Wonder - December 2012

wonder

december 2012 AtUrbanMagazine.com

CONTRIBUTING PHOTOGRAPHERS

lifestyle

CONTRIBUTING WRITERS

entertainment

MANAGING EDITOR

Catherine Frederick

Evening Appointment Ignite: The Beginning of Hope Gingerbread Boys Urban 8 Last Night

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Now Hear This Urban Reader

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Poetry in West Plains Honor at Station No. 1 Suite, Sweet Christmas The Art of Being Authentic Urban Appeal

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Shop Local Mexico on My Mind White Chocolate Almond and Lemon Italian Torta Naughty Nog

Marla Cantrell Marla Cantrell Marcus Coker Kody Ford Catherine Frederick Laura Hobbs Dave Malone Tonya McCoy Anita Paddock Catherine Frederick Marla Cantrell Jeromy Price Jeromy Price

WEB GURU

David Jamell

PUBLISHER

Read Chair Publishing, LLC

taste

DESIGNER

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Catherine Frederick at 479 / 782 / 1500 Catherine@AtUrbanMagazine.com Editorial Information

Marla Cantrell at 479 / 831 / 9116 Marla@AtUrbanMagazine.com Š2012 Read Chair Publishing, LLC. All rights reserved.

The opinions contained in @Urban 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 @Urban or Read Chair Publishing, LLC., including photography becomes the property of Read Chair Publishing, LLC. @Urban reserves the right to edit content and images.

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EDITOR-IN-CHIEF PRESIDENT

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people

@INSIDE

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The Lights at Garvan Gardens Christmas at Big Cedar On the Eve of the Eve of the End of the World

@LETTER FROM CATHERINE

O

h how I love this time of year. I love to see the lights twinkle all around town, the trees aglow in the windows of the houses we pass by. It always amazes me how an entire neighborhood can go from

ho-hum to magical overnight.

It’s been looking a lot like Christmas at our house since before Thanksgiving. It’s the first year I’ve ever had the trees up before the turkey graces the serving platter. I wanted to squeeze as much wonder as I could from the season, even if it’s only a few extra days. Truth is, I think we all rekindle a little of that childlike wonder during the holidays.

One extraordinary place to find that wonder is at the award-winning Big Cedar Lodge, where we just happened to spend a little time with Mr. and Mrs. Claus. But we also found inspiration in our visit with one of today’s best poets, and with an artist who’s found a technique that is guaranteed to unleash your creativity.

To round things out, we have Anita Paddock’s picks for holiday reading and gift giving, a look inside the home of a Fort Smith woman whose story behind her growing nutcracker collection will touch your heart, and we’re hanging out with local firefighters who took up bagpipes to honor one of their own.

What about food you ask? How about recipes for Mexitalian (yeah, we made that word up) Chili Rellenos, a simple White ChocolateAlmond and Lemon Italian Torta, and I’m making gingerbread boy cupcakes.

So, get comfy, put on a little Christmas music, and settle in for a long winter’s night with us. Have relatives in town? Serve up some Naughty Nog (pg. 52) and relax.

It’s the holidays after all, and the man in red is watching. Merry Christmas.

To reserve this free space for your charitable non-profit organization, email: Editors@AtUrbanMagazine.com

@LIFESTYLE

I am upright in your chair Your final evening appointment While evening lurks outside.

You laugh and tell me stories In your German accent, thick as cake.

@lines Dave Malone

Now, evening surges quickly.

It swoops down how bats do.

Dusk has its own agenda. Beneath wings, our small town falls into shadows.

Your hair scissors fly through the air, Stories drip like chocolate from your lips, and through a December sky past dark, skinny tree limbs, a blue light, barely seen, pushes through distant clouds.

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@story & image Marla Cantrell

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@LIFESTYLE

K

aren Beckner’s story starts on the sixteenth day of June.

led her to recovery schools, something she knew nothing about.

She was at home, listening to a message by Craig Groeschel,

She discovered that there were only twenty-three in the

pastor of Life Church, a man she’d heard about while attending

country. The schools, often working within the public school

Mt. Olive Methodist Church in Van Buren. She was intrigued

setting, offered kids in recovery hope for a clean future. Each

by the topic: Take Your Misery and Turn it Into Your Ministry.

school day began with group meetings to address any issues

The preacher asked a question. What is it, he said, that breaks

the students were facing. The schools relied on small classes,

your heart?

unique ways of teaching, and counselors who worked closely with the staff and students.

Karen’s answer? Drug addiction.

“These kids have spent a lot of time checked out. Going to From those two words, Karen’s life began to change. She started

school high, going to ballgames high,” Karen says. “For a school

taking notes, daily, trying to figure out what she was supposed

to work, you have to teach the kids how to interact, and give

to do with this revelation. Karen says, “It was a five-week series.

them lots of support and accountability. You have to let them

Every day I felt like I was given one more piece of the puzzle to

know that they’re loved and that they’re respected.

figure out what I was supposed to do. I was consumed with it, and I’d never felt that way before.”

“By giving them this environment, you keep them out of the mainstream classroom. The statistics for kids leaving recovery

As the assistant athletic director of youth sports at Van Buren

and returning to drugs is bleak. I was told that eighty-five percent

Schools, she’s worked laying the foundation for healthy living.

of the kids coming out of recovery and back into the schools use

She’s proud of the work she’s done. But she’d taken four calls

drugs within twenty-four hours. At a recovery school, they can

over the course of her career that broke her heart. Each time,

stay on track, and with the right help they can stay clean.”’

she’d learn that one of the kids she’d taught years before had died from using drugs.

Karen was learning more, and every morning she got up at 4:30, and prayed about what to do next.

Those were dark days. The father of one of the boys who died told her this. “He was a good boy. He just couldn’t stop.”

“I didn’t even want to go on vacation at the end of June, that’s how excited I was about what was happening. But I did go to

But what if there was more help for kids fighting addiction to

Florida. One morning I was watching the sun come up at about

drugs and alcohol? It was a question that fed directly into the

five in the morning and I was thinking about how God parted

one the preacher had asked.

the sea and I felt like Moses when he told God surely there was someone else to do the job. But God was telling me that if He

Still, Karen did not know what the answer was. She got online

could do that for Moses, He could do it for me.”

and searched. She typed in: kids, recovery, drugs. The search

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@LIFESTYLE

On July 2, she decided it was time to talk to the Van Buren

“We’ll do whatever we need to, to get them ready for a test.

Superintendent of Schools, Dr. Merle Dickerson. She told him

If they’re having trouble grasping a math lesson, we’ll work

what she’d learned about recovery schools and that she believed

with them until they get it. We’ll take the pressure off and help

Van Buren should start one. She smiles when she recalls that

them succeed.”

meeting. “Dr. Dickerson said, ‘How can we not do it?’”

Hope Academy will target students in the seventh through And so Karen headed to Houston to attend the national

twelfth grades, who are leaving a recovery program. Karen

conference of recovery schools.

expects there will be others who will be helped, such as a student who was in recovery in the past and needs the help of

At this point she thought her role would be to get the fire going.

the school to stay clean.

She’d make a DVD, send it to the churches and get the community excited about the new school. She’d contact those who could

When she tells the story, Karen says over and over, “You’re not

donate their time or money to the effort. But as the mission grew,

going to believe this.” Every door that opened seems like a

she realized her piece of the puzzle was much bigger.

miracle to her. The message she heard that led her to recovery schools that sent her to her superintendent, who stood beside

She went back to Dr. Dickerson to talk. There was space at J.J.

her and said yes, and the community that agreed they were not

Izard, a former elementary school that is now being used as an

giving up on some of their youngest citizens.

alternative school. The Hope Academy could be housed there, in a separate wing. And Karen seemed the logical choice to run

When school reconvenes next fall, Karen will be in charge of

it. The two made plans. Karen would resign her post this month,

Hope Academy, helping the first of the students get through

and in January begin working at the new school.

the tough times and find safe ground. It is more than she could have imagined six months ago. And it turns out, it is all

Already, momentum is building. Karen has had people in the community offer everything from teaching guitar lessons to cooking lessons to creative writing lessons. And while Hope Academy is still working out its curriculum, Karen says the support she’s seeing is heartwarming.

