FROLIC
OCTOBER 2014 DoSouthMagazine.com
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CONTENTS EDITOR-IN-CHIEF Catherine Frederick MANAGING EDITOR Marla Cantrell CONTRIBUTING WRITERS / PHOTOGRAPHERS Lauren Allen Marla Cantrell Catherine Frederick Rusty Henderson, D.V.M. Laurie Marshall Anita Paddock Whitney Ray Jessica Sowards Stoney Stamper Graphic Design Artifex 323 PROOFREADER Charity Chambers
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PUBLISHER Read Chair Publishing, LLC
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INSIDE 12
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SIMPLY BEWITCHING Our witch isn’t wicked, she’s absolutely adorable. Better still, she’s a breeze to make. We’ll show you how, and we’ll even give you directions for her sidekick, an equally cute cheesecloth ghost.
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THIS OLD TABLE
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WHEN THE DREAM CHANGES
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GET OUT IN OCTOBER!
Writer Jessica Sowards’ dining table is where many of her family’s greatest moments happen. She shares her story of love, gratitude, and the beauty of mismatched chairs.
Artist Sydney Clayton hadn’t painted at all until four years ago, when she decided to give it a try. Today, she’s creating gorgeous works of art, and finding that painting is strengthening her connection to God.
Oh, October, how we love you! It’s prime time for fun and festivals in Arkansas, celebrating everything from music to crafts fairs to haunted corn mazes. We’ve gathered some of the best outings in the state, just for you. DOSOUTHMAGAZINE
ADVERTISING INFORMATION Catherine Frederick 479.782.1500 Catherine@DoSouthMagazine.com EDITORIAL INFORMATION Marla Cantrell 479.831.9116 Marla@DoSouthMagazine.com ©2014 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.
FOLLOW US Subscribe to Do South! 12 issues per year for only $20, within the contiguous United States. Subscribe online at DoSouthMagazine.com, or mail check to 7030 Taylor Avenue, Suite 5, Fort Smith, AR 72916.
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uafs.edu • 479-788-7120 • 888-512-5466
letter from Catherine
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05
hey say that change will do you good. And it’s a good
when the leaves peak, and which routes you should take to see
thing, too, because change is all around us this month.
the beautiful fall colors that grace our great state.
Fall is finally here and it’s my favorite time of year. It’s the
only season that blows each and every one of my senses away.
From there, we’re going inside for a story about a dining room table,
The sights, the sounds, the smells, the tastes…the clothes.
bought secondhand, and what it means to the family that ended up with it. We’re showing you what happens when big, burly men get
Leaves are falling gently, wafting to the ground, covering it
together to watch football, and how everything changes when their
in shades of rust, copper, and gold.
small children show up.
Pots bursting with mums, kale, and tall wheat grass grace my front porch.
In this month’s “Do-Gooder” sec-
Daylight fades a little faster into the
tion, we’re taking you to a Fort Smith
darkness of night. The battle cry of
church’s First Sunday Supper, to show
insects seem louder, screaming at a
you what happens when a congrega-
fever pitch. The roar of the hometown
tion opens its heart — and kitchen —
crowd at the football game. The crack-
to the community.
le of the logs as they’re stoked in the
recipe for pumpkin cinnamon rolls with
hearth. Family and friends gathered
caramel and cream cheese frosting, and
for festivities and holidays. Does it get
we’re whipping up a cocktail called
any better?
“Dead Man Walking” that’s perfect for
We’re sharing a
Halloween. Looking for seasonal déActually, it does. Throw in the smell
cor you can whip up in an afternoon?
the first time I crank on the heater, the
You’ll be bewitched by our Halloween
smell of the earth as I crunch the twigs
crafts and blessed by our DIY that’s per-
beneath my feet. Apple pies baking
fect for the month of November.
in the oven. Chicken and dumplings heaped up in the biggest bowls I can
Come along with us to a local winery
find — food for the soul my mamaw
that opened just this spring, read the story behind it, and why the own-
used to say. And then, there’s the clothes. Boots. Scarves. Sweaters. Leggings. Flannel. Suede. I
ers decided this was the place to start their new business. Love
could go on and on. This girl is in heaven. For me, it just doesn’t
the Old West? Check out our review of Larry McMurtry’s latest
get any better than fall.
book. Then, listen up as we review Holly Williams’ (Hank Williams’ granddaughter) most recent album — it’s a keeper.
We’ve got a little bit of everything I love about fall in this month’s issue. We’re taking you across the state for a roundup of great fall
You’ll find even more packed into this great issue — not too shab-
events, from a haunted hay ride and corn maze, to the biggest
by, if I do say so myself! So, read up. Then get out and enjoy the
arts and crafts fair around. We’re also showing how to find out
season in all its glory. I promise you won’t be disappointed.
To reserve this free space for your charitable non-profit organization, email: Editors@DoSouthMagazine.com
Saturday, November 8, 7 - 11 PM A Benefit for the Fort Smith Public Library Endowment Trust
Tickets $125 479-783-0229 for information
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John Wayne in a Ripped Shirt LINES Marla Cantrell
He is John Wayne in a ripped shirt and I’m feeling like the low shelf on the clearance aisle, eighty percent off if I’m a penny, and the band is playing Hank Williams and the air is thick with smoke and knock-off cologne so strong my eyes water, and when he reaches me he takes my hand, he leads me to the dance floor, and I am whole again, true as the temple before the money changers took over, younger than I’ve ever been, and his arm goes round my waist and we are denim against denim, moving together - a storm about to start and we move across the floor together, two cars colliding on a carnival ride, the Tilt-A-Whirl, the Himalaya, and then the bottom falls out and we float above it all, lit up from sweat and neon beer signs, brighter than any moon, brighter than the morning star.
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1401 Waldron Road, Suite 103 – Fort Smith, AR 479-452-2140 | www.johnmaysjewelers.com
4836-JohnMays.indd 1
9/17/14 10:58 AM
YOUR TRIP BEGINS HERE
Hemingway-Pfeiffer Museum, Piggott
Buffalo National River
Ohio Club, Hot Springs
Mount Magazine near Havana
#VisitArkansas
Find America’s best fall color destination in The Natural State. The famous scenic beauty of Arkansas truly reaches its peak in fall, when you can tour historic homes, inspiring museums, exciting trails and more — all fueled by authentic regional cuisine and unique entertainment. ORDER YOUR FREE VACATION PLANNING KIT AT ARKANSAS.COM OR CALL 1-800-NATURAL.
Bill Clark Wetlands at the Clinton Presidential Park, Little Rock
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DO SOUTH: OCTOBER 2014 SUNDAY
MONDAY
TUESDAY
WEDNESDAY THURSDAY FRIDAY
SATURDAY
01 02 03 04 Pump up your morning with our pumpkin cinnamon rolls - page 42.
Find your forever friend - page 20.
Oktoberfest (10/3 – 10/4), Fort Smith.
Fall fun begins at The Ranch - see ad on page 36, Centerton.
Mercy Orthopedic Hospital Grand Opening, Open House, 2 - 6PM, Fort Smith.
05 06 07 08 09 10 11 Make our bewitching witch for Halloween page 12.
Find out about First Sunday Supper page 16.
Ozark Folk Festival (10/7 – 10/11), Eureka Springs.
King Biscuit Blues Festival (10/8 – 10/11), Helena.
Western Arkansas Ballet 1st Annual Golf Classic, Eagle Crest, Alma.
What’s on your Fall Bucket List? - page 33.
Fall Festival (10/10 – 10/12), Van Buren.
Wiederkehr Weinfest, Altus.
If all of Arkansas read the same book, with author Janie Kearney, Main Library, Fort Smith.
Art in the Park (10/10 – 10/11), Riverpark, Fort Smith.
Judge Parker Birthday Celebration, Fort Smith Museum of History.
12 13 14 15 16 17 18 William Henry Harrison Clayton Birthday Celebration, Clayton House, Fort Smith.
Plan your trip to Sassafras Springs Vineyard - page 48.
Meet artist Sydney Clayton in When the Dream Changes - page 34.
Try our pumpkin face mask - page 53.
War Eagle Fair (10/16 – 10/19), Hindsville. Harvest Music Festival (10/16 – 10/18), Mulberry Mountain.
Arts and Crafts Fair (10/16 – 10/17), Bella Vista.
Tales of the Crypt (10/18 – 10/19), Van Buren.
Murder and Mayhem Trolley Tour (Oct. 17, 18, 24, 25), Fort Smith.
Jonathan Kurrant, Celebrating America’s Crooners, at The Blue Lion, Fort Smith.
19 20 21 22 23 24 25 Gather your family and read This Old Table - page 30.
Need a new book? Try Larry McMurtry’s The Last Kind Words Saloon - page 22.
Meet Claudette Parks in our Up Close and Personal feature page 10.
Travel across the Missouri state line to see the spook lights - page 26.
Ever heard of singer Holly Williams? Find out more - page 24.
Read the story of lost love in “She’ll Be Back” - page 62.
Downtown Festival and Chili Cook-off, Russellville.
26 27 28 29 30 31 Plan your road trip, read Fall for Arkansas - page 60.
Big, burly guys watching football with babies - page 38.
Have an attitude of gratitude, make our DIY - page 14.
Plan your trip to the Cornbread Festival - page 59.
Cocktail hour starts with “Dead Man Walking” - page 46.
Trick or treat!
Submit your event to editors @dosouthmagazine.com
KEEP PUMPKINS FROM MOLDING: Silica Gel Packets: Remove silica beads from packet, embed slightly into interior of pumpkin. Use ¾ grams of silica for every 100 cubic inches of pumpkin. Bleach: Immerse carved jack-o-lantern in 1 teaspoon bleach per gallon of water, let soak for 8 hours. Pat dry. Spray daily, interior and exterior, with bleach solution. Pumpkin Preservative: Spray jack-o-lantern with pumpkin preservative found at Halloween specialty stores.
We hope you enjoy this issue. Don’t miss anything on our website or Facebook! Sign up for our eNewsletter. Visit DoSouthMagazine.com for more content. Get one year of Do South Magazine for just $20. Subscribe online at DoSouthMagazine.com, or send a check to: Read Chair Publishing, LLC 7030 Taylor Ave, Ste 5 Fort Smith, AR 72916
DOSOUTHMAGAZINE
THE MARY McDONALD MUSIC SERIES presents
NIGEL POTTS & SARAH ROSE TAYLOR Featuring the music of Richard Wagner and Sir Edward Elgar. Friday, October 10th at 7:00 pm
Potts & Taylor, the critically-acclaimed husband-wife duo, have delighted audiences in concerts across four continents.
Performances are FREE and open to the public! First Presbyterian Church 116 N. 12th, Fort Smith, AR
479.783.8919 1pres.org
View Upcoming Performances Online
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Claudette Parks Retail Manager Parks Brothers Greenhouse 6733 Parks Road Van Buren, AR 6733 479.410.2217 parksbrothers.com
DOSOUTHMAGAZINE
UPCLOSE&PERSONAL Favorite flower? Mandevilla.
Treat everybody fairly and treat them like you would want them to treat you.
When do you start buying Christmas presents? Not until December. Nicest thing anyone’s done for you? The people from my church brought food to me when I was sick. Where did you grow up? Van Buren, Arkansas. First job? Teacher’s Aide for Head Start at Sophia Meyer School in Van Buren. What did you buy with your first paycheck? A dress. Favorite spot in Arkansas? My home. Biggest challenge? Raising teenagers.
About Parks Brothers Greenhouse
Favorite food as a child? Chocolate pie.
Parks Brothers is the best kept secret in the River Valley. We have a large retail and wholesale
Last road trip? Glacier National Park in Montana.
business, raising our own flower and vegetable
Favorite song from your teen years? “I Want To Hold Your Hand,” by the Beatles.
plants, for more than forty years. We even ship
Favorite subject in school? English.
to eleven states! Our customers come from miles around to shop our retail store, where they find
If you could spend a year doing something entirely different, what would it be? Traveling.
great prices, quality, and selection. In the fall, Parks Brothers is festive! We’ve got mums and pansies
Last book you read? Heart of Clay by Shanna Hatfield.
and all the fall decorations that go along with the
Last movie you watched? The Help.
season. In November and December, you won’t
What do you love most about your job? Meeting new people, making new friends, and
want to miss our poinsettias. We have so many
seeing old friends.
colors and varieties, it can be hard to choose! We have over ten varieties: Jingle Bells, Strawberries ‘n Cream, Merlot, and many more. Come for a visit! Give us a call if you need directions.
