Peeps - April 2015

速

PEEPS

April 2015 DoSouthMagazine.com

CONTENTS EDITOR-IN-CHIEF Catherine Frederick MANAGING EDITOR Marla Cantrell CONTRIBUTING WRITERS / PHOTOGRAPHERS Lauren Allen John Blase Marla Cantrell Michael Crowden Catherine Frederick Rusty Henderson, DVM Lee Anne Henry Laura Hobbs Anita Paddock Jessica Sowards Stoney Stamper Jim Warnock GRAPHIC DESIGNER Artifex 323

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PROOFREADER Charity Chambers ADMINISTRATIVE ASSISTANT Emma Sullins PUBLISHER Read Chair Publishing, LLC

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42

INSIDE 10

48

AN EARLY MARRIAGE On Friday night they decided to marry. On Sunday they tied the knot. Find out what motivated Chris and Ashley Dolan to move their wedding up by half a year, and why it made all the difference in the world.

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ALEX TAYLOR, SPEED RACER

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SUGAR, SPICE, AND EVERYTHING NICE

48

Alex likes clothes, jewelry, and big bad race cars. Her "Badmaro" has taken her all the way to Bowling Green as the youngest contestant at Hot Rod Magazine's Drag Week, and she's just getting started.

What could be better than fresh fruit? Put it on a sugar cookie crust, and you'll see. We have a dessert so good you'll want to make it again and again.

ADVERTISING INFORMATION Catherine Frederick - 479.782.1500 EDITORIAL INFORMATION Marla Cantrell - 479.831.9116 Š2015 Read Chair Publishing, LLC. All rights reserved. The opinions contained in Do South are exclusively those of the writers and do not represent those of Read Chair Publishing, LLC. as a whole or its affiliates. Any correspondence to Do South or Read Chair Publishing, LLC., including photography becomes the property of Read Chair Publishing, LLC. Do South reserves the right to edit content and images.

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letter from Catherine

05

This year is filled with mile-

With the year well underway, I'm feeling especially grate-

stones. I turned forty (and

ful. That's what I was reminded of as I looked over this issue.

took it pretty well). Our son

There's the story of Ashley and Chris Dolan, who rushed to get

turned ten (and I took it less

married so that Chris' grandfather could be there, and they're

well—he's growing up way

so thankful they did. Stoney Stamper weighs in with his story

too fast.) One of my step-

about his wife, her love of chickens, and why he moved heaven

daughters turns sixteen in a

and earth (and put a chandelier in the hen house) to make sure

few days and she's going to be

she got the chicks she loved.

driving. If you've raised teens you know the anxiousness of

Jessica Sowards' essay about the incredible gift of an ordinary

seeing them behind the wheel

day is stunning. And then there's the story of Alex Taylor, a

and worrying as they head

seventeen-year-old Booneville girl who's blowing past the big

out, alone, for the first time.

boys at drag races across the country. Laura Hobbs takes us

She’s had practice, at least. My

to Malibu for a tip of a lifetime, and Jim Warnock explores

other stepdaughter is turning twenty this year. Twenty! And

the Ozarks, showing us the best places to hike, eat, and snap

she's finishing her first year of college. It all seems impossible. It

photos that you'll want to blow up and hang in your home.

was just yesterday one was toddling around in diapers and the

Anita Paddock reviews a new book that critics believe is the

other was finishing up their first year of kindergarten—right?

new Gone Girl, and Marla Cantrell shares her short story, "One Summer in Judsonia."

At the first of the year my family took inventory and decided this was the year we were getting healthy. It had something

We have a recipe for a fruit dessert pizza you'll fall in low with,

to do with my turning forty, and something to do with how

tips on how to decorate your home this spring, and a DIY that

much we wanted to do something meaningful together. At

will brighten your day. There's also news about the Bentonville

least three nights a week we'd meet with our trainer and he'd

Film Festival that's bringing in big names, like Geena Davis, to

lead our group through some of the toughest workouts we'd

our great state. You'll be able to see some of the films entered

ever tackled. Our son went with us just to cheer us on, and

in the contest, and hear from directors, writers and producers.

afterward we'd gather at the supper table and moan and groan about it. Deep down, though, we were loving it, and when

Finally, we're bringing you our All About Kids section, which is filled

our six week challenge was over, each of us was thrilled by the

with information and fun ideas for your family. Check it out and let

progress we'd made. Me? I was happy that I felt stronger, and

us know what you think, then be sure to check out our Summer Fun

that I'd learned so much about which foods were my friends

section in May! And thank you for making Do South® so popular. I'm

and which were trying to sabotage me. Sorry, Molten Lava

so grateful to all of you, each and every day.

Cake. I never knew a breakup could be so hard.

~Catherine

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

06

calendar

DO SOUTH APRIL 2015 SUNDAY

MONDAY

TUESDAY

WEDNESDAY THURSDAY FRIDAY

SATURDAY

01 02 03 04 Ready for suspense?

Check out our review of Girl on a Train, page 11.

Joe Nichols Concert, Harry E. Kelley Riverfront Park, 6:45 PM, Fort Smith. Free tickets at area Cox Solutions Stores.

Good Friday

Elks Annual Youth Easter Egg Hunt, 11:30 AM, Elks Lodge, Fort Smith.

05 06 07 08 09 10 11 Happy Easter!

Finding wonder on an ordinary day, read Jessica Sowards' story, page 30.

Fruit Pizza? Yes! This recipe pairs fresh fruit with a sugar cookie crust, page 42.

Pack your bags. Laura Hobbs takes us on a trip to Malibu, page 54.

Bring the outdoors in with our DIY, "Spring to Life," page 14.

(10-12) Vintage Market Days, Bentonville. vintagemarketdays.com

Chaffee Crossing Spring Festival, 10 AM - 4 PM, Fort Smith. chaffeecrossing.com

12 13 14 15 16 17 18 Archery at Janet Huckabee Nature Ctr. 2:30 PM, Fort Smith. rivervalleynaturecenter. com

"One Summer in Judsonia," a love story set in Arkansas, page 62.

Maroon 5 knocks it out of the park with their latest album.

Read our review, page 10.

A local 17-year-old is taking the drag racing world by storm. Read HER story, page 32.

(16-18) Corvette Weekend, Convention Center, Hot Springs. centralarkcc.com

Get Up Close and Personal with Luther Stem, page 16.

Big Bass Tournament, Beaver Lake, 7 AM - 3 PM, pagnozzicharities.org Nat King Cole Songbook, Fort Smith Symphony, 7:30 PM, fortsmithsymphony.org

19 20 21 22 23 24 25 Explore the Ozarks with Jim Warnock, page 56.

A true love story, page 18.

Be local. Shop local, page 22.

Earth Day

(23rd -26th) AR Literary Festival, Little Rock. arkansasliteraryfestival.org

David Sedaris, Walton Arts Center, 7 PM, Fayetteville.

Arbor Day

Wine & Roses, 6:30 PM, Fort Smith.

(24-26) Dogwood Festival, Siloam Springs. siloamchamber.com

reynoldscancersupporthouse.org

waltonartscenter.org

26 27 28 29 30 Jewish Food & Cultural Blueberries. Brown Festival, Little Rock.

Sugar. Mint. Yes jewisharkansas.org please. Check out this month’s cocktail, Blueberry Smash, page 53.

Whiteline Designs has design advice to make your spring even brighter, page 42.

Rock Your Trip to the Farmers' Market Arrive early and take a tour before buying.

• Don't overbuy.

• Bring separate reusable bags for heavy items and delicates, like leafy lettuce.

• Take your cooler with you for perishable items.

• Bring along small bills and pocket change.

•

Laugh out loud! Read "Chickens Make Her Happy," page 26.

Get ready for the Steel Horse Motorcycle Rally on May 1 & 2, Fort Smith. thesteelhorserally.com

We hope you enjoy this issue.

Don't miss anything on our website or Facebook!

Read Do South's digital edition at DoSouthMagazine.com.

Get one year of Do South for just $30.

Subscribe online at DoSouthMagazine.com, or send a check to: Read Chair Publishing, LLC

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DOSOUTHMAGAZINE

poetry

Privilege of Exiles LINES John Blase

Nine, no make that ten blackbirds in the top of the stark white Aspen tree each on his own branch in stair step fashion like something from the mind of Annie Dillard (the early years).

Suddenly the ten burst black pressing hard into the ever beguiling western sky.

Did the wind or their kin alert them to some change, some wickedness coming?

Or did the ten agree to linger in a tree just long enough so a man might bear witness to our privilege, we exiles upon this radiant spinning plane?

DOSOUTHMAGAZINE

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08

UPCLOSE&PERSONAL

Luther N. Stem III President Luther Stem Pools & Spas 5011 Old Greenwood Street Fort Smith, Arkansas 479.646.7772 | lutherstem.com

DOSOUTHMAGAZINE

UPCLOSE&PERSONAL

About Luther Stem Pools & Spas Luther Stem Pools & Spas is a family-owned business specializing in building custom concrete inground swimming pools and spas. We have a full -service retail store, above ground pools, portable spas, and pool service. We have also introduced our new Aquatic Training Vessel swim spas. They're a great way to ensure exercise and therapeutic needs while taking up minimal space in your backyard. We also have a full line of tornado shelters in various sizes to meet our customers' needs. In 1995 we started a concrete pumping division that has been part of numerous high-profile projects such as the bridges between Fayetteville and Fort Smith, the I-49 rehabilitation which runs through Fort Smith, and multiple projects at Chaffee Crossing, such as the Mitsubishi plant, Umarex and the Mars plant.

Favorite food as a child? Mom's homemade ice cream Where’s your favorite place on earth? Riding my dirt bike in the Colorado Rockies or riding in the Ozark National Forest around White Rock.

What was your first job, and how old were you? Carrying blocks on our first pool. 8 years old.

What’s the first thing you bought with your first paycheck? Yamaha 60 Cub for $200. It cost me a summer's worth of paychecks.

What's something your mama always said? Take your shoes off before you come in the house.

Farthest you’ve been away from home? Phillip's Island, Australia.

Who was your best friend when you were a kid? Mike Winters.

Most sentimental thing you own? My grandfather's wallet.

What did you want to grow up to be when you were a kid? Just like my dad.

What’s something that’s gone out of style that you wish would make a comeback? Political civility.

What cheers you up? My wife Karen.

If you could learn to do anything, what would it be? Operate my iPhone without asking for help!

Words to Live By: Success is not the key to happiness. Happiness is the key to success. If you love what you're doing you will be successful.

- Albert Schweitzer

What’s the first thing you’d do if you won the lottery? Find a good tax attorney.

Do you have pets? Yes. Scooter, a ten-year-old Yorkie, and Maggie, a lab that just showed up one day and never left.

If you were going to show a tourist Fort Smith, where's the first place you'd take them? National Historic Site.

Best advice you’ve ever been given? “Always give the customer more than they expect.”-My dad.

What smell reminds you of home? Fresh cut grass.

What did you do as a kid that got you into trouble? I got caught with a pack of cigarettes when I was twelve. First and last cigarette I ever smoked.

3 things Luther can't live without:

Motorcycles Skechers©

Wrangler© Jeans

Favorite National Park? Rocky Mountain National Park. The trip up the mountain and down into Winter Park on a motorcycle is breathtaking.

How did you end up in the pool and spa business? My dad built us a pool when I was eight years old. Dad's friend, Carl Martin, after finding out Dad built his own pool told him, “You can start on mine tomorrow.” Fifty-three years later we are Arkansas' oldest swimming pool construction company.

Who's someone you admire? Brian Gaines, a local jeweler and close friend. His determination and grace during his fight and recovery from cancer were truly inspiring.

Favorite song from when you were a teen? An old hymn named “Higher Ground”. I even remember the page number; 319.

When was the last time someone surprised you? My 60th surprise birthday party my wife Karen gave me. I couldn't believe how many people showed up and how far some of them had traveled.

DOSOUTHMAGAZINE

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10

people

An

Early Marriage words Marla Cantrell images courtesy A.B. Lewis Photography

words and images Jessica Sowards

W

When Chris Dolan proposed to Ashley Robbins in December

Chris says, "and he made the comment to me, 'I'm sorry, son,

2013, he did it at a family Christmas party so their relatives

I'm not going to be around in June for your wedding.'"

could be part of the surprise. Ashley remembers him dropping down on one knee. She remembers looking up and seeing a

That statement felled Chris. "I tried not to cry in front of him. I

flood of cell phone cameras aimed at her, and she remembers

told him not to worry about it."

how perfect it all was. The two set their wedding date for June 6, 2015. Both were in school at Missouri Southern State Uni-

Now, though, Chris is free to cry, and he does, the tears run-

versity, and they wanted to graduate before getting married.

ning down his face, and he does not try to stop them. Ashley is wiping her own tears. She reaches out to touch Chris' hand. "It

The following year, however, Chris' grandfather, Bobby Dolan,

was so hard. Papaw was the first person to say that Chris and

Sr., was diagnosed with myelofibrosis, a form of leukemia. All

I would get married. Chris' aunt Karen was there after Chris

during 2014, he was in and out of the hospital. He'd always

talked to Papaw, and his mom was there, and we were talking

seemed bigger than life, and he was fighting with everything

and someone said, 'Wouldn't it be great if you could get mar-

he had, so the family held out hope he would be around for a

ried this weekend?'"

good long while.

