®
STORIED
NOVEMBER 2018 DoSouthMagazine.com
CONTENTS EDITOR-IN-CHIEF / OWNER Catherine Frederick CHIEF OPERATING OFFICER Scott Frederick MANAGING EDITOR Marla Cantrell CONTRIBUTING WRITERS / PHOTOGRAPHERS Marla Cantrell Catherine Frederick Jade Graves Dwain Hebda Megan Lankford Sara Martin Larry Rogers Jessica Sowards Jim Warnock Tom Wing GRAPHIC DESIGNER Artifex 323 - Jessica Mays PROOFREADER Charity Chambers
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PUBLISHER Read Chair Publishing, LLC
ADVERTISING INFORMATION
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INSIDE 18 32
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Catherine Frederick - 479.782.1500 Catherine@DoSouthMagazine.com
EDITORIAL INFORMATION
LIGHT IT UP!
Marla Cantrell - 479.831.9116
Pinecones. Wax. String. That’s all it takes to make these gorgeous fire starters for your fireplace, or as gifts! We’ll walk you through it, step by step.
Marla@DoSouthMagazine.com
ART IN MOTION Maggie Malloy: do-gooder, volunteer, and a stellar artist. Read her story before you make plans to go to her next art show, this one with budding photographer, Joseph Barry.
CRANBERRY TART Your Thanksgiving guests will gobble through the turkey just to get to this heavenly Cranberry Tart!
WALKING THROUGH WINTER Need to walk off your mama’s turkey and dressing and everything else that goes with it? Jim Warnock shares his tips for hiking in Arkansas this winter!
DOSOUTHMAGAZINE.COM
©2018 Read Chair Publishing, LLC. All rights reserved. The opinions contained in Do South® are exclusively those of the writers and do not represent those of Read Chair Publishing, LLC. as a whole or its affiliates. Any correspondence to Do South® or Read Chair Publishing, LLC., including photography, becomes the property of Read Chair Publishing, LLC. Do South® reserves the right to edit content and images. Printed in the U.S.A. | ISSN 2373-1893 Cover Image: Edgar Castrejon
FOLLOW US Annual subscriptions are $36 (12 months), within the contiguous United States. Subscribe at DoSouthMagazine.com or mail check to 4300 Rogers Avenue, Suite 20-110, Fort Smith, AR, 72903. Single issues are available upon request. Inquiries or address changes, call 479.782.1500.
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04
letter from the editor
You know you’re in Arkansas when you wake up to
if those recipes leave you wanting more, Marla
a light rain with temperatures in the upper sixties,
Cantrell highly recommends Reese Witherspoon’s new guide for Southern living, titled Whiskey in
and by the end of the afternoon you’re pulling
a Teacup. Read her review on page 12.
out your thermals because it’s a bone-chilling forty-three (I’m cold natured, so to me, fortythree basically feels like the arctic).
Once the gifts and the food are under control, we encourage you to get out and about! Hit the road
But I’m not complaining. I adore this time of year!
for Branson and stay a few days. The town and every-
I’m days away from shifting into full-blown holiday mode. I’ve put my family on alert, so hubby has probably
thing in it seem magical this time of year, and it’s not just because of the sparkly lights. Want to avoid the hustle and
already locked away the Christmas tree. He gets all, “That tree
bustle? Slow things down a bit, grab coat and gloves and take a
is NOT going up until the day after Thanksgiving!” And I get all,
hike. Jim Warnock sheds some light into the joy of winter hiking
“Huh? Whad’ya say?” I mean, I see his lips moving, but all I hear
with suggestions on what to bring along and even where to go.
are jingle bells, so what’s a girl to do? Once you’re ready to relax, we invite you to read Tom Wing’s I’ll tell you what. Wait until hubby leaves for work and then
story of ninety-seven-year-old veteran Lt. Irvin Sternberg, whose
BAM, Christmas explodes all over the house! You just leave
job it was to train bombardiers in World War II. Take in the
that naughty little Elf on the Shelf out and claim he did it. At
beauty of Maggie Malloy’s artwork, and delve into the life and
least that’s what I’ve heard you do. Obviously, this time of year
times of Kenneth Fry, recently retired after 34 years as editor of
requires strategic planning, and thankfully Do South is here to
the Press Argus-Courier.
®
help! From gift ideas to new recipes to heartwarming stories and suggestions on where to go when you need to get away. Our
We’re not done yet! Come along for an adventure with Jessica
little elves have been very busy—just for you!
Sowards as she shares her love of heirloom seed preservation and gardening, then pull up a seat as Dwain Hebda spends a
Let’s begin with our Holiday Gift Guide on page 56. It’s filled
Friday night at VFW Post 9095 and comes away with stories of
with gift ideas from local businesses we love, and it’s the perfect
camaraderie and valor.
place to start your Christmas shopping. Take it all in, then be sure and check back in December for even more fabulous gift ideas.
Sure, I'm thankful for the gift ideas, food, travel and stories to warm
Want a handmade gift? Check out my DIY pinecone fire starters.
our hearts, but most of all, I’m thankful for all of you! I hope you
They’re not only beautiful, but they also smell ahh-mazing. You’ll
enjoy this issue, that you do so surrounded by friends and family,
find them on page 20.
and that this time of togetherness is not rushed, but cherished for the blessing that it is. Enjoy, my friends, see you in December!
Now on to what makes the Thanksgiving holiday great: the food! I’ve gathered three tasty recipes perfect for holiday gatherings. If you like cranberries, you’ll love them. And,
~Catherine
Follow Do South® Magazine
To reserve this free space for your charitable non-profit organization, email: Editors@DoSouthMagazine.com.
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06
poetry
One spring LINEs Larry Rogers image courtesy Arkansas Department of Parks and Tourism Previously published in Red River Review
when I was a boy taking milk to market with my grandfather, we rounded a curve on the pig trail that connected us with the other world and were met by a fleet of blue, green, and yellow wild canaries. I was spellbound and he pulled over so I could watch them go from right to left across the cracked windshield of his ’39 Ford pick-up and into the scruffy underbrush of the River Valley.
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calendar
NOVEMBER
3
Submit your events to editors@dosouthmagazine.com
RD Bill Gaither Concert Fort Smith
premierproductionstickets.com
Western Arkansas Ballet’s Denim & Diamonds Fort Smith waballet.org Grab your favorite jeans and your best bling and enjoy dinner, drinks, entertainment, a silent auction and other activities, all in support of Western Arkansas Ballet. Tickets, $55 or $400 for a table of 8.
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Head to the Fort Smith Convention Center for a night of gospel music hosted by Bill Gaither, known for such Southern Gospel hits as “Wouldn’t Take Nothing for My Journey Now.”
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TH
On a Winter’s Night Russellville ac-me.org or 479.498.6600 An evening tribute to Trans-Siberian Orchestra featuring some of the state’s best artists will be held at the Center for the Arts in Russellville. The concert benefits the Arkansas Center for Music Education.
Veterans Day Parade and Celebration Fort Smith chaffeecrossing.com
Local Color Radio Hour, Volume 3 King Opera House. Van Buren facebook.com/ spinninroundproductions/
The celebration begins at noon in the Historic District with a parade followed by a Veterans Honors Ceremony. Enjoy live music, food trucks, a giant inflatable slide, face painting, and games. DOSOUTHMAGAZINE.COM
Enjoy a live showcase of local music, history, culture, and storytelling through radio drama, skits, and commercials! This "Prairie Home Companion" style show is sure to entertain and educate! Doors open at 7, tickets $5.
calendar
THETOPTENTHETOPTEN
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TH
11th Annual Black Tie Bingo Gala Fort Smith fortsmithlibrary.org
Arguably Australia’s most successful international touring act, with 29 countries to their touring credits, The TEN Tenors will perform at the ArcBest Corp. PAC, with music from their new album, Wish You Were Here.
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Support the Fort Smith Public Library and enjoy a fabulous night of fine dining, exciting bingo games, and outstanding raffle items. Tickets, $150 per person. Proceeds benefit the Fort Smith Public Library.
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TEN Tenors Fort Smith uafs.universitytickets.com
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Victorian Christmas at Drennen-Scott Historic Site Van Buren vanburen.org Enjoy Christmas the way it used to be at the Drennen-Scott House, between 5:30 and 8:30pm. Kids’ crafts projects, holiday treats, eggnog, and it’s free of charge. Park at the Crawford County Courthouse and ride the shuttle bus!
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DEC. 1 S T Season’s Greetings Concert Fort Smith uafs.universitytickets.com Get free tickets for the Season’s Greetings Concert, held at the ArcBest Corp. PAC, by UAFS students in various music programs. There’s even a singalong!
DOSOUTHMAGAZINE.COM
Jingle and Mingle Van Buren vanburen.org Van Buren’s Historic Main Street hosts their Jingle and Mingle Holiday Market and Open House. Horse-drawn carriage rides, photo ops with Santa, hot cocoa, carolers, living windows, and door prizes!
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community
Our Community Cares words Do South® staff
The Junior League of Fort Smith has been empowering women to act as agents of social change since 1960. Every year, it provides volunteer and leadership training to women who are tackling tough issues facing the River Valley and working to build a better community. Do South® connected with Ashleigh Buckley, President of the Junior League of Fort Smith, to talk about their mission.
311 Garrison Avenue Fort Smith, AR 479.783.3930 jlfs.org
DS: How long has the Fort Smith chapter of Junior League been serving our area?
Ashleigh: The Junior League of Fort Smith has a rich history going back to 1951 as the Fort Smith Service League when a group of women started the day nursery for families in need of childcare. In 1960, the chapter received affiliation from the national Junior League organization, and we became the Junior League of Fort Smith. DS: How many members do you have, and are all the members from Fort Smith?
Ashleigh: We currently have 288 women in the Junior League of Fort Smith. There is no requirement that our members live in a certain place. We have members who live in Oklahoma and many of the surrounding areas. DS: If any of our readers would like to join the Fort Smith Junior League, what should they do?
Ashleigh: JLFS welcomes all women who are committed to voluntarism and a desire to improve the community around them. We recruit new members every spring, and our application deadline is May 31. Please visit jlfs.org for more information on how to join and follow us on Facebook to learn about upcoming member information sessions. DS: What are your big projects for this year?
