HOMEY - OCTOBER 2020

®

HOMEY

OCTOBER 2020 DoSouthMagazine.com

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october

Contents 04 12

Publisher’s Letter Pet Adoption:

09

Nonprofit Spotlight:

Almost Home

Christmas Honors

Shop Local

10

Teacher Spotlight

13 38

Special Feature:

Women’s Guide

{ARTS & ENTERTAINMENT}

05 06 08

Fan Mail & Contest Eat Local

{TASTE}

23 Smoldered Embers 25 Komboujee 27 The Memphis King 28 Spicy Butternut Squash

{FICTION}

{PEOPLE}

14 18 22

Sugar and Lace Ready for Her Close-Up Paul Brandt:

906 Cocktail Lounge

24

Erica Martin:

Uncork’d

26

Kyle Downing:

21 West End

OUR COVER

Get Bookish: October

Recommendations

34

{COMMUNITY}

{ T R AV E L }

30

Adventure Awaits at

Big Cedar Lodge

Scrap Paper Hearts DOSOUTHMAGAZINE.COM

Image Credit: denira/Shutterstock

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Letter from Catherine

W

ARRIVED

We made it to the other side of summer and are dipping our toes into fall. I could not be happier to see the leaves changing color, gain an extra hour of daylight, adorn my front porch with bountiful pumpkins and bright mums, break out the boots and sweaters and, of course, sip my delicious mug of pumpkin spice latte – extra whip, please! Fall is my season.

We begin this month by introducing you to Kristen Lacewell, the owner, artist and baker extraordinaire of Sugar and Lace Custom Cookies. One look at her cookies and you won’t believe she’s only been in business a short time and self-trained. We are also getting up close and personal with a former news anchor who needs no introduction, our dear friend, Donna Bragg. She’s made a brave decision to share her very personal health story in the hope that she can help other women. Don’t miss our 6th Annual Women’s Guide, starting on page 38.

We’ve partnered with amazing local businesses who are eager to serve you!

We are traveling to some local watering holes and meeting not one, but three stellar bartenders who share their stories along with favorite cocktail recipes! Try your hand at making them at home, or better yet, leave it to the professionals and pay them a visit – make sure they know we sent you! Love fall weather and scenery as much as I do? Don’t miss our

OCTOBER 2020 OWNER - PUBLISHER - EDITOR Catherine Frederick COPY EDITING Charity Chambers GRAPHIC DESIGN Artifex 323 – Jessica Meadors CONTRIBUTING PHOTOGRAPHERS Jennifer Burchett, Jade Graves CONTRIBUTING WRITERS Jennifer Burchett, Catherine Frederick, Dwain Hebda, Sara Putman, Liesel Schmidt, Jaclyn Slifer ADVERTISING INFORMATION Catherine Frederick I 479.782.1500 catherine@dosouthmagazine.com

travel feature on all the adventures that awaits you at Big Cedar Lodge.

As always, you’ll find delightful book recommendations and adorable pets longing to be

FOLLOW US

adopted, in addition to a tasty soup recipe and our second installment of our teacher appreciation in partnership with our dear friends at Bookish. All that goodness and the first in a two-part piece of fiction you don’t want to miss!

I encourage you to reach out and help others wherever and whenever you can, be kind always and love yourself. If you’re feeling blue, don’t keep your thoughts to yourself, seek out someone to talk to. Self-care is always very important but even more so in these crazy times we are living in. Stay safe, my friends, I’ll see you in November!

Catherine Frederick

©2020 Read Chair Publishing, LLC. All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced in whole or in part in any manner without the permission of the copyright owner. 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 including photography, becomes the property of Read Chair Publishing, LLC. Do South ® reserves the right to edit content and images. Printed in the U.S.A. | ISSN 2373-1893

Annual subscriptions are $36 (12 months), within the contiguous United States. Subscribe at DoSouthMagazine.com or mail check to 4300 Rogers Avenue, Suite 20-110, Fort Smith, AR, 72903. Single issues are available upon request.

Inquiries or address changes, call 479.782.1500.

Owner/Publisher/Editor

catherine@dosouthmagazine.com

To reserve this free space for your charitable nonprofit organization, email: catherine@dosouthmagazine.com.

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taste

DEADLINE TO ENTER IS OCTOBER 19.

Want to be next month’s featured restaurant?

Call Catherine at 479.782.1500.

EAT LOCAL! Do South® has partnered with these amazing local restaurants, each providing a $50 gift card to their establishment! Leave the cooking to the pros and enter online at DoSouthMagazine.com/Contest for your chance to win. #EATLOCAL

#SHOWLOVE

#FORTSMITHEATS

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fan mail

FAN MAIL Send comments and suggestions to catherine@dosouthmagazine.com.

Furry Friends Thank you for featuring local pets that need to be adopted every month in your magazine. I am sure the local shelters appreciate you. ~ Carol M.

Picture Perfect The image on the cover of your August issue was so beautiful. I always enjoy the pictures on the cover of your magazine and this one definitely is one of my all-time favorites. ~ Brian G.

Subscribed Thank you so much for helping me set up the subscription for my daughter and also for sending me the past issues I was missing from my collection. I keep them all because they are too beautiful to throw away. My daughter is very happy to keep getting the magazine now that she has moved away. She says it makes her feel closer to home. ~ Robyn G.

CONTEST (Deadline is October 19) Go to dosouthmagazine.com, click on “Contest” at the top of the page. All who enter will be subscribed to our mailing list. Please see rules and policies on our Contest page!

DO SOUTH® DELIVERED

Love Do South®? Here is your chance to have it delivered right to your door!

Two lucky readers will win a full, one-year subscription to Do South®! Visit our website at DoSouthMagazine.com to enter!

CODE: DOSOUTH EAT LOCAL GIFT CARD CONTEST

$50 gift cards to Jeff’s Club House and El Zarape are up for grabs in this month’s Eat Local Contest! CODE: JEFFS

|

CODE: ELZARAPE

CONGRATS Congrats to our contest winners from September!

One-year subscription to Do South®: Cindy Francis and Betty Pittman

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community entertainment

Get BOOKISH OCTOBEr Recommendations courtesy Sara Putman, Bookish

Enjoy these four must-read books from our friends at Bookish, Fort Smith, Arkansas’s only independently-owned bookstore. Shop hours: Monday 11am-4pm, Tuesday - Friday 10am-6pm and Saturday 10am-4pm. Need curbside delivery?

Call 479.434.2917 or email orders@bookishfs.com.

The Pull of the Stars

Intimations

The Exiles

Before She Was Helen

by Emma Donoghue

by Zadie Smith

by Christina Baker Kline

by Caroline B. Cooney

Donoghue’s newest book takes place during the height of the Great Flu in a maternity ward in Dublin. Nurse Julia Power works in an understaffed hospital where expectant mothers come to quarantine. Readers are rushed through the next three days with Julia as she overcomes one obstacle after another, and we meet two side characters: Dr. Kathleen Lynn (a rebel on the run) and Birdie Sweeney. Donoghue’s pacing is like an Aaron Sorkin film where the dialogue and action move together to reveal our characters. Through it all, Julia remains calm and steadfast illuminating a sense of peace and hope in a world that seems very dark.

Zadie Smith is a voice we need to hear right now. Through her six essays written during the early weeks of the pandemic, she touches on everything from suffering and isolation to how our responses highlight the world that was before us. It is a small book with big ideas about race, poverty, privilege, and identity. It is the perfect mixture of reflection and action and if you’re having a difficult time focusing on longer works right now, Smith’s essays will help get you back on track.

