Arkansas NewSixty Spring 2009

it’s a guy What male thing friendships are all about

arkansas Shoes on the Go Women’s fashion from head to toe Start Meditating Now Where to find inner peace

Pets and their People

Life from the pets’ point of view

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CONTENTS 6 Notes from the Editor 7 It’s a Guy Thing What are male friendships all about?

15 Pets and their People Who’s really in charge around here?

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23 Shoes on the Go Get moving with this season’s newest looks

30 Lending Money to Loved Ones How to avoid the financial and emotional pain.

34 Start Meditating Now Lighten up. Expand your mind. Open your

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heart.

39 Chef’s Night Out Three LR Chefs Go On Location

published by

201 east markham, ste 200, little rock, AR 72203 • 501-375-2985 • www.arktimes.com Publisher Michelle Miller | Editor Leonard Stern | Associate Editor Bette Clausen Feay | Art Director Mike Spain

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Photographer Brian Chilson | Fashion Coordinator Linnie D. Lyle | Production Manager Ira Hocut Advertising Coordinator Mikaltodd Wilson | Advertising Designers Patrick Jones, Dan Limke Account Executives Karen Phillips, Tiffany Holland | AUTOMOTIVE ADVERTISING MANAGER Heather Baker Circulation Director Anitra Hickman | Controller Weldon Wilson | Billing/Collections Linda Phillips © ARKANSAS TIMES 2009

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From the Editor

here’s a bright idea: start a magazine W

“i

n the 1960s, this demographic turned America on its ear. Imagine how much fun it’s going to be to see what happens next, when all we crazies turn sixty-ish.”

— Leonard Stern

let us hear from you Comments, compliments or criticisms, please email me at arknewsixty@gmail.com.

Visit our Facebook Public Page (search Arkansas NewSixty) or our website at www. arknewsixty.webs.com.

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hen I moved back to Little Rock after twenty years of living in the netherworlds of Atlanta and Charlotte, big booming cities both of them, I wanted to get back into life here. I felt somewhat like Rip Van Winkle, who took a nap and woke up twenty years later. All the neighbors were older, familiar strangers, all going about their business as if nothing had changed, but to Rip, it was a whole new world.

Same with me. The old faces I knew in the late-seventies and eighties were still around, just twenty years older. The amazing and incredible fact of the matter is, the basic stuff of life in Little Rock hasn’t changed that much. We are still a region overloaded with community organizations, social causes and ways to entertain ourselves. We love this place because it allows us to be with people who share our histories, attitudes and interests.

So when given the chance to edit and write a magazine about people like me in their late-fifties and sixties, I grabbed it. It was like a gift from the heavens.

Here was a way to become the voice of a generation, now dealing with a new set of lifestyle issues. In the 1960s, this demographic turned America on its ear. Imagine how much fun it’s going to be to see what happens next, when all the crazies turn sixty-ish.

So the first issue of Arkansas NewSixty came to be. It was hand delivered (by the postal service) to approximately ten

thousand Central Arkansas households, and we sold enough ad space to support the cause. People liked it. We heard the editorial content was fun to read, the ideas on target and the general layout first class. Feeling affirmed, the dream grew larger for the second time around.

More shots of real people doing real things. Stories that inspired readers to try something new and with enough information to know what’s involved and who’s going to be there.

A good idea? The question seems to be, do we need another slick magazine lying around street corners, grocery stores, restaurants and coffee tables? My answer is, “yeah, we do.”This magazine carries a unique message about how people our age live the good life, pursue happiness and ultimately transform themselves and the world. Plus, we are creating a social network to provide new opportunities for us to meet, interact, learn and give back.

If our audience continues to recognize the value of our efforts and advertisers continue to experience positive results from their investments, abundance will surely follow for all of us. So, let’s boogie.

Peace and Love,

Leonard Stern Editor

I

promise, I conceived this article way before anyone even knew about “I Love

You, Man,” the Paul Rudd movie that opened this April and brought to light the whole subject of male-male friendships,

it’s a guy thing

introducing such concepts as “bromance” and “man-dates.”

As a male (last time I checked), who has few male friends and many female ones, I asked myself, “Why is that?”

you won’t find a bunch of guys sitting around the living room talking about their feelings. So what are male friendships all about?

By Leonard Stern PhotoGRAPHY BY BRIAN CHILSON

It appears, according to the handful of scholars who have investigated the matter, males approach relationships in an entirely different manner than females. Duh! Anybody who studies human nature knows men are much less verbal than females and most men tend to hide their feelings behind walls of thick bravado. Men are quite resistant to disclosing personal information for fear it may be used against them in a court of law or to gain a competitive advantage for the corner office.

All of us males who grew up in the fifties learned what it was like to be a man by watching cowboy/army shows on Saturday morning TV. Who can forget Davy Crockett, Sky King, and the Lone Ranger? These were unattached rogues who solved their problems through violence and if they did have a romantic encounter, always rode off into the sunset at “The End” escaping arkansas nEW SIXTY • SPRING 2009

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a life of domestic enslavement chained to one wife, 2.5 kids, loads of debt and a routine nine-to-five career.

In our fantasy games, a man was meant to be free, always the hunter, brave in the face of adversity, restraining emotion, one who could stare down an opponent with steely eyes and a fast draw. The irony is, that’s not the way it happened. We are tamed creatures of our economic system. Our schools taught us to be good corporate clones.

Our religious institutions told us marriage was the only righteous way to live. And, our fathers taught us to be stoic, self-reliant and strong, and to always stay the course.

The so-called men’s movement, whether it’s drumming circles, sweat huts or promise keepers, raised awareness of the loneliness men experience in our Calvinist culture. Unable to share their emotions freely, many men are barricaded inside tough, unrelenting fortresses of unrealistic role models like John Wayne and Clint Eastwood.

The perception is, if a man expresses emotion, he is weak, a girly man. The competition will exploit any weakness for selfish advantage, much like hyenas attacking a crippled wildebeest on the African savannah.

The literature of the men’s movement revealed that locking down emotional expression leads to loneliness and social dysfunction, and to higher rates of alcoholism, divorce, drug abuse and other destructive behaviors. A psychiatrist, with whom I’ve discussed this issue, tells me men express

their emotions as strongly and openly as women in a professional and confidential environment. So it’s not that men don’t have feelings.

So, I began to explore male friendships around central Arkansas. Do these friendships mirror what is known about male-male bonding i.e. they are basically nonverbal and activity centered? I will say, many men I have spoken with over the past few months freely admit they have few male friendships like those realized during childhood, high school, college or the military.

It seems when men are together on a day-to-day basis, on a level playing field, friendships have the right soil mixture to take root. Today, however, many NewSixty men find themselves isolated in single family dwellings, unable to develop the familiarity and trust required to bond.

It may take a little work Social activities with a purpose do to break through the crusty get men together. But do these exterior around your heart, activities lead to friendship in the accreted over years of ingrained, truest sense? Let’s define friendself-protective behavior. If you ship as a long-lived and secure open up, you will soon learn emotional attachment between people that forms through open to trust yourself enough to let disclosure and fearless honesty. others get inside.

There is hope for us guys. At our age, we have fewer reasons to bottle up our truths. We’re pretty much where we’re going to be for a long time.

We can openly express our emotional natures without being attacked by avaricious competitors or shamed by testosterone-enhanced media images. It’s almost trendy today to be a man in touch with his feminine side. That doesn’t mean giving up your manhood. It means getting in touch with who you really are and having the courage to share it with others, not just your wife or life partner.

It may take a little work to break through the crusty exterior around your heart, accreted over years of ingrained, selfprotective behavior. If you open up, you will soon learn to trust yourself enough to let others get inside. It may begin with a task-oriented activity like biking, boxing or working on a project together and end by recapturing the type of close personal relationship you always wanted with your dad.