Ashleigh: In 2013, JLFS turned its focus to the foster care crisis presently affecting our area of the state. In doing so, we started the Skills for Life class, which provides monthly life skills lessons to foster youth preparing for adulthood. They learn skills we often take for granted, such as applying for a job, budgeting, housing, nutrition, and vehicle maintenance. This year, we also announced the new Junior League of Fort Smith Scholarship, which will be awarded this spring to a college-bound teen in foster care. DS: Can you tell our readers about your upcoming Holiday Home Tour?
Ashleigh: Holiday Home Tour on December 2 is my favorite way to kick off the holiday season Next month, we’ll showcase another worthy charity in our area. If you have a non-profit you’d like to see recognized, email us at editors@dosouthmagazine.com.
and get in the Christmas spirit! This self-guided tour around town provides exclusive access to several beautifully-decorated Fort Smith homes all decked out for the holidays. Tickets are on sale now, and the proceeds help fund our community impact projects. We also have a VIP brunch the morning before the tour that includes door prizes and holiday decorating tips. DS: How can Do South® readers get tickets to Holiday Home Tour?
Ashleigh: Tickets may be purchased online at holidayhometour2018.eventbrite.com.
DOSOUTHMAGAZINE.COM
pets
A new home for the holidays M
F
M
Sasha
MJ
M
M
Buster
Bixby
M
Harley
Norm
Almost Home Shelter and Rescue 3390 Pointer Trail East - Van Buren, AR | 479.462.3122 or 479.629.0056 | Almost Home Shelter and Rescue is a 501C-3 Non-Profit all volunteer staffed facility. They work in partnership with Van Buren Animal Control to find loving, forever homes for the dogs in their care. All dogs will be spayed or neutered and up to date on vaccines when adopted. Please consider adopting or fostering one of their sweet pets. Each month, Do SouthÂŽ 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.COM
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entertainment
Whiskey in a Teacup What Growing up in the South Taught Me About Life, Love, and Baking Biscuits By Reese Witherspoon Touchstone | 303 pages | $35 review Marla Cantrell
When the world seems to be tipping into a tsunami of bad
In the background is a wave of nostalgia that feels like a
news and bickering, it’s a relief to find a book that’s as gentle as
street lined with magnolias. As you step into Reese’s childhood,
Reese Witherspoon’s Whiskey in a Teacup. The title comes from
you can almost smell the Aqua Net hairspray, see the wide
Reese’s grandmother Dorothea who described southern women
porches of her Tennessee home, feel the condensation on a
as delicate as a teacup on the outside but fiery as whiskey on the
mason jar of iced tea on a sweltering day.
inside. She appears throughout the book in old sepia photographs and in anecdotes from Reese, who talks about how her grand-
It’s easy to get caught up in the look-behind-the-curtain tale
mother taught her manners, fashion, and the rules of being a lady.
of a star as big as Reese. But beyond that are practical tips on everything from the perfect way to style your hair with hot
Other members of Reese’s family show up in stories that delight.
rollers to how to be the perfect dinner party guest.
Her mother, Betty, a retired nurse, works as a hostess in a honkytonk because she loves being around people. Her grandfather,
The recipes, from family, friends, and Reese, make the book
Jimmy, was a World War II fighter pilot who loved gardening,
even more enticing, and many fall in the realm of old southern
and showing Reese the ropes as he harvested tomatoes and
cooking. There are tips on celebrating the holidays, how to throw
pruned roses. Her brother, John, shares his recipe for ribs and
a barbecue, even how to be a do-gooder.
barbeque sauce. And her surgeon father, John, Sr., makes an appearance at the bowling alley where Reese became a stellar
As my own grandmother would have said, it seems as if Reese
bowler. There are also stories about Reese’s husband, her three
was raised right. She is enthusiastic about decorating her home,
children, and her three dogs, one of which is named Hank Williams.
putting a monogram on anything that’s not moving, and making sure she’s a good friend.
The stories of her childhood show a girl who wanted to grow up to be president and marry Willie Nelson. On picture day
Whiskey in a Teacup is a beautifully designed book, with certain
when she was in second grade, her mother, who believed you
pages that look as if they’re printed on vintage wallpaper. It’s a
didn’t look awake without wearing blush, called Reese back
great book to own and an even better one to give to someone
to the car and applied so much blush to her cheeks that she
starting out.
looked sunburned in her class photos.
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community
This year, as Fort Smith celebrates its bicentennial, author and historian Tom Wing will be sharing stories of our city’s past in each edition of Do South®.
IRVIN STERNBERG, PILOT AND PATRIOT words Tom Wing, Author and Historian IMAGEs courtesy Tom Wing
During WWII, the most widespread war in history, approximately 16 million Americans served in the military. It is crucial we hear the stories of those who served and to record those stories so that we’ll never forget all that was done on our behalf. Recently, I had the pleasure of sitting down with Irvin Sternberg to hear his story. Irvin Sternberg, whose father owned a dental practice, was born in 1921, graduated from Fort Smith High School, and due to a sister living in Stockton, California, attended the University of California at Berkley, majoring in Commerce (business). He graduated in the spring of 1941 and returned to Fort Smith, working as a timekeeper at the newly created Camp Chaffee. On December 7, 1941, the Japanese attacked the U.S. Naval Base at Pearl Harbor, which ushered the U.S. into World War II. Lt. Irvin Sternberg and his AT-11 bombing trainer, Fort Smith Airport, 1943
Just weeks later, in January 1942, the Army Air Corps Exam Board came to Fort Smith. Irvin was one of thirty chosen to test, and one of thirteen who made the cut. The oral, physical, and written exams were given in the basement of the downtown post office, known today as the Isaac C. Parker Federal Building. At this point, Irvin had no idea if his assignment would be combat, training, or logistics.
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community
Irvin was given a week to settle his affairs before leaving the Tom with Irvin
Kansas City Southern Station in Fort Smith for Higley, Arizona. From Higley, later known as Williams Air Force Base, Irvin was transferred to Santa Ana, California, a newly built airfield Irvin described as “a sea of mud” for Cadet Training. He still remembers rifle calisthenics every morning in the dark, something he didn’t see much value in for pilots. Upon graduating as a cadet, Irvin’s pay raised from sixteen dollars to seventy-five a month. He took basic flight training in a PT-17 Stearman Biplane and learned basic flight maneuvers such as stalls, spins, loops, lazy eights, and the Immelmann, named for a German WWI pilot. He marveled that he had to speak with his training pilot, in the staggered cockpit, through a rubber hose. From there, he trained in the more complicated BT-13 Valiant, a fixed landing gear monoplane. For the first time, Irvin flew at night. Next, he flew the T-6 Texan practicing gunnery. Irvin described his instructor for this part of his training as a “strict taskmaster” who unexpectedly took the pilots on an unauthorized flight over and through the Grand Canyon, a reward for finishing their training. He was promoted to Second Lieutenant and received his wings. He also got married about this time to Jean. They were married for fifty-two years at the time of her passing.
the Detroit Tigers and the Chicago Cubs, where he bought
When he carefully showed me Jean’s picture, his great love for
pennants for both teams.
her seemed to fill the room. The war with Germany ended in May 1945, and with Japan Fully trained as a pilot, he was assigned to fly a Beechcraft
in August. A points system was implemented to send military
AT-11, a cargo/passenger plane equipped with remote doors
personnel home. Those with combat experience received more
in the floor serving as a bomb bay. Irvin’s job was to fly the
points, of course. While many were sent home, Irvin remained in
plane while bombardier trainees practiced with the top-secret
service and was transferred to Europe. He spent time in France,
Norden Bomb Sight. The bomb sight allowed for high altitude
Germany, and Italy as a B-17 co-pilot. He even made a trip to
accurate bombing of enemy targets far below. Irvin had to fly
Morocco and spent time in Casa Blanca, which in his words
level and at a constant speed at 10,000 feet for the bombing
“appeared untouched by the war” in contrast to the devastated
practice, fighting wind, turbulence, and his own inexperience.
landscapes of the other locations where he was posted. Finally,
The AT-11 could carry ten one-hundred-pound practice bombs.
in 1946, he had enough points to go home, arriving in the US
The bombardiers he practiced with later dropped real bombs on
first at Fort Dix, New Jersey before leaving the service at Fort
Japan and Germany during the war.
Bragg in North Carolina. A train brought him home to Fort Smith just as one had taken him away in 1942. Irvin loved to fly, and in
In mid-1944, Irvin was transferred to Waco, Texas, and
recent years, was treated to a ride in a restored B-17.
assigned to test-fly repaired planes. During this time, he flew the iconic B-17, B-24, and P-38 fighter planes. He also logged
At ninety-seven years old, Irvin recalled the events told in this
some flying time in an AT-11, flying higher-ranking officers
story as if they were yesterday. I marveled at his recall of details
to their destinations. Required to make a long-distance flight
so vividly stored in his mind. I was thankful to be invited to sit
once a year, Irvin went home with a fellow pilot to Detroit,
beside him at his eastside Fort Smith home as he recounted this
and watched three games of the 1945 World Series between
pivotal time in our history.
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shop
words Catherine Frederick imageS Jade Graves Photography and courtesy vendors
DefendEar Shooter Hearing Protection
CENTER FOR HEARING 479.785.3277
Continuum, Solaia & Trimbach Wines, Handpainted Glassware
SODIE’S WINE & SPIRITS 479.783.8013
B&B Fine Gems, Platinum & Diamond Tsavorite Garnet Ring, 6.68ct. Tsavorite Garnet 3.14cts. Diamonds
JOHN MAYS JEWELERS 479.452.2140
Fresh Fruits & Vegetables, Bigelow Pumpkin Spice Tea, Farmer’s Market Organic Pumpkin Pie Mix, Quorn Meatless Roast
OLDE FASHIONED FOODS 479.782.6183 / 479.649.8200
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shop
We’re feeling a bit elfish this month as we deliver our round-up of favorite holiday delights from local businesses! From spirits to unique gifts, to personal items and must-have foods, we’ve discovered something for everyone. When you visit one of our friendly advertisers, be sure and tell them Do South® sent you!