In the newest book by the author of The Orphan Train, we are shown this monumental moment in history through the eyes of three women: Evangeline, Hazel, and Mathinna. Evangeline is seduced while working as a governess and in a whirlwind of events finds herself pregnant and on the repurposed slave ship, the Madea, and on her way to Australia. Through fiction, Kline exposes all of the ugliness of the penal system while celebrating the rich culture steeped in Australia before the British arrived. Immersed in courage and grace, the bonds of female friendship hold the thread of this historical novel together.

Cooney’s newest book is another world-class thriller with an older female protagonist who is trying desperately to keep her past hidden. However, when she finds a work of art at her grumpy neighbor’s house and snaps a picture, the internet goes wild. Unfortunately, the neighbor ends up dead, and guess who was the last person in the house?

Fast-paced and clever, fans of smart mysteries and thrillers will enjoy starting the fall season with this twisty whodunit.

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community

Nonprofit Spotlight words Catherine Frederick with Amanda Daniels, Executive Director, Girls Inc.

DS: What is the mission of Christmas Honors and how is the mission carried out?

Christmas Honors pays remembrance, tribute, thankfulness and respect to the 16,300 Veteran gravesites at the Fort Smith National Cemetery in downtown Fort Smith. Annually, we place Christmas wreaths with beautiful, vibrant red bows on each gravesite. Each year, for thirty days, the National Cemetery is transformed into an absolutely beautiful setting with honor, respect, and remembrance filling the air on the grounds. Scores of individuals help prepare the wreaths each year and thousands take part in the wreath laying ceremony on the first Saturday in December.

DS: How do Christmas Honors’ efforts positively impact Each December, thousands of community volunteers from all over the region come together to transform

the communities in Arkansas and Oklahoma?

Christmas Honors is proud to advise multiple cities on how to set up and carry

the United States National Cemetery at

out their own version of Christmas Honors in Arkansas and Oklahoma. Multiple

Fort Smith by placing one wreath on

cities are assisted by our board of directors in product and service tribute

each of the thousands of headstones

recommendations. Each has their own unique way and that’s what makes it

in honor of every man and woman’s

special! As for Fort Smith, it has enhanced the historical, educational, and

service to our country. This voluntary act

patriotic spirit of our area and our citizens.

is in appreciation to Veterans and their families such that they will never be forgotten. This year, due to COVID-19, the event has been cancelled; however, tributes will still take place. Do South®

DS: Tell us a bit about the history of Christmas Honors.

When we started our mission thirteen years ago there were 12,000 gravesites at the Fort Smith National Cemetery; today, there are nearly 16,300! Directly

reached out to Philip Merry, Chairman,

or indirectly, including the cities we advise, we help pay respect to over

Christmas Honors, to learn more.

48,000 Veterans.

DS: How can our community help this year? And, are there Christmas Honors

upcoming opportunities our readers should be aware of?

PO BOX 10696, Fort Smith, Arkansas

Please realize that COVID-19 has necessitated an alternate plan for the

479.926.0939

tribute this year, per the Department of Veterans Affairs and the National

christmashonors.org

Cemetery Administration. Our first priority is on the wellbeing and safety of our citizens. Be on the lookout for social media tributes in the form of digital billboards and newspaper inserts and in particular the “Reading of the

Next month, we’ll showcase another worthy charity in our area free of charge. If you have a nonprofit you’d like to see recognized, email us at catherine@dosouthmagazine.com.

Names & the Ringing of the Bells” for every Veteran buried at the Fort Smith National Cemetery located in downtown Fort Smith.

A Veteran’s greatest fear is not of dying; but of being forgotten. We, in Fort Smith, Arkansas, shall never forget them. We shall never forget….

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community

TEACHER

SPOTLIGHT MRS. ALICIA ROBINSON

Do South ® has joined forces with Bo okish, our area’s only independent bo okstore, in an effort to shine the spotlight on deserving teachers in our community! Local teachers complete the form and wish list online and then books from their wish list can be purchased from Bookish at a twenty percent discount by anyone wanting to show their support! Each month, we will feature a local teacher doing great things for area children. This month, we are proud to introduce you to Mrs. Alicia Robinson, a 4th grade teacher at King Elementary in Van Buren, Arkansas. To all teachers, we love you and thank you for all you do!

Tell us about your teaching journey.

How long have you been a teacher?

Where have you taught? What grades and subjects do you teach?

I am a fifth-year teacher, teaching 4th grade. I started my teaching career after staying home with my children while they were young. I have spent my entire career in the same classroom at King Elementary in Van Buren. Being a graduate from Van Buren I was thrilled to be back at my alma mater and strive every day to be a positive influence for my students. I teach all core subjects.

What do you like about being a teacher?

I love hearing the students' version of the world around

KING ELEMENTARY VAN BUREN, ARKANSAS

them. Looking at the world through a child’s eyes is one of the biggest blessings about my job. Fourth graders are at an age where they are listening and paying

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community

attention to world and local events and like to start having their own opinions! One of my favorite memories was when my students were giving presentations about people who have made a difference in our world. One student decided to write and present about President Obama. This student at some point had been given misinformation and was positive that he was the owner of Trump Towers. After a few giggles and a quick research lesson we finally convinced her otherwise.

T S I L H S I W e Thank You, Sarah: Th d ve Sa ho W n Woma urie Thanksgiving by La n rso de An lse Ha

What Do You Do wi th an Idea? by Kobi Yama da

What is your biggest concern about entering into the 2020 school year?

My biggest concern about entering the 2020 school year is the impact on student socioemotional health. For most students, school is a safe place, where they can hug their teacher

After the Fall (How Humpty Dumpty Got Back Up Again) by Dan Santat

and find comfort with friends. My concern is that if we are not able to meet these students' needs we will have an increase of mental health issues.

Balloons Over Broadway: The True Story of the Puppete er of Macy's Parade by Melissa Sweet

The Word Collector by Sonja Wimmer Teachers, we encourage you to complete the short form and add your wish list! You can find the form at Bookishfs.com, on their Facebook page, and at DoSouthMagazine.com.

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pets

Fall for these Furry Friends F

M

Blush

M

Heathcliff M

M

Monty

King M

Mork

Trout

Almost Home Shelter & Rescue 3390 Pointer Trail East - Van Buren, AR | Tom Hill 479.414.3781 | Almost Home Shelter and Rescue is a 501C-3 nonprofit all volunteer staffed facility. They work in partnership with Van Buren Animal Control to find loving, forever homes for the dogs in their care. All dogs will be spayed or neutered and up to date on vaccines when adopted. Please consider adopting or fostering one of their sweet pets.

Each month, Do SouthÂŽ donates this page to local and regional nonprofit animal shelters. If you work with a shelter and would like to reserve this space, please email editors@dosouthmagazine.com.

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shop

Think Local Support your neighbors! Shop, dine, relax and enjoy all our beautiful region has to offer. Be sure to tell them Do South® sent you!

words Catherine Frederick imageS Jade Graves Photography and courtesy vendors

Howard Leight Impact Sport Electronic Earmuffs Amplify to Help You Hear Environmental Sounds & Automatically Cease Amplification When Loud Impulse Sounds Are Detected.

CENTER FOR HEARING 479.785.3277 East Sixth Brewing IPA, Flying Embers Hard Kombucha, Cask & Kettle Hot Cocktails, Justin Sauvignon Blanc, Adictivo Tequila, Oak & Eden Whiskey, WhistlePig Single Barrel Rye, Sunday Funday Sparkling Rosé

SODIE’S WINE & SPIRITS 479.783.8013

Men’s Skincare Products by Legacy Including After Shave Balm and Premium Shaving Cream and Gentlemen’s Kits Including a Shoe Polish Kit, Beard Kit and Travel Kit

JENNIFER’S GIFT SHOP BAPTIST HEALTH FORT SMITH

Premium Handcrafted Sunglasses by Krewe

DR. STEVEN B. STILES OPTOMETRY 479.452.2020

479.441.4221

Hearts On Fire Tessa Diamond Navette Pendant, Starting at .25ct. Total Weight, Available in 18kt.

