®
KRINGLE
December 2016 DoSouthMagazine.com
Fort Smith Public S
chools
P av i n g t h e R o a d to Success t h r o u g h WA T C Northside Southside and
and junior
seniors
will
earn up to 18 hours of college credit by the end of the spring semester thanks to special teamwork between Fort Smith Public Schools
and
UAFS’
Western
Arkansas Technical Center. Students secure core credit hours in their home schools for half of the school day and spend the remainder of the day working toward a college degree. It is possible for students to graduate with an associate degree and a high school diploma!
Classes offered: - Automotive Service Tech - Computer Engineering
- Drafting, Design & Architecture
- Graphic Communications - Health Science Technology
- Criminal Justice
- Electronics
- Digital Communications
- Entrepreneurship
Management
Fort Smith Public Schools
Research - Office Administration - Securities & Investments
The mission of the Fort Smith Public Schools is to ensure academic and personal success for each student —Today and in the Future.
STAY CONNECTED
- Marketing Technology &
@FSSchools
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CONTENTS EDITOR-IN-CHIEF / OWNER Catherine Frederick CHIEF OPERATING OFFICER Scott Frederick MANAGING EDITOR Marla Cantrell CONTRIBUTING WRITERS / PHOTOGRAPHERS Payton Allen John Blase Marla Cantrell Bob Dyer Catherine Frederick Dwain Hebda Amy Lloyd Rachael McGrew Rachel Putman Jessica Sowards Stoney Stamper James Stefiux
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GRAPHIC DESIGNER Artifex 323 - Jessica Mays PROOFREADER Charity Chambers PUBLISHER Read Chair Publishing, LLC
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INSIDE 26
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DO YOU WANT TO BUILD A SNOWMAN? Even if the weather doesn't cooperate, you can build a snowman! All you need are a few items from the craft store and a little time to let your crafty self soar!
FINDING BEAUTY IN THE IMPERFECT Find out how Angier Meyer, owner of Wasted in Fort Smith, can take old, rusty things and turn them into new showpieces for your home.
THE ART OF FOOD AND DAVID SUN In David Sun's kitchen, an orange becomes a rose sculpture, a radish becomes a flying goose, and handmade noodles are turned into an edible bowl. You'll want to try all of his delicious dishes!
HOLIDAY HELPERS Let's get this party started! Wow your guests with BLT Bites, Fried Green Beans, and Apple, Bacon and Arugula Bites.
DOSOUTHMAGAZINE.COM
ADVERTISING INFORMATION Catherine Frederick - 479.782.1500 Catherine@DoSouthMagazine.com
EDITORIAL INFORMATION Marla Cantrell - 479.831.9116 Marla@DoSouthMagazine.com ©2016 Read Chair Publishing, LLC. All rights reserved. The opinions contained in Do South® are exclusively those of the writers and do not represent those of Read Chair Publishing, LLC. as a whole or its affiliates. Any correspondence to Do South® or Read Chair Publishing, LLC., including photography, becomes the property of Read Chair Publishing, LLC. Do South® reserves the right to edit content and images. Printed in the U.S.A. | ISSN 2373-1893 Cover Image: Alina G.
FOLLOW US Annual subscriptions are $30 (12 months), within the contiguous United States. Subscribe at DoSouthMagazine.com or mail check to 4300 Rogers Avenue, Suite 20-110, Fort Smith, AR, 72903. Single issues are available upon request for $7. Inquiries or address changes, call 479.782.1500.
letter from the editor
F
Food. The holidays seem to
Not only is his Asian cuisine and sushi perfectly delicious, but his
revolve around it. And that’s
dishes look like art. He can turn a simple vegetable into a bunny
just fine by me. I mean, Food
sculpture, a rose, butterflies or even a pair of flying geese. (You'll
+ The Holidays = Why Stretchy
love the photos!)
Pants Were Invented. But we didn't stop there. We knew you'd want recipes to try at
It starts with Thanksgiving, the
home. Chef Goldwhite provided a shrimp dish you'll adore, and
green bean, and sweet potato
our food writer, James Stefiux, weighed in with three yummy
casseroles. The dressing. The
appetizers (think BACON!) and a cocktail called the Pom-Pom Fizz
gravy. The pies. Oh my, the
that's sure to be the hit of your holiday party.
pies. Then comes the weeks leading up to Christmas. Cookie baking and candy making. Delicious homemade treats from
I know what you're thinking. You need to work off all that great
neighbors. And more pie.
food, right? First, head out to see Fort Smith's newest Community Christmas Tree at GreenPointe Shopping Center, a great place to
When I was growing up, the cooking duties were spread out
stretch your legs and snap a holiday photo. Then, check out our
amongst all family members. Everyone brought a dish to holiday
calendar for twenty-five holiday events that will get you moving.
dinners, and we’d pile our plates high and eat until we felt as if we
(There's even a dance party!)
couldn’t possibly take in another bite. Then we’d sit and talk and laugh, and we’d nibble a bit more. After all, those kinds of feasts
And for all my fellow procrastinators, we're featuring a Gift Guide
only came around a couple times a year.
at the end of this issue, a place where you can find great gifts and support our local businesses. Keep it local this holiday!
When we were finalizing this issue, we realized that we must have had food on the brain! We featured Executive Chef David Gold-
But back to those stretchy pants. If you're already worried about
white, who grew up in England, trained in France, and is now
those few extra pounds, relax! We all know we've got to take care
working his magic at the Choctaw Casino Resort in Pocola, Okla-
of the one body God gave us! So, in January, we’ll be featuring
homa. We traveled to Hot Springs to meet Brooklyn-born Anthony
our Health and Wellness Guide, chock-full of advice from the best
Valinoti at his epic pizza shop, DeLuca's Pizzeria, and had some of
of the best healthcare professionals in our community. But for
the best pizza of our lives.
now, ‘Tis the season! Who’s ready for another slice of pie?
That was just the beginning. We'd been hearing rave reviews about a chef named David Sun, who came to the USA from South China when he was nineteen, and whose restaurant, Smile Bull,
~Catherine
Follow Do South® Magazine
is drawing in customers from all across Fort Smith and beyond.
To reserve this free space for your charitable non-profit organization, email: Editors@DoSouthMagazine.com
DOSOUTHMAGAZINE.COM
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06
UPCLOSE&PERSONAL
&
UP CLOSE PERSONAL
Isaiah Joe Shooting Guard Northside Grizzlies Basketball
You are a junior at Northside High School. How excited are you to already be recruited by the Arkansas Razorbacks? I've always dreamed about playing for the Arkansas Razorbacks since I was little and my mom and dad would take me to Razorback football and basketball games. I even played games at the arena when I was in elementary school, and I will always remember that. It's going to be incredible to play in front of the home state fans. Another cool thing will be that my family, most of whom bleed Razorback Red, will be able to enjoy this image Glen Gilly
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adventure with me. WPS!
UPCLOSE&PERSONAL
WORDS TO LIVE BY:
Hard work beats talent when talent does not work hard. ISAIAH CAN’T LIVE WITHOUT:
iPhone, car, a basketball WHAT WAS THE NAME OF YOUR FIRST BASKETBALL TEAM?
HOW HAS YOUR FATHER INFLUENCED YOUR BASKETBALL CAREER?
My dad works with me on and off the court to be the best I can be as a person and a player.
YOU'RE OFTEN DESCRIBED AS KINDHEARTED. DO YOU THINK THAT QUALITY COMES FROM YOUR PARENTS?
Yes, my parents always expect me to be polite and to respect everyone.
Gerber at Stephen’s Boys Club, when I was five years old.
YOU ALSO PLAY FOR THE ARKANSAS HAWKS (A TRAVEL BALL TEAM). WHAT HAVE YOU LEARNED FROM BEING PART OF THAT TEAM?
WHICH PROFESSIONAL PLAYER DO YOU MOST ADMIRE?
Coach Kevin Howard and Bill Ingram and the other Hawks coaches show us the areas we need to improve on as basketball players. They have a lot of experience developing kids to play college basketball. They really care about all of the players on my team. I've learned about the importance of team chemistry on and off the court. Hawks stands for Hard at Work Kids, and we talk about the importance of outworking the competition on and off of the court all the time.
The fact they always want to do something together.
TELL US A LITTLE ABOUT YOUR FAMILY.
I love the coaching staff because they expect a lot. They seem like they want the best for the players in their program. They play up-tempo style of basketball, and I like that.
Kobe Bryant, because of his will to win and his hard work. HOW MUCH TIME DO YOU SPEND PRACTICING EVERY DAY?
Four hours a day. HOW DOES WHAT YOU'VE LEARNED IN BASKETBALL HELP YOU IN THE REST OF YOUR LIFE?
It teaches me to work hard in everything I do. It teaches responsibility and respect for others and leadership. WHAT DO YOU LOVE ABOUT BEING A SHOOTING GUARD?
It spreads the court out for my other teammates and gives them freedom to operate. WHAT'S THE BEST ADVICE YOU'VE GOTTEN FROM NORTHSIDE'S COACH BURNETT?
Not necessarily advice, but he tries to teach us how to be young men by giving us extra responsibilities. Coach Burnett treats us like young men.
We spend quite a bit of time together. We watch a lot of movies at home. We love to eat out. Our favorite restaurant is probably Red Lobster. My brothers and I love to play video games. I have two younger brothers, Jacob and Jon, and they love to hang out with me. I have two great parents who give me good advice. WHAT MAKES YOU HAPPY?
Being at home and being able to sleep in. I like to hang out with my friends on weekends because we do travel a lot as a family. I don't always feel up to my workouts, but I go because I love the results. DOSOUTHMAGAZINE.COM
WHAT'S SOMETHING YOU LOVE ABOUT YOUR TWO YOUNGER BROTHERS?
WHAT'S SOMETHING THAT DRIVES YOU CRAZY ABOUT YOUR TWO YOUNGER BROTHERS?
Sometimes it's hard to get away from them. WHAT'S YOUR FAVORITE MEAL?
Either shrimp fried rice or steak. WHAT DO YOU LOVE ABOUT THE ARKANSAS RAZORBACKS?
WHAT ADVICE WOULD YOU GIVE YOUNGER ATHLETES WHO HOPE TO PLAY AT THE COLLEGE LEVEL?
Work hard and stay focused on your goals. Listen and take advice from your coaches and don't argue with the coach because he or she is trying to help.
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poetry
Down Here LINEs John Blase
We are down here in time where beauty grows. We are down here entangled in the affairs of this life as is right for we are not soldiers but homesteaders. We are down here staking claims hanging windows of hope in walls of memory arranging our kitsch just so. So beautifully so.
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Remembering Patricia Brown-Crowe words Marla Cantrell imageS Nick Daniels
she adored, Michael Crowe, and I realized I'd never have the chance to tell another love story like theirs. There Patricia was, fighting for her life, and she had found her perfect love. When I visited their home, I watched the two of them. It was like On November 18, shortly after Patricia Brown-Crowe's passing,
looking at love personified.
one of her dearest friends said that she'd probably already secured the job as greeter in Heaven, her bright smile flashing
She told me that in 2012, faced with the possibility of dying,
each time someone approached the Pearly Gates. And every time
she'd asked God for four things, all of which came true. The
that happened, Patricia would walk away with another friend.
last prayer that was answered was Patricia's hope that she'd find a man who would love her beyond a season. On November
Anyone who knew Patricia, understood that if she wanted the
18, the thought occurred to me that their love had lasted far
job, she'd surely gotten it. "No" was not a word she recog-
beyond a season. That love is now eternal.
nized. Obstacles, to her, were just a signal she needed to work harder. That was one of the reasons we loved her.