3 things Claudette can’t live without:
Water
Electricity
Money DOSOUTHMAGAZINE
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lifestyle
Words and Image Catherine Frederick
All Hallows’ Eve is almost here, so decorate with good cheer, be festive in spirit and light on your feet, for you never know if it’s a trick or a treat! No tricks here, just fun and festive décor for this happy fall season. Enjoy!
MATERIALS Black Spray Paint (matte) Duck Tape® Glow (1.88” width) Black Sparkle Baby Shoes Plastic Pumpkin (mine lights up)
PVC Pipe (pre-cut to length desired) Witch’s Hat & Hair Gorilla Glue® Glitter Glue (optional)
METHOD Spray paint PVC. Once dry, apply strips of Duck Tape® to create stripes. Glue PVC into bottom of shoes with Gorilla Glue®, let dry. Glue witch’s hat & hair onto plastic pumpkin, let dry. Glue pumpkin to top of PVC, let dry. If you want the shoes to have extra sparkle, brush on a colored glitter glue, then wipe off with a paper towel – the colored glitter will remain.
Spray paint, sparkle shoes, glitter glue: Hobby Lobby Duck Tape®, plastic pumpkin, witch’s hat & hair: Walmart PVC, Gorilla Glue®: Lowe’s
DOSOUTHMAGAZINE
lifestyle
Words and Image Catherine Frederick
METHOD
MATERIALS Cheesecloth Purex速 Sta-Flo Liquid Starch Spray Bottle Two-Liter Bottle (body)
Styrofoam Ball (head) Wire Hanger (arms) Black Felt (eyes) Glue
Unwind neck of wire hanger. Wrap middle of hanger once around neck of two-liter bottle. Bend wire in a U-shape to create arms. Push Styrofoam ball onto top of two-liter bottle. Drape cheesecloth over ball and wire to create ghost shape. Pour starch into spray bottle. Thoroughly spray cheesecloth with starch. Air dry completely or use a hair dryer (repeat if not to desired stiffness). Once dry, remove cheesecloth. Cut eyes from black felt, glue to cheesecloth.
Tip: Light up ghost with a strand of LED battery operated lights! Cheesecloth, Styrofoam ball, black felt: Hobby Lobby Purex速 Sta-Flo Liquid Starch: Walmart *More photos at DoSouthMagazine.com.
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lifestyle
Attitude of Gratitude Words and Images Catherine Frederick
I believe we should recognize our blessings, big and small. I wanted to show my family how thankful I am for the simpler things in life that we often take for granted, so I crafted this gratitude calendar! Each day in November, I’ll make a note about something I’m grateful for, along with an activity that we can enjoy as a family, then place the note in a sack. When the kids get home from school, we can read the note of the day. It might be as simple as being thankful for the sweet things in life -
MATERIALS (All materials purchased at Hobby Lobby. Don’t forget your 40% off coupon!) Mini craft sacks Artist trading cards (you could also use scrapbook paper) Mini-spring clothespins Number stickers Embellishments of choice Jute twine Crafter’s tape Burlap Foam core (1 sheet) Frame of choice (24” X 36” minimum) Hot glue
like mint chocolate chip ice cream! Our activity could be to grab a cone after dinner. It’ll give my family something to look forward to
METHOD
each day, and it’s something we can do as a family. And after all,
Cut foam core 1/8” larger than the inside area of the back of the
family really is life’s greatest blessing.
frame. Cut burlap the same size as your foam core, then hot glue the burlap to the outside edges of foam core, making sure burlap is tight. Wedge foam core into the back of the frame, hot glue inside corners to secure. Adhere trading cards to craft sacks with crafter’s tape. Decorate the front of trading card as you wish (I used buttons, bows, and cardstock cutouts). Press the number stickers onto front of trading cards (#1-30 for the month of November). Cut jute twine into 6 sections (cut to width of frame). Hot glue jute twine to each edge of the burlap. Clip six sacks onto each line of jute twine with clothespin. Fill each envelope with a note daily, or plan ahead and fill them all!
DOSOUTHMAGAZINE
lifestyle
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people
LUCY EDSON words Marla Cantrell image Catherine Frederick
DOSOUTHMAGAZINE
people
Lucy Edson stands in the kitchen at First Presbyterian Church in
vegetables. A recent menu included hamburger steak, potatoes au
Fort Smith, Arkansas, near a stove that dwarfs anything you’d
gratin, mixed vegetables, Asian slaw, and cupcakes.
find at home. Today it’s a quiet place. The only sound is the heat and air system that comes to life every fifteen minutes, so loud it
The meals are served on tables set with china, silverware, and
echoes across this empty space. But come the first Sunday of each
tablecloths. The servers — many of them young people from the
month, this place will be filled with industry, as Lucy and nine or ten
church — carry the plates to the guests, just as if they were diners
other cooks chop and stir and measure. And just a few hours after
in a restaurant. Recently, local singer and pianist Walter Ahart has
the kitchen fills, the adjacent dining hall will open its doors to serve
started coming by to perform, filling the hall with music.
anyone in the community who is in need of a home-cooked meal. Young families show up, older residents from a nearby apartment Lucy has been part of First Sunday Supper since its inception in
complex, those who’ve heard about the supper from the Salvation
September of 2000. The pastor at the time approached Lucy to
Army or the Community Services Clearinghouse, and some who
oversee the program and she signed on without hesitation. “I had
learned of the meal when Pastor Phil Blackburn visited the city’s
a lot of experience cooking big meals,” she says, “when you’re in
laundromats and invited them to visit.
church and you get together for meals it’s something you learn.” In those first few months, she’d call the other volunteers, worried
Lucy smiles when she describes a recent gathering. “It’s a fun
there might not be enough help in the kitchen. She learned
time,” she says. “We had five or six kids under the age of six. They
rather quickly that wasn’t the case. “Once people have come to
really seem to love chocolate milk, so we make sure we have that.
volunteer, they want to be here. It’s just the most amazing thing.”
We bring out the highchairs for the littlest ones.
Many of the cooks have worked together so long it’s like watching
“I can’t say enough how kind and appreciative everyone’s been.
a bit of choreography play out. They sidestep one another, working
They’re thankful, I think, to come and sit down and eat. And I
in tandem, anticipating each other’s moves. And in the midst of all
think it’s important that the teens from our church are involved.
this cooking, they keep up with each other’s lives, laughing easily,
My hope is that it’s teaching them to be giving and respectful. I
sharing stories. In the winter, as the oven heats up, it’s a grand
think it’s a win-win for everybody.”
place to be. In the summer, the temperature rises just as quickly, but no one complains too much. This is what they love, preparing
It’s one of the things Lucy adores about this ministry, getting the
a meal, helping others the way God instructs them to do. “I’m so
generations together. “You know, I just love it. It feels so good to
grateful for our church members and volunteers,” Lucy says. “I am
be able to do this, and if the body and mind are still willing to go
a very small piece of a very large puzzle.” When Lucy talks about the puzzle, she could just as easily be referring to the challenge of converting all those recipes that feed four or five to accommodate crowds of up to 100. She has no problem with multiplication, but occasionally, standing in front of the butter display in Sam’s Club, she tries to calculate how much she’ll need for everything on the menu, and feels like she’s back in math class solving a rather complicated problem. “Sometimes I’ll stand there and think, OK, this is 128 ounces, but how many ounces are in twenty cups?” There are few rules for the First Sunday Supper, but one of them is that they serve a meal they’d cook when they have company
You cannot get through a single day without having an impact on the world around you. What you do makes a difference, and you have to decide what kind of difference you want to make.
over. They cook mostly from scratch (they make small concessions like using cake mixes) and make sure there is plenty of salad and DOSOUTHMAGAZINE
~Jane Goodall
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people
then I’ll continue to do this. When you hear people say, ‘I’m so full
It is such an important part of Lucy’s life she tries to plan her life
I just couldn’t eat another thing,’ or ‘That was so good,’ it makes
around it. She usually misses one meal a year due to a standing
you feel glad.”
commitment she has with her family. But every other month, even when the first Sunday of the month falls on a holiday, she is
Lucy thinks back on the first time she stepped foot in First
there. She takes the instruction that Jesus gave to heart. She is
Presbyterian after she and her husband, Bur, and their two
feeding His sheep. Lucy may indeed be a very small piece of a
daughters moved here in the spring of 1979. They’d visited a few
very large puzzle, but she is a critical piece, one that makes this
other churches but when they sat through that first service they
lovely picture complete.
felt like they were home. That fall, Lucy gave birth to their son. She remembers the navy blue carrier she carried him in. It fit perfectly beneath the pew in front of them. “He would sleep there,” Lucy says, and then smiles again, remembering those happy days. “Our children grew up in this church.” One of the things that drew her to First Presbyterian, which was founded in 1846, is what she is still proud of today. The church believes in giving and demonstrates it through mission programs
First Sunday Supper First Sunday of each month
First Presbyterian Church in Fort Smith 116 North 12th Street
in Haiti, the Mary McDonald Music Series that offers free concerts
5:00 PM
to the public, and of course, First Sunday Suppers.
Everyone’s welcome If you’d like to come for supper, just show up
One of Lucy’s favorite scriptures is in the book of John when Jesus
If you’d like to volunteer, call 479.783.8919
is speaking to Peter. He asked Peter three times if he loved Him, and when he says, finally, “You know that I love you,” Jesus says to Peter, “Feed my sheep.” This lesson was the focus of one of Pastor Phil Blackburn’s recent sermons, one that had quite an impact on her. It had been a tumultuous week and the news was filled with riots in Missouri, fighting in the Middle East, another bombing that took life after life. The breadth of the problems weighed on the congregation, and the pastor wanted to offer some hope, some way to make things better. Lucy summarizes the sermon. “He said, ‘What can we really do? We’re not in these places. We’re in Fort Smith.’” And then he said, ‘We can do something right here. What you do makes a difference to your neighbor, or to your own hometown.’ “I felt like that sermon was so important. What if everybody had that feeling in their heart today?” Lucy asks. “What a difference we could make.” Again, she cites the congregation that uses part of its budget to fund these dinners. She is proud of her fellow worshipers who understand
Each month, DoSouth Magazine features the story of someone
the need in the community and want to help. “We have a knitting
in our community who is making the world a better place. If
guild,” Lucy says, “and once it gets cold we offer hats and
you have someone you’d like to nominate as a Do-Gooder,
scarves at the meals.” And in September, cooks from the Laotian
email editors@dosouthmagazine.com.
congregation that meets at First Presbyterian prepared the meal. DOSOUTHMAGAZINE
Monday – Saturday 11am to 9pm | Sunday Brunch 11am to 3pm 7320 Rogers Ave, Ste 7 | Stonewood Village, Fort Smith 479.434.6474 | myrivercitydeli.com | River City Deli
THURSDAY, FRIDAY & SATURDAY EVENINGS WE CATER EVENTS, LARGE OR SMALL!
With only 120 foster homes and one temporary home in the area, 75% of our region’s foster children are sent off to temporarily live in homes, motels and offices around the state - often separated from their brothers and sisters.
It’s time to address our region’s
FOSTER CARE CRISIS Laura Caldwell with New Start receives the Noble Cause Award for leadership addressing the region’s foster care crisis
In February 2013, Laura Caldwell founded New Start for Children and Families, a 501(c)3 nonprofit organization, that will provide a permanent Children’s Home, along with counseling and educational services that strengthen families and help these children set their lives on a better path. The organization is in its early stages. The first objective is to raise the funds needed to buy 10+ acres of land or receive donated land to build the Children’s Home. Our community has an opportunity to help address a critical need in our region and better our future children and their families.
To help or find out more visit www.NobleCauseAwards.com
Sponsored by Arthur J. Gallagher & Co., Inc., the Noble Cause Award honors those who are making a difference in their communities through their service.