White, Yellow and Rose Gold.

JOHN MAYS JEWELERS 479.452.2140

Kahlúa Blond Roast Style, Tru Flask Stainless Steel with Matte Black Finish, Crystal Head Vodka Skulls, Baileys Irish Cream Liqueur Apple Pie Limited Edition

IN GOOD SPIRITS 479.434.6604

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people

Kristen Lacewell

Sugar & Lace words Jennifer Burchett IMAGEs Jennifer Burchett and courtesy Kristen Lacewell

"At first it was family and friends who bought my cookies. I never thought people would want to pay me for cookies!"

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people

A

AUTUMN IS A SPECIAL TIME

of year for Kristen Lacewell.

While many people specialize in tricks and treats, hers is

organically,” elaborates Kristen while reminiscing about the start of Sugar and Lace.

the business of sugar and spice and everything nice. Meet the face behind Sugar and Lace Custom Cookies, and she’s

After making cookies for her boss, friends, and family, word

ringing in the season with a fresh batch of autumn delight.

quickly spread of Kristen’s talent. Soon strangers were reaching out to her via social media and placing orders. For

“Halloween was the first holiday I made cookies for, so it

Kristen, it was quite the blessing, in more ways than one.

always gets exciting this time of year,” shares Kristen, who is celebrating two years of being in the cookie business.

“Baking cookies really became a stress relief when I started.

When I was a kid I was a dancer, so that creativity was always

It was in the fall of 2018 that she began perfecting her

there. But while working, the creativity didn’t have an outlet.

cookie craft. For months before she launched her sweet

So baking was a natural fit.”

treats, she baked countless cookies (much to her husband’s delight) as she tried to get the perfect sugar cookie down

As Sugar and Lace took off, Kristen cherished the quiet time

to an art for her first customer. And that she did. It’s hard

she had to decorate the cookies. Put into every batch is an

to believe, but without any formal training in drawing or

equally sweet dose of her creativity. The process itself has

baking, Kristen managed to combine the essence of both

many steps that seem to blend so well with the subtleties of

into one truly customized cookie.

who Kristen is as a person; sweet, patient, dedicated, and sophisticatedly artistic.

“I started practicing in August of 2018, two months before I started selling. My boss at the time wanted some cookies.

Kristen begins every cookie with her top-secret sugar cookie

That’s how I started Sugar and Lace.”

recipe. Though she does offer a chocolate chip cookie cake for customers to purchase, her custom cookies are all based

Her then boss, Corina Matthew of Matthew Chiropractic,

on the same sugar cookie recipe.

got what she wished for in Kristen’s cookies. Kristen delivered on sweets that were not only delicious but were

After baking the cookies to a perfect temperature that makes

just about as cute as they come. One look at them and you

them not too hard, not too soft, but just right, comes the

know she’s created something special.

creative part. When the cookies are removed from the oven they cool for roughly eleven hours. Once cooled, every cookie

From there it only grew.

receives what those in the business refer to as the ‘flood.’

“At first it was family and friends who bought my cookies.

No, this isn’t where this sweet story takes a turn down horror

I never thought people would want to pay me for cookies!

lane. Far from it (unless you don’t like icing)! The ‘flood’

I never intended on it being a business. But it just grew

refers to the solid bottom layer of icing that coats the top

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of each cookie. Though the cookies may differ in size and color, the flawless flood is a must and is the base for the decorations that top each confection.

“Some people give me a theme or an event, and I come up with the rest. But all of my cookies are original.”

True to her word, Kristen invests upwards of fifteen hours baking and decorating every order she receives, ensuring that her customers get what they’re looking for, and ensuring that her craft remains true to her artistry. Every cookie that comes out of Kristen’s kitchen is hand decorated with a precision that stands out among the rest. They are so intricately beautiful, it’s almost a shame to eat them.

job security and a need for self care reappeared in her life, she knew she had to tweak her business model and set limits

“It’s hard to pick my favorite theme. I mean, I really like the

on the number of orders she accepted per month.

fall. Anything that allows me to test my creativity and try something new is always fun.”

“All spring and summer I took as many orders as I could because at that time I didn’t know what was going to

For a gal like Kristen, excitement really sparks when new

happen with my job. I would come home from work at Mercy

themes come her way. She recalls baking Bob Dylan cookies

Hospital and work for Sugar and Lace from six o’clock in the

earlier this year. “That was really cool,” she smiles.

evening until midnight. But I started getting tired.”

Over the past two years, Kristen has received countless

Like many of us, Kristen came full circle with the realization

orders, and her venture has acquired an amazing following

that her mental health and self care were essential during the

from the community. In fact, her monthly calendar is usually

pandemic. Today, she has struck the perfect balance between

full within one week of opening up orders.

work, play, and some seriously delicious baking skills.

“I release bookings on the first of the previous month,”

This little girl who grew up loving her Easy-Bake Oven has

explains Kristen. By the second day of September, October

grown into an amazing baker and an extremely talented

was nearly booked.

cookie artist. To order a batch of Sugar and Lace cookies is to order up a helping of dedication and love, and that’s

But don’t worry. For people who don’t place their order in

something we all need a taste of these days.

time, cookie cakes are a great way to fill your belly in the meantime. “Cookie cakes are an easy way to serve more

For Kristen, the future of Sugar and Lace is bright. And

people,” smiles Kristen.

although she is taking time to invest in her current career, she certainly entertains the idea of a storefront one day. “In

Turns out, people like ordering cookies during quarantine.

the future universe, a coffee and cookie shop would be cute.

“People order cookies for their friends and family, sort of as

It is good to have dreams,” Kristen shares.

a ‘thinking of you’ treat,” Kristen joyfully explains.

With all of the uncertainty surrounding work and life during a pandemic, in the spring of 2020 Kristen set her mind to growing Sugar and Lace to its fullest. But eventually, when

Visit Sugar and Lace Custom Cookies on Facebook, or online at sugarandlacecookies.square.site.

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people

Donna Bragg

READY FOR HER

Close-Up

words Dwain Hebda IMAGEs courtesy Donna Bragg

DONNA BRAGG

knew that look the second the

doctor came back into the room. Bad news.

Now, sitting in the exam room in 2018, the marketing executive for the Arkansas Lottery and mother of two was about to hear the words no woman wants to hear. Although

“When your doctor says, ‘I need to talk to you,’ and gives

it wasn’t quite the diagnosis that she was expecting.

you a diagnosis,” she says. “Well, it’s scary.”

“Lobular carcinoma in situ, LCIS,” she says, knowing you Donna was no shrinking violet – in her career as a television

don’t know what that is. After all, she hadn’t heard of the

news anchor, she’d covered the medical beat and also had

condition either, despite covering medical news for two

the chance to interview people in the throes of tragedy. For

decades. In fact, most of her health care providers were

years, viewers in Fort Smith, Arkansas, tuned in to catch the

short on details about it.

Alabama native with the electric smile deliver the news with a straightforward, honest style the audience appreciated.

“At the time, my doctor really couldn’t even explain it to me,” she says. “So, I came home and started doing some

“In terms of what made me good as a news anchor, that’s

research. I learned a lot about my diagnosis.”

really hard to define,” she says. “I think a lot of it is just voice and presence and confidence, which took me a long

What her own research didn’t tell her a follow-up with a

time to build. In the end, there’s something about your

breast specialist did. LCIS is a neoplasia, or collection of

credibility; it’s hard-won and easily lost.

abnormal cells, located in the lobules of the breast. It is extremely hard to detect except through biopsy; hers

“[As a news anchor] I’ve been told my gift is empathetic

was only revealed via routine protocols during a cosmetic

listening. I really listened to people and people just trusted

surgical procedure. And while she thus says unequivocally,

me easily, I guess. I’m honest and open and, I think, they

that “plastic surgery saved my life,” LCIS is not – repeat,

felt comfortable entrusting their stories to me.”

not – cancer.