What she does know is that the program will work with each student, coming up with individual plans that will help them succeed. There will be lots of support to keep them on track with their recovery, including an after school program. And if the students need extra help, it will be there.

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she ever wanted.

I

love combining my favorite things, and when I'm cooking I call it a “mash up.” Think peanut butter and chocolate Yum.

Gingerbread and chocolate are a delicious mash up, so when I came across this recipe in the cookbook, Hello Cupcake, I got right to work.

@DIY and images Catherine Frederick

This recipe will introduce you to “almost instant” ganache (made by zapping store-bought icing in a microwave) and it’s also very forgiving to the novice icing piper. Microwaving the icing is what gives the tops of the cupcakes their professional candy-coated sheen.

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@LIFESTYLE

It may take a couple of practice runs to get the white piped frosting to follow the gaps between the cupcakes, but if it breaks just go back to the broken end and start piping again. The white frosting will still be soft and will melt slightly and heal the break. One boxed cake mix makes twenty-four cupcakes, so you will have three cupcakes to practice on. You can be a chef and an orthopedic surgeon. Who knew?

Gingerbread Boys Makes 24 cupcakes

1 box gingerbread or spice cake mix

(any flavor of cake mix will work)

24 brown or black paper cupcake liners

1 cup vanilla frosting

1 tub (16 oz.) milk chocolate frosting

6 green M&M’s

3 each red, green, yellow spice drops

Icing bags or Ziplock bags

TIME TIP: Bake your cupcakes in advance and store them in an airtight container or even the freezer until you're ready to decorate them.

Create your assembly station. Make sure you have your melted

Icing the cupcakes

chocolate, your cupcakes and a serving dish or cookie sheet to

Start by placing 1 cup of vanilla frosting in a Ziplock bag. Snip

place them on once dipped. Holding the cupcake by the bottom,

off the bottom corner of the bag- about 1/4” or less. Next, scoop

turn it over and dip the top into the melted chocolate frosting

the chocolate frosting into a 2 cup microwave safe dish. Make

so the chocolate reaches the paper liner. Allow the excess

sure the opening of the dish is large enough to dip the cupcakes

frosting to drip off. Invert and let stand. Step back and admire

in by hand. Place the chocolate in the microwave and heat for

what you’ve accomplished. Instant, glorious, glossy ganache.

twenty to thirty seconds, stirring frequently, until the frosting is

Ok, enough of that; get back to dipping!

the texture of slightly whipped cream. If your microwave is old as the hills like mine, you may have to repeat this step.

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@LIFESTYLE

Pipe it perfect Grab your bag of vanilla frosting and outline the gingerbread boy along the outer edge of the cupcakes, creating a mitted hand and feet along the way. Add a squiggly line at the wrist and the ankles. No need to go for perfection here, remember the icing is very forgiving.

Add the bling Pipe three dots of vanilla frosting down the middle of the body and add the spice drops for buttons. Pipe two dots of frosting on the head and add M&M’s for eyes. Pipe a vanilla frosting smile on two of the boys, but on the other, pipe an “O” for the mouth.

Pull one of the feet off of this boy so it appears he is saying, “oh nooooo!” - he is getting ready to be eaten after all!

Did you make the Gingerbread boys? Send us a photo to editors@AtUrbanMagazine.com!

Repeat this process with the remaining cupcakes. If the chocolate begins to thicken, reheat for a few seconds in the microwave.

Brought to life Be sure to arrange the cupcakes on their final destination, whether a serving dish or cookie sheet. Once you pipe the white icing, you cannot move them. Group 7 cupcakes to make 3 gingerbread boys. Place three cupcakes in a vertical row to make the head and body, then place one on each side of the bottom cupcake to make the feet, and one cupcake on either side of the middle cupcake to make the hands (see photo).

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@LIFESTYLE

Arkansas Jazz Society president Robert Ginsburg, and a Last Night after party with DJ Robe Flax. Comedy lovers will laugh in the New Year with Phunbags Comedy Improv and the NWA Comedians, while theater fans won’t want to miss Artist’s Laboratory Theatre’s new production of “Found Fayetteville,” which debuted to sold out audiences at Last Night in 2011.

last night

New additions to the evening’s festivities include a local beer

@image Courtesy Last Night Fayetteville

garden showcasing the region’s best brews, an adults-only

H

ow are you going to ring in 2013?

performance by the dance troupe Blossom’s Burlesque, and a one of a kind VIP experience presented by Chef David Lewis at BHK Kafe. Visual arts also take the stage at this year’s event,

Arkansas’ largest New Year’s festival, Last Night Fayetteville, will

with art installations at the Fayetteville Underground including

return to the downtown square on December 31st to celebrate

a fashion gallery featuring the work of local designers, and a

the end of the year with local bands 3 Penny Acre, Groovement,

short-film festival presented by the Seedling Film Association.

and Randall Shreve & the Sideshow headlining the main stage.

Seven indoor venues around the square will host musicians,

Festival goers of all ages will enjoy performances by juggling

performers, comedians and artists, promising to provide a full

duo Jugglology, Ozark Slam Poets, and the Terra-Nova Belly

evening of entertainment for revelers of all ages. The tradition

Dancers. A full children’s stage will feature music by Shaky

continues as Fayetteville welcomes 2013 with the Fly-N-Hog

Bugs & Friends, interactive art projects, and the traditional

Drop countdown to midnight and a spectacular fireworks

Giant Puppet Parade around the Square.

display presented by Cox Communications.

With the success of the inaugural event in 2011, Last Night Fayetteville Event Director Lauren Embree said it was an easy decision to produce the event again for 2012. “Last year all of our venues were packed with patrons enjoying so many amazing local performers & artists, many for the first time,” said Embree. “It truly is a celebration of this wonderful community, and we knew we had to continue the tradition.”

Other musical acts set to perform include Emily Kaitz and Still on the Hill on the folk stage, a jazz stage curated by North

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Admission to the event is $10 in advance for adults 18+ and $5 for children & youth. A limited number of VIP tickets are available for $50, and include access to the BHK VIP Lounge featuring live entertainment, catered hors d’oeuvres and champagne bar by Chef David Lewis at BHK Kafe. Tickets will go on sale Monday, December 3rd at the festival website www.LastNightFayetteville. com. To stay up to date on the latest news, follow Last Night Fayetteville on Facebook at www.Facebook.com/ LastNightFayetteville or Twitter @LastNightVille.

@ENTERTAINMENT

While maintaining the traditional musical arrangements, the band picks up the pace dramatically on their new album. The title track “Babel” marks an explosive introduction and is one of the most aggressive tunes in their catalogue. However, it seems misplaced at the beginning of the album. They don’t cut any slack for the first half of the album, including “Whispers in the Dark” and the debut single “I Will Wait.”

The tempo finally slows on “Lover of the Light,” their newest single, for which British actor Idris Elba (Thor, The Wire, Luther) directed the video. “Broken Crown” is one of the most angst-filled songs.

Some of the best tunes are the bonus tracks (These are on the Deluxe Edition. Check Spotify for them.) “For Those Below” is a midtempo tune reminiscent of their first record. “The Boxer,” a cover of the Simon & Garfunkel song, tells the story of young boy leaving his family looking for a better life in New York City, only to find

now hear this mumford & sons — babel @review Kody Ford

trials and tribulations. The band gives the song a more complete and hopeful sound than the original, which featured minimalist, desolate instrumentation.

I

Though it’s not the greatest album of 2012, “Babel” is worth adding

radio without sounding like Nickelback or griping about how their

to have move “I Will Wait” towards the end of the record. Over all,

parents neglected them. They didn’t use distortion or Auto-tune,

Mumford and Sons show musical progression in the right direction.

but rather banjos and harmony. They made the traditional seem

It will leave you longing for the next one.

n 2010, Mumford and Son’s debut “Sign No More” did something

to your collection. The main problem is the pacing comes off a bit

seemingly impossible. They broke through mainstream rock

aggressive on the front end. They would have been better served

like the revolutionary.

Fast forward two years. Mumford and Sons’ sophomore release “Babel” became an instant smash hit, selling 600,000 copies in its first week and reigning supreme on the charts until Taylor Swift released a new CD.