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UNITING PUPS with People There’s no better friend. Adopt a shelter animal. These are just a few of the loving animals in need of a home. Please consider adoption or a donation – especially newspapers, food, or financial assistance.
M
M
Gus M
M
Simon M
F
Bart
Billy Bob
Jane
Buster
Sebastian County Humane Society 3800 Kelley Hwy, Fort Smith | 479.783.4395 | SebastianCountyHumaneSociety.org 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
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10 PET MYTHS DEBUNKED Words Dr. Rusty Henderson, D.V.M. Eastside Animal Health Center, Fort Smith
I’ve been in practice for over thirty years, so you can imagine the number of comments, questions, and old wives tales I’ve heard when it comes to the habits of our pets. I used to keep a book and write down the extra special comments or concerns from pet parents. Kind of like writing down cute things your kids say when they’re little. Let’s take a look at my top ten pet myths, and see if we can debunk them in the process.
5. Dogs and cats need to have an offspring before they are spayed or neutered. Reality: Studies have shown that animals that have been spayed or neutered before their first heat cycle have a considerably less chance of developing certain sex hormonal related illness, including mammary cancer.
6. Dogs and cats only see the world in black and white.
1. A warm, dry nose means your dog is ill. Reality: If I had a nickel for every time I was pulled from a deep sleep with this question, I would be writing from the Bahamas. Before we had vaccines for distemper it was a very common disease. But it only made the nose hard, cold and dry because of its action in the mucus membranes. However, the temperature and moisture of your dog’s nose is relative to the surrounding temperature and humidity — most of the time. If your pooch’s nose stays dry and hard, that could be a sign of a more serious disease and should be addressed. Otherwise, to ascertain your dog’s temperature, forget the nose, you’ll need to check from the opposite end.
2. Scooting on their rear on the floor is a sure sign of worms. Reality: Usually when this happens, they’re attempting to express or relieve scent from their anal glands. This should signal that a trip to the vet or groomer is needed. It’s rarely a case of worms.
3. It’s okay to give Tylenol® or like products to dogs and cats.
Reality: They can see color, however, not like we humans can. One study compared what animals see with that of a colorblind human — they don’t see as many shades as a perfectly sighted person.
7. A dog’s mouth is cleaner than our mouths. Reality: I mean, really? Have you ever seen a dog greet another dog? What about the “kitty candy rolls” in the litter box some seem to enjoy. Also, I’ve been bitten by enough dogs to know that their mouths are not sterile environments.
8. Cats purr when they are happy and content. Reality: Cats do purr mostly when they are happy, but it’s not always so. Purring is a sign of an intense emotional experience. I liken purring to human humming. A person might hum on a relaxing stroll through the woods or when they’re walking through a haunted house. A cat might purr when it’s getting its ears scratched or when it’s receiving injections.
9. Dogs eat grass because they have an upset tummy.
Reality: In fact several NSAID medications (non-steroidal antiinflammatory drugs) will pickle your pet’s liver, not killing them immediately, but later, because the diseased liver is overwhelmed. Some products, like aspirin and Benadryl® can be used with strict discipline. But you MUST seek the expert advice and dosage amounts from your veterinarian prior to administering, as the dosages for humans and pets are NOT the same.
4. One human year is equal to seven pet years. Reality: The fact is, dogs age at different rates depending on how old they are. This can be a confusing concept. A young dog will go from the equivalent of an adolescent to a young adult inside a year, then the aging process slows until the dog reaches the later part of middle age, when the aging can speed up once again. Smaller dogs live longer than their giant counterparts, but age at varied rates.
Reality: Some dogs graze occasionally while others consider grass a meal, but make no mistake, if they eat enough grass, your dog will be tossing grassy cookies. Dogs eat grass because they like to eat grass. It’s not much different from us chewing the end of a toothpick or a pencil.
10. Dogs eat other animal’s feces because they lack something in their own diet. Reality: I highly doubt that the one thing missing from precious Fido’s diet is poop. Dog feces holds no miracle nutrient. And if your dog’s diet is lacking nutritionally, I can think of much more pleasant ways to fill the void, such as increasing the quality of their food or adding vitamin supplements to their diet. Information contained in this article should not be construed as specific medical advice for your pet. If you have a concern, contact your veterinarian.
DOSOUTHMAGAZINE
22
entertainment
The Last Kind Words Saloon By Larry McMurtry W. W. Norton, 195 pages: $24 95 review Anita Paddock
A
fellow booklover gave me this
lost, day or night, in any kind of weather. His
to read when I was under the
wife, Mary, who teaches in a little shack of a
weather recently. It’s a perfect
schoolhouse, is like all the other wives of the
“recovery novel,” so beautifully
famous heroes of the West; she deserves a
written it transports you to another time. The
much better husband and life, but it’s what
title, The Last Kind Words Saloon, I believe,
she’s got, and she’s the kind of woman who
is a metaphor about the end of an era, and
makes do.
the demise of the last literary characters of the American West like Wyatt Earp, Doc
The train arrives in Long Grass with a
Holliday, and Charles Goodnight.
fancy railcar painted royal blue. It belongs to Lord Ernle who is going into the cattle
Fans of Larry McMurtry’s Lonesome Dove
business with Goodnight. He is also building
might be expecting an epic novel, but this
a great castle on a bluff overlooking the
is a slender book, wonderfully crafted, but
Canadian River. Miles of track have been laid
without the bulk of some of his other novels. A good way to
to bring in supplies and workmen. The castle is a source of wonder
look at it is this: Lonesome Dove is like a full course meal and The
for everyone who passes by and causes considerable anger in Mary
Last Kind Words Saloon is like a pleasant glass of lemonade on a
Goodnight who wonders why she must sleep in a tent while her
hot summer day. Yet one thing remains the same. The dialogue
husband’s partner builds a castle.
between characters will make you laugh out loud. Wyatt Earp and Doc Holliday leave Long Grass to join a Wild West Wyatt Earp is really not much of a hero. He mistreats his wife,
Show in Denver. Jessie comes along, thinking she can find a good
Jessie, who’s their primary source of income from her work as a
bartending job there. We follow their adventures, as well as those
bartender. Their pal, Doc Holliday, is a drunk with tuberculosis.
back in Long Grass, which involves a deadly cattle stampede and a
They mostly just sit around waiting for a card game at The Last
vicious sand storm. Quanah Parker shows up and retells his glory
Kind Words Saloon.
days as the last Comanche Chief and his trips to Washington D.C. to visit President Teddy Roosevelt.
The story opens in Long Grass, a dusty little town in Texas, close to New Mexico. Charles Goodnight brings a herd of cattle in from
All
the plains to be shipped from the railway in town. Goodnight is
readers of the American West. McMurtry brings them to life once
the
a man of few words, but the best cattleman and trailblazer on
again, recalling their rambunctious lives and making us feel right
the western plains. As a former Texas Ranger, he’s never been
at home.
DOSOUTHMAGAZINE
characters
in
this
novel
will
be
familiar
to
Featuring American Idol alum and BMG recording artist Danny Gokey.
Mercy Health Foundation’s
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24
entertainment
It took her nine months to record this album, which she did independently and with her own money. Her talent is prolific, and her connections so deep she was able to get Dierks Bently (on “Til It Runs Dry”), Jackson Browne (on “Gone Away From Me”), and Jakob Dylan (on “Without You) to make guest appearances on this record. Even Gwyneth Paltrow sings backup for “Waiting On June”. Each of the songs is worth the price of the album. But the most heartfelt, the one that will remind you to tell the ones you love that you do, is “Waiting On June.” It’s a long song, seven minutes in length, and tells the story of Holly’s maternal grandparents’ undying love. The two grew up together in a world populated by cotton fields and hunting dogs. Her grandfather fell for
The Highway
June as a young boy and his devotion never wavered. The song travels through the rest of their lives, from their early love, her
Holly Williams
grandfather’s service in World War II, to their roles as parents
review Marla Cantrell
and then grandparents.
H
Family plays a big part in Holly’s songwriting. And it’s about to
to her through her dad, Hank Williams, Jr., and the music he left
something she embraces on her blog, “The Afternoon Off.” Holly
behind. Her favorite is “I Saw The Light,” one of his gospel-infused
says, “I have such passion for spending hours at the stove with
hits. He died at twenty-nine in the backseat of his Cadillac on New
pans simmering. It’s very similar to songwriting and producing —
Year’s Day, 1953, a tragedy that upended the country music world.
you choose your ingredients, you try and fail a few times and keep
ank Williams’ granddaughter, Holly Williams, only knows
get bigger. At the time of this writing, she was awaiting the birth
the country legend from the books and movies that tell
of her first baby. Her life changed dramatically when she married
about his life, the family stories that were passed down
musician Chris Coleman. She discovered she loved domestic life,
trying, you taste and test and taste and test, and the moment of While Holly never met Hank, she did inherit his talent as a singer/
finding the perfect mix for a recipe is equivalent to when I’m in the
songwriter. Her lyrics are insightful, sometimes mournful, and
studio and the perfect mix has been accomplished there.”
filled with the kind of imagery that’s hard to forget. On the first track, “Drinkin’,” the lines start out strong and only get better.
The Highway is certainly an accomplishment. There was a long
“Why you drinkin’ like the night is young?” she asks. “The kids are
gap between her last album in 2009 and this one. Holly’s fans are
in the bed and the day is long done. Why you screamin’ like I don’t
hoping they won’t have to wait as long to hear more from her, this
have ears? Baby, I can hear you loud and clear.”
artist whose songs hit home every single time.
“Gone Away From Me,” is a heartbreak of a song about a woman who goes back to her Louisiana childhood home, visits the family cemetery and reminisces about all she’s lost. Holly’s style is country
DO SOUTH RATING: 9 OUT OF 10
rock with a lot of Americana thrown in, and it works beautifully on these songs she spent so much time writing. DOSOUTHMAGAZINE
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26
travel
SPOoKeD
A N O Z A R K M O U N TA I N M Y S T E R Y words Whitney Ray Images Courtesy Spooked documentary team
DOSOUTHMAGAZINE
travel
Almost every night in Ottawa County, Oklahoma,
Philip told his story to documentary film students from the Univer-
on a country road littered with beer cans and fast food wrappers,
sity of Arkansas who set out to solve the mystery. They came away
a strange light appears. What it is and where it’s from have been
with as many explanations for its existence as there were members
widely disputed for more than a century. Written reports of the light
of their investigative team. On one outing the crew captured the
date back to the 1880s. Some claim it was born out of the misery
light floating in and out of trees about a mile down the road. In
and death of the Trail of Tears, which ran through the area. Others
their film Spooked you can see the light swell like a paper towel laid
say it’s a signal from another dimension, and another contingent
on a wet countertop. It pulses red and burns orange as it grows. In
says it’s the spirit of a mountain man looking for his lost love.
a matter of seconds the light turns yellow and stretches as thin as a sheet of notebook paper, barely visible to onlookers. It disappears.