When I interviewed her, I told her the marriage seemed monumental to me, and Patricia agreed, although she was not
For years, we'd followed her story. Her breast cancer diag-
surprised. She said she'd felt the hand of God in her life every
nosis in 2005. The victory Patricia felt when her first treatment
day since she was a child. And before I left, she talked about
ended. The shock when cancer returned in 2012.
her life, her grand adventure.
What made her exceptional was the joy that followed her into any
“I’ve had a front-row seat for miracles. If I die tomorrow, I’m good.
room, no matter what her prognosis, and how she shared that joy,
I’ve said thank-you, and I love you to the people who need to hear
helping everyone she could, especially others dealing with cancer.
it. I’ve asked forgiveness when I needed to. I’ve lived life large.”
In May, I interviewed Patricia for Do South. I wanted to tell her
Rest in peace, Patricia Brown-Crowe. We'll see you on the
story at that time because she'd just gotten married to the man
other side.
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calendar
THE 25 DATES OF CHRISTMAS! Gather your friends and family as we welcome in the holidays! We’ve rounded up twenty-five events you won’t want to miss, including a few celebrations to help you ring in the New Year!
December 1, 2, 3, 4 The Christmas Miracle of Jonathan Toomey Van Buren | $10 general admission 479.474.2426 Call for advance tickets and times. Head to the King Opera House in downtown Van Buren for a live performance of The Christmas Miracle of Jonathan Toomey, a musical that will lift your spirits and bring you a big dose of holiday cheer. Advance tickets are recommended.
December 2, 3 Christmas in the City Shopping Extravaganza Fort Smith Shopping begins at noon on December 2 at the Ben Geren Events Building on the east side of the park. On December 3, the fun begins at 10am. There will also be door prizes, food, live entertainment, and a crazy sweater contest.
December 2 Victorian Holiday Open House 5:30pm-8:30pm Van Buren | Free Facebook/Drennen-Scott Historic Site The historic UAFS Drennen-Scott House is hosting a Victorian Open House, complete with period holiday decorations. Live music, eggnog, wassail, and the Drennen-Scott family's traditional sugared and salted pecans will be served.
December 3 First Lavaca Holiday Market, 10am - 5pm Lavaca | Free firstlavaca.com Find that perfect gift at the First Lavaca Holiday Market held at First Baptist's h2o Student Center. Great food, crafts, home décor, and Chick-fil-A combo meals available during lunch. Doors for the market close at 5pm. Girls Night Out with Dove Award winner Ellie Holcomb, begins at 5:30 and costs $10 to attend. Check website for details.
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December 2 Clayton House 4th Annual Gaslight Gala 6:30pm-10pm Fort Smith | $50 claytonhouse.org A delicious buffet, specialty drinks, live music, a live and silent auction, all inside the circa 1882 Clayton House in the Belle Grove Historic District. You can even have your portrait drawn and take a carriage ride at this annual fundraiser.
December 3 Living Windows 5:30pm Van Buren | Free vanburen.org Downtown Van Buren gets into the holiday spirit at 5:30pm, as shops unveil living window displays showcasing the town's history. At 6pm, it's the lighting of the courthouse. Santa will be on hand, and there will be free snacks and live music.
calendar
December 3 Warren's Rec Room Christmas Party 6:30pm-10:30pm Alma | Cost: New, unwrapped gift warrensrecroom.com This Christmas party at Warren's Rec Room has live music by Boss Tweeds, food, and tons of fun. Admission is a new, unwrapped gift that will be donated to Toys for Tots.
December 4 Christmas Tasting Extravaganza 2pm-3:30pm Greenwood | $5 greenwoodumc.net
December 4 Holiday Home Tour 1-5pm Fort Smith | $25 jlfs.org Looking for a dose of Christmas decorating inspiration? The Junior League of Fort Smith invites you to join them for their 2016 Holiday Home Tour! You'll visit four gorgeous homes and come away with some great ideas.
Greenwood United Methodist Women's annual Tasting Extravaganza will leave you full and happy. Sample great food, bid on the silent auction, and buy one of the Tasting Extravaganza's cookbooks for only $3.
December 9, 10, 11 Christmas in Oz Van Buren $12 in advance, $15 at door 479.208.3587
December 9, 10, 11 Keyboards at Christmas Fort Smith | Free oakcliffbaptist.com
At the King Opera House, the Wicked Witch of the West steals Christmas from Munchkinland. Not to worry, though. Good wins out in the end. A portion of the proceeds benefits the Sebastian County Emergency Shelter. December 9 at 7pm. December 10 at 4pm and 8pm. December 11 at 4pm.
The sounds of Christmas have never been sweeter! Four grand pianos and the Oak Cliff Baptist choir will perform with special guests Dr. Rosilee Walker Russell, and Gini Law. Performances December 9 at 6:30pm, December 10 at 2:30pm, and December 11 at 6:30pm.
December 10 Milk and Cookies with Santa 1pm and 3pm Fort Smith | Free 479.646.3945
December 10 Tuba Christmas Concert 11:30am Fort Smith | Free Facebook/River Valley Tuba Christmas Christmas music, cookies and hot cocoa, and a visit from Santa! Just bring a lawn chair to the Riverfront Pavilion. All tuba, sousaphone, baritone and euphonium players are invited to participate— regardless of age or skill level. Registration begins at 8:30am, and rehearsal at 9. Participants will be playing with special guests from the United States Army and Marine Bands.
Register your kids now for a visit with Santa, complete with milk and cookies, at the Miller Branch Library. Seating is limited, so call now. Two sessions available, at 1pm and 3pm.
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calendar
December 10 Polar Express 4pm-9pm Fort Smith | Free fstm.org The Fort Smith Trolley Museum presents Polar Express. Free cocoa and cookies, rides on vintage streetcars, and the chance to see Santa and have a photo made with him. The book, The Polar Express, will also be read, and the gift shop will be open.
December 10 Fort Smith Christmas Parade 3pm Fort Smith | Free A holiday tradition not to be missed! The Fort Smith Jaycees host the Christmas parade every year. Santa shows up in downtown Fort Smith to make sure everyone has a good time.
December 10 Christmas Parade 6:30pm Van Buren | Free vanburen.org Santa shows up for the parade in downtown Van Buren. Lots of holiday cheer, a ton of fun, and Christmas music.
December 11 Christmas at the Clayton House Fort Smith | Free claytonhouse.org Holiday crafts, refreshments, music, and songs from the Fort Smith Chorale at 2pm. Santa will be there to make this party one for the record books, all at the historic Clayton House.
December 10 The Nutcracker Fort Smith 7:30pm $25 adults, $15 children waballet.org Western Arkansas Ballet presents its annual performance of The Nutcracker at ArcBest Performing Arts Center. The cast includes local children and adults along with professional guest artists.
December 11 River Valley Community Band Christmas Concert 3pm Fort Smith | Free Facebook/River Valley Community Band What a great way to spend an afternoon! The River Valley Community Band will be performing Christmas music at the Darby Junior High Auditorium.
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calendar
December 17 Christmas Honors 11am Fort Smith | Free christmashonors.org
December 17 National Historic Site Holiday Open House 1pm-4pm Free nps.gov/fosm
There are more than 16,000 headstones at the Fort Smith National Cemetery, and when the day is over, each will be adorned with a Christmas wreath. Attend the ceremony at 11am, and then help place the wreaths as an act of respect and honor.
Free admission to the Historic Site, live music, cookies and punch, and a chance to take Christmas photos with Judge and Mrs. Isaac Parker. Kids can also decorate a Victorian Christmas card or make their own ornament.
December 3 Midnight Masquerade 8pm Fort Smith | $100 arcrivervalley.org
December 31 Last Night 7pm-2am Fayetteville | $5-$85 lastnightfayetteville.com
Help support the Arc for the River Valley at Midnight Masquerade on New Year's Eve. Music by Wingnut the Band, beer and wine, hors d'oeuvres, champagne at midnight, and live and silent auctions. Welcome in 2017 at the Doubletree Hotel while supporting a great cause!
Arkansas' largest New Year's Eve celebration, Last Night, takes place on the Square in Fayetteville with more than 100 performers. Eight stages with tons of entertainment, including kids' shows, comedians, circus acts, and music from groups including Arkansauce and The Silver Shakers. The Hog Drop is at midnight, along with fireworks.
December 31 CB Supper Club 8:30pm-1am Bentonville $225 non-members, $200 members crystalbridges.org The Great Hall at Crystal Bridges Museum of American Art transforms into a speakeasy-style supper club for New Year's Eve. The menu consists of multiple courses paired with wine or cocktails. Entertainment includes jazz bands, torch singers, and dancing. Tickets include admission to the Museum Dance Party.
December 31 Museum Dance Party 9:30pm-1:30am Bentonville $60 non-members, $55 members crystalbridges.org Dance the night away at Crystal Bridges Museum of American Art. The party starts in the museum's restaurant, Eleven, and spreads through the galleries. Cash bars available and appetizers and a glass of champagne for the midnight countdown are free.
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community
Oh Christmas Tree! words Marla Cantrell image Bob Dyer
At GreenPointe Shopping Center at 4300 Rogers Avenue in Fort Smith, Arkansas, there's a brand new community Christmas tree for all to enjoy. The Leyland Cypress, bought from an Arkansas tree farm, is more than twenty feet tall and was unveiled in November. For the holidays, it's decorated in Christmas fare, with giant wrapped "gifts" at its base. Everyone is welcome to stop by and snap holiday photos by the tree. While you're there, browse the shops at GreenPointe, and remember to bring a donation of non-perishable food with you, since the shopping center is a drop-off location for the Fort Smith Community Rescue Mission.
Community Christmas Tree GreenPointe Shopping Center | 4300 Rogers Avenue, Fort Smith
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community
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entertainment
Page-turning Presents reviewS Marla Cantrell
After the Christmas wrapping has been tossed away and the day fades into night, those who've received books as presents will be tucked away reading. What a picture-perfect way to spend Christmas evening! Not sure which books will be hits? We have a few suggestions.
Young Kids
|
Older Kids
|
Adults
Merry Christmas, Stinky Face
Finding Winnie: The True Story
Dog Man
by Lisa McCourt and Cyd Moore
of the World’s Most Famous Bear
by Dav Pilkey
Merry Christmas, Stinky Face was re-released
by Lindsay Mattick and Sophie Blackall
Dav Pilkey, creator of the Captain Underpants
in September. This holiday story has Stinky
This award-winning book tells the true story
books, tells the story of Dog Man, part cop,
Face asking plenty of questions, including
of the bear who inspired Winnie-the-Pooh.
part canine, in this madcap tale. Laugh your
what would happen if the wind blew down
Follow Winnie's journey from Canada all the
way through this story of the crime-fighting
the Christmas tree. Your little ones will love
way to the Hundred Acre Wood, and learn
sensation, and find out how he came to be.
this story, and will likely pass it down when
about the friendship between this lovable
They'll love this full-color comic!
they have kids of their own.
bear and the soldier who rescued her.
DOSOUTHMAGAZINE.COM
entertainment
Double Down
Moo
Magnus Chase and the
(Diary of a Wimpy Kid #11)
by Sharon Creech
Gods of Asgard,
by Jeff Kinney
Reena is twelve years old and has just
Book 2: The Hammer of Thor
Greg Heffley's mom wants him to walk
moved with her family to a coastal Maine
by Rick Riordan
away from his video games and explore his
town, where she's been tasked with caring
In book two of this series, Thor has misplaced
“creative side.” The thought is a scary one
for a cantankerous cow named Zora.
his hammer—again! It's fallen into enemy
for Greg until he's inspired to make his own
The author, a Newbery Medalist, tells the
hands, and if Magnus Chase and his friends
movie. Will he get rich and famous? You'll
story beautifully.
can't get it back, the mortal worlds won't be
have to read the book to find out.
able to fight off the giants!