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people

“I was mortified when my doctor told me, ‘You have LCIS,’

that came after and the prolonged period of recovery, all

because ‘carcinoma,’ to me, meant ‘cancer’” she says. “So,

of which happened this year, she’s had time to reflect on

I was elated when the breast specialist told me over and

the fragile nature of identity and self-esteem as part of

over again, ‘You do not have breast cancer.’”

the emotional component of healing.

What Donna did have in LCIS was a flashing red light

“Maybe more so than any other body part of a woman,

announcing she was at considerably higher risk for

the breasts are the things that identify you as female, you

developing breast cancer. And that translated to a year of

know?” she says. “You have this relationship with your

agonizing consults and deciding what to do next.

breasts throughout your life, whether it’s the teasing when you start developing breasts to feeling good about

“LCIS is a condition that increases your risk of developing

them…. Some of the most indelible memories of my life are

invasive breast cancer within the next ten years after

those late-night wake-up calls to breastfeed my infants.

diagnosis. So, I had time. I didn’t have to make a rash

I remember there’s something otherworldly about being

decision,” she says.

able to feed your baby that way.

“You have options. One option is to take medication for

“Hey, breasts get attention. They get commented on. It’s

five years that may lower your increased risk up to fifty

something that women really identify with as part of their

percent or so. But they have yucky side effects. The other

womanhood. So, it’s a difficult decision to say that you’re

option is to do nothing; they call it ‘watchful waiting.’ Every

going to remove them. I don’t know that it matters whether

six months, you have a mammogram and MRI and a breast

you’re doing it preventatively or after a horrible diagnosis.”

examination. I did do that.”

Along the way, Donna discovered just how large a circle A third option–proactive radical surgery–hung in the air.

she had gained through her ordeal.

Donna didn’t like talking about it, even as she felt drawn toward that fateful course of action.

“There are terms for women who are going through cancer,” she says. “I’m called a ‘pre-vivor'; there are

“I think I just knew. From the moment I understood what I had, I always knew that I would opt to change my odds. It just took me a while to make that decision,” she says. “The hardest part of this entire journey, for me, was making the decision to do it. I won’t say it’s easy. The process itself is not easy. I fretted over it and it stressed me every time.

“But there was one particular day where I remember distinctly that I made the decision that I’m doing this. I’m going to have a preventive mastectomy and I’m going to end this. I just put it to bed; I decided and said now let’s get busy and get it done. The truth is, I have not cried about it one day since.”

And so, the woman who’d reported on stories from Bill Clinton’s presidential bid to riding along in an F16 with the US Air Force Thunderbirds suddenly found herself the center of a new and intensely personal story. Throughout the bilateral preventive mastectomy, the reconstruction DOSOUTHMAGAZINE.COM

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‘pre-vivors,’ ‘thrivers,’ and ‘survivors.’ All of these women,

“You know, I’ve chickened out every single time I try to

regardless if you’re getting cancer or you’ve had cancer,

activate this blog, because it’s a lot of personal info to

they’re so supportive of each other in these online groups.

share. I need to step out of my comfort zone and keep being brave and keep making brave decisions,” she says,

“It’s interesting. Most of my adult life has been pretty

her voice full and strong.

public. Because of that, I’m almost intensely protective of my private life and always have been, especially with my

“I feel braver for having done this interview. In sharing with

children, because there’s a lot of weirdos out there that,

you this story, I’m going to go ahead and actually activate

you know, pay attention to women on television. So, I

the blog and get a lot more vocal about it. It helps me to

didn’t really share any of this in a public way.

write and I have this thought that if one other woman can get help from me, then that would be worth it.”

“Sharing this story with you, this is the first time I’m ever really sharing this story with an audience per se, aside from

She sits back, pulse quickened at the new, slightly scary

my friends and family, who I talk to a lot about it.”

promise she’s just made, on the record. But once again, her mind is made up, time to get going. The very thought of

The interview loosens the floodgates on all that she wants

things reignites her radiant smile, as knowing as it is joyful.

to say about what she’s gone through. She’s long had an idea for a blog, “Sharing with My Breasties,” where she’d

“I want to laugh and dance and be extraordinary and skip

talk about her experiences and the things she’s learned, in

into Heaven having lived a good life and helped a few

the hopes of being a beacon for someone else regardless of

people along the way,” she says. “My family, my children

where they fall on the cancer spectrum.

particularly, are truly everything to me. I want them to be proud of their brave momma. My mother describes it as

“One of the interesting things about medicine today, even

‘allergic to average.’ I have that disease.

the best of doctors does not have a lot of time to sit and talk with you about everything you need to know if you’re

“I had to grieve the loss of my breasts before I cut them

going through this situation,” she says. “I found so many

off. I was so afraid of being botched and coming out of

good bits of information and help and support online

surgery looking very misaligned or weird or whatever. I was

from blogs and Facebook groups for LCIS and preventive

afraid that maybe, I wouldn’t look the same. Actually, I

mastectomies. There are companies that provide bras and

really do look the same but now, and I know this sounds so

things like that offer great support and help. There’s this

gratuitous, now I really am proud of my scars.”

online community that is just so necessary.”

At this, Donna goes silent. A light has come on illuminating everything she wants to do next, waiting just three steps forward into the thin air. Her mind clicks. What is she

Follow Donna’s continuing story at sharingwithmybreasties.com.

waiting for?

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people

Paul Brandt

9 0 6

L o u n g e

Words Dwain Hebda image Jade Graves Photography

start learning. One of them was The Craft of the Cocktail, the why’s and how’s to make real drinks. When to shake a drink, when to stir a drink, you know? The little things.

“I started experimenting and learning about craft cocktails and really learning the flavors and all the spirits; where they come from and what makes them different. It just snowballed from there.” Paul’s time behind the bar has developed him into a cocktail craftsman. He says not unlike a chef, the best drinks are as much art as science.

“The perfect cocktail,” he says. “The first thing would be balance, between sweet and sour, between bold and nothing, between what is known as ‘hot,’ as far as alcohol percentage. If you have a drink that’s too hot, it’s got that big burn from the alcohol. There’s a time for a drink that has burn, but if there’s too much, you can’t taste anything else.

“If you can balance it, you can take anything and make something that people will go, ‘Wow! This is really good,’ even though it’s the type of thing that normally they would not drink. That’s the trick with it. It’s trying to find exactly what each person wants and try to build the drink to fit what they want it to be.”

Paul plies his trade at 906 Lounge in downtown Fort Smith, Arkansas, where he’s known as the whiskey expert, but he says his love for spirits goes far beyond one category.

Before Paul Brandt was known as one of the most

“I kind of jump all over,” he says. “I do know about

knowledgeable and innovative barkeeps in Fort Smith, he

whiskey, but I consider myself more of an aged spirits

was working his way up the ladder of the bar business, a

guy, whether that be rum, cognac, tequila, rye whiskey,

journey that started at the door.

Canadian whiskey, bourbon, Scotch. Regardless of what it is, if it’s been aged, the flavor profiles are complex and

“I just fell into it,” he says. “I needed a job and they needed

amazing and there are no two that are exactly identical.”

somebody to check I.D.’s and help be a doorman, bouncer or whatever you needed to be. I started doing that in 2011

With such a wide repertoire, it’s hard for him to pin down

or 2012. Then I realized that if I knew how to make drinks,

a favorite signature cocktail.

