Hoppy - March 2018

®

HOPPY

MARCH 2018 DoSouthMagazine.com

CONTENTS EDITOR-IN-CHIEF / OWNER Catherine Frederick CHIEF OPERATING OFFICER Scott Frederick MANAGING EDITOR Marla Cantrell CONTRIBUTING WRITERS / PHOTOGRAPHERS Jennifer Burchett Marla Cantrell Catherine Frederick Jade Graves Jim Hattabaugh Dwain Hebda Jeromy Price Jessica Sowards James Stefiuk Tom Wing GRAPHIC DESIGNER Artifex 323 - Jessica Mays PROOFREADER Charity Chambers

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PUBLISHER Read Chair Publishing, LLC

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INSIDE

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IN THE BEGINNING When Mary Adams was a little girl, she lived on Free Ferry Road with seven siblings, parents devoted to organic food, and a troupe of goats and chickens in the backyard. See how her upbringing led her to the life she leads today.

IF YOUR YARD COULD TALK Two Fort Smith women with one big idea and enough energy to fuel a rocket ship, started a company that brings joys across the area, one celebration at a time.

PASTA & ZUCCHINI SAUCE Looking for a dish to usher in spring? This Pasta and Zucchini Sauce, rich and filling, is the perfect new recipe for you to try!

A RIVER RUNS THROUGH IT Arkansas, with its hills and valleys, rivers and streams, is a wonderland for outdoor activity. It’s no wonder the White River gets so much attention both in the state and across the nation.

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ADVERTISING INFORMATION Catherine Frederick - 479.782.1500 Catherine@DoSouthMagazine.com

EDITORIAL INFORMATION Marla Cantrell - 479.831.9116 Marla@DoSouthMagazine.com ©2018 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. Printed in the U.S.A. | ISSN 2373-1893 Cover Image: MNStudio

FOLLOW US Annual subscriptions are $36 (12 months), within the contiguous United States. Subscribe at DoSouthMagazine.com or mail check to 4300 Rogers Avenue, Suite 20-110, Fort Smith, AR, 72903. Single issues are available upon request. Inquiries or address changes, call 479.782.1500.

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letter from the editor

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Spring is in the air as I write this. Today, it’s a balmy seventyseven degrees, and rain is close behind. Weeds are popping up through the brittle, brown blades of

Don’t miss reading “If Your Yard Could Talk,” by Marla Cantrell.

Who would have believed that two local ladies with no prior knowledge of woodworking or power tools

grass that will soon burst forth in all shades of

could turn such things into a business that

green. Most mornings, as I stumble to the

brings them, and our entire community, so

back door to let my pups out, I can hear

much joy? Dwain Hebda has a travel feature

the birds calling for springtime.

on the White River, a history lesson in its economic and ecological importance to

In the past, if you asked my favorite

our state—not to mention the best places

season, I’d say summer. But, as I grow

to cast your line for the big catch!

older, spring is taking over. Not too hot, not too cold. All things new. From

We’ve got you covered for St. Patrick’s

outside in, my house gets a good scrub,

Day and Easter with not one but three

and seasonal décor is changed out, new life is

recipes, an Irish cocktail with a twist, and

breathed in. Everything about it just feels good.

DIY home décor and bunny projects the kids can help with! If you’re dyeing eggs, try some of our

Soon, I’ll be sprucing up my container garden and flower

unique ways that don’t require color tablets from the store.

beds, filling up bird feeders and dusting off the front porch swing and back patio furnishings. I’ll drink my coffee

We’re showcasing local pets up for adoption, and bringing

outdoors under a light blanket in the early hours and watch

items we love in Shop Local. Author and historian Tom

as the world wakes up. Yes, it’s official, spring is my favorite

Wing’s latest story in celebration of our bicentennial, “The

time of year.

Women of Fort Smith,” is thrilling to read. And I review the Hurricane Scrubber (as seen on TV) to see if it works! All this

I have many favorites in this month’s issue. From the story of

plus Marla Cantrell reviews The Woman in the Window and

local farrier, Darrell Belt, who spends his days putting shoes

delivers her latest piece of southern fiction.

on 1,200-pound horses as tall as he is, to Mary Adams, of Olde Fashioned Foods, who shares the lessons she gained

We’ve packed a lot of favorites into this issue! Thank you for

as a child, about organic foods and nourishing our bodies.

taking time out of your busy lives to pick up Do South ®, and

If you’re a gardener, you must read Jessica Sowards’ story,

for supporting our advertisers. They support our passion and

“The World Inside a Seed,” as she brings us inside her love

are so appreciative of your loyalty. Happy March everyone,

of seed catalogs and her passion to preserve the thousands

see you in the spring!

of heirloom varieties.