The Whistler
Today Will Be Different
The Magnolia Story
by John Grisham
by Maria Semple
by Chip and Joanna Gaines and
Arkansas native John Grisham has a new
Maria Semple writes quirky stories that are
Mark Dagostino
page-turner! The Whistler, set in Florida,
sharp, funny, and impossible to put down.
If you love Chip and Jo-Jo on HGTV's Fixer
involves a corrupt judge, the construction
In Today Will Be Different, she introduces
Upper!, you'll love The Magnolia Story. This
of a casino on Native American land, and
us to Eleanor Flood, who decided to be her
heartwarming autobiography takes you
the mafia. The situation is a dangerous
"best self," even though her life is marked
back to the beginning of their love story and
one, and it grows even more so with every
by a continuing series of catastrophes.
chronicles their epic life together.
new revelation.
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shop
Gifts, Décor & More!
GREAT AMERICAN COOKIES Central Mall, Fort Smith 479.452.9999
words Catherine Frederick imageS Rachael McGrew & vendors
SUNSHINE SHOP AT MERCY FORT SMITH 7301 Rogers Avenue, Fort Smith 479.314.6079
GALLIVANTING LADIES APPAREL
SODIE’S WINE & SPIRITS
4300 Rogers Avenue, Fort Smith 479.646.7555
5401 Phoenix Avenue, Fort Smith 479.783.8013
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shop
Looking for that perfect gift? Or, perhaps new holiday décor? We’ve got it all, and it’s all local! Shop small and show your support for our community this holiday season!
JOHN MAYS JEWELERS
IN GOOD SPIRITS
5622 Rogers Avenue, Fort Smith 479.452.2140
12100 Hwy. 71, Fort Smith 479.434.6604
DR. STEVEN B. STILES OPTOMETRY
JENNIFER’S GIFT SHOP AT SPARKS HEALTH
2401 S. Waldron Road, Fort Smith 479.452.2020
1001 Towson Avenue, Fort Smith 479.441.4221
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pets
A Forever Home for Christmas F
M
F
M
Lizzy
Weston
F
Kudzo
Princess
M
Pickles
Pixel
Bubba's Rescue Dog Shelter Our mission is to make sure that all animals have a loving and forever home. We can’t do this alone and we need your help. Donations are always needed and greatly appreciated. Physical: 131 Poplar, Waldron, AR 72958 | Mailing: 30423 Weeks Road, Waldron, AR 72958 | 479.637.0255 | Each month, Do SouthŽ donates this page to local and regional non-profit animal shelters. If you work with a shelter and would like to reserve this space, please email editors@dosouthmagazine.com.
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people
N
Christmas Present Christmas Past words Jessica Sowards images courtesy Mikela Sowards
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T
people
There is a particular feeling that inhabits my heart this time of year. I anticipate it from the very first cool morning in September. When pumpkin spice everything explodes in the stores and restaurants, I know it's almost here. Then October rolls in and the leaves burn crimson and gold, giving their lives for that satisfying underfoot crunch that marks a walk around the farm in the fall. Next, comes the cold. A hint of wood smoke mingles with the air. Mornings are marked with a whistling kettle and the necessity of slippers and sweaters over thermal pajamas. As the nation speeds into the hustle and bustle of the holidays, something absolutely beautiful happens inside my little farmhouse. When Jeremiah and I met, I was a Christmas fanatic, and he could have been aptly described as a Scrooge. He didn't mean anything by it. Christmas was never a big deal in his family. His parents had nine kids and no money, so the festivities were gener-
The Sowards
ally limited. I remember when he told me they'd never had a Christmas tree and my heart just broke. He
He could have been preceded by the booming declarations of
didn't seem to mind, of course, but I couldn't imagine, with my
heaven, demanding all the acknowledgment He deserved. He
rich childhood memories of the holidays, what it would be like
could have stormed the earth, captivating everyone in it. But
not to have a tree and gifts and traditions.
instead, He came as a whisper in the night. He came in the sweet and small cry of a newborn. He came to a mother and a father.
This difference actually proved to be a bit of a struggle in the early days of our relationship. My idea of giving seemed exces-
On the night the King was born, so was born a family. When
sive to him. His idea of Christmas seemed depressing to me.
I realized that, my heart and everything in it changed towards
The first years we were together, I was so determined to make
Christmas. I always knew we were celebrating the arrival of
him love Christmas, to buy all the right stuff and manufacture
salvation, but something in me really shifted when I realized that
all the right feelings, that I almost missed the true meaning of
God made more than one declaration in how He chose to send
the holiday. I would work so hard to make everything perfect,
His son. God was speaking of His heart for the family unit in that
spending money I didn’t have and putting my focus on all the
manger. When I began to focus on that, all the wonder that had
wrong things, that I would end up feeling deflated and spent,
been kindled in my childhood, all the joy of gifts and the love and
disappointed at the fleeting nature of what I had created.
celebration became mingled with something much more holy.
It was on a late December night, in the quiet calm that settles
In the years that followed that paradigm shift, our life has become
on a mother after her children are sleeping, that I sat in the
unrecognizable. We bought our farm, became homeschoolers,
warm glow of the Christmas tree and cried, realizing what I was
opened our family business. We welcomed our fourth and fifth
really celebrating. Jesus could have come any way He wanted.
sons. We made plans and strived to live more sustainably. I began
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people
traveling more for ministry and sharing our adventures as a big
the oven, and a pie cools on the counter, it's almost like a heart-
family carving out our own way in the world.
beat thumps out of that warm-tiled heart of my home. I hope and pray my sons remember Christmas in the kitchen. I hope they
We laid a foundation of faith and built on it a structure of family
remember being elbow deep in dough, wrapped up in one of their
and worship and service. And Christmas became a reflection of
momma's floral aprons. I hope they remember how pleasing it is
the rest of our life, like the year-end flourish on all the other days
to create comfort and familiarity in lovingly crafted food.
spent loving Jesus. It's always been my favorite time of year, but now it holds a special wonder. No longer is it a time of hustle and
We still buy some presents. We still decorate. I still start playing
bustle and striving, but a time that we land and rest. Something
Christmas music earlier than most people deem sensible. But
like a whisper in a manger, we are surrounded by smelly animals
everything is intentional. My Christmases aren’t created in a
and a family God put together, and we are thankful.
shopping mall anymore but are built from the stories of two families. One that existed two thousand years ago, and the one
Somewhere in the midst of it all, Jeremiah came to love Christ-
I'm living in now on this little Arkansas farm.
mastime. When everything changed, he started seeing the heart that went into the gifts and the food and the atmosphere,
Do you want to know my favorite part of it all? I love opening
and he realized that my love for the holiday was an expression
the door and sharing Christmas. This year our precious friends,
of my love for my family. He got on board. I watch him now
Daniel and Kassie, are bringing their fifteen adopted children to
on Christmas mornings, as he drinks tea and takes in his sons
spend a weekend at our house shortly before Christmas Day.
experiencing something he missed out on, and I praise God for
I love seeing Jeremiah’s wheels turning, making plans to have
giving us the things we don't even know to ask for. Things like
surprises under the tree for them all. I’ve already planned the
deeply rooted homes and rich memories.
food, and though we may have air mattresses covering all the bedroom floors, there will be more than enough love to make
And the memories are rich for sure, even though they cost very
up for the tight sleeping quarters.
little in material things. When the pumpkin spice and the wood smoke begin flavoring the season, my kitchen wakes up and the
We will have cookie baking marathons with my cousin Amy and
special feeling of home that comes once a year settles in.
her little girl. We will uphold our tradition of making popcorn strands for the tree with Grandma Jana. We will watch movies
I used to start shopping in October; now I start cooking. Canned
in pajamas and drink hot chocolate with the boys’ friends
jams, pear preserves, and apple butters begin lining my shelves.
visiting for a sleepover. And on December twenty-sixth, when
They have stories, the apples picked by little hands at the
everything is said and done, the feeling of deflation won’t exist.
orchard, seventy pounds of pears gifted from a friend, persim-
Rather, there will simply be a satisfied sigh of having given our
mons foraged from the woods on our ridge, all of them prepared
hearts to one another.
with care. I've bred chickens specifically for egg color, and in December the most gorgeous cartons of eggs will be paired
Christmastime is the most magical time of the year. I’ve loved
with the story-telling jams and home-baked bread, kneaded by
it my entire life. But it’s when it took the homespun form of a
calloused hands and infused with prayers. People we love will
manger and the hush of mother and father in awe of a Savior
literally be fed by the life we have poured ourselves into.
that Christmas transformed for me. Then, in all its simplicity and love and wonder, it surpassed any sparkling thing I could
It's not just the gifts that come from my kitchen at Christmas.
have made myself.
So much of the atmosphere of the holiday is set in that room. When the wassail punch simmers on the stove, cookies bake in
Merry Christmas, y'all, from my family to yours.
Follow Jessica on her blog @thehodgepodgedarling.blogspot.com
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diy
Do You Want
to Build a Snowman? words and images Catherine Frederick inspired by SmartSchoolHouse.com
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diy
MATERIALS 3 fish bowls (varied sizes for stacking) Christmas figurines Faux snow Black craft foam Christmas ribbon Scissors Glue gun and sticks
METHOD Add desired amount of snow to bottom of each fish bowl. Place figurines inside each bowl to create a Christmas scene (you can glue them down to the glass if you wish). Stack bowls to create the look of a snowman. Create the hat by tracing a circle on the foam larger than the top of the smallest fish bowl. Determine how tall the hat should be and cut a rectangle out of foam to size. Hot glue the short ends together to create a cylinder. Cut another circle from foam to create the top of the hat. Add a section of Christmas ribbon around the base of the cylinder to finish off the hat. Enjoy, and Merry Christmas to all!
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The Winning Season
words Marla Cantrell images courtesy Lucy Coleman
TEAM MEMBERS: co-captain Lucy Coleman, co-captain Kim Simon, Jennifer Bailey, Michelle Butler, Leslie Cramer, Barbara Cross, Christine Curran, Heidi Dougherty, Regina Koonce, Tami Martin, Cathie Porter, Susan Pruitt, Ellen Shields, Heidi Stojanovic and Katy Ward COACHES: Bobby Banck, Melissa Kelly
I
It was a sweltering September day in Palm Springs, California.
preparing for a day like this, perfecting their game and training
When the sun made its trek to its highest point in the sky, the
in weather so hot, the California sun waned in comparison.
temperature had reached ninety-nine degrees. On the tennis courts, with the sun bearing down, it felt a full ten degrees
The Fort Smith, Arkansas team was in Southern California to
hotter, but that didn't cause the Hardscrabble Country Club
play in the USTA League Adult 18 & Over 4.0 National Cham-
4.0 Women's Tennis Team one minute of concern. They'd been
pionships after a summer of victories. (4.0 is a designation that
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assesses a player's level. The National Tennis Rating Program starts with a 1.5 level, which is someone just beginning, and goes all the way to a 7.0 level, which is a world-class player.) The year before, the Hardscrabble team had lost at the State finals. While it was a setback, it didn't make them doubt that they could make a comeback. So, when they returned to Little Rock in June, playing in 105-degree weather, they stayed focused, played hard and smart, and won the State title. And that secured their spot at the Southern Sectional tournament in Mobile, Alabama, in July. The humidity there rivaled anything they'd seen in Arkansas, but it wasn't enough to affect their game. They won Sectionals and started getting ready for Nationals. Lucy and Cathie can't say enough about their coaches. Bobby, who Teammate Cathie Porter and co-captain Lucy Coleman will
once coached tennis greats Monica Seles, Mary Pierce, and Jimmy
never forget that win in Alabama. "They told us that the USTA
Arias, has the unique ability to remember every move his players
League has 330,000 players and only 5,000 of those go to
make. "He keeps all that in his head," Cathie says. "He makes me
Nationals," Cathie says. "In the 4.0 division that we're in, that
think about where I hit the ball and being purposeful about it."
number is 200 tops. "Everybody out there is hitting a great ball but they taught "And we were playing in the 18 & Over division. There's also a
us strategy, and the importance of being mentally prepared,"
4.0 40 & Over, and a 4.0 Seniors, which is fifty-five and older.