Whatever the origin, scientists and even the US Army have been
Then moments later reappears. The light shimmers, never holding
unable to put the mystery to rest. What is known is its name, or
steady. Then it’s gone again. The road is pitch black and all you hear
actually its two names: locals call it either the Hornet Spook Light,
are gasps, crickets, and the sound of rocks crunching beneath boots
after a nearby town that no longer exists, or the Joplin Spook Light
and sneakers.
because of its proximity to the Southwest Missouri city. The light seems miles away one moment and just beyond your There are stories of the light chasing animals, frightening children
reach the next. Some walk or drive toward the light, but are never
and even killing unnamed travelers who were making their way
able to catch it. Others claim it floats right up to them, or in a few
through the western edge of the Ozarks. Though no deaths have
rare cases shoots through their bodies.
ever been officially linked to the phenomenon, its legend grows. Almost every night, dozens of cars park along a half mile stretch
Brian Petty, a former news photographer and award-winning
of the wide dirt road where the light is most commonly spotted.
documentary filmmaker, has heard them all. He coproduced and
Searchers bring binoculars, video cameras, and anything else that
directed Spooked. Brian spent several weekends videotaping the
will help them get a closer look at the light.
light, conducting experiments and talking to folks along the dirt road. He took on the project hoping to solve the mys-
They watch the light, which might appear for
tery. “I love to debunk things and I wanted to
three minutes and then disappear for half
find a cause for it.” The documentary film-
an hour. And in its absence they talk
maker has a bachelor’s degree in geol-
amongst themselves. “Some weird sto-
ogy and a master’s degree in journal-
ries have been told that it’s a headless
ism from the University of Arkansas.
ghost carrying a lantern,” said Mis-
His education led him to explore
souri resident Chase Barnard.
the geography of the land as a source of the light. Brian thinks
Philip Freeman brought his rifle af-
underground caverns full of water
fixed with a powerful scope to get
that is slightly acidic and highly
a closer look. He shares a story he
ionized could work like a car bat-
heard, but could never verify. “This
tery to create the light. “Over time,
elderly couple was traveling down the
water in the underground caves can
road and this light came through their
build up an electric charge and shoot
pickup — they had a pickup with a camp-
light sporadically through the limestone
er on the back — it went all the way through
layers that make up the land along the
and she had a heart attack.” He added his own
Oklahoma-Missouri border,” Brian explained.
similar tale. “Close to thirty years ago, we were driving
But this answer alone doesn’t satisfy him. Once he
around in a pickup with the kids in the back and the thing kind of
started investigating, he realized solving the riddle of the de-
came at us and it split. It was two different colors when it split and
cades-old light was not going to be that easy. “This one still has
everybody was all scared.”
some mystery in it for me.” DOSOUTHMAGAZINE
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travel
and taillights streaking east and west on Route 66. Loftin claimed all these lights seem to merge when viewed from the spook light sighting grounds. He said the effect was enhanced by humidity, giving the lights a ghostly shimmer. Loftin’s findings were published in a booklet called The Tri-State Spook Light and sold for a dollar a copy. The explanation has merit, but only if you ignore the eyewitness accounts and written reports published in newspapers and books before Route 66 was completed in 1933. Loftin also fails to explain how the lights from ten miles away could approach a car, an animal or a person. Brian has an explanation. He thinks there are two spook lights: Loftin’s light, which stays in the distance and disappears when cars aren’t racing up and down Route 66, and a light yet to be explained. And he holds tight to his theory that the light is a naturally occurring curiosity beaming from underAs it does for most who’ve investigated it. During WWII, army
ground caverns filled with electrically charged water, but admits,
troops from Camp Crowder near Neosho, Missouri, were training
it’s never been proven.
for combat communication. They had learned how to use light signals in war. In their off time, many of the troops made the short trip
Brian likes it that way. “The neat thing about this is it’s a true Ameri-
across the Oklahoma-Missouri border to get a glimpse of the spook
can living legend on the edge of the Ozarks and you can go there
light. The mystery engulfed the troops and soon the Army Corps of
and sit on the road and giggle and laugh and be with friends and
Engineers was enlisted to take a shot at explaining it. In 1946, the
somebody might get scared. It’s something you can actually see and
Corps ended its investigation without an answer. It issued a report
it occurs every night and it’s fascinating.”
calling the phenomenon a “mysterious light of unknown origin.” What’s great about the spook light is it’s there. Unlike aliens or the In 1955, retired Army Captain Bob Loftin tried his hand at solving
legendary Mexican monster chupacabra, the spook light makes it-
the mystery. Loftin teamed with an investigator from the Federal
self available to all comers. The best time to look is between ten and
Bureau of Standards and explored the possibility of a section of
midnight. Just bring your binoculars and your imagination.
Route 66 as the source of the light. In Quapaw, Oklahoma, about ten miles west of the dirt road where most of the sightings occur, a series of lights converge. There are traffic lights, railroad crossing lights, a red light atop the Quapaw city water tower, and headlights
Directions from Fayetteville to the spook light: Take I-49 North for 60 miles. It will merge with Highway 71. Keep going north into Missouri. Once you enter Newton County, just before Neosho, start looking for the Iris Road exit. Go west on Iris Road until it dead ends at a T. Turn left on Stateline Road. You will be driving on the Oklahoma-Missouri border for a couple of miles until you see Ottawa County Road E 50. Turn right. Drive about 500 feet until you reach the start of the first dip in the road. Pull safely to the side of the road, turn off your lights and prepare to be spooked. Be respectful of the residents along the road. The sheriff’s office makes regular stops in this area to make sure people aren’t causing any problems.
DOSOUTHMAGAZINE
FESTIVE FUN FOR EVERYONE THE RANCH FALL FUN STARTS HERE Pumpkin Patch Corn Maze Mallow Patch Hay Rides Haunted Corn Maze S’more Roasting Concessions Haunted Hay Rides
Chunk a pumpkin, take a hay ride, and wind your way through our corn maze. After dark, enter our haunted maze or take a haunted hay ride! You can also pick a pumpkin from our patch. Concessions available, including roasted corn, hot dogs, s'mores, and more!
For hours, pricing, and directions visit www.FunAtTheRanch.com
Make the Outdoors Majestic
3 01 1 S tat e Li ne Road, Fort Smi th, A r k a n s a s
|
4 7 9 .7 8 3 .0 0 6 0
|
L i k e u s on
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people
This Old Table words & Images Jessica Sowards
DOSOUTHMAGAZINE
O
people
Our table is large. Usually it seats six, but when
Then I could tell him how greatly we have loved it. I could ask him
guests come and the extender leaves come out, we can squeeze up to
if anyone had ever come to know Jesus at it before. Or was my son
twelve if we don’t get too fussy about bumping elbows. As our babies
the first? I could ask him if he knew where it came from. Maybe, if
grow and graduate from high chairs, the extenders will become per-
I spoke with him, I could tell my table’s story more fully. I’ve talked
manent fixtures. When I bought this table from a Craigslist ad, I imag-
myself out of this. Too often, I have made the mistake of assuming
ined what the future would hold. There were only three children then
other people think like me. And too often, I have found that most
but I knew that my table would be full someday. I knew that it would
people don’t care about the story of a table.
be important.
I care though. Because this table, since we asked it into our home,
Our table dwells in the heart of our home. Early in the morning,
has known the very essence of our family. It has vibrated beneath
mugs of tea and coffee, Bibles, and journals are scattered across it.
the sewing machine whirring through a Thor costume and been
The sun shines through the curtains in a reddish glow, kissing our
plastered with newspaper soggy from Jack-O-Lantern guts. It has
hands good morning as we write down the things God is doing in
born the burden of a twenty-four pound turkey, perfectly glazed
us. We speak to Jesus at our table.
with balsamic vinegar and fig reduction, and has been surrounded by our vibrant and earth-shakingly loud extended family. It has seen
Then the kids wake up. Boys of varying ages with cowlicks in their
a spread of freshly decorated Christmas cookies, tins of Nanny’s
hair and sleep in their eyes come in and sit down here. They make
fudge and a steaming casserole of Grandmother’s hot fruit crunch.
monumental messes of jam and toast and cherry yogurt and giggle
And it has seen the rueful smile that crosses my face as I survey
as they recount silly dreams. They make plans for the day’s adven-
these heirloom recipes and wish that I could have more than sweet
tures and I smile at the endlessness of their ambitions.
memories of these women at my table.
This table is our schoolhouse. It is a teacher’s desk and a second and
The chair I usually occupy, a yellow high-back with a wobbly leg,
third grade class. We learn about verbs here, and multiplication. We
has a view of our back yard. It’s rarely quiet in a house full of sons,
read classic novels and Google the world’s smallest reptile. Curiosity
but when it is, I sit here at the end of my table and stare out at our
is encouraged at our table. Questions are applauded. Lessons of all
acreage. Already, in the short time we have lived here, we have
sorts are learned. Crayon marks are scrubbed off daily. Seeing their hungry eagerness to learn is my fuel, and I am so thankful to teach them here. This old table, with its mediocre paint job and mismatched chairs, has been strewn with clipped coupons and magazines. With wedding invitations of dear old friends. With Christmas cards from loved ones nationwide. It has been so buried by Pinterest projects that we were forced to eat dinner on the couch. It has desked a laptop in the wee hours of the morning as I typed furiously with fire in my fingers and passion for words in my heart. So many things have been created here, dreamed here, prayed here. I have had the passing thought that I should dig back in my e-mail and find the man who sold it to us. DOSOUTHMAGAZINE
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people
started embedding ourselves into this place. I can see the fire pit where the summer was spent making s’mores and memories. I can see the back gate, which is never closed, that leads to the uncleared part of our land where the good exploring takes place. I can see our fingerprints, and remember what a mess we took on with a foreclosure no one had loved in years. I remember the excitement I felt as I watched two strong men load this impossibly heavy table of solid oak into a U-Haul, knowing it was headed to my homestead.
This humble table knows our ineptitudes and it knows our strength. It holds daily the testimony of our faith, of our love, and our family In these quiet moments, my imagination is wild. There are no bounds on what we could do here. At the end of my table, in my yellow chair, there are no budget restrictions, no time constraints. I can see goats and chickens and a bee hive just past the open gate. Before I know it, my eyes are shut and I am envisioning the table laid with my favorite red pie pan, a quiche made from eggs gathered that morning, a pot of golden honey and goat’s milk cheese on a bone china plate. And then someone cries. And I come back to reality. Lovely place settings are not the type of thing that my home sees much of. My table is more likely to be danced on by a toddler than
exploded over supper. But this old table has known grace. It has
set with fine china. But I like to think the things it has seen are even
heard prayers desperate for help and provision and patience. And
more magnificent than the most beautiful magazine spread. It has
it has listened to us praise Him when those prayers were answered.
held gallons of blackberries freshly picked from the vine, dark and juicy, impatiently waiting pectin and canning jars. It has felt the heft
Over and over, our table has heard the words “But God.”
and purity and inspiration that comes with baskets of farmer’s market bounty. This old, second-hand table has seen such abundance.
We couldn’t make ends meet. But God.
So much, I have even questioned the fairness of it.
We couldn’t see past the pain of loss. But God. We couldn’t let go of anger. But God.
Don’t mistake me. Our table has also held bowls of cold cereal
We didn’t know what our purpose was. But then, God.
served for dinner. It has been privy to the aftermath of rejection and overheard our deepest fears. It has seen stacks of bills we had
This humble table knows our ineptitudes and it knows our
no idea how to pay. It has caught tears and witnessed the nastiness
strength. It holds daily the testimony of our faith, of our love, and
that comes in marriage when we choose to love ourselves more
our family. And there’s an empty seat. Because what is faith and
than we love each other. It has seen our temper. It has watched
love and family if it is not shared? So pull up a chair, my friend, if
silently as meals burned and the almighty roar of toddler’s tantrum
you don’t mind bumping elbows. Our table is large.
DOSOUTHMAGAZINE
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1-2-3
k s a M Pumpkin Face Almonds (ground)
Pumpkin, cooked or canned
Honey
Olive Oil Unflavored Yogurt Method 1 Combine 2 cups of cooked or canned pumpkin with 4 Tablespoons unflavored yogurt, 4 Tablespoons honey, 1/3 cup ground almonds, 1/4 teaspoon olive oil. Stir to combine. 2 While in shower or bath, apply to clean, moist skin. Leave on for 5 - 10 minutes. Remove with warm washcloth, revealing soft, clean skin. 3 Follow with moisturizer.
DOSOUTHMAGAZINE
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people
When the Dream Changes
One of the things that initially changed was that Sydney’s husband had to study diligently, and in doing so he needed a quiet place devoid of distractions. During the day, when the kids were at school, he’d stay in his home office, his head bent over his books, his mind focused on learning. Sydney, aware of his need for quiet,
words Marla Cantrell Images Catherine Frederick
found herself moving gingerly around the house, careful not to disturb him. At the same time, the family was tightening its belt, since his hours working in real estate diminished to accompany
F
our years ago, Sydney Clayton was living an
his schooling. All that shopping she’d once done was now off
idyllic life. Happily married with two sons and a daughter,
the table. And while Sydney stood behind her husband, while she
she spent her days caring for her family and working in her
believed it was God’s plan that her husband become a minister,
interior design business. One of the things she remembers from
she was still feeling a little displaced, a little thrown off balance.
those days is that she shopped. A lot. Not just for her family but for her clients. Her husband did well in the commercial real estate
It was then that Sydney realized she needed to find a hobby, one
field in Fort Smith, something he’d done for twenty years. There
that didn’t cost a lot of money. As a designer, she knew a lot
was so much security in that; she didn’t worry very often, espe-
about color, and she wondered if that might transfer to painting.
cially about money.
