices and cut them in half, checking the edges for beads of moisture. If seen,

*Special note for fruits: Dried fruits must be “conditioned” before they’re stored. Place dried fruit loosely in a jar and shake once a day for four to ten days to make sure that any remaining moisture is evenly distributed. If condensation appears, return the fruit to the dehydrator to continue drying.

return to the dehydrator. Do not add fresh produce to a partially dried batch.

{ storing } 1. Dried produce must be cooled completely before storing. Any amount of warmth will cause condensation.

crush. (Food savers are also great for resealing bags of cereals and chips and portioning out meats for freezing.)

2. Place all foods in air-tight containers or use freezer bags. I recommend using a food saver (vacuum sealer) which draws

3. Store in a cool, dry, dark location such as a pantry until ready to use.

air out and heat seals the packaging. Seal tightly but do not

{ good to know } 1. Consider your first few attempts “trials” and keep notes on what worked and what didn’t, making sure to note the thickness of the slice for the type of food dried. Drying times vary based on thickness, amount of water in the food, humidity and altitude. 2. Not all produce is suitable for drying. Recommended fruits are: apples, apricots, bananas, cherries, grapes, nectarines, peaches, pears, pineapples, and plums. Recommended vegetables are: carrots, corn, herbs, mushrooms, okra, onions, peas, peppers, potatoes, squash, and zucchini.

3. Dried produce can be rehydrated by soaking it in water. Place dried fruit in water and place in the refrigerator. 4. One cup of dried fruit equals one and a half cups of rehydrated fruit. One cup of dried vegetables equals two cups of rehydrated vegetables. 5. When dried and stored properly, dehydrated foods can last for up to a year.

16 | lifestyle

The Kings of Mill Creek Mountain

@story Marla Cantrell @images Jeromy Price and courtesy Ryan King

Each month in our Ignite series we bring you stories we hope will inspire you, give you new ideas, and bring you inside the lives of ordinary people doing extraordinary things.

ach Halloween Kelvin King throws a big party: plenty of food, costumes, roasted marshmallows, hayrides. He invites family and friends who arrive at his place high

in the hills of Arkansas, not far from Lavaca. From there he can see a county over, blinking lights from truck stops and fast food restaurants and clutches of houses in neat rows in faraway neighborhoods. While planning last yearâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s party, Kelvin decided to build a few Adirondack chairs to place around his fire pit. He was not new to construction; his father was a builder and he grew up helping him. So he tinkered with a plan he found online and scoured his thirty acres for enough cedar to get started.

lifestyle | 17 When he was finished, he stood back and admired his work. One

learn too. My sons get to spend time with us, and they get to

of the chairs had a retractable foot rest. All had cup holders.

really know their grandfather.” She points to a small table where

One was big enough for more than one person to sit in. When

the two have just finished creating their latest finger-painted

his guests arrived they started asking where he got them. When

masterpieces. “They do art projects. They play with the dogs.

they found out he was the builder, they wanted to know why he

Kelvin built a playground set that they love playing on.”

wasn’t selling the pieces. Nearby the cedar playset is a picnic table made of a stone the That night the seed for Mill Creek Mountain Furniture was sown.

size of a twin mattress, held up by hefty cedar posts. Another

He’d been clearing some of his thirty acres where there were

stone, where diners sit, is almost as large. Kelvin pulled them

cedar trees galore. He liked the feel of the wood, its smell like

both from Mill Creek, the stream that meanders through his

the forest, and its longevity. “Cedar is insect resistant,” Kelvin says. “It can be left untreated and turns

property, and then drug the stones to this spot with his tractor.

gray, or you can stain it and it stays red. Either way, it lasts forever. It seemed like I should

Looking at this place, it’s hard to believe

be able to do something more with it

he spent much of his career as a sales

than let it sit in the field.”

manager for a phone company. Here, with furniture in various states of

His son, Ryan, thought so too. Ryan talked

completion, is where he seems to

to his wife Lauren, who loved the idea.

belong. He rests his hand on the back

And at the time, she was decorating her

of a tall cedar chair he’s just finished,

house, painting and distressing furniture

its angular legs elongated triangles that

from ideas she found on places like Pinterest

™

and Etsy . ™

rest against the workshop floor. “I found a picture similar to this one online,” he says. “I’ll put a soft finish on it – I don’t really like that shiny,

The three began to talk. Kelvin already had a massive workshop filled with tools. He had enough cedar to last a good long while,

shiny cedar finish, and then I’ll make a few more chairs and a patio table to go with it.”

and he had a friend who owned a local sawmill. Lauren felt there was a market for handmade furniture and custom pieces.

He points to a pine bench on the work table. “This is one solid

And as the daughter of a builder, she believed she was ready for

piece, heavy wood. I’ve made kids’ picnic table sets that are

the challenge. If she worked with Kelvin, she could bring along

painted with a Chevron design. I’ve made a coffee table with an

her two young sons, who would get to spend their days in the

inlaid Chevron design, made with reclaimed wood.”

country alongside their grandfather. There is a lot of reclaimed wood here. Kelvin points to stacks of As she tells the story, the boys are tugging at one of Kelvin’s

fence sections sitting in rows out in the pasture. “I was coming

dogs’ ears. Hunter is an old guy, gray at the muzzle, and he pulls

down Towson Avenue in Fort Smith one day and I was following

himself up and trudges along beside the two, his tail wagging as

a truck that had a bunch of weathered fence wood on it, so I

rhythmically as a metronome.

just followed the driver to his shop. I asked him what they were going to do with it and he said they were going to haul it off to

“This is the perfect setup,” Lauren says. “Kelvin and I are both

the dump. I said, ‘I want it.’ Then they pointed to more stacks

really laid back, so we work well together. My goal is to learn

they had and offered me that. Then friends found out I was

to build furniture from him. And as the boys grow older they’ll

making furniture and they brought me their old fence pieces,

18 | lifestyle

and then their neighbors did the same thing. I’ve got some red

Lauren laughs – she’s heard this before – and then Hunter the

cedar in there. When I need it, I’ll bring it in and let it dry out and

dog saunters up. Lauren’s two sons come running up with a story

then start cutting and sanding.”

to tell their grandfather. He bends to listen. The shop is alive with the smell of cedar. Outside a hawk circles the cloudless

What he doesn’t get from clearing his land and from donations

sky and farther beyond Mill Creek sweeps across rocks worn

from those welcoming a place to take old fencing, he buys from

smooth from years of bearing the water. Kelvin smiles at the

a sawmill north of Muldrow, where he finds ash and oak and

story he’s hearing, told in rushed sentences by a two-year-old

pine. All of this is transformed into pieces like Adirondack chairs,

and four-year-old who’ve discovered something wonderful just

potting benches, hutches, and sofa tables. “I was working until

outside his workshop’s door.

ten or eleven every night a few months back, and sometimes I was still up at two or three o’clock in the morning,” Kelvin says.

One day the two boys could be Kelvin’s right hand men. But

By the time April rolled around he had enough products to test

today they’re busy playing, and Kelvin’s smiling, a grandfather

the waters. He, Ryan and Lauren headed to a weekend flea

grateful to be spending so much time with his grandchildren.

market. The customers seemed to love their products. They also

That alone, he says, makes Mill Creek Mountain Furniture worth

began to talk to local businesses: Pappy’s Upholstery Shop, The

all the Adirondack chairs in the world.

Goods, and BrickCity Emporium in Fort Smith. They were more than happy to carry their handmade furniture. Lauren is beaming while Kelvin speaks. “I like the custom part

You can find Mill Creek Mountain Furniture at

the best. You can have any piece as big or as small as you want

Pappy’s Upholstery at 1616 Phoenix Avenue; The

it,” she says. “We can do custom designs, and that’s a plus.

Good’s at 1809 Dodson Avenue; and BrickCity

Everything is solid and you know where it’s made and who

Emporium at 3215 South 74th Street, all in Fort

made it. We’re local; people love that.”

Smith.

You can also contact them at Facebook/

MillCreekMountainFurniture, or call Ryan King at Both Lauren and Kelvin see a lot more work in their future. “My dad taught me to really be successful in life all you have to do is work half days six days a week.” He pauses then, letting the message sink in before he finishes. “Yeah, just half days six days a week,” he says. “That’s six in the morning until six at night.”

479.651.7035.

20 | lifestyle

surprise!