~Catherine

Follow Do South® Magazine

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

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calendar

MARCH

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some images courtesy vendors and Arkansas Department of Parks and Tourism

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Chaffee Crossing USO Dance Fort Smith chaffeecrossing.com The UAFS Jazz Band, Jazz Cats members, and the Don Bailey Quartet present an evening of 1940s big band music at this USO dance.

Dinner buffet, dance lessons, and proceeds benefit the Chaffee Crossing Historic District.

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Submit your events to editors@dosouthmagazine.com

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Cold-Blooded Critter Weekend Mountainburg 479.369.2469

Snakes, turtles, frogs, and salamanders, oh boy! Come for a weekend of exploring the world of these cold-blooded critters of Lake Fort Smith State Park.

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5 Tribes Bicentennial Fort Smith gofortsmithar.com

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The Convention Center is the site for this all-day event celebrating the Five Civilized Tribes—Cherokee, Choctaw, Creek, Chickasaw, and Seminole. There will be performances, vendors, and demonstrations.

Spring Bluegrass Festival Mountain View mountainview-bluegrass.com The Mountain View Bluegrass Association is hosting the Spring Bluegrass Festival at the Ozark Folk Center State Park. Live music, and tons of down-home fun!

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The Community Strikes Back Fort Smith

childrensemergencyshelter.org Sign up early for the Fort Smith Children’s Emergency Shelter and Commissary Kiwanis Club's bowling tournament at Bowling World. There will be prizes!

calendar

THETOPTENTHETOPTEN

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TH Spring Break at Devil’s Den West Fork 479.761.3325 Schools have let out for spring break, and that means it’s time to explore state parks. Devil’s Den has special programs each day for every member of the family.

A Night in the Caribbean Fort Smith kistlercenter.org

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Dancing, Caribbean cuisine, an open bar, a silent auction, and live music by Mr. Cabbage Head and the Screaming Radishes, all to benefit the Gregory Kistler Center.

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Comic-Con Mulberry 479.997.5622 Head to Kirksey Park in Mulberry for Comic-Con, from 11am-5pm. This Mulberry Library fundraiser includes Stormtroopers, costumes, prizes, T-shirts, and yummy food.

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River Valley Lawn and Garden Show Fort Smith fslawngardenshow.com The Fort Smith Convention Center comes alive with the Lawn and Garden Show. Get great ideas to make your world a little brighter, and attend seminars on garden topics.

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An Evening at the Gallery Poteau poteaurotary.org This Poteau Rotary wine and arts festival takes place at the Donald W. Reynolds Center from 4-8pm. Great food, live music, artwork, a silent auction, and a commemorative wine glass to use while sampling Oklahoma wines.

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community

This year, as Fort Smith celebrates its bicentennial, author and historian Tom Wing will be sharing stories of our city’s past in each edition of Do SouthŽ.

THE WOMEN OF FORT CITY Jerusa Wilcox Sturgis sits with her husband Samuel, children, and family dog.

words Tom Wing, Historian IMAGE courtesy Tom Wing via the New York Historical Society and Fort Smith National Historic Site DOSOUTHMAGAZINE.COM

community

Women in 19th century Fort Smith have much to teach us in the

more visible, both in good and not so good ways. Her research

“Bicentennial School.” In many cases, the women of early Fort

shows that while four women were convicted of murder at Fort

Smith lived in obscurity. Social practices of the time relegated

Smith, three (Mollie King, Elsie James, and Fanny Echols) had

women to second-class citizenship. They could not vote, serve

their sentences commuted to life imprisonment. The fourth,

on juries, in some places own property, hold elected office,

Mary Kettering, was acquitted after an appeal forced a new

attend college, or pursue certain professions. As a result, their

trial. While 19th century women faced inequality in almost

historical voices are somewhat silenced in a male-dominated

every area of life, criminal punishment was one exception.

world. Even so, there are records that identify some of these

Convicted and facing the same federally mandated sentence

women, whose stories, thankfully, survive today.

as a man, the women were allowed some sense of discretion.