Once they were alone, Ashley and Chris decided to get married On December 20 of that year, Bobby Dolan, Sr. turned seventy-

on Sunday, which was January 18. "We picked up the phone

nine, and sadly, by the first of 2015, he was in hospice care.

at about 11:30 on that Friday night and started calling people,

"I was back in Papaw's room, talking to him—it was a Friday,"

and several said not to do it so fast, to at least wait a week.

DOSOUTHMAGAZINE

people people A few were worried I'd miss having a big wedding, and I said,

"We actually had a rehearsal dinner, with Mexican food, on

'I'd marry him tomorrow in a brown paper sack.' We've been

Saturday. My bridesmaids stayed with me. Chris was at his par-

together seven years, and we're just twenty-two, so that's a big

ents' house. I remember laying in bed thinking, Tomorrow I'm

part of our lives. We just knew we weren't supposed to wait."

going to be a Dolan. On Sunday morning, I woke up happy. I even had a friend who could do makeup and she helped us get

By Saturday morning, they had a plan. The wedding would take

ready. When I stepped into my dress, I'd never felt so beautiful."

place at Chris' grandparents' house in Fort Smith, Arkansas, so Bobby, Sr. wouldn't have to leave his home. Chris' pastor from Our Redeemer Lutheran would officiate. His aunt Karen was getting the cake and his grandmother was taking care of the flowers. Chris' mom ordered the food. Ashley's mom called her hairdresser, who agreed to fix Ashley's hair. Her four bridesmaids had already arranged to be in town to look at dresses, so the timing was perfect.

The biggest obstacle was figuring out how to get Ashley's

"I want you to know that the first person who stood up when you walked out was Papaw"

gown. She'd already ordered it from Danielle's Bridal in Clarksville, and it was due to arrive in May. She convinced the shop to sell her the floor sample, which happened to fit like a glove.

By noon, she had everything she needed except bridesmaids' dresses and wedding rings. They took care of that at Central

"Papaw hadn't been doing too well on Saturday or Sunday. My

Mall in Fort Smith, where Chris and his groomsmen were shop-

dad and I got him dressed about fifteen minutes before the cer-

ping for matching clothes to wear. A friend even found a pho-

emony," Chris says. "We walked him to the couch on the front

tographer, Ashley Lewis, who rushed from a shoot in northwest

row. I couldn't see him after the service started, but people told

Arkansas to be there for the service.

me he was grinning from ear to ear.

Chris, Bobby Dolan Sr., and Ashley

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people

"When Ashley came into the hallway—my Nanny has a big mir-

He took me hunting and fishing. We'd be up in a deer stand

ror there—and all this light was reflecting everywhere, and she

and my dad would be in the other stand. He'd take me to the

looked just like an angel to me. She thinks it was the makeup

store the night before and let me buy anything I wanted. I'd

and the dress, but it wasn't. It was just her."

eat Little Debbies® and candy and make too much noise and finally pass out up there. I'd wake up and say, 'You see any-

"My best memory of that day was something I didn't actually see,"

thing yet, Papaw?' And he'd say, 'Nope, have you?' And we'd

Ashley says. "Papaw couldn't walk by himself; he was very weak.

both laugh so hard. He taught me how to catch grasshoppers

My maid of honor's mom was playing the piano, and she leaned

to fish with, and I got so good they started calling me Grass-

over while we were having our picture taken, and she

hopper. He bought me a Chris and Ashley Dolan

Porsche once off a govern-

said, 'I want you to know

ment auction site. He only

that the first person who

paid four thousand dollars

stood up when you walked

for it because it wouldn't

out was Papaw.' I'll never

run. He fixed it, though,

forget that," Ashley says, and

he knew he could." Chris

stops to wipe her eyes. "Just

shakes his head. "He could

the thought that he thought

fix anything," he says. "He

so highly of what we were

was one of the smartest

doing, that no matter how

men I ever knew."

much pain he was in he was going to do it the right way."

Less than a week after Chris and Ashley married,

"He wanted to have his

they were at Bobby, Sr.'s

picture made with us,"

funeral. It seemed impos-

Chris says. "He kissed Ashley. Me and my daddy helped him

sible that he was really gone. Ashley remembers one of the

to his room and got Papaw back to bed. Ashley and I went to

last gifts he'd given her. It was a jewelry box with a pair of

tell him goodbye before we left. We came back to see him on

tiny diamond earrings in it. He said it was for his future great-

Monday. He passed away on Tuesday."

granddaughter, the one he expected Ashley and Chris would have one day. "He was like that," Ashley says and then smiles,

If Chris and Ashley had waited another week, Bobby, Sr. would

"just funny and not afraid to tell you what he was thinking."

have missed it all. When they think about it, they feel as if divine providence stepped in when they needed it most. The wed-

These memories work like medicine for the couple. They

ding that should have taken months to plan happened in less

think about him every day, and miss him always. They feel

than forty-eight hours. Two of Chris' groomsmen were unable

as if their wedding was a kind of miracle, and they marvel

to attend, and the long guest list they'd been working on was

at how it all came together. The only thing they were un-

cut by ninety percent. But the person they both wanted to give

able to do was get the marriage license, since the planning

them his blessing was there, and it meant everything to them.

happened over a weekend when county offices were closed.

Their official date of their marriage is two days after the

"I want to tell you something about Papaw," Chris says, and his

ceremony, since the courthouse was closed on Monday for

voice breaks. "He was a hardworking man. He and his brother

Martin Luther King Day. Even this they see as a wonderful

started Fort Smith Plating Company years ago, and that's where

detail, one that makes their wedding even more remarkable.

I work now. I remember him picking me up from school most

The two smile at each other, so in love you can see it. Their

days, and then picking up my little brother, who's eight years

rush to the altar is a great story, and they know exactly how

younger than me. He always had candy in his car. He made the

to tell it. Always they begin with this line: "We knew Papaw

best homemade ice cream you ever ate. He put his family first.

had to be there."

DOSOUTHMAGAZINE

14

DIY

Spring to Life words and image Catherine Frederick Inspired by Pinterest

Sometimes all it takes to shake the dreariness off a dull room is a little greenery. I love succulents for a variety of reasons: they require very little maintenance (hence, I probably won’t kill them), come in a wide variety of shapes and sizes, and are pest resistant. According to Home Depot, they treat their succulents with eco-friendly, EPA-approved Neonicotinoids, which protect from aphids, white flies, beetles, mealy bugs, and other unwanted pests. I chose a Crosby’s Compact Mini Jade, an Echeveria "Perle von Nurnberg," and a Panda Plant. I wanted dressier containers and fell in love with photos I saw on Pinterest®. Be sure to replant in a larger pot, and only use Cactus Potting Mix, as succulents won’t thrive in standard potting or gardening soil. Have fun selecting yours and be creative in designing their new home!

WHAT YOU'LL NEED

METHOD

Clay pot with hole for drainage

Paint only the outside of the clay pot white from top of the rim to the

(size based on the succulent)

base. Apply painter's or Washi tape in a design of your choice. Paint a

White acrylic paint

layer of gold paint on the outside of the pot only. Let dry then reapply if

Painter's or Washi tape

needed for even coverage. Once dry, remove tape and apply a coating of

Gold paint

spray sealant to the outside of the pot only. Add cactus mix and replant

Cactus Mix

succulent into the new container.

Succulents of choice Mod Podge® spray sealant Paint brush

PLANT CARE Be sure to read the care instructions for your particular succulent. Most require porous soil, adequate drainage, and bright light. Always protect from frost if keeping outdoors. Water thoroughly when soil is dry.

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DOSOUTHMAGAZINE

52 16

entertainment diy

V

Maroon 5 (edited version without explicit lyrics) review Marla Cantrell

Adam Levine, lead singer of Maroon

ultimate

5, recent husband of supermodel

with Levine singing with very little

breakup

song.

It

starts

Behati Prinsloo (they married in July

instrumentals backing him up. He is

2014), and coach on The Voice,

pleading—"unkiss me, untouch me,

was feeling pretty romantic when

untake my heart." If you've ever had

he agreed to spend a December day

your heart broken, you'll recognize

crashing weddings in L.A. for a video

the sentiment. There comes a time

of the group's song "Sugar," which

when you'd give everything you have

is featured on this album, V (which is

just to go back to before you met,

pronounced five). Brides and grooms

before you fell in love and then lost it.

stood in awe as Maroon 5, dressed to the nines, took the stage at their

The one deviation is "Animals," a song

receptions, and the couples were

about attraction so overwhelming it's

serenaded by one of the biggest pop-

hard to think of anything else. The

rock groups around today.

tempo is addictive, Levine's voice is amped up, the instrumentation is perfect. It's been a big hit

There are a total of eleven songs on V, all co-written by Levine.

for Maroon 5, appearing on a Kia Soul commercial, peaking at

These are fiery songs, easy to remember, smooth as silk.

number three on the Billboard Hot 100 list, and becoming the

Levine's tenor voice glides over the notes, making us remember

band's tenth Top 10 single in the U.S.

the joy of pop music. It helps that the group has been together so long—they started singing together in 1994.

The album lasts just over forty minutes. It feels a lot faster; each song whips along, and Levine's voice is dead-on throughout.

"Leaving California" is a gorgeous number about a couple on

Right now, Maroon 5 is on a whirlwind tour that's taking them

the verge of a breakup. "Even if the sun crashes into us, I won't

from California to Liverpool, Amsterdam, and Morocco.

let go," Levine says. Even the first time listening to this, you'll know it's going to be a hit that you'll be hearing for a long

It's quite a life for the thirty-five-year-old Levine, who was

time to come.

named People Magazine's Sexiest Man Alive in 2013. When he won, he said the secret to staying fit was yoga. He'll be needing

"My Heart is Open" is a duet with Gwen Stefani, his costar on

that even more, now that he's globe-trotting with his band,

The Voice. Their voices work beautifully together and Stefani

singing the songs that pull us in and keep us listening.

shines bright, especially in the parts where she sings solo.

"Maps" is a lament. Levine wonders what happened to his relationship, and he's looking for a map that leads him back

DO SOUTH RATING: 8 OUT OF 10

to the woman he loved. As good as it is, "UnKiss Me" is the

DOSOUTHMAGAZINE

entertainment diy

The Girl On The Train

By Paula Hawkins Riverhead Books 323 pages $26.95 review Anita Paddock

WARNING: If you have something important

Anna, the woman he had an affair with, and

to get completed in the next few days, do

the couple and their new baby live in Rachel

not start reading this book. The Girl on the

and Tom's old house. This is something that

Train will demand your full attention and

hurts Rachel immensely. She can't seem to

keep you up till all hours of the night.

get over him, often texting Tom, phoning his house, and even breaking in. To make matters

The novel opens in the suburbs of

worse, the house is only four doors down from

London. Rachel, a recently divorced

where “Jason and Jess” live, and Rachel sees it

woman with a serious alcohol problem

each time the train goes by.

rides the 8:01 commuter train into London every weekday. The train stops

But not everything in "Jason and Jess'" life is

at stations every few miles, giving her

as perfect as Rachel first imagines. She spots

ample opportunities to view life on the

"Jess" kissing another man one day, and this

other side of the tracks. Her life is so

new information startles her. Later, she reads

miserable that she makes up a romantic

in the paper that "Jess and Jason’s" names

story about a couple she sees on their

are really Scott and Megan, and that Megan

terrace as the lumbering commuter train

has been reported missing.

passes their charming neighborhood.

She even gives the perfect couple names:

That night Megan went missing is particularly

“Jason and Jess.” And, oh, how she envies them, even wondering

troubling to Rachel, since she has only sketchy memories of her own

how they got the perfect marriage when she did not.

behavior. Rachel was drinking especially hard, and remembers only vaguely a man with red hair and a woman who was running from

In the room she rents from her friend Cathy, she continues to

him. Somewhere along the way, Rachel ended up with a concussion,

think about them. There's not much in her own life to occupy

and woke up to find her clothes bloody. She knows only one thing:

her time. She’s grown heavy and depressed, and she’s been

she has to find out what really happened to Megan.

fired from her job in London. She has some money from her divorce settlement, but it is quickly dwindling, and she gets an

This is a chilling story, told by first-time novelist Paula Hawkins,

occasional check from her mom. She's on the train every day

who used to be finance editor for the London Times. There

because she doesn't want Cathy to know she’s lost her job. To

is surprise after surprise, right up until the stunning ending.

occupy her time, Rachel visits London's libraries, book stores,

I predict this book will be the next Gone Girl in popularity. If

museums, and parks. She also does a good bit of drinking.

you like fast-paced stories, full of twists and turns, then you'll

Rachel is still in love with her ex-husband, Tom, who married

absolutely love The Girl on the Train.