Piehole Pecan Pie Whiskey, Pennsylvania Butch Egg Nog, Holiday Décor Eau Thermale Avène Skincare Products
IN GOOD SPIRITS
ARKANSAS VEIN CLINICS & SKINCARE
479.434.6604
479.484.7100
Humming Birdies Apron, Reversible, 100% Cotton Apron, Made in the USA
MADMADE DESIGN
We Love Eyes® Eyelid & Eyelash Foaming Cleaner, Cleansing Oil & Makeup Remover Oil
DR. STEVEN B. STILES OPTOMETRY 479.452.2020
madmadedesign.com
DOSOUTHMAGAZINE.COM
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diy
Light
it Up!
words and images Catherine Frederick
There are few things I love more during the holidays than making gifts for family and friends. These pinecone fire starters make the perfect hostess gift or party favor, but be sure to save some for yourself! They smell amazing and are almost too pretty to burn!
DOSOUTHMAGAZINE.COM
diy
COLOR & SCENT Finely chop color block, add to wax, stir to combine. Drip small amount of wax on wax paper to test color saturation. If not dark enough, add more color, if too dark, add more soy flakes. I used candle fragrance. Add scented oil to wax, stir, add more to your liking. Do your research if using essential oils; some are not meant to be burned!
COOL & WICK
materials
Wait 20-30 minutes before dipping pinecones. Hot wax does not adhere well and you’ll end up
One pound of wax makes seven to eight,
dipping several times if you dip too soon. Cut 12”
3-4” pinecones, which have been
of wicking per pinecone. Fold in half, tie a loop
dipped three to four times.
knot at top, leaving two long sections. Wind them
•
Pinecones – find yourself or purchase
from top to bottom. Poke ends inside the pine-
•
Soy wax flakes – Natural Soy brand
cone – you may need a toothpick to help.
•
Candle fragrance oil – Crazy Candles brand
•
Candle dye –Yaley Dye Blocks
DIP & GIFT
•
Wired candle wicking – Outus brand
Once wax begins to thicken slightly, it’s time to
•
Candle making pour pot – (Top Grade
dip (about 130˚-140˚). Grip loop at top, dunk
Goods) or a large, heatproof container,
pinecone in wax – use an old spoon to press down
and a large pan
if needed. Pull up, drain off excess wax, set on
•
Wooden spoon
wax paper to dry for 10-15 minutes. Break off
•
Wax paper if desired, I used cardboard
large wax from the base, saving to reheat later if
•
Tags, if gifting
needed. Repeat dipping process two to four times
in opposite directions throughout the pinecone
until you have the desired cover and color. If you
method PREP & HEAT
Its tie to prepare your area! Cover your countertop completely with material which can be easily discarded, like cardboard or foil, then add wax paper on top if desired. Using the double boiler method, place heatproof container (ONLY used for crafting) into a large pan of water. Bring water to gentle boil, add soy flakes to the heatproof container. Stir constantly. Melt the wax slowly.
dip more than two times, you will probably have to reheat wax, which is ok! To finish, dip top loop and your fire starter is complete! Tie a cute tag to the loop of each pinecone, if gifting.
TIPS: If wax is too hard, reheat. If the pinecone is dull, the wax was too cold. Use hotter wax for shine. Drain off as much wax as possible between dips. Be patient! Leftover melted wax? Make a jar candle! Place a section of wicking into a jar, suspend by the loop with a utensil resting on jar mouth to keep it upright. Pour melted wax in jar and let solidify. DOSOUTHMAGAZINE.COM
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lifestyle
My Favorite T hings Do South® Magazine Reviews words Catherine Frederick Images courtesy vendors
Can you feel it? The frenzy of the holidays is fast approaching and that means shopping for friends and family. If you are looking for unique gift ideas, I’ve got you covered. Start shopping now, and you’ll avoid the last-minute mania! This month, I’m featuring some of my favorite things for the foodie, the cook, as well as the cocktail and wine connoisseurs on your list. Happy Holidays!
Amanda Lee Glassware Mix and match so you always know which glass is yours, or grab a complete set. Either way, you can’t go wrong with Amanda Lee’s American-made thematic glassware. Each glass is hand crafted in her studio, is highly durable, and meant to be used daily. From golf or art enthusiasts on your list or simply someone who collects beautiful and unique glassware, you’ll fall in love with all of Amanda’s designs, just as I have.
$18 & up, amandaleeglassware.com
ChocZero Sugar Free Syrups & Keto Bark Indulge without the guilt? Yes, please! ChocZero’s delicious line of sugar-free syrups and keto bark chocolates top my list of things I crave. The syrups are perfect for drizzling over your favorite dessert, a fluffy stack of pancakes, or in your favorite warm beverage. From maple, to pumpkin pie, to coconut, there’s a flavor for everyone! Be sure to try their dark chocolate keto bark with sea salt – my favorite is the walnut!
$7.99 (syrup) / $6.99 (bark), choczero.com
Spirdust Stocking stuffer alert! Give your beverages extra sparkle this season with Spirdust by Roxy & Rich, a glitter powder you add to drinks to make them swirl and twirl with vibrant, iridescent colors. Use it in cocktails, wine, and even beer. Just add a smidge to your glass, stir, and sip! It won’t affect the flavor of your drink or stain your teeth or lips. It comes in seventeen amazing colors, just choose either shimmer dust with pearl effect or shimmer dust dye.
$8.99 1.5 grams, spirdust.com
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lifestyle
DiamoTech™ Cookware DiamoTech™ is a cooking connoisseur’s dream! I’ve used Red Copper pans for a while now, but DiamoTech™ has won me over. DiamoTech™ is non-stick cookware with a ceramic coating that allows you to cook without butter, oil or grease. The heat is evenly distributed and the pans are scratch resistant. You can even toss them in the dishwasher and the oven (safe to 500 degrees). I’ve found that the pan wipes up easily, with no scrubbing. They say it’s the last pan you will even need to own, and they made me a believer! Available as a single pan, or as sets.
$19.99 - $119.99, diamotechpans.com
Madmade Aprons When I think back to my grandma, I always see her in an apron. I’ve had a few over the years, but none like Madmade’s. Made from super soft, lightweight cotton, these tunic-style aprons are heirloom quality and have wide shoulder straps, adjustable ties, and full width pockets. Made in the USA with fourteen print combinations, they come in three sizes and are reversible, so you get two-in-one. Madmade is the perfect gift for all the cooks on your list!
$59.00, madmadedesign.com
Üllo Wine Purifier This one’s for the wine lovers! Using Selective Sulfite Capture™ Filters, the Üllo wine purifier removes those nasty sulfites that can cause a dreaded wine headache. It also aerates the wine, allowing the natural flavors of the wine to be tasted in every glass. Üllo works perfectly on red and white wines, and is small enough to travel along anywhere you go so you’ll always have an enjoyable wine experience.
$79.99 (purifier) / $19.99 (6-pack filters) ullowine.com
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people
There is a Garden Words and images Jessica Sowards
DOSOUTHMAGAZINE.COM
people
I
I love flying. It doesn’t matter how old I get, how dignified I
to whatever platform I had and told of finding passion in the
am, or how much responsibility I carry on a daily basis. When
garden. I encouraged people to try, and when they failed, to
on an airplane, I am six years old, and I want the window seat.
try again.
It is wonderful, and I fully expect to be wowed by the process even if I take a million airplane rides in this life.
I wasn’t looking for a job in teaching people how to garden. I wasn’t looking to sell seeds. I just cared about it so much
Last winter, just like the several before it, I spent hours
that people noticed. The world is full of those barely
poring over heirloom seed catalogs. It’s been my winter
surviving. Thriving catches people’s attention.
tradition for years now. Every year, when the weather turns cold and mean, a stack of seed catalogs sits with sticky notes
In summer, my garden thrived. Under the watchful eye and
and pens next to my green chair. There, as close to the fire-
industrious hand of the gardener, my garden grew into a glorious
place as a cold-natured person can comfortably sit, I turn the
thing. And all those seeds? The ones I’d collected in the dead of
pages, and my list grows. My friends buy me seeds for my
winter? They grew into massive plants covered in fruit. Tomato
birthday in December. My husband Jeremiah slips money into
plants with ancestor seeds that had passed hands on the Under-
my stocking at Christmas with a note, “For seeds.”
ground Railroad. Melons rescued from the brink of extinction in Punjab by a seed collector passionate enough to bring some
Last winter was no exception. In fact, last winter may have
home to his little garden and call them worthy. Cucumbers with
found an even more intense focus on seeds, because last
stories that started in Paris. And peppers from a village in South
winter we doubled the size of our garden. When February
America. Over and over, plant after plant was laden with stories.
came, perhaps slightly hastily, I started more than seventyfive varieties of heirloom tomatoes in my greenhouse. That
I have always been a storyteller. Much like with the window
little space is my haven in the weeks counting down to the
seat of an airplane, I cannot help but contain the girl in me
last frost. It becomes a womb filled to the brim with bright
when it comes to a good story. But I became accustomed to
green life on a brown and sleeping farm.
the overwhelmed look on people’s faces when they would visit my greenhouse or garden. When I would begin spouting
When spring came with her Bradford pear blossoms and her
off the history of countless varieties of heirlooms, Jeremiah,
promise not to let the winter freeze my world for at least seven
in his gracious gentleness, would put his hand on my shoulder
months, I met her at the garden gate in my overalls with a shovel
and say, “Honey, I think you may be overwhelming them.”
in one hand and pulling a wagon full of tomato plants in the other. In spring, I planted my garden. With the help of my husband and friends, the dreams and plans of the winter unfurled their roots and leaves in my 10,000-square-foot space. And they grew. My goodness, did they grow. That wide array of heirloom plants grew with such fervor, stretching their arms to the sun like ardent worshippers. They covered my kitchen table with their offerings, and in turn, I took to YouTube, to Instagram, to Facebook. I turned DOSOUTHMAGAZINE.COM
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I’d laugh and apologize, though I wasn’t sorry. The stories just
food and about growing heirlooms. There were vendors with
overflowed from that place that cared so much. And even if
seeds, and plants so rare, I’d never even heard of them before. I
they weren’t for everyone, I knew they were important.
stood at a vendor booth and smiled to myself as I heard the seed seller telling of jewel-toned beans as if they were, in fact, gems.