I could be more helpful.” The staff showed him some basic booze-and-a-mixer concoctions. The drinks weren’t fancy,

“I have a few different craft Old Fashioneds that are really

but they struck a chord with him.

fun, but the one that I probably get the most enjoyment of watching the customer’s face would be the perfect

“They showed me a lot, but they didn’t show me everything,”

Manhattan,” he says. “You make that drink and they take a

he says. “I needed to learn more, so I picked up books to

sip and they’re just blown away by the flavor.”

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taste

Smoldered Embers

906 Lounge 906 Garrison Avenue Fort Smith, Arkansas 906lounge.com

Recipe Paul Brandt images Jade Graves Photography

INGREDIENTS

METHOD

° 2 oz. Don Ramon Anejo Tequila

Place all ingredients into a cocktail shaker; shake

° 1 oz. smoked pineapple juice

and strain into a coupe glass. Garnish with a

° ½ oz. Pink House Alchemy Mexican Chile Syrup ° 2 dashes Pink House Alchemy Smoldered Bitters ° orange peel (garnish)

flamed orange peel.

Please drink responsibly. Never drink and drive.

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people

Erica Martin U n c o r k ' d

“I didn’t know anything about it at first, but now it’s definitely taught me a lot.”

Erica was thrown into the deep end of the profession off the start, something she says isn’t all that uncommon. But unlike the short-timers in this career, she also took on the responsibility of learning on her own time to perfect her craft.

Words Dwain Hebda image Jade Graves Photography

“It can be a little overwhelming. When I first became a bartender literally what they told me was sink or swim,” she says. “They just threw me in, and I didn’t know anything at all. So, a lot of it up front I just started making up. Somebody would order a drink, and you’d ask them what color it is, and you make sure it’s the right color. It definitely takes a lot of time to learn all the drinks that people ask for.

“Obviously, I learned from other bartenders. I’ve also used the internet and I’ve had a few books where I learned about cocktails, just a little bit of everything. Even going to other restaurants and watching the other bartenders and actually getting to taste the drink teaches you something.”

As for her spirit of choice, Erica says gin has recently replaced rum on her list, an ingredient as versatile as it is misunderstood. “Gin is by far the easiest drink to make cocktails with,” she says. “There’s a lot of different types of gin. There’s the dry, there’s the regular cheap gin. I fell in love with this one that we carry right now called Citadelle.

It is the easiest to mix with pretty much anything. You can make a dirty martini with it all the way to some fruity cocktail.

It can be very classy.

In a lot of cases, a person gets into bartending to help pay the bills while training to be something else. In Erica

“A lot of people sit there and tell you they don’t like gin, but

Martin’s case the story is slightly backward from that; she

it’s because they’re not drinking it the right way. I’ve played

had already landed a job as a pharmacy technician when

with it so much over the past year that I can make you pretty

her true vocation came calling.

much any drink you like with gin.”

“I’ve been bartending for six years. As soon as I turned

Erica has been with Uncork’d since it opened and works every

twenty-one, I became a bartender,” she says. “A guy hit

weekend with her fellow bartender and husband Logan. She

me up with an offer when I was a pharmacy technician at

says that adds to the enjoyment of her job.

the time, and I wasn’t making that much money doing it. I ended up bartending and fell in love with making drinks and

“Bartending is like learning to dance with somebody,” she

learning all about liquor.

says. “We just learn to dance together, and we work really, really well together. We make a great team.”

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taste

Komboujee

Uncork ’ d Uncork’ 5501 Phoenix Avenue Fort Smith, Arkansas uncorkthefort.com

Recipe Erica Martin images Jade Graves Photography

INGREDIENTS

METHOD

° 1 ½ oz. Citadelle gin

Combine everything except kombucha in a

° 1 ½ oz. kombucha

shaker and strain over fresh ice into a Collins

° 1 oz. fresh-squeezed strawberry juice ° ½ oz. fresh-squeezed lemon juice ° ¼ oz. homemade basil simple syrup

glass. Top off with the kombucha and garnish with a basil leaf.

Please drink responsibly. Never drink and drive.

° basil leaf, garnish

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people

Kyle Downing 2 1

W e s t

E n d

Kyle got his start at Alfred’s on the legendary Beale Street in Memphis, a baptism by fire if there ever was one.

“I was just thrown to the wolves there. It was either you sink or swim and I kept with it,” he says. “It was high volume; it was crazy the stuff you saw down there. I’m glad I’m not there, but I’m glad I did it.”

Words Dwain Hebda image Jade Graves Photography

Landing in Arkansas nearly twenty years ago, Kyle worked in bartending in Fayetteville and Fort Smith. During that time, he gained an appreciation for the heritage of the cocktail and how history influences current drink trends.

“Everything is cyclical; fashion, food, everything. Everything comes around,” he says. “The thing about our business is you have to evolve. Craft cocktails are just people’s ingenuity; they start in big markets and just fuse elsewhere.

“I was always making Manhattans or martinis just the same. But I also experimented a lot. That’s just what you have to do until you find something that’s going to work with the flavor profiles.”

That said, Kyle also points out there’s real work in experiVeteran cocktail maestro Kyle Downing has a simple

mentation, with hours of tinkering to get a drink just right.

philosophy for anyone who pulls up a stool in front of him, especially craft cocktail newbies.

“Like, how many times has the martini been done? How many flavors can you add to it? Same thing as the Manhattans and

“My advice is drink what you like,” he says. “No one should

Old Fashioneds and anything like that,” he says. “With a lot

be ashamed of what they order.”

of those cocktails, there’s a pretty fine line between a great cocktail and trash. Just a little bit one way or the other and

About half of the patrons Kyle serves have their go-to

it really messes it up.”

beverage; the other half sit wide-eyed at the bar, confused about where to start. Both groups are in good hands.

Kyle’s latest go-to canvas for spirits, bourbon, is a uniquely American liquor that has enjoyed a boom of late; cool again

“You walk in here and there’s a wall of whiskeys and it’s

after years where it nearly died out altogether. He says the

kind of an eclectic place,” he says. “With a lot of people, it’s

quality and variety has never been better.

just deductive reasoning. It’s psychology. I’m going to figure this person out.

“That’s definitely my specialty, bourbon,” he says. “The last few years, you’re seeing distilleries pop up all the time and a

“Then, you have people come in who order a gin martini

lot of them are really good. The quality of American spirits,

up, two olives. You’re not going to try to talk that person

we’re lucky that we’re in that right now. It’s a very good time

out of that. You can’t talk that person out of drinking that.

to be in the business.”

That’s just their standard and they like it the way it is.”

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taste

The Memphis King

21 West End 21 North 2nd Street Fort Smith, Arkansas 21westend.com

Recipe Kyle Downing image Jade Graves Photography

INGREDIENTS

METHOD

° 2.5 oz. peanut butter-washed Buffalo Trace Bourbon

Combine all ingredients in a mixing tin with ice,

° ¾ oz. Giffard Banane du Bresil Liqueur

stir. Strain over ice into a rocks glass.

° ¼ oz. Giffard Créme de Cacao (white) ° Luxardo cherry, garnish

Garnish with a Luxardo cherry.

Please drink responsibly. Never drink and drive.