Lucy says. That strategy, including the science behind how they
For us, our average age on the Hardscrabble team is thirty-
stacked their line-up, proved invaluable.
eight or thirty-nine. At Nationals, we had much younger players competing against us."
Once in Palm Springs, their excitement intensified. When the Hardscrabble team advanced to the finals, they had to play five
While the younger players had fountains of fortitude, the Hard-
matches and win three of those. "The singles' girl came off,
scrabble team had experience, the power of deep friendships,
and she'd won," Lucy says. "The doubles' girls came off the
and great coaching. For months the fifteen women had been
court, and they lost. The next singles' court comes off, and
practicing five days a week. They'd start at noon or one in the
she loses. Our next doubles' team comes off, and they'd won,
afternoon and play until three or so. They grew used to the
so we're split now. Each with two wins, with our last doubles'
intense heat, the sweat that soaked their clothes, the way their
court playing. It was down to those two people."
muscles ached at the end of the day. So, there they were, this team from Arkansas, gathered around During that time, they were working with their coaches,
the court watching two of their players take on two great
Hardscrabble Country Club Tennis Director Bobby Banck and
players from Puerto Rico. "I think the team from Puerto Rico
Melissa Kelly, the director of tennis for the Western Arkansas
was about half our age," Cathie says.
Tennis Association. As the match started, Lucy and Cathie noticed many members "Melissa did High-Intensity Training that got us ready to play
of the teams they'd defeated earlier in the tournament, cheering
in the heat," Lucy says. "And both she and Bobby worked a
Hardscrabble on. Even the Southern men's teams had shown
lot on strategy."
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Lucy laughs. "It could be that they were cheering for us because
While the accolades are welcome, Cathie says there's some-
we were so much older." Cathie smiles wide, remembering that
thing even better about the Hardscrabble fifteen. "I've made
moment when the final match ended with a score of 7-5, 6-4.
some of the best friends in my life. Even when we're not
"A lot of them told us they were there because we were such
competing, we play tennis three or four times a week, even in
nice players," Cathie says. "After we won, our husbands said,
the wintertime. We know the whole tennis community. People
'You guys don't understand how amazing it is to win Nationals.
talk about having a best friend or two best friends, people they
Not that many people win Nationals.'"
can count on. I always think how sad that is. I have so many more. Anytime there's a crisis, we have friends who pick up the
Even now, as Lucy and Cathie talk about that victory, they
kids, cook meals, run errands, whatever needs to be done. And
appear just a bit stunned by it. "We only have two players that
that comes from being part of this team."
played Junior Tennis: Christine [Curran] and Kim [Simon]," Lucy says. "The rest of us were volleyball players, basketball players,
The two women have the kind of easy banter that comes from
cheerleaders. The majority of us, myself included, started
knowing someone for a long time, from feeling the certainty of
playing in our twenties. I was twenty-nine."
their devotion. Cathie stops for a moment, checks the time on her phone, and then Lucy does the same. It is Friday and Cathie
Cathie says, "I was in my twenties when I started playing, and then I stopped for a long time after I had my
is heading out of town to camp with her teenage son at Petit Jean—they are on a mission to camp at every
son. When I was younger, I didn't consider
state park in Arkansas, and they have only two to
myself an athlete at all. I think that's okay,
go. It is one of the great joys she shares with
that maybe you have to work a little
her son, this mission to explore Arkansas, to
harder because of it."
imprint its beauty on their hearts.
Working hard is something this team
Lucy shakes her head. Her daughters,
loves. Another secret to their success is
she says, aren't keen on camping. Her
how much everyone on the team cares
weekend will be filled with mornings
about each other. Cathie says Lucy is
and evenings catching up with these girls
the most selfless person she's ever seen,
she loves so much.
always putting the needs of the team above anything else. That opinion is widely held since
Come Monday, Cathie and Lucy will be back
Lucy has been named the Captain of the Year for Arkansas. She'll receive her award in January at a cere-
on the court, playing the game they adore, with friends who have become like family. Who knows where
mony in Little Rock at the same time the team is honored for
tennis will take them next. Who knows what grand adventure
winning the State Championship.
waits just around the corner.
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n i y t u a e B Findin g t c e f r e p m the I words Amy Lloyd, University Relations Coordinator images Rachel Putman, UAFS Photographer
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D
Dumpster diving and traveling to
With the advent of Pinterest, an online site where users post
yard sales and auctions may not
images of things like uniquely decorated homes, more and more
be the most glamorous way to
people were looking at vintage furniture and decorative items.
get through college while raising a daughter, but Angie Meyer
“The recession forced people to make do with what they
did it nonetheless.
had,” Angie said. “Then it just kind of became a trend. Now
Angie's
foray
stores sell items that are made to look rustic or repurposed, into
scavenging
but what I sell is cheaper and authentic.”
for junk began during the Great Recession when she struggled to
Still, Angie hasn't found the perfect word to describe exactly
find adequate employment. After
what she's doing. “It's hard to explain to someone who isn't
working low-wage jobs in the
involved in this line of work. I don’t know that there is a name
restaurant industry, she decided
for what I do yet. It’s just a way of expression and finding the
to enroll at the University of
beauty in the imperfect. I love stuff that is meant for one thing
Arkansas – Fort Smith to study
and now used for something else.
accounting in 2009. Still, she needed a way to bring in income while attending school. To do that, she began rifling through dumpsters and visiting yard sales and auctions around Greenwood and Fort Smith to find items to repurpose into home décor. It didn’t take long for her hobby to grow into a business. Soon after, Angie opened Wasted in Greenwood, a shop with the vision of
These days, it’s not who can buy the most expensive entertainment center, but who has the most creative entertainment center,” she continued. “It’s the rusty crusty stuff, rust used to be a negative thing and now you just don’t cover it up.
using salvageable goods to create crafts to keep the pieces from being wasted in a landfill.
"These days, it’s not who can buy the most expensive entertainment center, but who has the most creative entertainment
Her passion for painting and
center,” she continued. “It’s the rusty crusty stuff, rust used
drawing, and taking art classes
to be a negative thing and now you just don’t cover it up.”
in high school and college, gave Angie her creative eye to turn
Wasted became more successful than Angie had predicted.
what others saw as trash into
After more than three years of running her business, she
trendy décor. An old truck hood
outgrew her space in Greenwood and decided to relocate to a
became a chalkboard, an old
much larger space on Towson Avenue in Fort Smith.
ceiling fan a coffee table. Wasted now provides salvaged goods including architectural She didn’t realize it at the time,
salvage, fixer-upper furniture, upscale used décor and furni-
but her business was part of a
ture, as well as hand-crafted repurposed pieces. "You can find
growing movement nationwide.
everything you need for your rustic farmhouse, industrial, do-it-
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yourself project and eclectic décor here,” Angie said. “If not, I’ll help you find it.”
Angie Meyer
Her business has grown so much that she doesn’t have to dumpster dive anymore — instead, people bring her trailer loads of their old junk to sift through to find items with potential for repurposing. Though Angie didn’t get a job as an accountant after graduating from UAFS, she attributes her business classes to helping her become a successful entrepreneur. “Going to school gave me a lot of confidence to test my entrepreneurial side,” she said. “I learned a lot about business and motivating employees, but I also learned a lot about myself and about the world. I'm a better businesswoman, business owner, and person because of it.” Angie doesn’t just want to restore items to sell at Wasted. She also wants to revive historic Fort Smith — so much so that she plans on returning to UAFS to study engineering. “I love historic houses and want to be a part of restoring Fort Smith,” she said. “In a perfect world, I would love to buy whole blocks and restore them to their glory days. An engineering degree would help me understand the houses' structures better.” In addition, she's opening The Gathering Cottage and Wedding Place, a mini event venue, in Greenwood. The space will be used for showers,
me, that automatically makes you creative.’ Just look around
birthdays, parties and gatherings of up to thirty people. Her
you and see what appeals to you. There is probably a whole
vision for the venue is that it will be the site of all-inclusive and
new side of yourself you have yet to explore.”
intimate weddings by spring of 2017. No matter where Angie's entrepreneurial adventures take her, she hopes always to bring joy. “No matter what I do in life, I want to create an environment that enables people to have fun,” Angie said. “People come into Wasted every day and tell
For more information, contact Angie at 479.322.1257 or like Wasted on Facebook. Just look for Wasted Repurpose Marketplace.
me they aren’t creative. I tell them, ‘If you buy anything from
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HOME LESS words and images Payton Allen
I was scrolling through Instagram while I waited for my next class
with Officer Smith and Officer Boyd every Wednesday for an entire
at UAFS when I saw a picture of three girls in cut-off jean shorts,
semester. I was determined to meet people and tell their stories.
flannels tied around their waists. Each had one hip jutting out, and they were holding cardboard signs that read, “Will Twerk 4 Skolar-
In and Around The Mission
ship,” “Strugglin’,” “No fuud, mo $$$, Tank you,” It was a sorority
Paul introduces me to his group of friends as his new girlfriend. He
social event in another area and it had a theme: homelessness.
smokes the red pack of Pall Malls, and we talk about his former addictions to methamphetamine and alcohol. "Still a fan of pot,"
I was astounded that homelessness would be mocked and ridi-
he says. "Won't be sad when it gets legalized, here any day now,"
culed. I began researching homelessness in Fort Smith, Arkansas,
he says. He has a red beard that runs down his neck in short stub-
the same day. I contacted every local food bank, shelter, day room,
bles. His eyes are wild but beautiful. He walks with a cane, due to
and police officers who had worked with the homeless commu-
a recent surgery gone wrong. His coat is worn, but today he isn't
nity. After two interviews and signing a ride-along form, I was in
too cold. He isn't too hungry because he's at the mission. He is,
the backseat of an unmarked police car, camera in hand. I traveled
however, homeless.
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He is the first one to make me cry. His story. His love reminds me of my own father's love. He tells me of his daughter, working full time and competing for a spot in the nursing program at the University. She rode in the passenger seat of many drug deals. She grew up with a strung-out father. But she is strong, and her strength is why he lives today. She sounds like a woman I would love to meet one day. Ms. Kitt walks by excited about her new job at the chicken plant. I’m excited for her. She is a beautiful black woman with short, copper blonde hair. We make a plan to meet on the following Wednesday, the day before Thanksgiving. I wonder what she’s going to do for the holidays. I meet a young couple who seem happy to have each other. The man tells me that he went to medical school. The woman says she ran away from home. He says, "Don't ever think you're better than anyone else. Because it could happen to anyone, bro. It happens.” She says to me, “Don’t run away from home. Thank God for your family.” I leave feeling humbled and blessed. At the corner of a supermarket parking lot, I meet a man who calls himself "Happy." Whether he's a veteran or not is still a mystery—but it's what his cardboard sign reads, alongside a few peace signs. He tells me chocolate and deep fried candy bars are toxic to the soul. We disagree on that. He tells me that my soul is good. My heart is good and what I'm doing is good. He hands me a handful of crystals that he'd harvested from deep inside the Arkansas Ozark Mountains.
In The Woods near the Arkansas River With boots laced and long sleeves on I begin my trek through the deep woods. Mosquitos sing in my ear. I knock on a tent flap and ask if anyone is “home.” I am in South Camp, the Wild West of the Fort Smith homeless community. The only thing I'm scared of is finding a body, which I'm told happens sometimes. I am welcomed warmly. Some tell me their names, some don't, and that's okay.
