CHARMED
March 2015 DoSouthMagazine.com
CONTENTS EDITOR-IN-CHIEF Catherine Frederick MANAGING EDITOR Marla Cantrell CONTRIBUTING WRITERS / PHOTOGRAPHERS Lauren Allen Marla Cantrell Marcus Coker Catherine Frederick Lee Anne Henry Tonya McCoy Jennifer Ombres Anita Paddock Jessica Sowards Stoney Stamper Graphic Design Artifex 323 PROOFREADER Charity Chambers
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PUBLISHER Read Chair Publishing, LLC
12
INSIDE
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12
30
ONE TOUGH BURD Wayne Burd, at ninety-eight, has been a hunter since the age of six, and survived not one, but two, plane crashes. And he doesn't plan to slow down anytime soon.
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CLEAN, LIGHT, WHITE
32
HIP TO BE SQUARE
46
Here's a nail-biter. Is it okay to paint your cabinets? Designer Lee Anne Henry answers that question and gives you great tips to transform your kitchen.
Want an easy gardening plan, no matter how much space you have? We have everything you need to grow fresh food for your family this summer, one square foot at a time.
ADVERTISING INFORMATION Catherine Frederick 479.782.1500 Catherine@DoSouthMagazine.com Kate Edson 479.242.8222 Kate@DoSouthMagazine.com EDITORIAL INFORMATION Marla Cantrell 479.831.9116 Marla@DoSouthMagazine.com Š2015 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.
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letter from Catherine
W
ho doesn't love March?
05
call a once-in-a-lifetime experience – and I'd have to agree!
We can finally see the
end of winter, the jonquils
Closer to home, writer Marcus Coker took a walk in the tree-
start popping up everywhere,
tops, and he's sharing his story about one of his best days ever
and people go wild filling out
experiencing the wonders of Arkansas.
their March Madness brackets. To be honest, though, I
With the weather starting to warm up, it's time to plan your
did hate to see February end
garden. We have everything you need to know to start yours,
because when it did so did my
right in your own back yard. Do you love furry four-legged
son's basketball season.
friends as much as we do? Let us show you how you and your family can help the animals of the Sebastian County Humane
My dad came in from Little
Society and have a fun filled day together!
Rock to watch his grandson's last game, and our youngest
We're also taking you inside a tiny eatery, only 750 square feet,
daughter was sitting right beside him. (Our oldest is away at col-
to meet the owners, and find out why they ventured into the
lege.) There we were in the stands on a Tuesday night, cheering
restaurant business at a time when their future was more than
like crazy, this family of ours. It helped that my son's team won,
a little uncertain. Writer Jessica Sowards opens up about her
but it really wouldn't have mattered. Just being there together,
battle with perfectionism, what happened when she couldn't
all of us focused on the game, was enough to celebrate.
make it work, and how God picked up the broken pieces of her life. It's a story that spoke to me and touched my heart.
With all of this coming to an end, I need a little March Madness to fill the void. All winter, Tuesday nights have been game
We have a yummy recipe your family will love that's a bit spicy
nights. My husband and I rush home from work, grab the kids,
and very filling, a Mocha Mint cocktail you're going to want to
and we head out to the game - together. I know enough to
make for St. Patrick's Day, and a laugh-filled tale from Stoney
appreciate this particular time in our family, and to realize it's
Stamper about a tiny little bird, an unseasonably warm day in
fleeting. I may take way too many pictures, and save way too
January and the battle that unfolded when the sparrow flew
many mementoes, but I know someday I'll need them to look
inside his kitchen window.
back on, and I'll cherish each and every one. I'm going to get back to my own family now. We have a basketI'm sure you feel the same way about your family. You have
ball court in the backyard and I'm feeling a game coming on. You
nights that seem magical, and most of those happen right here
never know, I may actually win a game one of these days!
at home. But sometimes those incredible memories happen far,
~Catherine
far away. That's what happened to one Fort Smith couple. They recently returned from a trip to Shanghai, an adventure they
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06 poetry
The Duel LINES Jennifer Ombres
The wind kicks up dust and the chimes tinkle. A dog barks, slitting the silent afternoon. Cedric splits a peach stone with his teeth, swallows the bitter almond to keep it close. He disappears in the tall grass ready to meet the storm. A gaucho hat dances along the crest.
Across the path from the house to the barn, a dead snake lies deflated like rubber peeled from a tire.
I have lived here too long.
I toss a handful of seeds near the split in a crude fence.
The old mare, Rose, drinks dark water from a barrel. Her tail bristles. She lifts her hind hoof, thrusting the crescent moon to the earth.
DOSOUTHMAGAZINE
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calendar
DO SOUTH MARCH 2015 SUNDAY
MONDAY
TUESDAY
WEDNESDAY THURSDAY FRIDAY
SATURDAY
01 02 03 04 05 06 07 Architecture Tour, Crystal Bridges Museum, 4 PM, Bentonville. crystalbridges.org
(2nd-15th) Garvan Gardens Daffodil Days, Hot Springs. garvangardens.org
The latest in spring beauty and fashion, page 59.
Garden planning? Read Hip to be Square, page 32.
Shake things up with our Honey-Lime Chipotle Chicken Fajita Bowls, page 46.
Grape Escapes, Fort Smith. bost.org
Subiaco Academy Spring Carnival, 4 PM, Subiaco. subi.org
08 09 10 11 12 13 14 Daylight Saving Time begins.
Need a laugh? Read Stoney Stamper's Bird's Eye View, page 42.
(10nd-15th) Joseph & the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat, Walton Arts Center, Fayetteville. waltonartscenter.org
Ryan Adams is killing it with his album, Ashes & Fire, page 16.
(12th-14th) Mountain View Bluegrass Festival, Mountain View.
A thriller ten years in the making, page 17.
River Valley Endurance Run, 9 AM, Fort Smith. eventbrite.com
mountainview-bluegrass.com
15 16 17 18 19 20 21 Author Palmer Chinchen, 1st Presbyterian, 4 PM, Fort Smith. 1pres.org
Zoo Tunes weeklong camp starts today, Tulsa Zoo. tulsazoo.org
St. Patrick's Day
Local jewelers, John and Kathy Mays, describe their trip of a lifetime, page 26.
Get to know Dr. Rosilee Walker Russell, page 10.
(20th-23rd) AR River Valley Lawn and Garden Show, Fort Smith.
Laser Shot, Janet Huckabee Nature Center, 3 PM, Fort Smith.
fslawngardenshow.com
rivervalleynaturecenter.com
22 23 24 25 26 27 28 On the fence about painting your cabinets? Read Clean, Light, White, page 18.
Cocktail time! Make our Mocha Mint dream drink, page 49.
A local couple is living out their dream in just 750 square feet, page 36.
Spend some time in the treetops. Read Zipping Through the Ozarks, page 50.
What's the secret to a long and happy life? Read One Tough Burd, page 12.
(27th-29th) Elvis Festival, Branson. bransonelvisfestival.com
29 30 31 Comedian Jeanne Robertson, 4 PM Walton Arts Center, Fayetteville. waltonartscenter.org
Jessica Sowards shares the secrets of her dirty life, page 22.
Don't miss our April issue of Do South, out tomorrow.
We hope you enjoy this issue.
OH, THE IRISH!
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• Family names starting with "Mac" or "O'", mean respectively "son of" and "grandson of" in Gaelic.
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• Hollywood actors of Irish descent include George Clooney, Mel Gibson, Alec Baldwin, Bill Murray, Heather Graham, Ben Affleck.
DOSOUTHMAGAZINE
2nd Annual Edamame Festival, 9 AM - 4 PM, Mulberry. cityofmulberry.org
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UPCLOSE&PERSONAL
Dr. Rosilee Walker Russell Founder/Executive Director, UAFS Academy of the Arts 479.788.7546 | uafs.edu
DOSOUTHMAGAZINE
UPCLOSE&PERSONAL
About Dr. Rosilee Walker Russell The UAFS Academy of the Arts is a preparatory division of arts activities for students from preschool through high school in the areas of music, theatre, dance, and art. Classes and activities meet after school, in the evenings, and on the weekends.
What do you miss about being a kid? I miss playing outside and the freedom being a child brings. There seems to be less time constraints when you're a kid, and I loved that. What's the most adventurous thing you've ever done? I used to have a dirt bike when I was a kid, and I loved popping wheelies and doing jumps on it. When I was three years old, I jumped into our neighborhood ditch for a swim and about gave my parents a heart attack! If you had a year off, what would you want to do? I'd record a piano CD.
We began in the fall of 2006 with seventy students
What do you think about every day? Staying in God's will for that particular day, and doing my best to serve and encourage others.
and now serve over 800 students each semester. The
What was your first job? In high school I worked one summer at an Orange Julius.
purpose of the Academy is to provide exceptional artistic training to students of all ages, levels, and
When was the last time someone surprised you? My wonderful husband, Phillip, is always surprising me with lovely gifts and great chocolate!
to be successful young people and adults. Students
What makes you nostalgic? My parents were older when they had me, and are no longer living. Many people in Fort Smith knew my mother, the late Clois Walker. I was very close to both my mother and dad and miss them terribly. My mother even prayed for me to play the piano before I was born and my dad always wanted a little girl.
from many area school districts participate in
What was the first car you owned? A brand new 1980 Chevy Camaro Z-28.
socio-economic backgrounds. Our hope is to build life skills within each student that will equip them
our programs and we have an outstanding professional faculty to work with the students.
Words to Live By: I believe that it is important
If you had to pick one place in Fort Smith to show a tourist, where would it be? UAFS. Favorite food from your childhood? Spaghetti-O's. What's something people would be surprised to learn about you? Most people don't really know that I was a total athlete. I played basketball, tennis, ran track, played softball, and participated in swimming. I was ranked third in high school singles tennis in the state of Montana, which is where I grew up, and made the sevenmember tennis team at Baylor University. Where was your last road trip? Atlanta.
to serve others and respect
Favorite song from your teen years? I liked a lot of England Dan and John Ford Coley music.
others for their unique abilities.
What's the last movie you saw? We just watched Runaway Train.
Life is about people!
Three things you want to accomplish before you retire? I hope to have the opportunity to lead several more Bible studies, record a CD of sacred music, and I hope to have the opportunity to continue to build a fine arts program and make a major difference in the arts for children, young people, and college students. If calories didn't count, what would be in your most decadent meal? Chinese food followed by a fabulous chocolate dessert!
2 things Rosilee can't live without:
What's the best part of your job? Watching young people develop and connect with others — I see them develop life skills that give them confidence and will take them through life. I love meeting all of them and getting to know them as well. Where's your favorite spot in Arkansas? Belle Point in downtown Fort Smith. It's where Phillip proposed to me! What's the best thing about spring in Arkansas? The beautiful azaleas. What's the most sentimental thing you own? My mother's jewelry and my dad's hats.
Chocolate
My Bible
What's been your biggest accomplishment? Completing my Doctorate in Piano was a milestone. Also, the opportunity to create an arts program for young people has been tremendously rewarding.