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people

words Stoney Stamper images courtesy April Stamper

DOSOUTHMAGAZINE

people

My wife April is an animal lover. A true animal lover. Her heart is immediately filled with joy when she sees a fluffy, clumsy, cuddly puppy playing with a tennis ball, or a curious, rambunctious kitten attacking a ball of yarn.

When we were children, we lived just down the road and up the hill from one another. We rode Bus #5. She got on in the mornings just before I did, and I got off the school bus each day just after she did. Every day when the bus would drop her off at the end of their driveway, you could see any number of exotic animals grazing in the pastures. And it wasn’t just dogs and cats. Oh, no. They had horses, buffalo, bobcats, mountain lions, peacocks, ferrets, goats, and countless other species and breeds of animals. So, with her upbringing, it’s easy to see how she would grow up to be an adult with a soft spot for animals. But still, there are a few that she tends to hold in a higher regard than others. Horses are her favorite, followed closely by dogs.

And then there are chickens. She absolutely loves chickens. She loves to watch them peck around the yard for food. She loves to hear them talking to each other out in the yard, and the rooster crowing at the start of each day. And she loves all the different breeds, varieties and colors that are available. Chickens just make her happy.

One of her first memories as a child involves chickens. Unfortunate-

Silkie

ly, it’s not one of her favorite memories. Nearly thirty years later, it still haunts her. As a little bright-eyed, seven-year-old brunette beauty, she grabbed an armful of her new baby chicks that her stepfather had bought for her. She snuck them into her bedroom, played with them until she got sleepy, then she tucked them into bed with her and fell asleep hugging them closely. Sadly, the next morning, she awoke to an Armageddon-like scene. Just like Lenny in Of Mice and Men, she had cuddled and squeezed and loved the baby chickens too much. She had laid on them during the night.

Unfortunately, there were no survivors, and she was devastated.

I sometimes wonder if that tragic night so many years ago is what fuels her love for chickens now. She enjoys them more than you could imagine. When we first moved to our new property, we were so excited with all of the possibilities. We had land and barns and room to do things that we hadn’t been able to do when we lived in town. April quickly had a plan. No sooner had we moved into our house, than she was tearing out junk and old shelving from a tool shed in the backyard. She gave me a picture of what she wanted it to look like inside, and when I had finished with my little Bob Vila project, she had what I would call the fanciest chicken coop in east Texas. It was complete with barstools, decorative home furnishings,

Meat head

and even a chandelier. If April ever decides to kick me out of the DOSOUTHMAGAZINE

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house, its nice to know that I have a pretty, frilly and comfortable

Months passed by, and the chickens began to mature. The anticipa-

pad that I can crash at until I am back in the missus’ good graces.

tion of them beginning to lay eggs was almost unbearable for her.

Every day she’d make her way out to the coop looking for eggs,

Once the chicken coop was complete, it was time for her to start

and finally, it happened. Her first egg! You would have thought

adding new tenants. Our first chicken purchases were just some run-

that she had won the Indy 500, judging by the celebration that she

of-the-mill Leghorns. White bodies with red combs on their heads,

was having. Then the next day, there were more. And April’s cup

they are the most common chicken you will find. While April was

was overflowing.

happy to have them, she yearned for more variety, more color. She found just what she was looking for on the local swap-n-shop page

As the chickens got bigger, we began to notice that one of the

on Facebook. A woman in a small Texas town some thirty miles

Dominickers looked a little different than the others. Bigger, thicker,

away had dozens of varieties of chickens run-

and more aggressive. It was a rooster. But that

ning around wild on her property. She invited

was okay. One rooster wasn’t a big deal. But

April out to look around. I volunteered to drive

then the other Dominicker began to get bigger,

her out there, which turned out to be much

too. And thicker, and more aggressive. Uh oh.

more of an undertaking than I had anticipated.

It was a rooster, too. I had always heard that

It was truly in the middle of nowhere. April got

two roosters were trouble. But they had been

some very vague directions to their place, and

together since birth and had always got along,

of course, we got lost. Once we had made

so it shouldn’t be any trouble, right? Unfortu-

multiple U-turns, we finally found our way to

nately, no. You are going to have trouble. One

the right place. April looked around in awe at

rooster clearly had the upper hand. He was

the chickens scouring the landscape. They were everywhere, and she was in heaven. We quickly

bigger, stronger, faster and more aggressive Irene

than the other. Sadly, before we even had the

found just what she was looking for. She got

opportunity to separate them, nature had run

two Dominickers and one black banty. They were small but pretty.

its course. And once again, I saw this thirty-something woman turn

She happily scooped them up, put them in the pet taxi that we had

into a sad little girl right in front of my eyes. I disposed of the smaller

brought and we headed home. All the way home she talked excit-

rooster, hugged and kissed her, and told her I was sorry. And then I

edly about the beautiful flock that she now had. She was ecstatic

did what any good husband would do. I bought her more chickens.

at the thought of having to gather fresh eggs every day. The look of pure delight literally glowed on her pretty face. And then, the

Are we great chicken farmers? No. Do I get unbelievably tired of

annoyance that I had for having to drive forty-five minutes into the

having to clean chicken poop off of my porch every single day?

middle of nowhere to find them was gone. Once the new members

Yes. Do I kind of want to kill the big rooster when he sits right

of the family were introduced into our little chicken commune, April

outside my bedroom window and crows at 6:00 every Saturday

looked proudly around at them. Her cute grin and giggles reminded

morning? Yes. But as long as these stinkin’ birds keep putting that

me so much of our ten-year-old daughter Emma. April fed them and

smile on her face, I suppose I'll keep that chicken farmer out in the

bought them treats and played with them. It was adorable.

middle of nowhere on speed dial.

Stoney Stamper

is the author of the popular parenting blog, The Daddy Diaries. He and his wife April have three daughters: Abby, Emma and Gracee. Originally from northeast Oklahoma, the Stampers now live in Tyler, Texas. For your daily dose of The Daddy Diaries, visit Stoney on Facebook or on his website, thedaddydiaries.net.

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Shine On! Shinola® watches JOHN MAYS JEWELERS, Fort Smith DOSOUTHMAGAZINE

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ALEX TAYLOR,

SPEED RACER words Marla Cantrell images courtesy Alex Taylor

Booneville, Arkansas sits in the River Valley between the Ozark Mountains and the Ouachitas. The 4,000 people who live there are typically outdoor types, taking advantage of the nearby national forests and the state parks. On weekends residents might go to Mount Magazine, the highest point in the state, to hike or grab a bite to eat at the lodge. On Friday nights during football season, most of the town shows up to watch the mighty Bearcats play.

Among the students is seventeen-year-old Alex Taylor, the junior class president and former homecoming maid who hopes to be valedictorian next year. Those she goes to school with have known her so long, there's not much she can do to surprise them. They see her pull up in her tricked out 1968 orange and black Camaro, and the fact that she races crosses their minds, if only for a second. "People at school think it's cool," Alex says. "They think I drive a car, that I race, but it's not that big a deal. I think that's cool because I can go other places and people think it's a really big deal. I kind of have two different lives."

In September 2013, just after she'd turned sixteen, Alex was the youngest driver ever to compete in Hot Rod Magazine's Drag Week in Bowling Green, Kentucky.

Drag Week is a racing event that allows drivers to compete on five strips over five days. Even before she arrived, the buzz was growing. She'd posted on a racing site that she was going to be there, and as soon as she showed up fans were seeking her out.

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Part of her appeal comes from aesthetics. She says she's 5'3",

Shortly after Alex upgraded from a hardship license to a regular driver's

but knows that's a stretch. She's petite, and she has a smile that

license, she began to train for Drag Week. "I learned everything in

can knock you off your feet. Her eyes are technically green, but

two weeks, at the track in Centerville and then at Tulsa. I turned

they're really "about a million different colors." She likes clothes

sixteen in July. We finished my car in August. We rented Centerville

and shoes and jewelry, but she also likes skateboarding and

racetrack for a day, right down the road, and it's just a thousand

dirt biking and water skiing. At parties, she finds herself pulled

foot, not a quarter mile. I made some passes. I learned how to do

into conversations with the guys, and typically the talk is about

a burnout. I got the feel of going down the track. That was the first

motors.

time I made a pass. I went to a test-and-tune in Tulsa and made my first passes in front of people. That was nerve-racking."

Her parents own their own shop, DT Hotrods, in Booneville. "I was three weeks old when I first came here, and they'd put me in

A week later, she headed to Drag Week. "My dad took us to

a bouncy chair," Alex says, sitting beside her mom, Debbie, on a

Bowling Green, stayed a day, and then it was me and my mom in

Monday afternoon. All around them are old cars, including a '53

a brand new car that hadn't been road tested, hadn't been on the

Nash, that are being restored.

drag strip much," Alex says. "My car wasn't running right and I was working on it."

"By the time she was one, she was climbing stairs with me behind her," Debbie says. "She had such great coordination.

At two she was putting together puzzles. When she was small she'd go into my pantry and stack all the cans in her wagon and they'd be stacked high, but they never fell, and she did it perfectly, every can. She rode a motorcycle before she rode a bike without training wheels."

Naturally curious, Alex found herself drawn into the world of motors. Her dad, Dennis, enjoyed her interest, stopping what he was doing to explain how things worked, letting Alex try her

It was important for Alex to prove she was the one who was in

hand at small repairs. "I watched and I remembered," Alex says,

charge of her car. She remembered the advice she'd been given

"that's how I learned."

by one of her heroes in racing, Barb Hamilton. "She raced when it wasn't really accepted for women to be part of it," Alex says.

Dennis was also entrenched in the drag racing world. At ten, Alex

"She was the first woman ever to have an NHRA license. She had

became his crew chief. "He had a black '67 Camaro with an inner

to fight to get it. She told me, 'You don't want to be the girl that's

cooler that brought down the temperature of the motor," Alex

the driver. You want to be the girl who knows what she's doing.'

says. "You put ice and water in it. Dad would pull in and I'd drain the water and put the ice in and refill it. Now I help him change

"I know what's going on in the motor and why this is how it is.

the jets in the carburetor."

Sometimes guys, even older guys, have their car built by someone and they don't have a clue what's going on with it. I know what's

When Alex was fourteen, she got her learner's permit. At fourteen-

inside my motor, and it's an advantage."

and-a-half she received her hardship driver's license. That's when Debbie gave Alex her '68 Camaro, on the condition that she help

Alex's expertise won the crowd over. Despite the problems she was

restore it. "There wasn't a lot of body work," Alex says. "It was

having with her shifter, she qualified as number thirty-seven out of 100.

really simple when it started. And then Dad said, 'You could do Drag Week,' and that's when the car started getting complicated.

Hot Rod Magazine and 1320Video posted several clips of her with

The motor got complicated. Dad taught me how to weld and do

her "Badmaro," which is what she calls her car, and even has a

the more complicated work, like help machine my own four-barrel

license tag with that name. More than two million people have

throttle body for the fuel injection."

watched the videos.

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Since that first showing, her record has gotten even better. She earned her National Hot Rod Racing Association license in June of last year, and competed in her second Drag Week. "The fastest my car's actually gone is a 906 at 154 miles an hour. That's 9.6 seconds in a quarter mile."

Alex describes what it felt like out there on the track.

She dresses in a fireproof suit and protective gear, then takes her place behind the wheel. Her car's interior is black, and in the summer it's sweltering.

She doesn't feel anxious, just focused. The thrust of the engine throws her back in the seat, and even as fast as she's going, it all plays out in slow motion. The adrenaline rush comes after the race is over.

"People think you get in a car, you push the gas pedal, you steer. You just go straight. How hard can that be? It's so much more complicated. You have to consider track conditions. My tires weren't sticking because they were old. And I was making a lot of power. My car was fishtailing down the track. You're trying not to let off the gas. Going 150 miles per hour, there's a lot that can go wrong.

You have to be thinking of scenarios and what you're going to do if that scenario happens. You have to think fast. And you have to be ready to react if something happens to the car beside you.

You're multi-tasking. You're manually shifting the car. I do a lot of it by ear. You're watching to make sure nothing's wrong inside the car."

Friends often tease Alex because she's so close to her parents. "I She believes she's gotten better since her first time at Drag

text them a lot," she says. "I spend a lot of time with them."

Week. She proved it when she finally beat her dad. "It's fun to line up against him. All his power's made at the beginning of

She shrugs. It makes all the sense in the world to her. Her day is

the track. All my power's made at the end. His is an old-school

nearly over, so she heads out to get in her "Badmaro," which gets

cool and mine's new-school cool. He's got the carburetor; I've

eleven miles per gallon in town. There is a small silver square on

got the turbos. The turbo's power's at the end."

the back of her car, not much bigger than a juice carton. Inside is a parachute she uses on the track. Asked if she's tempted to

While Alex is talking, "You Wear it Well," by Rod Stewart

speed, she says, "The thing that saves me is that the car feels like

is playing in the background. Her dad, Dennis, joins the

it's going a lot faster than it is. It's noisy. Plus, if I do something

conversation. He says, "We kind of mirror each other. I think

wrong, Dad will take my car away."

she's an old soul. We're more alike than we are different. We like the same music. We just got back from a Tesla concert.

She touches the hood of her car, and slips inside, already

Almost no other teenagers were there."

anticipating her next big race.