She bought a few tubes of oil paint, a cheap canvas, and she got to work.
Then, during a series of discussions, she found out that her husband was not as happy as she’d thought. His problem was this: he
Her first painting was not a masterpiece, but it was good. Sur-
felt called to attend seminary. The couple had always been active
prisingly good. But it was the outcome from those hours in front
in church, and they prayed daily, asking for guidance. But at this
of the canvas that hooked her. What happened when she was
stage in their lives, Sydney had trouble imagining this great shift
painting was this: all those things she worried about started to
in her family’s life.
sort themselves out. There, sitting in front of an easel, her mind
DOSOUTHMAGAZINE
people
quieted. At times, her kids would call out to her. “Mom, are we
artist. Those closest to her were stunned by how well she painted.
going to eat?” they’d ask. Startled, she’d look up and realize she’d
Her mother, who also had an interest in art, suggested the two of
been painting for most of the afternoon. “I spent a lot of time
them take a class at Hobby Lobby in Fort Smith. Sydney couldn’t
reflecting while I worked, praying that our family would be in one
wait. When they showed up they met the instructor, Ann Griffin.
accord. It became my alone time with God. When God called my
One of the first things she told Sydney was that she couldn’t make
husband, He called all of us, our kids included, and it was during
her a great artist but she could make her a great technician.
this time He was preparing my heart. My paintings became very emotional to me because it was a real life-changing time for us. It
“Ann challenges me. She says, ‘Look for the light.’ And I hear that
was stressful, but out of it came great things.”
when I paint. When I first signed up for the class I had no idea that such a great teacher would be in charge. I thought I’d go to Hobby
My paintings became very emotional to me because it was a real life-changing time for us.
Lobby and just see. I can tell you, I’ve been amazed.” It is remarkable just how talented Sydney is. Her paintings are everywhere in her house, many of them on oversized canvases. There are abstracts, 3D pieces, a gorgeous painting of kayaks that Sydney saw lined up against a wall while on vacation in Colorado. She snapped a photo, brought it home and began to paint. It is as if there is nothing beyond her scope. But the most striking pieces
Little by little, painting by painting, Sydney’s new reality began to
are the three paintings hung together in a hallway, each of dozens
make sense. And painting by painting, she was becoming a better
of antique buttons that she inherited from her grandmother.
DOSOUTHMAGAZINE
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people
In her baseball-playing son’s room is a portrait she painted of him in his catcher’s gear. It is so precise it looks as if you’re staring at a photograph. What makes it even more extraordinary is that it’s the only portrait Sydney’s ever done. “It was raining over spring break, and we weren’t going anywhere, so I started painting this and I just had so much fun.” These days, Sydney paints whenever she can. She works in the church with her husband, and two of her three children are still home, so she stays busy with afterschool activities. (Her oldest started college this year.) She’s sold a few paintings but still struggles with letting them go. It’s not so much the paintings that she’s “My grandmother sewed and had a big button collection. The first thing I did was make a button collage, just taking some of the actual buttons and putting them together and framing them. And one day I posted the collage on Instagram and realized it would make a cool painting.”
attached to but the memories she has of her time creating them. She looks back on her life four years ago. “I was living the American Dream,” she says. By all accounts she was. But she wouldn’t go back. What she has now is an even happier family, and she believes God gave her this time to discover her talent, something she
As Sydney is telling this story, she is standing in front of the three paintings. “If you look,” she says, “you can see my growth as an artist. You can tell I didn’t really know much about catching the light in the first painting. But the third painting is much, much better.”
might not have done without this great shift in her circumstances. Always, she is drawn to the canvas, to that quiet time where she gets to visit with God, where the worries of the day seem to fall away and all that’s left is Sydney, looking for the light in a world that gets brighter every day.
Sydney laughs. “I called that my ‘button phase,’” she says as she walks into the room that serves as her studio. On an easel is another button painting, so realistic it looks as if you could reach out and touch the buttons. On another easel is a painting of birch trees that seem to come to life, the light brilliant on the bark.
To see more of Sydney’s work, visit her Facebook page - ssclayton, or see her work at Art in the Park on October 10-11, Riverfront Park, Fort Smith.
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people
BABY TALK
and the
BIG GUY
words Stoney Stamper IMages April Stamper
DOSOUTHMAGAZINE
people
I
I love being a parent. I really love it.
beautiful daughters. I took the whole mess of them under my wing and I never looked back. All of the sudden I was a dad. It all
That’s a super hilarious thing to hear myself say. And I’m sure that
happened so fast, I couldn’t believe it. I found myself in laughable
anyone who has known me for any amount of time thinks it’s
situations that were unfathomable only a short time before.
even funnier than I do. But I love being a parent. Suddenly, I was at the American Girl Doll store, surrounded by
For years I swore I’d never have kids. I was certain of it. It just wasn’t
thousands of dolls and giddy, squealing little girls. About $300
the direction I imagined my life would ever take. My friends were
later, I found myself outside on the sidewalk wondering what
parents, my sister, my cousins. I watched them interact with their
the hell had just happened. I found myself on the sidelines at
children. I saw them doting and swooning over every little thing.
a Pee Wee football game, cheering on my own adorable little
Every silly smile, raised eyebrow, burp or giggle would bring about
cheerleader, just praying that today would finally be the day she
a round of applause not unlike what
won the spirit stick. I found myself
you might expect to hear during the
taking them to haunted houses, to
encore of a Led Zeppelin concert.
the mall, and to little kid movies. But
The adoring oohs and aahs and
it didn’t stop there. Oh no.
laughter of the approving parents were cute, for a minute. Sure, they
Being a parent brings out the best
were proud. Sure, they thought
in people, I believe. It makes you
their kid was the cutest kid on
want to be better. It brings out a
the planet. And the smartest. And
whole other side that you didn’t even
the
know existed. And, it brings out the
most
athletic.
Guess
that’s
just human nature.
completely goofy. You know exactly what I mean, don’t you? Because
I just didn’t understand this behavior. Sure, they were cute kids. I
your kids make you act goofy, too. It’s ok, you can admit it. It
would briefly play with them or aggravate them. I liked to make
brings out the goofiest in all of us. Think about it.
them laugh. But the first hint of a cry, or a snotty nose, or a poopy diaper, and this boy was out. I wanted nothing to do with it. I have
Think about holding your little baby above your head, looking
a horrible confession to make. Don’t think badly of me, ok? When
at his or her smiling, toothless face. What would you do? What
people look at newborn babies and they say things, like, “Oh,
would you say? I’ll tell you what you would say. You would say,
he’s so cute, he looks just like his daddy!” or “Oh my goodness,
“Shmoopy-poopy-dooboo! I wuv you wittle baby doll! You’re
she’s so precious, she looks just like her mama!” or “She’s got
such a beautiful wittle baby booboo!” Or something very similar
her daddy’s nose” or “Look at that little dimple when she smiles.
to that. I guarantee it.
Just like her papa!” OK, guys. I don’t see any of that. I try, I really do. I look at them, and I grin and nod my head and I agree. But
Here is a prime example of just how goofy my own child can
I don’t see anything like that. All I see is a little squashed up face
make me, and the silly things I say that I never dreamed would
with wrinkly skin, and a bald head with no teeth. I suppose they
escape my lips. The other day we went to our friend’s house
look more like my ninety-year-old granddad than anything. But I
for their daughter’s second birthday party. There were little girls
can’t really say that unless I want to be disowned and banished by
everywhere. Dolls, balloons, cupcakes, and toys all over the place,
pretty much everyone.
as is usual for a second birthday party. Or so I would assume. I guess this was actually the first time I’d ever attended a second
There were few things I was certain of in life, but I was sure I’d
birthday party.
never become one of those embarrassingly proud daddies who gloated over a child’s every move. Or so I thought.
Anyhow, the girls and their mothers stayed out on the patio, went swimming, and played around in the yard while the dads sat inside
Fast forward a few years. My wife April came along, with her two
and watched the Sooners/Tulsa Golden Hurricane’s game.
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people
We talked about football, we talked about teams’ defenses, their offenses, overrated teams, underrated teams, and who we thought would end up in the playoffs this year — and we drank a few cold beers. You know, man stuff. As we sat there talking about all of these “manly” things and drinking our beer, our daughters would enter the room for a few minutes, only to turn and run back out again. It wasn’t until the night was over that I began to think about some of the things we’d said when our daughters burst into the room. Our conversations were borderline ridiculous. Here is an excerpt from our beer drinking / football watching / man talking / daddydaughter conversations: Man #1: <to his daughter> “Honey, do you need to go pee pee? Do you need to pee pee? Let’s go pee pee.” <to us>
Man #4:
“We’re going to start potty training soon. She grabs her tee-tee
<to everyone>
now when she needs to go potty. INTERCEPTION! Did you see
“Hey, does anyone know where her binkie is? We’ve got to find it,
that?! Great play!”
seriously. We don’t find it then stuff is about to get real. No, she doesn’t like that one, the nipple is too small. We’ve got to find the
Man #2 :
other one. TOUCHDOWN! I think it was a really good move putting
<to wife>
Blake Bell over into the tight end slot. You know he’s going to pick
“Hey Mom, do you know where Hadley’s LuLu is? She really needs
up three or four yards on every play.”
her LuLu and her bop-bop, and then I’ll put her down for a wittle nap. GO DEEP! Did you see that sick block?! He totally laid him out.”
So, apparently this is just how we talk now. Pee-pees and tee-tees, binkies and LuLus, football and beer, mixed in with the occasional
Man #3 (that’s me):
curse word. Dad talk. It’s a real thing. If you’re a young dude out
“No, no, Gracee. No. You need to sit on your bottom or you’ll fall
there reading this right now, and you think to yourself, This is all
and hurt yourself. Thank you, that’s a good girl. Oh, those are sweet
just so silly. That will never be me. No way. Not a chance. Then I say
kisses! Smoochy smoochy smooch smoochy!” And then I swooped
to you, you wanna bet? Yes. Yes it will. You will be powerless over
her up in my arms and kissed and nibbled and blew zerberts on her
it. Don’t feel bad, though. It’s taken down the best of us. But guess
neck while she giggled the cutest giggle that has ever been giggled.
what else? You’re going to love every single minute.
Stoney Stamper
is the author of the popular parenting blog, The Daddy Diaries. He and his wife April have three daughters: Abby, Emma and Gracee. Originally from northeast Oklahoma, the Stampers now live in Tyler, Texas. For your daily dose of The Daddy Diaries, visit Stoney on Facebook or on his website, thedaddydiaries.net.
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taste
Pump Up Your Morning Pumpkin cinnamon rolls with caramel and cream cheese frosting words & Images Lauren Allen, tastesbetterfromscratch.com
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taste
O
One of the many mottos I live by is “weekends are for baking.” There’s nothing I love more than baking sweets for friends, neighbors, or just for my family to enjoy over the weekend. And what better time of year than fall to fill my kitchen with the smell of pumpkin and apple? If my local grocery store is out of canned pumpkin, you can bet that I’m the likely culprit.
These delicious, gooey cinnamon rolls have to be one of my favorites during this time of year. I love peeling apart the soft pumpkin roll and tasting the autumn flavors baked inside. And then there’s the caramel and cream cheese frosting they’re topped with. Just the right amount of sweetness to bring out that wonderful pumpkin flavor. Even if you’re not already in love with the pumpkin and caramel combination, these cinnamon rolls are sure to convert you!
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 from her family home in St. Louis. Lauren truly believes that everything tastes better from scratch!