When I first started telling the stories on my YouTube channel, I expected the same response. The bewildered “Whoa, whoa.
There was an exhibition hall, with a mountain of squash that
Slow down.” But it didn’t come. Instead, the story lovers gath-
towered over my head. Along dozens of tables were fruits
ered, and they listened, and they asked for more.
and vegetables I’d never seen aside from the glossy pages of seed catalogs. We returned home with so many seeds, we
My YouTube channel grew. I shared my garden and the stories
had to make an unplanned trip to the store to purchase an
that grew in it, and I found there were others who cared. Then,
extra carry-on bag. And just like that, my storybook grew.
one morning in the summer, an email came that left me dancing by the bed in my nightgown. I’d been invited to California, to
As a thirty-two-year-old woman, only just stretching her legs
the National Heirloom Seed Expo by Baker Creek Heirloom Seed
into the world of heirlooms, I feel like I’m only on Chapter
Company. Their catalog had sat at the top of my stack for years.
Three of my own gardening story. It is a beautiful tale. One
They wanted me to come speak at their expo about my joy for
with magical places like warm, rock-floored greenhouses
the garden and about the stories of heirloom vegetables.
that smell like earth and life. One with adventures of soaring through the skies to faraway lands to collect would-be-
I said yes.
forgotten seeds. It is one with a beautiful supporting cast of story lovers, cheerleaders, and friends.
In the fall, Jeremiah and I spent an entire day on airplanes making our way to California. I felt like a child who had been given a
I don’t know where my story goes or where it ends. But one
gold star for her excitement. We spent three days at the expo
thing I can be sure of, there’s a lot of beauty, a lot of history,
meeting people from all over who were passionate about real
very good food, and there is a garden.
To watch Jessica’s garden tours, visit her YouTube channel, Roots and Refuge.
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garden
words Megan Lankford, Lead Horticulturist, Botanical Garden of the Ozarks image courtesy Botanical Garden of the Ozarks
THE DIRT:
november in the Garden
Sustainable gardening is gardening with the earth and future generations in mind. By now we all know reducing or not using pesticides can benefit wildlife; however, there are more things we can do to ensure our gardens are sustainable. Here are just a few.
TIPS : Drip irrigation in both vegetable and ornamental beds will take you a long way on the sustainability path. Not only will drip irrigation save you time and money, it will also reduce the likelihood of disease in your gardens. Once your lines are set up, all you have to do is hook the hose to the system and run it as long as is needed. You can also have a professional system installed if you don’t feel comfortable doing it yourself. There are some great starter kits online for home gardeners. Keeping your soil covered with mulch or cover crops will also reduce the likelihood of disease. In vegetable gardens, many diseases come from the soil when it splashes on the plants during rain, or when they’re being watered. Mulch and cover crops prevent bare soil, and thus prevent
YOU CAN PLANT: All trees Shrubs Perennials that are hardy at least one hardiness zone north of your own
the splash-up. Cover crops and mulch have many other benefits as well, including keeping the moisture in the soil and eventually decomposing. Healthy soil equals healthy plants, and plants that are healthy are much less prone to disease and insect damage. Compost and organic matter are key to thriving soil and plants. However, you can add too much, which can cause problems when growing certain plants. This includes excess nitrogen in the soil, which can prevent many vegetables from blooming and/or forming fruit. Apply no more than one-half inch of compost in a given year, and be sure to have your soil tested at least every other year. DOSOUTHMAGAZINE.COM
Determine your hardiness zone and locate your county extension office for free soil testing at uaex.edu.
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You
Win with the
Positive
WORDS Marla Cantrell image Ken Fry photo courtesy Ken Fry via Heritage Portraits. Sunset courtesy Ken Fry
Kenneth (Ken) Fry sits inside the bookstore Chapters on Main
In all these years, talking to those in power and those in trouble,
in Van Buren, Arkansas, just four days before his retirement
he exercised respect.
as editor for the Press Argus-Courier, the twice-weekly paper covering Crawford County. He is wearing a light windbreaker
While his reputation is important to him, he doesn’t take
even though the temperature dropped to forty-four degrees
credit for much else. He was taught by the best, beginning
today. He takes a drink of his coffee—Americano, no cream,
with his Van Buren High School journalism teacher, Mary
no sugar—before he speaks.
Maude Gallagher. He’d taken her class in 1966, his senior year, thinking it might be an easy grade. But Mary, brand new
The first question he answers is how was he able to complete
to the job, started putting out a serious newspaper.
a fifty-two-year career with such a favorable reputation. Ken smiles and says, “My mama taught me to treat people like you
At home, the lessons multiplied. Ken’s dad, Leroy, was the
want to be treated.”
editor for the morning edition of the now-Times Record DOSOUTHMAGAZINE.COM
people
(there was also an afternoon edition at that time), and someone Ken both dearly loved and admired.
Kenneth Fry
With graduation looming, Ken enrolled in Westark (now UAFS) and asked his dad for a part-time job, but he wouldn’t hire him. Instead, he sent him to talk to General Manager Ross Pendergraft, who was more than ready to take a chance on another Fry. Armed with a pay slip that said he’d earn $1.30 an hour, he went back to his dad’s office. “Dad took a look at the slip and said, ‘Minimum wage is $1.25 an hour, and you don’t have any experience,’” Ken says. “He took a pen and marked through the 30 to change it to 25. “I was going to start after graduation on Friday, and I asked for a week off. Dad said, ‘I’ll give you Saturday night. Be at work on Sunday.’ “I learned to treat people the way I wanted to be treated from my mama, I got my work ethic from my dad.” For the first three years, Ken worked on the copy desk, editing and writing headlines on the night shift. He became a reporter after that, and in 1973, added afternoon news editor to his list of duties. The first big story Ken covered happened on April 19, 1968,
“I learned to treat people the way I wanted to be treated from my mama, I got my work ethic from my dad.”
when he arrived at work wearing his Sunday best. He’d been told he’d get off early to celebrate his twentieth birthday.
Vietnamese refugees to Fort Chaffee beginning in 1975, an
But that afternoon, an F4 tornado hit Greenwood, killing
event that made national news. In May 1980, more than 19,000
fourteen. The paper sent Ken and photographer Henry Barnett
refugees from Fidel Castro's infamous Muriel Boatlift, landed at
to see what they could find. They passed an uninjured state
Fort Chaffee, and on June 1, a Sunday when Ken was at Kerr
trooper whose car had been blown over, and he tried to stop
Lake, a riot broke out at Chaffee, injuring sixty-two refugees
them. Ken and Henry kept going, realizing they were the only
and leading to the arrest of forty-six others.
journalists who would make it to the scene before authorities showed up to run them out.
When he got home, he had multiple phone messages from his dad telling him to get to work.
Ken remembers the heart-dropping photos Henry took. He remembers talking to people who were stunned and grateful to be alive. He remembers ruining his birthday shoes.
While those stories are intriguing, he also remembers details that highlight a past era, including the influence of one of the iconic department stores that has since closed. “At
Over the years, he’s covered the influx of more than 50,000
Thanksgiving, the Boston Store would buy a sixteen-page
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section filled with full-page ads. People would line up at 920
In 2012, he was given the Iverson Riggs Citizen of the Year
Rogers Avenue trying to talk a carrier out of a newspaper.
Award. Each year, Ken had been told beforehand who’d won
They’d stand in their yards waiting for that paper to be thrown.”
so he could have his story ready. The committee told him the winner was Maryl Koeth (now Purvis), director of the Van
After Ken’s stint at the Times Record, he freelanced, even working as a wedding photographer for a time.
introduction, he realized the award was for him. Maryl, who was in on the deception, was delighted by Ken’s surprise.
In 1992, he joined the staff of the Press Argus-Courier, and in 1997 he became the editor.
One section of the paper that he never turned over to anyone else was the obituaries. He understood how important they
A story that stands out is the shooting at the Crawford County Courthouse on September 13, 2011. It happened just after the Wednesday Press Argus-Courier had been printed. “One of our distribution guys said there’d been a shooting and [reporter] Taniah Tudor and I took off.”
were, and he wrote them carefully, aware of the grieving families who expected them to be right. Jenny McClure, a brilliant co-worker and friend, called to confirm details. There was no excuse for error. Through the years he’s collected a raft of friends, like Cecil
An armed man looking for Judge Gary Cottrell, shot administrative assistant Vickie Jones in the leg after she told him the judge was not in. The gunman then shot at offices on the first floor, shattering glass doors, tearing through historic photographs that lined the walls, and causing terror in those hiding from his wrath.
Harlan, who once owned Tri-State Speedway. Ken, a selfconfessed workaholic, did PR for the track on the side for thirty years, and the two remained buddies until Cecil’s death from ALS in 2011. “He was the best friend I ever had,” Ken says. Living in the world of news requires a way to decompress. For Ken, it was his little place on Chicken Creek at Lake Tenkiller,
The shooter was killed by police. The courthouse has since installed new safety measures.
where he still goes nearly every weekend with his wife, Sandy. His Facebook feed brightens with photos of sunsets there, like fire on water.
Speaking of the coverage, he said, “Vickie and I are friends, and she talked to me for our Saturday paper. But that day, we threw all the newspapers away and printed a new edition. We won a Press Association award for that.”
He also has supper once a week with his stepmom, Lucy Fry, who still writes for the Times Record, and can’t imagine what he’d do without her care and advice. “I just love her to death,” Ken says.
Having a job where you cover tragic events that happen to people you care about is part of the territory, but doesn’t make it any easier. Beyond the tragedy were stories that made his career a happy one. Ken loved sharing stories of kids winning spelling bees, the high school teams that went to state championships, the champions who brought new life to downtown Van Buren or took on the restoration of historic Fairview Cemetery. Speaking of the Press Argus-Courier, he says, “You win with the positive stories.” And that statement seems to represent him perfectly.