☞

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This is friendship? Dan Cowling (L) and Wayne Ball box at Straight Right Fitness

Brothers forged in blood and sweat Amateur tough guys Dan Cowling and Wayne Ball

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wo mid-life guys (Dan turned sixty the day of the shoot) get into the ring at Kevin Lightburn’s Straight Right Boxing and Fitness in WLR and hit each other repeatedly for a sweat-soaked round or two. Classmates since Hall High School, these two found another game to play about five years ago - boxing. Here’s the question: can you really be friends with a guy who wants to punch you in the nose? “When you’re in the ring with the blood and sweat, immersed in the speed and rhythm of the game, you feel an incredible bond with your opponent, “Wayne said and then with a smile, “You

really get to know another person when you stick a glob of petroleum jelly up his nose.” Refereeing today’s match was Darrell “Freight Train” Ellis who runs the Sweatshop, a gym off Green Mountain Drive, and was a runner-up in the World Toughman Competition. So watch out guys, keep it under control. Dan says boxing builds great friendships. “It’s a mental challenge for sure,” he said. “But on a gut level, it’s two guys, one on one, with no place to hide. The beauty of competition is you gain incredible respect for your opponent while you bring yourself dancing to the edge of danger.”

☞

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One wrong move can ruin a good ride Little Rock bikers Jim Britt, Rick Salazar, John Linck, Jim Agee, John Red and Tom Ezell

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hen the bikers close ranks and line up into a paceline, one wrong move can send the whole group spinning out of control into a potentially disastrous scenario. “Don’t even want to think about that happening,” said Jim Britt, the leader of the pack, more or less. When in a paceline, the wheel distance between bikes is from six inches to two feet. “You have to have confidence in the other riders,” Jim said. “It can be dangerous when you’re traveling at racing speeds.” To make matters more challenging, the Monday group takes off from Cook’s Landing after dark on many

days. “Night rides are cool because of the ever-changing landscape.” said Rick Salazar, another rider. “You can’t always see what’s coming up, like road debris, potholes and other hazards. So you depend on your senses and the guys around you.” On precious weekends, the club heads off to 100-mile bike races to “experience the joy of accomplishment and the vulnerability that comes when being physically exhausted,” the guys told me that day by the River. “It’s a highly sensual experience because all of your senses come alive when you’re hauling ass,” one biker said.

Little Rock bicyclists hit their pace in tight formation along the Riverfront trail 10 arkansas nEW SIXTY • SPRING 2009

☞

From left: Allan Iverson, Marvin Schwartz and Ted Williams jam at noon, Allsop Park

Playing together at lunch on a Wednesday afternoon Rackensackers Allan Alverson, Marvin Schwartz and Ted Williams

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olk music in the local tradition of the Rackensack Society permeates our cities’ culture like tree roots fast in the earth. Guys like fiddle-player Ken Blessing and tub-bucket strummer Frank Johnson, along with revered cartoonist George Fisher, started a Pulaski County group in the early sixties as an offshoot of Jimmy Driftwood’s original Mt. View gatherings. The Rackensackers still meet the first Monday of every month at the Arkansas Arts Center. Some thirty years ago, Allan Alverson started a Thursday night group composed mainly of formerly longhaired music lovers who grew up with the Beatles.

So you’ll hear a lot of sixties folk-rock played at these loosely-organized get-togethers. A crowd of about

thirty attend, mainly players, their wives and kids and assorted pets. Today’s group of three - Alan on fiddle, Marvin on mandolin and Ted on flute meet at Allsop Park at lunchtime if the weather’s good, playing a mix of traditional ballads with some rock, blues and jazz thrown in for good measure. “We think of ourselves as friends, but typically don’t get into talking about deep personal issues though it does happen at times. Our sense of camaraderie comes from the music, learning from each other and trying out new songs,” Allan said with agreement from Marvin and Ted. With that, they broke into a familiar Ozark ballad, sending a stream of playful notes flying through the crisp spring air around us.

☞

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How far will these guys go to play a round...Ireland World Golfers Larry Burks, Tom Wahl and Skip Estes

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t’s not enough that almost every Saturday, Larry, Tom and Skip, along with five other avid golfers, head out for Hot Springs Village to play a few rounds. But in 2002, Skip had the idea to make a pilgrimage to Scotland, the undisputed Mecca of Golf where the game was invented. After all, they enjoyed sharing a Scotch or two at Skip’s every so often, so why not drink in the whole country? And off they went.

Then, on the advice of an Aussie they’d met, the threesome planned a trip to Ireland in 2007 starting with Royal County Down, rated the #1 course outside the US by Golf Digest and finishing at Ballybunion, rated seventh. “We weren’t totally prepared for Ireland,” Tom said. “For one, Scotland had pretty decent highways.

The roads in mostly-rural Ireland, on the other hand, were extremely narrow with sharp ninety-degree turns and even thinner bridges. For sixteen days, the three of us and our bags were packed into this tiny European car careening through the countryside and we loved every minute of it.” Of course, the drink of choice for this trip was Irish Whisky, which they enjoyed in small pubs along the way. Problem was, at the time, the Irish economy was going strong, weakening the value of their US dollars. The finer whiskies could run as high as fifteen euros or about twenty dollars a shot and the souvenir shirts and hats well, you only go around once. So who’s the best golfer? According to Larry, “we’re always about five or six strokes apart and anybody can win on any given day.” What Larry didn’t say was at the end of the trip, he finished last and therefore, picked up a hefty tab for the group’s last meal in the land of intensely green golf courses.

☞

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Golfing buddies (from left) Larry Burks, Tom Wahl and Skip Estes trek through Ireland

Man-Talk I Ask: Who’s the Worst Golfer?

Skip Estes: Probably “worst” is not the word. How about “occasionally least talented”. Each of us has had bad days, weeks, and sometimes a month or so. We do play pretty much the same and limit our bragging to the occasionally well played hole. Of course, each of us has our favorite courses played, favorite bar/restaurant visited, and ultimately, favorite bartender.

Larry Burks: The term “golf talent” does not apply. Tom hits the golf ball farther; I hit it better; and Skip is the best at verbally expressing events.

When I am the score keeper, I usually have the best score based on my talent to keenly observe facts and remember rules. One should be wary of Mr. Estes’ manipulations. It is highly probable that he wants free publicity for “Tails of Fantasy” by Skip. The Writers’ Museum in Dublin and some others rejected that work.

Tom Wahl: A fair (?) but no obvious answer. It literally depends on the day. Over a year, we’re about equal. We have bests but not worsts in our group. I’m now playing the best of my lifetime but I’m certainly not the best each week. When we left for Ireland, our handicaps were as follows: Larry 12, Tom - 11, Skip - 11. Since we don’t play in sanctioned tournaments, none of us maintain a current handicap, thus, no obvious answer to this question.

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From left: Jim Parins, Bill Wiggins and Dan Littlefield at UALR’s Sequoyah Research Center

It all started over a cup of coffee and a travel tip Indian Archivists Jim Parins, Bill Wiggins and Dan Littlefield

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ince the late ‘60s, Bill, Dan and Jim have regularly shared a few cups of coffee and bit of campus gossip before starting their days at the University of Arkansas at Little Rock. Dan and Jim are both English professors; Bill, Engineering. Then in the mid-1970s, when Bill was looking for something interesting to do for vacation, Dan suggested he visit the Museum of the Five Civilized Tribes located in Muskogee, Oklahoma. At the time, the two English Profs were deep into publishing an Encyclopedia of Indian Removal, (including the Trail of Tears) and collecting Native American newspapers and periodicals. From that simple recommendation came what is today, the Dr. J.W. Wiggins Native

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American Art Collection. Nobody’s saying how many individual works are in the collection, only that it is huge, artistically diverse and wildly interesting.