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I Rate It

The following are books I suggest for Christmas giving: No Easy Day, (Dutton Publishing, 315 pages), an autobiography by Mark Owen, ( not his real name) tells the story of SEAL Team Six and the twenty-four man team who completed the mission to find and kill Osama Bin Laden. He describes taking photographs of Bin Laden’s body, and how black his beard was, which had obviously been dyed. The book contains fifteen pages of pictures, which is an added bonus in further explaining the preparation and execution of this extremely dangerous mission. It’s a very readable book that also describes the highest levels of physical and mental training this select group must endure before becoming a Seal and the continued training it takes to remain one. This book can be given to those who are in their teens or older.

The next book, This is How You Lose Her, (Riverhead Books, 213 pages) by Junot Diaz, is not for everyone, but is for those who know that “sometimes a start of love is all you ever get.” It’s written by a professor at MIT who has won many literary prizes, including the Pulitzer in 2007. He was born in Santo Domingo and grew up in a chaotic apartment @reviews Anita Paddock

I

different than that of his native home. His novel might be

think books make the best presents, don’t you? You can

based on his own life of loving women, cheating on them,

write a nice inscription on the first blank page that gives

and feeling sad when they leave. This book is definitely for

the gift a sense of being special. It’s easy to wrap. And it

the reader in your life who appreciates the literary novel and

gives you something to talk about after Christmas is over:

thinks she or he has romantic relationships all figured out.

“Hey, did you like that book I gave you?”

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in New Jersey, within a culture and climate that was vastly

@ENTERTAINMENT

The End of Your Life Book Club by Will

in LA. In this novel, the main character Harry Bosch investigates

Schwalbe (Knopf Publishing, 327 pages) is

a twenty-year-old crime involving a woman journalist who was

the perfect book to give to the person in your

killed during the LA race riots in 1992. Detectives first thought

life who really, really, really loves books. The

her death was from a stray bullet, but twenty years later, Bosch

Schwalbe household was filled with books,

discovers that a bullet from a recent crime is linked to her death.

and the mother, Mary Ann, instilled in her three children the love of books. The author,

And now for those on your list who love Christmas the most -

who makes his living in the publishing business, tells us that for

those toddler and kindergarten cuties. I love all the Llama Llama

the last two years of his mother’s life, he and she belonged to

books

by

Anna

Dewdney.

a book club of two people. While she was undergoing chemo

They’re funny and each book

and other rounds of hospital stays, he often accompanied her,

teaches a little lesson. They

and they talked about the books they were reading. “Books

come in hardback or paperback.

were a way to talk about what was really going on in our lives,”

Llama Llama, Holiday Drama

the author explains. This is a wonderful book that illustrates so

would be an especially nice gift

beautifully the tenderness that exists between a mother and

for this time of year.

son, and a reader with another reader. And I was delighted to Eve Bunting is another one

see that many of their favorites were mine, as well.

of my favorite children authors. Her books contain charming I don’t know of anyone who doesn’t like a mystery/suspense

artwork and contribute nicely to the stories. I especially like

novel. In fact, this book would be a nice gift for someone

The Wednesday Surprise because it tells the story of a little girl

you wouldn’t ordinarily give a book to. Maybe your dad, your

who teaches her grandmother how to read. Another of her

brother, your cousin, even your grandmother would enjoy a

books, Dandelions, is about a family who moves to Nebraska in

new book that was suspenseful and didn’t require heavy duty

a covered wagon.

thinking. Nobody wants to eat a steak everyday; sometimes we But, of course, the best gift of all is the story read ‘round the

like a cheeseburger.

Christmas tree that begins with “…and it came to pass.”

The Black Box (Little Brown, 416 pages) is Michael Connelly‘s twenty-fifth book.

He

graduated from the University of Florida, where he worked as a crime reporter in Daytona Beach and Fort Lauderdale. From there, he moved to Los Angeles as a crime reporter for the LA Times.

His first published book was based on a true crime he covered

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24

@PEOPLE

@story Marla Cantrell @image Courtesy Jenni Wichern

Only Stars @lines Dave Malone A week without you, the moon grows thinner.

Once your thumbnail, now barely the lobe of your ear. Soon total shadow hiding your body in space.

In another week, the moon will rise the slender knob of your wrist, then become your entire hand you open up with my name where only stars know light.

D

ave Malone lives in West Plains, Missouri, not far from the Arkansas state line. It is there he writes poetry so intimate that it feels at times

as if you’ve stumbled across a journal filled with verses meant only for the subject of the poem to read.

That is one of the many joys of his newest book, Seasons in Love, which was released by Trask Road Press earlier this year. The seventy-two poems that make up this collection were written over a span of twenty years, and are divided into four sections: spring, summer, autumn, winter.

Many of the poems were penned in his studio in West Plains, a place where he takes notes on things that inspire him, and where he examines the Ozarks, a place he understands as well as he does his own heart.

But it is Dave’s fascination with relationships, how they work, how they fall apart, and the moments in between when we’re all trying to get it right, that fuels this body of work. In just a few lines he captures regret, or ecstasy, or contentment.

Likely, what will strike you most is how sensual many of the poems are.

This is a book for adults, with adult language and situations. In one poem he compares his lover’s body to a slender harp. He lets us listen in to a conversation with two people who’ve spied a couple during their most private moments. He shares the torment we’ve all felt after a breakup, when we keep seeing our ex-lover everywhere, in passing cars, or in the people that walk just out of our reach on a busy street.

25

@PEOPLE

It is not an easy thing to do, this crafting of verses that draw us

miracle of lightning. “All that flows into the power of a poem,”

in and make us want to read on. Dave, at forty-four, has been

Dave says. “Good writing is hard for a young person to do, it’s

working on his craft since third grade, when he was introduced

not impossible, but it’s hard, because of the lack of experience.

to the haiku.

It’s a lot to ask of a poem, and it’s a lot to ask of a writer.”

“I was a math geek and to have five, seven, five, in terms of

Dave looks back on some of his early work and sees the same

syllables, worked with my nature,” Dave says. “And then in

problem. Just living your life deepens your work. Heartbreak

high school I became more sincere. A poem I wrote when I

happens, relationships fall apart. And if you’re Dave, you go

was a junior was a winner, I think third place, in the high school

back and examine it. You organize the emotions, you map out

literature contest. They read the winners at an assembly and I

the location of your greatest pain, and you put it on the page for

was petrified. And the students applauded. I thought, this is

others to read.

all right.”

Today there is much more joy than pain. Dave credits much of The assembly validated what Dave hoped.

People would

respond to his work, and so he continued, studying through

his happiness to Jenni Wichern, an artist and photographer, and the inspiration for much of his poetry.

college, writing fiction, performing in community theater, doing everything he could to stay in touch with the creativity that

“You have to find someone that resonates with you on a great

feeds his work.

number of levels, and is very supportive, and I have that, so I am exceedingly lucky.”

Writing a poem comes easily to him, although the need to revise brings him back to his desk again and again. “Some of

Right now, he has several projects underway, including a novel

these poems were much longer in the beginning, but I felt like I

that he’s in the midst of writing. He likes to cook, he likes to

was giving too much away. The cardinal rule is to show not tell,

hike, he likes to spend his days and nights with Jenni.

so I went back in and worked on several of them. I think every writer has trouble knowing when a poem is ready. Oscar Wilde

He leaves aspiring writers with this advice. “Read, read, read,”

said we don’t finish, we just abandon.”

he says. “Develop your own voice.” If you are called to write, Dave says, you get the chance to live well. You get the chance

Still mathematically inclined, he believes in the formula: an

to influence lives, and to bring beauty into the world. Not a bad

opening that grabs the reader’s attention, crisp language, and

way to spend your days. Not a bad way at all.

solid experience.

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His experience rests solidly in the land he loves. He writes of

You can buy Seasons in Love at Amazon or for a signed

the tornado’s toothy grin, of the red beards of low maples, of the

copy visit davemalone.net

@story & images Marcus Coker

P

aul Hoover was a driver for the Fort Smith Fire Department at Station No.

1. Like the rest of the men and women there, he spent a lot of time on the job, working twenty-four-hour shifts (one day on and two days off). While on the job, Paul worked closely with his fellow firemen to save lives, often putting another’s needs before his own. We look at people like Paul and call them heroes. But for the people at Station No. 1, Paul was family.