Buren A&P. When he arrived at the ceremony and heard the
Once he thought he’d never retire and someone he trusted said he’d know when it was time. Not so long ago, he realized the time had come, and now he’s looking forward to being a regular citizen who gets up each morning, walks his three dogs, and doesn’t worry about the next deadline. Ken smiles again, imagining a life at the lake, on the beach, anywhere his feet can take him. It’s impossible to know what stories will unfold there, but it’s safe to say they’ll all be expertly written.
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Maggie Malloy
Art in Motion words Marla Cantrell images courtesy Maggie Malloy
O
On a day in October that is more summer than fall, artist Maggie
Each of her paintings is bright, bold and full of life. If she makes
Malloy sits inside her studio at her home in Fort Smith, Arkansas.
a mistake, she starts again. When things go wrong, that’s when
She works mostly in oil, which she says is more forgiving than
Maggie gets going.
other mediums, and starts the process of creating something beautiful. Her work is filled with emotion, with sights she’s seen
To understand her better, you have to go back to the late
on her travels, with a life overflowing with gratitude.
1950s, stopping in Wewoka, Oklahoma, home to 6,753 people,
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including Maggie Malloy and her family. The town had boomed in the late 1920s after oil was discovered, its population swelling to 20,000. By the time Maggie’s father was working in the industry, things had evened out a bit, and Wewoka took on the
Art is a thing in motion, something that
rhythm of small-town America. Maggie, a Catholic, was best friends with a Baptist pastor’s daughter, the two as close as sisters. Maggie’s mom was an RN, and played a mean hand of bridge. Maggie might have ended up as a nurse as well, but an obstacle blocked her way. We’ll get to that later. For now, let’s go to the
takes her out of her surroundings and onto the canvas. She recalls a day when she finally looked up at the clock
little hospital in Wewoka on Memorial Day 1958, when fourteen-year-old Maggie showed up as a brand-new nurse’s aide, dressed in a white starched blouse and skirt. During her first shift, two cars collided on one of the nearby
and realized she was late picking her grandchildren up from school.
roads, injuring seven people. At the same time, a teenage girl, the same age as Maggie, was in labor on the third floor. Since the girl’s life was not hanging in the balance, Maggie was assigned to her. It didn’t take Maggie long to realize she needed backup. “Soon after I went to her room, I ran down three flights of stairs to ask Dr. Grimes what to do about her pain,” Maggie says. “He was smoking a cigar, and he said, around it, ‘Go time her contractions.’ My mother had given me her wristwatch that morning, with a second-hand, but I didn’t have a clue what to do.” Maggie stared at her watch and tried to assure the mother-to-be. When Dr. Grimes came back to check, he told Maggie to go with him to the delivery room. As soon as the baby boy was delivered, he rushed back to the crash victims. Maggie tells the story with such details that make you see her in the hospital, a silver wristwatch on her slender wrist, the beads of perspiration building on her forehead, her heart a drum. “That was DOSOUTHMAGAZINE.COM
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the best acting job I ever did,” she says, speaking of her relative
time, at Mercy Medical Center. She was soon hired as the volun-
calm. Just after she says that, in a much more serious tone, she
teer coordinator, and worked with 395 families in her six and a
adds, “I felt like I became an adult that day.”
half years there, wrote a book to help others manage volunteers for hospice programs, and fell in love with the community.
Maggie continued working at the hospital, and Dr. Grimes encouraged her to go into nursing. When she graduated, she
Her next step was with the Phillips Cancer Support House,
decided to try journalism instead, at Oklahoma State. She
which became the Donald W Reynolds Cancer Support House,
married at eighteen and moved with her then-husband to Jack-
helping implement another new idea: wellness and nutri-
sonville, Florida, where she realized she really did want to be a
tion. From there, she began the Volunteer Connection for the
nurse. But when she tried to apply, they politely told her they
city. When funds were cut in 2000, she became the Executive
didn’t take married students.
Director of the Bost Foundation.
Maggie went back home, set up her house, and at twenty had
Maggie became the go-to person in town. If you needed to
her daughter, Carrie, and later a son, Jeff. Her life became PTA
know how to recruit volunteers, she could tell you. If you needed
and homework and volunteering.
to raise money, she’d show you how.
1983 found Maggie in Fort Smith, Arkansas, at a volunteer
During these years, she bought a lot of Arkansas artists’ work.
training program for a hospice program, a new concept at the
While she loved the pieces, she didn’t have time to consider
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painting herself. But sixty happened to her, and she decided it was time. Never one to do things halfway, she soon had a studio built at her home. With a studio, it’s a lot harder
to
put
down
your brush, and Maggie worked diligently. She served as team art advisor for Art on the Border, an annual local art show that showcases the great talent in our area. Her first commission was bought by her dear friend, Audrey, who
On December 1 and 2, she and twenty-four-year-old photog-
wanted a Monet-like painting. Maggie charged her one hundred
rapher Joseph Barry, owner of the Train Museum on Garrison
dollars, and the painting still hangs above Audrey’s couch.
Avenue, will have a show downtown called Art in Motion. It’s Joseph’s first show, and Maggie is thrilled to be with him.
Maggie took classes, first with local artist Julie Mayser, who gave her the support she needed, and then with Ann Griffin
Joseph is one of Maggie’s posse of friends. She collects them
at Hobby Lobby, where she continued to grow. A class from
like charms on a bracelet and treats them like gold. She laughs
Chris Verner of McAlester, Oklahoma, taught Maggie things
at the way she met most of them, through her work with
about color she never knew she didn’t know. Chris was the
non-profits that always needed money. She learned early how
color expert for Sherwin Williams, a title that says it all.
to ask. She talks about Butch Edwards, of Edwards Funeral Home, who once said, “The portrait they’ll use at your funeral
Art is a thing in motion, something that takes her out of her
will be one of you with your hand out.”
surroundings and onto the canvas. She recalls a day when she finally looked up at the clock and realized she was late
Maggie laughs. “I’m amazed I have any friends left in this
picking her grandchildren up. She rushed to Immaculate
town since I’ve asked so much of them.” Her friends who
Conception School with a wave of apologies, but her oldest
wouldn’t want to know a world without Maggie, would
grandson told her not to worry. When she said she’d set
surely disagree.
an alarm next time, he told her not to, worrying the sound would cause her brush to shoot across her perfect painting, ruining it. As Maggie talks, she is wearing a top that’s multicolored,
Art in Motion
hoping it doesn’t show the paint that’s surely splattered there.
Maggie Malloy and Joseph Barry Art Show
She mentions trips to France to see the asylum where Van
914 Garrison Avenue
Gogh painted, to Monet’s garden at Giverny, and the scuba
December 1 and 2 from 1-5pm
diving and sailing she’s done in Key West, the Bahamas, and the British Virgin Islands with friends as adventurous as she is.
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A Night Among Heroes: VFW Post 9095
Smoking and Joking
“You gonna play in the tournament?” asks the sixty-something fella with the pool cue in his hand. I’d been watching the action for the better part of an hour, as two pool tables welcomed a steady rotation of players. It’s Friday night at the VFW, the most hopping of the week with pool and shuffleboard tournaments early, karaoke later on,
WORDS and Images Dwain Hebda
and cold beer throughout. “Naw, I’m just watching,” I say as classic rock tumbles out of a speaker above me. I’m no stranger to billiards, but I know when I’m out of my league.
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The man gives me a cockeyed grin and slowly extends his
Why the Marines? I ask.
elbows out and then back to his body like wings of a chicken. I get the reference, but I know my place and shake my head.
“The Marines had the prettiest uniform and got all the women
He claps me on the shoulder. The fun, like the evening, is
in the movies, so I thought I’d give it a try,” Terry says. “Thing
just beginning.
about that pretty dress uniform is, I never got one! I thought they gave everybody one, but no. If you wanted one, you had
Welcome to the most American place in America, Veterans
to buy one. Well, hell, I didn’t have the money at ninety-three
of Foreign Wars Post 9095, Little Rock, Arkansas. There was
dollars a month, you know?”
a time when these enclaves existed in many small towns and several in every American city thanks to the sheer number of
Terry’s hitch with First Battalion 9th Marines Charter
veterans who had been on active duty and under fire—the
Company, aka The Walking Dead, was marked by luck in
two basic qualifications for full membership.
a theatre of operations not known for it. He didn’t get hit, and after a little more than seven months, his was among
A few decades ago, a guy like me with no military record
the first units President Nixon pulled out of Vietnam. While
couldn’t be in here unless accompanied by a member. But
recovering from a touch of malaria, he heard the Corps was
times change, and where the numbers of World War II and
giving “early outs” to those who wanted it.
Korean War veterans were ably replaced by Vietnam vets, the same can’t be said for the generations since.
“I joined for three (years) and got out in two,” he says.
To keep from dying out entirely, posts like 9095 offer a variety
He gave no thought of joining the VFW when he got home
of secondary memberships for peacetime vets and even people
until a co-worker and fellow vet invited him to the post in
with no military service. And anybody can walk in as a guest
Benton. Eventually, he rose through the VFW ranks to be State
for lunch or dinner. Just sign the book and grab a seat.
Commander and joined Post 9095 after moving to Little Rock.
“We don’t sit around and tell war stories,” said Post
“There’s a camaraderie,” he says. “You don’t have to know what that individual did in his particular military. It don’t matter. He’s a veteran of a foreign war. That’s all that matters to us. Here at this post, you walk in, and we don’t care if you’re Desert Storm, Afghanistan, war on terrorism or World War II—we meld.”
Commander Terry Callahan. “Smoky old bar with beer and the old drunks telling war stories, that is a vision that has haunted this organization. Maybe once it was like that. I don’t know. The VFWs I’ve been in have never been like that.” Having gone a little too far, Terry backs up with a guilty smile. “Do we smoke? Yes. Do we drink? Yes. Do we tell war stories? Yes, but they’re the fun parts,” he says. “We tell about falling out of a tree or hitting yourself with a tool or stuff like that. We don’t tell the horrors because we’ve seen it, they’ve seen it, whoever you’ve talked to has already seen it.” Terry grew up in the Saline County community of Harmony Grove, now Haskell. “My dad was World War II Navy; he served on the USS Maryland. He went in after Pearl Harbor, and he never talked about it much. I get the story mixed up: He was either torpedoed twice and kamikazed once or vice versa. My Uncle Buck, he was actually a POW in Germany. I had cousins that were in the military after Korea and before Vietnam.”