Located in the newly-converted strip center known as University Plaza, the Sequoyah Research Center is the culmination of a dream shared among these three lifelong friends and colleagues. “Most of the artists in the collection are still going strong. I don’t collect anything older than I am,” Bill commented as we strolled through the Center’s storefront gallery.

All three in their late-60s, the semi-retired professors spend most every day working at the Center.

“You might say some of my best friends are ‘hanging around the place,” Bill said.

i

’ve always wondered: who’s really in charge here - the pets or the people who “own” them?

Let’s say you just flew in from outer space and beamed down to the dog park by the River.

What you observe with your three hundred eyes are upright humanoids being led around by a variety of four-legged creatures known as “dogs.” The humanoids are following the dogs around on a leash with little plastic bags in their hands; dutifully scooping up the end result of the many treats awarded the pet for just being cute and cuddly. What a world.

From the time we were kids, pets have been as much a part of our family life as, let’s say, the monster-sized Plymouth Station Wagon that took us cross-country backwards in the back-back seat. Of course, we had our favorite media pet stars. I, like you, have been programmed to cry on demand any time the name “Old’ Yeller” comes to mind. And who among us can forget Lassie, RinTin-Tin, Mr. Ed or Francis the talking mule? ☞

pets and their people Sometimes you have to wonder, “Who’s in charge here?”

By Leonard Stern PhotoGRAPHY BY BRIAN CHILSON arkansas nEW SIXTY • SPRING 2009

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ho wants that doggie in the window? We do.

Pets of all sizes and shapes rule our lives, calm our nerves and provide the unconditional love we so desperately seek when lovers leave us, children grow up and parents pass away.

We go to work while they indolently lounge around the homestead. We don’t mind.

Because when we need a little touch, they’re there for us. Except, of course, if your pet is a calico cat who shares intimacy only when it well suits her.

Pets of all sizes and shapes rule our lives, calm our nerves and provide the unconditional love we so desperately seek when lovers leave us, children grow up and parents pass away.

In Central Arkansas, our taste in pets is as diverse as our taste in food. For this article, we assembled a menagerie of pets and owners who represent the broad-ranging relationships people have with the animals who share our spaces. We found pets that are as interesting as their human partners (saying you “own a pet” is frowned upon by discerning animal lovers).

No doubt, you have read all kinds of fascinating profiles of people in the local papers and glossy magazines, so in true NewSixty style, we’re profiling the pets in this story.

After all, according to the extra-terrestrial, we’re only around to pick up the feces.

Did I really say that?

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Cobb, champion gaited mule, stands with Cathi Compton and Judge Bill Wilson

Cobb the Mule With Cathi Compton and Bill Wilson I

t’s a haul between the Federal courthouse and the Rasputin Mule Farm located about twenty miles west of Little Rock, but Judge Bill Wilson looks forward to the day’s end, when he can spend some quality time with his favorite pet, Cobb, a world champion gaited mule. Bill and his wife Cathi Compton, a local attorney and former quarter-horse blue-ribbon rider from El Dorado, share a passion for mule riding and pull Cobb and Ellie Mae (Cathi’s steed) across the nation for shows, hunts and back-country expeditions.

When I came face-to-face with the gentle beast, my first question was what

makes Cobb a World Champion mule? According to Bill, a gaited mule is like the Powerglide transmissions available on Chevrolets in the 1950s. The gaited mule, like the vintage Chevys, has only two speeds - slow and fast. Unlike horses, who uptick from a walk, to a trot, canter and full out gallop as their speed increases, Cobb gains speed seamlessly and without jarring the insides of the rider. As I took a few turns around the yard, I realized why this one was special - it was like riding on a cloud.

Though basically a mild-mannered creature, Cobb got a little silly last year during the St. Patrick’s Day parade in Little Rock, Cathi recalled. The mule balked at going over the metal

grate on the Main Street bridge and threw a “hissy fit.” Using her quirt, something akin to a riding crop, Cathi exercised some “serious discipline” and ultimately Cobb relented and made it to the other side.

When it comes to trail riding, however, nothing beats the sure-footed stability of a mule, Bill says. Some years back, he and Cathi rode mule-back into the Grand Canyon without a hitch. “If you’re heading down a steep cliff, a mule is much safer than a horse.” It appears Cobb and Bill, Ellie Mae and Cathi and Gentle Ben, the beloved backup mule, have plenty of trails yet to ride with few bumps in the road and a gait that’s easy on the backside.

☞

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Max the Dog With Ann West and Rod Cotrell

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t six o’clock in the morning, Max, a large and slobbering black labrador retriever ambles into Ann and Rod’s bedroom whether they want him there or not. He circles the antique mahogany bed which graces the brightly lit master bedroom of the historic Quapaw Quarter house, brushing his tail against the sheets producing a sound not unlike a snare drum. It’s time for breakfast.

Max is currently residing with Ann West and Rod Cotrell, married now almost seven years and still commuting between the homes on Gaines, which originally belonged to Ann, and Rod’s home located on the 5th fairway at The Woodlands, Texas, where golf is a sweet obsession best enjoyed daily. Ann, an attorney, is among the city’s top legal mediators on family law and Rod is retired from the oil industry where he was a chemical engineer.

Several times a year, Max boards Rod’s SUV -- which by the way, was purchased solely for the benefit of the dog -- and makes the 426 mile, eight-hour drive from one house to the other, including the much-anticipated pit stop in Marshall, Texas, so Max can chow down on a Wendy’s Junior Cheeseburger. When at the Woodlands, it’s all golf and games. The lab was once mentioned in Golfer’s Digest for his mastery of the sport Rod calls Tennis Ball Golf - you get the idea.

As a lab, Max has a roaming eye and has escaped the back yard twice, only to land in big trouble. Once he escaped while workers were remodeling the back porch and was hit by a car. Another time, also during a construction project, Max bolted and was picked up by the Pound. While there, the Mayor of Cammack Village wanted to adopt and put Max to work in drug enforcement. Guess the druggies around the Cammack Park can breathe a little easier knowing Max is safe at home.

☞

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Max, a black lab, poses with Ann West and Rod Cotrell in their back yard

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Trudy and Peter Kumpe cradle their pet chickens; Peter holds Twixt, ruler of the roost

Twixt the Americana Hen With Trudy and Peter Kumpe

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eter Kumpe, a Little Rock attorney, was strolling through his Hillcrest neighborhood when he heard the sound of chickens cackling. Was it possible someone in town was raising chickens and if so, wasn’t there some kind of zoning ordinance to prevent that from happening?

Well, the neighbor did have a few chickens in his back yard, it wasn’t illegal and it wasn’t long until Peter and wife Trudy, a professor of microbiology, would have their own brood. Some of us dream about climbing Mount Everest or finding the cure for ingrown toenails, but ever since he was a youngster, Peter held onto the dream of being a chicken rancher. And so he is.

In the Kumpe’s backyard chicken hut, it’s Twixt, an Americana hen who, according to Trudy is the smartest of the lot and rules the roost. “It didn’t take too long for Twixt to figure out how to escape from the pen into the yard. Twixt sits

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atop the flock’s pecking order and is always first in line for supper,” she said. These chickens eat well, too. Along with calcium-enriched chicken feed and yogurt to fight bacteria, the Kumpe’s scatter cooked pasta around the yard, no doubt a fair substitute for worms. The pasta dish interests the chickens long enough for Trudy to clean the coop.