In the summer of 2007, Paul was on vacation with his wife and in-laws to Cancun, Mexico, and tragedy struck. Hit head-on in an automobile collision, Paul and his family were killed. In response, the fire department at Station No. 1 honored him with a traditional firefighter funeral, which included hiring a bagpipe player because they didn’t have one of their own.

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@PEOPLE

“When you go to a fire or police department funeral, you

Bagpipes, which date back hundreds, maybe thousands of

traditionally hear bagpipes,” says Captain Tery Graves, who’s

years, are a reed instrument. The piper fills a bag with air, which

forty-five and has been a firefighter in Fort Smith for twenty-

then feeds four pipes as the piper squeezes the bag. Three

four years. “During the potato famine of Ireland, there were a lot

pipes (called drones) come out of the top of the bag, and play

of Irish and Scottish immigrants in the United States, and they

preset notes. The last pipe, called a chanter, points downward,

commonly worked as firefighters or policemen. There weren’t

somewhat like a clarinet. The piper is able to control which

a lot of safety measures in place, and it wasn’t uncommon for

sounds come out of the chanter using different finger positions.

someone to die every day.”

One of the challenges the men faced while learning the After Paul’s funeral, the department began talking about

bagpipes was memorizing music. “You’ll never see a sheet of

forming its own Pipe and Drum Corps, but it didn’t take long to

music in front of a bagpiper,” says Tery. “Historically, the music

realize that the corps wasn’t something the city could afford.

used to be passed on from teacher to student; nothing was ever

The answer was found in the Fort Smith Firefighters Foundation,

written down. Then when England took over Scotland, they

a nonprofit organization that was formed in 2004 to support the

banned bagpipes altogether because they were considered

Fort Smith Fire Department Honor Guard and help convert an

an instrument of war, used to rally the troops. When the ban

old fire truck into a caisson (hearse).

was lifted, it was with the condition that the music had to be written down.” Still, in keeping with tradition, bagpipers like

“The Honor Guard acts as pallbearers at funerals, folds the

Tery memorize their music.

flags to present to the families of those who have served, and marches in parades,” says Tery. “Our twenty-eight members

When it comes to the Pipe and Drum Corps, there’s a lot of

donate a few dollars each pay period to the foundation, and

tradition, including uniforms. The members of the corps wear

several of them agreed to give money to help fund the Pipe and

traditional Scottish dress, which includes kilts, socks (called

Drum Corps as well.”

kilt hose), hats (glengarries), and shoes (ghillie brogues). “The Scottish Club of Fort Smith (SCOFS) donated our kilts,” says Tery.

The donations helped with uniforms, and the men agreed to

“We wouldn’t have a pipe and drum corps if it weren’t for them.”

volunteer their time and buy their own instruments. (Bagpipes can cost between $1,500 and $3,000.) For a solid year, mostly

Currently, the Pipe and Drum Corps consists of four pipers

during 2009, Tery and several others drove to Fayetteville every

(including one civilian member, Tery’s eighteen-year-old son

Sunday to take bagpipe lessons from Harriett Sisson, the pipe

Dalton), and five drummers. Since their first public performance

major for the Ozark Highlanders Pipe Band. “With bagpipes,

in March of 2011, they have played for a number of firefighter,

there’s an eighty percent failure rate,” says Tery. “There were

police, and military funerals, as well as in several parades.

ten of us who started, seven after the first week, and four by the time it was all over.”

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@PEOPLE

“For a funeral, we start with a slow march, something like ‘Danny

chief asked us NOT to do.”

Boy,’ says Tery. “It sets the mood. If it’s a military funeral, we stop playing the moment they touch the casket. Once the flag

For Ryan Rains, who’s thirty-seven, and one of the four pipe

is presented to the family, we play ‘Amazing Grace.’ It can get

players, the Pipe and Drum Corps is about giving back. Ryan

pretty emotional.”

says, “Everyone here is called to service at some level. As firemen, people tell us thank you all the time, but there’s no

The corps sometimes charges a moderate fee to cover travel

way for us to honor each other, other than the Honor Guard

and expenses, or for civilian funerals. Otherwise, all their time

and the Pipe and Drum Corps. We all want one last trip down

and talents are volunteered. “We want to honor those who’ve

the avenue, and this is a way for us as firemen to honor our

sacrificed their lives,” says Tery. “We’ve started something

brother’s service.”

Fort Smith hadn’t seen before, and that’s a really good feeling.

Families come up to us and tell us how much they appreciate

No wonder they call each other family. No wonder we call

our time, and that’s what it’s all about.”

them heroes.

Sometimes, people come up to say more than thank you. Tery

For more information or to donate to the Pipe

laughs and says, “Little old ladies will lift up our kilts to see

and Drum Corps, call 479-783-4052 or email

what we have underneath. Traditionally, it would be nothing,

tgraves@fortsmithar.gov.

which is called going regimental, but that’s the one thing the

30

@story Tonya McCoy @images Catherine Frederick

A

three foot tall red and navy

nutcracker soldier with a long white beard stands guard outside Sandy Wikman’s home in Fort Smith. He watches gallantly from beside the front door. Melodies from Tchaikovsky’s Nutcracker Suite dance through the crisp December air.

Just

inside the door a wooden music box ‘theater’ plays.

Curtains open and tiny ballerinas glide across the floor, the Mouse King leers menacingly stage right, and doors open and close, moving

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@PEOPLE

intricate pieces through the entire ballet. Several hundred colorful nutcrackers decorate Sandy’s Christmas tree, mantle and counters as the scents of sugar plums, chocolate and hot apple cider waft through her home.

“Some call me the nutcracker nut,” Sandy says with a laugh.

A nutcracker smiles as it hangs from her necklace and small nutcrackers dangle from her ears.

She started collecting nutcrackers a quarter century ago and admits she stopped counting her collection years ago, after reaching four

this baby.” Sandy points out her dining room window. “The leaves

hundred. Each nutcracker has a name that’s carefully written on its

out there on the trees looked black to me, that’s how sad I was.”

box. Many are named after family and friends.

Sandy’s close friend, Barbara Hicks, was concerned for Sandy Nutcrackers mean more to Sandy than simple holiday decor.

and lovingly coaxed her to a Christmas party. “Barbara invited

They mean more to her than one might guess.

me over because she knew how I was grieving. I walked into her house and she had Christmas goodies and things around. I

Her nutcracker story starts twenty-five years ago. Not during

walked into her living room and there on here mantle were all

the holidays, but during a hot Arkansas summer. Her youngest

these funny looking guys, and I didn’t know what they were. I

daughter, Pam Moore, the baby of the family, was expecting a

looked up there, and as sad as I was, I thought, these little guys,

baby of her own. “I’d go over to her house and decorate that

they’re so colorful, and they’ve all got funny faces. And I got to

nursery and play music and we would talk about ‘On Christmas

looking at the different nutcrackers and they each had a different

we’ll go do this,’ and ‘at Christmas we’re going to do that.’ Well,

expression and something happened to me during this time. I say

it wasn’t that way.”

the Lord works in mysterious ways, because I started laughing and I saw color again. I saw color again! I just felt the presence of

In August the unthinkable happened.

Jesus with me. He was comforting me because I was sad.”

Baby James was born and died the same day. There had been

The next nutcracker she saw, she bought. He was on sale at a

unforeseen complications.

shop for only fifty cents. He had seen better days. His handle that was supposed to operate his nutcracking smile was

Months went by and Sandy slipped into depression as what

broken. She brought him home and carefully mended him,

would have been baby James’ first Christmas approached. “It was

much like her own soul had been mended by the sight of these

a very sad Christmastime because we had such anticipation for

merry little men.

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@PEOPLE

The couple laughs about the incident now, but after Sandy fell through the ceiling a second time and also fell down the stairs once, the two decided that the nutcrackers should take permanent residence in the garage. And that’s where they stay until each fall. By December the house is filled with nutcrackers of different colors and sizes, ranging from one inch to three feet tall. Some are red and green. Some are blue. Others are stars-and-stripes spangled, or regal gold, and there are even Razorback nutcrackers.