DOSOUTHMAGAZINE
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people
ONE TOUGH
Burd words Tonya McCoy images courtesy Steven Hunter
A
coyote moved in a swift slump across a field and into the crosshairs of Wayne Elmo Burd's Winchester 70
rifle. Wayne's gray eyes followed the intruder who passed close to his son's horses in the pasture behind his house in Lavaca, Arkansas. He aimed from his spot on his front porch and it only took one shot to lower the creature to the frozen ground. For any hunter it would be quite a feat, but even more so for Wayne, who recently
Wayne Burd
turned ninety-eight. DS OO SU OTUHTM HA MG AA GZ AIZNIE NE DO
people
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He talks about the coyote, and about the rest of his life, with amazing detail. "You won't believe this. I shot my first dove when I was six years old. I've hunted ever since," he laughs, and then holds up his 100-year-old Iver Johnson 410 shotgun that he used the day the coyote showed up. "I had an old uncle who hunted, and he took me with him. Doves were lighting (landing to get a drink) on a pond bank. One lit, and he cocked the old shotgun and said, 'Get him, Buzz,' and I got him." He hit the dove on the first shot and has been a marksman ever since. In the 1950s, Wayne won clay target championships in Oklahoma, and was ranked eighth overall in the nation by the Amateur Trapshooting Association. Wayne then set his sights on bigger targets. The massive head of a mounted elk towers over his living room. The beast was 486 pounds when he shot it in 1950 in Colorado. His son still has the horns of a 684 pound moose Wayne shot in Wyoming in 1954. He read in a magazine later that the biggest moose shot in Wyoming that year was less than an inch wider than his. His travels took him from deer hunting in Arizona, to antelope hunting in Wyoming, to pheasant hunting in South Dakota. He was still pheasant hunting at the age of ninetyfive. But the one thing Wayne's wife, ninety-seven-year-old Dorothy Bell Burd won't let him do anymore, is shoot coyotes from airplanes. Wayne's friend Joe owned the airport in Okmulgee, Oklahoma and Wayne would load up his rifle and Joe would prep his two-seat Piper Cub plane. Ranchers paid Wayne to thin out bands of coyotes. He'd lean his rifle out the window to shoot, and if he ran out of ammo for that, he'd use his pistol. Wayne had a couple of close calls, including two crashes. After the second crash, emergency crews had to cut Joe's son, David, out of the airplane and he almost lost his leg. "David didn't know who he was for a day or two, but I didn't get a scratch out of it," explains Wayne. "I quit hunting coyotes, because my wife had a hissy fit. She said, 'You can't do that! I'm not going to have them come in here and tell me to come pick up your pieces.'" So no more aerial hunts, but Wayne still loves to shoot and recently was recognized by the National Rifle Association. He received the award for the oldest living member at NRA conventions when he was ninety-five and ninety-six. He joined the NRA in 1938. After his award in 2013, Wayne got a surprise. "I was sitting in front of the TV, looking at a book, and I happened to look up and realized, well heck, that's me. There I was walking across the stage with Wayne Lapierre, who is the CEO of the NRA. I didn't catch what they said; I didn't have my hearing aids in. Anyway, I looked and they ran that thing till my face filled the whole screen up." He says, smiling wide. DOSOUTHMAGAZINE
I was sitting in front of the TV, looking at a book, and I happened to look up and realized, well heck, that's me.
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people
Wayne has albums filled with photos of hunting and fishing with
Wayne married Dorothy during a trip to Las Vegas in March of 1941,
family and friends. But he also remembers more somber times.
months before the bombing of Pearl Harbor. A few years later, a draft
Wayne was twelve years old, living in his hometown of Okmulgee,
letter arrived for Wayne. He prepared to move his wife and two-year-
when the stock market crashed in 1929, crippling the economy
old son back to Okmulgee while he was away in the military. He quit
and bringing on the Great Depression.
his job, and sold his belongings, including most of his guns.
Wayne's parents ran what he calls a little hamburger joint. "When
When Wayne arrived at the California draft office, a lady informed
it really got rough, we had a lot of people come in and say, 'Hey,
him that they'd sent a second letter to let him know it had been
can I mop the floor to get something to eat?'... They never turned
decided that he wasn't going because he was twenty-six and had a
anybody away that came in there hungry."
family. Unfortunately Wayne hadn't got that second letter. With no job, Wayne worried about what he'd do next. He went to Union Oil
When Wayne graduated high school jobs were scarce, so he
to see if he could get another service station manager position; there
moved to California. It was tough finding work but he finally
were none available. Instead, they gave him a job driving a gaso-
found a steady job at a Currie's
line truck. After the war Wayne
Ice Cream Store as a cone roller.
moved back to Okmulgee.
He'd bake the cones right in the store and the sweet smell would
After a few temporary jobs, he
bring in customers.
started working in construction, but things changed when one
"There were four waffle irons set
day the office manager became
in a row, and you rolled a cone
ill. "The boss said, 'Boy, how
around a little piece of aluminum
are we gonna get those people
cylinder cone shape, jerked it out
paid?' He was stomping the
and rolled another one. Anyway,
floor and chewing a big cigar.
it was quite a trick to get good at
I said, 'Well, you want me to
it, but I got good at it after a little
go pay 'em?' He said, 'Can you
while because the pay was based
make a payroll?' I said, 'Yeah,
on how many cones you rolled."
made one for two years paying Wayne and Dorothy Burd
Before long he was appointed
ice cream girls in California.'"A few weeks later a truck driver
manager over two stores. However he didn't make much money,
quit and Wayne filled in, using his experience from Union Oil.
so when he was offered a job at a Union Oil Service Station, he took it. "Pumping gasoline, I made more than managing two ice
As the years passed Wayne became office manager for different con-
cream stores. Oh yeah, I got up to $125 dollars a month... Any-
struction jobs and his work was so revered that after he'd retired,
way, I worked there for about a year and found myself a Union Oil
people were still calling him with job offers at age seventy-two.
Service Station manager. " Now, over twenty-five years later, he lives with Dorothy in Lavaca That's when his future wife Dorothy caught his eye. "She went to
and everyone calls Wayne "Papa Burd." He walks around with a
work at the restaurant right across from the service station. I never
cane he's supposed to use but doesn't. He has four grandchildren
did like to drink coffee, but I discovered her over there. She was
and eight great-grandchildren. He's seen almost a century of life.
working till ten thirty at night and I was working till twelve, and I
He has hunting stories, work stories, and even a beautiful love
found out I needed a cup of coffee in the evening.
story. Ask him the secret to a long happy life and he and his wife will laugh together, as if it's an inside joke, and then he'll say,
"She'd stand there and look across at the service station and send people
"Beans and cornbread," as if it makes all the sense in the world.
with coffee cups over and I'd stand there and look across to the restaurant."
And to the two of them, it certainly does.
DOSOUTHMAGAZINE
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entertainment diy
Ashes & Fire Ryan Adams
review Marla Cantrell
Ryan Adams has broken hearts, had his
black cherry blossom perfume, the sail
heart broken, and made a career writing
boats they all sailed by, and the river she
songs that capitalize on both sides
cried" he sings. "Her eyes were indigo
of that coin. He's best known for his
and the cats were all calico ... and a river
alternative country music, but he's also
she cried."
made a name playing rock and heavy metal. His voice, on his more mellow
"I Love You But I Don't Know What to
songs, is reminiscent of Neil Young.
Say" is a beautiful, melancholy number.
His writing, prolific. In one interview
Adams' voice trembles, the chords play
he talked about his dedication, how he
out, the lyrics resonate. There's a bit of a
walked around with a guitar slung over
1970s feel to many of these songs.
his shoulder, loose-leaf binder in his hands. He said he wrote songs the way other people journal.
"Lucky Now," "Do I Wait," and "Rocks," all have roots in an earlier era. That they play well now is part of Adams' genius. His
This practice helped him through his greatest struggles,
voice, his writing, his compositions, all these things make this
including a serious illness (Ménière's disease, which attacks the
album feel like a classic.
inner ear and affects hearing and balance) that threatened to take him out of the music business altogether, and the death
It doesn't hurt that Norah Jones shows up on "Chains of Love,"
of his girlfriend, Carrie Hamilton, comedian Carol Burnett's
and Adams' wife, actress Mandy Moore, makes an appearance,
daughter, who died from cancer in 2002. In the months after,
singing harmony. It's likely that this was one of Moore's last
as he was grieving, Adams wrote one of his best albums, Love
forays into Adams' music, since she reportedly filed for divorce
is Hell, released in 2004.
in January, after six years of marriage. (They tied the knot in Savannah, Georgia, on March 9, 2009.)
But it's this acoustic-based, folksy album, Ashes & Fire, that highlights the best of this performer. It's a warm album,
If forty-year-old Adams is still carrying around loose leaf binders,
compelling, the kind of music you turn to when you feel
if he still slings a guitar over his shoulder — just in case — it's
nostalgic, or when you need to unwind.
possible there will be a new wave of songs coming from this latest heartbreak. The North Carolina native seems to have an
This collection starts with "Dirty Rain," a song that showcases
unending well of stories to tell, in a way that only he can tell
keyboardist
them. And that's incredibly good news for us.
Benmont
Tench
from
Tom
Petty
&
the
Heartbreakers. It's so full of emotion, so perfect for Adams, it's hard to imagine how the album could get any better. It does get better, though. The next song, the title track, is a
DO SOUTH RATING: 9 OUT OF 10
backwoods number that Adams owns. "Her skin smelled like
DOSOUTHMAGAZINE
entertainment diy
The Home Place By Carrie La Seur William Morrow Publishing Co. 289 pages $26 review Anita Paddock
The Home Place opens on a bitterly cold
for her dead sister becomes evident. We see
January night in Billings, Montana. There's
the way she deals with her family: her brother
a party at a house on the wrong side of the
Pete, a recovering alcoholic who owns a
tracks, and in that house is eleven-year-
coffee shop; her grandmother who moved
old Brittany, who's supposed to be asleep
to town but still owns the home place that's
under a pile of visitors' coats that have
falling into disrepair; and her motherless
collected on the bed. But she is not asleep,
niece. Little by little, her heart is revealed, and
and she watches as her mother, Vicky
she becomes a likable heroine.
Terrebonne, stumbles away from the party and into the freezing night. She calls out
In time, she learns of even more trouble in
to her mother, but in the howling wind
her family. Coal companies want the mineral
her voice disappears. The next morning,
rights to the home place, and Alma has to
Vicky's body is found on a deserted street
deal with an unscrupulous landman and a
three blocks away. To the police, it looks
meth dealer who moved into the deserted
like an accident. They attribute her death
house on the homestead.
to the cold night, her heavy drinking, the likelihood that she passed out and died
Her high school boyfriend, Chance, enters
of exposure. But could they be wrong?
the picture, and their passion for each other
Could it be murder?
is rekindled. The two parted ways when Alma abruptly left Chance to attend college
So begins the quest of how she died. Her older sister, Alma, an
on a scholarship to Bryn Mawr.
attorney in Seattle, is called home to make funeral plans and to see to Brittany. The only Terrebonne to leave home in seven
The Home Place is filled with secrets, some revealed and others kept till the
generations, Alma has no intention of staying more than a week,
very end. You'll stay up late into the night trying to unravel the mystery of
but her relatives, and the sheer beauty of the land, cause her to stay
who killed Vicky Terrebonne and why.
and find out the real cause of her sister's death. This is La Seur's debut novel, and it's been getting a great deal of Alma is the main character, and we follow the story through her
praise. She spent a decade writing it, making sure it was exactly
eyes. She's the stereotypical over-achieving lawyer who's trying to
right. The payoff is a novel that shows us what home means, how
make partner at a big corporate law firm. There is not much, at least
the people we call family shape us, and how we are defined by the
in the beginning, to like about her. As the story unfolds, her love
places we come from.