Of course, other than the joy of watching the chickens go about their daily business of hunting worms and grubs and staying clear of the Kumpe’s four dogs - there is a learned peaceful co-existence - the real benefit of having chickens is the steady supply of farm-fresh eggs. “We collect roughly five eggs a day, one for each of the hens,” Peter said. “You know when the eggs are ready because hens never cackle until they’ve laid.” Originally, the chickens were a birthday gift the Kumpe’s gave to each other. Considering how naturally good these eggs are, here’s one gift that really keeps on giving.

☞

Figaro the Cat With Susan Maddox

W

hen guests arrive at the Rosemont Bed and Breakfast in the Quapaw Quarter, Figaro, the black cat takes notice and then decides whether this one is worthy of her attention. Along with Max, a hefty also-black-in-color Retriever and Lucy, a shy feral feline who never appeared during my visit, Figaro has free rein of the environs, which includes the five bedroom main building, a converted farmhouse just off Broadway on 14th Street and the one-bedroom guesthouse adjacent.

In 2000, shortly after a tornado swept through the neighborhood, Susan Maddox decided to escape the advertising agency business and convert the old farm house, which had been her office, into a B&B. Like any good marketing guru, Susan started with a marketing plan and today, the Inn is a favorite among travelers staying close to downtown for business or for Little Rock’s many tourist attractions - particularly the

Clinton Library, Susan noted.

Figaro the cat is prominently featured on the Rosemont’s website. Popular among visitors at the pet-friendly inn, he often spends the night in a guest’s room. One couple was so taken by his quiet charm and warm affection, they offered to buy him. Susan said, “You can’t sell a pet like Figaro. He belongs here and has as much ownership in the place as I do. The couple was disappointed, but completely understood.”

While Figaro may start out sleeping in a guest room, he always wakes in the middle of the night and wants out, yowling like a banshee if the room’s door is closed. “Fig likes roaming around the neighborhood at night but always arrives in time for breakfast,” Susan related, “For guests, I usually fix my grandmother’s quiche, homemade bread, pecan waffles, scrambled eggs or warm orange-strawberry muffins. Fig and I love our mornings together.”

☞

Figaro the Cat snuggles up to innkeeper Susan Maddox at the Rosemont B&B

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Raji, the parrot, chats with keepers Trudy and Jack Griebel at their St. Charles home

Raji the African Gray Parrot With May and Jack Griebel

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rom her bedroom, May Griebel often hears her husband, Jack, call to her from the downstairs kitchen. Each time, she has to ask herself, “Is that Jack, or Raji?” Raji is the fifteen-year-old African Gray parrot with the uncanny ability to replicate, exactly, the everyday voices and sounds of May and Jack’s St. Charles home. You’ll hear “See ya later” when May’s ready to leave for work, or“Soooweee Pigs”the Arkansas cheer. She even mimics Jack’s reading of an EEG chart and the screech of a smoke alarm.

The two doctors, May and Jack, acquired Raji in the summer of 1994, and at first, thought Raji was a male until the bird left a small egg on the floor of her cage four years later. African Grays are highly intelligent. Some say they have the mental capacity of a five year old human and can develop a three hundred word vocabulary. Raji mimics everyone 22 arkansas nEW SIXTY • SPRING 2009

in the family, including their daughter Lauren now living in Portland, OR, and squawks words and phrases in the exact same voice as the speaker.

Sure, it gets a little unnerving at times but they’re used to it. They’d better: African Grays will live up to eighty years in captivity.

African Grays are pair-bonding creatures, which mean they, unlike some humans and most others in the animal kingdom, stay with one mate for life. In this case, the primary bond is with May, and Raji will say just about anything to get her attention. That means most of Raji’s vocabulary is in Jack’s voice because the parrot knows how to get May’s attention, even when it’s three o’clock in the morning. Raji is shy around strangers and would not utter so much as a peep during my visit, but I am sure she had plenty to say later, once I had left the building.

n

o doubt about it. Little Rock women love their shoes. Look in any closet and you’ll probably see a mud-splattered cowboy boot sitting next to (but not touching) a Versace silk pump. Our market is both sophisticated and down home. I dare anybody to question the genuine warmth and friendliness of our city.

Our shoe styles reflect who we are and where we’re headed. The shoes we’re showing today were hand chosen for the New Sixty woman. In common, they are surprisingly comfortable despite their high-fashion status. Each shoe has its own personality, reflected in the total look imaged for the shot. Our city’s top women’s stores now showcase the hottest shoes of the season. Let’s get moving.

shoes on the go This season’s most

&

shoes fashion

Editor’s Note: We had loads of fun shooting this spread, and I hope you will enjoy it. In case you haven’t noticed, we chose five different locations along the theme of local transportation. All of the shots were coordinated by Linnie Lyle who managed to bring the stores, the venues, models, photographer Brian Chilson, Photo Stylist Michelle Miller and sometimes, me, together in one place - weather permitting.

fabulous shoes and the stores who can make them yours

By Leonard Stern

PhotoGRAPHY BY BRIAN CHILSON • Photo Styling by Michelle Miller arkansas nEW SIXTY • SPRING 2009

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barbara jean Spins around the carousel at the LR Zoo Around and around we go.

These strappy high heel sandals

by Versace take you on the ride of your life. And you don’t have to step off until you’re ready to visit all the other wild things at the Little Rock Zoo. No mistaking the high end designer influence Barbara Jean brings to our market. Here we have Lana Hallmark in a silk shantung watercolor print dress by Dolce & Gabbana accented by a pair of Tia Mia earrings. Go exploring for the best new looks of the season at Barbara/Jean.

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beyond cotton Takes a joy ride on the River Rail Trolley All aboard for fast paced fashion from Beyond Cotton, Riding the River Rail Trolley is Glenda Perciful, stepping out in a pair of metallic flat strapped sandals by Lovely People.

She’s wearing Eileen Fisher separates, featuring slim ankle pants, charmeuse shell and matching longwaisted cardigan. Fluid in motion, these clothes are designed for the fast forward woman who wants a look that transcends the latest fads, yet generates its own kind of electricity.

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new traditions Drives a smarter-than-average car in the Heights Everybody’s looking for a sleek and smart way to get around and Caroline Beauchamp has found her favorite mode of transportation wearing a pair of bronze wedge sandals by Vaneli. Caroline sports a chocolate brown batwing top and folded waist pant by Yansi Fugel as she poses next to a genuine Smart Car, graciously loaned to us by Lynda Sorrells. New Traditions in the Heights is well known for delivering clothes that move you with a keen eye for sensible and intelligent value.

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b. barnett Lands on the runway at Central Flying Service Barbara Allen Cherry is flying to points unknown wearing a pair of high altitude high heel gladiator sandals by Loeffler Randall. It’s footwear that sends your imagination flying, particularly when paired with an eye-popping green Napa leather motorcycle jacket by Alexander McQueen. The cool white blouse underneath is by Charles Nolan and the up-tempo jeans are by Paige Premium Denim. It’s an altogether together look that’s showing up on runways everywhere and one of the many flights of fancy available from B. Barnett this Spring.

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barbara graves intimate fashions Floats merrily on the NLR Submarine All hands on deck for Carol Ludwig who’s scanning the horizon from the deck of the USS Razorback submarine wearing a sparkling pair of bronze sandals by Cuda.

Whether walking along the beach or attending a pool party, Barbara Graves has a complete line of comfortable and casual footwear with suits and tops to match your style and figure.

Carol has on a printed v-neck one-piece bathing suit by Gottex and a turquoise fourway skirt/dress by Elan for a look sure to stir the waters.

About our Fashion Coordinator Linnie Lyle Linnie has been a women’s retail clothing consultant for a good part of her life and is well known in the community for her distinct sense of style and boundless enthusiasm. You will see Linnie at civic clubs and community events where fashion statements are made.