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pets

ADOPT SOME LOVE M

F

F

F

Bob

Sue

M

Breezie

Newt

Cici

M

PeePaw

3 Girls Animal Rescue is a foster-only rescue, so there is no facility. All animals are currently in foster homes being socialized and cared for by loving families. All animals are spayed or neutered, up-to-date on vaccinations, and heartworm negative. 3 Girls is run completely by volunteers and operates solely on public donations.

CONTACT: Angela Meek 479.883.2240 • Mitzi Burkhart 479.651.4445 • Cheryl Greenmyer 918.471.8514 www.facebook.com/3GirlsAnimalRescue • threegirlsanimalrescue@outlook.com Each month, Do South® donates this page to local and regional non-profit animal shelters. If you work with a shelter and would like to reserve this space, please email editors@dosouthmagazine.com.

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words & images Jessica Sowards

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Years ago, when my two oldest sons were toddlers, we stumbled

My children, oblivious to the feeling reverberating inside me,

upon a park. It was spring, and I wish they had been older when

made a beeline to the slide, a yellow plastic thing with mold

we found it. As it was, they were one and two respectively, and so

and moss in every crevice. More butterflies, maybe a hun-

I am alone in my memories of the place.

dred, fluttered in the air above the equipment while ladybugs creeped along the surface and brightly colored lizards scattered

We’d gone to visit their dad at the jobsite he was working on,

to the underside.

a federal prison being built in Wartburg, Tennessee. It was an armpit of a town lodged in the middle of the great Smoky

The sound of birds echoed back and forth between embank-

Mountains, with two small diners and an Arby’s, broken down

ment and hillside, the sort of sound that is so solid and subtly

roads and a population that knew each other by name. We’d

powerful it lulls the deepest, soul-bound places of a person into

arrived too early or too late, I don’t remember which, and as

submission. A place we forget we have, jarred by traffic noises

a result we ended up with time to kill. So I drove off from the

and alarm clocks. A place hungry for the sound of a life-filled

half-built prison with my boys in the backseat, the windows

mountain park in the spring.

down, set to explore.

I’m not sure how long we stayed. Until the knees and seats of It was the kind of day and the sort of scenery that makes for lovely

jeans were stained with green life and the underneaths of nails

postcards. My white Pontiac weaved through winding roads, pass-

were dirt caked. Until the demands for snacks became louder than

ing lush pastures. I stopped for a turtle to finish crossing to safety.

the birds. And we left. We loaded into the car, changed diapers

Everything was blooming, and my soul drank it up, thirsty after

and opened juice boxes and as abruptly as we’d stumbled upon

years of apartment living.

the place, we were driving away from it, headed to a prison and an apartment and clean, regular life.

Then, without warning, there was a park.

I never went back.

Of course, I pulled in. I didn’t know the extraordinary nature of what I’d found, taking it as just a welcome distraction. A park is, after all,

What if someone power washed the life off of the slide, and what

exactly what a mother of two small children with time to waste needs.

if the butterflies had moved on? What if I returned, hungry to

It wasn’t until I started to unbuckle the car seats that I felt the chill in

taste spring, and found only just a park? It was too risky.

my spine. As soon as we stepped off the blacktop, some unexplained awareness crawled under my skin. The place was alive.

I did think about it often, though. When the concrete became overwhelming, I’d visit the park in my mind. When winter felt end-

The playground itself was tucked at the foot of a steep embankment

less, I’d remember the greenness, the sounds and the smells of

on one side and a very tall, sloping, wooded mountainside on the

that living place. I didn’t talk about it much, because I couldn’t

other. The light, being filtered down through many leaves, had a

impress upon my audience what it had done to me, to just be in

greenish quality. It held no eeriness though, only an opulent ripeness.

a place so fully alive.

You could almost bite it, chew it, feel it tickle your throat like juice of a green pear or the freshness of a just-picked cucumber.

My world has changed so much since then.

Butterflies swarmed up from a low creek that ran through the bot-

Our homestead, according to Google, is 499 miles from Wartburg,

tom of a deep trench. We crossed over a creaking, wooden bridge

Tennessee. It is as far as the moon from apartment living, from

that spanned it and my sense of wonder grew. I distinctly recall the

being starved of growth and fresh life. And while I remember the

smell of rotten leaves, like compost and earthworms, and the faint

day I came across the mountain park and the way it quenched my

sweetness of honeysuckle. It was the kind of smell quite different

soul, it has been a very long time since I craved it.

from any food, but that somehow possesses the power to deceive a mouth into watering.

It took me a long time to pinpoint it, but what I felt that day was more than just a thankfulness for spring. It was reverence for the DOSOUTHMAGAZINE

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creation of God. I remember when my life was so immersed in the

I thank God for the gift He has given me. He gave me a thirst

man-made, it took a deliberate plan to escape it.

for life, and opened my eyes to the beauty of it. He has given me a home to cultivate, to garden, to grow. And I leave the

Creation requires no seeking on an Arkansas homestead. I see it

door open, always inviting people in. My hope, in truth, is that

everywhere now, stumbling upon it in everyday places, always

those who stumble through might find some inspiration here.

stopping to note the wonder. I don’t ever want to take it for

I pray they might find what I found one spring day, years ago,

granted, lest it lose its capacity

in a mountain park. Wonder. En-

to move my heart.

chantment. Life.

Yesterday I found it in a box of peeping chicks that I picked up

I pray it lodges in their soul a bit,

"...I let the sound

from the post office. I plunged my

of nature and the

hand into the heap of wiggling,

Word work together to

downy bodies, felt the tiny resonance of their chirps against my fingers. Their frailty is intimidating, but their intricacy is divine.

unbar my deep places, the demand-rattled pieces of my heart."

quenches a thirst they didn’t realize they had. I pray it quells the churning in their spirit and that they feel the peace and the unmistakable mark of being in the presence of something fully living.

Maybe the walk of a wonderer

I’ve found it in the soil of the

is unique to me, but I don’t

garden, and in the way it feels

think so. I believe it is within

beneath my feet. I’ve felt it in the

the spirit of every man to be

thrill that comes with sprouting seedlings, watching their ten-

soothed by nature and to crave creation. I hope you find it

der leaves unfurl to feast from the sun. I’ve felt it in the weight

this spring, either on your back porch or in an evening walk

of tomatoes, under the skin of tart berries, and in the tight

or at a lonely, unkempt playground. And when you stumble

heads of asparagus shoots.

upon it, I hope you stop and let it make you feel small. That it might have a chance to quiet your soul before you move

I have found it on my back porch in the morning. I listen to the

on to the next noisy, worldly thing.

birds in the trees, the geese in the pond across the street, the brassy donkey’s bray in the field next door, the rooster’s crow.

I hope you find your mountain park.

I sit, with my Bible in my lap, while my coffee gets cool and my children fuss over cereal on the other side of the screen door,

And I hope you are never the same.

and I let the sound of nature and the Word work together to unbar my deep places, the demand-rattled pieces of my heart.

Jessica Sowards blogs at TheHodgepodgeDarling.blogspot.com

I have found the feeling in the soft places behind the ears and under the chins of my infant sons. As our family has grown, one boy after the next, I’ve learned to savor the smell of them, the transparency of their skin and bow of their upper lips. And a few weeks ago, I carried home the brand new boy that would be my last. I laid him on the bed as the sun shone across it and imagined him a seed being planted in the fertile soil of our home. I prayed he would grow with the ferocity of that which I saw growing so many years ago in the mountain park.

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home

&

MATCH words & images Lee Anne Henry, Whiteline Designs

As a designer, my job is to listen to my clients. If I’ve learned anything on this earth, it’s that there’s one constant in life–and that’s change.

It happens in my own life, and it

happens to furniture and décor styles as well.

Has your life changed? Are you becoming an empty nester, downsizing, or building a new home? Are you getting married or perhaps newly single? Some of you are getting re-married and wrestling with how to integrate all your furniture.

I’m happy to give you some elegant and smart tips to combine furniture styles, such as how to go about mixing traditional and modern. Some call this a “transitional” furniture style. Here are five tips that will make you love your transitional-type furnishings:

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Create a Contrast Pairing your traditional entry table with a modern clear acrylic lamp and modern mirror can tie all three pieces together and make the space feel lived-in and comfortable.

Use Natural Area Rugs A texture-rich, neutral-colored rug made from native grasses such as sisal can harmonize traditional elements with more modern pieces. Picking a neutral warm-toned color will help you achieve the well-blended mix.

The flooring does not need to be the focal point in a room, but the deep texture of these easy-to-clean rugs will update any room.

Update Your Traditional Furniture For those furniture pieces that you're struggling with, like an antique chair or bench, consider reupholstering it using a modern fabric with a bright, cheery color. Doing this will create a visual focal point. That chair will take on a new life and become a statement piece that you will enjoy for years to come.

Paint Those Ugly Pieces Consider painting the furniture that you have doubts about. Instead of getting rid of that scratched and damaged end table, try painting it in a neutral color or white instead. Spruce it up with some new hardware to make it a treasure.

Mix It Up With Lighting Lighting is also a great way to mix styles. A very modern chandelier hanging over your grandmother’s rustic dining table will not only look beautiful, but will give you a great feeling every time you walk into the room.

There you have it. Five ways to mix and mingle. And remember, have fun!

Change is nothing to be afraid of–it’s leading you to a new beginning.

Lee Anne Henry, owner of Whiteline Designs in Fayetteville, Arkansas, expresses her love of art through interior design. She looks forward to getting to know her clients and creating a sense of calm in their personal spaces.

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entertainment

Welcome to The BFF

Geena Davis

words Marla Cantrell image courtesy Bentonville Film Festival

In May, Academy Award® winning actor Geena Davis will be heading to Arkansas for the first annual Bentonville Film Festival (The BFF).

You may know Davis from her recent role on Grey's Anatomy as Dr. Nicole Herman, or remember her from films such as Thelma & Louise, Bettlejuice, A League of Their Own, and The Accidental Tourist. She was nominated for an Academy Award® for Thelma & Louise and won the award for her role in The Accidental Tourist.

The BFF, which starts May 5 and runs through May 9, is hosted by Walmart, ARC Entertainment, AMC Theatres, and Coca-Cola, and

During the week, there will be panel discussions held at Northwest Ar-

was organized to promote women and minorities in the film industry.

kansas Community College. Crystal Bridges Museum of American Art

The reason Davis is such a good fit is her work in this field. In 2007,

is hosting afternoon events, and several venues across town, including

she started The Geena Davis Institute on Gender in Media, which is a

Grace Point Church and Old High Middle School, will be showing films.

non-profit designed to change media to empower girls. When the fes-

"These are very commercial films, with big casts and great genres.

tival was announced, she said, "The Bentonville Film Festival is a critical

People will be impressed and excited to see these films," Drinkwater

component of how we can directly impact the quantity and quality of

says. Documentary filmmakers are also entered in the competition,

females and minorities on-screen and behind the scenes.”

and he is pleased with the quality of work he's seen.

Organizers are especially proud of this festival. It is the only film com-

Drinkwater estimates there will be an opportunity to screen approxi-

petition in the world to promise distribution to winners. The Audience,

mately thirty-five films during the week. It should cost around ten dol-

Jury Selection, and Best Family Film category winners will have their

lars to see one of the films. There will also be package deals, like the

work shown on a minimum of twenty-five screens at AMC Theatres.

unlimited pass for films, and an all-access pass, which includes extras like the panel discussions. The only events the public will not have ac-

While this is exciting news for filmmakers (more than 100 films have

cess to are the opening ceremony and the awards ceremony, which

been submitted, many from L.A. and New York), it is also great news

will be hosted by Geena Davis, and takes place at the end of the week.

for anyone who wants to experience Hollywood without leaving the state. There will be tickets available for everything from seeing one of

It's important to keep checking The BFF website, since additional in-

the films entered in the competition, to panel discussions with leaders

formation about the festival will be added regularly. There will be de-

from the industry, including directors, writers, and producers.

tails about the panel discussions, a list of movies, including when and where they'll be shown, and information about nightly events. You

The BFF has been the talk of the town, and Bentonville is getting ready

can even volunteer to work at the festival.

for an influx of people. Trevor Drinkwater, CEO of ARC Entertainment, expects 25,000 visitors to flock to the city from across the globe, some

The BFF is an exciting new addition to the arts scene in Arkansas, and

of them big names in the entertainment world. Although he is not at

a great way for you to see the inner workings of the movie indus-

liberty to name names, he did say that some of the festival's board

try, perhaps spot a few celebrities, and watch films you would never

members would likely be in attendance. Board members include

otherwise have the chance to see. Mark your calendars and get ready

Shonda Rhimes (creator of Scandal and Grey's Anatomy), Julianne

for a great time in Bentonville.

Moore, Eva Longoria, Angela Bassett, Natalie Portman, Bruce Dern, Samuel L. Jackson, Randy Jackson, and Paula Patton. Bruce Dern even created his own award called the Dernsy, for scriptwriting.