When Sandy throws her Nutcracker Tea Party and brunch for her friends, family and prayer group from Eastside Baptist, ladies “Every year after that, every gift I would open from my kids

ranging in age from their thirties to their nineties attend. This

would be a nutcracker or something similar to nutcrackers. After

includes Sandy’s mother who’s eighty-seven.

a while I had all this stuff and I thought, you know, I found my ‘happy’ again through my nutcrackers, I’m going to share my

For each guest Sandy makes a treat. She pours chocolate into

‘happy.’ I’m going to share my joy with my friends and my family

her single nutcracker mold one by one. When they’re finished,

and my prayer group and that’s how my tea parties started.”

she fashions them with colorful ribbons and places them on golden dollies. Each guest also receives a handcrafted

So each year she climbed into the attic to gather hundreds of

nutcracker cookie from Paul’s Bakery in Van Buren. Sandy loans

her little men. And every other Christmas she would throw a

her nutcracker cookie cutters to the bakery along with photos

Nutcracker Tea Party.

of her nutcrackers, so decorators can get the coloring just right.

And every year Sandy coordinates her special parties to coincide

But about seven years ago, Sandy and her husband Willy knew it

with the date of Western Arkansas Ballet’s performance of The

was time to find a new home for her collection. Sandy remembers

Nutcracker so the ladies can go to the ballet afterwards.

working in the attic while Willy was in the living room: Willy admits, “I didn’t know it would grow into all of this, starting “He was putting up the Christmas tree, and my foot went

with one little nutcracker.”

through our kitchen ceiling. Part of me was hanging down in front of the stove. He hollered and said, ‘Are you hurt?’ I was

Sandy confesses, “I look at them, and I study them. And it gives me

kind of addled, and I said, ‘No. But I can see my stove.’ He said,

joy, and it makes me happy, and I think we all need happy.”

‘I thought only Santa Claus came down through the chimney.’"

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@story Marla Cantrell @images Courtesy Tania Knudson

I

nside Studio 7 in Rogers, artist Tania Knudson guides her students through the process that

will teach them to let go of their left-brain thinking.

She uses squirt bottles of house paint, large sheets of art paper, lots of water, and games like blindly selecting some of the colors they’ll be using to create their work of art.

The abstract pieces that come from the classes hang on walls across the area, beautiful reminders of what happens when we let go of that negative voice that stops us from creating.

At forty-four, Tania’s own paintings, in acrylic and oil and mixed medium, are coveted by collectors. One of her larger pieces, of a pig, hangs in nearby Tusk & Trotter in Bentonville. Her abstracts are selling as

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@PEOPLE

well, along with her traditional pieces. It’s hard to nail down her style, because she has so many. “I’m all about eliminating the rules. You should follow your heart. When I teach, I say it’s okay to combine watercolor and pastels and collage all in the same painting, if that’s what you need to do.”

When she was only nine years old, her mother arranged for her to take lessons from Melissa Garrett, and she studied with her until Melissa’s death three years ago. During those years, Tania learned traditional technique and the discipline she’d need to make it as an artist. But something else was also happening.

The relationship grew from teacher and student, to mentor and student, and finally to close friends. There was an age

It’s a sentence you’ll hear a lot if you spend any time with Tania.

difference, of course, but that didn’t come into play. “Age is

She has a “You Cannot Fail” philosophy when it comes to art.

irrelevant in creative people,” Tania says.

“So,” she says, “you ruin a six dollar sheet of paper. That’s okay.

The things that don’t work are okay because they’ll get you to

Melissa left Tania her art supplies, something that still touches

another place where the right thing does happen.”

her. She felt as if the torch had been passed. She likes having Melissa’s things nearby when she teaches those as young as

All along the walls are impressive works of art. A table holds

six and as old as ninety. “I treat them each the same. I respect

buckets of brushes, the table tops sit covered in plastic, ready for

them and I try to get out of the way as much as I can so that the

the next class. There is so much hope here, so much possibility,

art can come through. I’d hate to see their work become little

and Tania feels it too. She loves this place, and again she turns

mini-me’s, just copies of mine.”

to another woman and gives her credit.

The other thing she does is love them. “I’ve been thinking

“When I was three, my mother came into my room. I was sitting

about putting a sign on the door that says ‘Free Hugs,” Tania

on top of a table. And she said, ‘Tania, people don’t sit on tables.’

says. “That’s one of the greatest parts of what we do here. We

And I said, ‘Well, I do.’ My mother saw that I had a different way

come together and we become this community, this net of

of thinking, and even though she wasn’t like me in that way, she

energy. My students bring in the best things. I had one student

encouraged that.”

who brought in a piece of a tree that had to be taken down from her yard. It had a lot of sentimental value to her and she wanted

When Tania finished high school in Bentonville, she attended

to paint it and I said, ‘Why not?’”

college, studying art education and elementary education, and focusing on watercolors. She could have ended up in the

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@PEOPLE

classroom, teaching children to love art. But by the time she

Sinatra to alternative to heavy metal. He’d been on a juice fast

graduated, she was a single mom. She stayed with her son and

for three days when it happened. He wasn’t drinking. It was an

taught in the afternoons. She painted a lot.

incredibly difficult time.”

“Of course, you give up some things when you decide not to go

It says a lot about Tania that she can speak of him so openly and

the traditional job route, but the trade off is worth it. I didn’t have

gently. “I have lost a lot of people in my life. It makes you clear.

benefits, but I was in control of what I did and when I did it.”

People, love, being authentic, that’s all that really matters. I’m blessed to be able to teach. That’s my way of serving.”

She eventually married, had a daughter, and moved to Omaha for seven years. “Those were my stay at home years,” she said.

And so she continues to paint, and supporting other artists who

“And I did enjoy it. I moved back to be close to my parents.”

spend so much of their time bringing beauty into the world.

When she came home, she was gripped by the beauty of

Tania again turns the conversation to another woman, an artist

Arkansas. “You live here and you become immune to it. But I’d

she works closely with. “Judi Harrison has meant so much to

been away and when I came back, I looked around and saw all

me. We do a lot of projects together. We are such great friends.”

this gorgeous land and all these places I wanted to paint.”

That is the thing you take away from spending time with Tania.

And so she did, creating the Arkansas series that showcases

She is always lifting those around her, from the students who

places like the U of A’s Old Main, the iconic corner in Eureka

inspire her, to the friends who light her way, to her daughter, who

Springs, old red barns that dot the countryside. She also started

is in high school, an aspiring photographer, and Tania’s great joy.

painting pigs, something all Hog fans can appreciate. One called “Green Eggs and Ham” shows a pink pig in front of a background

“When I’m working with my students, I tell them to let go. I say,

of green egg cartons.

‘We’re not writing novels here, we’re writing poetry.”

Throughout her body of work is one theme: joy. It’s something

It is a lesson we could all take to heart. Create a little poetry.

she’s proud of, but she feels her life turning again, and she

Ignore the voices that say you can’t. Spend a little time getting

thinks her future works will incorporate other feelings as well.

used to a life filled with joy.

She talks again about her son. He was twenty-three when, on New Year’s Eve of 2010, he got in his new car and had an accident. He did not survive.

To see more of Tania’s work or to see a video on her painting technique, visit taniaknudson.com

“He was such a great kid,” she says. "A great kid. He was a guitar player, such a great musician. He loved all kinds of music, Frank

38

Sweet Dreams At least a third of your life is spent sleeping. This is why the bedroom is so important and should never be neglected. It is your respite from the world, so ensure that your bedroom is a tranquil retreat, not a hodgepodge of clutter.

To create a serene space, start with a light and calming color palette.

40

Christine Howard Creative Director, I.O. Metro

Here are five more tips to keep your bedroom stylish and cozy all winter long.

1

2

Head Honcho The central feature of the room is the bed. Be sure yours is eye-catching but also comforting. For example, the natural and muted tones in this reclaimed bed make a statement without overpowering the space. Winter is the perfect time to change out your bedding. Incorporating a bold chevron pattern, in a restful gray color, is a fun way to add personality without taking away from the rest of the room.

3

4

Dynamic Duo Hanging a mirror above your nightstand is a definite design do!