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Being among comrades provides a support
Terry Callahan and Tom Kleck
system and the opportunity to get help, says Tom Kleck, Post 9095 quartermaster. “We do have a few guys that are PTSD fairly bad, even among the newer veterans. They may have it more than ‘Nam vets,” says Tom, a Vietnam-era Marine from Paris, Arkansas. “We encourage them to get healthcare. Some of them try not to, but we say, ‘Hey, go. Go get a primary care physician. Go to a doctor.’ We had a young guy that committed suicide here in the last year. Had PTSD and he wasn’t getting proper care.” Like Terry, Tom says he’d like to see more people discover the post and become members at some level to help fund the VFW’s work. He’s encouraged that while many posts are fading, 9095 is at least holding steady in numbers, a byproduct of the popular support soldiers and sailors receive today that was missing in other eras.
Gena is a member of the VFW Auxiliary, a group dedicated to planning and carrying out post events. Once reserved exclusively for women, its membership is now co-ed. “It’s all about how can we help? What can we do?” she says. “We give our heart and soul out here because we couldn’t come out here
“There is a very different attitude now,” Tom says. “We were replacement troops. We came back singularly. We went over singularly. We didn’t come back as a unit like so many of them do now. I think that makes a difference.”
and have a conversation if people didn’t have enough bravery to go and fight for our freedom to sit and have a beverage.” As I leave the parking lot, invitations to the post’s legendary Saturday steak night ringing in my ears, I take one last glance
It’s approaching ten o’clock, and the karaoke warblers are lined up five on deck as people cheer and sing along. In this wing of the building, a bank of eight-by-ten photos lines one wall. Any member can have his or her picture from their service days on that wall, and Tom has a story for most of them, alive or not. The uniforms and backgrounds vary, but they all look like kids. “My grandfather served, my father served, my husband’s grandfather served,” says Gena Cole, a spitfire perched on a seat at the end of the bar. “When I walked into the VFW the
at the front of this place and spy the Huey perched out front. The post got the helo, nicknamed Mother Goose, when the Little Rock AFB retired her years ago. In wartime, she might have been tricked out with rocket launchers and miniguns to provide cover fire for the troops below. Or, she could have played taxi, dropping off soldiers or swooping in to fly the battle-weary and wounded the hell out of harm’s way. She’s silent as ghosts now and could use a coat of paint, but the olive guardian angel still looms impressively. Tonight and forever, she’s aces high, guarding her heroes.
first time, I thought I was coming in to maybe have a beverage and say hello for the evening before you go home. What I didn’t realize is the amount of friendships that I would make, the amount of family members that I would make.”
VFW Post 9095 1121 Gamble Road, Little Rock 501.225.9849 | vfwpost9095.com
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Thankful WORDS Catherine Frederick
I’m thankful for many blessings this holiday season, especially for the delicious recipes on the following pages. Whether you’re gathering with a large family, or a cozy dinner among friends, they’re sure to love these cranberry inspired dishes just as much as I do.
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Cranberry Tart Recipe adapted from Martha Stewart Image Jennifer Pallian
INGREDIENTS – Ready-made tart shell – 1/4 cup orange juice – 2 envelopes, ¼ oz. each,
unflavored gelatin
– ½ cup cold water – 6 cups fresh cranberries – 2 cups sugar – 1 cup red currant jelly – 2 Tablespoons cognac – 1 Tablespoon,
plus 1 teaspoon,
orange zest
– Optional: mint sprigs,
powdered sugar,
whipped cream
METHOD Prepare tart shell as directed on package, cool. Sprinkle gelatin over water in a small bowl, let stand until softened, about 5 minutes. Combine cranberries, sugar, jelly, orange juice, and cognac in a saucepan and cook over low heat until cranberries are soft but do not burst, 10-12 minutes. Don’t overcook, or mixture will be watery and berries will be mushy. Remove from heat, cool slightly, stir in gelatin mixture and cool completely. Pour cranberry filling into cooled tart shell and chill for 1 hour before serving. Garnish with mint sprig. Optional: delicious with a dusting of powdered sugar or a dollop of whipped cream.
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Cranberry Apple Stuffing
Recipe adapted from Taste of Home Image Chelsea Shapouri
METHOD
INGREDIENTS
Combine equal parts toasted white bread
– 1 cup chopped celery
– 1 ½ cups chopped Granny
– ½ cup onion
– ½ cup butter
– ¼ cup minced fresh parsley
– 10-12 slices white bread,
– 2-3 teaspoons poultry
toasted and dried out for
seasoning
1-2 days, torn to small pieces
– 2 teaspoons sage
and celery mixture to the bowl. Stir until
– 1 box prepared cornbread
– 1 teaspoon salt
combined. Pour into greased baking dish.
– 1 teaspoon pepper
(I use Jiffy brand.)
Smith apples
with crumbled cornbread in mixing bowl. In a small saucepan, sauté celery and onion in butter until tender; set aside. Add cranberries, apples, pecans, parsley, poultry seasoning, sage, and salt and pepper to bread mixture. Next, add broth, egg
Cover and bake at 350 for thirty minutes. Uncover and bake until top and edges are
– 1 ½ cups dried cranberries
– 2 cups chicken broth
slightly brown and crisp, about ten minutes
– ¾ cup chopped pecans
– 2 eggs, beaten
more. Serve immediately.
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CHEF ZIPORA'S
Thanksgiving Meatballs RECIPE & IMAGE courtesy Chef Zipora Einav
INGREDIENTS – 1 lb. ground chicken or turkey – 1-2 Tablespoons olive oil
METHOD Preheat oven to 400°. Place parchment paper on a baking sheet and spray with olive oil. In a medium-size bowl, mix together all the ingredients. With an ice cream scoop, create 1” balls of the mixture and place about an inch apart on the baking
– 2 large eggs
sheet. Cover and bake at 350 for thirty minutes. Uncover and bake until top and
– ½ cup panko bread crumbs
edges are slightly brown and crisp, about ten minutes more. Serve immediately.
– ½ teaspoon each: garlic powder,
onion powder, salt, black pepper
Chef Zipora Einav has cooked for some of Hollywood’s most notable celebrities – Bob Hope,
– 2 teaspoons cayenne
Jack Nicholson, Mariah Carey, Pierce Brosnan, Scarlett Johansson. She is the author of Recipe
– 1 cup dry cranberries
for a Delicious Life , which includes recipes and a classical CD, Music for a Delicious Life. Learn
– ½ cup Italian parsley (chopped)
more at chefzipora.com.
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Mull It Over recipe adapted foodnetwork.com image Hannah Pemberton
ingredients -
1 bottle (750 ml) dry red wine
-
1 cup pitted cherries
-
1 cup apple cider
-
1 orange, sliced into rounds
-
8 whole cloves
-
2 cinnamon sticks
-
2 star anise
-
2-4 Tablespoons agave, honey,
or maple syrup
Optional -
1/4 cup brandy (or your favorite liqueur)
-
garnish: citrus slices (orange, lemon),
more cinnamon sticks, more star anise
method Add all ingredients to large pot, heat to simmer over medium-high heat – do not boil. Reduce heat to medium-low, cover, and simmer for 30 minutes – 2 hours. Strain, serve warm, garnish as desired. Please drink responsibly. Never drink and drive.
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Whole Lemon Fig Marmalade
words Do South® staff with Fischer & Wieser image Fischer & Wieser
Original Roasted Raspberry Chipotle Sauce
Smokey Plum Chipotle Sauce
How to Make a Winning Cheese and Charcuterie Tray With Thanksgiving and the Christmas holidays approaching, we asked our friends at Fischer & Wieser to put together the perfect cheese and charcuterie tray. Enjoy! HOW TO MAKE A WINNING CHEESE AND CHARCUTERIE TRAY HOW TO MAKE A WINNING CHEESE AND CHARCUTERIE TRAY
CHEESE CHEESE (use (use aa separate separate knife knife for for each each cheese cheese to to distinctive distinctive notes notes are are kept kept pure) pure) Keep it diverse! Choose one of each of the following: CHEESE (Use a separate knife for each cheese to ensure distinctive notes are kept pure.) Keep it diverse! Choose one of each of the following: •• A cheese burrata Keep it diverse! Choose A fresh fresh cheese like like burrata one of each of the following: • A soft-ripened soft-ripened cheese cheese like like camembert camembert or or brie brie • A•• AAsemi-soft cheeselike like Havarti or gouda • A firm cheese like aged provolone • A semi-soft semi-soft cheese cheese like Havarti Havarti or or gouda gouda • A• Asoft-ripened cheese like camembert or brie • A veined cheese like gorgonzola or stilton firm cheese like aged provolone • A firm cheese like aged provolone hard cheese grana Padano reggiano • A•• AAfresh like burrata A parmigiana hard cheese like grana Padano or Parmigiana-Reggiano hard cheese cheese like like grana Padano• or or parmigiana reggiano •• A A veined veined cheese cheese like like gorgonzola gorgonzola or or stilton stilton
MEAT (Just one fork for the meats is fine.) Also diverse! Offer a variety ranging from:
MEAT the MEAT (just (just one one fork fork for the meats meats is is fine) fine) • Smoky speck •forCooked items like pancetta Also Also diverse! diverse! Ranging Ranging from from smoky smoky speck speck to to aa cooked cooked item item like like pancetta pancetta •• Cured sausage like salami • Cured sausage like salami • Aged items like Prosciutto Cured sausage like salami •• Aged Aged items items like like prosciutto prosciutto di di parma parma
di Parma
FRUITS & NUTS (They serve as palate cleansers and compliment flavors.)