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home
CLEAN, LIGHT, WHITE words and images Lee Anne Henry, Whiteline Designs
BEFORE Let me say this — I want to inspire you to consider painting your stained kitchen cabinets. You've heard how those stained kitchen cabinets would never go out of style. They remain the cornerstone of classic design. Okay, that's true, but the fact is that white (or off-white) painted cabinets are also a solidly classic design. This means painting your cabinets is not a short-lived whimsical design trend. At Whiteline Designs, our design firm, our philosophy is to establish a neutral backbone and introduce personalized elements to add color. Rather than having a red kitchen, for example, the walls can be neutral and the bold color can take the form of artwork hanging on the wall. We advise people who are building new homes as well as those who are remodeling on a budget. To both clients, we give the same message. It's this: consider painting your cabinets white. There are many different shades of white, so I'm not necessarily saying bright white is the way to go for you. And if you've had problems selecting that perfect color — I'll go ahead and share mine. It's Sherwin Williams "Eider White" (SW-7014). Again, this is not the brightest white, but it's also free of unwanted pink or lime green hues. Let's also talk about cost. The good news is that painting your cabinets white is actually an amazing transformation that costs very little money compared to a full remodeling job. For that reason, my advice translates well to you courageous weekend adventurers or those who have opted out of a new kitchen or bathroom because new cabinets are simply too expensive. What can a coat of paint accomplish? The proof is in the photos you see here. The before photos show a very classic and beautiful kitchen. To me, the kitchen felt too heavy, dark, and cluttered. You'll notice there was nothing wrong with the original cabinets, yet for $2,100 they DOSOUTHMAGAZINE
MOODBOARD
home
A F T E R
were updated and transformed, with the help of a professional painter. Experienced DIYers, with enough research and instruction, could tackle the painting on their own. As you can see, we kept several key elements, including the beautifully stained pantry door. A small change in hardware, as well as replacing the tired pendant lights over the island, gave these homeowners a completely different kitchen. Adding inexpensive mirrors to the cabinet doors revealed a kitchen that feels much larger and lighter. As an interior designer, I celebrate a home that is designed with intention. I prefer a clutter-free and modern kitchen. Painting your kitchen cabinets could turn out to be that perfect visual, emotional and cleansing event for you and your home in 2015 at an affordable price. Fresh, clean and light. Ahhhh. Change can be a beautiful thing. DOSOUTHMAGAZINE
Lee Anne Henry, owner of Whiteline Designs in Fayetteville, Arkansas, expresses her love of art through interior design. She looks forward to getting to know her clients and creating a sense of calm in their personal spaces.
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Little Bit in LOVE with…
TAKE IT ON THE ROAD! Wisteria Antique Roadshow™ Collection by Dale Tiffany, Inc. Crossroads Antique Mall 3325 South 74th, Suite A, Fort Smith/facebook
BRACE FOR SPRING! Cuff, bangle and stacked bracelets. Sunshine Gift Shop at Mercy 7301 Rogers Avenue, Fort Smith/facebook
GET YOUR GARDEN READY! 2nd Edition All New Square Foot Gardening book. Espoma organic garden gypsum, lime, & bone meal. The Original Muck® boot. Farmers Coop 15 locations - River Valley, Northwest Arkansas, Oklahoma farmercoop.com
PICK SIX, FIND YOUR FAVORITE! Mix and match craft beer sampler – your choice. Sodie's Wine and Spirits 5401 Phoenix Avenue, Fort Smith/sodiesliquor.com
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As the warmer weather arrives, we're shopping more, and finding a trove of great products. March right on into these local businesses and tell them Do South sent you!
MAKE A STATEMENT! Karma purse, coffee mug, decorative tray Jennifer's Gift Shop at Sparks Health System 1001 Towson Avenue, Fort Smith/facebook GOOD FOR YOU, GOOD FOR YOUR PUP! Two Moms In the Raw granola. Lifefactory glass water bottle. Enlighten Mix. Daily Detox, Bach Rescue Remedy, Healthy Hip & Joint. Olde Fashioned Foods 123 North 18th Street 8434 Phoenix Avenue, Suite E/facebook
TIME TO BLOOM! 2 new items: Confetti Garden and Supertunia Black Cherry Parks Brothers Greenhouses 6733 Parks Road, Van Buren/facebook HERE'S TO SPRINGTIME! Crown Royal Regal Apple Whiskey & Original Ryan's Irish Style Cream Liqueur In Good Spirits/12100 Highway 71 South, Fort Smith/facebook
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people
A DIRTY Life words and images Jessica Sowards
ONCE UPON A TIME, MY LIFE LOOKED VERY NEAT. I HAD IT together as a mom, was a housewife to a traveling husband, went to church on Sunday and Bible group on Wednesday. I made lots of crafts and posted photos of them online. My kitchen was full of organic food. I made fruit roll-ups and cheese crackers from scratch so my two sons would never have to eat a snack from a box. I started a book club. It was orderly. Impressive. Clean. But it was a lie. I spent years on the brink of a breakdown. Anxiety was like a cloak, depression was my constant companion. I lived in despair. I constantly told my husband he was failing. I sang words in church that never broke the surface of my heart. At night I would scream at my three-year-old to go to sleep. He would lie down crying with organic, from-scratch snacks in his belly and I would sit in the hallway outside his door, hating myself for the person I really was.
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When my broken marriage became a very public divorce, I ran a
Sure, I've scolded my boys (and husband) more than a few times
thousand miles a minute from my role as a good girl. It came as quite
to check their shoes at the door. Even still, after the next rain, I will
a shock to those who knew me. "I thought you were so happy,"
undoubtedly find a trail of footprints to the bathroom and back
they said. And words failed me. I couldn't describe the struggle
outside again. Will I remind them about muddy shoes in the house?
driving me to turn it all upside down. I was doing everything in my
Probably. Will I tell them to stop playing in the rain? Never. There is
power to pursue happiness, constantly smoothing the surface on a
always balance, and I never want to spare memories to avoid messes.
good looking life, while the innermost part of me was a hot mess, void of joy. Even the joy I found in my children was so often stifled
Literal dirt aside, I've also learned just how nasty life can be.
by guilt. I felt like I was suffocating, face down in mud. Several weeks ago, we arrived home one evening after a few quick It was then, when my life was exposed and the tangled mess of my
errands to find that our newly adopted German Shepherd had dug
truth came out, that the most beautiful thing happened. Grace.
under the fence to the chicken yard. We pulled in the driveway mid-massacre. Jeremiah, who had spent several months building
I stepped onto the road to recovery. No, not from drugs or
the fence, the coop, and raising birds from chicks, flew from the
alcohol or anything you would think when you hear "recovery."
van before it had even stopped rolling. The boys, all of them in the
I stepped onto the path of a recovering good girl. I began to
back of the van, started to cry as they realized what was happening.
learn a way of life that embraces the imperfect and leans heavily on God's perfect grace.
It's the kind of crushing story every homesteader has to tell. Thirtytwo birds were killed in less than an hour. After the feathers
Remarriage has been good to me. In Jeremiah, I found someone as
settled and the bodies were cleared from the yard, we went to
deeply damaged as myself. We were honest with each other, set
bed at nine o'clock and barely spoke. I prayed all night, begging
realistic expectations and promised to love God and consider Him
God that Jeremiah wouldn't give up, that he'd have the heart to
in how we loved each other.
rebuild even after such a setback.
Building a family from the broken pieces of past attempts is never
The next morning, as he came back inside from checking on our
tidy. The more time that passes though, the more love grows
battered and shaken survivors in the coop, he leaned against the
and peace prevails. This month we will welcome our third child
doorway to the kitchen and said, "This is a lesson that will make
together, bringing our total count of kids to six. His daughter, my
me better in ministry, marriage and fatherhood. When God gives
two older sons, and the three sons we have from our marriage.
you a flock to take care of, you can't be careless. Because sinners act like sinners and dogs act like dogs. I hadn't taught him any
Five boys and a visiting girl on a little farm in rural Arkansas. I
better and I gave him the chance. A lot of damage can happen in
don't need to say another word to impress upon you how literally
a short while of carelessness."
filthy our life is sometimes. The pile of Muck速 boots in the garage, the muddy coveralls that somehow always find themselves thrown
It was ugly, but I felt so proud of him in that moment. For even
across a basket of clean laundry, and the poop. My goodness,
though he was greatly disappointed, he stood there in the hall,
there is so much poop.
feathers stuck to his boots, and wiped the mud off of a bright, shining lesson.
I think of the way I used to judge the job I was doing as a woman by how behind I was on the laundry or by how elaborately themed
Opening our eyes to the fact that life's gems usually present
the boys' birthday parties were. Now, through a group effort and a
themselves covered in hard work and imperfection has changed
lower standard, we keep a house I'd be happy to show a stranger
us for the better. When you stop looking for the neatest avenue
on a five minute notice. However, I certainly don't find an ounce of
to happiness and start hacking your way through the most
my identity in the pile of clothes in my laundry room or the smudges
worthwhile path, it is infinitely rewarding. The best things in our
on the mirror or the fact that birthday parties, now that there are so
life are those which are the most unusual, dinged up things that
many to do every year, have evolved into more down-home affairs.
don't have a great explanation.
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people
For example, my ex-husband and his wife are now some of our
I lose my patience with my kids and husband sometimes, but
closest friends. How? God. It's the only possible way it can be
instead of being quick to berate myself, I apologize to them.
explained. We do life together, raise kids together, go to church
Genuinely. So they have learned that I'm just a person. They give
together, have family dinners and lean into each other in times
me grace and put their faith in Jesus instead of me. I wouldn't
of need. When people ask us how we're able to be friends when
have it any other way.
there was so much baggage, I just remind them, God doesn't need a blank canvas to make a beautiful thing. In fact, I'm
My ineptitudes were always there. Embracing them has only made
learning that He rather likes carving something lovely out of our
me better. My weaknesses are where God shines most brightly.
messes. All we have to do is let Him.
My flaws are the best tools I have to reach people. Why would I ever want to trade those in for some false image of control?
...God doesn't need a blank canvas to make a beautiful thing. In fact, I'm learning that He
I lead a raw and real life. I live it openly, unapologetically. Because mine may be a very dirty life, but it's the most beautiful mess I've ever known.
rather likes carving something lovely out of Jessica Sowards blogs at TheHodgepodgeDarling.blogspot.com
our messes. All we have to do is let Him.