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Rolls INGREDIENTS 1/3 cup milk 2 Tablespoons butter 1/2 cup canned pumpkin puree 2 Tablespoons sugar 1/4 teaspoon nutmeg 1 Tablespoon pumpkin pie spice 1/2 teaspoon salt 1 egg, beaten 1 package dry yeast (or about 1 Tablespoon) 2 cups bread flour (you can use regular all purpose flour, but bread flour makes them lighter) 1/2 cup brown sugar, packed 2 teaspoons ground cinnamon 2 Tablespoons melted butter METHOD In small saucepan, heat milk and 2 Tablespoons butter, just until warm and butter is almost melted, stirring constantly. In large mixer bowl, combine pumpkin, sugar, nutmeg, pumpkin pie spice, and salt. Add milk mixture and beat with electric mixer until well mixed. Beat in egg and yeast. Add half the flour (1 cup) to the pumpkin mixture. Beat on low speed for 5 minutes, scraping sides of bowl frequently. Add remaining (1 cup) flour and mix thoroughly. Turn into lightly greased bowl, then grease surface of dough lightly. Cover and allow to rise in warm place until doubled, about 1 hour. Punch dough down and knead once or twice to form a smooth ball (sprinkle with a little more flour, if needed, to make dough easy to handle). Roll dough into 12×10 inch rectangle. In small bowl, combine brown sugar and cinnamon. Brush surface of dough with melted butter. Sprinkle with brown sugar mixture. Beginning with long side of dough, roll up jellyroll style. Pinch end seams to seal. With sharp serrated knife, cut roll into twelve 1-inch slices. (To keep from squishing the dough, use absolutely no pressure when cutting the dough— simply saw with a back and forth motion.)
Carmel Frosting INGREDIENTS 2 Tablespoons butter 1/4 cup brown sugar, packed 1 Tablespoon milk 1 drop vanilla 1/8 teaspoon pumpkin pie spice 1 dash salt 1/3 cup confectioner’s sugar METHOD In small saucepan, heat butter until melted. Stir in brown sugar and milk. Cook over medium-low heat 1 minute. Transfer to small mixing bowl. Stir in vanilla, pumpkin pie spice, salt, and confectioner’s sugar. Beat until well blended. If necessary, add more confectioner’s sugar for desired consistency.
Cream Cheese Frosting
Place rolls, cut side up, in greased 11X17 inch baking pan. Cover and allow to rise until nearly doubled, 30 to 45 minutes.
INGREDIENTS 2 ounces cream cheese, softened 1 Tablespoon milk 3/4 cup confectioner’s sugar One drop vanilla extract
Bake rolls at 350° for 15 to 20 minutes or until golden. Remove from pan to waxed paper-lined wire rack. Cool 10 to 15 minutes. Drizzle with cream cheese and caramel frosting.
METHOD Beat cream cheese until light and fluffy. Add powdered sugar and vanilla. Mix in milk.
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Ready for
FALL?
6733 Parks Road, Van Buren | 479.410.2217 | parksbrothers.com
46
taste
RECIPE adapted from Cocktail Flow Image Catherine Frederick
Walking
2 parts Coney Island Carlo Spirits Rum 1 part Coney Island Carlo Spirits Spiced Rum 1 dash Angostura Bitters 2 parts orange juice 2 parts pineapple juice Green food coloring for color Gummy worm for garnish
Fill glass with ice. Add ice to cocktail shaker, add all ingredients except gummy worm. Shake well. Strain into glass. Garnish with gummy worm.
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☐☐ Drink lots of apple cider (sometimes spike it) ☐☐ Plant bulbs for next spring ☐☐ Decorate my front porch & door for fall ☐☐ Visit a pumpkin patch – buy the biggest one ☐☐ Carve and decorate pumpkins ☐☐ Roast pumpkin seeds (my special recipe) ☐☐ Visit our farmer’s market ☐☐ Read a good book ☐☐ Make lots of homemade soup ☐☐ Cook in my crock pot — a lot ☐☐ Check out a local fall festival ☐☐ Drive around and enjoy Arkansas’s fall foliage ☐☐ Take a hayride
check out Editor-in-Chief
Catherine Frederick’s
fall
bucket list
☐☐ Snuggle under blankets ☐☐ Make white chicken chili
(and the regular kind too)
☐☐ Make chicken and dumplings
(my Mamaw’s recipe)
☐☐ Get lost in a corn maze ☐☐ Jump in a pile of leaves ☐☐ Bake an apple pie ☐☐ Bake a pumpkin roll ☐☐ Make caramel apples ☐☐ Attend a high school football game ☐☐ Take a family hike in the woods ☐☐ Make fall crafts ☐☐ Go trick-or-treating ☐☐ Bake cookies for my neighbors ☐☐ Make s’mores ☐☐ Volunteer as a family ☐☐ Pop popcorn the old fashioned way ☐☐ Buy new fall candles ☐☐ Eat breakfast for dinner ☐☐ Take a family photo for Christmas cards
Find Catherine’s recipes at DoSouthMagazine.com
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☐☐ Get my boo on at a haunted house ☐☐ Count my blessings
48
travel
Love and Life at Sassafras Springs Vineyard wordS AND Images Laurie Marshall
DOSOUTHMAGAZINE
travel
M
ost love stories don’t start out with a
chapel for Cheryl to manage as an event space. The property had
discussion of insurance agency courses — or involve
a large horse barn and a decrepit old milk barn standing on it.
them at all, frankly. But for Cheryl and Gene Long,
“Standing” might be an overstatement for the milk barn.
individual plans to create successful businesses in Northwest ArIt takes a special kind of vision to walk through a building that is
kansas led to a partnership they never expected.
falling down around your feet and see potential, but Gene seems Gene owned an agency in Louisiana when he decided to relo-
to have it. When he mentioned the idea of converting the milk
cate to Northwest Arkansas in 1997. Cheryl, a Springdale native,
barn, which at the time consisted of three concrete walls and a
was building a new business. They met during training and spent
slab, even Cheryl was dubious. “I thought he was kind of nuts,”
time together. Gene says he was attracted to Cheryl’s driven ap-
she laughs. They had recently become empty nesters, and Cheryl
proach to running her business. “From day one, we worked well
says she thought it was “time to play”… but Gene had other ideas.
together,” Gene says. As he gazes around the building that was once a pile of rubble, Cheryl calls Gene her “Hero,” laughing, “I was a single mom of
Gene explains, “This building had a great history. We hated to
four kids!” The last fourteen years have been spent creating suc-
tear down a piece of history. When we traveled, we saw a lot
cessful insurance businesses, raising kids, loving on grandchildren,
of great wineries and thought this would make a great winery.”
and tackling DIY and property development projects on the side.
The building now boasts beautiful stained-glass windows salvaged
While they maintain individual insurance agencies, everything else
from a church, custom artwork, and furnishings and décor chosen
they do is done together. “We like projects and like to see the
by Cheryl. “Nobody saw our vision for [the winery],” says Gene,
finished product,” Gene says.
“We like the challenge because we really like building [something] and standing back and saying ‘Wow, look at this!’”
Last year the couple embarked on one of their largest projects to date, the purchase of fifteen acres in south Springdale that was
Cheryl adds, with an infectious smile, “I’m not even sure we saw
once part of a horse farm owned by former Razorback football
the full vision. We like the whole flipping, remodeling…re-creat-
coach, Houston Nutt. Their original intent was to build a wedding
ing something. That’s the fun part. We did not realize how much
Gene and Cheryl Long
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fun having a winery would be. The fun part was taking the old
being open a few nights a week to a five-night-a-week schedule,
milk barn and converting it. [Now], it’s kind of like having com-
and could move to seven nights soon. Family is important to the
pany every night and not knowing what friends are coming!”
Longs, and they welcome parents to bring their children to play in the walnut grove behind the winery where they can be easily
Sassafras Springs Vineyard, located at 6461 East Guy Terry Road in
watched from the deck. “This is the perfect alternative for people
Springdale, Arkansas, offers wine tastings, a bar open to the public
who are not into the club scene or craft breweries.” Cheryl says.
during business hours, and live music on weekends. Bottles of wine, bar accessories, and locally sourced breads, cheeses and handmade
“My passion was the buildings and the land,” Gene says. “We set
cutting boards are also available for sale. The word has spread
out to have a unique project and it just exploded.” During a tour
quickly about Sassafras Springs, and their event space (the convert-
of the property, Gene points out a large pit dug into the side of
ed horse barn) and chapel are already booked well into 2015.
a hill, evidence of a wine-production building under construction. Next to it is their organic vineyard planted with a cultivar specifi-
The Longs are extremely hands-on in their approach to building
cally selected for their land. They are working with the University
and running a business. From drafting buildings on dinner napkins
of Arkansas’ Viticulture and Enology Research Program to choose
to repurposing horse barn materials into a unique and beautiful
their grapes. According to Gene, it will be two to three years be-
venue for special occasions, the couple did all the design work.
fore they harvest any grapes, but they will be making their own
Cheryl decorated the interior of the winery, and the unique décor
wine from other vineyards’ grapes by the end of this year.
garners comments from visitors who are delighted by the re-use of materials, from horse stall doors to wine barrels. According to
Cheryl was raised a stone’s throw to the north on Habberton Road,
Gene, there are typically no architects or plans involved – they just
near Highway 412. As she points out the details of the décor and
sketch on a piece of paper and “take off running.”
the decks off the back of the building, it is obvious she shares the love for the place that Gene does.
In addition to the winery, Cheryl got her wedding chapel, built behind the main building and up the hill from the creek that runs
They may think they’re done with projects for a little while, but Gene
through the property. The chapel was designed to look like ruins
admits it might be a pipe dream, saying, “Just when we think we’re
the couple saw in Italy while touring the country a couple of years
done with something, tomorrow brings something else along.”
ago. They have also visited California and Missouri wineries, and plan to sell vintages from those areas along with the Sassafras Winery label. “We would like to see the wine industry in Arkansas not just remain in Altus, but become a corridor that connects the Missouri wineries and those in Central Arkansas.” Gene says. Both Gene and Cheryl are astounded by the success they have seen in such a short time. Since their launch, they have gone from
479.419.4999 | sassafrasspringsvineyard.com Closed Monday and Tuesday Wednesday: 11am – 7:30pm Thursday, Friday, Saturday: 11am – 9:30pm Sunday: 11am – 6:00pm
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Make Sure They’re All Invited!
Greater Fort Smith
Parade of Homes October 3rd – 12th
Start your tour at 3215 S. 74th, Fort Smith, AR 479.434.5858
Corner of Massard and Zero
“empowering
women to live
beyond limits” Jennifer Rothschild gives sensible, Biblical advice to those determined to pursue healthy and productive lives.
4:00pm • November 2nd
Jennifer
ROTHSCHILD
LIVING BEYOND LIMITS
This event is free, but seating is limited. Reservations are appreciated. 116 N. 12th, Fort Smith, AR 479.783.8919 | 1pres.org
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Your Time to Sparkle:
Fall Cleaning Checklist
Thanksgiving and Christmas will be here before you know it and
you’lll want your house to be sparkly clean. Plan ahead with our fall cleaning checklist. One category a day to get your home ready in just one week. (This is the kind of list you should tear out and keep!)
Supplies • Bucket • Step ladder • Broom • Vacuum • Mop • Paper towels • Dust pan • Plastic bags • Cleaning rags • Household cleaners • Rubber gloves • Tequila (just kidding…kind of)
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lifestyle
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Laundry Room ☐☐Wipe down washer and dryer exterior. ☐☐Vacuum dryer lint trap and under washer and dryer. ☐☐Clean inside the washing machine and sink.
Bathrooms ☐☐Remove counter items and clean countertops. ☐☐Wash shower curtains and liners. ☐☐Clean showerheads, removing to clean any sediment. ☐☐Check tile, grout, and caulk, replacing if necessary to eliminate water damage. ☐☐Clean and organize all cabinets and drawers. ☐☐Discard expired medications, replace and restock for fall/winter illnesses.
Kitchen ☐☐Clean and organize pantry, freezer and refrigerator, discarding expired items. ☐☐Clean microwave inside and out. ☐☐Clean oven. ☐☐Dust tops of cabinets and refrigerator. ☐☐Pull refrigerator away from wall, vacuum coils and clean-up dirt, dust and debris. ☐☐Check and replace water filters (if necessary) in refrigerator. ☐☐Remove all counter items and clean countertops. ☐☐Disinfect disposal and clean sinks. ☐☐Clean food trap in dishwasher. ☐☐Sweep and mop under appliances.
Bedrooms ☐☐Swap out wardrobe, from summer to fall. ☐☐Wash bed skirt, covers and pads. ☐☐Swap summer bedding for winter bedding. ☐☐Rotate/flip mattresses. ☐☐Vacuum under beds, and closet floors.