FRUITS FRUITS & & NUTS NUTS (they (they serve serve as as palate palate cleansers cleansers and and compliment compliment flavors) flavors) • Dried fruits likefig fig or apricots • Natural and unflavored nuts like almonds •• Dried or Dried fruits fruits like like fig or apricots apricots •• Natural and unflavored nuts like almonds and walnuts • Sliced fresh fruits with mild notes like pears or a slight tang like apples Natural and unflavored nuts like almonds and walnuts •• Sliced Sliced fresh fresh fruits fruits with with mild mild notes notes like like pears pears or or aa slight slight tang tang like like apples apples
and walnuts
CONDIMENTS, CONDIMENTS, CONDIMENTS! (They enhance the flavors of cheeses.)
CONDIMENTS, enhance CONDIMENTS, CONDIMENTS, CONDIMENTS, CONDIMENTS! CONDIMENTS! (They enhance the the flavors flavors of of cheeses) cheeses) • Fruit-based jams • Fruit compotes(They • Mustards •• Fruit Fruit based based jams jams FOR MORE INSPIRATION VISIT •• Fruit FOR MORE INSPIRATION VISIT US US AT AT Fruit compotes compotes WWW.JELLY.COM • Mustards WWW.JELLY.COM Mustards To• order these or other scrumptious condiments, jams, compotes,
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and mustards, visit jelly.com.
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travel
An Ozark Mountain
Christmas In Branson Words Sara Martin images courtesy Explore Branson and Silver Dollar City
A
As the sun sets on Halloween, the town of Branson, Missouri, welcomes a spirit of another kind: the Christmas spirit. Wasting no time at all, this Ozark Mountain retreat has made its holiday lineup of events a treasured tradition for more than a quarter century, with celebrations running from the very first day of November through New Year ’s Day. The town’s holiday and winter offerings are plentiful, so we’ve made a list (and checked it twice) to highlight the “can’t miss” sights and sounds of the season.
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S I LV E R D O LL A R C I T Y Silver Dollar City, the award-winning theme park in Branson, transforms into a Christmas wonderland from November 3 through December 30. From strolling among 6.5 million lights and trying out some of the park’s rides to seasonal shows and shopping at the Home of American Craftsmanship, a day at the park is a magical way to enjoy the holiday season. Highlights of the park’s Old-Time Christmas celebration are a five-story special effects Christmas tree and a nightly light parade featuring Rudolph The Red-Nosed Reindeer, lighted floats and nearly fifty costumed characters meandering through the streets of Silver Dollar City. The park’s special seasonal menu has everything from festive walk-away treats to holiday harvest buffets and just about everything you can imagine in between.
H O L I D AY L I N E U P Branson is famous for its live shows and the holiday lineup. From a Cirque Christmas show with the world’s only aerial acrobatic violinist to a quartet harmony, the holiday performances are as dynamic as they are spectacular. The Andy Williams Christmas Extravaganza, at the theater that honors a man synonymous with television Christmas specials of yesteryear, is back for its twenty-sixth season. The late Andy Williams is the crooner who reminded us that Christmas is “the most wonderful time of the year,” and they really pull out all the stops at his theater, which is now owned by Jimmy Osmond. With singing, dancing, prancing reindeer and more, this show features the Moon River Orchestra performing everyone’s favorite holiday songs.
S C E N I C R A I LWAY Branson’s Scenic Railway provides visitors an opportunity to step inside a classic Christmas tale aboard the renowned “Polar Express.” After boarding an authentic locomotive at the 1906 Branson depot, visitors to The Polar Express will experience a similar journey with character reenactments, a reading of the classic book, a visit with Santa, and plenty of hot chocolate and cookies. Families are encouraged to come dressed in their pajamas, just as the children did in the original story.
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L I G H T D I S P L AY S Christmas light displays can be found shining brightly throughout this Ozark Mountain town. The Branson Ferris Wheel not only provides a bird’s-eye view of the town’s
CO LL E G E O F T H E O Z A R K S
holiday lights, but the ride also comes complete with its
At College of the Ozarks, students bake a whopping 25,000
own holiday-centric soundtrack and 144,000 LED lights.
fruitcakes annually in the Fruitcake & Jelly Kitchen. The
Driving tours include Let There Be Light!, which features a
tradition of producing these famous fruitcakes on campus
two-mile LED display, Santa and live reindeer available for
dates back to 1934, and today it helps students offset the
photos, a Christmas Village with a Nativity petting zoo, and
costs of their education. The kitchen is open for public
Christmas movies. Branson’s Gift of Lights, the area’s tradi-
tours, and fruitcakes are available for purchase Monday
tional festival of Christmas lights, includes a Magical Mile
through Friday, 8am to 5pm.
with the Twelve Days of Christmas, and a Nativity Scene. Also enjoy the Trail of Lights, a two-and-a-half-mile route through the historic Shepherd of the Hills Homestead.
W O R L D ’ S L A R G E S T TO Y M U S E U M Whether you’re one or 101, you can make your dreams come true at the World’s Largest Toy Museum, where more than
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a million dolls, trains, teddy bears, action figures, collectibles—and everything else you remember from your earliest Christmases—are all in one location.
If you don’t make it in time to celebrate before Christmas, don’t worry! Many of the Ozark Mountain Christmas festivi-
SHOPPING
ties continue through January 1. The last two days of the
What holiday trip would be complete without shopping for
year are focused on fun for the grown-ups and ringing in
those on your Christmas list? Specialty shops, outlet malls and unique-to-Branson experiences are ready to help you put
the New Year in style. Several of the live music theaters
presents under the tree. Dick’s 5 & 10, one of the country’s
have blowout celebrations, and the Chateau on the Lake
last remaining authentic dime stores, should be renamed
Resort Spa and Convention Center hosts a cocktail party
Stocking Stuffer Central because there’s not much this place doesn’t have. And Silver Dollar City’s Jingle Bell Junction has everything you need to make the season bright, including
with dinner, dancing, a champagne toast and a fireworks display over the lake.
more than 35,000 ornaments.
If you’ve never experienced this Ozark Mountain town during the holiday season, make sure to put it at the top
LO D G I N G Branson’s lodging options provide warm accommodations for
of YOUR Christmas list this year.
when you’re ready to settle in for a long winter’s nap. From national-brand hotels to independent inns, cabin and condo rentals, and vacation homes, many of the lodging offerings participate in the holiday festivities. The renowned Big Cedar Lodge resort is offering a “Happy Holidays Package” which includes two nights’ lodging, a Christmas photo session, a breakfast buffet and tickets to the resort’s newest holiday
To learn more, visit ExploreBranson.com.
scavenger hunt activity, Sleigh Bell Scurry.
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Frost Flower
Winter WALKING THROUGH
Winter words and images Jim Warnock
A
frozen fog bathed the valley below as I huffed my way up White Rock Mountain in Arkansas’ Ozark
National Forest. Branches, outlined in icy crystals, sprinkled sparkling dust on my shoes as I brushed by. Later that same morning, I paused to say a quiet thank-you for the frost flowers, with tender tips that looked like angels’ wings scattered across the forest floor. I’ve come to understand that frost flowers are fragile gifts for those who rise early in winter. That experience was from one of many delightful winter mornings I’ll never forget. Sadly, many who enjoy hiking trails in more moderate temperatures will miss out because of their hesitancy about hiking in cold weather.
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While fall and spring are favorite
Hiker - dog
seasons in the Ozarks, winter is my most treasured. If you brave the chilly temperatures, you’ll see fantastic ice formations, crystal clear creeks, and colorful rock displays. Bluffs and views usually obscured by foliage reveal themselves in the distance, and wildlife often hidden during other times of the year are in full view. Just as important as what you’ll see is what you won’t see. You won’t see crowds! Popular locations regularly covered with people during spring or fall become solitary and quiet, allowing you to explore freely and easily. You’ll also avoid ticks, mosquitoes, and snakes during winter, and that drippy perspiration so common when you exert yourself outdoors in the Ozarks at other times of the year. What to wear? What to take? Will a bear get me? Answering these questions can ensure that you continue hiking in the winter months. First, the bear question. If you see one, count yourself as lucky. I’ve only seen two bears in Arkansas, and both were moving quickly away from me. Since you’re not camping, food storage and cooking, which might attract bears, aren’t a concern. If the weather is nice, any clothes will do, but during winter,
Happy feet are essential in any season, but especially winter.
avoid cotton. When cotton gets moist in the humid Ozarks, it
Wear wool blend socks and avoid cotton unless you like blis-
stays wet, making you colder. Opt for quick-drying synthetics
ters and soggy feet. Any tennis shoes of reasonable strength
like polyester and nylon. For added insurance against the
are adequate for day hiking in winter, even if snow is in
elements, put warm gloves and a hat in a rain jacket pocket
the forecast. I use trail running shoes year-round, even for
and stuff it in the bottom of your daypack. Wear layers so
extended backpacking trips.
you can add or take away clothing as you walk. During deer season, tie a hunter orange bandana to your daypack or wear
Staying hydrated helps keep you warm and healthy, and the
a blaze orange hat.
same applies if you have a canine hiking partner. I always check the map to be sure my trail buddy, Hiker-dog, will have DOSOUTHMAGAZINE.COM
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access to water. I carry a plastic water bottle in my daypack and a second smaller bottle in my front pants pocket. If temps drop below freezing, my water stays warm in my pocket, and it’s easy to sip as I walk. Carrying a small Sawyer water filter (available at specialty stores and online) in your pack for added insurance is a cheap, lightweight way to make new friends if you meet others who are short on water. Carry snacks to munch on as you hike. I tend to graze on day hikes, but you might like to stop for lunch at a scenic spot. Layer up because you’ll cool down fast when not moving. When hiking in winter, be prepared in case things don’t go as planned. Toss a small LED light into your backpack so you won't worry about darkness if the walk takes longer than expected. Stow a reflective thermal blanket or large trash bag in the bottom of your pack as an emergency shelter. Carry a map and compass and stay on established trails. If you’re ever unsure of the route, stop and backtrack. Winter is no time to spend the night in the woods unless you’re backpacking and prepared for cold weather sleeping. I hope these tips inspire you to layer up and hit the trails this winter. If you go, you’ll tuck many visual gifts into your memory while gaining energy from the crisp mountain air of the Ozarks.
White Rock Mountain
To get started, try the Lake Alma Trail, on Mountain Grove Road in Alma, as a short out-and-back to a waterfall that flows after rain.