For example, UAFS Professor of History, Billy Higgins, in his

Of course, the majority of the women were honorable citizens,

book, A Stranger and Sojourner, documented four women

working hard, living upright lives, helping bring up the next

present when the fort was established in 1817. These women

generation. Florence Hammersly, a graduate of Fort Smith High

were laundresses, who drew rations like the soldiers did for

School, delivered a commencement speech that garnered the

their sewing, washing, and other work. Three of the four are

attention of Fort Smith School Board member Isaac C. Parker.

unnamed, but one appeared by name on the post records.

Florence studied stenography at the Fort Smith Commercial

According to Higgins, Mary Loving was probably the wife of a

College and upon graduating, became Deputy Court Clerk in

soldier at the post named William Loving and likely gave birth

the Federal Court. At a time when men dominated most law-

to the first child in Fort Smith’s history, on September 17, 1820.

related positions, Hammersly had a reputation for efficiency

In December 2017, the commemorations at the site appropri-

and accuracy. A contemporary of hers wrote, “Her abilities

ately honored these pioneer women as well as the soldiers.

and her refinement mark her as a sample of American womanhood to which the land of her birth may point with pride.”

Life for military wives and children involved a great deal of travel

After serving a number of years, she went on to become a U.S.

(much as it does today) and postings sometimes in isolated

Deputy Marshal in 1922 and 1927.

locations. Jerusa Wilcox, originally from Connecticut, knew this life well when she married Captain Samuel Sturgis. Sturgis was

Lastly, no discussion of women in Fort Smith would be

a company and post commander of Fort Smith from the late

complete without the mention of Anna Dawes. In 1885, Anna,

1850s till the beginning of the Civil War. Jerusa and Samuel’s

the daughter of Senator Henry Dawes of Massachusetts, and

children grew up for a time in our town and like most children,

Chairman of the Dawes Commission dealing with Indian affairs,

caused their mother (and father) great worry.

wrote an article describing the dungeonlike conditions of the “Hell on the Border” jail after a brief visit to Fort Smith. Her

Twelve-year-old Jack Sturgis and another soldier’s son

article was reprinted in the congressional record and helped

“borrowed a quantity of black powder from the post maga-

secure funds to build a new and more accommodating jail.

zine.” Only intending fun, the boys set it off, but were too close and suffered burns and scars. Jack followed his father’s

In conclusion, we should note, that in reality, most women in

footsteps, attending West Point, and in 1876 was a lieutenant

19th century Fort Smith were not activists, court staff members,

in the 7th Cavalry serving under George Custer. Sadly, he did

military wives, or criminals. Most set themselves about the hard

not survive, and Jack’s grieving mother was allowed to see the

work all around them, laboring at home, on farms or some-

place of his death and burial, although controversy remains as

times other employment, and simply doing their part to move

to the actual location and identification of the body.

life forward. We owe so much to these women.

Still other stories come from Juliet Golanska, former National Park Service Historian at Fort Smith, who surmised that the Federal Court of the Western District of Arkansas made women

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poetry

Thanks LINEs Jennifer Burchett

There's one star left in the sky and pink on the horizon, Beauty in the night and light always ahead.

To give thanks is to enliven the soul.

DOSOUTHMAGAZINE.COM

entertainment

The Woman in the Window

By A.J. Finn | William Morrow | 427 pages | $27 review Marla Cantrell

Meet Anna Fox, a woman who drinks too much, mixes her

that causes the police to get involved. They investigate but find

multiple prescription drugs with alcohol, and spends hours

nothing amiss. When they come to Anna’s house to question her,

watching old black-and-white suspense movies like Gaslight and

they see the collection of pill bottles on her coffee table, the open

anything with Hitchcock’s name on it.

bottles of wine. Her story doesn’t hold much weight.

She lives in a gentrified neighborhood in Harlem, and is obsessed

Even Anna doubts herself, wondering if she had been halluci-

with her neighbors, particularly the Russells, a family of three who

nating. But then the Russell boy shows up at her door, frightened

just moved in. In the hours when she’s not training the zoom lens

of his father and looking for comfort.

of her camera on their uncovered windows, she’s online playing chess or in a chat room for people with agoraphobia, a condition

As the thriller unfolds, everyone comes into question. Anna’s

that surfaced in Anna after an unnamed tragedy stalled her life.

renter has a dark past, for instance. Mr. Russell has much to hide.