For updates on The BFF, visit bentonvillefilmfestival.com

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community

HOUSE OF HOPE words Marla Cantrell images courtesy Donald W. Reynolds Cancer Support House

Because the staff is constantly listening to what their clients need, they are reevaluating their children's support groups. "Our surveys show

I

they want activity-based programs, like arts and crafts and field trips,"

It is raining today, so much so that traffic has slowed on Rogers Avenue

Susan says. "They usually come here at five or six, when they get in

in Fort Smith, Arkansas. Cars splash along the major thoroughfare,

school. We make connections with counselors at schools."

and a man with a red umbrella sprints across the roadway headed for the coffee at Sweet Bay, just across the street from Creekmore

"They want to know who the other kids are, that they're not

Park. Nearby, at the Donald W. Reynolds Cancer Support House, Su-

the only one," Angie adds. "We have two groups. One is called

san Steffans, the executive director, and Angie Clegg, the director of

Super Survivors, and those are the kids who are fighting cancer.

operations, sit in the dining room, discussing the agency's mission to

And then we have a group called Climb, which is Children Liv-

help cancer patients and their families—all free of charge.

ing in Moments of Bravery, and that's for kids with a parent or grandparent or caregiver who's going through treatment."

It is remarkable to consider that this agency runs entirely on grants, private donations, and fundraisers, and has a yearly budget of

These support groups are what most of us think about when

$480,000. It is the largest free-standing cancer support facility in

we hear others talking about the Cancer Support House. But

the United States. (Many others are within major medical facilities.)

that's just a fraction of what they do. When someone is diag-

Thirteen counties in Arkansas and Oklahoma are served by the

nosed with cancer, their entire life can be upended. Money is-

agency, all with a staff of only five, along with forty to fifty regular

sues can come into play. If a patient is taking chemo and losing

volunteers. When their big events take place, like the Survivors'

their hair, they need wigs and turbans and scarves. If they're

Challenge 5 and 10 K, and the Wine & Roses fundraiser, the num-

nauseous from treatments, they may only be able to keep down

ber of volunteers rises exponentially.

nutritional drinks.

Right now, Susan and Angie are discussing the strides they made in

Because of that, they offer a wide range of services, from educa-

2014. Thirteen specialized support groups met weekly, including one for

tional programs to gas cards and bus passes.

caregivers and one that met through Facebook, since those members were young women who were extremely busy with work and family.

Part of what makes it work is the partnerships they've formed with

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community

IN 2014: 589

5,550

NEWLY DIAGNOSED PATIENTS REGISTERED

PATIENTS SERVED IN 13 COUNTIES

930 VISITS TO SALON MARVILLA

400

$2,100

583

GAS VOUCHERS

IN UTILITY AND PRESCRIPTION ASSISTANCE

CITY TRANSIT PASSES

companies, such as those that donate bras, wigs, medical supplies,

this done. In two days I'm getting this done. In three weeks we're

and nutritional drinks. There are local churches that house those

starting chemo. I consider it lucky that it happened so fast.

who have to travel to Fort Smith for treatment. The University of Arkansas - Fort Smith is a longtime supporter, and the Cancer

"My father had multiple myeloma. He was diagnosed about

Support House has a close association with Mercy, Sparks Health

ten years ago. Sometimes, seeing someone else go through it

System, and Cooper Clinic. Local doctors teach seminars, and

makes you realize that your road is a lot easier. He's doing great

The Community Clear-

right now.

inghouse helps provide food for clients. The

"My doctor told me

Academy of Salon and

about

Spa professionally cleans

House and within about

and styles the wigs. And

two weeks I came to see

individuals

volunteer,

what was going on here.

doing everything from

I had some friends who

teaching Tai Chi classes

knew about this house

to overseeing art classes.

and donated to it. They

the

Support

said, 'It's beautiful and On this day, the house

wonderful

is relatively quiet. One

body is so helpful. You

of their newest support

have to go.' My mother

group

Amy

came with me. I filled out

Baker, has stopped by. In

paperwork, they gave

members,

the beginning of Janu-

Salon Marvilla

and

every-

me a tour. It's a beauti-

ary, Amy went to see her

ful, comforting place. It

doctor. She had swollen

helps to come to a place

lymph nodes in her neck. Antibiotics didn't work, and she didn't

like this when you're feeling completely out of character."

have the flu, so the swelling was a big concern. Her doctor acted quickly. Not long after, she had a biopsy, and after that, a diagno-

Amy, who has a quick smile and gorgeous eyes, touches the middle

sis. Amy had lymphoma.

of her back with her thumb. "I used to have hair that came to here," she says. "It was really thick. The first time I went to my sup-

Things seemed to be moving rapidly, and Amy, who's thirty-five,

port group, they told me, 'Trust me, you're going to want to shave

was glad that they did. "I didn't have time to get used to it, so it

it off when it starts coming out because it physically hurts when it's

was really pretty good," Amy says. "It was tomorrow I'm getting

dead and dying and coming out.' Nobody really wants to do that.

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community

You want to hold on. But a few days later I'd taken a shower and I

pairing the food with wine. There will be live music, and roses

was brushing my hair after and it was coming out.

everywhere. If you want to take home a bottle of great wine, there's a wine auction. Thirteen artists have also donated art-

"I called here and they told me to come on over, I didn't need an

work for auction. Adventure packages are also up for bid, includ-

appointment, and they buzzed my hair off. They helped me find

ing a Wyoming fishing trip, and a barbeque party for twenty.

a wig. Some people want to look the same when they walk out.

And this year, for the first time, the Support House is setting up

I said, 'Let's go crazy. Let's do something completely different.' I

tents outside, so guests can enjoy the spring weather.

hadn't had short hair since I was in elementary school. There was a huge assortment of turbans and scarves and wigs, and you get

Attending Wine & Roses is a wonderful way to support the work

to play and have fun and discover a new you. For a traumatic ex-

that's being done. But there are other ways to help. A fifty dollar

perience, it was turned into fun. I came in quite anxious because I

donation buys three gas cards. Fifty dollars helps someone keep

was losing what I deemed as a very big part of my femininity and

their electricity on, or buys five six-packs of nutritional drinks. If

I left with a whole new perspective on me.

you're looking to make a difference, you can always check out the Support House's wish list on their website and give some-

"A friend of mine is a hairdresser and she volunteered to do it

thing specific. Or you can become a volunteer.

but I chose to come here. It was a big moment in my life. That was the thing I was most mad about when I found out I had

All these things have an impact, they change lives, and they give

cancer. I wanted to leave with a wig, and here I could do it all.

us a concrete way to show compassion to our neighbors at a

I had my mother with me. We were taking pictures. My mom

time when it matters the most.

and dad put the photos on Facebook. My younger sister sent me a picture. She had shaved her head in commiseration with me. She said, 'What do you think, sis?' I couldn't believe it."

Amy touches her hair, which looks so natural it's hard to call it a wig. It is blond and frames her face perfectly. When she had her head shaved, it was done in the Salon Marvilla, just down the hall.

The salon, named for Marvilla Trickett, who was a beloved member of one of the support groups, recently underwent a makeover. There is a chandelier that hangs from the ceiling, plush chairs to sit in, a bright rug.

As Amy tells her story, tears begin to well in Susan's

Sondi Catsavis, Tony Leraris, Brooke Spradlin Wine & Roses 2014

eyes. She and Angie are so thankful they work in a place that does so much good. They talk about the great and varied needs they see; their youngest client came here at eleven months and the oldest at ninety-two.

It takes creativity and compassion to help everyone who comes through these doors, but the staff finds a way to do it.

Wine & Roses

A big part of keeping the place going depends on fundraisers like the upcoming Wine & Roses gala, which will be held at the Support House on April 25. River City Deli is catering the event,

April 25, 6:30 PM

BLUEB

Donald W. Reynolds Cancer Support House, Fort Smith reynoldscancersupporthouse.org

DOSOUTHMAGAZINE

MINT S

MINT SMASH MINT taste

41

BLUEBERRY BL INGREDIENTS

BLUEBERRY MINT SMASH MI > 1/3 cup fresh blueberries (more to taste)

MINT SMASH BLUEBERRY BLUE > Fresh mint

> 1 Tablespoon brown sugar (more to taste)

MINT SMASH MINT > ¾ oz. fresh-squeezed lime juice > 2 oz. white rum

BLUEBERRY BL > Ginger beer or ginger ale > Paper straw (optional)

MINT SMASH MI

BLUEBERRY BLUE METHOD

Heat blueberries in microwave for 25 seconds. In a

MINT SMASH MINT mason jar, combine blueberries, two mint leaves,

brown sugar and lime juice. Gently muddle (break

BLUEBERRY BL skin of the blueberries, don’t mash to a pulp) until sugar is melted. Fill jar with crushed ice. Add rum.

MI MINT SMASH BLUEBERRY BLUEBERRY BLUE MINT SMASH MINT SMASH MINT BLUEBERRY MINT SMASH Top with ginger beer or ale and stir. Garnish with mint sprig and paper straw.

Please drink responsibly. Never drink and drive.

BLUEBERRY

MINT SMASH

BERRY BLUEBERRY Image Catherine Frederick

Adapted from thekitchn.com

SMASH MINT SMASH (makes 1 cocktail)

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taste

Sugar,

Spice, &

Everything

Nice Sugar Cookie Fruit Pizzas

words and images Lauren Allen, tastesbetterfromscratch.com

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taste

I am a huge fan of sugar cookies. For me, they absolutely have to be super soft, and frosted! These mini fruit pizzas have everything I love about a traditional sugar cookie, plus delicious fresh fruit on top. They look beautiful, they're extremely easy to make, and taste amazing. Your kids will love making these mini fruit pizzas with you, and they make the perfect treat for parties or get-togethers. They will surely impress your guests!

Enjoy!

Lauren Allen is the creator of TastesBetterFromScratch.com, an exciting and beautiful food blog dedicated to sharing her love of cooking and creating new recipes. Lauren truly believes that everything tastes better from scratch!

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44

taste

Ingredients

METHOD

For the sugar cookies:

Fruit topping suggestions:

Preheat oven to 350°. In a medium-size bowl, cream together

2/3 cup shortening

Strawberries

shortening and sugar. Add eggs, milk, and vanilla.

1 cup sugar

Kiwis

2 eggs

Bananas

In a separate bowl, mix dry ingredients (flour, baking powder,

1/3 cup milk

Blueberries

and salt). Slowly mix dry ingredients into the wet mixture until

1 teaspoon vanilla

Mandarin oranges

you form a large dough ball. Refrigerate for 30 minutes.

3 cups flour

Raspberries

Lightly flour your countertop. Roll dough ball out until it's

2 teaspoons baking powder

Pineapples

1/2 inch to 3/4 inch thick. Cut the dough into shapes using a

1 teaspoon salt

cookie cutter. Place cookies on a lightly greased cookie sheet.

Bake at 350°. for about 8-10 minutes. Cookies should still be soft when you take them out, but not doughy. (Don’t overcook

For the frosting:

or they will be hard!)

8 oz. cream cheese,

In a small bowl, mix together cream cheese, powdered sugar,

softened

and vanilla. Beat until smooth, then fold in the Cool Whip® and

1 cup powdered sugar

stir well. Spread a thin layer of the cream cheese frosting over

1 teaspoon vanilla

cooled sugar cookie. Place fruit on top. Serve immediately!

8 oz. Cool Whip®

*Makes about 15 cookies DOSOUTHMAGAZINE

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pets

OBESE THE

BEAST words and images Rusty Henderson, DVM Eastside Animal Clinic, Fort Smith, Ark.

M

Many of us have been guilty of feeding Fido a little bite from the

Obesity is very easy to avoid, can be reversed, and can be man-

kitchen table from time to time. Some of us, however, are guilty

aged in a metabolically ill pet. First, however, you have to rec-

on a daily basis. We love them like they are human, but we can’t

ognize it. Your pet could be considered obese if, when viewing

feed them like a human. A little human food can cause extreme

from the top, you cannot make out a waist and or the indention

weight gain in our pets. It seems innocent enough, but what are

between the ribs. If you look at your dachshund and all you see is

the real consequences to having a full-figured canine?

a long hairy tube with a tail at one end and whiskers at the other, chances are he’s obese. If your Pug, when on its back, can’t right

The answer is quite simple. If one consumes more calories than

himself without assistance, you probably have a fat Pug.

are expended, weight gain will commence. Continue this course and in short order you will see an accumulation of excess body fat

The most important consideration is to make sure there are no

which leads to obesity. Sure, there can be other reasons for weight

medical reasons for the weight gain. Here at Eastside Animal Clin-

gain, be they medical, metabolic, or emotional. However, these

ic, we can determine the cause, and have a variety of programs to

can be managed using some discipline and education.

help with losing and managing weight. There are also medications that can assist in this endeavor.