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27

28

taste

SPICY BUTTERNUT SQUASH recipe adapted Love and Lemons images Brent Hofacker/Shutterstock

INGREDIENTS

GARNISH

• 1 large butternut squash, peeled

• pepitas (green pumpkin seeds)

and cubed (seeds removed)

• olive oil, drizzle

• 2 potatoes, peeled and chopped

• crème fraiche, diluted

• 1 onion, chopped

with a bit of water

• 1 stalk celery, thinly sliced

• parsley

• 1 large carrot, chopped • 3 Tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil • 1 Tablespoon butter • 3 garlic cloves, chopped • 1 Tablespoon fresh thyme • 1 Tablespoon fresh sage, chopped • ½ Tablespoon rosemary, minced • 1 teaspoon grated fresh ginger • 3-4 cups vegetable broth • kosher salt • freshly ground black pepper

METHOD Preheat oven to 400˚. Line large baking sheet with foil. Toss squash and potatoes with 2 Tablespoons of olive oil and season with salt and pepper.

Roast until vegetables are tender, about 20-25 minutes.

While vegetables are in the oven, melt butter and remaining olive oil in a large pot over medium heat. Add celery, carrot, and onion and cook until softened, 5 to 7 minutes. Season with salt, pepper.

Add thyme, garlic, sage, rosemary, and ginger. Stir and cook for 1 minute.

Add roasted squash and potatoes to the pot and pour in vegetable broth. Stir, then simmer for 10-15 minutes. Blend soup using an immersion blender until creamy. (You can also transfer the soup in batches to a blender.) If soup is too thick, add additional vegetable broth.

Season to taste and garnish as desired. Serve with hot, crusty bread.

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30

travel

Adventure Awaits at

W

With the summer months in our rearview, the arguable favorite season is upon Big Cedar Lodge in Ridgedale, Missouri. Just eight miles from Branson, the majestic Ozark retreat is known across the country as America’s premier wilderness resort. And with Bass Pro Shops founder Johnny Morris as the owner, the resort offers a wealth of outdoor activities. Every fall, words Catherine Frederick and Jaclyn Slifer images courtesy Big Cedar Lodge

the 4,600 acres of Big Cedar Lodge are set ablaze in autumn colors, reflecting off the still blue waters of Table Rock Lake.

The land Big Cedar sits on was first developed in the early 1920’s as a luxurious country retreat for two prominent Missourians, business entrepreneur Jude Simmons and Frisco Railroad executive Harry Worman. Several original structures still stand today, having been converted into the property’s restaurants. Since opening in 1988, Big Cedar

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travel

hasn’t wavered from the mission of providing genuine Ozark hospitality.

Lodging options abound at Big Cedar.

Guests can enjoy glamping in the great outdoors with all the comforts of a luxury resort or cuddle up next to a fire in one of the many cabins, cottages, and suites all around Big Cedar. Every room has plush, cabinstyle décor that seems to instantly let you know you’re on vacation and miles away from everyday burdens.

Camp Long Creek recently joined the roundup of extensive room types.

Big Cedar is known for many things, but bass fishing and top-notch golf immediately come to mind.

This

year,

Big

Cedar

officially

debuted Payne’s Valley, the first public-access course in the U.S. designed by Tiger Woods’ TGR Design, elevating Big Cedar Lodge as a premier destination for golf by attracting some of the world’s leading course architects, including Jack Nicklaus, Arnold Palmer, Tom Watson, Tom Fazio, Gary Player, Bill Coore, Ben Crenshaw and Tiger Woods to create nature golf at the resort. Payne’s Valley joins four existing and top-rated courses at the resort – Buffalo Ridge Springs (Tom Fazio), Ozarks National (Bill Coore & Ben Crenshaw), Mountain Top (Gary Player) and Top of the Rock (Jack Nicklaus).

But the outdoor adventures don’t end

there.

An

impressive

array

of options at Bent Hook Marina include

wakeboards,

water

skis,

paddleboards, kayaks, canoes, and paddle boats; all available to rent and DOSOUTHMAGAZINE.COM

31

32

travel

explore Table Rock Lake. Lady Liberty, Big Cedar’s luxury yacht

After a couple days exploring the Ozarks by land and lake, the

available for sunset cruises and group rentals, captures the

best reward can be found at the 18,000-square-foot Cedar

beauty and sophistication of a by-gone era while employing

Creek Spa, where expert spa staff stand ready to pamper. One

the modern amenities of today. The yacht has a distinctive

of the most popular treatments is the Big Cedar Signature

cool, nautical vibe, bedecked in classic blue and white and

Massage. Starting with a deeply relaxing massage, the

shiny wood finishes. Also available is yoga paddle-boarding as

therapist gently compresses cedar and eucalyptus-steeped hot

well as unique nighttime paddleboard tours.

towels on the arms, legs and back. The skin is then treated to a soothing rub of cedar, sage and citrus body butter with

For those who don’t really have their sea legs, the endless

moisturizing shea and jojoba ingredients. The indulgent

acres of Big Cedar and nearby Dogwood Canyon Nature Park

process is heavenly in both touch and aroma.

provide infinite land adventures. In keeping with a focus on wellness, yoga hikes are a great way to enjoy the breathtaking

There are nine restaurants between Big Cedar, Top of the

views and crisp, changing leaves. In addition to unparalleled

Rock and Camp Long Creek, all of which reflect the delicious

biking and horseback trails, visitors can also hop in a tram or

Midwestern cooking that the region is known for. Devil’s Pool,

jeep for a tour of towering bluffs, waterfalls and get up close

a rustic, log-styled restaurant, originated in the 1920’s and

and personal with wildlife like bison, deer and massive Texas

is known for its generous home-style dishes. The hickory-

longhorn cattle. The less-adventurous equine-lovers can travel

smoked prime rib and smoked trout are not to be missed! The

around Big Cedar in style during a horse-drawn carriage ride.

legendary Singin’ Cowboy, Clay Self, is a regular performer,

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travel

entertaining diners at the more casual Buzzard Bar downstairs. For visitors wanting to wear the chef’s hat, Big Cedar offers Backyard Baskets full of all the fixings to grill up a private family dinner on your own outdoor deck.

Big Cedar Lodge offers endless entertainment for you and your family and much of it can be found at Fun Mountain. Complete with go carts, a ropes course, bowling, laser tag, bumper cars, a full arcade, a climbing wall, golf simulator, billiards, a kid’s climbing area, a nature discovery center, and an adventure club, this world-class attraction offers year-round fun for all ages. Whether you’re climbing to the top of the rock wall or zooming down the slide of the pirate ship, you’ll delight in the adventure of Fun Mountain, created for the kid in all of us.

Big Cedar also offers a wide selection of activities around the property including basketball, horseshoes, miniature golf, sand volleyball, shuffleboard and tennis. But when the games have been played, nothing says good old-fashioned family fun like taking a dip in one of the resort’s pools or bobbing around in the lazy river, weather permitting, of course.

With

so

much

available

on

property,

choosing what to do first is always exciting.

The beauty of Big Cedar is that you can have as little or as much adventure as you want. It’s the destination where you can just as easily do everything under the sun or sit back, relax and just enjoy the staggering beauty of the Ozarks.

Plan your adventure at bigcedar.com.

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34

fiction

SCRAP PAPER HEARTS words Liesel Schmidt image Africa Studio/Shutterstock

This is the first installment of a two-part fictional story.

A voice behind her startled her out of her reverie; almost

Part two will be featured in our November issue.

a violent assault on her concentration, so unexpected was the question.

She’d been fine until she saw it.

She turned her head to discover the source and found She’d been strong, recovered, adjusted. And then it all

herself looking into the smiling eyes of a man who

came crashing down.

looked to have about ten years on her, his blue-grey eyes offset by tanned skin. A well-worn baseball cap

One simple little scrap, one unevenly torn sheet of yellow

hid his hair and cast a shadow across his face, strangely

legal paper with chicken scratch notations on it. Slightly

at odds with the Oxford cloth shirt he wore. There was

smudged letters in mechanical pencil, hastily written by a

a boyish sense of vibrancy in him that seemed almost

hand that would never write another word.

irrepressible, despite the fact that he’d barely spoken.