I'm not the woman I was once, back when I had it together. I run late, miss play group, lose my keys weekly, and buy convenience foods for the snack box. The idea of a book club is laughable. But I read my Bible every day. I talk to God and I don't cry at night. I no longer have a problem saying, "I'm not good at that," or, "I messed up." DOSOUTHMAGAZINE
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people
Swept Away by
The flight from Dallas to Shanghai took nearly sixteen hours. They could feel the excitement as they neared their destination. Both love
SHANGHAI
to travel, and the chance to see this international city thrilled them. A driver awaited them when they got through customs. He took them to the Mandarin Oriental Hotel, which overlooked another
words Marla Cantrell images courtesy John Mays Jewelers
waterway, the Huangpu River. They opened the draperies, and all around them were skyscrapers that lit up at night, turning the city
Shanghai, the home of 24 million people, is the biggest city by
into a spectacular light show.
population in the world. It sits at the mouth of the Yangtze River, in the middle of the Chinese coast. To the east is the East China
"The biggest shock was the buildings. They're just immense. The
Sea, and ships sail in and out every day. When visitors arrive, they
magnitude of the city and the graciousness of the people, those
often comment on the tall buildings, the waterways, the bustle of
were both nice surprises." John said. "One night, we went out
this global financial Mecca.
on a boat to look at the buildings all lit up. One was covered in lavender lights. It was magnificent."
John and Kathy Mays marveled at all of this, when they arrived the week of Thanksgiving in 2014. As owners of John Mays
"We had the most memorable food," Kathy added. "We ate
Jewelers in Fort Smith, Arkansas, they'd been invited to travel
sea cucumber (a marine animal that's a delicacy in China)." She
the 7,600 miles to help represent the Hearts on Fire diamond
continued, "It certainly was different. We were invited to one
brand as it opened its first store in the Mainland China. They'd
lunch where there was a turntable in the middle of the table.
gotten the invitation only three weeks before, scrambled to get
There was so much food that I thought that was our main course.
their visas approved by the Chinese consulate, since getting
Well, it was just the appetizer. There were twelve courses."
into a communist country includes a good bit of scrutiny, and then rushed to pack.
"We went to the center of the city, to the area called Bund," John said. (The Bund sits north of the old, walled city of Shanghai, and was
"We were so honored to be asked," John said. "There are around 500
initially a British settlement.) "We wanted to see what life was like for
Hearts on Fire dealers, and we've been with them since 1999. Only five
people who lived there. We felt very safe there. We saw the Shanghai
stores were offered the chance to go. There was one from Las Vegas,
Grand Theatre. We took a picture in front of the Starbucks. There was
one from Canada, one from California, and one from Singapore."
even a fifty-foot Christmas tree there from Tiffany's."
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people
"We didn't buy a lot; we bought our two sons something. But
dancers, shimmering jewelry, all enhanced by the grandeur of
one day I was in a shop and I bought a Christmas decoration I
the building. "It was a little overwhelming, to tell you the truth,"
knew I'd use every year. While we were there I spotted two old-
John said. "There we were doing something few people would
world Chinese figurines, but they were only for decoration and
ever get to do."
not for sale. I told the shopkeeper it was a shame because I just loved them, and she said, 'For you, madam, I will give them to
"It was the trip of a lifetime," Kathy added. "That night in
you.' We found the people to be so giving."
particular was really something. You think of Chinese people as being small. Some of the models wearing the jewelry were young
On Thanksgiving, as all their friends and family back home
women who were six feet tall. It took some doing to go, and to
celebrated, John and Kathy attended the launch of the first Hearts
leave the store the week of Thanksgiving - but we didn't hesitate."
on Fire store in Shanghai. There to help with the festivities was model and fashion icon Olivia Palermo.
"I started in the jewelry business in October, 1969," John said. "And getting to do something like this because of it is just beyond
As wonderful as it was, nothing could compare with their night
comprehension. To become a personal representative for Hearts
at the China Art Museum. There, the Chinese jewelry company,
on Fire in Asia, in a city of 24 million, it's just something you don't
Chow Tai Fook, was celebrating its eighty-fifth anniversary. It was
even dream of. We'll never forget that trip."
as well orchestrated as a red-carpet event. "There were about a hundred steps to get to the building. It looked like a scene from the
When they boarded the plane to come home, their thoughts
movie, Rocky, John said. "The news media was there, professional
turned back to Fort Smith — population 87,650 — the place
photographers; I'd never seen anything like it."
they love. The holiday season was well underway, and they'd be busy at their store as soon as they returned. They couldn't
Security was tight, and John had been given a specially designed
wait to talk to their family and friends, to tell them about their
gold lapel pin with a carnelian stone that he wore to identify he and
big adventure, how they were swept away by the beauty of
Kathy as invited guests. Inside the 1.8 million square foot building
Shanghai. They kept a few mementoes, like the invitation to
were display cases with stunning pieces all around, including one
the party at the China Art Museum, and look at them often.
by Hearts on Fire, which had been crafted just for the celebration.
There are dozens of photos on their phones, and they find themselves pulling them up, time after time. They capture
As the celebration progressed, models appeared, wearing
such a brief and glorious time, a once-in-a-lifetime experience
the jewelry. It was an opulent event, with traditional Chinese
never to be forgotten.
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DIY
END OF THE
words and image Catherine Frederick Inspired by Pinterest
WHAT YOU'LL NEED Mini terra cotta pot Black acrylic paint Sponge brush Mod Podge® Gold glitter Shamrock sticker or cut out Rolo® candies to fill
PAINT the pot with black paint. When dry, APPLY a thin layer of Mod Podge® around the top rim. SPRINKLE with glitter. ATTACH the sticker outline/cut out of the shamrock to the front of the pot. APPLY light coat of Mod Podge® over the shamrock area. SPRINKLE with glitter and slowly peel off sticker outline/cutout. When dry, FILL pot with Rolo® candies!
DOSOUTHMAGAZINE
28 30
home gardening
words Catherine Frederick
Spring will soon arive and Jack Frost will make his quick exit, so it's
A couple of winters ago, I read a book called, Square Foot Garden-
the time to plan your garden. Some of you may be interested in
ing A New Way to Garden in Less Space with Less Work. I shelved
a better way to garden while others of you stare at that space of
it for a while; it was a gardening book after all and I had not
grass in the backyard and wonder where the heck to start. Many
even begun to contemplate my spring garden. But several weeks
will tell you it's all about the soil — and I agree. If you grow your
passed and I got the itch to pick it up. I couldn't put it down.
soil, your soil can grow anything, but first you need a plan. You see, even with all my hard work, my previous gardens had In the past, the only plan I had was to till up some dirt, make a long
ended in a sea of weeds, pests, and very few vegetables. Now I
trench, dump in a bunch of seeds, then water and wait for the inevitable
was reading a book illustrating how I could grow a neat, attrac-
cluster of greenery to pop up. Then, of course, I'd spend hours thinning
tive, weedless garden by planting in a uniform fashion in raised
the plants out, destroying several of them in the process. Square foot
beds. And I could produce a rich harvest with less work. Rich har-
gardening (SFG) swooped in just in time to save the day, and my garden.
vest, less work? Count me in. I became a SFG fanatic.
DOSOUTHMAGAZINE
RAISED BEDS
gardening
Raised beds are an excellent way to contain your garden and eliminate weeds! Construct one using untreated lumber, or purchase a raised bed system from your local Farmers Coop, or lawn and garden center. Map out your garden area and place several layers of newspaper over the ground (this eliminates weeds and is biodegradable). Construct the raised bed, then fill the area with soil.
What's so great about square foot gardening, you say? For me,
about starting smart. You simply decide how much space you
square foot gardening removes the guess work and takes gar-
have to allot, how many people you want your garden to feed,
dening back to the basics. It's not just another planting meth-
and what type of vegetables you're going to plant. One of the
od, it's a different mindset on how to garden. No more digging
best tips I've ever been given about gardening is this: grow only
trenches and dumping in seeds. Anything can be grown in a SFG
what you know you and your family love to eat (say, tomatoes),
and it's adaptable: large garden spaces or containers on apart-
then add one new plant to try this year (like eggplant).
ment balconies, feeding one person or feeding the masses. If you have twelve inches of space, it can work for you.
As the name implies, SFG is about planting in squares, not rows. Each square is twelve inches by twelve inches, an area of one
SFG starts with a master plan. The bonus is that the plan is very
square foot. Each square contains a different vegetable or herb.
visual with no room for error. It's not about starting small, it's
The exact number of plants grown in each square depends on the type of vegetable and how much room the vegetable needs. Think that's too much guess work? Think again! SFG details how many of each type of plants a twelve inch square can accommodate. It really is as simple as building or buying a raised bed system, adding soil, dividing up the area in twelve inch squares, looking up how many of each plant can fit into each one, and planting. Take my garden, for example. I don't have a ton of room. It's eight foot wide by three foot deep, a total of twenty-four square feet. I've planted carrots (sixteen/sq.ft.), tomatoes (one/sq.ft.), peppers (one/sq.ft.), garlic (nine/sq.ft.), radishes (sixteen/sq. ft.), onions (sixteen/sq.ft.), lettuce (four/sq.ft.) and cucumbers (one/sq.ft.). In just twenty-four square feet, I have the following plants: forty-eight carrots, four tomatoes, eight peppers, nine garlic, thirty-two radishes, thirty-two onions, eight lettuces, and two cucumbers! Several of those squares can be succession planted (replanting a new crop as soon as the original is harvested) and inter-planted (planting two crops simultaneously in the same area), allowing for a larger, continual harvest.
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gardening
Once you lay out your garden on paper (see, I told you — it's vi-
with organic seeds/plants. You can find a full selection of organic
sual) it's time to prep your soil. Do a quick soil test. Grab a clump
seeds, and bags of organic soil mixtures and additives at your
of soil and squeeze it in your hands. Sandy soil feels gritty, silty
local Farmers Coop. (I like Burpee Signature, USDA 100% Certi-
soil like wet powder and clay soil is sticky. Depending on your soil
fied Organic. They're around twenty-five cents more per package
condition, you may need to add compost, mulch, peat moss, or
than commercial seed.)
vermiculite — all of which breakdown and feed your soil. My favorite garden soil comes premixed from my local Farmers Coop.
While it may take a bit more research and planning on the front end, the additional cost is minimal and you'll be repaid time and
And for goodness sakes, stay off of the soil! Walking on the soil
again when you harvest the delicious, chemical-free vegetables
packs it down, destroying the air pockets roots need to grow.
you aren't afraid to feed to your family, right off the vine.
When laying out your SFG, give yourself just enough room between each twelve inch square to weed (if not using the raised bed method) and harvest without stepping on the growing soil. Now it's time to decide whether you're going to plant organically or commercially. Don't be intimidated by an organic garden! The difference between organic and conventional gardening is simply
Find out more about Square Foot Gardening at squarefootgardening.org, or in the latest book by Bartholomew, All New Square Foot Gardening.
the decision to use natural fertilizers and compost in conjunction
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people
Daily Life at Daily Bread words Marla Cantrell images Marla Cantrell and Jessica Wooden
2013 was a stressful year for Michael and Jamie Moore. Michael, who worked for an oil and gas company, had been laid
nity to dream. If they were careful and thoughtful they could end
off after almost a decade on the job. For years, he'd been on the
ties, the reality of that missing paycheck loomed large. They had
road, away from his home in Van Buren, Arkansas, for days at a
no backup; they'd been living off Michael's salary so that Jamie
time. He didn't like the travel, and his wife liked it even less. Her
could stay home with their young children.
up in a better place. While it was thrilling to consider the possibili-
dream was to have a business with Michael, to spend days and nights with the man she'd married.