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The man in this first tent is from Seattle. He says he once owned
out wide and says, "This is home. We watch a lot of the Nature
a Porsche. I ask him if there's anything I should know about
Channel," as he points to the squirrels in a nearby tree.
being homeless. He shrugs, frustrated maybe, emotion welling and says, “I don’t know. It’s kinda hard.”
A young man named John Boy has been in this homeless camp since he was a child. His teeth are uneven and yellow. I'm
Another man goes by the name of "Eagle." He wears a leather
told he's mean. He doesn't talk, and when he looks at me, he
hat like Indiana Jones. Turquoise and some sort of tooth hang
narrows his eyes, and I feel as if I have overstayed my welcome.
as a necklace around his leathery neck. He mumbles when he speaks but his voice is kind. "Young people have a choice," he says. "Sometimes stress is okay. Have some stability in your mind." He seems surprised when I extend my hand to shake
I spent a month, on and off, trekking through the woods,
his. He takes my outstretched hand. His is worn and warm. And
meeting those oppressed by hunger, cold, mosquitos, and
somehow I think his hands have been as kind as his voice is. He
joblessness. I made a few friends whose names I won’t forget.
says goodbye and tells me, "God bless you."
I know their dogs’ names. I know their plans for the future. I know that they are often hungry and don’t know when their
A couple look over their shoulders at me, walking along the
next shower will be, or where they will sleep for the night.
train tracks. They don't stop. And I do not chase them. I’ve learned how homelessness is about struggle and heartWanda has a raspy voice from years of smoking. She wears her
ache. It’s sometimes about mental disorders and sometimes
hair shaved but has left a small tuft and she constantly twists it
just bad luck. Homelessness doesn’t make a person illiterate.
between her slender, dirt-caked fingers. She’s often drunk, she
Homelessness sometimes comes with college degrees and
says, but stays out of trouble. She tells me her mother, “was
families left behind.
as I am,” perhaps hinting at her mental health. Wanda’s been here for seven years. She wears the name “Elliot” tattooed
I wanted to tell their stories, to offer insight into what life is like
on her chest. The ink is faded and blue-green. I wonder who
for them. I hope I did them justice.
Elliot is, or was. I walk up on a man listening to Garth Brooks off a TracFone from Walmart. "Family" is tattooed on his neck. He says, "Tell the young ones to stay away from the drugs. And the drinking. I'm checking myself into rehab soon. All of it is killing me." I make my way up the hill into the area called Independent Camp, which sits in a ravine. This is home to Allison, a woman
What you can do to help: Call the numbers listed below to donate or to see if there's a particular need at the moment, such as canned food items, bedding, or warm clothing. Monetary donations are always welcome since the charities can use the money immediately to fill the most pressing needs for those they serve.
with glasses that slip every time she talks, and she talks a lot so she is constantly pushing them back up on her thin nose. It's also home to Crazy Money, who has that very name tattooed on his left arm. He laughs and says, "Now they just call me Crazy because I don't have any money." He holds his arms stretched
The Next Step Day Room: 479.782.5333 Community Rescue Mission: 479.782.1443 River View Hope Campus: 479.782.4991 Children’s Emergency Shelter: 479.783.0018
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The Art of
Food And David Sun words and images Marla Cantrell
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Yu "David" Sun radiates happiness, his face glowing in the
"I was looking for a better life," David says, a statement heard
light that streams through the windows of Smile Bull, the Asian
over and over from those who find the USA a whirlwind of possi-
cuisine and sushi restaurant he owns with his wife Virginia, in
bility. In the San Diego area, he says he blossomed, but something
Fort Smith, Arkansas. It's Saturday, late-morning, and those in
was still missing. He wanted to experience the year's four seasons.
the mood for an early lunch are trickling in. David greets his
To wake up on a cold morning to find snow on the ground, to see
customers—he's been here since before daybreak—and heads
autumn turn mountains scarlet and gold and magenta. To see the
back to the kitchen.
flowers of spring pirouette across a country field.
Not long after, David returns, his arms loaded with white plat-
In Arkansas, he found it all.
ters, and he sets them down on a long table in the middle of the dining room. The food smells wonderful but more than that
When he opened Smile Bull several months ago, he wanted to
the plates look like small works of art. On each dish, David has
offer something Fort Smith hadn't yet seen. It took commit-
created small sculptures from fruits and vegetables: white geese
ment; David is the only cook at the moment, and his days are
with their wings aloft, a purple lotus flower, two green crabs,
long, often sixteen hours. Out back, he has an herb garden and
a pair of orange butterflies landing, a couple of rosy bunnies, a
tending it is one of his favorite stress relievers. In the kitchen, he
dozen roses in varying colors.
orchestrates a cacophony of sounds as skillets sizzle and knives clank and voices rise just above the clatter.
He watches as those gathered around ooh and aah over the edible sculptures, peering across their plates in delight. This is what he
As much as he loves his time at the stove, it's his trips to the dining
lives for, that moment when what he does surprises those he feeds.
room that make him the happiest. Customers almost always stop
David sees food as the greatest offering, and he feels
to take a photo of their plate before they dig in. Kids
a rush each time someone new tries his cooking.
clap their hands at the sight of the cucumber crabs or snow-white geese made from
As far as David knows, there's no other
daikon. If kids could cook, David thinks,
restaurateur in the area who carves
they would always add a portion of
radishes to look like roses or onions
whimsy to their plates.
to look like lotus flowers, or tiny tomatoes to resemble bunnies.
"Customers tell me the food is too
His orange sculpture uses an
pretty to eat or that they're in awe of
entire orange, cut in two; the
it or that it's beautiful," David says.
top half spiraled to look like the fanciest rose you've ever seen.
But David's success runs deeper
At the center is a maraschino
than his ability to create beauty. His
cherry, as red as Rudolph's famous
food is delicious. He makes everything
nose. While the orange-turned-rose is
from scratch, including the noodles he David and Virginia Sun
extraordinary to look at, it takes him only
can fashion into woven baskets to hold
a minute to create.
many of the entrees. As for the table he set earlier, the guests are still working their way
The secret to such a quick turnaround? David says he's had years of practice.
through the array of dishes. The BBQ Spare Ribs have disappeared. The Jalapeno Steak, served in a bowl fashioned out of rice and potatoes is nearly half gone, as is the Rainbow Sushi
His love for all-things-food came early, when he lived in South
Roll. The General Tso's Chicken has been obliterated, as have the
China and worked in the family restaurant. At nineteen, David
Sweet and Sour Shrimp and Grilled Lime Pepper Steak. Those
made the decision to come to America, ending up in California,
around the table push their plates away and then reconsider,
where he landed a job as a cook.
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David crosses his arms across his chest and watches. He looks benevolent, as if he's just given away something dear to his heart. As the compliments continue, he smiles wide. There is a gap between two of his teeth, a tattoo that shows, just barely, in the open neck of his shirt. His wife Virginia stands beside him, a full head shorter than David, and he wraps his arm around her slender shoulder. The Suns are the proud parents of a baby girl, born just a few months ago. At birth, she weighed more than eleven pounds, a fact that still amazes him. When he talks about his daughter, he considers what her life will be like when she grows up. While the idea of her as an adult seems far away, he does speculate on what she'll do. "She could be a lawyer," he says. "Or a doctor." Or maybe a cook? Only if that's what she loves. Asked what he'd do if he didn't cook, David stalls, the answer an impossibility for him. His life began in South China, surrounded by a family who cooked for a living. At forty-five, he can't imagine another path, a different outcome. He returns to the idea that serving food to others is an extraordinary gift. He is happy that he gets to do it. The customers who return again and again have become friends. For a man who spends so much time at work, this is another gift. Friendship in the workplace. David watches as another group of people walks through the door. He waves and says hello. "We've wanted to stop by for a long time," one of the women says, and David answers, "You're going to love it!" All the way to the kitchen, you can hear David humming, the tune unfamiliar but beautiful just the same. Soon, sounds from the kitchen sing into the dining room. Customers pick up forks and chopsticks. Outside, traffic rushes down Rogers Avenue, drivers anxious to
Smile Bull
be somewhere else. But here, inside Smile Bull, there
(Pier 91 Shopping Center) 9009 Rogers Avenue, Fort Smith, Arkansas 479.452.8988 Hours: 7 days a week, 10:30am - 9pm | Open Christmas Day
is laughter and small conversations, and so much good food no one seems to be in a hurry to leave.
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A PREDATOR
in the night words Stoney Stamper images courtesy April Stamper
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Although my family says that I have a tendency to exaggerate
my buddies to hear come from my mouth. I was barefoot and
things a tad, it would not be an exaggeration for me to say that
in my underwear. I had been startled awake, and was perhaps a
some of the things that happen in our house are certainly out
tad disoriented, which, looking back on it, makes me a little bit
of the ordinary. When you put a group of five eccentrics like me
concerned since I was holding a loaded gun. Thankfully, before
and my wife and daughters into one house, you’re bound to
shooting a hole in my porch, I did have the forethought to shine
have some pretty crazy stories. Most of them involve an animal
my light on the snake, only then to find that it was actually the
of some sort, and this one is no different.
dog’s leash that Gracee had been playing with earlier in the day. To my credit, the way it was coiled up there on the porch, it really
We’ve got a small farm just outside of town. At any given time,
did look like a snake. I chuckled to myself for a moment, but then
we have anywhere from twenty to thirty animals of varied species
I remembered that there was likely a predator in the hen house,
running around here.
so I got back to business.
Although my wife, April, is a lover of all animals, she loves her
I turned my attention toward the chicken coop. The moon was
chickens more than anything. We don’t have a lot of chickens,
huge that night and the yard was fairly brightly lit. To my surprise,
usually just a dozen or so at a time, but she puts a lot of effort
I saw a coyote, lying on his belly and slowly creeping up to the
into them. She buys and sells and trades them to get exactly
chicken coop. I yelled and immediately headed his way, leveling
what she wants. She breeds the Silkies, and the Polish, and the Brahmas, and the Cochin so she can get the prettiest colors and the wildest feathers. I have to admit, at first I was annoyed when she would come home with a new chicken, as if we needed another animal to deal with, but once she began getting what she wanted, I liked how happy they made her. Every evening she will go sit outside with them and throw them scratch and watch them as they walk around her and peck the ground. It’s her way of decompressing at the end of each day. So if she loves it, then so do I. Isn’t that how it’s supposed to work? And as the man of the house, I am their official protector. The girls feed them and love them and care for them, and I make sure they don’t get killed. Our neighbors have dogs that like to visit on occasion, there is a fox that lives nearby, and of course the occasional possum likes to sneak in and eat eggs. Just a few weeks ago, we had an intruder. I was lying in bed, when suddenly I heard our gate to the backyard rattle loudly just beneath our bedroom window. I sat straight up in bed and listened closely. Then I heard our young basset hound bawl and I heard chickens squawking and carrying on. At 1:00 am, this is never a good sound. Something was definitely out there. I jumped up out of bed, ran to the gun cabinet and grabbed my .22, and then ran outside to the back porch. As I stepped out onto the back porch, I looked down and saw a big black snake, about two feet from my bare foot. I’m not too proud to say that it startled me enough that I let out a bit of a scream. It wasn’t a blood curdling scream, like if one of our daughters had seen a spider, but it was still a scream that I would never want any of DOSOUTHMAGAZINE.COM
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it seemed to pick up speed as it ran away. If I hit it, I certainly did not harm it too badly. By this time, I was standing beside our back porch. The hound dog, the ferocious beast that he is, had apparently hidden underneath it. Startled by the gunshot, I assumed, he burst from underneath the porch bawling once again, from fear or bravado, no one can be sure, running into my legs and getting tangled up in my feet. Adorable as he may be, smart, he isn’t. Doing my very best not to trip and fall, I stepped hard to the right to catch myself, and promptly stomped my foot directly onto a patch of sticker burrs that immediately turned my foot into a slice of Swiss cheese. I felt no less than fifty thorns become embedded in my foot, and with each step I took, they were pushed deeper and deeper into my skin. So then I found myself in my backyard, in my underwear, barefoot, bleeding, limping and stepping on more stickers, carrying a gun and using my phone as a flashlight looking for any blood that may have dropped from the coyote’s wound. There was none to be found. The hound still hadn't quit bawling even though he had absolutely no idea what he was bawling at. The horses were spooked and running laps around the pasture while snorting at me. I waited outside another few minutes until I was confident that the coyote wasn't coming back. I then hobbled back inside, picked as many stickers out of both feet as I could, put the gun up, and climbed gently back into bed. I found my darling wife lying dead asleep and snoring. She hadn’t moved one inch and had absolutely no clue what kind of debacle she just missed out on. And unfortunately, she didn't get to see the bravery and courage that I displayed to save her my gun on him. Of course, my scream startled it and it took off
chickens. And also, I really wished she'd been awake because I
like a shot. I quickly surveyed my landscape, mostly to make sure
needed some help getting all those damn thorns out of my feet.
there were no horses in my line of fire, and then took a shot.