Sophie stared out at the water, unblinking and unseeing,

Milk.

as people walked past her in a blur of activity that seemed

Peanut butter.

a million miles away.

Coffee.

Don’t forget I love you!

“Need a push?”

––Mom

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fiction

Words seemed stuck in Sophie’s throat as she stared into

“Well, Sophie, I’m Charles. Charlie.”

the stranger’s friendly face, a forming response just out of reach. Thickly coated in peanut butter and floating away

The chains on either side of her moved as he took them

in a white river of milk.

in his grip, his hands just on the periphery of her vision.

“I see your mother taught you never to talk to strangers,

Charlie. It was a nice name, though not one she would

huh?” he posed, chuckling softly.

have necessarily guessed for him. He looked more like a Jack or a John. Charlie. Sophie wondered idly what his last

Don’t forget I love you!

name might be.

The invasion on her thoughts was almost too much for

“You ready?” he asked, and she felt him tugging the chain

Sophie’s brain to process. She blinked rapidly, trying to regain

back.

her grasp of the present, of what was happening here, right in front of her. Tugging her lips into the beginnings of what

Sophie nodded. Yes, she was ready. As ready as she’d

she hoped was a smile, she pushed words past everything that

ever be, she supposed. And soon, she was soaring, up and

seemed to be keeping her silent.

back, her hair whipping in the wind as she moved. She was free of the earth, rising high into the air toward the sun.

“Yes, she did. Though I hardly think that the rule still applies.”

High toward the heavens, where her mother watched–– The words sounded much more flippant than she felt, but it

just out of reach.

was a technique she had mastered. Hiding behind coy phrases and a constant flurry of activity. She was a social butterfly,

Don’t forget I love you!

never still long enough for anyone to see that the colorful wings perpetually in motion were riddled with holes.

Charlie stood, his feet firmly planted, pushing Sophie higher as her legs pumped, watching her arc through

“So, does the lady need a push?” he asked again, his smile

the air. He thought it odd that she made no sound––no

widening to reveal even, white teeth.

squeals of delight or whoops of exhilaration escaped her.

But he said nothing to this odd young woman who seemed

It was a strange offer, no doubt a shameless flirtation, but

silently in need of something. Instead, he continued to

it was a distraction Sophie desperately needed. One more

push, unaware of the silent tears that finally escaped her

thing to push away the looming thoughts, the memories

tightly closed eyes.

and the feelings that always seemed just on the verge. ******* “Why not?” she replied, her own smile deepening and She’d been driving, slowly creeping down one of the

becoming more genuine.

residential streets downtown, one hand on the steering “And what would the lady’s name be?” He rolled up the

wheel while the other rifled through the glove box in

sleeves of his shirt as he spoke, unbuttoning the cuffs and

search of sunglasses. They were there––somewhere––

making quick folds.

she knew they were. Sophie’s hand disappeared further into the recesses of the glove box, past the collection of

“Sophie,” she said, turning back to face forward and

assorted paper napkins, past the jumbles of pencils and

repositioning herself in the swing’s sling seat. It had been

pens and paperwork, until they closed around the familiar

years since anyone had pushed her on a swing set, years

plastic shape of her sunglasses. She pulled them out, only

since she’d even set foot on a playground. It seemed like

slightly aware of the scrap of paper that had somehow

such a frivolity, yet here she was.

become adhered to one of the oversized lenses.

DOSOUTHMAGAZINE.COM

35

36

fiction

How did that get stuck there? she wondered, catching

supposed to have it with her, but she knew for a fact that

sight of the torn yellow paper.

most of the other people in her office were consummate rule-breakers and just kept their phones on vibrate. Which

Braking at the stop sign, she took a moment to examine

usually, Sophie did––only she’d forgotten to switch it over

her sunglasses and remove the paper.

from its bouncy little ringtone to silent mode before she’d clocked in that morning.

And then, she saw it. The handwriting. The familiar script of her mother.

“Hello?” she said, keeping her voice low.

Her throat closed, and the world around her dulled and

“Is this Sophie Watson?” There was an unfamiliar voice

darkened. She had to pull over. She had to pull over and

on the line, and Sophie felt her eyebrows knit together

get out of the car. Now.

in puzzlement. She wasn’t positive, but she thought she remembered seeing Mom on the display as she’d hastily

Sophie forced her eyes to focus and took a gulp of air,

flipped the phone open. So why was the voice on the

feeling her nose burn under the threat of tears. Not now.

other end coming from a man?

Why now?

“Yes?” It sounded more like a question than an answer, Up ahead, there was a little park. A playground with shiny

but Sophie was still running through all the reasons that

swings and a jungle gym. A sandy plot bordered by lush

someone else might be in possession of her mother’s

green grass and wooden benches painted a cheery yellow.

cell phone.

There, Sophie thought. There. I can stop there, and I can

Everything after that was an indefinable blur, melting

be alone. I can be alone, and I can get my head on straight.

together in a violent assault of clinical terms, sympathetic words. Strangers’ faces floated before her, offering empty

It was there that Charlie found her, a solitary figure sitting

condolences

on the swing, staring ahead and motionless. Alone, like a

loomed endlessly, stark and sharp-edged stacks that

little lost child too frightened to move.

seemed to trivialize the most complicated moments of

and

meaningless

platitudes.

Paperwork

her life and lay them within the confines of their margins. *******

The sound of sobbing became familiar, a background noise that she almost didn’t even notice anymore. Sophie

Ordinary life had been shattered two years before, on

wasn’t even really sure of where it was coming from most

a morning that had begun just like any other. One

of the time.

more

morning

of

a

million

unremarkable

mornings

strung together in the normal life Sophie had been taking

She answered questions and made decisions that she

for granted.

shouldn’t have been making––not yet, not like this. There were arrangements and phone calls and a constant barrage

The cell phone tucked in her purse interrupted her thoughts

of words. Words, words, words. She hated words. She just

as she navigated her Inbox, annoyingly inundated with junk

wanted them all to stop and let her breathe. Most of all,

after a weekend of idle collection.

though, she just wanted her mother to hold her. But that was never going to happen now.

She bounced up from her chair, hurrying to catch the phone before it disturbed any of her other cubicle mates. Especially the snarky ones. Technically, she wasn’t

Read the finale of Scrap Paper Hearts , in our November issue.

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WOMEN'S GUIDE

Women's Guide Women are modern day superheroes who can multitask like no other. Taking care of others is your superpower, but taking care of YOU is imperative, especially in these trying times. We’ve partnered with incredible local businesses that offer products and services to make your life more enjoyable, a little easier, and a lot more healthy. Read on to discover our local experts who are eager

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to put you first!

WOMEN'S GUIDE

8000 South Zero Street, Fort Smith, Arkansas Find them on Facebook 479.310.8444 It’s finally fall! We invite you to come check out our new craft

5030 South S Street, Fort Smith, Arkansas aogc.com 479.783.3181 Go green with paperless billing! As an AOG customer,

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3716 South 87th Street, Fort Smith, Arkansas 479.551.2880 blackbisoncoffee.com The Black Bison Company, located in the old Ozark Mountain Smokehouse, is a locally-owned small batch coffee roaster, gift shop, and boutique! We sell whole beans by the bag and invite you to enjoy a free cup of our fresh roast coffee while you shop. We offer unique gifts for special occasions, weddings, birthdays or just for yourself! Tired of the current coffee at your office? Ask about our coffee delivery service to your church, office or home! We are thrilled to serve our wonderful customers from our 105-year-old building and hope you’ll join us October 24th from 10am – 5:30pm for Open House and Grand Opening of our new boutique!