Home Office ☐☐Shred unnecessary paperwork. ☐☐Clean and dust computers. ☐☐Update computer software and virus protection. ☐☐Change important passwords. ☐☐Begin to organize tax documents. ☐☐Review and update insurance policies. DOSOUTHMAGAZINE
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lifestyle
We recommend completing the general interior, exterior, and lawn and garden over a weekend! - General Interior -
- General Exterior -
☐☐ Wipe down baseboards, cabinets, doors,
☐☐ Wash exterior doors, doormats, and thresholds. ☐☐ Wash exterior windows, screens, and outdoor
backsplashes, knobs, and switches. ☐☐ Wash interior windows and window treatments. ☐☐ Wash walls, touch up paint.
lighting fixtures. ☐☐ Sweep and power wash driveway and entry/
☐☐ Dust and wash all air vents.
porch areas.
☐☐ Dust and clean all furniture, light fixtures, blinds, and fans. ☐☐ Mop/vacuum all flooring.
☐☐ Set lights and timers to fall hours, replace bulbs as needed.
☐☐ Freshen pillows and spot clean furniture.
☐☐ Clean out car.
☐☐ Schedule carpet and rug cleaning.
☐☐ Clean and cover grill.
☐☐ Flip switch in ceiling fan to circulate air in
☐☐ Clean out and organize garage. ☐☐ Clean and store patio cushions.
opposite direction. ☐☐ Replace light bulbs and furnace filter.
☐☐ Schedule chimney sweep.
☐☐ Check fire extinguishers.
☐☐ Check for cracks in driveway.
☐☐ Change air filters to maximize energy savings and
☐☐ Check porches, rails, and decking for loose
indoor comfort.
boards, secure or replace.
☐☐ Test carbon monoxide and smoke detectors.
☐☐ Check gutters and downspouts, keep
☐☐ Check water heaters for signs of leakage.
debris free.
☐☐ Schedule fall furnace inspection.
☐☐ Check all weather stripping, replace
☐☐ Back-up computer hard drive and cameras.
if needed.
- Lawn & Garden ☐☐Fertilize soil. ☐☐Trim dead plants, trees, limbs, perennials. ☐☐Drain and store garden hoses. ☐☐Install covers on spigots when freezing temperatures approach.
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79614_SPAR_Brown_7_625x4_56c.indd 1
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9/15/14 12:31 PM
56
travel
Get Out in Fall is a great time for celebrations, from craft fairs to corn mazes to music festivals. After the heat of summer, we’re all ready to get outdoors and
words Marla Cantrell image courtesy Spencer Doyle
enjoy the cooler weather. An added bonus is that we get to see the leaves changing, making the drive to these events even more special. We’ve gathered some of the best outings in the state for you to consider and organized them by date. All that’s left to do is plan your outing! DOSOUTHMAGAZINE
travel
THE RANCH
Fort Smith OKTOBERFEST
Fr i d a y s , S a t u r d a y s a n d S u n d a y s ( e x c e p t w e e k o f H a l l o w e e n w h e n T h e R a n c h w i l l b e o p e n e ve r y w e e k n i g h t u n t i l 11 p m ) . A l s o o p e n i n N o ve m b e r.
October 3 - 4
10 Carter Street, Central City | funattheranch.com
10203 Columbus Acres Road
COST: See Website
COST: Free Admission (donations for the Kistler Center accepted at the gate)
Come visit the area’s newest family-fun venue. The Ranch, located a mile and a half east of Central City on Highway 22 (just a ten-minute drive from Fort Smith), offers something for everyone, from pumpkin chunking, a pumpkin patch, a daytime corn maze,
Some of the best German food you’ll ever eat is served at Fort Smith’s Oktoberfest that’s been sponsored by the Knights of Columbus since 1984. You’ll also hear authentic German music,
a nighttime haunted corn maze, hay rides, haunted hay rides,
as well as great local bands like Oreo Blue. There will be games for
marshmallow patch and s’more roasting, to concessions including
children, dancing, arts and crafts, a raffle, and a Biergarten. Bonus:
roasted corn. The Ranch can also be reserved for private parties,
Happy Brat Hour with half-price brats takes place from 2:00pm –
school/church field trips, and group outings.
4:30pm each day. DOSOUTHMAGAZINE
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taste travel
O Z A R K F O L K F E S T I VA L
WIEDERKEHR WEINFEST
O c t o b e r 7 - 11
O c t o b e r 11
Downtown Eureka Springs | ozarkfolkfestival.com
Wiederkehr Village, Altus wiederkehrwines.com
COST: See Website
COST: Free Admission
The annual Ozark Folk Festival is one of the oldest of its kind, and features performances by national, regional, and local
This is the fifty-first year for the Wiederkehr Weinfest, which
musicians. The main stage is in Eureka Springs’ historic 1929
celebrates the grape harvest. There will be tours of the wine
auditorium. Headliners will be the Ozark Mountain Daredev-
cellars, arts and crafts, a grape stomp, free wine tasting for
ils. There will be a Barefoot Ball on October 9, with the Cindy
adults, concessions with international cuisine, dining at Weinkeller
Woolf Band; free folk music on October 10 at Basin Spring
Restaurant, tram rides through the vineyards, kids carnival, a
Park; and a singer/songwriter contest.
stone toss, a log toss, barrel rolling, and live music.
KING BISCUIT B L U E S F E S T I VA L
B E L L A V I S TA ARTS & CRAFTS FESTIVAL
O c t o b e r 8 - 11
O c t o b e r 16 - 17
Historic Downtown Helena, Arkansas KingBiscuitFestival.com
Arkansas Highway 279, just south of the intersection with Arkansas Highway 340
COST: Single Day, $30, Three Day Pass, $50
bellavistafestival.org
The King Biscuit Blues Festival is one of the nation’s best gatherings of Blues musicians, drawing thousands from across the world. Good food and drink will be had by all, and attendees will have the chance to hear greats like Roy Rogers & the Delta Rhythm Kings with special guest Sonny Landreth (Thursday); Delbert McClinton and the legendary Bobby Rush (Friday); and Jimmy Vivino and the Black Italians, and the W.C. Clark Band (Saturday).
COST: Free Admission This juried arts and crafts festival has been around since 1969, and grows each year. There will be more than 300 artists and craftspeople, five circus-sized tents, free parking, free admission, and trams to take you to and from the exhibit area. Great food is available, and you’ll have the opportunity to sample much of it before you buy. Hundreds of volunteers make this festival run smoothly, and thousands are expected to attend. Profits from the event are used to promote art and provide art scholarships.
VA N B U R E N F A L L F E S T I VA L
HARVEST MUSIC FESTIVAL
O c t o b e r 11 - 12
O c t o b e r 16 - 18
Main Street, Downtown Van Buren
Mulberry Mountain | yonderharvestfestival.com
vanburen.org
COST: See Website
COST: Free Admission
This ninth annual festival, held on Mulberry Mountain near Ozark,
Live entertainment, arts, crafts, antiques, collectibles, and a
is being called one of the premier acoustic music events in the
whole lot of food. That’s what you can expect from Van Buren’s
country. The lineup includes Yonder Mountain String Band,
Fall Festival on its historic Main Street. More than 200 exhibitors
Trampled By Turtles, Carolina Chocolate Drops, The Jayhawks,
will be on hand. (Please note that Friday evening will feature
Railroad Earth, and the Jerry Douglas Band. There will be a Fid-
entertainment only.) Saturday and Sunday there will be arts and
dlin’ and Pickin’ contest, a songwriter contest, workshops, and
crafts, along with live music.
camping — all in some of the prettiest country in Arkansas. DOSOUTHMAGAZINE
travel
WA R E A G L E FA I R O c t o b e r 16 - 19
VA N B U R E N ’ S
TA L E S O F T H E C RY P T O c t o b e r 18 - 19
11037 High Sky Inn Road, Hindsville
Just east of the Downtown train station at Cane Hill and Main St.
wareaglefair.com
COST: Adults, $3. Kids, $1
COST: Free Admission - Parking $3 per car War Eagle Fair is called the “granddaddy” of them all, and it
Step back in time in one of the most beautiful antebellum cemeteries
should be since approximately 180,000 people visit during this
in the South. There you’ll see students from the UA-Fort Smith
event. The fair, located on the banks of the War Eagle River, near
dressed in period costumes, telling the stories of six historic figures
War Eagle Mill, began in 1954. There are hundreds of vendors,
with ties to Van Buren, while standing near their graves. You’ll learn
artists and craftspeople, selling everything from oil paintings to
a good deal of history, see the Victorian-era monuments that Tales
hand woven baskets, to seasonal decorations. There’s also lots of
of the Crypt raises money to preserve, and feel an even deeper
food and drink available, and live entertainment.
connection to your community. Saturday’s twilight edition is from
WA R E A G L E M I L L C R A F T S FA I R
6:30 – 8:30 at night. Sunday’s daytime edition is from 2:00 – 4:00 in the afternoon. Parking and shuttle service is in the parking lot just east of the train depot at Cane Hill and Main Street.
23RD ANNUAL
O c t o b e r 16 - 19 11045 War Eagle Road, Rogers
DOWNTOWN RUSSELLVILLE
wareaglemill.com
F E S T I VA L
COST: Free Admission To get to the War Eagle Fair, you’ll pass by War Eagle Mill (that’s been around since 1832), where there’s also a craft fair taking place. Professional craftspeople will be on hand with original, handmade work, including folk art, pottery, watercolor and oil painting, quilts, stoneware country furniture, and collectibles. While there, you can eat at the War Eagle Mill Bean Palace Restaurant on the third floor of the mill, or eat at one of the many concessions set up at the fair.
October 25 Downtown Russellville | mainstreetrussellville.com COST: Free Admission Russellville’s Downtown Fall Festival and Chili Cook-off is a daylong celebration that starts at 6:30 in the morning with a breakfast buffet hosted by the Knights of Columbus. Breakfast ends at 11:00. Throughout the day, there will be food available from vendors, as well as the chili cook-off, a pie and cake contest, arts and crafts, the “Tour de Pumpkin” bike ride, 5K & 1 mile fun run, car and truck
O L D FA S H I O N E D O Z A R K S Q U A R E G AT H E R I N G O c t o b e r 18
show, dog show, kids costume contest, along with games and rides.
ARKANSAS
C O R N B R E A D F E S T I VA L
Ozark Square
N o ve m b e r 8
mainstreetozark.com
South Main Street, Little Rock | arkansascornbreadfestival.com
COST: Free Admission
COST: (At the gate) Adults, $10. Kids 6-up, $5
See Ozark in all its glory during the Old Fashioned Square
Live music, a cornbread competition, and a chance to sample
Gathering. There will be live bluegrass music, barbershop
some of the best cornbread recipes on the planet. That’s just part
quartets, a chili cook-off, rides, a pet pageant, food, games,
of the reason this festival has grown so rapidly since it started in
Little Mister and Miss Pageant, and a baby photo contest.
2011. This is a great family event, open from 11:00 – 4:00, and you can vote for the cornbread recipe you think is best. There are amateur and professional categories.
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for
Arkansas words Marla Cantrell images and certain content courtesy Arkansas Department of Parks & Tourism
Lucky. That’s what we are because we live in Arkansas, a state where fall shines. Step outside, see the brightly colored leaves and you’ll likely get weak in the knees. Even better, take a road trip to see miles of trees awash in yellow, red, and orange. The color change begins this month in the Ozarks and moves slowly south, reaching its peak in late October and early November. Maples, sumac, sweet gum, oak, sassafras and hickory all change color, and with two-and-a-half million acres of national forests in Arkansas, you’re sure to see some of the most beautiful scenery in the world.
The Ozark Mountain region begins its color change in early October, with
Ozark Mountains
the black gums taking on brilliant red tones. The peak usually occurs in late October to early November. The Ouachitas and Arkansas River Valley take on color within a week or so following the Ozarks, usually beginning in mid-October. Early to midNovember is normally the peak time for this area. The Delta (east) and Gulf Coastal Plain (south) are usually transformed by mid-November.