Bettye and Don Sangster

@story and images courtesy Bettye Sangster Fields

lifestyle | 21

s we grow older, we look back on things that happened

By the time the children started arriving she had everything

in our childhood with fond and not so fond memories.

under control, and had me dressed in my Sunday best with a

I was not an easy child for my middle-aged mother

big bow in my hair. The party was so much fun for everyone and

to deal with. She usually exhibited a lot of patience with my

I received lots of new toys and paper dolls. As the guests left, I

younger brother Don and me, but there was one occasion as I

believe there were twelve or thirteen of my friends there, they

approached my seventh birthday that pushed her to the limit.

all told my mother what a wonderful party it was. I felt so happy. This was not to last long, though, as my mother got a switch

It was a beautiful warm April day in 1940, all the flowering

from a tree in the yard and gave me a real good spanking.

trees were in full bloom and I was feeling very pleased with myself as I walked through the streets of Van Buren, the small

I never bothered to thank my mother for putting the party

Arkansas town where I had been born and had lived all my short

together so well on such short notice. I fact, we never talked

life. I had a mission. The coming Saturday would be my seventh

about it. But the next year I did have a party with invitations

birthday. I had asked Mother if I could have a party and she had

sent out two weeks in advance.

said no. This didn’t seem to be a problem for me as I walked to the homes of my friends from Sophia Meyer elementary school, inviting them to my birthday party on Saturday. Anticipating all

Bettye Sangster Fields lived in Van

the presents I would receive, I felt warm and happy, and all my

Buren at the time of this story. The

friends seemed pleased to be invited.

bakery where her father bought her last minute cake was somewhere

This warm feeling continued as the days hurried by. I was the

on East Main Street, not far from

center of attention at school. I don’t remember thinking I had

the downtown Frisco train station.

done anything wrong. But as the day dawned on Saturday

The grocery store where her mother

morning, promising to be a beautiful day for a party, I decided

bought ice cream was a one-room

I better tell my mother of my plans for the day. My mother was

addition to a house. Bettye says her

always one to keep up appearances and this situation was not

brother, Don, three and a half years

going to get the best of her. She asked quickly how many children

younger, would never have pulled

I had invited. I had no idea. She went into action, sending my

the kind of stunt she did. But it did

father, who had to walk since we didn’t have a car, downtown to

make for a great family story that

the bakery for a cake. She went to the little neighborhood store

lives on today.

for ice cream and some prizes for the games she was planning to have my guests play. @Urban Magazine is looking for more great stories from our readers. We love hearing about your lives, your struggles, the things that make you happy.

3. Let us know if you have photos that we could print along with the story. We can use old photos and return them to you.

If you’d like to submit your true story for publication in our print and online editions of @Urban Magazine, here’s what you need to know:

5. We’re looking for stories that are between 900 and 1,200 words long.

1. Send us a letter or an email telling us a little about yourself: where you live, what your story’s about, and when the story happened. Just the year is fine. 2. Include your story as an attachment to the email or a copy of the story with your letter.

4. We may also ask to take photos.

6. Your story may be edited, if selected. 7. If the story has already been published somewhere else, let us know when and where. 8. Send your stories to: editors@AtUrbanMagazine.com, or mail them to: @Urban Magazine, 3811 Rogers Avenue, Ste. B, Fort Smith, AR 72903

22 | lifestyle

Urban Appeal with I.O. Metro

Christine Howard Creative Director, I.O. Metro

@images Nancy Nolan for I.O. Metro

hen you begin with a room that is painted entirely in white (or another very light shade), you have a beautiful blank canvas. This fresh start can be

liberating for many, but for others the unlimited possibilities feel overwhelming. If youâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;re bewildered and want to know the most impactful ways to add a little life to your classic white walls (without breaking the bank), follow these six easy statement making tips.

Be Bold with Drapes

By simply adding turquoise drapery panels to this otherwise neutral nook, the corner becomes bright and cheery. It is a simple addition, but the drapery panels bring life to the space.

Be Brave, Not Brown

A classic wooden dining table is always a good bet, because it never goes out of style. But, in a neutral space, the best way to liven things up is to add colorful chairs. The Sedona color chairs energize and ground the room.

lifestyle | 23

Go Big or Go Home

Floor Them

A Graphic Punch

Knockout Neutrals

Try incorporating an oversized piece of canvas or framed art. When you do, the walls become vibrant and full of life. Colorful artwork also allows you to tie your entire look together with other accessories like pillows and ottomans in the same color palette.

Upholstery fabrics are a fantastic way to add oomph. Colors and fun patterns pop against light painted walls. And donâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t just think about chairs, you can add color with lighting and accessories, too!

Select a rug that is colorful or has a bold graphic pattern. When you make a big statement on the floor, you want your walls to be less punchy so the eye has a place to rest. The chevron rug is balanced nicely by the walls in this space.

Just because youâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;re not all about bright colors, doesnâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t mean that your white space has to feel boring and drab. When working in all neutral colors, the key is to add texture, patterns, and contrast. You get the same wow effect in a more understated manner.

24 | entertainment

Submit your events to editors@aturbanmagazine.com

1 2 3 4

Mayor’s 4th of July Fireworks Extravaganza Thursday, July 4 // FREE // Event begins at sundown Fort Smith, AR // 479.784.1001 // GoDowntownFS.com Nothing quite brings the community together like this annual fireworks display beside the Arkansas River. The biggest fireworks event in the River Valley, this event is free and open to the public. Concessions will be available, and ice chests are permitted. This event will be held at Harry E. Kelly Park and Riverpark in Downtown Fort Smith.

38th Annual Devil’s Den Games Thursday, July 4 // FREE West Fork, AR // 479.761.3325 // ArkansasStateParks.com Celebrate your independence at Devil’s Den with the entire family! This beautiful Arkansas state park will be hosting family events throughout the day, including a kids obstacle course, egg toss, and ice cream making. Don’t miss out on an awesome day of family fun in the sun.

Opera in the Ozarks 63rd Season July 1 – 19 // $20 – $25 // 7:30PM Eureka Springs, AR // 479.253.8595 // Opera.org Now in its 63rd season, Opera in the Ozarks presents classic operas such as Madama Butterfly, The Pirates of Penzance, and L’elisir d’amore. This classical experience provides a casual environment, so dress up or dress down. Opera of the Ozarks at Inspiration Point is located seven miles west of historic Eureka Springs on scenic Route 62.

12th Annual Fat Tire Fest July 12 – 14 // See website for details Eureka Springs, AR // 870.246.6686 // FatTireFestival.com Get ready for a full weekend of fun in the mud! With a full lineup of events from an intense crosscountry race to casual rides through back streets and trails, there’s plenty of adventure for the whole family. There will be bike races for kids and a pool party to wrap up the weekend’s events. Registration for the event will take place at the City Auditorium in Eureka Springs.

entertainment | 25

5 6 7 8

Snakes of Arkansas Saturday, July 13 // 1PM // FREE Fort Smith, AR // 479.452.3993 // RiverValleyNatureCenter.com Slither on over to the Janet Huckabee Arkansas River Valley Nature Center to see local reptile enthusiasts Jeremy Sloan and Brad Birchfield in a live, hands-on, family-friendly demonstration. Learn how snakes are important to our environment and how to identify Arkansas’ most common species.

Lost in the 50s Saturday, July 13 // 6PM // Adults $10, 12 and under FREE Van Buren, AR // 479.649.8803 // VanBuren.org Doo-wop and croon your way to the King Opera House in Van Buren for a musical revue of the 50s. With a talented roster of performing artists, you’ll be treated to rock ‘n roll hits from a decade of timeless music. Sure to be a performance to remember, don’t miss this all-star show!

6th Annual General Mills Kids and Family Triathlon Saturday, July 20 // See website for details Bentonville, AR // 870.246.6686 // genmillskidsfamilytri.org It’s time for the kiddos to put on their game faces. The 2013 General Mills Kids & Family Triathlon will include events for kids 5 – 15 years old. Plus there’s a Family Division everyone can enjoy. This familyfun event will feature a pool swim, biking and running on closed roads, followed by a post race party at Memorial Park in Bentonville.

30th Annual Altus Grape Fest July 26 – 27 // See website for details Altus, AR // 479.518.1963 // AltusGrapeFest.com Looking for a grape stomping, wine tasting good time? Come join in the fun at the Wine Capital of Arkansas. This two-day event will feature a Grape Stomp competition and Amateur Wine competition. Also included will be great food, juried arts and crafts show, games & prizes, and live entertainment at Altus City Park.