5

Please never leave this space blank. When a lamp is placed on the nightstand, the mirror creates more light, which we always crave more of in the winter. It also creates a balance between

6

the nightstand and the bed. We covet this evenness, because balanced rooms feel larger and generate a sense of serenity.

Luxe Layers Luxury is also key. To add richness, layer a plush rug on top of your existing wall-to-wall carpeting. It’s one of the easiest ways

7

to add depth and texture to your space, and to keep your toes comfortable and warm all winter long.

8

Color Cues Luminescent colors aren’t just reserved for summer anymore. For a bold winter statement, pair bright colored art and accessories with neutral colored basics.

Time to Shine Finally, warm up a modern gray-hued space by incorporating different textures and finishes. This winter, metallics are back in a big way. Mix high shine accessories and lamps with colored art, light fabrics, and reclaimed wood for a contrasting, chic style.

1 Silver Geo Mirror — $199.95 2 Dream Canvas Art — $399.95 3 Blaze Pillow – Gray — $79.95 4 Turquoise Pucker Fish — $29.95 5 Everyly Lamp — $199.95 6 Maddox Dresser – 7 drawer — $1,299.95 7 Maddox Bed – Queen — $999.95 (also available in King- $1,299.95)

8 Rug Willow – Tan 5'x8' — $499.95

41

42

@creative kitchen

309 Garrison Ave., Fort Smith 479.646.3233 Creativekitchenstore.com

44

$22

W.I.N.O.S. (Women in Need of Sanity), do we have a cookbook for you! W.I.N.O.S. Cook with Wine is a book of 226 recipes using wine, like Chicken Marengo, Steaks with Red Wine Sauce and Baked Apple Marsala. Yum. Me.

$21

VinOair Wine Aerator. This little gizmo fits inside a bottle of your (very) reasonably priced wine, aerates it and makes it taste like a much pricier vino. How smart is that?

$8

Capabunga Reseal Your Wine toppers put

50 a little fun into the holidays. Ours read,

“In Case of In-Laws Remove Cap” and “All is Calm.” Better still? If the bottle topples over, wine will not spill.

$9

Stonewall Kitchen Pie Crust Mix makes 2 single crust pies, or 1 double crust pie.

All natural, flaky crust from a company that started in 1991, when they set up a table at a local famers’ market.

$8

Back your pie in this perky red and white checkered tin, which is a cheery addition to any holiday table.

$16

Stonewall Apple Pie Filling, 25 oz. Save some time in the kitchen with this all-American favorite! Apples, spices, and just enough sweetness to bring you back for seconds.

$15

Serve your pie with this Zyliss pie server.

It slices, scoots under the pie and allows you to slide the slice onto a plate with a thumb lever. Genius!

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$4

The Resident Chef (from Maumelle, AR)

$18

This 8 ½” by 14” pig cutting board by Simply Bamboo adds a whimsical touch to any kitchen. Sustainable and adorable.

50 has a great line of dips, including the

46

Parmesan Italian. Just add 1 cup sour cream and 1 cup mayo to the mix, chill and serve. Delicious!

$6

Party Starters! The Original Savory Saltine Seasoning. Turn ordinary crackers into the best appetizers ever. All you do is add the mix to 1 ¾ cups of canola oil to 4 tubes of saltines in a 2-gallon zip top bag and mix well.

$12

Don’t have time for that? Creative Kitchen sells the crackers ready to serve, as well.

1lb for $12.

$8

Pickle Picker. Love pickles but don’t like reaching into the jar to get one? Voila!

The tongs on this stainless steel gadget grab the pickle so you don’t have to.

$8

Zyliss 5-way opener. This opener uncaps beer bottles, opens pull tabs, unscrews caps, loosens tight lids, and opens cans with ring tabs. Viola!

$1450

Joseph Joseph Rotary Peeler. 3 compact stainless steel blades do everything from peeling vegetables to making julienne and serrated slices. Just twist the dial to select blade.

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@recipe & images Laura Hobbs

I

visited Mexico for the first time when I was seven. My

Fast forward again – this time, only four years. With the days

parents pulled me out of school for two weeks to take a

growing shorter and my cubicle growing stuffier, Hubby and I

road trip to the innards of Mexico, visiting cities like Saltillo,

made a wine-fueled decision to head south of the border again

Monterrey and Real de Catorce. I have fond – and strange –

– back to Tulum, this time with good friends in tow. We scoured

memories of that trip: Buying gas from a makeshift gas station

the internet for the best airline deals and the cheapest casita

in the middle of nowhere, riding single car ferries operated by a

we could find. I’m counting the nanoseconds until I hit Mexican

teenager with a rope-and-pulley system, seeing donkeys used

soil again.

as a power source, and being treated like the second coming for having blonde hair. I returned from that trip to my second

To celebrate our upcoming trip, I planned a fiesta night, with

grade classmates, gloating about my newfound worldliness and

homemade corn chips, fresh guacamole and a fun and unique

bearing gifts of mini sombreros and Mexican blankets.

spin on classic chiles rellenos, which was inspired by the fabulous Deb Perelman of Smitten Kitchen. Instead of the usual

Fast forward twenty-plus years, and Hubby and I decided to

beef and cheese filling, these chiles rellenos are fancied up

take our annual vacation to Tulum, Mexico. For nine days we sat

with the addition of Mexican-style risotto.

beachside, sunning ourselves in the Mayan sun, visiting ruins, floating in ancient cenotes, and stuffing ourselves with fresh

How is it Mexican, you ask? Instead of deglazing the pan with

seafood and ripe mangos. Our time there was heaven on earth,

wine, a good Mexican beer is used. Fresh corn is tossed in at the

and I cried quietly as our plane’s nose tipped up, headed back

end. Handfuls of Monterrey Jack take the place of Parmesan.

to the States.

And you know what? It may even be better than the traditional Italian dish.

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@TASTE

Mexitalian Chiles Rellenos (Inspired by The Smitten Kitchen Cookbook)

8 large poblano peppers

6 c. chicken or vegetable stock

2 Tbs. olive oil

1 small onion, finely chopped

1 garlic clove, minced

2 c. Arborio rice

½ c. Mexican beer

Turn on your broiler. Place the peppers in a single layer in a shallow dish, and place them under the broiler on the top third oven rack.

Rotate the peppers until the skins are blistered, about 5 minutes per side (check them frequently). Remove the peppers from the dish, place them in a large bowl and cover with plastic wrap. Set aside for at least 30 minutes.

When the peppers are cool enough to handle, gently remove the skins. Cut a lengthwise slit in each chile, and remove the seeds and membranes as best you can. Keep the stems on. Set the prepared chiles aside.

1 ½ c. fresh corn kernels

1 c. Monterey Jack cheese, grated

1 c. favorite shredded meat (optional)

¼ c. queso fresco or ricotta salata, crumbled

3 Tbs. Mexican crema (or 3 Tbs. sour cream

mixed with 1 Tb. milk and a pinch of salt)

3 Tbs. fresh cilantro, chopped

In a medium saucepan, heat the stock to a low simmer. On a separate burner, heat a large saucepan over medium heat. Once the saucepan is hot, add the oil. Add the onion and sauté until it’s soft and translucent, about 8 minutes. Add the garlic and cook for 1 minute more. Add the rice, and stir for a minute or two, until the rice begins to crackle. Pour in the beer, scraping the bottom of the pan to loosen any stuck bits. Let the beer simmer for about a minute.

Ladle 1 cup of warm stock into the rice mixture and simmer until it’s absorbed, stirring frequently. Continue with the remaining stock, adding 1 ladle at a time, and allowing it to absorb before adding more. Stir frequently. With the final addition of the stock, add the fresh corn. When just over al dente, turn off the heat, stir in the Monterey Jack cheese, season with salt and pepper, and cover for 5 minutes.

Preheat the oven to 400°. Fill each prepared chile with a serving spoon of risotto through the slit. Tightly arrange the chiles in a deep baking dish; if you’re using the shredded meat, add it here on top of the risotto. Sprinkle the chiles with the queso fresco. Bake for 15-20 minutes, until bronzed on top. Garnish with cilantro and serve with the Mexican crema.

49

@recipe Scott Riedesel, Pastry Chef - Tusk and Trotter @image Catherine Frederick

This cake is typically found in Europe, ground nuts and the absence of baking powder or baking soda, make it far different than most American cakes.