Obesity for pets is just plain uncomfortable (and from personal experience, for humans as well). When you’re fat, you can’t get

The first line of defense is putting weight gain and obesity in per-

truly comfortable. You don’t sleep well, you can’t run, and it’s

spective for pets. Consider this: two french fries fed to a three

sometimes difficult to breathe.

pound poodle is equivalent to a two-hundred-pound man consuming the entire serving. So if you feed four fries to that poodle,

Consider a Pomeranian whose frame is designed to handle eight

it would be like a two-hundred-pound man eating two servings.

to ten pounds. If you were to add ten more pounds over five years,

See the issue here? This applies to other human food as well. Don’t

that tiny frame would be carrying eighteen to twenty pounds on

feed your pet an entire hamburger (no, not even a small one), a

an eight to ten-year-old body. Something is going to give. It might

bowl of ice cream, pork ribs, pizzas, etc. Don’t laugh, I’ve seen it

be the hips, the knees, or the back that goes out first. It most

all! It’s also worth mentioning that there is a wide range of human

likely will be the heart, or the liver, or maybe the kidneys, as the

food that is dangerous, if not deadly, for pets. Onions, meat fat,

cardiovascular system can’t manage the blood pressure. Another

chocolate, macadamia nuts and raisins, just to name a few.

possibility is that the pancreas just throws in the towel and creates a diabetic. And to think, all of this because you loved Fido so

My advice is this—don’t ignore weight gain in your pet, don’t fool

much, you couldn’t resist just one more treat. After all, he is so

yourself into thinking it’s cute, and don’t kill your pet with love.

cute sitting up and begging for more, right?

They may say that food is the way to the heart, but this should not apply to pets. Love them yes, but keep them healthy.

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travel

Exploringthe Ozarks words & images Jim Warnock

At one time, I resented the drive to hiking locations. It felt like lost time, sitting behind a steering wheel instead of hiking the trail. Gradually I came to see beauty and interests along the roadsides of the Arkansas Ozarks. The character and tenacity of the people are evident in the structures they built. Their personalities are in the stories they left behind, or the silent witness of the stones they assembled.

Here are just a few of my favorite places to eat, photograph and hike along Ozark roads.

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Mountainburg Cabins I drive through Mountainburg in route to many trailheads, but only recently noticed these little cabins, last used in the late 1960s. They are a short distance off of AR 71 at the turnoff that led to the original Lake Fort Smith State Park, which closed in 2002 when the lake was expanded.

The Dairy Dream The Dairy Dream is a little farther south on the east side of AR 71 in Mountainburg. Built in 1955 by Bob Willroth, the Dairy Dream sold "Mountainburgers" for twenty-five cents and ice cream cones for a nickel. Mountainburg local Brad Birchfield said, "I highly recommend a Mountainburger with cheese. You’ll be hooked!" I look forward to having a “Mountainburger” at today's price of $2.50 after my next hike on Shepherd Springs Loop at Lake Fort Smith State Park.

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Artist Point Artist Point, north of Mountainburg, is one of my favorite places on AR 71. In 2001, this was one of our first stops when we were considering moving to the area. A helpful young lady was working behind the counter as her grandparents looked on. Her little brother was also behind the counter. I asked where they went to school, and in unison they said, “Alma.” They later learned I was their new school principal. It was a pleasure to watch them grow under the love and stability of their parents and grandparents.

Stop by and look out over the valley for some breathtaking views— there are several spots where you can see for miles. Day hikes in the area include Shepherd Springs Loop at Lake Fort Smith State Park. A little farther north is the Yellow Rock Trail at Devil’s Den State Park.

Rock House Want to take a short break from your drive and get a good workout? Hike the 0.5-mile round-trip west of the Cherry Bend Trailhead on AR 23 to what backpackers call the Rock House.

Be careful as you cross the highway and don’t let the short distance deceive you. It’s a tough climb to the Rock House.

Area loggers probably built this shelter sometime during the 1890s to 1920s. White oak was heavily logged to make railroad ties for the nation’s expanding railroad system. There is a small, seasonal spring at the base of the bluff inside the Rock House. A Methodist circuit preacher used the Rock House during the late 1920s and possibly into the early 1930s. The popular Cherry Bend Trailhead accesses the Ozark Highlands Trail five miles north of Cass.

The area includes the Redding Loop Trail and Hare Mountain access on the Ozark Highlands Trail. The Ozark Highlands Trail has several access points along AR 215. One of the best hikes in the state, beginning at the Indian Creek Canoe Launch, is the Dawna Robinson Spur Trail to the Marinoni Scenic Area.

Barn on Hwy 23 Old structures along the roads sometimes cause me to pull over to get a better look. I'll grab my camera and explore a while. This barn on Highway 23 south of Cass is beautiful in every season.

Turner Bend Popular among hikers and Mulberry River floaters, the Turner Bend Store has great sandwiches served up by good people.

They’re located on Highway 23 close to Cass. Stopping there is always a treat!

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The Oark General Store and Cafe

Burger Barn

The Oark General Store, known for being Arkansas' oldest continuously open restaurant, serves up a good breakfast, lunch, and dinner. It's a necessary stop if you're hitting the western part of the Ozark Highlands Trail. Oark is a short drive south from the Arbaugh Trailhead. To get to the Oark General Store, go to Oark.

If you’re coming off of the Ozark Highlands Trail at the Ozone Trailhead, you’ll want to have a hamburger and fries at an openair picnic table under an awning at the Burger Barn. Located on Highway 21 in Ozone, it is an Arkansas original and well known within the backpacking community..

Catalpa Café Be sure to stop at the Catalpa Café for a true backwoods dining experience. On a recent visit, I ordered the lunch special (pork loin, mashed potatoes, mixed vegetables and a roll). The owner, waiter, and chef were one in the same and served up a good meal and good conversation.

A mother and daughter seated close by ordered cheeseburgers that were hand-formed and grilled fresh. They enjoyed studying the Ozark Highlands Trail map hanging on the wall. The owner said it was the first map he’d ever seen that showed Catalpa. As I drove away, I could have sworn I saw the Duck Dynasty brothers just down the street.

Hagarville Grocery Store The Hagarville Grocery Store is a great little stop on AR 215 north of Clarksville. The owner runs shuttles for hikers when needed and usually has some good trail stories to share. The beautiful Hurricane Wilderness Area of the Ozark Highlands Trail is a challenging and nationally known backpacking trail in the area.

To get to the Catalpa Café, drive east of Oark on AR 215 for about three miles. When you enter Catalpa, watch for a sign directing you onto Main Street. The Catalpa Café will be on your right.

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I try to keep the ratio of miles driving to hiking at a reasonable level.

Hankins Country Store Another favorite stop on the road to the trails is Hankins Country Store, located at the intersection of Scenic Highway 7 and AR 215. An old post office and several interesting old items are inside. There's even a barber's chair that is used from time to time if someone needs a haircut. The wood-burning stove feels great after a winter hike at Pedestal Rocks or the Hurricane Wilderness Area.

They also make a good sandwich, especially after a long hike!

Driving one hundred miles to hike two is a poor ratio. Driving forty miles to hike seven is a respectable ratio and easily accomplished in Arkansas.

These days I enjoy the drive, and I’m thankful for the blacktop and gravel roads that lead to dirt and stone footpaths. It’s all part of the larger scene: the back roads, the people, and the trails that trace the paths of their lives.

Ozark Highlands Trail Boston Mountains, West by Underwood Geographics – A detailed map of the Ozark Highlands Trail that includes connecting roads and several points of interest mentioned in this article.

Arkansas' Mulberry River by Underwood Geographics - A map of the Mulberry River that covers some of the points of interest in the area.

Ozark Highlands Trail Guide by Tim Ernst Jim Warnock’s blog: OzarkMountainHiker.com

Mike & Yuko Parks

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travel

Alone in Malibu: 5 MUST-DO’S FOR THE SOLO TRAVELER words & images Laura Hobbs

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travel

Growing up, I was a shy and introverted only child with an aversion to socializing so crippling I would avoid birthday parties, school events and team sports. Over the years, this aversion has weathered and softened into a more socially acceptable distant demeanor, and I now walk the delicate line between pleasant conversationalist and a dire urge to hide in the closet.

Hi, my name is Laura, and I’m a functioning introvert.

One of the ways I satisfy my need for solitude is through solo travel.

Traveling alone gives me the choice of being introverted or outgoing, and it invites in more of what I call the “magic moments": those chance conversations with strangers, enchanting experiences in nature or long-awaited epiphanies that resonate deeply within your core, leaving you with a lingering feeling that you’ve experienced a cosmic alignment of space, time and destiny.

Each year, I treat myself to four days alone in the hills of Malibu.

Featuring twenty-one miles of stunning coastline, this sleepy

The Getty Villa

beach community lies northwest of L.A.’s tourist throng, and is stitched together with a patchwork of outdoor activity, grassroots businesses, ranch acreage, exclusive residents, artisan havens, and rich history.

The Getty Villa

Perched on sixty-four well-manicured acres offering commanding views of the Santa Monica Mountains and the Pacific, the Getty

With the gnarly Santa Monica Mountains spilling right into the

Villa houses impeccable gardens, elaborate water features and a

Pacific, Malibu’s terrain beautifully illustrates why it's a gamble

Greco-Roman art collection so extensive it’ll make your head spin.

living in this part of California. The landscape is rough and unforgiving, and is no place for permanent structures; houses are built on steep hillsides or in flood-prone canyons. The arid climate makes the scrubby flora look like it could ignite at any second.

Even the dirt looks scorched: ashen, gray and powdery, like it's

Wandering the galleries and the gardens is a fantastic way to spend an afternoon, whether or not you’re a Grecophile. The museum makes an effort to keep the throngs to a minimum and the placid, detail-oriented beauty to a maximum.

the remnants of a long-ago fire. But these elements represent

Feeling snacky? The Mediterranean-inspired cafe serves up sea-

the beauty of the area, and lure off-the-beaten-path visitors, like

sonal, locally sourced fare, and the coffee kiosk will give you the

yours truly, who are looking for a low-key California getaway.

caffeine jolt you need to keep on wandering. The museum also offers complimentary umbrellas if you’re in need of some shade.

So what does one do while traveling solo? A lot. Through my stays in Malibu, I’ve gathered a list of the top five things a solo traveler must do/see/eat when visiting this magical spot on Cali-

Free admission with required advance timed-entry ticket, $15 parking. 17985 Pacific Coast Highway, Pacific Palisades, CA. WednesdayMonday, 10 AM - 5 PM, closed Tuesdays. getty.edu/visit/villa

fornia’s coastline. Socializing completely optional.

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travel

Point Dume

Malibu Farm Restaurant on the Pier

Point Dume

low-key restaurant offers some of the freshest and least traveled

No trip to Malibu is complete without a day at the beach. Add to

food in LA County.

that a little hiking, a little history and a little celeb-spotting, and you’ve got yourself a grand ol’ time. Pack your umbrella and your

With a laid back, no-nonsense attitude, Helene’s menu is based

camera for a day at Point Dume (pronounced by most residents

on her dietary philosophy of “Eat the real thing, or don’t eat it

as “doom,” and only a handful as “doo-MAY”), a state preserve

at all.” Popular items include the hearty grilled salmon sandwich,

that’s located on the tippy-tip of Malibu’s westernmost point.

the dainty Swedish pancakes and the gooey burrata salad. Order your fresh fare at the counter and grab a spot on the pier’s ledge

With trails that wind through the sand dunes toward the crumbly

or one of the two rooftop terraces. Enjoy the view and mind the

bluffs and down to the rocky beaches, you’ll find yourself slack-

seagulls—they’re not shy.

jawed at the breathtaking scenery of California’s unforgiving coastline. Scramble down to one of the empty beaches for a day

Monday & Tuesday 9:00 AM - 3:30 PM, Wednesday, Thursday &

of solitude, or park your umbrella on Point Dume’s more popu-

Sunday 9:00 AM - 8:30 PM, Friday & Saturday 9:00 AM - 9:00 PM.

lar beach for prime people watching. During December through

Dinner reservations recommended. malibu-farm.com

March, you may catch a glimpse of migrating whales as they travel in and out of the bay.

The Adamson House

There's something fascinating about peeking into lives from deWant more beaches? Neighboring Zuma Beach is great for a stroll

cades past. Let your voyeuristic tendencies get their fill on a tour

or a sit. A few minutes north on the Pacific Coast Highway (PCH)

of the Adamson House, a well-preserved specimen of California’s

takes you to Matador Beach, where giant rock arches jut out from

Spanish Colonial Revival architecture, easily accessible from the

the water. Take the heart-pounding steps down to the beach for

southbound PCH.

the best views, and don’t forget your camera.

The house was home to Merritt and Rhoda Adamson, a wealthy $8 parking fee. From the PCH, turn onto Westward Beach road

couple in the tile industry, along with their three children. Now

and follow it south to the parking lot. nps.gov/samo/planyourvisit/

a state historical landmark and museum, the house sits just

pointdume.htm

west of the pier on the primest-of-prime real estate in coastal Malibu, and once served as a sample house for the tile available

Malibu Farm Restaurant on the Pier

from Malibu Pottery.

You can’t get much more local than eating a meal at Malibu’s relatively new and pier-perched restaurant, Malibu Farm. Owned

Construction started in 1929 and the house was finished in 1930,

and operated by lifelong chef and local Helene Henderson, this

with beautiful tile, woodwork and craftsmanship in every corner.