It’s been three weeks now, and I am pretty sure I still have a
Judging by the yelping, I hit it, but it never missed a beat. In fact,
couple in there. But, I guess that’s just part of my job, huh?
Stoney Stamper is the author of the popular parenting blog, The Daddy Diaries. He and his wife April have three daughters: Abby, Emma and Gracee. Originally from northeast Oklahoma, the Stampers now live in Tyler, Texas. For your daily dose of The Daddy Diaries, visit Stoney on Facebook or on his website, thedaddydiaries.net.
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A British Chef
Just across the Arkansas border in Fort Smith sits Pocola, Oklahoma, a small town of approximately 4,000. In that small town
in Oklahoma
is the Choctaw Casino Resort, an entertainment venue that hosts
images Bob Dyer
tion Vanilla Ice, who is scheduled to perform on January 13. Executive Chef David Goldwhite
some of the region’s favorite acts including country star Lee Ann Womack, who played there in November, and the 1990s sensa-
While the names of the performers are well known, there's another name that makes the Choctaw Casino Resort - Pocola such a popular destination. Executive Chef David Goldwhite is the mastermind behind the resort’s menus. As a young boy, David began cooking with his Ukrainian grandmother in London, England. He recalls those days in the kitchen as some of the happiest of his life, and when he was ready to choose a career, he knew it had to be in the culinary arts. Chef Goldwhite attended professional culinary school for six years, studying, mainly, French cuisine. Before working his magic at the Choctaw Casino Resort - Pocola, he worked in prestigious restaurants in London, Paris, and Sydney. He even served for a time as the personal chef for the royal family of Jordan. We wanted to find out more about Chef Goldwhite’s fascinating career, so we asked him a few questions.
Do South: What brought you to Oklahoma? David: I was looking for a change from living in a big city. I moved to this area in June 2014 after living and working in New York City for the previous twelve years. I love it here. There is so much space, and it’s green and beautiful. Can’t beat the clean air, zero traffic, and great weather. Do South: Tell us about your family. David: I’m married to Shoshana; she is Israeli. I have two children: Hayley, born in Sydney, Australia, currently living in Israel; and Simon, born in England, currently living in Thailand. My parents and sister live in England. Family reunions are complicated to orgaTammara Robinette, Chef Goldwhite, Dusan Stojanovic
nize!!
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be doing right now? Do South: Is there something you still miss about England?
David: I would have become a dog trainer.
David: There’s no substitute for grass-fed Welsh lamb. It has a
Do South: How many cookbooks do you own?
wonderful unique flavor. David: I’ve never counted, but easily more than fifty. Do South: Is there a dish your grandmother taught you to make that you still prepare today?
Do South: What's ahead for 2017?
David: My grandmother was an amazing and inspirational cook.
David: In 2017, Choctaw Casino Resort in Pocola will be relocating
Her pickled Ox Tongue in a Madeira Sauce is unforgettable. When
the buffet into the Seven Ponies Restaurant. Gilley’s will be open
the family does get together, it's always served.
in the evenings with free live entertainment, an array of new craft beers and a new menu concept that will be unique to the area.
Do South: How many restaurants do you oversee at the resort, and what are your most popular dishes? David: I oversee Trophy’s Restaurant, the buffet, an extensive banquet and seminar operation, and twenty-four-hour associate (employee) dining. As for our popular dishes, right now it's steak and shrimp fried rice, BBQ spare ribs, shrimp scampi served over angel hair pasta, and chicken fried steak. Do South: Where do you find inspiration? David: We use the best seasonal produce when it’s available. When items like spring chicken, snow crab, wild asparagus, and raspberries come into season, I build dishes around these ingredients. Do South: What did you love about working in Paris?
Do South: Does the Choctaw Casino Resort in Pocola offer a special holiday menu?
David: Nobody can go to Paris and not fall in love with the city. It has everything: culture, history, cuisine, and architecture. I worked
David: The casino resort will be open for Christmas. The buffet
at a beautiful 3 Michelin Star restaurant in the Paris suburbs called
will have traditional holiday fare including roast, prime rib, roast
La Vieille Fontaine situated in an area called Maison-Laffitte. I was
turkey, smoked ham, green bean casserole and marshmallow
eighteen when I started working there.
glazed sweet potatoes. At Trophy’s, we're offering a special holiday roast turkey dinner as well.
Do South: What's the biggest difference in the way Americans and Europeans eat?
Do South: How do you celebrate New Year's Eve in your family?
David: Americans eat dinner very early. In Europe they eat dinner
David: Traditionally, we eat leek and potato soup, chicken liver
much later, starting their meals between nine to eleven at night and
parfait, roast goose (if we can get one) or roast duck. Both are
sometimes as late as midnight in Spain. The Europeans eat a lot of
served in a sour cherry sauce with potato pancakes, roasted Brus-
game and game birds which I haven’t seen people eat in America.
sels sprouts with walnuts and English trifle and mince pies, a delicious English dessert.
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Shrimp Fettuccine with Spinach and Parmesan recipe Recipe Executive Chef David Goldwhite, Choctaw Casino Resort - Pocola image Bob Dyer
INGREDIENTS
(serves 4)
- 8 oz. uncooked fettuccine
- 10 oz. medium shrimp,
- 6 oz. fresh baby spinach
- 2 Tablespoons butter
- 1 ¼ oz. Parmesan cheese, shaved
- 1 Tablespoon extra virgin olive oil
- ⅜ teaspoon salt
- ½ cup of heavy cream
- 2 garlic cloves, thinly sliced
- ¼ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
- ½ oz. brandy
peeled and deveined
METHOD Cook pasta according to package directions, omit salt and
boil. Flame with a match (put a lighted match near liquid, it
fat. Melt butter and oil in a large skillet over medium heat.
will flame as the alcohol burns off the flame and will extin-
Add garlic to pan and cook for one minute. Increase heat to
guish very quickly). Add cream, then reduce heat by fifty
medium-high then add shrimp, salt, and pepper to pan. Cook
percent, stirring occasionally.
for four minutes or until shrimp are done. Add pasta, spinach, and garlic shrimps to pan. Cook one minute Remove from heat and add brandy to hot pan and bring to a
or until spinach wilts, toss to coat. Sprinkle with cheese. Enjoy!
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Holiday Helpers recipe and images James Stefiux
Get the party started with one, or all three of these delicious appetizers. Happy holidays!
BLT BITES Ingredients ° 15 to 20 cherry tomatoes ° 1 pound sliced bacon, cooked and crumbled ° ½ cup mayonnaise ° ⅓ cup chopped green onions ° ¼ cup grated Parmesan cheese ° 2 Tablespoons snipped fresh parsley
Method Cut a thin slice off of each tomato top. Scoop out and discard pulp. Invert the tomatoes on a paper towel to drain. In a small bowl, combine remaining ingredients. Spoon into tomatoes. Refrigerate for 3 hours. Yield: 16-20 appetizer servings.
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APPLE, BACON, AND ARUGULA BITES Ingredients
Method
° Red Delicious apple slices
Toss apple slices in lemon juice; pat dry. Spread
° Lemon juice
each slice with about 2 teaspoons of the garlic-
° Garlic-and-herb spreadable cheese
and-herb spreadable cheese. Top with bacon, baby arugula sprigs, and freshly cracked pepper.
° Bacon, cooked and crumbled ° Baby arugula sprigs ° Freshly cracked pepper
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FRIED GREEN BEANS Ingredients ° 3 cups all-purpose flour ° 2 teaspoons salt, divided ° 2 teaspoons garlic powder, divided ° ½ teaspoon black pepper ° ½ teaspoon cayenne pepper ° 2 teaspoons white vinegar ° 1 large egg ° 1 Tablespoon baking powder ° Vegetable oil ° 1 pound fresh green beans, trimmed ° Ranch dressing
Method In a medium bowl, whisk together flour, 1 teaspoon salt, 1 teaspoon garlic powder, ½ teaspoon black pepper, and cayenne pepper. In another medium bowl, stir together 1½ cups water, 1 teaspoon salt, 1 teaspoon garlic powder, and vinegar. In a small bowl, whisk together egg and baking powder. Whisk into water mixture. Pour 2 inches of oil into a Dutch oven. Heat between 350-375°. In batches, dip green beans in egg mixture and then dredge in flour mixture. Dredge in egg mixture a second time and then in flour mixture a second time. Fry beans for 3 to 4 minutes or until golden brown. Season to taste with salt and serve with Ranch dressing.
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Pom-Pom Fizz -
1 ½ oz. gin 2 ½ oz. pomegranate juice ½ oz. lime juice ¼ oz. Agave syrup Club soda Rosemary sprigs (garnish) Pomegranate seeds (garnish)
Method
image James Stefiuk recipe adapted from Pearl’s Rooftop
Ingredients
56
Add gin, pomegranate juice, lime juice, and Agave to a cocktail shaker. Shake well. Pour over ice-filled glass. Top with club soda. Stir gently. Garnish with pomegranate seeds and rosemary sprig. Drink responsibly. Never drink and drive.
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Hot Springs
ON THE HUDSON words Dwain Hebda images Dwain Hebda and courtesy Jeff Fuller Freeman
Zach
Anthony
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Four nights a week Anthony Valinoti stands at the center of a hurricane, a six-by-eight patch in the back of DeLuca’s Pizzeria, the joint he founded three years ago in Hot Springs, Arkansas, named for his grandfather. In front of him sits a small prep table; to his right, a glowing double-decker brick oven and behind him, first mate Zach Nix keeps things stocked and moving. Flour hangs in the air that is heavy with heat, aroma and the Rolling Stones at full blast. A smile carves through Anthony’s face as Mick Jagger’s famous drone struts out from speakers hidden somewhere in this tiny kitchen. One shoulder creeps up to his ear, a knee bends, he’s bouncing, bobbing, singing along.
THE GREAT PEOPLE OF ARKANSAS HAVE SHARED THEIR FOOD WITH ME, AND I’M SHARING WHAT I LOVE. THEY’VE BEEN VERY, VERY RECEPTIVE TO IT.