26 | entertainment tent, where he once promised to raise his son (who had already been embalmed) from the dead. Author Donna Johnson was only three years old when her divorced mother became the organist for David Terrell and his tent revivals. Along with her infant brother, they lived in seedy motels and temporary homes while traveling throughout the South as Terrill preached, prayed, and scared sinners into the fold. Brother Terrell had a wife and family who traveled with him, but before long, Donna’s mother became his mistress. As the children grew older, their mother left them to be cared for by various people while she went off with Terrell. At one point, two prostitutes were hired to care for them in their Houston rental house. This was in the early 1960s, and they were eventually forced to leave because of nightly violence that brought out the police. From there, their mother placed them with “Holy-Roller” families. All in all, they lived with seven different families, mostly under cruel conditions.

Holy Ghost Girl: A Memoir by Donna Johnson Gotham House, 278 pages: $16

After three years, their mother returned home, but still stayed connected to Brother Terrell, who often visited. The children were instructed to call him “Uncle David.”

@review Anita Paddock As Donna aged, she became fully aware of the hypocrisy of

hen I was a little girl in the 1950s, I often saw big

Terrell’s ministry, and was torn between the world of hell-fire

greenish-brown tents pitched in a vacant field

and damnation of the tent revivals and the worldliness she

along the highway between Van Buren and Alma,

discovered through drugs and sex. In the midst of her own

Arkansas. “It’s a Holy-Roller tent revival,” my mom explained. In

trouble, her mother continued her relationship with Brother

the summer, the flaps were rolled up, and I could see people,

Terrell, having three children with him, before he moved on to

both young and old, milling about inside with what looked like

a younger woman.

a million bugs swarming around the flood lights. If I could get my mom to stop the car and listen, we could hear piano music,

This memoir chronicles Donna’s memories of decades spent as a

singing, and preachers asking for ‘amens’.

Terrellite. Told with remarkable honesty, it is a book I recommend, not only for the powerful writing but for the rare glimpse into a

I hadn’t thought about those tent revivals until now, as I finished reading a poignantly honest memoir written by a girl who lived her life under the control of David Terrell, an evangelist who began his career in rural Alabama, obtained wealth and fame in Texas, and served time in federal prison for criminal income tax evasion. Out of the pen now, he is once again preaching under a

life few know anything about.

28 | entertainment Ghost on Ghost‘s songs seem strategically placed, alternating positive and somber elements that intensify feelings of happiness, but somehow manage to soften the blow of a painful memory. His lyrics are broad but give the listener a personal interpretation, providing an enjoyable experience for poetry and music fans alike. This twelve-track album has an impressive lineup to suit any mood. Looking for something uplifting? “Joy” is slow and sweet. The instrumentals complement Samuel’s lyrics and celebrate the magical emotion of unconditional love. Placed at the end of the album is the sultry “Lover’s Revolution.” Here we hear of love’s sometimes forbidden and addictive appeal, and it’s beyond enticing. It wouldn’t be Iron & Wine without tales of emotional turmoil and heartbreak. “Winter Prayers” is a pained reminder of what’s left from chasing the unattainable. The lyrics are full of regret,

Ghost on Ghost Iron & Wine Nonesuch Records, $12 store.warnermusic.com/iron-and-wine

@review Shannon Hensley

and the music moves at a downtrodden pace that’s fitting for the dire situation. In “Low Light Buddy of Mine,” Samuel brings up the tempo in this tale of being caught between a lover and a friend. The lineup is impressive in Ghost on Ghost, but there are tracks that can be skipped. “Sundown (Back in the Briars)” appears to

amuel Beam of Iron & Wine returns with his fifth studio

be the sequel to “Caught in the Briars” and offers an unexciting

album titled Ghost on Ghost. Album number five isn’t

close to its counterpart, which happens to be the album’s

2002’s somber The Creek Drank the Cradle. With this album

opener. Another song to bypass is “Grass Widows,” which lacks

you get a feel of someone stepping into the light, testing the

a memorable message or the dynamic instrumentals that most

waters with a newer, more upbeat sound. Without abandoning

of the others possess.

his indie roots, he sifts in some pop flavor that’s enjoyable and easy on the ears.

Ghost on Ghost is a lovely addition to Samuel Beam’s already impressive discography. Coupled with dramatic poetry and a

Before becoming nationally recognized for his soft vocals and

fantastic music score, this is an entertaining must-have for any

powerful lyrics, Iron & Wine’s Samuel Beam worked as a college

music lover’s collection. If you’re ready for some soul searching,

professor and specialized in painting. He had been writing

I suggest you have a seat and turn this album up.

songs for seven years before a friend insisted that he record. When he came across a peculiar dietary supplement called “Beef & Iron Wine,” the name for his one-man band was born. After some exposure at major festivals, Samuel’s cult following blew up and continues to grow with each album release.

I Rate It

30 | people

@story Tonya McCoy @images Jeromy Price and courtesy Bill Bell

arnett “Bill” Bell, remembers picking cotton in the

“I remember my grandpa taking a turnip out of the ground and

Greenville, Texas heat. At only four years old he

he’d take a pocket knife and peel it off. And he always kept a

worked his way to the end of one row, and back down

little bitty salt shaker in his bib overalls. He’d peel me a turnip

another. His goal: to make it back to the willow trees so he could

and take a little salt and shake it on it and give it to me. And that

get a sip of water out of a gallon jug.

was good, I loved it.”

“A cotton sack was 100 pounds,” Bill says. “I had an onion sack

Bill treasured his time on the farm, but there was heartache

that I carried that was a twenty-five pound sack. My grandma

in his childhood as well. His father had an accident when

took a strap off my grandpa’s bib overalls and sewed it onto the

driving through an intersection at a cotton mill. He was hit

sack. I picked twenty-five pounds and I would get twenty-five

by a train while crossing railroad tracks that had no signals

cents, which was enough to get a peppermint candy and some

or signs.

juicy fruit gum and stuff like that.

people | 31 Bill was only five years old. A couple of years later, Bill’s mother remarried and they moved to Marshall, Texas. Greenville and Marshall were sleepy towns, and as Bill grew, he longed for adventure. There was an army base in Greenville and when he saw soldiers in paratrooper uniforms, he struck up conversations. “I used to see those guys around with the 101st Airborne patches and I’d talk to some of them about jumping out of planes with parachutes.” In fact, Bill tried to join the army when he was only sixteen. They told him to come back in a year, so the day of his seventeenth birthday, Bill showed up ready to serve. “Dragon’s Jaw,” and wooden spikes drove through his leg. He His name tag read ‘Bell,’ but when his name was called, others

was awarded The Purple Heart for his injury, just one of the

heard ‘Bill,’ and it stuck. He never liked his real first name

twenty individual decorations he received for his twenty-three

Garnett anyway, so from then on, he was Bill Bell.

years of military service.

He started out in the infantry as a rifleman, but Bill soon found

Bill didn’t only serve in infantry during his years in Vietnam. In

that he had an aptitude for picking up new languages. He

1967 he began working as an Intelligence Agent and by 1969

learned to speak Vietnamese before he was sent to Vietnam

he was an Army Ranger working in Special Forces. He completed

in 1965 and was the only one in his battalion who could do so.

Jumpmaster School, leaping from helicopters, which had been his childhood dream.

There, the fear of an enemy ambush was constant. Also, terrorists called Special Action Forces would blow up schools,

But his calling in life was to help prisoners of war and soldiers

hospitals and buses. Their plan was to create fear in the general

missing in action. He helped dig up intelligence on POWs from

population, who Bill says were already afraid of Americans

military cameras, wiretaps, and interviews with locals. His

because of communist propaganda.

information was used in rescue efforts for American soldiers imprisoned all over Vietnam. Many prisoners in South Vietnam

And in the jungle, there were cobras almost twenty feet long,

were suffering from disease, malnourished and being held in

tigers prowling the night, leeches everywhere, and disease-

bamboo cages. It was hard to track down the POWs because the

carrying mosquitoes. Just as Bill returned to the states for a short

Vietnam camps were always moving.

stay between one of his four Vietnam tours, he was hospitalized for what doctors thought was spinal meningitis, but they soon

In April of 1975, Bill was in Saigon working to clandestinely

discovered he had malaria. His fever reached 106 and Bill’s

evacuate Americans and South Vietnamese nationals from the

doctors say he came close to death.

country when personal tragedy struck once again.