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The Adamson House

Solstice Canyon

The hour-long tours are led by tender and knowledgeable volun-

Malibu’s adventures certainly don’t end there. Take a dusty

teers, and are well worth the modest admission price. After the

hike into Malibu Canyon State Park and visit what’s left of the

tour, have a seat on the lawn under the canopy of sprawling trees

M*A*S*H set, get lost around the twists and turns of placid Mali-

and watch the wide array of birdlife in action.

bou Lake, or visit the metaphysically hip community of Topanga with a drive up the beautiful Topanga Canyon Road.

$7 adults, $2 children. 23200 Pacific Coast Highway, Malibu, CA. Wednesday-Saturday, 11 AM - 3 PM (last tour at 2pm). Closed

Looking for lodging? A great way to avoid Malibu’s sticker shock is

Sunday-Tuesday. adamsonhouse.org

to stay in a guesthouse or private rental. My cottage hideaway lies in the hills above Zuma Beach, tucked away among the bouganvillas and

Solstice Canyon

fruit trees. Owner and host Anndrea is a gentle and gracious spirit who

Lace up your hiking shoes, fill your CamelBak™ and pack a snack

makes guests feel right at home; take a dip in the rock-lined pool, pick

for a beautiful and fascinating hike into this renowned canyon.

a pear for breakfast or soak in the cascading hot tub. If you’re traveling

Dusty, scrub-lined trails turn to shaded, lush paths as you wind

solo or as a couple, I highly recommend it. airbnb.com/rooms/1138132

your way down the canyon’s steep pitch. Once inside, you’ll discover farmstead ruins, gigantic eucalyptus trees and some of the

By removing the responsibilities of work, family, and life in gen-

only year-round waterfalls in the Santa Monica Mountains.

eral, solo travel is a great way to connect with aspects of myself that don’t shine through in everyday life. It’s as if these ephemeral

The real gem of this hike is the ruins of the Roberts house. De-

glimpses at my other selves give me a view into another life. I’ve

signed by renowned architect Paul Williams and built for Fred and

often referred to Malibu as being the home of my sister life. Cheryl

Florence Roberts in 1952, the house was once featured in Archi-

Strayed, author of Wild and advice columnist for Dear Sugar, gave

tectural Digest for the design’s seamless integration with nature.

this advice to an inquirer once, and it stuck with me:

The house succumbed to fire in the early 1980s, but its foundation and shell still stand. Poke around the charred remains and scram-

“I'll never know, and neither will you, of the life you don't choose.

ble along the boulders of its once majestic water features. Find

We'll only know that whatever that sister life was, it was impor-

the hidden altar? Bonus points for you. Don’t forget your camera.

tant and beautiful and not ours. It was the ghost ship that didn't carry us. There's nothing to do but salute it from the shore.”

Free parking. From the PCH, turn inland on Corral Canyon Road and drive 1/4 mile to park entrance on left. Open sunrise to sunset.

Malibu, I salute you.

nps.gov/samo/planyourvisit/solsticecanyon.htm Author note: Traveling Malibu solo was purely a personal choice. The trip would be equally as gratifying if traveling with fellow adventurers!

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reader story

Zen and the Art of Planting Pine Trees A Reader's Story

H

“Here’s your hard hat.”

The way he said it seemed to imply that I was now bona fide, as though being issued this symbol of the working man conveyed a heightened status.

This was a mighty fine hard hat. It was steel, not the common plastic variety, and it was brand new. Government issued. I remembered seeing guys around town who wore their hard hats even when they were off work. They did it as a way to

words Michael Crowden

let others know that they, by god, had a job. These were the working poor, and they were a minority among their peers. Being gainfully employed was a source of pride, but I didn’t feel it. I didn’t see the need for a hard hat, at work or otherwise.

“Why do I need this?”

Right away, I could tell my question deflated the guy a bit, what with my not being sufficiently grateful. Mind you, he wasn’t wearing a hard hat, but then he wasn’t going to be planting any pine tree saplings.

“In case something falls and hits you in the head.”

This guy was standing here in his Smokey Bear hat and starched brown uniform telling me that I needed a hard hat to protect me against potential head injury from falling or otherwise hurling objects. He was a forest ranger for the Mississippi Forestry Department. This was my first job since being discharged from the Army six weeks before. I felt freed from the constraints of military discipline and was not about to let some uniform-wearing authoritarian tell me that I needed to wear head protection in the middle of the open fields where we’d be planting foot-tall pine tree saplings. I cocked my head, and slowly surveyed the open sky.

“Yeah, well, maybe you’re right,” I said sarcastically.

I adjusted the straps on the inside of the hat to fit my big head, then put it on backwards as he gave DOSOUTHMAGAZINE

reader story

me a look that people in authority give to smart-aleck subordinates.

When the truck pulled around to where we were gathered, I

It was a look I had seen many times before. He walked away and

could see the ranger who’d given me the hat riding shotgun, and

left me standing in the cold, damp morning dew with a gaggle of

another ranger behind the wheel. It was a cold day and the high

rogues, most of whom had done this job for years. It was seasonal

humidity common in north Mississippi meant it felt a lot colder

work, done each fall. By the looks of the grungy hard hats the other

than the temperature would have you believe. The rangers stayed

guys were wearing, they had planted a veritable forest of loblolly

warm and cozy in the cab of the truck while we climbed into

pines. Clad in tattered bib overalls and smoking filter-less cigarettes,

the back one by one. It was a military-style transport truck that

they had a distinctly Mississippi look about them—not like the

reminded me of the lumbering duce-and-a-quarters I’d ridden in

professional hard hats you might see at metropolitan construction

the Army, only the enclosure was solid, not canvas. That meant we

sites. These were men you’d see buying fried chicken and malt

couldn’t see outside.

liquor from worn-out country stores with names like “Little John’s Grocery,” if they had a name at all. Most of them were simply

Though we sat facing one another, and even though I was pretty

known as “the store,” or by the nickname of their owner, with

sure that most of them knew each other, nobody said a word. You

the only signage being faded cola and beer signs and hand-written

could just tell by the way they all looked that they had done this a

admonishments not to spit on the floor or ask to use the restroom.

thousand times before. Because all of us smoked, cigarette smoke

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reader story

quickly filled the bay as we rolled down the highway to who knows

“Crowden,” said the ranger, as he slowly pulled up one of the saplings

where. Well, it would be in Lafayette County, but other than that,

I had just planted. “You aren’t packing ‘em tight enough. The roots

we didn’t know where we were going and didn’t really care. We

will dry out.”

got paid by the hour and the clock started the moment we got into “Yes, sergeant,” I said, more out of habit than out of sarcasm,

the truck, which was about 6:30 in the morning.

although it probably sounded like the latter. He handed me half That’s when I noticed the lips on the guy in front of me. They

a dozen saplings he pulled from my row and told me go back and

were huge. Like most of the others, he was smoking a filter-less

replant them.

cigarette, and it was stuck to his lower lip. Not between his lips as you’d imagine, but stuck to the one lip. Once this guy took

Son of a gun, I thought to myself. This is back-breaking work. Well,

a cigarette from the pack, placed it in his mouth, and lit it, he’d

by god, he’s not going to pull any more of my trees out of the

never touch it with his hands again. With a skill honed over what

ground. I smashed the trees into their holes and squashed the dirt

must have been decades, he’d crack his mouth open slightly

really tight. The proper technique required the dibble bar to be

and curl his lower lip up until the cigarette touched his upper

inserted a few inches from the freshly inserted sapling. Then you

lip. Then he’d draw the smoke in before relaxing his lips again

pulled the bar towards you to press soil against the bottom roots

and exhaling either through his nose or out of the corner of his

before pressing the bar away from you to press soil against the top.

mouth. He just let the ash fall where it may. It was like watching

I’d check my work with a little tug before taking four steps and

a cartoon. I would have made a video and posted it to YouTube,

doing it all over again.

but this was 1975.

I paused after I had replanted all the retrieved saplings and looked When the truck slowed and jostled us around, we knew we were

around. I was now far behind the others, even the old man. Then

off-road and about to stop. We piled out onto a rolling meadow

I noticed the ranger on his knees beside one of the saplings I had

that might have been pretty; I don’t know because back then I

just replanted. I watched as he took a spade from a holster and

didn’t take much notice of such things. A pickup loaded with

carefully dug around the little tree. With both hands, he pulled the

supplies had followed us. The rangers handed out nap sacks,

tree up with a cylinder of dirt surrounding the roots.

tree saplings, and digging tools. Because I was new, one of them pulled me aside to explain the eight-step procedure for planting

“Crowden, come here,” he said. Still on his knees, he held the

loblolly pine tree saplings. The tool wasn’t a shovel, as you might

cylinder in the palm of one hand and then took the spade and

think. It was a tapered tool called a dibble bar, designed especially

sliced it into halves. “See that? Your tree’s got u-root. Ain’t gonna

for pine tree planting. First you push the tool in the ground at an

grow very tall with u-root.”

angle; then you move the tool forward to create the hole. After you place the sapling in the hole, and while continuing to hold

When I didn’t show up for work the rest of the week, the Forestry

it up straight, you use the tool to push the soil over the roots,

Department realized that this old boy had planted his last pine sapling.

being careful to push first against the bottom of the roots, then

A ranger called and asked me to return the hard hat. I never did. In

the top. This ensures there is not an air pocket that would cause

fact, I was wearing it when I wrote this.

the roots to dry out.

After lining us up sideways, the rangers had us spread out by holding our arms out and touching each other’s finger tips to ensure the proper distance. Given the order to begin, we stepped out and planted a pine tree every four steps. Since some of us could plant faster than others, our line grew jagged as we covered the countryside with baby pines. By design, I was the slowest, but fortunately I had lined up next to what appeared to me to be the oldest man there. He was slow, too.

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southern lit

One Summer

Judsonia

in

FICTION Marla Cantrell

In the summer

In the summer of my twenty-second year, just as the corn and

carried Ulysses under his arm. The volume had seen better days.

tomatoes were coming to life, a man found his way to me.

I doubted he had access to an entire set, even if I had given

He was driving a gold and brown Ford LTD. He was wearing

him the check he wanted, and he didn't seem to be a reader,

polyester pants the color of carrots. He was listening to music

or at least he never quoted a passage to me. I let him sit on

that rang from his stereo, louder than any alarm in town.

my porch, but I kept my hoe in my hand, a warning sharp as a snake's tongue, in case he got any ideas. He asked after my

All I knew at that time was that he was an intruder, and that

husband and I laughed. I intended never to marry, but how could

I was not dressed for company. I had on overalls with a t-shirt

he know that? It was 1972, and most women over eighteen had

underneath, and work boots, grimy from a long day's work. My

walked the aisle by then. I could see his response, that moment

hair was a tumble of blond curls pinned loosely on top of my

of surprise when he looked around, admiring the place, I believe.

head. I smelled like sweat and new-mown grass.

It was a fine property. A two-story house, forty-four acres. A red barn. Holstein cattle in the field.

He was selling leather-bound classics: Ulysses, Moby Dick, Elizabeth Barrett Browning's Sonnets from the Portuguese. He

"Yes," I said. "It's all mine," although he hadn't actually asked.

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southern lit

"I live in my car," he said, and pointed to the

directed them to the cornfield and put Charlie, the oldest of the

LTD. "Before that, I lived in Ybor City in Florida."

men, in charge. He scratched his head and said, "You feeling poorly, Miss Emmaline?" I never missed work. I assured him all

He didn't have the manners of a traveling

was well, and turned back to the house, to Winston, who was

salesman, which is to say he wasn't especially

still at the kitchen table.

charming, or quick, or fast-talking. He was twenty-seven, I learned later, a veteran of the

We spent most of the day at Monroe Lake. He could float on his

Vietnam War, and he had the look of someone

back for a solid hour; I'd never seen anything like it. He could

lost, or maybe of someone not wanting to be

read while he did it, and showed me so, the front page of the

found. He had a scar that ran around his right

local paper soggy by the time he finished. I sat in an inner tube

thumb. He had shaggy, barely brown hair that he

and watched him, transfixed.

kept pushing behind his ears. He looked a lot like Robert Redford, whose movies I adored.

"You started to tell me about your parents yesterday," he said, finally, when he'd grown tired of floating and began to

"I've never lived anywhere but here in Judsonia,"

tread water.

I said. "My parents," I said, and then stopped.

I didn't talk about them with outsiders. They'd

"Ah, well," I said. "It's not a good story for a summer day."

trekked to the Alaskan wilderness and decided to disappear. I was supposed to go with them,

"Well, I'm sorry, all the same. For whatever happened," he said.

but I'd gotten a summer job at Bennie's Eating Emporium the year I graduated high school, and

I opened my mouth but didn't speak. He assumed they were

waved them off when they said they might not

dead. For all I knew they were. I paddled closer to him. "What

come back. They sent back one letter. One! In it,

are your parents like?"

they gave me the farm.

"My mother is small and round and happy," he said. "My father His name was Winston Shockley. He'd never

is tall and thin and angry."

been to Arkansas before. He smiled when I asked him why, and then he sang a line from

"What was the war like?"