Not long after, while driving around town, they passed by a small building that sits near the railroad tracks on a street that is a
After the initial shock wore off, the two sat down at their kitchen
thoroughfare for travelers heading to and from the interstate.
table. They talked, throwing out ideas about what to do next.
They drove by again. The building had housed a drive-through
They prayed together. What they came to understand was that
coffee shop, and then a drive-through egg roll restaurant. Nei-
while losing Michael's income was scary, it was also an opportu-
ther business had survived.
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Michael and Jamie couldn't quit thinking about the tiny structure,
window where gravel covers the surrounding space. "They were
which was only 750 square feet. Neither had a background in
standing in our parking lot and cars were lined up on the street.
the restaurant business. The only food experience they'd had was
I thought, How are we going to serve all these people? We just
starting a food pantry at a church they'd previously attended. Still,
took it one customer at a time and we made it through. By the end
they called the owner of the building, looked around, and then
of the day we could barely stand."
Michael said, "Let's just do it." Business kept growing. SchoolteachWhat they loved were the bistros
ers became some of their best cus-
where they'd often gone for lunch,
tomers, calling in orders for as many
places with soups and sandwiches and
as ten of their co-workers. Regulars
bright, fresh salads. They thought Van
often ate both breakfast and lunch
Buren could use a place like that, and
from Daily Bread. Everything was go-
they felt the location was perfect. The
ing well until last winter, when the
Crawford County Courthouse is just a
snow came and ice fell over and over,
stone's throw away, and the workers
stalling the entire town. "I think it
there could be great customers. The
hit us harder because we are a drive-
police and sheriff's department, the
through. You couldn't come inside
Van Buren City offices, the corporate
and get out of the cold," Jamie said.
offices for USA Truck, and dozens of small businesses are also nearby.
When spring arrived, they celebrated, watching the flood of customers
The name, Daily Bread, came to Jamie
return. Again, traffic bottlenecked in
in a dream. She got up the next morning, talked to Michael, and
front of their shop. Michael, who's the primary cook, was grate-
even showed him the logo she envisioned, sheaves of wheat tied
ful they'd made it through that first hard time. He'd been get-
together with a bow. With the name in place they began gearing up
ting up at three every morning, working until six at night. He'd
for their opening. In October, 2013, they were ready to go. It was
put everything he had into Daily Bread, even using his mother's
a scary day — they didn't know if ten people would show up, or a
potato soup recipe as one of the mainstays on the menu. "It
hundred. They'd taken the rent money for the house they were liv-
sells out almost every day," he said, smiling wide. He then listed
ing in and used it as a deposit on the building. "We didn't have any
other bestsellers: the turkey and Swiss, the grilled chicken, the
other income coming in," Jamie said. "All we had was sheer work
Reuben, and the cucumber salad with sweet Vidalia dressing.
and a whole lot of faith."
At breakfast, the bacon, egg and cheese croissants are popular, as well as the turnovers — the raspberry is particularly good.
In November, 2013, when they'd been at it for just over a month, they caused a traffic jam in this town of 23,000. "I looked out and
But it's not just the food that draws people in. Jamie believes their
people had just parked all over here," Jamie said, pointing out the
success has just as much to do with their faith. They prayed fiercely
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people
Because they have a heart to help the hungry, they have even bigger plans. One day they'd like to have a place where they could operate Daily Bread as a restaurant and as a place where those in need could get a free meal. They've read about other restaurants that do that, and they don't see why it can't be done in Van Buren. They also want to grow more of their own food — right now they do what they can by growing herbs, tomatoes and potatoes at their home and buying from farmer's markets. It is a big plan for a couple spending their days in 750 square feet, often with one of their two employees. One of their co-workers, Annie, was listening as the two described their vision for Daily Bread. She waited until both Michael and Jamie were busy helping customers, and then she said, "This is such a great place to work. They're such nice people. I love being here, being part of this." Annie smiled as she returned to her post. A red truck stopped at the window. The driver was picking up a breakfast croissant. Michael handed over the order, leaned past Annie, and said, "We appreciate you, man," and the driver smiled so wide he brightened every corner of the tiny building. Jamie and Michael Moore
about what to do when Michael lost his job, and this was the answer they got. To give back, they've done a few creative things, like "Name Your Own Price" day. "One of the things we wanted to do was to give people the opportunity to eat for free, if they needed that," Michael said. "It shocked everybody. They'd say, 'How much does that cost?' We learned we could be a blessing that way. We had a few who ate for free, and we had a few that paid more than what the actual cost was, because I think they liked the idea of what we were doing. And that blessed us because we realized we lived in a community where people want to be a blessing just as much as we do."
Jamie was busy, wrapping up several peanut butter cookies, getting ready for the lunch crowd. She was humming while she worked, and Michael touched her arm as he passed her. The two seemed in sync, working easily together, happy to spend so much time together. It wasn't so long ago when a day like this seemed impossible to imagine, when Michael was on the road. They wouldn't go back if they could because when night falls they'll be at home with their family, hearing their kids' stories, making plans for the next day and the next, dreaming big dreams about the future they're building together.
Jamie chimed in. "We also did a live radio remote with Spirit 106.3 called 'Pay it Forward.' We had so much fun. Spirit 106.3 paid for our first customer's meal and then the customers just kept it going,
479.471.1982
paying for the person behind them, if they wanted to. There was a
513 South 4th Street
customer who came through who'd been eating ramen noodles for
Van Buren, Arkansas
a week and said what a help it was to have that meal paid for. That
Monday - Friday, 5 AM - 6 PM
really touched my heart. Our pastor came by and left a twenty dollar
Saturday, 8 AM - 2 PM
bill. It was a joy to see the goodness in people."
DOSOUTHMAGAZINE
38
pets
March Right In, Adopt a Best Friend. Adopt your furry soulmate. AHIMSA's mission is to place needy animals in responsible homes, provide humane education, and encourage spaying and neutering because there are not enough homes.
M
M
F
Fletcher
M
Sullivan
F
Bess
Beau
F
Jasmine
Emmie Lou
AhimsaRescueFoundation.org Images Tessa Freeman Ahimsa Rescue Foundation, Muldrow, OK ahimsarescuefoundation.org | savingpaws@aol.com
Ahimsa Rescue Foundation is an all-volunteer team, founded in 2004, specializing in the rescue and placement of abused, unwanted and abandoned companion animals from eastern Oklahoma and western Arkansas. All pets are spayed or neutered, micro-chipped and vet-checked before being adopted to carefully screened homes. Ahimsa's mission is to place needy animals in responsible homes, provide humane education, and encourage spaying and neutering because not enough homes are available. Contact: Savingpaws@aol.com
Each month, Do South 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. DOSOUTHMAGAZINE
community
Miles for Mutts words Marla Cantrell
If you have a big family, you get a price break. Families can register for $50, while individual signups are $25. The first 350 pre-registered participants will get a Miles for Mutts T-shirt, and there will be awards given in seven age divisions, from thirteen and younger to sixteen and older. The money raised will be used to help the animals at the Humane Society, something that is near and dear to Bekah Trotter's heart. As the assistant director of the Humane Society, she works daily to find homes for the animals that end up there. It's a big job, especially since the Humane Society is the largest shelter in Arkansas. On any given day, there will be 300 to 400 animals housed there. Last year, they found homes for 1,000 pets, and returned 700 lost pets to their owners. "We are an open admission shelter which means that we don't turn an animal away, no matter it's condition or temperament," Bekah says. "All of the proceeds of this event will go towards helping us continue our mission: a loving home for every pet." To do that, the shelter needs help from the community. The upcoming Miles for Mutts is a great way for you to get involved, find out more about the great needs of these pets in search of a forever home, and have a fun and active Saturday with your family and friends. Bekah encourages you to check out their website. If you're in the market for a pet, think of them first. You could find your new
Many of you have probably wondered how you can help the Se-
best friend, one that will be grateful every day for your love and
bastian County Humane Society in Fort Smith. You see pictures
companionship. If you want to give, you can donate online, find
of the adoptable pets, often in the pages of Do South Magazine,
out more about volunteering, and see their wish list of items that
and your heart goes out to them. You know you can't adopt
would help them help these sweet animals.
them all, but you do want to help. April 11 is just around the corner. Sign up for Miles for Mutts today! There are many ways to do that. You can volunteer, donate food, or drop off items such as chew toys, cleaning products, towels and cat litter. Another way to help is to participate in their fundraising events. By doing this, you can show your support and introduce your
Miles for Mutts - April 11, 8 AM
kids to the joy we get from giving back. The next event is the
Riverfront Amphitheatre,
Miles for Mutts 5K run/walk on Saturday, April 11. It's being
downtown Fort Smith
held at Riverfront Amphitheatre in downtown Fort Smith, Arkan-
479.783.4395
sas, beginning at eight in the morning, with check-in starting at six. If that's too early for you and your kiddos, head to Sweetbay
sebastiancountyhumanesociety.org
by Creekmore Park on Friday, April 10, anytime between ten in
Entry Fee: $25.00/Individual
the morning and six at night. You can sign up then and show up
$50.00/Family
ready to run the next morning. DOSOUTHMAGAZINE
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people people
Bird's Eye View words Stoney Stamper
DOSOUTHMAGAZINE
people IT WAS AN UNSEASONABLY BEAUTIFUL DAY IN JANUARY IN
Sounds great, doesn't it? Well that's how I thought it would go.
east Texas, and after having been cooped up and bundled up
Alas, sometimes things don't go quite as planned.
for the last couple of wintery months, my family was excited to see the first spring-like weather of 2015. My wife April was
First, all of the sheets were in the bathroom cabinet. That's
all aflutter around the house, pulling back the curtains, opening
where the bird was. I needed to be able to walk in the room
windows and letting the fresh air inside. It felt amazing and you
prepared, lock, stock and barrel. April had been doing laundry,
could feel the happiness in the air as our daughters ran around
and having just learned of our situation, said, "Hey, there's a
and played in the yard, their laughter filling the air.
yellow sheet in the laundry room." So she got it and brought it back to me. Yes, it was a yellow sheet. A yellow fitted sheet.