But this wasn’t the only close call he would face. Besides

Bill had met and married his first wife in Kentucky, between

enemy fire and bombs, there were also cleverly hidden booby

tours in 1967. In early April of 1975, an Airforce C-5A was

traps. Some were made of wooden spikes so metal detectors

evacuating Bill’s wife, adopted son, daughter and hundreds of

wouldn’t find them. Bill stepped on a hidden trap called a

others from Saigon, including a large number of Vietnamese

32 | people On July 31, 1983, Bill retired from the military and went back to work for the civil service the very next day. He was appointed as the first Chief of the U.S. POW/MIA Office in postwar Vietnam. There were more than 2,500 POW/MIA cases in Vietnam and surrounding areas. His work helped recover and identify 359 soldiers. As for Bill’s personal life, he found happiness again. He met and married Sue Pham, a refugee from Vietnam, while working at Fort Chaffee in 1975, and they had a son and a daughter. During his service, Bill has been everywhere from Vietnam and Thailand to Burma and Hawaii. But after he retired from his civil service post in 1993, he decided to return to Arkansas where he worked for the 12th Judicial District as an investigator and language interpreter. He lives in Fort Smith today. “I came here because of President Ford’s detail and the refugees that were at Fort Chaffee. After we [Sue and I] stayed here a few years and moved away, we said, ‘One of these days when we orphans. The back door blew off of the plane and they lost

come back to the United States we’ll probably go to Arkansas.’

oxygen and pressurization before crashing. Bill’s wife and son

We liked it and we had family here.”

were killed. His daughter survived, but not unharmed. During the crash she was deprived of oxygen for several minutes

Today, Bill spends much of his time writing. His work includes

causing severe brain damage.

periodic newsletters about current and past POW and MIA affairs. He’s also written a book about his life as a soldier called Leave

Most people would have given up in the face of such heartbreak,

No Man Behind. He still holds out hope. “I think we should

but Bill soldiered on. “Military life is difficult and dangerous but

investigate any case where there might be soldiers that still have

time flies so fast, especially in combat, that you lose track of

a chance to be alive. I say we owe an honest account of anybody

everything, including depression or self pity.

who we left in the enemy’s hands,” Bill says. And so his efforts continue. He doesn’t see a time that he’ll ever stop trying.

”The last couple of years in Vietnam and especially Saigon were very chaotic and very dangerous. It was just like a powder keg, and it finally blew up on the thirtieth, when the communists made their last offensive.” If you’d like to read more about Bill’s life as a soldier Bill was one of the last soldiers to be evacuated. When Saigon

and his continuing effort to bring attention to the

fell, he had to be lifted from a rooftop by helicopter.

POW/MIA rescue and recovery effort, you can purchase his book Leave No Man Behind at Amazon.com

Having seen and experienced more loss in the first thirty years of his life than most people see in a lifetime, Bill knew how important his work was to help families of POWs and MIAs.

34 | people

The Art of Robyn Horn

@story Caroline Speir @images Ruby Dean and courtesy Robyn Horn

people | 35

ittle Rock artist Robyn Hutcheson Horn is a nationally

magnitude requires proper gear and safety precautions. And she

known wood sculptor who has worked in the medium for

is ready. On goes the hard hat, face visor, ear protection, steel-

over twenty years. A native of Fort Smith and a Northside

toed work boots and work gloves. Flying wood chips and chunks

High School graduate, Robyn credits her mother with her early

of falling sculpture are hazards of the job. Her arms are solid,

exposure to art. “She was always making something or painting

built up from years of labor; and she “tools-up”- crowbar, rulers,

something when I was growing up,” she says.

ladder, chain saws - all go onto the scaffolding of her forklift. Her work is planned and precise - carving with a chainsaw

In 1983, Robyn and her husband John had set up house and

does not lend itself to second chances, “I get great joy out of

shop in Little Rock and were working together in stained

using a chainsaw. The effect is immediate and definite. The

glass. Robyn was also the chief photographer for the Arkansas

adrenaline exhilarating,” Robyn says. She and her apprentice

Department of Parks and Tourism, but a date

are trying to salvage a redwood sculpture from

with destiny was about change all that. Her

rot. Something happened with this piece, as

brother-in-law, Sam Horn, just back from

redwood is known for its resistance to bugs

a lathe-turning workshop, began tutoring

and rot. But Robyn wields the chainsaw with

Robyn, and she began turning bowls on the

confidence, her hands capable and sure

lathe. Within three years her work evolved

as they guide the grinding teeth through

from basic, functional bowls to her first series

damaged areas of the sculpture.

of work. That was just the beginning. Robyn turns the conversation to her husband Today, Robyn is describing her journey, under

John. She is talking about the fork lift, which

skies that are robin’s-egg blue, with no clouds

turns out to be a sentimental purchase. It was

in sight. The air is cool and fresh, an audible

an anniversary gift they gave one another.

sigh of relief from the stifling humidity of just

“He’s been very helpful in helping me deal

days before. Robyn is in her workshop, which

with the scale of this work. He’s very skilled

is ground zero for serious construction, and

at moving large, heavy things around and I

final exhibit space for some of her artwork.

wouldn’t have attempted work this size if he

“Somehow or another, wood just seemed to

hadn’t encouraged me.” Robyn’s most recent

be the material I’d been looking for,” she says.

wood sculptures are on display at the Fort

“I don’t know if it was the warmth of wood, or

Smith Regional Art Museum (RAM) and Crystal

the ‘livingness’ that wood has; maybe the different personalities

Bridges Museum of American Art in Bentonville, Arkansas.

in different pieces of wood or maybe it’s that wood lends itself to things I want to make.”

Robyn holds fast to a philosophy of “truth to material” - the idea that an artist works with rather than against the inherent

Her art starts as exotic woods such as Cocobolo from Central

qualities of the material. She credits twentieth century sculptor

America, Jarrah from Australia, and Fiddleback Maple from the

Barbara Hepworth for that guiding philosophy. “Hepworth has

United States. Some pieces are so large they require muscle and

been a major influence in my work,” she says. “Her attention to

a two-wheeler to move. Portions of tree trunks lie atop ledges

form and her tendency to develop work with negative spaces -

while masses of wood on pallets wait their turn.

to ‘go through’ the work is one of the reasons form and texture are my main concern, more so than the conceptual aspects of

Outside her workshop, sitting on a concrete pad, is a ten-foot piece of sculpture Robyn is preparing to tackle. Work of this

a piece.”

36 | people assembled look. “Keystone” was inspired by a trip abroad. Back from England, Robyn and John planted stones on their property, constructing their own private Stonehenge. “I liked the strength they displayed and the way they look in circles as well as on their own-it’s a powerful feeling you get when standing next to them, especially when they are larger than you.” Robyn’s latest series of wood sculpture is “Slipping Stone.” The epitome of this series “Already Set in Motion” is part of the permanent collection at Crystal Bridges. As proud as a mama, Robyn claims that “Already Set in Motion ” is one of the best things to happen to her in her career. Like “Keystone,” this piece is also California Redwood. “This particular tree had been blown over more than forty years ago in a storm. It was lying in a valley, just waiting for me,” she says. She had two sections of the tree shipped to Little Rock and went to work carving, shaping the wood. The sculpture seems to be cascading down, on the verge of collapse, the ‘stones’ look as if they are falling from their perch but somehow, defy gravity. It’s Robyn’s ability to create masterpieces like these that caught the attention of the Department of Arkansas Heritage. In 2008 “Keystone” at Fort Smith Regional Art Museum

she was named an Arkansas Living Treasure, and since 1988 her work has been displayed across the nation.

And don’t ever let anyone tell you you’ll never use advanced

Still, there is so much left to do. She smiles at the thought of

math in life. For Robyn, geometry comes into play when

it. Another sculpture. More planning. Another piece of wood

designing a piece. “Designs are the most enjoyable part for me,”

waiting for her brilliant touch.

she explains, “the interplay of angles and planes, the effects of shadow and light.” Robyn will speak at the opening of the Fort Smith Robyn’s piece entitled “Keystone,” on loan to RAM, is part of

Museum of History’s newest exhibit, “The Divergent

their outdoor sculpture exhibit and is part of Robyn’s “Standing

Path—Women in Arkansas History,” on Saturday, July

Stone Series.” The sculpture is carved from California Redwood

13 at 1:00 p.m.

dyed black - this piece and the piece at Crystal Bridges are both sealed for protection from the elements in an oil based

Contact the museum at 479.783.7841 or

aniline dye. Robyn’s carving methods give the illusion that the

fortsmithmuseum.com. For more information on

work is an assembled piece - put together for stability when

Robyn’s work, visit robynhorn.com.

in actuality, the entire piece is carved, by chainsaw, from a solid piece of redwood. Producing negative spaces creates the

38 | people

The Power of Learning

@image courtesy Dr. Ben Carson

people | 39

very day Dr. Ben Carson marvels at the way his life

back to school, he found he’d gotten behind in Boston. Here,

turned out. When he tells his story he often begins in

he was dead last in his math class. His classmates made fun

1959 when he was eight years old and living in Detroit.

of him and his self esteem suffered. Again, his mother stepped

His mother had hard news for Ben and his older brother. Their

in, banning him from playing outside until he learned his times

father was not coming home. It was something Ben struggled to

tables, something she could help him with. She’d learned them

understand, and it would be years before he realized his father

up through twelve times twelve while in her third and last year

already “had another ‘wife’ and other children” he had known

of school. After that, Ben was fitted with glasses, and his grades

nothing about.

began to improve.