They are typically shorter and less sweet than their American counterparts. European torts appear simple, yet are elegant and sublime in flavor.

50

@TASTE

Makes one 9" cake

4 1/2 8 7 3 1 7 1/3

oz ( 1/4 cup) softened butter

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Butter and flour a 9 inch cake pan. Using a stand or hand mixer beat sugar and butter together until light and fluffy. Next, add the melted chocolate to butter-

cup sugar

sugar mixture then add yolks to the mixture one at a time. Last,

oz white chocolate (melted and slightly cool)

add the lemon juice, zest, almonds and flour.

large eggs (separated, put whites aside)

Clean your mixing bowl then whip egg whites to soft peaks. Stir

Tablespoons lemon juice

half of the egg whites into mixture and fold the rest in gently.

Tablespoon lemon zest

Carefully scrape batter into the cake pan and smooth the top

oz finely ground almonds all purpose flour

without deflating the mixture.

Bake 35-40 minutes or until a toothpick in the center does not produce any batter, a few crumbs are fine though. Cool cake for at least an hour before unmolding. Running a knife along the inside of the pan will ensure it does not stick.

The cake will sink in the center because there is little flour for structure. Don’t be alarmed, this normal for torts. For a rustic look, dust with powdered sugar or cocoa. For a more refined occasion trim the edges flush to make a flat cake and then carefully flip over for a perfectly smooth top. Melted white chocolate drizzled over the cake is another option for presentation. To make this cake gluten free, substitute the flour with rice flour or potato starch.

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@TASTE

1 quart eggnog 1 cup cream 2 cups Maker's Mark bourbon 2 cups vanilla ice cream 1 tablespoon vanilla extract Ground nutmeg for dusting Whipped cream (optional) Combine all liquid ingredients in blender. Blend until smooth. Pour in glass and dust with nutmeg.

OPTIONAL: After pouring into glass, top with whipped cream, then dust with nutmeg.

Sponsored by Cheers Liquor 4000 Rogers Ave. Fort Smith 479.782.9463 Cheers of Fort Smith

52

@TRAVEL

The displays are magnificent. A giant turtle stands illuminated off one of the paths. A gingerbread house, complete with a tree inside, beckons you in.

One of the ponds is awash in blue lights, the trees around it lit up as well, so that the whole thing looks like something from a fairytale. Dozens of flowers line the paths, their lights red and white and green. Arches rise above the paths, and when you walk through you feel as if you are part of this whimsical display.

A dozen kids, all dressed in red and green, are in line for hot chocolate. Christmas music plays, families pose for photographs,

The Lights at Garvan Gardens @story Marla Cantrell @image Courtesy Garvan Gardens

I

and almost everyone has a Smart phone out, capturing the magic to share with those who haven’t yet been.

A choir is singing “White Christmas”, and a crowd gathers round.

Some of the kids are singing along, delighted to join in the holiday fun.

t is one of those perfect nights. Cool, but not cold, and

It’s a delightful way to spend an evening filled with Christmas

the air is still. Just ahead is Hot Spring’s Garvan Woodland

cheer. If you get hungry, the Chipmunk Café is open from 3-9

Gardens, where the holiday lights are in place, two million to be

p.m. Grab a snack or a gourmet salad, sandwich or wrap.

exact, and they twinkle against the ebony sky.

One tip. If you want to avoid the crowds, consider attending on The display covers seventeen acres of sculpted gardens, all

Sundays through Wednesdays. On those evenings there will

maintained by the University of Arkansas. Garvan Gardens sits

be less waiting and more time to roam through the extensive

on Lake Hamilton, and is a lush landscape with wooded areas,

displays. There’s also a golf cart to take you into the garden. It’s

streams, waterfalls, and even a Japanese garden.

on a first come, first served basis.

But tonight the visitors are here specifically for the lights.

For more information, visit gardengardens.org.

Just ahead is a fifty-foot tall Rose tree in the Rose Garden

$10 for Adults; $5 for Kids ages 6-12

amphitheater. Nearby are more trees, Santa’s sleigh and of

Starts at 5pm nightly. Closed on Christmas.

course, Rudolph and the other reindeer.

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@story Catherine Frederick @image Courtesy Big Cedar Lodge

56

@TRAVEL

B

ig Cedar Lodge sits on 800 acres near Table Rock Lake, just

We took the trip with our son. We’d reserved a cabin, the waters

outside Branson. It is a gorgeous resort, with a history that

of Table Rock Lake visible from the wide windows and ample

dates back to the 1920s when area businessmen used the site

balcony. When we arrived, there was a pile of wood waiting

as a weekend vacation getaway. At that time there were two

outside our door, beckoning us to light a fire. Upon entering

houses, one an English Tudor owned by the Worman family,

the cabin, we were greeted by a beautifully decorated, full-size

the other an Adirondack style cabin. Both still remain a part of

Christmas tree.

Big Cedar today, one as the Worman House Restaurant and the other as Devil’s Pool Restaurant.

From the time you arrive, to the time you leave, no detail is left to chance. Upon check in, you’ll set your eyes on an enormous,

In the 1960s, the property became a dude ranch. A lodge and

and lavishly decorated, indoor Christmas tree. Families gather in

a few cottages were built to house visitors. In

the lobby awaiting their scheduled activities. While

the late 1980s, Johnny Morris, the founder of

they wait, they enjoy board games and apple cider.

Bass Pro Shops, bought the property intending to use it as a fish camp for his employees and

Activities abound from early morning until

their families.

nightfall. There truly is something for everyone.

We started our morning with breakfast at The

Then Morris decided to put an ad in the Bass

Worman House. I don’t know what was better, the

Pro catalog, to see what kind of interest there

view or the food. As we were finishing up, guess

was for a place like Big Cedar. The response was

who made an appearance? Santa and Mrs. Claus!

overwhelming, and slowly this award-winning lodge began to evolve.

After breakfast, we followed a winding staircase down past a large grizzly, to decorate stockings. Later in the afternoon, after

The road to the lodge winds through some of the most beautiful

a delicious lunch at Buzzard Bar, we dropped our son off for

land in the area. Pine, maple, oak and cedar line the path, hawks

cookie making with Mrs. Claus. Not only did he make some

fly above, and squirrels scamper at the edge of the woods. The

cookies, but he also decorated his own chef’s hat.

air is crisp with the smell of wood smoke, and the trees are bright with fall colors.

For dinner, we opted for the rustic elegance of Devil’s Pool.

The restaurant is casual and the food is Southern, down home

There are over 200 rooms at Big Cedar, from large lodges, to

comfort. Many of the recipes come from Johnny Morris’ wife

cottages and cabins. Whether staying in the lodge or a private

Jeannie’s family cookbook. Word of warning, it can be difficult

cabin, any time spent at Big Cedar is a treat. But during the

to decide where to go to eat! There are four dining restaurants,

holidays, guests come from near and far to experience a

live music at night, a bistro, family dining, and you can order

magical Christmas.

protein shakes if you’re on a special diet at Truman Café.

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@TRAVEL

is magical. And it’s something we cherish and hold very near and dear to our hearts. Many of our guests return year after year. They associate this place with home and family, and family traditions. It’s interesting because often they’ll ask to stay in the same cabin as they did the year before. They want to relive those memories.”

Their dedication shows. There are trees and wreaths and lights everywhere. All 800 acres get the Christmas treatment, so that it feels as if you’ve shown up in a snow globe of Christmas cheer.

We had planned to head on into Branson, but we had so much to do that we never made it off the Big Cedar property. There’s a gift shop, a fitness center that looks like a log cabin, a 5K walking trail that runs through the entire property, boat rentals So, how do you top off a day like that? A holiday wagon light

including kayaks, canoes and paddle boats, and two spas. Want

tour, of course. We bundled up in the blankets they provided

more? There are also volleyball areas, miniature courses, five

as our horse-drawn wagon carried us through Big Cedar’s

pools and hot tubs.

gorgeous display of lights. After the tour, we gathered ‘round a waiting campfire, made S’mores, and drank more than our share

It was hard to leave this oasis in the Ozark Mountains. We made

of delicious hot cocoa.

memories there to last a lifetime and can’t wait to return. This truly is a treasure just a short drive away.