There is a window above the kitchen sink that slides open from
As we all know, fitted sheets have the capability of ruining your
the side, and it doesn't have a screen. There is a planter box
day. They aren't user friendly. They're impossible to fold, some-
hanging on the outside that April keeps filled with flowers when
times even impossible to get put on your bed correctly. So, I
the weather turns warm for good. It's also a popular landing spot
just assumed it would be troublesome while performing the act
for birds. But the happy sounds of the kids playing were just too
of bird wrangling, as well. The sheet didn't hang right. I was
wonderful to pass up. So even though the occasional bird flut-
holding it up to my side, much like a champion matador ap-
tered by the window, we didn't dare close it.
proaching his fighting bull from across the pen. I inched closer and closer to the shower, yet I still hadn't seen the bird. Just the
I decided it might be a good time to do some writing, so I sat
occasional chirp let me know I was on the right track. As I came
down with my laptop and began using this blessed day as an
alongside the shower, my fine-feathered friend made his first
inspiration for some much needed prose and poetry. After a few
appearance in our little game of cat and mouse. With the pierc-
minutes, our fourteen-year-old daughter Abby came in the house
ing screech that sounded like a red tail hawk, he flew around
to get something to drink. She sat down at the dining room
the corner of the tub at what must've been considered Mach
table to relax for a few minutes, and suddenly she screamed,
3. I don't know, I'm kind of winging it there. Could've been a
"A BIRD!" I looked up at her, not fully understanding what she
Mach 2, I guess. I don't know Machs very well, but it was going
meant. With a confused "Huh?" from me, she screamed again,
really freaking fast. And he dive-bombed my head.
"A bird is in our house! It just flew into you and mom's bedroom!" I jumped up from my chair and ran to my bedroom door. Abby and I both tried to sneak a peek through the door to see if we could spy our feathered intruder. After thoroughly looking
...Just the occasional chirp let
around the room from the doorway, I gently stepped inside. I
me know I was on the right track.
tiptoed around, as Abby stood close behind me, nudging me forward. "Stop pushing me!" I whispered to her. By the way we
As I came alongside the shower,
were acting, you'd think that we were in pursuit of an extremely
my fine-feathered friend made
dangerous beast of an animal.
his first appearance in our little game of cat and mouse.
After finding nothing in the bedroom, I started for the door of our master bathroom. I peeked my head inside, but still I could not see him. But then I heard it. A small chirp. Just a tiny little noise from over near the shower. I couldn't see it, but I knew he was in there. I began to formulate a plan. How could I catch him?
What happened next comes in small, short memories. I am not
First and foremost, I had to keep him in the bathroom, so I closed
certain if I actually suffered a head injury giving me amnesia or
the door. Then I decided that if I could use a bedsheet as a net, I
if I just sort of blacked out. But here is what I have figured out
could sneak in the bathroom, easily throw the sheet over it, then
after some reflection and putting the pieces together from the
wrap the sheet gently around it and carry it outside.
scene in the bathroom. First, the dive-bomb. Then, a very unmanly scream and slap at the bird, which barely made contact. DOSOUTHMAGAZINE
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people
This slap did, however, upset the bird very much, and he decided
easily be broken with my spazzy and crazy movements while try-
to show me just how much he didn't appreciate it. He then
ing to catch this monster. But this had to be done. I dropped the
shifted into supersonic gear and began angrily circling me, as
sheet over all of the items on the counter, along with the bird,
fast as he could go, while simultaneously attacking my head.
but SOMEHOW he got out, and somehow I jerked the hairspray
He pecked my hat, and I swatted him away, but at the same
and candle and vase onto the bathroom floor. Oh, and then he
time, swatted off my hat. This is the first time I really got a
was flying around the room again, desperately looking for a
glimpse of this flying mammoth. Judging by his massive wing-
way out. I was beginning to get desperate myself, so I grabbed
span, I am not even sure how he got through the window.
my hat and tried to grab him with it when he came by, but
He came back for more, and there was now nothing protect-
with no luck. Finally, after what must've been three excruciat-
ing my poor hairless noggin. Again, he found my weakness
ing hours (ok maybe it was ten minutes) in the torture cham-
and was capitalizing on it. His ferocious pterodactyl-like claws
ber with this vicious animal, he attempted one last flyby, and I
made contact with the softness of my scalp, and he was like a
made contact with my cap that I was using like a bat. The bird
lion that has tasted blood. More kamikaze-style flying by the
finally went down. He wasn't hurt, and he immediately tried
insane bird, and I had yet to have even gotten close to catch-
to get back up before I dropped the sheet over him. BOOM.
ing the thing. As a matter of fact, I dropped my sheet about
I had dominated the biggest, meanest, most fierce bird that
halfway through that last attack. The bird landed above the
east Texas had ever seen. With only my bare hands, and a fit-
shower, so I stood still for a moment and caught my breath. I
ted bed sheet. Eat your heart out, Bear Grylls.
was sweating like John Goodman in a corduroy suit. As I carried the sheet-wrapped bird to the backyard, the girls With my sheet raised, I headed towards the shower again. This
gathered around to see this wild animal I had conquered. I laid
time, he waited. I got closer, and closer, and then he dive-
the sheet down and began to unfold it. As soon as I pulled the
bombed my head again, only this time he made solid contact
sheet from the top of what surely must have been a massive
with my ear, and I screamed like Daniel Stern in Home Alone
condor-like bird that I had captured, we all stared down at only
when that kid put a tarantula on Daniel's face. My fear was high.
a small, brown sparrow. The tiny bird then hopped up, shook off
On a scale of 1-10, I'd give it a strong 11. It ranked up there with
his feathers and then flew away. We stood there staring, and
the time my dad found Skoal in my sock drawer when I was
then my ten-year-old daughter Emma said, "Was that the right
thirteen. The bird zoomed past me again, then hit the mirror,
bird? THAT little ol' bird made you all sweaty like that?"
速
and fell down on the counter. I grabbed my sheet and went in for the kill. But the bird was too fast, and once again, he was
Shut your yapper, kid. It looked a whole lot bigger in the house.
breaking sound speed records all up in my bathroom. I eased up to the counter and he landed behind several cans of April's hair spray, a candle, and a vase, all these things that could
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.
DOSOUTHMAGAZINE
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taste
O l e ! Ole!
! e Ol
Ole!
le!
! e l O
! e l O
! e Ol O Ole!
Ole!
Honey-Lime Chipotle Chicken Fajita Bowls words and images Lauren Allen recipe adapted from Carlsbad Cravings
DOSOUTHMAGAZINE
taste
! Ole! Ole! Ole! Ole!
O l e ! O ! le! le!
Ole! Ole! O
Ole!
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These Honey-Lime Chipotle Chicken Fajita Bowls are pretty simple and extremely delicious! They top my list of favorite dinner recipes – yes, they are THAT good. Don't be put off by the seemingly long list of ingredients because many of them are spices. Throw together the marinade in the morning and leave the chicken and vegetables marinating (separately) in the fridge all day. When it's time for dinner, simply make the rice and cook the chicken and veggies. The liquid smoke is my favorite ingredient in this dish. If you're not familiar with this product, it's in a small bottle near the BBQ sauces at your local grocery store, and it adds the tastiest smoky flavor!
INGREDIENTS: Chicken Marinade 2-3 chicken breasts
2 Tablespoons lime juice 1 Tablespoon honey
Olé!
1 ½ teaspoon olive oil
1 ½ teaspoon white vinegar 1 ½ teaspoon soy sauce 1 teaspoon liquid smoke 1 teaspoon chili powder
½ teaspoon ground cumin ½ teaspoon paprika
Olé!
¼ tsp cayenne pepper (optional) 1 teaspoon garlic powder ½ teaspoon salt Dash of pepper
Ziplock® bags - large
Fajita Vegetables Reserved marinade
2 heaping Tablespoons honey ½ red onion, roughly chopped
1 red bell pepper, roughly chopped
1 green bell pepper, roughly chopped
¾ cup corn (fresh, canned or frozen-thawed)
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taste
Cilantro Lime Rice and Black Beans
Chipotle Lime Sour Crema
2 Tablespoons olive oil
¾ cup sour cream
3 cloves garlic, minced
1 teaspoon of sauce from a can of chipotle chiles in adobo
½ cup red onion, chopped
1 ½ Tablespoon lime juice
1 teaspoon ground cumin
sauce, or more, to taste
1½ cups long grained white rice
Salt, to taste
3 cups chicken broth
cup cilantro, finely chopped
1 (14.5 oz) can black beans, drained and rinsed
1 heaping cup shredded Monterey Jack cheese, for topping
Dash of salt and pepper ½ cup cilantro, chopped
2 Tablespoons lime juice
METHOD: If using thick chicken breasts, pound thin with meat mallet or rolling pin, or slice horizontally to "torte" them in half.
Place chicken in a large Ziplock bag. Mix marinade ingre®
dients together. Pour HALF of the marinade mixture into the
Ziplock bag with the chicken. Add chopped vegetables to a ®
separate Ziplock® bag. To the remaining marinade, whisk in cup honey and pour marinade into the bag with the veg-
etables. Refrigerate vegetables and chicken for 4-8 hours.
discard marinade and add chicken to skillet. Cook for 2-3 minutes on one side, or until nicely browned. Turn chicken
over, cover and reduce heat to medium. Cook until chicken is cooked through (about 5 more minutes, depending on thickness). Remove to a cutting board and allow to rest 3-5 minutes before slicing.
Fajita Vegetables While chicken is resting, add 1 Tablespoon olive oil to the
Cilantro Lime Black Bean Rice When ready to cook, heat 2 Tablespoons olive oil in a large
saucepan over medium heat. Add onion, saute for 3-5 minutes or until tender. Add garlic and cumin, stir for 30 more
seconds. Add rice, saute for a few minutes to toast it a bit.
Stir in the black beans, chicken broth, and salt and bring to a boil. Once boiling, reduce heat to low, cover, and cook
for 18-20 minutes or until rice is cooked. Remove from heat.
Stir in lime juice and cilantro.
same skillet over medium heat. Pour fajita vegetables into a colander to drain the marinade. Add vegetables to the hot skillet and saute, stirring occasionally, for a few minutes,
until warmed through. I like them to still have a little crunch.
Assembly In bowls, layer rice, cheese, vegetables, and chicken. Top with Chipotle Lime Crema. Enjoy!
Chipotle Lime Crema While rice is cooking, prepare Chipotle Lime Crema by mix-
ing together the sour cream, lime juice, adobo sauce, and salt. Refrigerate until ready to serve.
Chicken Heat 2 Tablespoons oil in large skillet over medium high
heat. Once skillet is hot, remove chicken from Ziplock® bag,
DOSOUTHMAGAZINE
Lauren Allen is the creator of TastesBetterFromScratch.com, an exciting and beautiful food blog dedicated to sharing her love of cooking and creating new recipes. Lauren truly believes that everything tastes better from scratch!
taste
Mocha Mint INGREDIENTS > 1 oz. Crème de Menthe > 1 oz. Crème de Cacao > 1 oz. Kahlúa® coffee liqueur > 1 oz. cream or milk (your preference) > Dove® chocolate mint candy
METHOD Add ice to shaker. Place all ingredients except chocolate candy into shaker. Shake well. Strain into martini glass. Garnish with chocolate mint candy. Please drink responsibly. Never drink and drive.