Ben remembers the small house where they lived when his

As the years passed, he became a leader in school, excelling in

father was still home and how secure he felt there. It was a

ROTC. Ben was offered a scholarship to West Point. But he didn’t

source of great pride for the struggling family. But after he

want West Point. His dream was Yale. When it came time to apply

left, they couldn’t afford to stay, so Ben’s mother rented it

to colleges, he sent in only one application. The submission

out and moved with her sons to Boston to live in a tenement

entrance fee was ten dollars. He looked at the ten dollar bill on

with relatives.

the table in front of him. It was all the money he had, so he bet it all on the one school. Yale came through, offering him a ninety

There, roaches skittered across the floor no matter how much

percent academic scholarship.

they cleaned. Rats huddled in the tall weeds outside their apartment building. He got used to the sound of sirens and

He worked as hard as he could in the summer to make enough

the sight of broken glass from liquor bottles scattered across

to squeak through the next school year. He attended a Seventh-

sidewalks. He learned to quit asking for candy while at the

day Adventist church, singing in the choir as often as he could.

store. His mother was doing all she could.

And he met a fellow student named Candy, who played the violin, and the two fell in love and married.

One of twenty-four children, she’d married at thirteen. And now she was raising two boys alone. With little education, her job

The next step was medical school, and then a residency at

prospects were few. She worked domestic jobs, two or three at

Johns Hopkins Hospital, the place he’d dreamed of practicing.

a time. When she got home she was worn out, though never too

When he was thirty-three, he became the head of the pediatric

tired to ask about Ben’s day at school. When Ben told her he

neurosurgery unit. For days Ben kept saying to himself, I can’t

wanted to be a doctor and asked if she thought he could do it,

believe this has happened.

she told him of course he could. He was blessed with superior hand-eye coordination, he says, And then she made it her job to see that he did. She started

and that’s served him well throughout his career. He’s been

by limiting the number of TV programs her sons could watch

able to operate on children other surgeons turned away. He

to three a week. Instead, they went to the library. They had to

tells some of their stories in his book, Gifted Hands, detailing

read two books a week and write reports on them, which they

the brain surgeries that stopped seizures or removed brain

turned over to her. In the library, surrounded by aisles of books,

tumors or separated conjoined twins who were joined at the

Ben began to see the world as a bigger place with infinite

back of the head, something that happens only once in 2 to

possibilities and amazing stories.

2.5 million births. At that time no one had been successful separating twins with this particular connection without at

When they finally saved enough money to return to their Detroit home, they celebrated the victory. But when Ben started

least one of the two dying.

40 | people The surgery on the seven-month-old twins from Germany began

and the way it has. And remembering that brings him joy every

on September 5, 1987. It took twenty-two hours and required

single day.

a team of seventy, including five neurosurgeons, two cardiac surgeons and five plastic surgeons, who had trained together for five months. When Ben finally left the surgery suite, he found the waiting room and corridors filled with reporters. Several local radio stations had been giving hourly updates. The twins had survived and the world was celebrating. It is an extraordinary story, one of many Ben uses to illustrate the power of learning. Sixteen years ago, while Ben was speaking at schools, he begin to notice cases filled with trophies for football and basketball, track and soccer. Where were the trophies for good grades? Ben and his wife felt that the academic superstars should be given as much recognition as athletes, so they started the Carson Scholar Fund to give scholarships to students excelling in school. Since that day, the non-profit has given 5,200 $1,000 scholorships, beginning in the fourth grade. “That’s the age when they begin to see that what they do today has an impact tomorrow,” Ben says. “One of our new neurosurgery residents was a scholarship recipients. He went on to Stanford Medical School. We have a young man who’s a producer in Hollywood, a young man who’s at Microsoft, who was a four-time winner. Doctors, lawyers, engineers. A nice part of that is that many of them are starting to donate back to the foundation here.” In addition to the scholarships, the foundation sets up reading rooms in many schools. Students are given points for the

Dr. Ben Carson was awarded the Presidential Medal

number of books they read and they can trade those points for

of Freedom by President Bush in 2008. He will be

prizes. “In the beginning they do it for the prizes,” Ben says, “but

speaking on August 9th at 7:30 at the Arkansas Best

it doesn’t take long until they do have a much better academic

Corporation – Performing Arts Center at 55 South

performance.”

7th Street in Fort Smith, Arkansas. For tickets visit BenCarsonFSM.com.

When Ben tells his story, he always returns to the subject of his mother, Sonya Carson, a woman he says “basically sacrificed her life to make certain that my brother and I got a head start.” He thinks about it often, the way his life could have turned out

42 | people

Long Live Jenny Lind

@story Marcus Coker @images Marcus Coker and courtesy Mary Ann Gamble

people | 43

ust off Gate Nine Road in Jenny Lind, a small community

front door. “I just know his name’s Joe, and that’s his picture.”

between Fort Smith and Greenwood, Arkansas, you’ll find the Jenny Lind Café. The paint on the outside is chipped,

She’s talking about Joe Erker, the man in the photograph wearing

and the tin roof is covered in rust, but that’s part of its charm.

a wide-brimmed hat and holding a fish in each hand. He’s the

If the walls could talk, you’d hear the most fantastic stories,

man who bought the old school building in the early 1900s, the

stories of days gone by, days when the building wasn’t just a

man the townspeople still talk about.

small café with the best pies you’ve ever tasted. Search the walls of the cafe and you’ll find a poem about Joe Fortunately for visitors, the walls do talk. “I can walk into this

by Mary Ann Gamble. Mary Ann is eighty-four, grew up in Jenny

room and see something I’ve never seen before,” says Dani

Lind, and still lives close to the café. She says, “Joe was my

Ortiz, who’s a waitress and cook. “There’s

favorite uncle. He was from Germany and was

always something you’ve never noticed.” In

a good looking man and a good dancer. When

addition to being covered with everything

he bought the building, they took the top off,

from Patsy Cline records to pie pans, the

the school relocated, and he and a partner put

walls are decorated with historic pictures

in a grocery store. That would have been in the

and newspaper articles about this little

1930s.”

town in South Sebastian County. By the 1940s, Joe closed the grocery store and The town itself was originally named

opened a beer joint and dance hall. “Back then,

Actus, but was renamed for Jenny Lind,

Camp Chaffee was open, and South Sebastian

a popular Swedish opera singer who

wasn’t a dry county. So the soldiers would come

toured with P.T. Barnum in the mid-

over to Joe’s because he had a juke box and

1800s. Americans were so captivated

punchboards, which in a way is gambling. As

by the soprano known as the Swedish

teenagers, some of us worked at Camp Chaffee

Nightingale that they christened many

at the Officers’ Club, and when we came home

streets and towns in her honor.

around midnight, we’d go to Joe’s and spend our money on punchboards.” Punchboards, similar

In the late 1800s, the building that now

to scratch cards, were sheets of cardboard with

houses the one-story café was a two-story

hundreds of holes in them covered with foil.

schoolhouse. And although the students

Players would pay for chances to punch through

that attended the school have long since passed away, many

the holes in hopes of finding small sheets of paper with winning

stories about them remain-even ghost stories. Dani says, “A lot

numbers on them. Mary Ann laughs and says, “We really thought

of funny things happen around here. We’ll hear noises in the

we were doing something.”

attic or over the bathroom, like children’s feet running across the floor. It’s unmistakable, like kids stomping their feet and

Sometime during the war, South Sebastian County went dry.

running up stairs.”

Harold, who’s seventy-one and a loyal customer, says, “The story is that all the men were gone to war, and all the women got

But that’s not all. “We have problems with Joe all the time. He’ll

together and voted it dry. Now, that’s the story, but I don’t know

pull all the bread off the shelves, turn off the radio station or

if it’s true.” Either way, Joe closed the beer joint and dance hall.

shut off the oven. He messes with the air conditioner,” says Dani, who points to a photograph hanging above the piano by the

Ruby Yeakley, who’s seventy-four and also grew up in Jenny

44 | people

Lind, says, “When South Sebastian County went dry, Joe put in

last fifteen years has been home to other restaurants. Since

a shop where he mended shoes. During the war, you only got

November, however, it’s been the Jenny Lind Café and has been

one pair of shoes a year and you had to have ration stamps to

run by Judy Smith.

buy them. It was the same with sugar and gasoline. So you had to make your shoes last.”