DOSOUTHMAGAZINE
Ouachitas
Delta
travel
Boston Mountain Scenic Loop
Pig Trail Scenic Byway Arkansas Highways 16 and 23
Check the state’s website at Arkansas.com. They update fall color every Thursday.
US Highway 71 and Interstate 49 A favorite for experienced motorcycle ridIf you take the Alma exit and head north
ers, the Pig Trail is one of the most scenic
on Highway 71, you’ll get the up close
and colorful routes in the state. You’ll wind
and personal effect of this old, winding
through the Ozark Mountains at Ozark
highway. See the majesty of the trees that
(stop and eat at Rivertowne BBQ at 205
line the roadway, stop at Artist’s Point mu-
South 3rd Street if you have a chance) and
seum and gift shop, and take advantage
end in Fayetteville. Check to see if there’s
of the overlook, where you’re likely to find
a Razorback home game if you’re travel-
dozens of tourists taking photos of the
ing on Saturday, as this road fills up quickly
mountains above and the valley below. If
with Hog fans.
you’re hungry, stop at Grandma’s House in Winslow, and support local artists by visiting Ozark Folkways, also in Winslow.
Talimena National Scenic Byway This road runs fifty-four miles along the crest of Rich Mountain and Winding Stair Mountain in the Ouachita National Forest and spans one of the highest mountain ranges between the Appalachians and
Scenic Byway 7
the Rockies. One breathtaking panorama follows another as this national scenic by-
The state designated route is from the
way winds along forested mountain tops
Arkansas/Missouri state line, south through
between Mena and Talihina, Oklahoma.
Harrison, Russellville, Hot Springs and
A popular stop is Queen Wilhelmina State
Arkadelphia, and on through El Dorado to
Park atop Rich Mountain. The trails and
the border with Louisiana. Along the way,
Mount Magazine Scenic Byway
campgrounds are open; however, the lodge,
you’ll pass through the Grand Canyon of
restaurant, and restrooms are closed for
the Ozarks at Jasper, cross over the Buffalo
Arkansas Highway 309
renovation. The major remodel will be com-
National River, cruise through Hot Springs
plete in the spring of 2015.
National Park, drive across DeGray Lake, and
Mount Magazine, at 2,753 feet, is the high-
visit one of the most charming downtown
est peak in Arkansas, and one of the most
squares in the state at El Dorado. If you have
photographed. Once there, you’ll see the
time, make reservations at the Quapaw
state park, lodge, visitors center, restaurant
Baths and Spa at Hot Springs National Park
and cabins. Mount Magazine has become
for a soak in the thermal mineral water
one of the “it” places to get married be-
pools the area is famous for.
cause of the expansive views of Blue Moun-
Interstate 530
tain Lake, the Ouachita Mountains, the River Valley and the Ozark Mountains. Make sure to stop by the visitors center to learn
This southbound route between Little Rock
about the wildlife in the area, and visit the
and Pine Bluff goes through the rich tim-
Mount Magazine Lodge for a bite to eat.
berlands of South Arkansas. Bottomland
Their hamburgers are delicious.
hardwoods provide brilliant color. DOSOUTHMAGAZINE
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southern lit
She’ll Be
Back
fiction Marla Cantrell
S
She was wearing a dark blue velvet dress,
But it was after the dance, after we’d gotten in trouble for danc-
cut low at the neckline, a slit running up the right side of her long
ing too close —“Couldn’t get a piece of notebook paper be-
skirt. Her hair, black as night, was in loose curls past her shoulders.
tween you two”— Coach Devo said, that I got to know her. As I
What I remember most is that she smelled like cinnamon gum,
drove her home in my car that could carry eight adults easily, she
and when I slipped the wrist corsage of roses and daisies over her
pointed down a dark road I wasn’t familiar with. “Long cut,” she
small hand, it wouldn’t stay put, and so she tied it in place, using
said, and then slid closer to me, making me crazy when her thigh
her teeth, pulling the silver ribbons taut against her pale skin.
touched mine.
DOSOUTHMAGAZINE
southern lit
There is something about velvet, the way it feels when you touch
my car that I’d hidden in a scrub of pine trees a few yards away.
it. There is something about a dress that comes to a girl’s ankles, but then has that one slit that reaches well above the knee. It was
What do you do when you love somebody the way I loved her?
too much for me, and in the car on that night on that back road
You marry someone else. And so I did. On my wedding day, I
that led to the river bottoms and then straight out of Arkansas, I
thought of her. I wanted her outside my church. I wanted her to
fell irretrievably in love.
sit in her car and regret every move that took her away from me.
When I look back, I see how it couldn’t be held together. The way
You can love someone and lose them and your life can go on. It’s
we were when we were together made the planet spin too fast,
not what those sappy movies tell you, but you can. I had a good
and when I stood next to her my heart beat irregularly. At times,
wife, and then I had two good kids, and for a few years I was
in my car, all I wanted was to marry her, but we were young, and
happy. If I thought about her, I didn’t dwell on it. If she called my
older guys kept coming around when I was not with her, and after
house, I never knew.
a while she started to consider what her life would be without me. I might have stayed married forever, but my wife grew tired of me. What I want to say here is that she was broken in a way I never
I wasn’t a bad husband, but I worked a lot at this garage I owned,
quite understood. She had a father who hit her sometimes, I know
and when I wasn’t working I hunted whatever was in season. We
that, and a mother who seemed eternally angry. Once, standing
went to counseling and took tests that indicated I was not “all in”
on her porch, the clock about to strike midnight, I heard noises
the marriage, and that I had “trouble truly seeing my wife.” While
coming from inside, scraping and cussing and the sound of glass
the counselor, who seemed to be draped in tie-dyed scarves, said
hitting the hardwood floor. It was her mother, ripping the drawers
this, I watched my wife. She crossed her right leg over her left
from her daughter’s dresser, dumping clothes on the floor, tak-
knee and swung her right foot up and down, and she nodded so
ing her hand and swiping everything off the dresser top. Her face
hard it looked like her head could pop off. That’s what I saw. Who
went white when she heard the ruckus on the other side of the
knows what else I was missing.
door. “Go,” she said, and she wouldn’t even kiss me. In my new place, a warehouse that I turned into half garage and When she married someone else, I sat outside the church and
half apartment, my life started feeling like my own again. The kids
revved my engine as the guests arrived. I played Willie Nelson’s
were teenagers, and they’d spend about half their time with me. I
“Always On My Mind” loud on my car stereo once the church
had a string of women bringing by casseroles, leaving their phone
doors closed, until her older brother came outside, lit a cigarette,
numbers, asking for help lighting their gas fireplaces.
shook his head, and mouthed the word “loser” to me. On Halloween, the air turned cold. I walked outside and leaves A year later, she called me up. “I need to lay eyes on you,” she
whipped across the streets. My two kids were at a party. I’d
said, and we arranged to meet late one night, on the baseball
planned to watch Texas Chainsaw Massacre, drink a few beers,
field near her house. She had lost weight and her low-slung jeans
maybe call the woman who’d dropped off a sack filled with candy
looked as if they could fall at any minute. She wore a red silk
corn and popcorn balls.
blouse and her hair was up in a ponytail. I stood on home plate and watched her walk over to me.
When she called, I knew her voice instantly. “There’s a hole in my heart,” she said, and for a minute I thought she was sick, but
We didn’t say one word. We stood a foot apart and we assessed
she just laughed at me. Twenty minutes later she was at my door.
each other. She had her hands in her back pockets. I had my arms
Her hair was longer than I’d ever seen it, and she had a few lines
crossed. Finally, I reached up, I put my hand on the back of her
around her mouth when she smiled. She was dressed in black:
neck and I pulled her close enough to kiss her forehead.
jeans, leather jacket, boots, and she wanted to ride.
You can’t take another man’s wife. That’s what I felt. But I wanted
How she knew I had a motorcycle, I don’t know. I’d only gotten
to. I had a thousand dollars in my pocket. I had a bag packed in
my first motorcycle — the Ducati Monster — three weeks before
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I’d been taking it on the back roads, driving faster than any responsible man would, almost laying it down at times.
I poured myself three fingers of whiskey, and she stood and walked to the window. I’d yet to put up blinds. “Sorry your mar-
When she climbed on behind me, she said, “I like the old-school
riage didn’t work out,” she said.
mirrors,” and I laughed. “That’s what you like?” I teased, and she slapped me on the shoulder. She leaned into me as we made our
“It worked for a good long while,” I said. “It worked well enough.”
way through town. She slipped her hands beneath my jacket on Temple Road, when I started showing her what the chopper had,
I had tried for years not to say what I said then. “I wish you’d leave
when I started showing off, and the feel of her hands so close was
him.”
like sight to a blind man. “Oh, I have,” she said, “but I don’t stay gone long.” Nothing moves the way a Ducati does, and nothing feels like she did on that night, her chest against my back, her knees pressing
“If you ever leave for real, come here to me,” I said, and I took
into my legs as we rounded bend after bend. When I finally slowed
another drink.
down, she let go, she held her arms straight out from her sides and she rode like that, fearless, through the darkness.
“I had one perfect night in my life,” she said. “Me in velvet, you in that ridiculous tux. I’ve had a thing for tuxes ever since.”
What I wanted most was to lift her off that bike and put my arms around her and feel her head on my shoulder. But she was still
My glass was already empty. I could hear a group of kids outside,
wearing a wedding ring, and I still wasn’t that kind of guy. So I
trying to make Halloween last, probably on their way to toilet pa-
kept driving and when we got back to my place, I asked, “Why do
per somebody’s yard.
you stay married to him?” “And I have a thing about velvet, but only if you’re in it.” Her hair was wild from the ride, her dark eyes bright. She looked ten years younger than she had when she arrived, and I regretted
The wind whistled across the metal roof. A car zoomed by with
bringing him up.
the stereo up. I was treading on treacherous ground. I was sinking into the past.
She shrugged. She looked away. “I’m not worth much,” she said. I tried to protest, but she raised her hand. “I know you think I am,
She stood, handing me her beer bottle. She touched my cheek
but I’m not. I don’t know how to be with anybody. Not really be,”
and her hand was cold. “I’ll try not to come back,” she said, and
she said, emphasizing the word be.
she turned to leave.
“That’s no way to live,” I said.
“I want you to come back,” I said, “but without the ring.”
“Maybe not,” she said. “But I’ve wrecked every good thing that’s
She didn’t turn around. She shook her head and walked out into
come my way, everything except you. You got out just in time,”
the night. I watched her until she disappeared around the corner. It
she said, and then she laughed, a hollow laugh that hurt my heart.
seemed as if the moon was shamed by her beauty, so inadequate it was that it hid itself behind a passing cloud, waiting until she was
I opened two beers and handed her one, then downed mine. She
well into the shadows before it dared show its face again.
sat in my recliner, the one piece of furniture I took from my house. “I don’t remember getting out,” I said. “I remember being asked to leave.”
Marla was recently awarded the Arkansas Arts Council 2014 Individual Fellowship for her work in short fiction,
“All the same,” she said, and her mouth turned down. I’d never seen her cry, and I wondered if this was as close as she came.
an honor given to Arkansas artists who are recognized for their artistic abilities.
DOSOUTHMAGAZINE
Another new location. More great care. Where’s your happy place? Whether it’s home with family or on a fishing trip with friends, good health can help you get there. That’s why we’re here, in our newest convenient location near the intersection of Cliff Drive and Old Greenwood Road. We’re the familiar faces you trust, with the primary care services you need to keep up with your life. Look for more Mercy locations opening near you over the next few months. We can’t wait to show you around. Your life is our life’s work. mercy.net
Mercy Clinic Primary Care - Cliff Drive 3700 Cliff Drive | Fort Smith 479-259-9286 Sean Baker, DO, Family Medicine Jennifer Burks, MD, Family Medicine Todd Stewart, MD, Internal Medicine Peggy Kelly, APN, Family Medicine
Read Chair Publishing, LLC 7030 Taylor Avenue, Suite 5 Fort Smith, AR 72916
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Mercy Orthopedic Hospital Fort Smith 3601 S. 79th St. Fort Smith, AR 72903
Please come see the new Mercy Orthopedic Hospital for yourself. Your life is our life’s work. mercy.net
Community Open House Friday, October 3 2 p.m. - 6 p.m.