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How to make your smile look as M

young as you feel

any times we take our health for granted, until something happens and we no longer can enjoy our bodies like before.

Dental health is very similar. Everything is going along well. We eat and drink anything we like. We smile and go about our daily lives not thinking about teeth.

Then, in an instant, teeth begin to ache, an apple doesn’t look good anymore and we cover our mouth before smiling. You self-consciously decline an invitation for dinner because eating isn’t easy around others.

Poor dental health is nothing to be embarrassed about. Perhaps there was an accident, or you just haven’t had time to take care of yourself. PLEASE Unfortunately, teeth NOTE: This ad isage shown at actual size. Please print it out and make sure all text is rea like the rest of your body, and so far, medical science has not found a way to stop that process. Tooth enamel can thin with age, causing a gray or yellow appearance without the lustrous natural shine of a younger smile.

Almost everyone has a dental problem at one point in their lives. The happiest people are those that take charge. They decide to make an appointment to find solutions to their problems so they no longer have to live with pain and humiliation. Fortunately, aging teeth do not have to lose their beauty or their function.

You’re never too old to express your perPaula Hampton enjoys her new sonality with a beautiful new smile. Dental smile courtesy of Dr. Samuel F. treatment can address each and every thing Jirik in Cabot that can go wrong with teeth. Look for a dentist such as Dr. Samuel F. Jirik that is experienced in full mouth restoration with a progressive practice.

There are crowns, veneers and whitening for those unhappy with the shape or color of their teeth. Crowns and veneers can fill gaps, alleviate crowding and change the color, shape, and alignment of the teeth.

Dental implants are a safe and predictable substitute for missing teeth and can eliminate worrisome dentures with function and appearance that rival natural teeth. IV Sedation can be used to reduce anxiety and allow you to sleep during the dental procedure.

These options offer a long lasting solution and a new lease on daily life. The perfect smile is a marriage of beauty with durability and functionality. So go for it….a fabulous “stop them in their tracks” smile.

Make the decision to give yourself the gift that will change your outlook on life, and the way people perceive you. Think of it as an investment in yourself, one that will return its value to you for years, knowing that every time you eat, smile or laugh, you can do so with carefree self-confidence.

ADVERTORIAL arkansas nEW SIXTY • SPRING 2009

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lending money to In these tough economic times, someone close to you may need a financial lifeline. How do you help rather than hurt those you love? By Leonard Stern

N

o doubt about it: this nation is stuck in a financial pickle jar. Through no fault of their own, many honest, hardworking people have lost their jobs and must rely on their savings, any credit cards that haven’t been maxed out or cancelled, and as a last resort, they may turn to a family member or friend to survive. n If you are one of the lucky ones who have money in the bank, a portfolio that hasn’t been decimated by the recent stock market plunge and a secure source of continuing income, you may be asked by someone you really care about for a little cash to tide them over, or a lot of cash to save their family from life on the streets.

These are serious times and when someone you love needs help, you could face a serious dilemma. Can you afford to give away a portion of your safety net, whatever wealth you diligently accumulated over years of hard labor? You already know that if you do decide to loan money to a relative, you’ll probably never see it again. But if it’s a son or daughter, a parent or valued friend, how can you refuse? By loaning money to another, or refusing to, you may be in danger of tearing apart a relationship that is primal and meaningful.

In most third-world cultures, family members share their wealth freely with few limitations. For example, in Vietnamese family circles, it’s not uncommon for parents to provide down-payments on homes for their children, or a sister to finance her brother’s way through college. Their attitude is family money belongs to everyone.

The same attitude holds true in African communities, where the wealth of one person belongs to everyone in the tribe. To get around this tradition, some individuals hide the fact they are gainfully employed in a high paying job. I asked a shop owner from India what he would do if a relative asked for money. “I would send it to them immediately, no question.”

It’s a little different in America, where the culture deifies rugged individualism and self-reliance. I won’t say our capitalist, free market society vilifies those who can’t make it on their own (we have lots of charities and government programs to offset our selfish nature), but we have come to believe the value of an individual is in direct proportion to money in the bank, 30 arkansas nEW SIXTY • SPRING 2009

loved ones should ask yourself whether homes in the right neighborit should be in the form of a hoods and cars in the drivegift or a loan. way. It’s practically a sin to In fact, the IRS allows indineed handouts from others, viduals to give up to $13,000 if not downright shameful. It’s to any one family member or not always about the money $26,000 for a married couple, but about self-esteem and tax free (for the receiver). If it self-worth. is a loan, and you don’t want You can look at lending to get in trouble with the IRS, money to loved ones in one write up a formal loan agreeof two ways: one, absolutely ment, complete with rate, not - by giving others an easy terms, repayment schedule, way out of their financial proband if possible, a lien against lems, you are creating a sense a fixed asset, such as equity of dependency. You think, if I in a home, car, or first born. make it too easy, it prevents Here’s a tip: if you file a second the other from learning how lien or home equity loan, the to buck-up against adversity borrowers can deduct the and ultimately prosper. Handinterest. ing out money thwarts the I know it’s fairly cold and whole survival of the fittest impersonal to write up loan mentality that underpins documents for a son/daughour economic nature. After ter/uncle/brother/sister/pet/ all, you made it on your own, “First ask yourself whether you can afford whatever, but if the borrower why can’t they? to lend money for whatever reason” defaults on the loan, you can On the other end of the declare a loss on schedule spectrum (nothing is ever — Jim Shenep, delta trust and bank D (non-business, bad debt black and white, you know) deduction) and report it as you can (2) take the position a short term, capital loss. The IRS is wise to people writing of absolute generosity - whatever is mine is yours. That line up notes in lieu of a gift so that it can be deducted so better of thinking may land you in the poorhouse, or at best, make have your paperwork together. you an easy target for others to take advantage.

That’s where a trust officer, like Jim, comes in handy. “If As in all things, there’s no right answer. You can be smart you are going to make a loan, a trust department such as about it, though, whatever you decide. So let’s explore some ours will ensure the note is legal, notarized and filed, and the options, given the assumption you are in a position to provide interest rate is consistent with the prevailing market (current some type of financial support for another. rate is 4.6%),” he said.

Jim Shenep, who directs the Trust Department at Delta Trust A trust department will set up and manage the loan, taking and Bank, says you should first ask yourself whether you can you out of the emotional mix, even going so far as to set up afford to lend money for whatever reason. For argument’s the amortization table, print the envelopes, collect the money, sake, let’s assume you have the assets at hand. First, you arkansas nEW SIXTY • SPRING 2009