Image Catherine Frederick
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48
travel
zipping
through the ozarks
LOCOROPES words Marcus Coker images courtesy Locoropes, taken by Michelle Edmonds
I felt like Tarzan. In training. I wasn't swinging from the treetops just yet, but I was standing in them. I had a bird's eye view of the Ozark Folk Center State Park in Mountain View, Arkansas, and it was breathtaking. For a moment, I felt myself relax and I thought I heard God speak. Time didn't exist. I was one with creation. I was free. As the wind picked up, I looked down forty-five feet and reconsidered my newfound freedom. Time may not exist, I thought, but gravity does. Tarzan was crazy. It was then that my legs began to shake. I told them to stop. They didn't listen. Just one hour before, I was standing in the Locoropes parking lot. I knew any activity that began with a legal waiver of liability had to be exciting. As I completed the paperwork, I noticed a gray-haired woman who had just finished the high-altitude ropes course that lay before me. She appeared to be alive and happy, which seemed promising. I couldn't wait to get started climbing trees, but safety comes first at Locoropes. I was tossed a harness to attach to my waist and legs. I stepped into the nylon belt, pulling the straps to make the fit tighter. One of the Loco Crew pulled the straps even more, and I gasped. Apparently, snug equals secure. The device gripped my waist and thighs and bunched my jeans in places you don't want your jeans to bunch. Things that keep us safe, I thought, are often functional but rarely flattering. DOSOUTHMAGAZINE
travel
I shrugged my shoulders and followed a family of seven to orientation. Our instructor was outfitted with a bandana, a walkie-talkie, and multiple carabiners, spring-loaded metal rings used for fastening ropes together when climbing. He had a ponytail and facial hair, and I imagined he ate a lot of granola. Standing in the middle of the forest, he looked like he knew what he was doing. He told us we would each be equipped with a personal protection system that would always be attached to something steadfast. He walked us through a miniature ropes course, which stood only a few feet off the ground. It allowed us to become familiar with the safety equipment and the course procedures. I was the last to finish, and as my feet returned to the earth, I was sold. I knew the
While I was busy getting my legs twisted amongst the ropes and
afternoon would pass too quickly. I was so eager
wires, several other adventurers were shimmying across cables and
for the real thing, that I later forgot his advice:
leaping off tree-supported platforms. All the course elements are
"Don't look down, look forward."
tree-to-tree, a feature that sets Locoropes apart from many other challenge courses, which often use telephone poles. Locoropes
The adventure that lay before me was a mid-
offers three treetop courses, totaling thirty-two different elements.
air obstacle course, built dozens of feet off the
Each course increases in difficulty, and all end with a zip line — a
ground. My challenge was to move from tree to
thrilling way to use a pulley, a cable, and the power of gravity to
tree via tight ropes, cargo nets, and suspended
return back to ground level.
logs, among other things. Still the last in line, and I could barely wait my turn. I wasn't the only excited
Farther away, several other adventurers were at the climbing tower,
one. The first of our group to start scampering
a rock wall with several difficulty levels. From the top of the tower,
through the trees was a four-year-old boy. That's
which could also be reached by stairs, a young girl was celebrating
right, I said a four-year-old was dancing amongst
her birthday as she shot 320 feet across the forest, suspended from
the branches — like one of Peter Pan's Lost Boys.
the Flying Pig Zip Line, a motorized pulley and cable system. A balding
It was his third time to complete the course. As I
man stood ready to experience the Hot Shot Free Fall, which is one
watched him move quickly and confidently, I knew
step off a forty foot platform and four seconds of gravity before
I had to keep up.
reconnecting with the earth. Don't worry, his landing was soft, thanks to a cable that slowed down his rate of dissension.
Heck, I thought, the oldest to complete one of the Locoropes courses was a seventy-nine-year-old
The courses, from "mildly cautious to seriously adventurous," are
man. I was not about to be outdone.
set up in the lush hilltops of Mountain View, and bring in visitors hoping to spend a day with nature, and expand their horizons.
For the most part, I wasn't outdone, unless, of
The season runs from March 1 through November 30, and is open
course, you count Andrew, who was in line behind
every day but Easter and Thanksgiving. All ages show up, and
me, and took my place as last in line. He joined
groups, like sports teams or academic clubs, often travel here
our group late, never seemed off balance, and
together. While it's certainly an adrenaline-charged day of fun, it's
sometimes didn't even use his hands. Granted, he
also a way for organizations to learn skills like team building and
was the owner's son, but by comparison, I felt like a
leadership.
grizzly bear trying to play ping pong. DOSOUTHMAGAZINE
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travel
As you begin to get the hang of what you're doing, your
Driving home, I considered the amount of time I spent in front of
confidence begins to grow, and that happens whether you're
my computer, on my cell phone, how little time I spent outside
naturally athletic or someone who sees Locoropes as a big
with the people I care about. I made a note to change all that. I
challenge. One of the best stories of the day was about a
realized how much I'd learned in just one exhilarating day. And
woman who was brought to the course by her son, who had
there was something inherently satisfying about feeling my legs
a season pass and wanted to share all this fun with her. She
shake beneath me — and continuing to move forward anyway.
made it to the part called The Runaway, which is also known as
Despite the involuntary quivering of my legs, I felt like Tarzan.
the Tarzan Swing, and she just didn't have the nerve to go any
In a safety harness.
farther. A few days later she came back and made it all the way through, thrilled that she had decided to take a second chance. While being up so high can seem startling, each climber wears a double-lock security system, which means you're unable to unhook from one safety cable until you attach to another. And
WHAT TO KNOW BEFORE
YOU GO LOCO!
if you do need to come down for any reason, the staff is there
COST
to help you.
Tower Adventure (No reservations needed) (Flying Pig Zip Line, Hot Shot Free Fall, or Planks Peak Climbing Wall) Cost for Adults and Kids $ 7.50 - tax included
Treetop Adventure (Reservation encouraged) End of the Line: Loco Lines 1,2,3 Under 18 $40 / Adults $50 Short Line: Loco Rope 1 $15 Jump the Line: Loco Line 2 or 3 $20 Tower Power Pack
Buy 4 Tower Adventures, Receive 2 Free
TRAVEL
Four hours, one way, from Fort Smith 1025A Park Ave, Mountain View, Arkansas 72560
HOURS
10am - 5pm, 7 days a week, March 1st - November 30th (closed only on Easter and Thanksgiving)
REQUIREMENTS Closed-toe shoes
minimum age / height: 43" for Treetop Adventures. There is no minimum age to participate. Children may trek the Treetop Adventure Loco Lines unaccompanied and be supervised from the ground, provided they are at least 12 years old and 58" tall. minimum weight: 30 pounds for Tower Adventures maximum weight: 290 pounds for Treetop Adventure and 250 pounds for Tower Adventures For more information, visit LocoRopes.com or call 870-269-6566
DOSOUTHMAGAZINE
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southern lit
Up on
Piney Mountain fiction Marla Cantrell
A
Allie Walker pushed aside two trashcans that held chicken feed,
brooding and invincible. The gash where the pickup had hit it was
scooted past the riding lawn mower and grabbed her ex-husband's
white and deep. There were fake flowers where the trunk met the
handsaw. The shed was dark, even when the sun was out,
ground, and baseballs, and notes written on poster board with
surrounded as it was by oaks and pines.
glitter paint. Life is but a dream, one message read, and Allie felt her stomach clench."Stupid," Allie said. "Life is anything but a dream."
She'd always loved the way a saw sounded when you bent it and
She stepped from the car, grabbed the saw and a long length of
then let it loose, that twang it made, like music, like Patsy Cline, all
rope, and walked to the tree.
sorrowful and strong at the same time. Today was her birthday. She was thirty-seven. Middle age was so Inside her house were two dozen people, filing past the deviled
close she could feel it. Her shoulder ached in winter and her right
eggs right about now, sipping wine and whiskey sours and talking
knee popped when she climbed stairs. Today, though, she felt equal
about knows what. She hated every one of them, including Deacon
to the magnolia, and she hoisted herself up on the lowest limb. The
Luther Tomm, who'd been drinking nervously while he pontificated,
saw hung from the rope that she'd looped through the opening in
so his rambling sounded like an infomercial for Jesus.
the handle, and the thing now swung across her back.
Allie put the saw in the back of her Ford Escape. Her son, Joey,
Allie climbed slowly, watching her feet. It wouldn't do to slip. The
called the SUV the Allie-mobile, ever since she'd decorated it with
sky rumbled and a flash of lightning fell across the eastern sky, too
decals she'd made herself. She'd brought home vinyl scraps — her
far away to matter. She stood as upright as she could in the big
boss called it "negative space," the pieces that were torn away to
tree, bracing her back against an "L" where a thick branch grew
reveal letters and pictures — from her job at Jinx Sign Shop. After
straight out, slid down to a sitting position, and grabbed the saw.
six years of work, there was hardly a space on the old car that didn't
When she was twelve, she'd climbed the pecan tree in the city park,
have an alien or a headless horseman or an angel with flames where
hid in its branches, and eavesdropped on the people who wandered
its wings should have been.
by. That's when she learned her math teacher was in love with a woman who was not his wife. He had said, "I cannot bear the
The road leading to the town square was quiet. It was that murky
complexity of my feelings." She wanted to hate him for it, but she
time of day, and clouds were tumbling in. Trash skittered across the
couldn't. From then on he seemed like a fraction that didn't have a
street. An ad for the new pizza place flew across her windshield and
common denominator, like a problem you couldn't work out on the
Allie hit the brakes. She looked at her hands. She was gripping the
biggest chalkboard in the world.
steering wheel so hard her knuckles stuck out. Allie surveyed the old magnolia. She began sawing just past the The magnolia, planted on the day in 1896 when the town was
place where she sat, the scrape of metal on wood the only sound
formed, stood at the center of the square like a villain, dark and
she wanted to hear.
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southern lit
When the limb finally fell, she leaned back, letting the tree
Talbott shook his head. He pulled on his gray rain slicker and
support her. The fallen part of branch hit the ground with a
grabbed the lowest limb."I'm coming up," he said. A bolt of
thump, bounced once, lay still. She let out a sigh, looked around.
lightning hit the lightning rod atop the courthouse just across the
It was getting dark, although it was barely five o'clock on this
way. Thunder roared and the earth shook and Talbott let out a
spring day. Her arm was hurting. She liked the feel of it, the burn
string of cuss words that sounded just about right to Allie.
that ran from shoulder to wrist. The rain started then, big drops that went splat, the sound loud as knocks at a door you couldn't
The deputy was younger than Allie by two years, and handsome
open. The lightning that had been a mile away only minutes
in a way that made you turn your head when you tried to look
before moved closer. Had it not been for the cover of leaves, she
at him straight on. Now, his face was shadowed by his hat and
would have been soaked, but so far she was only damp.
the gloaming of the late afternoon. Today, nobody was beautiful. When he reached a foothold just below Allie, he said, "I believe
She held the saw straight out, pushing it through the waxy green
you're committing a crime of some kind."
leaves. What she wanted at that moment was for the lightning to find her. She could imagine it, the electricity striking the metal,
"What if I am?" Allie asked. "Are you going to arrest me?"
running through her hand, ripping into her heart. If a spark from the saw started a fire, all the better. It could light up this tree,
Talbott blew out his breath, reached in his shirt pocket, pulled
and the tree would flash orange and red and burn to the ground.
out a cigarette. He sat down, straddling one of the middle tree
She said aloud, "I should have brought gasoline."
branches, and flicked his lighter. He took a long draw. Smoke seemed to stay in a cloud in front of his face. "I don't believe I
If your spirit stays where you draw your last breath, then she
am," he said, finally.
should be able to feel Joey here. But she did not feel him, just as she did not feel him in his bedroom, where his jeans still lay
Rain pelted Allie, thunder roared farther away this time, and she
crumbled on the rug, and his anthropology book lay open, face
suddenly felt as heavy as an ox.
down, on his oak desk. "Helluva view when the sun's out," Talbott said, craning his neck There was speculation, of course, that he'd been drinking when
to see Allie. "I used to climb this tree all the time. I used to hide
his truck hit the tree. He'd been going sixty in a place where
from my daddy up here. He was bad to drink, did you know that?"
thirty could get you a ticket. He had not been drinking — she had seen the toxicology report. What she feared most was that
"The whole town knew that," Allie said.
he'd done it intentionally. That kind of desperation ran through Allie's family, had taken her own father when he was younger
"Hard to live with a daddy like that."
than she is now. But Joey was more like his dad: easy going, fearless. His junior college baseball team, the Maysville Tigers,
Allie let go of the handsaw and let it hang limp from its rope. She
had just won the state championship, a slow pitch game, and
made a motion like a noose at her neck and craned her head to
he'd been coming home: excited, happy, careless.
one side. "My daddy did himself in. I don't know why."