Judy, who’s sixty-three and has a personality to match her bright red hair, says, “My sister owns the building and used to

Ruby is one of many who attended school at Jenny Lind after

run the Jenny Lind Country Café. We changed the name when I

the building was relocated. There’s a photo of her here from

took over, but we still serve country-style food.”

1952 when she was the scorekeeper for the girls championship basketball team.

As Judy walks back to the kitchen, a man who’s obviously a regular walks through the front door. Three waitresses shout,

As Ruby tells stories of her days in junior high, a group of her

“Hey, Tom!” before the door closes behind him. Dani says,

former classmates and teachers begin to pile through the front

“Everybody here is so friendly.” And that’s why the Jenny Lind

door. They’re meeting for a reunion of sorts - something they

Café is worth whatever amount of time it takes you to drive

do once a month at the café. As they greet each other, they

there. Not only can you find a great piece of pie, but you’ll feel

rearrange tables and chairs so they can sit together. Dani says,

like you’re one of the locals.

“When they come in here, they start taking over. I came from California, and you couldn’t do that in Los Angeles. But it’s like they own the place, and I love that people still get together like they do. I love that people feel at home here.” If you spend much time here, you’ll feel at home too. It’s a place, a community filled with friends who have spent their lives together. Mary Ann says, “This used to be a mining town. But when the mine shut down, Joe eventually moved to Illinois.” His building changed hands a couple times, and during the

The Jenny Lind Café is open from 7 AM to 8 PM on Thursday and Friday and 7 AM to 2 PM on Saturday and Sunday. It’s available for private parties on Monday, Tuesday, and Wednesday. Find them on Facebook at facebook.com/ JennyLindCafe or call 479.996.1099.

46 | taste

Dragonfly Sweet Tea Lemonade

Looking for ways to beat the July heat? Weâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;ve got three delicious, thirst quenching lemonade cocktails perfect for sipping this su mmer. Omit the alcohol for a kid friendly option. Always drink responsibly and designate a driver.

@recipe adapted from bonappetit.com @image Catherine Frederick

Serves 8

2 cups sweet tea

9 fresh mint leaves

4 cups lemonade

(prepared from frozen concentrate)

8 lemon slices

1 shot vodka per glass (optional)

Place 8 mint leaves in large pitcher; mash with muddler or wooden spoon until slightly bruised. Add tea and lemonade. Fill highball glass with ice, add vodka, and top with tea/ lemonade mixture. Garnish with lemon slice and mint sprig. Omit the alcohol for a kid friendly drink.

taste | 47

Kickin’ Blackberry Mint Lemonade

Cherry Pucker Lemonade

@recipe adapted from savorysweetlife.com @image Catherine Frederick

@recipe adapted from epicurious.com @image Catherine Frederick

Serves 8

3 cups water

2 lbs fresh or frozen cherries (1qt), stemmed

1 cup sugar

1 cup fresh lemon juice

¾ to 1 cup sugar (to taste) ½ oz Grenadine

18 mint leaves- torn

2 cups fresh/frozen blackberries

4 cups lemonade

Cherries with stems for garnish

(prepared from frozen concentrate)

1 shot vodka per glass (optional)

3 mint sprigs ½ shot Chambord per glass (optional) 1 shot vodka per glass (optional)

Bring water and sugar to a boil. Stir until sugar is dissolved. Remove from heat. Add the torn mint leaves, stir then cool. Add blackberries to a blender. Add syrup mixture to the blender, straining off the mint leaves. Blend slightly but do not puree. Fill pitcher halfway with ice and add mint springs. Pour in lemonade-blackberry mixture. Fill glasses with ice, add Chambord and Vodka, then top with blackberry-lemonade mixture. Omit the alcohol for a kid friendly drink.

Place cherries (with pits) in a blender and blend on low until liquid is a bright red. Strain juice into a pitcher (press for maximum juice). Add lemon juice and sugar to taste). Stir until sugar is dissolved. Fill glass with ice. Add Grenadine, vodka and 1/2 cup cherry lemonade to each glass, top with sparkling water. Omit vodka for a kid friendly drink. Garnish with cherry.

48 | taste

@foodie tips and images Catherine Frederick

Selecting Peaches

Tell Me How!

Choose peaches that are cream or yellow in color. The amount of blush does not indicate ripeness, it indicates variety. The flesh will yield to light pressure and be very aromatic. Ripen peaches in a brown paper bag with the top folded down. Store unwashed for 3-5 days in the refrigerator.

Julienning Basil

Who Knew? Did you know you should rinse your chopped onions? If using onions in fresh salsa or guacamole and not eating within 20 minutes, rinse the chopped onions in cold water and blot dry. This will get rid of the sulfurous gas from the onions which can ruin fresh salsa and guacamole.

Start with several leaves of fresh basil, washed and patted dry. Julienne is a cutting technique to make match-shaped vegetables and herbs.

1 Stack basil leaves on top of each other.

2 Roll basil starting from one long side to the other, creating a single roll.

3 Cut think slices from the roll, about 1/8â&#x20AC;? thick, from one end to the other.

50 | taste

@image Jeromy Price @recipe Jeff Price, Bar Manager, MovieLounge

2 ounces of watermelon infused rum 1 1/2 ounces of mint simple syrup Fresh mint leaf 3 Watermelon chunks One packet of raw sugar One squeezed lime wedge Muddle all ingredients and shake well. Fill glass with muddled contents,ice, and a splash of club soda. Garnish with remaining mint leaf.

To see an extensive lineup of other great drinks and dining options, visit movieloungefsm.com/menu Sponsored by

7601 Rogers Ave, Fort Smith 479.226.3595 | MovieLoungeFSM.com

Enjoy this and other premium cocktails at MovieLounge. Please drink responsibly.

52 | taste

Fruit Salad with Lime Honey Dressing @recipe Stacey Little @images Stacey Little and courtesy Kim Box Photography

taste | 53

he kitchen is my most favorite place to be. As a painter

and saving water and energy. During one event about seven

cherishes his studio, I love being in my kitchen. It’s a

years ago, I was talking to a group of kindergarteners about

place that I’ve found myself since I was old enough to

where our food comes from. When I asked where an apple I

hold a spoon. It’s beyond my recollection for the most part, but

was holding had come from, one little boy responded with

I’ve been told that I would sit on the kitchen floor and pull out

every bit of honesty and excitement he had in his little body,

all of my grandmother’s pots and pans. I’d cook for a while and

“The factory,” he said. I was floored. I felt like that little kid had

then those pots and pans would become drums. I guess there’s

been done an injustice by not knowing where something like

a reason I’m a cook now and not a drummer.

an apple comes from. I set out then to ensure my child always knew things like that.

My mother and grandmother always included me in the kitchen. Like most little kids, I loved being a helper, but I’m sure many

Since then we’ve planted our own garden and my son’s been

of those earlier years I was more hindrance than help. Yet, they

able to see things like tomatoes and squash grow and taste

kept letting me stir. (I was always the stirrer.) In doing this, they

them straight off the vine. I also work hard to include him in

inspired a passion in me that I may have never developed. Most

the kitchen, too. He’s now my designated stirrer and I try my

little boys are more interested in dirt and trucks and baseball.

best to let him help with everything that he can. Sure, it would

While I had interest in those things, I loved cooking more. All in

be easier and much faster to just get it done myself, but by

all, I think it’s served me pretty well. It was never about a blog

including him, not only am I spending quality time with him, but

or a cookbook, though. It was about providing a wholesome

I’m also hoping he’ll develop healthy relationships with food

meal for my family.

and a better understanding of food in general.

When my little guy came along, I wanted him to grow up with

This fruit salad is a great example of a recipe that allows your

the same passion for cooking as me. I think cooking with your

kids to help you in the kitchen. Even the youngest can help

kids is an important part of their development. Not only in the

with washing the fruit and stirring the dressing. In the process

fact that one day they’ll leave the nest and at least need to know

of putting this together most recently, my son discovered a few

how to provide some form of nourishment for themselves, but

more fruits he likes. For him, there was something about the

also because of what it teaches them about healthy eating and

novelty of washing and slicing the fruit that made him want to

where our food comes from.

taste it. Had it just been put on a plate in front of him, I’m not sure he would have been as enthusiastic. And even if it doesn’t

As the marketing guy for a non-profit environmental education

work out like that for you and your kids, you’ll still end up with

organization here in Alabama, I find myself visiting with school

a light and refreshing fruit salad that might help stave off a little

kids often to talk about our environment and things like recycling

bit of the stifling summer heat. Y’all enjoy!