31

employed, she was unable to credit your account and send qualify for a mortgage, so the you a monthly report. If you parent cosigned. But what if want to do this yourself, you’ll she skips a few payments or find plenty of legal loan docudefaults entirely? Not only is ments on the web and for techthe mother on the line for the nophobes, check out what’s payments, her credit could be available at the library under trashed. Cindy says, to avoid business forms. a situation like this, ask the By using a third party lender to send an interested professional you can avoid party notice to your address. a financial disaster. In one Good advice. case, a lady sold her home Let’s say no money is involved. and financed it herself, with You have a relative who needs the payments divided among a place to light and your home her three children. The boris the only choice. It can be a rower forwarded payments child, a descendant of a child, religiously so no problem, sibling, parent, niece, nephew, right? Then they received aunt or uncle, any ancestor or, notice the real estate taxes heaven forbid, the in-laws. If weren’t paid and the property you are paying their expenses was scheduled for auction in and their income is less than just a few months. Luckily, “Casual, undocumented loans can result $3500, you can claim them as they were able to come up in family breakdowns and the destruction an exemption under Tax Code with the cash and save the of treasured relationships” Section 151/152. property from the foreclosure — Cindy Conger, wealth manager No doubt, money or the sale. This “minor detail” is just lack of money causes extreme the kind of thing a financial distress. Financial issues tend to be the number one cause professional will catch. for divorce. So when a loved one approaches you for a loan, Wealth manager, Cindy Conger, who has more than twentygift or a room in the basement, tread lightly. Remember five years experience managing other people’s money, knows there are more ways to help someone than handing them all about this. Casual, undocumented loans can result in family a check. You can set up a trust fund which of course will eat breakdowns and the destruction of treasured relationships. into your dividend income, or you can do what one mother When no formal agreement exists and times get tough, the related to me. borrowing son or daughter will probably pay a house or auto The daughter was divorced with two school-age children, loan and let the payment to mom slide. Be prepared. unemployed and in danger of losing her Heights bungaDepending on what the money is for, you may not have to low. She turned to her mother for help...a lot of help. Mom personally lend the money from your pocket. If you believe didn’t want refuse but had limited income. Instead of just the purpose of the loan is worthwhile and the borrower will handing over money, the two sat down and developed a most likely be able to repay it, then go ahead and cosign the plan for recovery. The plan involved taking over some of the note. Remember, if you are a cosigner, you are ultimately household finances for a period of time and helping with responsible in case of default. child care, picking up and staying with the children after For example, a few years back, a daughter, who was selfschool for example. employed, wanted to buy a condo. Because she was self-

These are times that try men’s souls, as well as relationships between family and close friends. Money can separate people or unite them. As we’ve seen in other parts of the world, sharing wealth is part of the cultural norm.

32 arkansas nEW SIXTY • SPRING 2009

The result was a minimum of financial loss to the mother and the plan gave the daughter breathing space to get her life back on track. The experience established a strong bond among the mother, daughter and grandchildren, which continues today. Don’t you love happy endings?

These are times that try men’s souls, as well as relationships between family and close friends. Money can separate people or unite them. As we’ve seen in other parts of the world, sharing wealth is part of the cultural norm.

In an ideal world, generosity always trumps self interest and people willingly share their resources with those in need. In the real world, however, these types of delicate financial situations challenge our humanity and often, we find no right answers. One thing we do know, when it comes to loved ones, a generous spirit must guide our decision making process.

In America we have extreme abundance and extreme poverty and little in the way of social security; even Social Security is never enough to live comfortably. At some time in our lives many of us may need to look to others for a helping hand. If you are that helping hand, be grateful.

Personal Loans: Avoiding mistakes when lending to family members

By Rex Kyle

L

ending money to relatives isn’t the ideal way to solve financial problems. However, sometimes, it’s incumbent upon a loving par-

ent or close relative to offer short term assistance and there’s little choice but to proceed.

For personal lending, most financial advisors will recommend that you draft professional loan documents that include all of the terms clearly spelled out including a fair market rate, reasonable amortization table and fixed maturity.

Here’s an actual case of what can happen if you don’t: a grandmother loans her grandson a certain amount of money with an interest-free note. The grandson never makes a payment and that’s acceptable to all parties - no one ever expects to be repaid on these type loans and should be prepared to take the loss without regret.

Unfortunately, the grandmother dies, the loan is forgiven and the IRS deems the zero-interest rate constitutes a gift subject to a $2700 tax liability. In this case, maybe a gift instead of a loan would have been a better tax strategy for the young man.

Likewise, an excessively high market interest rate may cause problems as well. Here’s an example of a plan that backfired. A father was looking for a tax-advantaged way to finance his son’s college education.

Here’s what they did: the son came up with some cash and made a personal loan to the father’s business at 14% interest. The father pays it back to the son and deducts the interest (offsetting tuition costs).

It stood to reason - the higher the interest rate, the greater the tax deduction.

The loan was expertly documented with a reasonable paper trail.

The money was properly transferred. However, an IRS audit rejected the interest rate deduction and the full amount was due, presumably with penalties.

As always, we recommend consulting a professional money manager whenever substantial amounts of financial assets are being transferred between family members.

Rex Kyle is President of the Trust and Wealth Management Division at Bank of the Ozarks. If you have questions or comments, please email him at rkyle@bankofozarks.com.

Rex Kyle, Bank of the Ozarks arkansas nEW SIXTY • SPRING 2009

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lighten up. expand

Rev. Susan Sims-Smith at the House of Prayer next to St. Margaret’s.

34 arkansas nEW SIXTY • SPRING 2009

your mind. open your heart.

START MEDITATING NOW

By Leonard Stern PhotoGRAPHY BY BRIAN CHILSON

H

ere at sixty-something, we all want a little peace and tranquility. We want to get in touch with ourselves and find out what makes us truly happy. We want to relate to our friends, families and community with fresh eyes and a new spirit. If so, then start meditating now. Meditation practice can help you separate what is good and valuable in your life from the junk, the stuff that brings you down. It gives you the tools to manage change and the courage to face your fears.

Not buying that? I know, you remember going to a meditation class a few years back and falling asleep, or being bored out of your skull. No matter how hard you tried to calm your mind and think of nothing else but the personal mantra lovingly placed in the palm of your hand after paying the $10 fee, you couldn’t stop thinking about your lover, what’s for dinner or that pain in your shoulder. It’s called “monkey mind.”

You can’t break through the noise. So you quit going or even thinking about it. You’re just too busy. Well, I’m here to tell you, it works. But like everything else in life, you have to find what’s right for you. So what is meditation all about? Where do I find it in Central Arkansas? What should I look for, what should I expect?

Do I have to paint a red dot on my forehead?

What I found in just a few short months of inquiry is that Central Arkansas is a veritable Mecca for learning how to meditate. The practice trains you to listen closely to your self, what’s really going on. Your mind lays bare the inner struggles of life - an economic crisis, medical problems, aging parents and all those

things that keep you from sleeping at night. It’s not a religion. No dogma is allowed. You can lie on the floor, sit in a chair or sit cross-legged on a mat and pillow. I started meditating while exercising on an elliptical machine listening to Deepak Chopra on my Ipod. In our town, meditation practice has infiltrated hospitals, churches, prisons and university classrooms. It has been known to help people quit smoking, lose weight, lower blood pressure and foster better relationships.

Meditation 101 is learning how to sit quietly, focus on the breath and clear you mind. When thoughts arise, don’t fight them. Gently recognize their existence, touch them lightly and let them pass. Sometimes thoughts, and the emotions attached to them, are so powerful they cause internal conflict. You can’t make them go away. That’s okay. It’s important to stay with these thoughts, put space around them and nurture them so you understand why they exist and why you hold onto them so tenaciously. Insight and awareness of what’s going on deep inside you opens your heart to new patterns of thinking. It’s how you change and grow into a more loving and gentle person. You let go of unhealthy addictions, like alcohol, shopping and chocolate ice cream that often prevent you from experiencing equanimity.

Sound like a plan? Let’s go.

☞

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Meditation can change your body and the world Jim Rush

R

egular meditation can actually reframe our biology, according to Jim Rush, a professor of philosophy and religion at Philander-Smith College. Recently, Jim participated in a panel discussion for senior medical and pastoral care students on the subject of

known as “tonglen” teaches us to be more compassionate and caring toward ourselves and others, to appreciate the gifts we have and wish for the end of suffering for all human and non-human beings. The positive energy generated through tonglen can ultimately transform the consciousness of every sentient being on the planet.” Possible? An ordained Methodist minister, he added, “Think of

Anna Cox at home where she holds study groups on Buddhist philosophy. complementary and alternative medicine.

Jim said. “Studies suggest that regular meditation can moderate serotonin, melatonin and endorphin levels in the body. These neurochemicals influence blood pressure, depression, insomnia and many other medical conditions.”