At the hook, he howls. To his left—out THERE—the people just keep coming. It’s Thursday night, normally the slowest of the week, but an unexpected group of about twenty teachers, in town for a national convention, have decided to give DeLuca’s a try. Anthony, fiftythree, has been in Saturday-night gear for more than an hour. “I’m sorry,” he says. “Let me get caught up here, and I’ll cook something for you.” The apology is, of course, unnecessary, but get to know Anthony, and it’s not unexpected. DeLuca’s is not your average pizza parlor; it’s more like being invited into Anthony’s home. That’s
“I say this without ego, but what I do, it just wasn’t seen here,
been the vibe since Day One even as word keeps spreading and
and I don’t know why that is,” he says. “It is so completely
rave reviews stack up. Come in here, and if you’re not family,
different than anything people here are used to.”
you’re pretty darn close. Few pizza places will run out of dough, for example, and if they “I see it as sharing something,” he says. “I didn’t know what
do somebody’s in trouble. DeLuca’s says right up front that this
barbecue was until I moved here and ate at McClard's; you
is a possibility and while it’s rare, it does happen. Anthony makes
can live in New York, and you’ve got all these places, but
the dough fresh every day, and when it’s gone, it’s gone. He’s
you have to come here to discover what Southern food really
got a pretty good idea what will cover any given crowd, but an
is. So, the great people of Arkansas have shared their food
unusual night like tonight means constantly dispatching someone
with me, and I’m sharing what I love. They’ve been very, very
to the cooler for a dough count, like a fox-holed Marine checking
receptive to it.”
how much ordnance he’s got left.
If DeLuca’s Pizzeria seems out of place in Hot Springs, it’s
“The dough,” he says, “is everything.”
because central Arkansas has never seen anything quite like it. The pizza here is related to local fare in name only, which
Anthony scoops each silky, sticky mound onto his prep table,
is not to say that you can’t find really great pizza elsewhere;
douses it with flour and goes to work. This isn’t one of those
it’s just that Anthony's species is something radically unindig-
places where he’s in an open kitchen performing for the crowd.
enous to local palates.
No dough gets tossed skyward to flatten it out. His technique is
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rough-hewn and efficient, pounding the dough with his fists, the
On this night alone one guest wants a pizza with no crust.
yeasty pellet coughing little plumes of flour with each blow until
Another orders a whole pie where two of the slices have no
it yields the desired thickness.
cheese on them and do not touch the other pieces that do, telling the server she’s brought her EpiPen “just in case.” Anthony has
Or thinness, to be more accurate. The dough at Deluca’s comes
no friggin’ clue how he’ll do either.
out thin and resilient with a great crunch yet chewy and pillowy throughout. The physics of it demands two hands to eat and
“Who needs pizza that bad?” he asks. Another shrug – the
leads into one of the other distinguishing characteristics of the
customer is always right. Whattayagonnado?
place. Don’t expect the kitchen sink; they don’t make it. In fact, servers will try to wave you off ordering more than three premium
At peak times, the kitchen is a blur. Anthony's head stays
toppings per pie. The crust just can’t take it, and besides, Anthony
down, and his hands fly, Zach watches the oven and barks for
doesn’t understand why you’d want to anyway.
servers to fetch orders. Passion bubbles like the pies flying out of the oven and everyone is held to account. Take down an
“My favorite pizza? Plain. If I had my way, I’d make four pizzas.
order wrong, move slow or generally get in the way back here
Plain cheese, a pepperoni, a sausage, and a mushroom. But…”
and you deserve whatever happens to you.
He shrugs. A towering waiter with a half-sleeve tattoo grabs a pie and, Part of what keeps this kitchen on the rails is the faith he has in
noticing a visitor, pauses for a split second. “You’re brave
Zach, a central Arkansas native who’s cooked in resort and fine
coming into this kitchen,” he says, then disappears into the
dining kitchens from the Pacific Northwest to Garland County.
front of the house.
In Nix, Valinoti gained a food guy, someone who knew what an idea tastes like, how to stretch a vision out on a board and bake
Anthony was born in Brooklyn, a self-described Italian mama’s
it in an oven until the edges pop to the touch. Though Anthony
boy and wild child. He spent twenty years as a stockbroker and
is nearly twenty years his senior, there’s a palpable bond there.
businessman until the death of his parents sapped his appetite for Wall Street and led him to see the world. Drifting through
“Tony has really shown me the value in doing one thing and
Europe, he found himself enthralled by Naples where he rented
doing it better than anybody else,” Nix says. “For us to do this
a room from Ann Cimmina, a culinary professor who would
and do it consistently is really hard.”
become his teacher and muse. DOSOUTHMAGAZINE.COM
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“She became this beautiful light in my life, she was that mother
always.” Anthony greets him warmly and sends him home with
figure I was looking for,” he says. “And it also turned out that
a bear hug. He feels most at home among such patrons and the
she was one of the best cooks I’d ever seen.”
encounter draws out a dry half-grin and a wave of his flourstained hand.
Anthony reluctantly came home, but his restlessness hadn’t let loose of him. The idea for a California restaurant dawned but
“Ann [Cimmina] taught me the greatest thing ever,” he says.
after the deal fell apart he was left without a next move. He
“She said when you cook you display your emotion. I never
went to Las Vegas for some recreation, got wiped out at the
really understood what that meant. I was so very, very technical
tables and wound up chatting with an old casino fly who sold
about what I did.
him on the beauty of Hot Springs. With no better options, he “About a year and a half ago I started to change my thinking
hopped a plane to Arkansas.
about what I do and I started to understand what she meant by “I don’t know what I was thinking about three years ago. I
that. It’s not really recipes, it’s not really this, it’s not really that.
really don’t know,” he says of his decision to stay and open
You have to show your emotion through your food.”
DeLuca’s. “It was just this crazy thought I had, a random, crazy thought that I just wanted to do. I think about that a lot.” Anthony stuck out in the Spa City and his charm and authenticity helped him make friends easily. It’s on display tonight, just like every night. True regulars pop into the kitchen to pay their respects, but the first-timers, he goes to them, working the tables, shaking hands. EpiPen Lady asks to pose for a picture. Everyone gets the same question, “How was it tonight? How was your food?” The answer is always raves, but he asks anyway and genuinely. He still can’t believe where all this has led. “How is this place still open?” he says later, cooling his heels behind the restaurant on a wellearned break. “You couldn’t have done this any more blind than I did.” A regular comes out to say hello; says in a soft Arkansas drawl tonight’s fare was “great, as
DeLuca’s Pizzeria 407 Park Avenue Hot Springs, Arkansas 501.609.9002 delucaspizzeria.com
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Hot Springs for the Holidays! If you're heading to Hot Springs to try DeLuca's Pizza, consider coordinating your trip to take in some of the great holiday events going on in Spa City!
Annual Historic District Luminary Display Through December 31 Downtown Hot Springs | Free Head downtown to see the homes in this historic district dressed for the holidays. More than 350 homes in the neighborhoods along Prospect, Quapaw and West Grand will be outlined in candlelight luminaries, beginning at dusk. A must-see!
Holiday Lights at Garvan Gardens Through December 31, closed on Christmas 550 Arkridge Road | $15 adults, $5 ages 6-12, free ages 0-5 | garvangardens.org Before heading out, buy advance tickets online. You'll be dazzled by more than 4.5 million lights that illuminate the seventeen glorious acres at Garvan Gardens. Try the complimentary hot chocolate. And be sure to stop by the Chipmunk Cafe where you can order hot sandwiches, soups, and snacks. No dogs allowed during Holiday Lights, except during the Jingle Dogs Pup Parade on December 5.
Ugly Sweater 5K Run/Walk December 10, 9am Garvan Gardens | $25 | ourpromise.info Your ugly Christmas sweater will be a hit at this 5K Run/Walk at Garvan Gardens, and your entry fee will benefit cancer patients who need help with things like household bills, wigs, or even gas cards to help them get to medical appointments.
Reels & Wheels: The Polar Express December 23, 6pm Hot Springs Memorial Field Airport | 525 Airport Road | Free What a great way to spend a night with family and friends. Load up your car and head to Hot Springs Memorial Field Airport for a free showing of The Polar Express on the big screen. Sit back, tune your car radio to the assigned station and get ready for a night of holiday fun.
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southern fiction
FICTION Marla Cantrell
It is still the quiet hours of Christmas morning, just after three,
a stand between them, two Coca-Colas in glass bottles sitting
and Annie Mac tosses in her bed. She has fallen asleep in the
beside red plates.
dress she'd worn to her boyfriend's mama's house, and now it is tangled, the wide red skirt wound around her legs as tightly as a
What Boone had said as she was leaving was this. "She only says
folded umbrella.
that because she's mad Daddy died. She takes it as a personal insult, him leaving her like that." Boone had shaken his head, his
She rises, shakes out her skirt, goes to her bedroom window and
shaggy brown hair falling across his eyes when he did it, the light
adjusts the blinds so she can see outside. For a moment, the light
catching the open collar of his shirt, showing off his perfect neck.
from the moon makes the clouds glow, and the sky looks other-
"Daddy dying ruined my mama's life. Flat out ruined it."
worldly. Annie Mac rubs her eyes and sighs. Annie Mac had known what was coming next; she'd heard it After dinner, her boyfriend's widowed mama had been drinking
before. She'd folded her arms and waited. "Which is why I can't
whiskey sours and playing Roy Orbison, the old vinyl records
seem to take the leap," Boone had said, meaning he could never
scratchy, and she'd talked about the past like it was so close she
marry because then he would die, and dying would ruin everything.
could walk right back into it. "There was a boy when I was seventeen," she'd said to Annie Mac's boyfriend, Boone. "I should have
She'd run her hands down the side of her satin skirt and felt the
married him instead of your daddy." And then she'd cried.
fabric glide across her fingers. Earlier, as she'd gotten ready, she thought she looked beautiful. Maybe ten or fifteen pounds too
That sentence ended the night early and on a sour note. Annie
heavy, but still. In that skirt, with her black hair up, she could turn
Mac ate the last cheese straw, gathered her things, hugged
heads. She'd put on her new lipstick called Sleigh Him!, dabbed
Boone's brittle mama and said good-bye.
Chanel No. 5 on her wrists and felt hope rise. "Thirty-four ain't so bad," she said to the mirror, and then winked at her reflection.
Now, in her one-bedroom house, she looks around. Her Christmas tree is made of silver tinsel. The ornaments are from
But hope had faded the second Boone mentioned marriage.
the 1950s: ceramic skaters, felt elves with plastic faces, card-
She'd watched him as he spoke, saw the crease form between his
board churches sprinkled with glitter. She's collected them
eyebrows, saw his dark eyes grow even darker. She supposed she
over the years, these bits of the nostalgia, and even now, they
was supposed to feel sorry for him, but she did not.
make her feel as if there's order and wonder in the world. On her small kitchen table is a tablecloth printed with Mr. and
"I have to go," Annie Mac had said. They'd been on the front
Mrs. Claus dressed in pink, circa 1942, and she imagines two
porch by then, and she'd tripped on the last step, recovered, and
people sitting there, hands clasped, listening to Bing Crosby
drew her shoulders back, in case he was still watching. She'd
sing "White Christmas," a cake with seven minute frosting on
parked on the street, and as she walked toward her Chevy, she'd
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southern fiction
smelled the exhaust from someone's clothes dryer, the floral scent
Annie Mac has her hands behind her. She has her keys worked
of fabric softener rising in the early night.
between her fingers in a way that could make them a weapon if need be. "Is that jacket fur?" she asks, and the man laughs.
Now, she stands by her bedroom window. No chance of snow this year. Too warm. Too dry. Annie Mac lives a few miles from
"It is. As are the pants." He reaches in his coat pocket, pulls out a
Creekmore Park, the city's crowning jewel at Christmastime. It's
white fur hat and slips it on his head. "As is the cap."
too late to see the light display, the thousands of twinkling bulbs that make every shrub and tree look like sculpture.
"It looks like you're wearing a costume."
Still, the idea of the park draws her in. She grew up in the country,
"Not at all. These are my vacation clothes!"
needs the country, and the park is the closest thing to those planted fields and dirt roads and the woods where she'd once
"A little warm for Arkansas," Annie Mac says.
built her own tree house. Annie Mac washes her face, lets down her hair, scoots into jeans that were loose before the holidays.
"I'm leaving in a while," the man says, and then extends his hand. "The name's Pere."