54 | taste

Ingredients

DIRECTIONS

10 to 12 cups of assorted fruit

For Fruit Salad:

For instance: 2 apricots, sliced (about 1 ½ cups) 3 kiwi, peeled and sliced (about 1 cup) ¼ honeydew melon, chopped (about 2 cups) 1 lb strawberries, hulled and sliced (about 2 cups) 2 cups blackberries 2 cups red and green seedless grapes

In a large plastic or glass bowl, combine the fruit. For Lime-Honey Dressing: In a small bowl whisk the lime juice, honey, and mint together. Drizzle over fruit and toss lightly when ready to serve. Keep chilled.

1 ½ cups blueberries juice of two limes (about 1/3 cup) 1/3 cup honey 1 tablespoon finely chopped mint (8 to 10 large leaves)

Stacey Little

is the author and publisher of SouthernBite.com, an award-winning Southern food blog dedicated to sharing his family’s Southern recipes.

56 | travel

@story Carla Minsky, Wisconsin Dells Visitor & Convention Bureau @images courtesy Wisconsin Dells Visitor & Convention Bureau

travel | 57

he heat is on and the waterpark whizzes in Wisconsin Dells, Wisconsin are loving it. If you’re not familiar with Wisconsin Dells by its city name proper, perhaps this will ring a bell: “The

Waterpark Capital of the World®”! The community of Wisconsin Dells

maps out at just under twenty square miles and registers about 5,600 permanent residents. It also happens to have the largest concentration of indoor and outdoor waterparks on the planet and welcomes about 4-million visitors each year. The main incentive for the vast majority is to get soaked. That’s especially true for those looking to trade scorching temps for the mild breezes, puffy clouds and comfortable evenings that define summer in Wisconsin. While other destinations in the US offer waterpark experiences, there is something naturally appealing about visiting the place where the H2O phenomena was pioneered. Local entrepreneurs are credited with creating the first indoor waterpark back in 1989 at the Polynesian Resort. As the story goes, the owners of the Polynesian were at a waterpark convention in Texas and spied an attraction they liked. To extend the appeal beyond Wisconsin’s summer season, they wondered if they could build a roof over it. They sketched out the concept on a napkin. No kidding, a sketch on a napkin became the blueprint for the indoor waterpark craze. Today, along with having the highest concentration of wateparks per capita in the world, the Dells (as all the regulars fondly refer to it) is home to Noah’s Ark Waterpark, the largest outdoor waterpark in America sprawling over seventy acres, and the Wilderness Resort, the largest indoor/outdoor waterpark complex in the country. The waterparks come in all shapes and sizes – small, medium and large – with hundreds of waterslides between them. “We are just waiting for someone to tell us they’ve tried all 200-plus waterslides in Wisconsin Dells,” says Romy Snyder, executive director of the local visitor bureau. “For anyone with a waterpark vacation on their summer wish list, it’s a sure bet they mean Wisconsin Dells.” Could it be something in the water here that makes the locals live for the rush of creating businesses that give them bragging rights for biggest, fastest, first, tallest and wettest? Seems so, when you consider what’s new this summer alone. Mt. Olympus Water & Theme Park debuted the

58 | travel

world’s first all-wooden looping roller coaster; popular restaurant

While today’s teens and tweens know Wisconsin Dells for its

Paul Bunyan’s Northwoods Cook Shanty took the plunge and

command of the quintessential waterpark experience, it was

created a full-scale lumberjack show with professional and

really scenic tours of the Wisconsin River, a snaking body of

collegiate athletes competing daily; Noah’s Ark Waterpark

water with steep sandstone cliffs on either side that literally

introduced the community’s first outdoor surf machine where

bisects the downtown, that brought the first visitors to the

you can boogie board on an ocean-worthy curl thanks to 36,000

area more than 150 years ago. In a feat of early advertising,

gallons of water churning under you; and the iconic Tommy

noted local landscape photographer H.H. Bennett displayed

Bartlett Show featuring classic ski stunts on Lake Delton, added

his hauntingly stunning river photos in train stations between

a FlyBoard trick with the rider strapped in to a water jet pack that

the Dells and parts south. With one look, well-heeled travelers

sends the operator hovering high above the water - the perfect

knew they had to see this place for themselves. Today, the

position for mid-air twists and flips, before diving dolphin-like

pendulum is swinging back, with Gen X and Gen Y travelers

into the lake!

choosing the area for the scenery, only now instead of rowboat tours they’re filling up on river kayaking, tree canopy zip lining,

Other firsts for Wisconsin Dells include America’s first trap-door

stand-up paddleboarding and classic camping.

looping waterslide – that would be Scorpion’s Tail at Noah’s Ark – and the country’s first indoor version of same at Kalahari Resort

For those who prefer to sit back rather than paddle the river, a

where they literally had to raise the roof to accommodate the

tour on a WWII amphibious vehicle known by its military handle,

height of the plunge slide. At Chula Vista Resort, you’ll find the

DUCK, is the ticket. These vehicles had their finest moment

Flyan Mayan Zip Coaster, the world’s fastest and longest indoor

on D-Day, June 4, 1944, when more than 2,000 were put into

water coaster.

service to deliver troops to the rough shores of Normandy, France. In 1946, a man by the name of Melvin Flath brought

“For a tourism destination with a worldwide reputation and

the first DUCKs to Wisconsin Dells and set up a tour company.

so many ‘firsts,’ visitors are also pleasantly surprised to learn

Naturally, Wisconsin Dells has the largest fleet of anywhere in

that the vast majority of businesses here are owned by local

the world, with a DUCK tour a near requirement for visitors.

families, many into their third, fourth and even fifth generation of operation,” notes Snyder.

travel | 59

While families dominate the landscape, it’s getting increasingly common to see couples and groups of friends moving about the Dells, favoring an itinerary that includes natural landscape golf courses, spas including nationally ranked Sundara Inn & Spa, boutique shopping, classic Wisconsin supper clubs, and microbreweries and wineries. Oh yes, and the waterparks too. Without kids in tow, it’s a grown-up’s golden opportunity to give every extreme waterslide a whirl before retreating to a poolside cabana.

{ For the Little Squirts } Meadowbrook Resort: The indoor water playland has a shallow depth pool with bubbling geysers themed to Timber Camp and the resort itself is a throwback to a national park lodge. Wintergreen Resort: Don’t let the polar décor fool you. The water’s nice and warm for little ones at both the indoor and outdoor pools.

Road trip it or fly if you like. The ultimate waterpark cooldown will have you breathing a sigh of relief and gasping in exhilaration all in the same exhale.

Alakai Hotel: The rainmakers, slides and water basketball here were designed specifically for children under age eight. Atlantis: They bill their tunnel slides and toddler slides as

{ The Big 7 } Along with Noah’s Ark outdoor waterpark, Wisconsin Dells has six resort complexes with their indoor and outdoor waterparks and themed lodging: Mt. Olympus with both water and theme

perfect for 11 and under. Grand Marquis: It’s an eleven-and-under playland here as well, with the triple chute blue dolphin slide set up in clear view so parents can keep an eye on their little ones.

parks; Wilderness Resort with its adjoining property Glacier Canyon Lodge; Kalahari Resort; Great Wolf Lodge; Chula Vista Resort, and the Polynesian Hotel with its sister property the Polynesian Isle. Add to that 11 more waterparks that fall into the medium and small categories.

{ Foodie Temptations } Monk’s burgers. The owner of Monk’s employed “aroma marketing” – venting the smell of burgers and fried onions onto

60 | travel

the sidewalk – to lure in hungry tourists when he opened the

Old timey photos. Three studios downtown let you pretend

downtown joint in 1947. It still works today.

you’ve taken a step back in time.

Fudge. For sweet tooths, there is the double joy of watching fudge being made and then sampling your favorite flavor.

{ Unexpected Finds }

Confectionary shops line the downtown, which has a boardwalk All fifteen species of cranes. The International Crane

feel to it.

Foundation is the only place in the world where you can see all Fried cheese curds. It’s Wisconsin, say no more. A staple

fifteen species of cranes, including the most endangered of all,

on the appetizer menu of most restaurants in town. Looks like

the Whooping Crane.

little balls of popcorn, tastes of cheese! Largest collection of restored circus wagons. Circus Supper Clubs. In Wisconsin it means a cocktail at the bar,

World’s collection of artifacts is the largest in the world and

relish tray to start the meal, homemade rolls and breads, a great

includes over 210 original wagons displayed at what was once

entrée (usually steak or seafood), and irresistible dessert, all

the winter quarters of the Ringling Bros. Circus, circa 1900.

served by talented wait staff. Great examples include the DelBar, House of Embers, and Ishnala.