Meditation can also have a profound effect on the world’s health and wellbeing, he told me one day as we took an early afternoon coffee break at the downtown Community Bakery. “Think of it this way. The meditative practice 36 arkansas nEW SIXTY • SPRING 2009

it this way. Christianity, a belief system founded on compassion, changed the entire face of Western Civilization and it started with only twelve disciples.”

We are all prisoners in one way or another Anna Cox

W

ith a soft presence and beatific smile, Anna Cox personifies the Buddhist tradition in Central Arkansas.

As one of the founders of the Ecumenical Buddhist Society (www.ebslr.org),

Anna publishes the Dharma Friends newsletter which is widely distributed in prisons around the country. Yes, prisons. About fifteen years and 148 issues ago, a death row inmate and practicing Buddhist sent Anna a letter asking if she would visit and guide him to the end. That was the first of many visits and as word spread, she began holding meditation sessions in facilities around the state.

“Meditating with those who are incarcerated is a deeply meaningful act of loving-kindness,” Anna said. “I have seen prisoners break through walls of destructive internal programming, which led them into lives of crime, and become spiritually sensitive and self aware.”A former therapist in private practice for thirty-five years, Anna now devotes her time to a myriad of causes, and recently was named Peacemaker of the Year by the local chapter of WAND - Women’s Action for New Directions. “In some way, we’re all prisoners behind bars of our own making,” Anna said. “Buddhist and other practices provide each of us our own paths to freedom.”

Stretch your body and discover your inner self Holly Krepps

Y

oga is actually another form of meditation practice, said Holly Krepps, owner of the Barefoot Studio located next door to Loca Luna restaurant.

“Yoga is a practice that encompasses meditation,”she said.“It encourages you to breathe purposefully and maintain a clear point of focus.”The positions allow you to move energy around your body as you meditate, bringing strength,

balance and flexibility to your entire system. “It’s very important, as we age, to maintain our mobility and range of motion,” she said. Yoga helps fight the ravages of aging so we can live independently with fewer physical restrictions.

“You want to be able to get down on the floor and play with your grandchildren,” she said. Of course, but I questioned my ability to contort my sixty year old body in what appears to be a mild form of selftorture. “Not at all,” Holly assured me. “Our classes are designed for all ages and fitness levels so you can start with whatever Dr. Jim Rush leads meditation practice. Far left: Karen Wisdom and Denise Gillam. weaknesses or imbalances that are present.” (www.barefootstudio.com) When you ministry of the Diocese of Arkansas and where you can sit on mats or on one transform your body, you also transform St. Margaret’s, the House of Prayer is of the hand-built cherry wood chairs. your mind. Students find themselves dedicated as a place where anyone of In the center of the room is a “Circle of gaining control of their cravings, like any faith can go “to feel God’s presence, Earth” that reaches sixteen feet down that chocolate brownie over there with experience guidance, restore our energy, from the floor to the ground underneath, your name on it. “The real work comes and be filled with insights,” according symbolizing the connection between when you are sitting with yourself, to its website www.arkansashouseofHeaven and Earth. No religious symwatching your thoughts emerge as you prayer.org. After twenty-five years as a bols adorn the walls reinforcing the travel deeper into the unconscious. As Jungian psychotherapist with special ecumenical spirit of the space. “Once your body restores itself and comes into focus on dreams and spirituality and the people experience the contemplative balance, you experience a greater sense sacred feminine, Rev. Smith became an environment of the interior and garden, of emotional peace and equanimity of Episcopal priest. Her dream, The House they understand its divine purpose. It spirit,” she concluded. of Prayer, features a circular meditation sustains our natural hunger for mediroom crowned with a Dome of Light tation and prayer.”

Sometimes, all we need is a little peace and quiet Rev. Susan Sims-Smith

W

hen you enter the House of Prayer, located on five wooded acres adjacent to St. Margaret’s Episcopal Church in far west Little Rock, you are asked not to utter a sound.

“We wanted to create a sacred place in nature where silence is protected,” said Rev. Susan Sims-Smith, who led a steering committee for several years before its completion in 2007. A joint

Washable Micro-suede flip-flops in array of colorful combinations 10700 N. Rodney Parham • Little Rock, AR • 221 • 9195 arkansas nEW SIXTY • SPRING 2009

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Holly Krepps (center) of Barefoot Studio with Christine Harris and Lee Stephens.

To relieve stress, be mindful of the moment Sandy Pope

W

hen Sandy developed her lifelong passion for alternative medicine in the 1970s, she had been meditating for several years, was living in Santa Fe, a mother of two and a massage therapist.

By 1988, she had a Masters in Public Health and later earned a PhD in Epidemiology from the University of Michigan while also working at UAMS in the OB/GYN clinic. In 1997, she became a certified instructor for Jon Kabat-Zinn’s Mindfulness-Based Stress Reduction Program, an eight-week course.

“Mindfulness is being aware of the present moment without judgment,” Sandy said. “In our workshops, we learn how to use breath awareness and 38 arkansas nEW SIXTY • SPRING 2009

Sandy Pope of the Mindfullness Center for Healthy Living.

other techniques to soften and release our physical responses to stress,”Sandy said. She began teaching the course at UAMS in the Psychiatry and Geriatrics Departments and three years ago, opened The Mindfulness Center for Healthy Living. Sandy now conducts workshops all over, like those coming up this September in Little Rock (www.bemoremindful.com) and consults with corporations, medical centers and professional groups. “Seventy-five to ninety percent of all visits to primary care physicians are stress related - high blood pressure, diabetes, head and back aches, depression and anxiety. Almost any disease is exacerbated by chronic stress,” she noted. “When you learn how to relax, your body really appreciates it.”

chef’s night out Three Little Rock Chefs Go On Location By Leonard Stern PhotoGRAPHY BY BRIAN CHILSON

At-Home Sauce School with

En Pappiote

John Leonardis

Start with this recipe for fish

H

ere’s a tasteful idea for NewSixty girlfriends: plan a stay-at-home cooking school with Chef John Leonardis, graduate of the Culinary Institute of America and staff instructor at the Winthrop Rockefeller Institute’s School of Culinary Arts (www.uawri.org). So let’s uncork a bottle of Pinot, gather around the kitchen counter and learn how to create some dreamy new sauces for fish and game. Tonight’s class includes Libby Strawn, the host, and her running buddies Jananne Redding, Lynda Sorrells and Christie Bardwell. These women know their way around a saucepan and often hold cooking classes of their own for younger women.

Want to hold your own class or attend one? For more information, email John at g3food@gmail.com.

☞

2 6oz pieces of fresh fish of your choice preferably white 1 lemon sliced A handful of your choice of soft herbs from (el jardine) or Kroger 1 tbsp garlic minced Salt and pepper Season your fish and layer with herbs lemon and garlic.

Place on top of a sheet of parchment paper, then carefully fold into a pocket. Once the pocket is sealed then place it in the oven at 375 degrees and bake about 15 or 20 min depending on the thickness.

John Leonardis continued next page

Chef John Leonardis with (from left) Christie Bardwell, Jananne Redding, Lynda Sorrells and Libby Stawn

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John Leonardis continued

Three Versatile Fish Sauces:

Lemon Parmesan 1/2 cup cream 1/2 cup parmesan 1/2 cup chicken broth 1 large lemon (juiced, and reserve whole lemon as well) Salt and pepper to taste 1 tbsp garlic Saute garlic for 1 to 2 min. Add broth, lemon and juice, and cheese, simmer for 15 min.