Lake Alma McWater Falls
Following a big freeze, you’ll see beautiful icy displays on this easy 1.5-mile trek. If you’re an experienced hiker, do the whole 4-mile loop, but be prepared for the two creek crossings. If you pass a lanky fellow with a black Lab, please say hello to Hiker-dog and stop for a quick visit. We hope to see you on the trails!
Jim Warnock is the author of Five Star Trails: The Ozarks, a guidebook that covers the Ozarks of Arkansas and Missouri and includes the Lake Alma Trail. He has thru-hiked the 180-mile Ozark Highlands Trail and 223-mile Ouachita Trail in Arkansas as well as the 210-mile John Muir Trail in California. Follow his, and Hiker-dog’s, adventures at OzarkMountainHiker.com.
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southern fiction
STRUCK
M
FICTION Marla Cantrell
My mama has been hit by lightning, so my tore-up leg holds
grabbed her like a miser holds a dollar bill. Her dog Jester was
little interest to her. “Go wash,” is all she says when I stumble
with her, and he watched as my mama lit up. He watched until he
through the front door, a bandana wrapped around the gash,
couldn’t stand it and then he backed up and ran straight to her.
still shaky from the experience. Jester died when the electricity jumped from her to him.
When I return from work, she’s sitting at the kitchen table.
My mama did not.
Peaches are scattered across the countertops. Her intention, she said, when I left that morning, was to make jam. It’s 3:30 and still
She wishes she had.
the peaches remain, reminders of my mama’s sloth. Our neighbor found her and called the ambulance. We buried
“So what happened?” she asks and dips a carrot into a bowl of
Jester under the oak tree by the creek as soon as the rain stopped.
onion dip.
My mama’s right eye is twitching—a residual effect of the strike.
“I was climbing through the barbed wire fence.” I wait, but she
She’s still a beautiful woman. Go to town with her and men will
doesn’t answer. “I slipped,” I say. It had taken six Band-Aids to
knock you down to shake her hand, to have the chance that
cover the wound.
she’ll smile at them the way she can when she’s feeling it.
“Not very smart,” she says. “The gate’s not locked. Foolish not
But the twitching is a problem. The dreams are a problem. The
to use it.”
medical bills are a problem.
“Still,” I say.
“I’m having a stone made for Jester,” she finally says.
“I couldn’t sleep again last night,” she says finally. “Dreams.”
The next morning, the cut, four jagged inches straight down my shin, is gaping. I need stitches, but there’s no way I’ll ask. I wrap
And I ask, “The lightning?”
up my leg and head to work. I count semis that drive by on the old quarry road. The county’s doing a study about road use, and
It had been eleven months since the storm tore through. She
I’m their newest employee. I wear an orange vest and sit in a tan
was in the tin lean-to where we keep the riding mower. When
outbuilding. Sometimes I read when I work, so the count is off.
the lightning struck, Mama was leaning against the shed, and it
I jack it up before I leave at 2:30. Not much, I don’t want to get
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southern fiction
caught, but enough so it seems like I pay attention.
For weeks Jester’s stone sits on the coffee table. Mama touches it when she walks by. Glides her hand along the smooth gray top.
“How’s your mama?” Theron says to me when he brings
Traces the letters with her fingertip. She starts buying flowers in
me lunch.
town, daisies and carnations, and she places them on the stone where neither Jester nor Hester lies.
“She’s having a stone made for Jester.” “He was a good dog,” Mama says one Sunday afternoon. “Looked Theron shakes his head. He looks like John Wayne. “John-
at me like he knew things a dog had no business knowing.”
Wayne-On-A-Brush Hog,” is what Mama calls him because he clears land for a living. “Granite?” he asks.
“He was a good dog,” I say. “The best dog.”
“I guess. Or gold,” I say. “Sure loved that dog.”
The doctor released Mama to go back to her job at Ace Comb Company on Monday, but she’s resisting and now HR is involved.
“Gave up his life for her,” Theron says. “No greater love…” A
On the phone, she says, “Well, for one thing I can tell when a
semi passes, and I watch. “Write it down,” Theron says, so I
phone’s about to ring. I can feel it about to ring.” She is thumping
reach for my notebook and put another X on the paper.
her chest now. She is crying now. “My heart jumps around in my chest, my hearing’s gone all tinny. I can’t sweat, for heaven’s sake.
Mama is sitting on the porch when I get home. Her left foot is on
At the Sonic, when I press the red button to order, their whole
the railing. She’s painting her toenails purple. “I’m gonna have the
intercom system shuts down.” She waits. “It certainly does. I have
stone say, Jester, 2006 – 2013, Hero, Friend, Soul Mate, Defender.”
been banned from Happy Hour! Go ask the manager!”
It’s 101 today, but Mama’s not sweating. It’s another thing she
I call in sick the next day. I call Theron, who rumbles down the
gave up when the lightning hit. To get cool, she has to lie down
path to our house in his yellow pickup. His window is rolled down
on the cold bathroom tile, get her skin right up against it, like a
and he has a brown hand towel laying across the doorframe so
dog does. “I got fried and now I can’t perspire,” Mama said, the
that he can hang his arm out and not get burned.
first time I found her curled up by the commode. “Joetta,” he says when he sees me. “My Joetta. “Get me out of “Soul mate sounds like you were in love with Jester,” I say.
here,” I say.
“I wish you’d shut up,” she says and storms off, walking on her
“Just a minute,” he says, and heads into the house.
heels, her toenails pointing toward heaven. He comes out with Jester’s stone. “We gotta fix it,” he says. When the stone comes in, Jester is misspelled. It reads: Hester.
“None of this business is gonna stop until we do.”
And my mama cries. I go to the kitchen. More peaches have fallen from the trees. Mama’s picked them up again, scattered
We fly down the highway, me and Theron and Jester’s misspelled
them across the counters, piled them on the living room floor
stone. We weave through Summitville, we climb the hill to
next to her chair. I pick one up, wash it off and take a bite.
Hiland, and we find a stonemason who agrees to help.
All night long I peel and cube. I open freezer bags and toss in
When we get home, Mama’s in the yard waiting, her arms folded
handfuls of peaches. At two in the morning, I’ve had my fill.
across her chest.
The floor is sticky, the sink cluttered with peelings, the freezer full. I take the rest of the peaches and put them in grocery
“You took my stone,” she says.
sacks. The next morning, I leave them by the road with a sign that reads “Free.”
“And we brought it back, Cissy,” Theron says. “See,” he says, and he unwraps the granite. DOSOUTHMAGAZINE.COM
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southern fiction
I have never seen my mama cry like she does now. She is a river
the movie house or something. Stop cell phones before they
turned wrong side out. Theron hands me the stone and helps
chime in and ruin everything.”
her inside. “I can’t go to Sonic.” “Only thing I ever did right was Jester. Not Joetta. No sir, not Joetta. I have failed Joetta.”
“Not any Sonics in Vermont,” Theron says.
“Mama,” I say. “Stop.” But she keeps going.
“No?” Mama asks.
“Jester, though, now that I did right. Got all his shots. Bought
“I don’t believe so.”
the name brand food. Washed him every Saturday. He’d stand by my door in the morning. Never barked. Just stood there, waiting.
We place the stone on Jester’s grave just as the sun sets. Mama says, “You were a good dog, a fine friend, and I never once
“I was low that day. I get low a lot. I was thinking about moving
deserved you. If I could lie down and you could rise up, I’d do it
away. I always liked the thought of Vermont, especially in the fall.
in a minute.”
I could see me there, nobody knowing me. I’d wear my hair down more. I’d buy sweaters. I’d eat a lobster the size of a squirrel.
Theron nudged Mama with his elbow. “Cissy,” he says, “say something with some truck to it.”
“Jester was whining. Dogs know storms. I shooed him away. ‘Go on home,’ I said, and his ears dropped. Nothing sadder than a
Mama takes in air. She stands up taller. “I loved the way you
shunned dog. But he wouldn’t leave me. Not Jester.”
slid across the kitchen floor sideways when I called you to eat. I loved the way you pushed against me on the couch, like I was a
I pull Mama to me. “It’s okay,” I say. “It’s okay.”
boulder that couldn’t be moved. I loved that you were smarter than people gave you credit for.”
Theron got us all to sit down. “There are some things in this world worth crumbling over,” Theron says, his voice as serious
Mama hesitates, then takes the clip from her hair and lets it fall.
as a preacher. “War, kids without clean drinking water, the
It is a small thing, but it is something to see. Her dark hair rushing
Razorbacks’ losing streak.”
down, unleashed, the dappled light beneath the oak, the creek water stumbling along. She takes a step, turns back once to look
Mama blew her nose. “Your best friend dying,” she adds.
at the stone, but only for a second, and then we head for home.
“But Jester wouldn’t want this, Cissy,” Theron says, and then he
Soon, in a day or two, in a week or two, Mama will have to
reaches out and touches her shoulder.
make a decision. The Ace Comb Company won’t wait forever for her to come back. She could stay or she could leave me for
“He’d want you to go back to work or go to Vermont or throw
Vermont. Theron puts his hand on my neck, right where my
an Avon party. Anything but what you’re doing now. It’d break
ponytail meets my shirt collar. He holds me in the open field
his heart to see you like this.”
as Mama walks ahead, and then he kneels down, he kisses my bandaged shin. “Let’s go get that looked at,” he says, and I
“I can’t sweat anymore,” Mama says.
start to cry, and he tells me it’s OK, and I start to believe that it just might be.
“Not a lot of sweating in Vermont,” Theron says. “I can tell when phones are about to ring.”
Marla Cantrell will be teaching a short story class at Chapters on Main in January 2019. Visit chaptersonmain.com for details.
“Might come in handy. They might hire you to troubleshoot at DOSOUTHMAGAZINE.COM
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HOLIDAY GIFT GUIDE
Sneak Peek HOLIDAY GIFT GUIDE 2018 Enjoy this sneak peek into Holiday Gifts for 2018, then check back in December for even more local gift ideas from some
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CHRISTMAS TIP WRAP EMPTY BOXES FOR PRESENTS AND WHEN YOUR CHILD MISBEHAVES OR DOESN'T LISTEN THROW ONE IN THE FIRE.
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