{ Kitschy Purchases } Minnetonka moccasins. Fashion footwear, now found in boutiques from coast to coast, has been a staple in the Dells for generations.

The official web site is WisDells.com or call 800.223.3557. The Wisconsin Dells Visitor & Convention Bureau offers a vacation guide overflowing with travel tips and ideas; download it online or have them drop one in the mail for you.

62 | back story

Sparrow @fiction Marla Cantrell

would not go near Rhodie’s house. I would not drive by or

seen, and kissed me the way I’d only seen in movies. What

walk by or bike by. That’s how much I didn’t trust myself. I

I felt then was the beginning of something I thought could

could imagine him inside, reading a Michael Crichton novel

never be undone.

as he lay in his wide bed - he was always reading Crichton - or sitting as his small kitchen table, eating something from the deli

We lasted all the way through high school and then two more

at Hugs and Biscuits, because he doesn’t cook, or at least he

years after. I was working at a dress shop downtown and Rhodie

didn’t when we were together.

was laying brick, making more money in the summer than I did all year round.

The route I take adds ten minutes to my drive to and from work where I take payments at the water company in Belton, two

Here’s the problem with bricklaying: there are stretches when

towns over. The road I travel winds behind the high school

the weather keeps you from working, and there was this girl

where his house is hidden by the new football stadium, so big

on his crew named Sparrow, whose own daddy taught her the

the Razorbacks could have easily played there. I stopped at the

trade. She looked like Kate Hudson, only her hair was short and

school last Christmas when classes were out. I went right up

black. She had a tattoo of a green dollar sign on her left ankle,

to the hallway that leads to Mrs. Adelmeyer’s room. I lingered

and another of a white eagle, something I didn’t know was

in the spot where Rhodie pulled me to him one day during my

possible – ink that was white – behind her left ear.

sophomore year, out in the open where anyone could have

back story | 63 The first time I met her she said, ‘You don’t look a thing like

I didn’t talk to Rhodie again until the night he showed up at

Rhodie said you did,’ which made me want to deck her.

Tipsy’s where I’d stopped after work on a Thursday so dull I checked the office clock twice to see if it had stopped. One

Instead I said, “And you are?” as if I’d never heard of her, though

drink, I thought. One drink and I’ll head home. But Rhodie was

of course I had.

at a table in the corner. He was tan, his skin golden, his long legs kicked out in front of him. I knew if he took his shirt off, the tan

One sunny day about three months later, I was driving by the

line would end mid bicep, a straight line that proved he worked

job site where Rhodie and Sparrow were working. I liked to

outdoors, that the muscles he earned came from hard work and

watch him work. He moved with a rhythm that made you think

not a fitness program inspired by some celebrity trainer.

he was creating art, smoothing mud onto a brick, slipping it into place, tamping it down, his hands moving back and forth as if he

When he came toward me I almost grabbed my purse and

was directing a choir. It reminded me of watching him play first

left. Almost.

base in high school, how his body moved when a baseball flew toward him, how catching a ball looked like a thing of elegance.

“Caddy,” he said. And then he looked at me, our eyes locked, my

So I sat there in my Honda and watched. He was high on the

face growing hotter every second, though I willed myself not to

scaffolding. Then Sparrow all but shimmied up, ropy arms,

look away.

skinny legs in dirty jeans. When she reached him he turned to look, and she reached up to touch his cheek with her gloved

“Where’s Sparrow?” I finally asked, and he shook his head.

hand. And then he bent down and kissed her. “Back in Memphis where she belongs,” he said, and I felt as if a On the radio, Kenny Chesney was singing about hammocks and

great fog had lifted from every corner of that dim bar.

sunsets and hot nights. I switched it off. I didn’t cry. Not then. I honked, though, as I sped off, three times, so they’d look down

Just as he said it, the band started playing. I knew the guys in it;

and see me, and think what? That they’d been caught? That

we’d gone to high school with them, and it felt as if they were

Rhodie better jump down and chase me? Absolutely.

urging us on. When the mandolin started playing Rhodie said, “Dance with me.”

But he didn’t. Two days later I left a mess of a letter on his front door. I said I hated him, and then that I loved him, and how I’d

On the dance floor, he pulled me to him. I breathed him in. I read

never forgive him, and then how I would if he’d just call. So it

once that scent is the thing that draws us together, the thing that

ended like that. He never called and I never went back. I felt like

makes us ache for the other person. Even before I knew that, I

I’d been shot through, felled as sure as if a bullet had hit me. I

knew Rhodie did something for me nobody else ever could. I’d

spent weeks trying to figure out the exact moment he quit loving

known it as a fifteen-year-old and I knew it then. What did he

me. The moment when what he felt for me got transferred, easy

smell like? Pine needles and green grass and the sea.

as a phone line, to Sparrow. “What’s that rock you’re wearing?” Rhodie asked. After that, I avoided the places I knew he’d go. For two years I managed to dodge him – he was almost always with Sparrow. I

“This old thing?” I said. Shameful I know, but that’s what I said,

could sense him nearby, so I’d duck down an aisle and watch

and then I turned my engagement ring around, so that the

them pass at the grocery, or I’d feel them in line at the one

diamond disappeared when I laid my hand on Rhodie’s arm.

movie house we have in town and I’d excuse myself and head for the ladies room until the coast was clear.

64 | back story “So you’re getting married?” Rhodie said, and I couldn’t answer

I sat up. He kissed my cheek and then leaned his forehead against

him.

mine. I turned my engagement ring back around and the moon uncovered itself, causing tiny flashes of light from the diamond to

He didn’t ask another question. He looked down at me. He

fall across my lap. I’d like to blame the alcohol for what happened

traced the curve of my jaw. He tucked my hair behind my right

that night, but I would have taken Rhodie stone sober.

ear. He pulled me closer. I married my husband four weeks later on a perfect summer I didn’t once try to stop him.

night. I walked straight to him, my lace covering everything dark inside me. I believe I gave my marriage all I had, but it wasn’t

We drove out to Stray Beach, which is not a beach at all, but a

enough, it wasn’t nearly enough. My husband kept the house.

lake where a developer brought in truckloads of white sand and

I kept my ring. We send each other Christmas cards, and in the

set up a tiki hut where beer costs eight dollars a pop. Rhodie

last one he added a picture of his new wife in a sweater as shiny

parked the truck and grabbed a faded quilt he had stashed in

as tinsel.

the tool box. We found a spot where a sand dune rose high enough to cover us.

Tonight I am driving, crisscrossing my small town, making a grid out of streets that all seem to cross railroad tracks. I’m thinking

Clouds rippled across the velvet sky, the stars moving in and out

about Rhodie, the way the energy changes in a room when he

of sight. The moon looked as if it had been cut in half. We lay

enters, the time he told me my skin felt like silk under his rough

beneath it, facing each other. The air smelled of fish from the

hands. It’s past midnight and I have to work tomorrow, so I’m

lake, and lavender that grew in the nearby field.

heading back home. I see the high school up ahead. The ROTC students made an American flag out of colored lights. It hangs

Rhodie’s fingers were lost in my hair, and he was kissing me. I

on the press box at the stadium, in honor of the Fourth of July,

kept my eyes wide open; I didn’t want to miss a thing.

that’s just around the corner. Rhodie’s not far away, in his house that I could see if I walked across the football field and climbed

“Leave him,” Rhodie said.

the visitors’ bleachers all the way to the top row.

“And be with you?” I asked.

All across our little town, air conditioners buzz. TVs shine through unclothed windows, where late night comedians are

The night grew quiet except for water lapping the shore. Then

making light of Congress and celebrities and the prophet out in

I heard another couple laugh, and farther away a fight was

the dessert who swears aliens rigged the last election. I can feel

starting, the shrill sound of accusations sharp in the air. “I guess,”

Rhodie thinking about me. You might think I’m crazy, but I can.

he said, and then he stalled again. “Sure, come be with me.”

If I knocked on his door right at this minute, he would answer. I’d say, “I shouldn’t be here,” and he’d step aside, he’d let me

There was so much in that pause. There was so much in the

walk in. We would start something, I know we would. It would

words ‘I guess.’

go wrong eventually, I can’t pretend it wouldn’t. But tonight it wouldn’t matter.

“I don’t think I can,” I said, as soon as I could speak. “No,” he said, a bit of relief in his voice, I thought. “I didn’t think so.”

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