Strain into smaller pot and hold warm until ready to use. To finish, season with salt and pepper then add a tsp of soft butter-and blend

Kathy Webb of Lilly’s Dim Sum at the

Empty Bowls Fundraiser

K

athy, a state legislator and owner of Lilly’s Dim Sum Then Some, along with her partner Nancy Tesmer provide sustenance to help the Arkansas Foodbank Network raise much-needed funds for its food relief programs. According to its annual report, the Food Network distributed more than 8.5 million pounds of food and grocery products throughout Central and Southern Arkansas last year. Kathy and Nancy are avid community and environmental activists. The restaurant supports local farmers, and recycles glass, cooking oil, and cardboard. and uses no styrofoam products. Nancy and Kathy are co-founders of the Arkansas Green Restaurant Alliance (AGRA). Lilly’s Dim Sum serves an eclectic mix of oriental dishes including her signature Hong Kong Chicken recipe shown here.

☞

with hand blender until foam forms, carefully skim foam from top and use as sauce.

Boulanger 4 strips of bacon 1 baking potato (cut into 4 pieces) 1/2 yellow onion (in cut form) 1 tbsp minced garlic 3 cups chicken broth Salt and pepper to taste Heat oil in braising pan or high sided sauté pan in separate areas of a braising pot. Place bacon, onion, potato and caramelize all sides.

Once all ingredients are golden brown add garlic and broth and reduce by 2/3. Strain into smaller pot. To finish, season and whisk in 2 tbsp soft butter.

Salsa Verde 2 packs of chives 2 packs of mint 1 bunch parsley 1 bunch cilantro 1 tbsp black pepper 2 tbsp Dijon or brown mustard 3 white anchovy filets (optional) 1 tbsp minced garlic 1/2 cup olive oil 1 large handful of ice Place everything but oil in blender and liquefy while adding the oil. Once all the oil is in, season with salt (you may need to add water a little at a time to get it •going). nEW SIXTY SPRING 2009 40 arkansas

Kathy Webb (left) and Nancy Tesmer of Lilly’s Dim Sum, Then Some

Lilly’s Hong Kong Chicken Chosen by the Culinary Institute of America for its “Professional Chef Discovers Series” and by Kikkoman for its Chinese New Year’s Cookbook.

1. In large bowl, mix: 3 cans coconut milk (13 ounce cans) 1 cup creamy peanut butter 1/3 cup soy sauce (Yamasa or Kikkoman) 3 tbs fresh lime juice 6 tbs sesame oil 3 tbs honey 4 tbs fresh grated ginger ½ tbs fresh chopped cilantro 1 tsp crushed red pepper flakes Whisk ingredients well. Cover and refrig-

Empty Bowls Fundraiser

1 medium red bell pepper, thinly sliced, cut in 3 inch strips 1 cup thinly sliced scallions 2-3 tbs minced garlic *All of the above can be done the day before or several hours before you plan to serve the dish.

5. Heat wok or large skillet, add cooking oil to coat bottom of pan. Over medium to medium high heat, sauté chicken until done;

erate.

tossing to avoid burning. Set aside. Clean

2. Take 2 pounds skinless chicken breasts.

1 tbs garlic

Cut into bite-sized pieces. Put in large mixing bowl and marinate with: 3 tbs soy sauce 2 tbs sugar Mix chicken and marinade thoroughly. If there is excess marinade, drain off chicken before covering. Cover and refrigerate for a minimum of 2-3 hours.

wok or skillet; heat, add oil and sauté: 12-14 pieces red bell pepper 12-14 pieces mushrooms ¼ cup scallions Approximately 1 pound chicken Over medium heat, saute these ingredients.

Adjust heat to avoid burning garlic!

After 2-3 minutes, add: 2 cups sauce

3. Fill large stock pot with water. Bring to a

Mix sauce and other ingredients, heat

rolling boil. Cook 12-16 ounces Angel Hair

thoroughly.

pasta, according to manufacturer’s direc-

When heated thoroughly, add: 12 ounces

tions. Remove from heat and drain while

cooked noodles

noodles are slightly al dente. Immediately rinse with cold water to stop cooking process.

6. Toss noodles in the sauce; remove from

When thoroughly cool and drained, transfer

heat. Serve on large platter, garnished with

noodles to bowl, cover and refrigerate.

bean sprouts, scallions, and 2-3 sprigs fresh

4. Stir-fry ingredients:

cilantro. Depending on number of guests,

6-8 white mushrooms, rinsed and thinly sliced

repeat process. You will probably use about 6 ounces cooked noodles per person.

GOW GEE

1 tbs soy sauce, Yamasa or Kikkoman

Dumplings originated in Northern China, but

In small bowl, mix all ingredients. Please 1

gained widespread popularity in Canton,

heaping tablespoon mix in center of dump-

where dim sum originated.

ling wrapper. Use either a dumpling press,

(Shrimp and Pork Dumplings)

2 tsp rice wine

or press together by hand, forming a half 1 cup cooked pork loin, shredded or chopped ½ cup salad shrimp, chopped and drained ¾ cup scallions, minced

moon. Seal and pan fry in skillet or wok, using small amount of oil. When “marked” on the bottom, cover and add small amount of water to steam. Serve with soy sauce, curry sauce, or Sri Racha.

2 tsps garlic, minced 2 tsp sesame oil

arkansas nEW SIXTY • SPRING 2009

41

Chef Mark Abernathy of Loca Luna directs Temple B’nai Israel volunteers (from left) Becky Marks, Rabbi Gene Levy and Trudy Jacobson.

Feeding the Homeless at Our House: Loca Luna’s Mark Abernathy

E

very day, volunteer teams from local religious and civic organizations arrive at Our House to prepare hot and nutritious meals for families working to rise above their homelessness. Tonight, Mark Abernathy directs a team of cooks from Temple B’nai Israel who prepared a scrumptious chicken dinner on a very tight budget. Owner of both Loca

Luna and Bene Vita Restorante, Mark graduated from Hall High in 1967, and over his thirty-nine year career has been featured in most major food magazines and actually hosted his own television show. More importantly, he has been a community activist on behalf of Hunger Relief in Arkansas and was Founder and Chairman of the Central High School Museum. So when Mark volunteered to help the Temple prepare a good meal at Our House, he was on familiar territory. Here is one of Mark’s signature dishes.

Roast Chicken and Vegetable Pasta Alfredo Serves 6 - 8 I box or package of your favorite dried pasta (about 1 lb) Cooked al dente in salted

Alfredo Sauce 2 cups butter

water, drained and tossed with a very small amount of olive oil.

1 cup heavy cream

2 tbs olive oil

1 clove garlic minced

1 small yellow onion cut into thin pieces

Sprinkle of fresh grated nutmeg

1 small red onion cut into thin pieces

1 1/2 cups shredded Parmesan

1 red bell pepper cut into thin slices Salt and pepper

cheese (use some good stuff, not the box)

2 cups mushrooms wiped clean do not wash.

¼ cup chopped parsley

1 cup green peas cooked but firm

Meltbutterinamediumsaucepanover

2 - 3 cups pulled and boned roast chicken (I buy one at the store already roasted)

medium low heat. Add cream, garlic,

In a large pot heat olive oil on medium-low heat and sauté onions and peppers

nutmeg and simmer for 5 minutes,

until soft, add mushrooms and cook 2 -3 minutes. Add pasta, chicken, peas and

then add cheese and whisk quickly,

Alfredo Sauce. Heat and serve topped with shredded fresh basil and fresh grated

heating through. Stir in parsley and

Parmesan. I like a little crispy bacon on mine.

pour into pasta bowl and mix.

42 arkansas nEW SIXTY • SPRING 2009

arkansas nEW SIXTY • SPRING 2009

43

Uniquely Hot Springs

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Call 1-888-SPA-CITY or visit www.hotsprings.org.

44 arkansas nEW SIXTY • SPRING 2009

NSM/09