Driving in the early morning on the biggest day of the year feels like being in a movie, the streets bare, Christmas lights glowing on
"Perry?" Annie Mac says, and the man laughs again. "Close
storefronts and across the eaves of houses. At the park, she walks
enough," he says.
the trail that goes by the swimming pool, the tennis courts, the playground. A squirrel skitters down a nearby tree and startles her.
"I'm Annie Mac."
The moon casts enough light for Annie Mac to see fairly well, so
"What a lovely name," Pere says, and Annie Mac feels a moon-
she veers off the concrete path. Fallen leaves cover the ground
beam of happiness enter her chest.
beneath the trees, and her boots sound against them. She breathes in the cold air, the dry leaves. A nearby bakery is already at work,
"I love this place," she says, and just then she hears a cat calling
the smell of donuts rising above everything else. If she could bottle
through the darkness.
the scent of this night, she'd never wear Chanel again. "Let's walk," Pere says, and Annie Mac pushes her keyed hand in She decides to sit and then leans against the trunk of an oak. An
her pocket, just in case.
acorn falls and then another. Annie nods off, wakes up, takes a "You should see it when the Christmas lights are on," Annie says.
scarf from her pocket, tucks it around her neck.
"Amazing." And that is when she sees him, this old man walking toward her, dressed in white, his long hair white. Annie Mac checks her pulse,
Pere studies her face for a moment. "What brings you here at such
making sure she's still on this side of the Great Divide, thinking
a disadvantageous time?"
he might be an angel come to get her. When she feels her heart pumping, she exhales and inches her way up on shaky legs.
"I have a boyfriend who won't marry me."
"No need to fret," he says as he approaches. He points to the
"Whyever not?"
gazebo behind him. "I was sitting over there, getting a modicum of rest after a long night, and I saw you, right there." He points
"His daddy died."
again, this time to the trailhead. "But then you walked off the path and didn't reemerge." He scratches his head. "I didn't want
"Just now?"
to frighten you, but that was a while ago, and I thought you might be in distress. So I decided to come see."
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"I don't understand."
with shelves where people leave food for those who might need it, Pere stops. "What is this?" he asks, and Annie Mac explains.
"Me either, Pere."
"How magnificent," Pere says and claps his hands. "I love it!"
"Well, you seem like the kind of girl hundreds of men would want
He opens the glass door and grimaces. "It's almost empty!" Annie
to marry. You have a sweet heart, I can tell. You have a kind face."
Mac says, "Not for long. This lady named Barbie oversees it. She or one of her volunteers will be by come daylight to refill it. I can
"I don't feel so sweet anymore," Annie Mac says. "My heart feels
promise you that."
like a hole lately." "But what if someone needs something now?" Pere asks, raising Pere is walking with his hands behind his back, his head down.
his hands.
"Happens to all of us." He laughs. "Even more so in election years. Not to worry, though. Hearts have a way of mending."
Annie Mac looks around at the barren park, the empty street, the quiet playground. "I think it's okay," she says, but already Pere
"A hundred percent of the time?"
is holding his right hand out, his eyes shut tight, and already the shelves are filling as if by sheer force of will, with Christmas candy
"No, Annie Mac, but awfully close."
and wrapped presents and stockings filled to the top.
"I don't even know if I want to marry Boone," Annie Mac says.
"There," Pere says, clapping his hands. "That's much better."
"I don't believe you do."
She takes two steps back and stares at the pantry. "That was..."
Annie's boot catches on a tree root, causing her to stumble. Pere
"Oh, that was nothing, really."
catches her, then wraps his arm through hers. "I've been wanting to move to the outskirts of town," she says. "Maybe start an
Annie Mac covers her eyes, uncovers them. The pantry looks like a
organic farm."
store window advertising Christmas.
"Ah," Pere says. "I can see you there. A checkered shirt, overalls,
Pere touches her shoulder. "Some advice, if I may," he says, and
a litter of chickens. It's important to do what you love. Life, as a
Annie Mac blinks hard. "Don't give Boone a second thought.
general rule, doesn't last forever."
Move. Start your farm. See what happens."
A bread delivery truck rolls by on Rogers Avenue, its sign visible
Annie Mac can see the future, so close she could open a door and
as it passes beneath the streetlights. "Have you always done what
step through it.
you love?" Annie Mac asks. "And now, for you," Pere says, and at that moment, the Christmas Pere pats her hand. "I've done what I was called to do. I believe
lights come on all across the park. One of the displays is Ten Lords
it's the same thing."
A-Leaping. Annie Mac laughs, wipes her eyes. She feels as if she could leap herself, and so she tries, her feet leaving the ground as
The concrete pathway sparkles in the moonlight. The trees moving
she does, her body rising until she is looking down on everything
in the breeze sound like whispers. A bird calls out. Another squirrel
below. For that moment she is part of it all, the lights, the moon,
runs by. A rabbit appears and then disappears in the time it takes
the mighty oaks. She calls to Pere, but he is long gone, so she
to take a breath.
floats for a while in the place of perfect beauty, on this day set aside for miraculous works of incredible kindness.
When they reach the Little Red Pantry, a small box sitting on a pole
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HOLIDAY GIFT GUIDE
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Holiday Gift Guide Finding the perfect gift is easier than you might think! Our community is filled with small businesses ready to help you with a gift for everyone on your list. Home dĂŠcor. Lottery tickets. Beauty products and aesthetics procedures. Better hearing. Gifts for pets. A bright, new smile. Sparkling diamonds. Fine wines. Stylish clothing.
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See what we mean? Something for everyone! All you need to do is keep it local when doing your shopping this season.
Merry Christmas to all, and to all, a good night!
HOLIDAY GIFT GUIDE
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HOLIDAY GIFT GUIDE
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too. Now that’s a present with a future!
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Center for Hearing centerforhearing.net 479.785.3277 Christmas is that special time of year when we look forward
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to gatherings with our friends and family. Sometimes hearing loss complicates our ability to keep up with conversation and therefore isolates us from the very things we enjoy the most. We have amazing hearing aid technology available at Center for Hearing. They can help you hear your best in the most complex listening situations and connect to many of your favorite devices. Give us a call today and find out how we can help you stay engaged this holiday season! We wish you all a very Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year!
D&D Floor Coverings ddfloorcovering.com 479.474.0533 Think outside the box this Christmas! Give yourself or someone you love the gift of new window coverings by Hunter Douglas from D & D Floor Covering! Our designers will help you with the perfect selection for color, style, function, and energy efficiency. We will measure and install too! Visit our showroom at 1323 East Main in Van Buren, to see the entire line of Hunter Douglas window fashions and give an unexpected gift this year!
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HOLIDAY GIFT GUIDE
Farmers Coop farmercoop.com 479.474.6622 Did you know Farmers Coop is your one-stop shop for all your holiday gift-giving needs? We're much more than
Our skincare products make great holiday gifts! And, if you
just farm supplies and equipment! Farmers Coop carries
aren’t exactly sure what to buy for those on your list, grab one
fun toys for the little ones, and even a large selection of
of our gift certificates – they're perfect stocking stuffers. Don’t
food, toys, and unique items to keep your furry, four-legged
forget our specials on all aesthetic treatments including Sculp-
friends warm and content. For those on your list who love
Sure, Kybella, Skin Pen, Botox/Dysport, fillers, and skincare
the outdoors, check out our selection of Muck boots, Noble
products for the holiday season. Choose Fort Smith Medical
Equine gloves, Boker knives, and Yeti products. We even
Center and Beineman Aesthetics for a gift they will love!
have gifts for sports fans, bird-watchers, and gardeners. Visit one of our 15 locations today!
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Fort Smith Medical Center Beineman Aesthetics fortsmithmedicalcenter.com 479.434.3131
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Friddle Dentistry thefriddlesmile.com 479.452.8800 COPY
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HOLIDAY GIFT GUIDE
John Mays Jewelers johnmaysjewelers.com 479.452.2140
thefriddlesmile.com 479.452.8800
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What if you could give yourself the gift of fewer headaches? This holiday season we invite everyone to come by the new loca-
Temporomandibular joint (TMJ) disorder can cause debili-
tion and let us assist you in finding the perfect gift! Whether
tating headaches and other symptoms, but we can help you
you’re looking for sparkle from Hearts On Fire Diamonds, a
achieve lasting relief. We practice neuromuscular dentistry at
timepiece for the man in your life, or a gift for the home from
our practice. For patients suffering from TMJ disorder, we can
Jay Strongwater, our knowledgeable staff can help you find
examine the force of your bite, check jaw alignment using the
that special gift for the people in your life who mean the most.
K7 evaluation system to identify the cause of your symptoms
As always, we offer our beautiful holiday gift wrap for any
and provide effective treatment. If you suffer from jaw pain,
purchases made in-store. Happy Holidays from John, Kathryn,
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Luminessence Medi-Spa luminessenceonline.com 479.274.4200
Make sure you look your very best this holiday season with a
When you attend holiday parties, be sure your skin looks
new color and style from La Villa Salon! We are master colorists
as beautiful as your fun and festive clothes. In the month of
and stylists ready to help you achieve the look you’ve always
December, you’ll want to schedule a Stimulating Peel, specially
dreamed of. Looking for the perfect gift? That special someone
priced at $50. This facial procedure requires no prepping and
in your life would love a gift certificate from La Villa Salon!
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Call and schedule your appointment today, so you’re ready
“Red Carpet” glow. And while you're here, pick up a Lumines-
for upcoming holiday parties and family gatherings. Merry
sence Medi-Spa Gift Card. It’s a gift that anyone, male or female,
Christmas from all of us at La Villa Salon!
will appreciate, because it can be applied toward any massage, product, or skincare procedure. It’s the perfect present!
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La Villa Salon Find them on Facebook 479.461.7230
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Paperwerk Fine Stationary, Gifts Invitations paperwerkfs.com 479.648.0558 Paperwerk offers custom invitations, gifts, stationery, workshops and more! We have gifts for everyone on your list, from your boss to your BFF! Shop with us in-store at our new location or online.
Paperwerk Volcano Holiday Red Candle $32 Arkansas with Love Boxed Set $15 Sugarboo Canvas Zip Bag $19
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Shop Persnickety A Women’s Boutique Find them on Facebook 479.252-6680 Get your perfect outfit and/or gift at Shop Persnickety this holiday season. Find all the latest styles to suit even the most “persnickety” ladies on your Christmas list! Shop Persnickety offers a variety of women’s clothing & fashion accessories. We also offer gift certificates and a friendly staff to help pick the perfect outfit or gift. Now open Mondays for the holiday season from 11 to 6!
Shop Persnickety Plaid button up with fringe $36 | Faux fur vest $54 Distressed denim $40 | Fringe booties $38
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T. Glasco Designs Sodie’s Wine & Spirits sodiesliquor.com 479.783.8013
T. Glasco Designs tglascodesigns.com 479.646.3949 With the holidays soon upon us, you might find yourself in
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need of something new to dress your tabletop or want to Let Sodie’s Wine & Spirits assist with your party planning needs
make a few changes to your décor. We carry many lines of
this holiday season. Sodie’s can help you choose the right prod-
fine lamps, art, and accessories. We've also added several new
ucts at the right price. We have a huge selection of wines, beers,
lines of furniture that fit any style. Come by our new show-
spirits, cigars and gift sets as well as gift cards; or call and let us
room during our Holiday Open House, December 8th, and
put together a personalized gift basket. For larger events let us
see what we have to offer. As always, we offer professional
help you decide on the products and quantities to make your
Interior Design services to help you pull it all together. Home
event a success. Savor the season at Sodie’s Wine & Spirits.
accents make great gifts too.
Read Chair Publishing, LLC 4300 Rogers Avenue, Suite 20-110 Fort Smith, AR 72903