We traveled back to our cabin, and just when we thought it couldn’t get any better, there was a knock at the door. It was an elf who wanted to read my little one a Christmas story. She even had a stocking she left behind as a gift.

There is so much more to enjoy. It really is up to you to plan your perfect getaway. There are classes where kids can make ornaments to take home, a gingerbread class, a Santa hat decorating class, and story time with Santa and Mrs. Claus.

“The holidays here are different than the holidays anywhere else,” Sydney Friar, the public relations manager, says. “It truly

58

For information visit bigcedar.com. Some of the Christmas activities are free with a stay. Others have a small fee. Be sure to reserve your activities in advance.

@SHORT STORY

@short story Marla Cantrell

61

I

’m sitting on the shoulder of the highway, two days before

I think about what Sid taught me. I couldn’t repeat any of it on TV.

the end of the world. I slipped a Xanax in Loyal’s soup at

supper or I’d be in the storm cellar with him, stacking sacks of

He was a party waiting to happen, and he knew everybody.

pinto beans onto the shelves we put in this summer.

You’d go in a restaurant and you couldn’t eat for the people coming over to say hi. With Loyal, it’s different. He’s a solitary

Loyal and I live off a straight stretch of country road, by a white

man who likes the country, doesn’t trust the government, and

church that’s been here since 1901. There are a lot of speeders

thinks the world is ending on Friday.

that zip by here, in a hurry to get somewhere else.

You probably wonder if I think the same. The short answer is I’ve always liked watching cars go by. When I was a girl, my

no. But when all this started Loyal and I were drifting a little.

brother and I used to play a game where we’d guess the make

He works the graveyard shift at the feed mill and I work days

and model of a car just by the sound of the engine as it topped

at a law office in town. On weekends, when we’d go for a drive,

the hill and then slipped down into the valley where we lived.

we couldn’t talk for more than five minutes. I thought I might

We’d stand side by side and wait for them to get close enough

lose him, and then he heard a radio program about the Mayan

for us to see. I almost never won.

calendar, which started five thousand one hundred and twentyfive years ago and stops cold on December 21.

The biggest win in my life is Loyal. I met him two weeks after Sid Hawkins broke up with me. I was a wreck but Loyal kept telling

“Only the strong and the true will survive,” Loyal said, sounding

me I was wonderful. After a while I started to believe him.

a lot like a TV evangelist “I believe an asteroid will hit the earth, or something will happen with black holes in space. Either way,

Sid’s the mayor of Halfway now. He’s caught up in a scandal

we need to get ready.”

because he put his girlfriend on the payroll and his wife found out. And then the news caught wind of it and interviewed the

And then he said this. “You do believe I’m strong and true.

girlfriend, who looks like me twenty years and ten pounds ago.

Don’t you, Leigh?”

Blond hair to her waist, green eyes, a little top heavy.

That broke my heart.

They asked the girlfriend what she’d learned from her disgrace and she said, “A lot. For instance, my grammar’s better. The

We stayed up late into the night talking, figuring out how to get

mayor taught me how to use ‘seen’ and ‘saw’ properly. For

ready. He asked if I’d be willing to use some of our savings to

example, I’d never say, ‘I seen Mayor Hawkins slipping tax

deck out the storm cellar and I said yes.

money into a sack he took directly to his safety deposit box down at City Bank.’ No sir,” she said, “I know better now.”

And then one day in the spring, I saw him unload his truck. He had eighteen jumbo packs of disposable diapers he’d bought

62

@SHORT STORY

from Sam’s Club and he was taking them into the cellar. We’ve

I do have a Christmas tree in the living room. Loyal says it’s better

been trying for a baby for three years now, and nothing, not

if we keep up appearances. He figures the fewer people who

even one false alarm.

know what we’re doing, the safer we’ll be when the folks that

“Only the strong and the true will survive,” Loyal said, sounding a lot like a TV evangelist “I believe an asteroid will hit the earth, or something will happen with black holes in space. Either way, we need to get ready.”

make it through have exhausted all the supplies in the Walmarts and Quick Piks and migrate to the country looking for food.

A car is coming. From the sound of the engine, I believe it’s an SUV or a pickup. Like I said, I’ve never been too good at this game. I stand up and move back off the shoulder. As it gets closer, I can hear something else. “Santa Baby” is playing so loud it sounds like I’m in the good seats at a concert, and I realize the driver must have a speaker system on the outside of the car.

The SUV is covered with Christmas lights. There is a lighted wreath on the front grill.

The driver slows to a crawl. He rolls down the windows and shouts, “Merry Christmas.” Beside him is a woman, dark haired and smiling.

I watched through the screen door and I imagined Loyal and me hunkered down underground and him pushing our two army

In the back, a boy, four or five years old, sticks out his stockinged

cots together and us finally making it happen.

head. His face is awash in the light from the car and he looks otherworldly, like an angel sent down.

That’s why I go along with him. Even though I figure some Mayan just got sick of recording time, the way I get sick of my own job, when the big wigs down at the firm snap orders like I’m a fastorder cook and turn on their heels to take a three-hour lunch.

So sometimes I forget just how real this all is to Loyal. Three

They look painfully happy, like actors selling toothpaste.

weeks ago I made the mistake of asking Loyal what he wanted

They look painfully happy, like actors selling toothpaste. I flash

for Christmas. He put his hand on my shoulder and said, “Honey,

my best smile and wave at them as they pass. I want them to

nobody’s celebrating Christmas this year. You’ve got to give up

keep all their happiness. I want a halo of happiness to descend

your old way of thinking.”

on their car and ride through the world with them.

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@SHORT STORY

Tomorrow, Loyal wants to go into town and get matching tattoos

I stop, my breathing raspy, and squeeze my eyes shut. Should I try

that read, Loyal and Leigh Mankin, Married 3-24-2006. May we

to make it back to the barn or sprint the half mile home? It is too

never part.

hard a decision. I feel my toes tremble inside my boots, my teeth rattling so hard I hold my hand beneath my jaw and try to stop it.

I don’t believe in marking my body. But I’ll go just the same. I’ve

I try to pray but all I can manage is "Dear Jesus, please help me,"

spent the last year doing things I didn’t believe in, just so I could

which I say over and over like a mantra.

stay close to Loyal. If the tattoos make him happy, so be it.

A boom rains down on me, from up ahead on the road, where the I head for home, chilled to the bone and suddenly tired. I bend

unmistakable sound of metal and glass crashing fills the air. A car

to dip through the barbed wire fence. I pass by the old church.

has fallen victim to the curve that skirts our property, most likely,

It’s been too warm a year and still the antique roses bloom, their

and I feel my lungs go flat, all the air gone from them. An owl calls,

pink blossoms scenting the air like French perfume.

a dog howls and then two more join in. I hear my neighbor calling out to her husband, ‘Jim Bob,’ she cries. ‘Jim Bob.’ Her voice like a

I stop near the pond, the moon reflecting on its surface, and

siren that whirls around and around. ‘JimBobJimBobJimBob.’

look up into the navy blue sky. I try to see this place the way Loyal must, a beautiful, doomed oasis.

I shake my head and set my sights back on the house. The porch light starts to flicker and then comes alive, the yellow glow pulling

A shooting star swooshes across the sky, flaring above me. Just

me forward. Somehow Loyal must have awakened, pushed his

then, another star whips by, and then another. I count ten in

way through the Xanax and deep sleep, and found me missing. I

less than thirty seconds, more than I’ve ever seen, even in an

run even faster, aiming for Loyal, who is stronger and truer than

entire night.

anyone I’ve ever known, and who will know what to do, who has

What if this is the eve of the eve of the end of the world?

It is enough to cause my chest to tighten. What if Loyal is right?

What if this is the eve of the eve of the end of the world? I run, past the barn and then past the grapevines that tangle near the fencerow. The sky is growing brighter, with hundreds of shooting stars that sweep and arc and then turn to nothing.

64

always known exactly what to do.

Be sure to check back next month when the 1st place winners of @Urban’s Get Published in 2013 short story and poetry contest will be featured in our January issue.

Read Chair Publishing, LLC 3811 Rogers Avenue Suite C Fort Smith, Arkansas 72903