"Never Been to Spain," a Three Dog Night hit that was all the rage. He'd been to Oklahoma, he sang, and for

He splashed water with the palm of his hand. "Not a story for

some reason I laughed. His voice was a perfect baritone. He had

a summer day," he said. "Why aren't you married?" he asked,

little gold hairs on his arms. His eyes were the blue of heaven.

without missing a beat.

I put him up in the barn that night. It was foolhardy and I knew

"I don't believe in marriage," I said, as defiant as I could

it. Getting undressed for bed, I felt embarrassed, even though

manage in the presence of a man I feared had the power to

there were walls between us, curtains, doors, a quarter acre, a

change my mind.

barn door solid as the night.

"Are you into free love?"

The next morning, I walked to the barn and knocked tentatively. I invited him to eat with me. His hands swallowed the coffee mug.

I laughed again. "Nothing on this green earth is free." And then

I liked his elbows on the table, his eyes scanning the newspaper,

I said, "Why aren't you married?"

his eyes scanning me when he thought I was busy at the stove.

"Not enough room in the LTD," he said, and laughed again.

A truckload of day workers showed up, mostly high school kids from town, a few old men who'd worked for my parents. I

I might not have loved him if he'd left that day, but he did not.

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southern lit

By the end of the week, he was working beside me in the fields.

mother and father, the winter and spring they spent bent over a

On Saturday, he drove to town, came back with a loaf of French

map of Alaska. I thought about how snow blinds you, burns you,

bread, two bottles of Boone's Farm, two steaks he grilled without

disorients you. "No," I said.

wearing his shirt.

Winston was so caught up tracing the red and blue lines with It was not as if I'd never been pursued by a man. I had. Sometimes

his finger that he didn't seem to hear me. "Are you leaving?" I

I'd been caught. But I always found my way home again. With

asked, and he told me he was, the very next morning.

Winston, it was as if he was not in pursuit at all. He was easy, like breathing is easy. I dressed carefully that night, put on a yellow

The barn seemed as far away as the east is from the west that

sundress, let my hair down, rubbed baby oil on my legs.

night. I paced across my bedroom floor, wondering what to do, wondering why I was so easy to leave. I believed then and

He found my dad's old albums and put Etta James on the stereo.

I believe it still, that he expected me to go to him, to make

He poured cheap wine, and sat on the arm of my chair while

things right, as I suppose most women would have done. But

we drank it. When "At Last" began to play, he pulled me to my

there was something in me that would not allow me to give a

feet and we danced in the living room while the last of the light

man the upper hand.

streamed through the tall windows.

When he left, I was stoic. I sent along fried chicken, a jug of tea, There is something solid in some men that makes a woman

peach cobbler. I imagined Winston turning around, a cloud of

believe she can be soft. Winston had that. His arms around me

red dirt following him down my rutted road, but that did not

felt like the rails of a fence that keeps every good thing safe. His

happen, not that day or any other.

chin on the top of my head felt like a promise. When he kissed Last week, just as the sun was setting, a UPS truck pulled down

me, well, you know the rest.

the lane. I opened the door to see it, and my old dog, Bessie, "I want you to know, Emmaline," he said, "that I could get

stood beside me and howled. The young driver handed me a

used to this."

box that I took inside and opened slowly. There was no return address. Inside was a tattered copy of Ulysses, and a note from

The next day we walked through the pear orchard my grandfather

Winston, who is now a widower and a grandfather, and works

planted in the 1940s, and Winston despaired at the condition it

part time at a Best Buy in Kansas.

was in. We drove to the county extension office, and the agent talked to us for an hour, telling us how to save the trees that

I have read his note so many times, I could recite it to you

were left, how to get the pears to produce again.

now. There are days when I think he's saying he loved me then and loves me still, and that he's paving his way to return

We worked the orchard together, and one day he asked for two

to me. There are days when I read it and think it's a goodbye

hundred dollars for irrigation equipment. It rang false when he

note, that he must be dying.

said it, and I thought for a minute that he was conning me, and I didn't like the way that made me feel. I made some excuse, and

It is such a small token, so late in the game it shouldn't matter.

he didn't ask again. He carried water to the trees through all of

But time has a way of blurring the past until it looks like one

July. In August, he stopped trying.

of Monet's fuzzy paintings. When I recite his letter aloud, I can summon up that time, the sun on my bare shoulders,

One September afternoon, just as the heat of summer was

Winston's hand on the small of my back. I can see myself at

ratcheting down from hellfire-fury to simply unbearable, Winston

twenty-two, as beautiful as I would ever be, my body almost

began to drift. He spent an entire Sunday morning washing and

perfect, and Etta James singing in the background, telling me

waxing his LTD. He brought a map into the house and circled

my lonely days were finally, thankfully over, and I believed her,

the state of Colorado. "Have you ever snow skied?" he asked,

even if none of it was ever true.

offhandedly, as if my answer didn't matter. I thought of my DOSOUTHMAGAZINE

Welcome to

All About Kids!

Who doesn't need help finding the best services and products for the kids in our lives? That's where Do South® comes in. We've searched high and low for fun activities, great clothes, gymnastics, summer sports camps, opportunities in education, tips on teaching kids how to deal with money, and even the sweetest treats that turn any outing into a celebration.

Once you've had a chance to look over these pages, drop me a line and let me know what you think. You can also recommend kid-friendly businesses for us to feature in upcoming special advertising sections. I love hearing from you, our readers!

—COMING NEXT MONTH—

SUMMER FUN

School's out, the weather's great, and we're ready to kick back and have some fun. We'll show you great vacation destinations, concerts, camps, swim lessons, festivals, museums, zoos, weekend getaways, ATVs, motorcycles, boats, pools & spas, theme parks, and live music. Don't miss out on your chance at Summer Fun!

MAY

Summer Fun

JUNE House & Home

Want your business to appear in one of our upcoming special advertising sections? Find out about our great rates and digital extras. Give me a call at 479.782.1500. I'd love to hear from you.

See you in May!

Catherine

Owner/Editor-in-Chief • Do South Magazine • 479.782.1500 P.S. Check out our Beauty & Fashion Special Advertising Section from March, 2015, available online at DoSouthMagazine.com/Guide

Do South's

ALL ABOUT KIDS

PLAY. LEARN. GROW.

C

hildhood should be filled with wonder. We grow. We learn.

We play. We celebrate things are epic as graduations and as ordinary as a sudden rain shower on a sweltering day. Along the way, there are businesses and professionals

that help our kids with everything from meeting their dental needs, to making their birthdays unforgettable, to learning to save money. Let Do South速 connect you with those in our community who make your kid's wellbeing their priority.

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ALL ABOUT KIDS

FLAME GYMNASTICS ACADEMY 5912 South 28th Street, Fort Smith 479.646.1616 flamefs.com

Flame Gymnastics is the leader in Gymnastics and Tumbling instruction in the River Valley. Located on South 28th Street just off of Zero, Flame offers over 20,000 sq ft of gymnastics fun and fitness for your child. The finest equipment and the most experienced instructors ensure your child will both learn and enjoy their gymnastics experience. If competition is your thing, Flame has produced 35 State Champion Teams, and more than 600 Individual and All Around State Champions! Call us today, and start your child on the road to fun and fitness.

Office Hours Monday, Tuesday, Thursday: 9am-8pm Wednesday: 9am-7:30pm Friday: 9am - 6:30pm

We Offer: Girl's Recreational Gymnastics Boy's Recreational Gymnastics Mom N Tot Gymnastics Preschool & Tiny Tot Gymnastics USAG Level 4-10 Competitive Boys Teams

Flame Office: 479.646.1616 Find us on Facebook

USAG Level 3-10 Competitive Girls Teams Urban Gymnastics Classes Swim Lessons with Jayne Jacobsen & Lauren Wolfe Birthday Parties Splash Bash Swim Parties Beginner, Intermediate and Advanced Tumbling Classes

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Gym Hours Monday - Thursday: 10am - 7:30pm Friday: 10am-6:30pm Saturday: 10am – Noon

ALL ABOUT KIDS

Developing Mind, Body & Spirit since 1985!

ARVEST 866. 952.9523 arvest.com

ALL ABOUT KIDS

Arvest Bank believes in people helping people.

Through the Teach Kids to Save program, Arvest associates go into local schools to help children learn money basics and how to save for the future. It's a fun program children love. Even before they reach school age, there are ways to start teaching important financial lessons.

Young children Set a weekly allowance to match the child's age.

(A 5-year-old would receive $5 per week.)

•

•

Tie the allowance to chores, and if they're not done, withhold allowance for the week.

Divide the allowance into 3 categories: immediate spending, saving for an upcoming purchase, and saving for a longer-term goal.

Arvest's Cool Blue savings account includes valuable educational tools which teach financial lessons.

Benefits include: • No minimum balance and no monthly fee.

• Interest paid quarterly.

• Unlimited deposits and up to 6 withdrawals per month.

Older children Arvest's Teach Kids to Save program works with local educators to help school-age children develop lifelong financial skills. Teachers love these programs, and kids are excited to learn in such a fun, interactive way. They'll learn:

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• • • •

What saving money means, and why it matters.

How to open a savings account.

How to set savings goals.

How to plan for the future.

Teenagers During your child's teens, they'll realize no one gets everything they want. They'll also begin to understand more complex financial issues. Their allowance may no longer be enough since life is getting more expensive. Discuss after-school and summer jobs, and talk about the benefits. Jobs teach:

Kevin Stiles, Branch Manager Fort Smith, says, "It can help them better understand how money works for them and their family and can assist them throughout life as they • That money is earned and not something parents will make their own financial decisions." always provide.

• Responsibility, like showing up on time and taking direction.

Keep the conversation going Find opportunities to discuss money. If you're writing checks, talk about the importance of paying bills and balancing a budget. A conversation about choosing a college can be an eye-opening experience when your child learns how much it costs.

If an outside job is not possible, consider hiring your teen for additional chores at an hourly rate, making sure they treat the chores like any other job.

Take advantage of these opportunities and by the time your child is ready to leave home, they'll have a solid foundation for their financial future.

• Help them establish a checking account, and assist them in preparing a tax return if they work outside the home.

• Teach them to reconcile their checking account each month.

Other lessons you can teach:

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SYLVAN OF FORT SMITH Located just off Rogers Avenue, behind Randall Ford 2409 South 56th Street, Fort Smith, AR 72903 479.484.6799 | www.sylvanfs.com Get an Edge Up with STEM! (Science, Technology, Engineering, and Math) Since 1987 Sylvan of Fort Smith has been transforming how students learn, inspiring them to succeed in school and in life. Sylvan’s proven tutoring approach blends amazing teachers with SylvanSync™ technology on the iPad® for an engaging learning experience. Sylvan programs include study skills, math, reading, writing and test prep for college entrance and state exams. Now Sylvan of Fort Smith is introducing new STEM enrichment classes for Grades 1 – 6.

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STEM is a nationwide initiative to help educate students in Science, Technology, Engineering, and Math. With projections for careers in these fields far outpacing growth of all other occupations, Sylvan wants to build excitement for STEM early on. By 2020, there is expected to be 1 million more computer science jobs than students who can enter the labor force as skilled workers.

This April marks the national rollout of Sylvan EDGE, which focuses on STEM-based learning through robotics, math and coding courses to elementary and middle school students. Due to American students’ lack of interest in studying Science, Technology, Engineering and Math, Sylvan saw the opportunity to step in and offer enrichment programs. To accomplish this, Sylvan has created fun and interactive courses to help children understand STEM material. By offering EDGE, Sylvan will become the largest national supplier of STEM-based education.

Sylvan’s new coding classes allow students to get to work on creating animations and building actual video games, while having fun learning critical STEM skills. In the Robotics class, students brainstorm and build and program robots with hands-on projects, engaging activities and experiments.

The future leadership of STEM-related industries depends on how we educate and inspire our students today.

The earlier in life that children are exposed to STEM and feel comfortable with the areas of study, the larger chance that they will succeed in a STEM career. Sylvan is there every step of the way to give children the EDGE they need!

Come see the new Sylvan EDGE Classes today at Sylvan of Fort Smith!

And Opening Spring 2015 -Sylvan of Rogers!

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55 Stickers

55 Barrettes

55 Fortunes

55 Character Band-Aids

55 Finger lights

55 Plastic bugs

55 Finger puppets

55 Slime

55 Mini dinosaurs

55 Lip gloss

55 Play Dough

55 Pictures of larger

55 Bouncy balls

55 Silly Putty

55 Magic grow capsules

55 Temporary tattoos

55 Balloons

55 Marbles

55 Glow bracelets

55 Tiny bubbles

55 A set of jacks

55 Dollar bills

55 Mini nail polish

55 Army men

55 Coins

55 Barbie accessories

55 Hair ties

55 Whistles

55 Rubber bracelets

55 Earrings

55 Yo-yos

55 Hot Wheels

55 Necklaces

55 A mini slinky

55 Movie tickets

55 Wind-up toys

55 Jokes on sheets of

55 Batting cage passes

items (the larger gift is hidden in the house)

paper 55 Rubber stamps

55 Rings

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