6121 South Zero Street, Fort Smith, Arkansas 725 South 48th Street, Springdale, Arkansas burtonpools.com 479.648.3483 / 479.756.5511 What other product can bring a family together, turn special moments into lasting memories, offer good, clean fun for years to come, and improve your health, all without leaving the comfort of your own backyard? We all know the family that spends thousands of dollars on family vacations that require months of planning, but then they are over in the blink of an eye. Invest in a swimming pool or spa to provide those moments of family fun, and you'll never need to go anywhere else. Call Burton Pools and Spas today – we are your source for backyard fun!

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WOMEN'S GUIDE

4300 Rogers Avenue, Suite 15 Fort Smith, Arkansas centerforhearing.net 479.785.3277 Lip reading is a tool used to help understand speech. Visual cues are necessary for the hearing impaired and face masks present extra challenges for those with hearing loss. Good hearing health is often overlooked, but essential to our lives and overall wellbeing as we need to stay connected with family and friends. The good news is communication doesn’t have to be a struggle! Center for Hearing has three doctors of audiology who understand these challenges, can help find the right hearing solution for your needs, and provide useful tips to help make listening easier. Call today!

We are open and taking extra measures to ensure the safety

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of our patients and staff.

1601 Rogers Avenue, Fort Smith, Arkansas fsram.org 479.784.2787 The Fort Smith Regional Art Museum is hosting a Smithsonian Traveling Exhibition showing rarely seen photos of Billie Holiday. In April 1957, photographer Jerry Dantzic had an assignment from Decca Records to photograph Billie Holiday during a weeklong run of performances at the Newark, New Jersey nightclub, Sugar Hill. What unfolded was an unexpected and intimate journey into her private and public worlds. His photos comprise the largest collection of images from any single Billie Holiday club engagement. “Billie Holiday at Sugar Hill: Photographs by Jerry Dantzic” presents fifty-six remarkable images of the jazz icon that challenge the tragic narrative that frequently defines her. The exhibition will be on view at RAM through December 27.

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Certified Gemologist

5622 Rogers Ave, Fort Smith, AR johnmaysjewelers.com 479.452.2140 It’s been an interesting year to say the least! We’ve all experienced obstacles to overcome as we adjust to this new normal. This year, fall brings with it change and a longing accustomed to making changes to our daily routine, and John Mays Jewelers is no different. We have implemented many new policies in store for the safety of our customers and staff, and we are working on exciting opportunities that will change your entire jewelry shopping experience! We’re excited about the future, so stay tuned and watch our social media for big things coming this holiday season!

Don't skip your mammogram because of COVID-19! The Breast Center recommends that women have annual mammograms starting at age forty. This year, many women postponed mammograms due to COVID-19. However, you should not delay medical care during the pandemic. Delaying cancer screening delays cancer detection. The longer a cancer goes undetected, the more difficult it is to treat. Cancer is most treatable when it is found early. The five-year survival rate for breast cancer that is found early is ninety-nine percent.

Mammograms save lives. If you missed your mammogram this year, don’t wait to schedule your screening. Call our main line at 479.442.6266 or toll free at 866.718.6266.

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to return to the way of life we all remember. We are all well

55 West Sunbridge Drive, Fayetteville, Arkansas 801 S.E. Plaza Avenue, Bentonville, Arkansas 502 N. Walnut Street, Harrison, Arkansas breastcenternwa.com 479.442.6266

WOMEN'S GUIDE

Ann K. Passmore, M.D., F.A.C.S 7805 Phoenix Avenue, Fort Smith, Arkansas passmoreplasticsurgery.com 479.242.2442 Having practiced in Fort Smith for the past twenty-three

2801 Old Greenwood Road, Ste. 2 Fort Smith, Arkansas Find them on Facebook 479.434.5680

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years, Dr. Ann Passmore has opened a new location for her cosmetic and reconstructive surgery practice. For information

Raw Beauty Salon and Spa’s ultimate goal is to provide

on her training, experience, services, and products, go to

a nontoxic, organic experience for our clients and our

passmoreplasticsurgery.com, and be sure to follow her on

environment. Because we absorb up to sixty percent of

Facebook for news on special promotions. Financing options

the substances we apply to our skin, Raw Beauty strives

available. Surgery performed at several certified surgical

to offer skincare products and spray tan solutions that are

centers in the area. Surgical and non-surgical options for

natural, rather than those containing harsh chemicals. Our

every face, body, and budget. With affordable pricing and

services include brows & lashes, facials, sugaring, spray tans,

the expertise of Dr. Passmore, you’ll be ready for the job

hair care, and makeup. Schedule your appointment to be

market, your next blind date, or whatever is on your horizon.

pampered and indulge in a healthier option of self-care. We

Call for an appointment today.

can’t wait to see you!

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Expecting a baby? The American Academy of Pediatrics recommends thirteen well-child visits between birth and age four. It’s just one of the many reasons choosing a pediatrician and clinic you feel comfortable with is so important. At Premier Pediatrics, we love watching our patients grow from year to year. And we know there’re times you’ll need us after hours and on weekends. Our urgent care is open just for that reason. If your child is injured or just not feeling well, it’s easy to call, text or go online and book an appointment for our urgent care. Learn more about all Premier Pediatrics has to offer our youngest patients at premierpediatricsfs. com/expecting parents.

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5901 B Riley Park Drive, Fort Smith, Arkansas premierpediatricsfs.com 479.763.3050

314 Lexington Avenue, Fort Smith, Arkansas salonelements.com 479.649.3435 Salon Elements welcomes new stylists! Erin Daniel, our blonding specialist, specializes in long and formal hairstyles, skin care, dermaplaning, and brows. Gabby Kennedy is handtied extension certified and specializes in individual lash extensions and hair coloring. David Cecil focuses on men’s cuts, shaves, beard detailing, as well as cuts for women and children, hair color, and permanent waves. Saylor Whitson is our Mirabella makeup ambassador. Courtney specializes in vivid colors and platinum keratin, while Kennedy focuses on lashes and highlighting. Brody is our go-to for Keratin Brazilian blowouts and Japanese straightening. Need a massage or an innovative workout? Book Donna Reamy, our master massage therapist or Kristy Holland, our personal trainer and 3-D sculpting expert!

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WOMEN'S GUIDE

6808 Rogers Avenue, Fort Smith, Arkansas truegritrunningco.com 479.434.3571

8101 McClure Drive, Fort Smith, Arkansas jameskelly3md.com 479.242.8300 Surgery of any kind is not to be taken lightly and choosing to have plastic surgery requires thorough research and educated

Whether you’ve learned to work from home, manned a

decision making. If you are searching for a well-qualified and

testing site in a hot parking lot, tried to fulfill pickup orders

experienced surgeon, look no more. Dr. Kelly, Board Certified

while shelves are empty, cooked food for curbside pickup,

in Plastic Surgery, as well as Hand Surgery, has provided

stayed awake all hours wondering how you’re going to

quality cosmetic surgery and skin rejuvenation services to area

make payroll, or sat in your car wondering how you’re going

patients since 1996. Our office utilizes state-of-the-art surgical

to pay the bills…if you’ve made it this far in to 2020, you’ve

equipment, and we emphasize comfort, cleanliness, and

got TRUE GRIT. And it’s time you had gear that performs

safety. Our number one priority is your well-being. Our friendly

as hard as you do. From headbands and hats to socks and

and knowledgeable staff can answer any questions you may

shoes—we’ve got the gear you need to finish strong in

have. At Western Arkansas Plastic, Hand, and Reconstructive

2020. Let’s cross this finish line together!

Surgery Center, our goal is to help you achieve beautiful results

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while making you feel like part of our family.

Read Chair Publishing, LLC 4300 Rogers Avenue, Suite 20-110 Fort Smith, AR 72903