No, he did not kill himself.
"Enough trouble in this world to fill the Grand Canyon," Talbott said, and those words, the Grand Canyon, caused Allie's heart to
Down below where the rain hit everything, Talbott Benson, the
jump. She'd taken Joey there when he was seven. He'd stood on
only deputy in town, shined his flashlight and called out. "Allie
the overlook and spread his arms out and said, "This is bigger than
Walker, is that you up there? Your car's right here. I know it's
God's cereal bowl!"
you." He paused, rubbed his neck. "You'll catch your death," he said, and then stopped abruptly at the word 'death.' He shined
When he was eight, he came in from feeding his Quarter Horse. He
his flashlight on the ground where the newly cut limb lay, "What
took Allie by the hand and led her outside. Queenie stood beneath
the hell do you think you're doing?"
the morning sun, which was shining so bright the horse seemed to DOSOUTHMAGAZINE
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southern lit
almost disappear into it. Joey said, "Queenie sure is pretty at night,
"Don't touch the stuff," Talbott said. "My daddy and all."
but this morning light is too much. This morning light defeats her." They drove then, out past the city limits, on the back roads they Allie had taken to writing down Joey's words. She had a gallon jar
both knew so well.
on her dresser, hundreds of slips of paper with his observations, his sweet, sweet words that seemed like something a prophet might say.
"You may be crazy right now, Allie," Talbott said. "That's understandable." Allie took another sip of whiskey and considered this.
She had cried so much in the last three days, trying to do it now was like having the dry heaves. Her face ached, her nose felt like it did
"I may be crazy from now on," she said, and then she grew quiet. The
when she plunged into the city pool and drew in a wave of chlorine.
road bumped beneath them — it was a patchwork of potholes and crumbling asphalt. After a while, she said, "Tell me about the last time
"I can't stand this world," she said.
you were happy. I need to hear a story that has happy people in it."
"I don't blame you," Talbott said, "nobody blames you," and then
Talbott rubbed his leg, he grabbed a paper towel from the roll and
he dropped his cigarette and reached up and touched Allie's ankle.
wiped the back of his neck. "I got this cabin up on Piney Mountain.
Allie closed her eyes. "Let's get down from here," Talbott said.
Not very big, half a century old. The walls are cedar inside and out, the floors are black oak. I go there on my days off. There's this deer
He made it to the ground first, and he held his arms up in case she
that's taken to me, a doe. She'll eat out of my hand. Last week I went
fell. She swung down easily, slipped on the wet grass, and lay there,
for a walk up the ridge and the yarrow is starting to bloom and the
the rain hitting her hard. Talbott scrambled to get her up, took her
black-eyed-susans. Well, this doe comes with me, like a dog would,
by the hand, finally, and led her to the police car just as a new wave
and she keeps nudging me from behind, and when I sat down on this
of lightning hit. He jumped, but she didn't. There was a thermos in
big mossy rock, she keeps rubbing her head against my shirt. And I
the front passenger seat, and she wrapped her hands around it for its
thought, I haven't seen a lot of evidence of God in my life, but maybe
warmth. He turned on the motor, cranked up the heat. The scanner
this is enough. This ridge, this doe, the sky blue as a lady's dress."
and radio, he turned off. Wiped his face with the back of his hand. "The doe could die," Allie said. She looked out the window. "Come "Take me somewhere," Allie said, "away from this," and she
hunting season."
pointed at the tree. "I haven't worked that part out yet." "Don't you think you ought to go home?" "My family has a history of doing themselves in. Not just my daddy. "I don't ever want to go home."
My aunt Ida. A cousin in California."
At the Quickie Pik, Talbott went in and picked up a roll of paper
"And my daddy drank, but I do not."
towels so Allie could dry off, a bag of pretzels, a bottle of whiskey. Allie's hair was almost dry now. It fell past her shoulders, straight, brown, shiny. Her jeans were just barely damp, but her socks had
"Take a sip," he said, when he got back in the car.
gotten wet and she'd taken them off. "It's my birthday," she said. Allie uncapped the bottle, drank, shivered.
"Thirty-seven, but today I feel a hundred."
"I could get fired for this," he said, and pointed at Allie, at the
"Thirty-five in April," Talbott said.
bottle, at the turned off equipment. "Joey won't ever be thirty-five," Allie said, and then coughed, and "You want a drink?"
then took another sip of whiskey.
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55
"I'm more than sorry," Talbott said. "Wish there was
Allie took another drink just as the road turned to gravel, and
something I could do."
another when the gravel turned to mud. When they got to the cabin, Talbott came to her side of the car and opened the door.
"Nothing anybody can do."
He took her hiking boots and put them on her feet. The rain was steady but the storm had passed. When she tried to stand, she
"I got a friend, an old guy I met on a fishing trip to Canada, who's from
couldn't do it, so he lifted her easily and carried her across the
the Dakota tribe. He believes the spirit world is only three feet above
porch and into the cedar cabin.
us, and that's where the dead go, and they become our guardian angels. They have a ritual that lasts for four days, making sure the spirit
She hadn't been lifted up since she was a kid, back before her father
is settled in good and proper. Everybody feels better when it's over."
died. She used to pretend she'd fallen asleep on long car rides, just to feel his strong hands lifting her from the backseat, just to feel safe in
"What do you think?"
his big arms.
"I think that sometimes horrible things happen to the best people
The thought of it made her stubborn tears start, and Talbott stroked
on earth. I don't know why. I don't know how we're supposed to
her hair while she cried. He set her down on the couch and made hot
get through it, but I do know we have to help the ones left behind.
tea. The rain was serious now, and the wind howled.
We can't leave a crazy woman up in a tree, for example." She slept, eventually, and when she woke Talbott was still there, out The whiskey had settled Allie down. She lay her head back against
cold in the old recliner that listed to one side.
the seat and listened to the windshield wipers whoosh. She hadn't slept a wink in three days. "I wouldn't mind Joey being three feet
Allie went out on the porch. The rain had stopped, and the air
above me. You were below me in that devil tree and I could hear
was cold and pure. She found a tree stump Talbott used as a side
every word you said."
table, cleared away the ashtray and stood atop it. Allie held her hand straight up; she knew she was at least three feet taller that
"Joey was a good kid, always polite. I saw him in the halls at the
way, and imagined Joey in the mist of morning, in a place where
middle school when I was their reserve officer. Saw him help a kid
everything made sense and nobody died. As long as she stood like
who'd dropped his books. He was one of those bused-in kids from
that, she felt a warm hand wrapped around hers. The feeling might
down by the river."
have been grief, she understood that. But it might have come from the clarity grief brings.
"It hurts to hear his name. It hurts not to hear his name. I'll have to move. I can't face that tree every day."
As soon as the thought materialized, Talbott's doe showed up, buff-colored and glorious. She climbed the steps to stand beside Allie. Talbott rose from his
"I've been told you can't make big decisions for at least a year after
chair as this was happening. Allie was not on the couch. He checked his gun;
something like this happens," Talbott said.
it was still in its holster, and he said aloud, "Thank God." When he bounded onto the porch, he saw Allie standing still, her hand raised, her hair tangled.
"I may decide not to get up tomorrow."
The doe did not even turn to greet him, just stood transfixed, watching. Allie stood like that for longer than seemed humanly possible, in the soft light of
Talbott ignored the meaning of that sentence. "Stay in bed as long as
morning, and Talbott bore witness to it all, though he would never speak of
you want," he said. "Get some rest. When you wake up, do it slow.
it again, not to anyone in this broken old world but Allie.
Make sure you eat something every day. Soup is good. Hot tea is good." When he turned the squad car around, Allie protested. "Don't take
Marla was awarded the Arkansas Arts Council 2014
me home," she said, and so he veered off the highway, cut across
Individual Fellowship for her work in short fiction, an honor
the valley, and started up the slick mountain road.
given to Arkansas artists who are recognized for their artistic abilities.
DOSOUTHMAGAZINE
56
Meet Kate!
I'm so happy to introduce you to Kate Edson, the newest member of the Do South team. We've grown by leaps and bounds in the past year but I felt there was still a piece missing from the puzzle. When I was introduced to Kate, I was thrilled, and knew instantly, she was that missing piece. Kate grew up here, has deep ties to our community, and she is a stellar marketing professional. If you have questions about advertising, I encourage you to give Kate a call. She can develop an effective and creative marketing plan, based on your business goals and your budget. She can be reached at 479.242.8222. Welcome Kate, we're lucky to have you with us! ~ Catherine
Hello Fort Smith! This is Kate. I'm thrilled to be the newest member of the Do South team. I will be in advertising sales, as well as assisting in all aspects of the magazine's publication. I have always had a love of reading, and when I came across Do South I was impressed by the quality of the stories and the content of the magazine. I grew up in Fort Smith, and after attending the University of Colorado, came back to Northwest Arkansas to work for Walmart, then moved to Atlanta for ten years and was involved in Business Development and Sales in the medical field. After a job transfer to Los Angeles a little over a year ago, I knew I was ready to come back to the place I've always considered home. I love Fort Smith and the people here. I have family and friends in town and the surrounding areas, and am so happy to be in closer proximity to them after such a long time away. I can't wait to get more involved in the community through the magazine. I look forward to meeting all of you! Sincerely, Kate Edson 479.242.8222
Welcome to our
Beauty & Fashion Guide!
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ALL ABOUT KIDS
This guide is for anyone who has a kid or knows a kid! Do South is bringing you the best of the best. Discover local physicians, boutiques, dentists, restaurants, sports programs, counselors, party places, educators, preschools, gymnastic programs, summer programs, tutors, entertainment, dermatologists, dance instructors, photographers, personalized gifts, and much more. April May All About Kids Summer Fun Want your business to appear in one of our upcoming guides? Find out about our great rates and digital extras. Give us a call. We'd love to send you our 2015 Guide Calendar! See you in April!
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