And Mrs. Russell, well, just who is Mrs. Russell?

But before that, she was a therapist who worked with children.

Now, she can’t even leave her house. More troubling than that is

Before the book ends, Anna will face the fight of her life

the fact that her daughter is living with her dad, the man Anna loves

because of what she saw. Will she survive? You’ll have to read

but is separated from. Her only companions are her cat, the man

the book to find out.

she rents a room to, and the wine she has delivered by the case.

Already, there’s a movie in the works. As you read you can One day, something amazing happens. She makes friends with

imagine these heart-pounding scenes playing out on the Silver

Mrs. Russell, who visits Anna, spilling secrets and matching

Screen. If you liked Girl on a Train or Gone Girl, you’ll love

Anna’s drinking glass for glass. Mrs. Russell’s husband has a

The Woman in the Window. It is a bit different because

temper and is controlling. Their son, a teenager who’s home-

it plays heavily on the noir genre of classic thrillers like

schooled, isn’t even allowed a cellphone and spends a great deal

Rear Window and Vertigo.

of time alone in his upstairs bedroom.

This is the perfect book to take on your spring break trip. That is The visit doesn’t stop Anna from spying on her new friend, and one

if you’re not too frightened to stay up all night reading. It’s that

day she sees a crime unfold inside the Russells’ house, an event

hard to put down.

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pets

Bring Home the Love M

F

M

M

Kingsley

Trinity

F

Bull

F

Harmony

3800 Kelley Hwy., Fort Smith | 479.783.4395 |

Vince

Ponoco

| adoption@hopehumanesociety.com

Each month, Do SouthÂŽ 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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lifestyle

does it work?

Do South® Magazine Reviews

As Seen on TV Hurricane Spin Scrubber words Catherine Frederick

What’s the deal?

The As Seen on TV Hurricane Spin Scrubber is a cordless, rechargeable power scrubber that does the hard work for you, fast.

What’s the claim?

The claim is that the As Seen on TV Hurricane Spin Scrubber cuts through mildew, grime, dirt, rust, hard water stains, and much more, without you having to bend or get on your hands and knees to clean. It can be used indoors and out.

How it works: Simply pop on the scrubber head of your choice, turn it on, and watch the cyclone power go to work. Hurricane Spin Scrubber's powerful spin action rotates 300 times per minute and flexible bristles mold into cracks and crevices to dig out dirt, grime, and mildew.

Included are: The Hurricane Scrubber with built-in rechargeable batteries, an extension pole which extends to 44”, three scrubbing heads, and a charger.

What’s the cost?

I purchased mine at my local Bed Bath & Beyond for $39.99 (don't forget their 20% off coupon), but the product is also sold online and at other big-box retailers.

What’s the verdict?

I have a large shower with small tiles on the floor, which equates to many grout lines and lots of scrubbing time. This product has saved me not only time, but I can clean the entire shower while standing. It can even be used in the kitchen and on automotive.

The heads can be easily replaced as needed. I’ve found with the extension rod, I'm not exposed to the harsh chemicals, which tend to dry out my hands and cause brittle nails.

I highly recommend adding this product to your cleaning arsenal!

DOSOUTHMAGAZINE.COM

Have a product you’d like us to review? Send your ideas to editors@dosouthmagazine.com.

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shop

LOCAL LOVE! words Catherine Frederick imageS Jade Graves Photography and courtesy vendors

Diamond Engagement Rings by Hearts On Fire, available in 18kt. Rose, Yellow, White Gold and Platinum

JOHN MAYS JEWELERS 479.452.2140

Sunfood™ Organic Golden Milk Super Blend for Joint Mobility and Support, Nature’s Secret® Ultimate Cleanse 2-Part Total-Body Program, Yogi® DeTox Healthy Cleansing Formula® Tea

OLDE FASHIONED FOODS 479.782.6183 / 479.649.8200

Giraffe Wall Art, Coaster Set with Holder, Wooden Serving Tray, and Scarf William Wolf Premium Whiskeys in Peach, Pecan and Apple

IN GOOD SPIRITS 479.434.6604

DOSOUTHMAGAZINE.COM

JENNIFER’S GIFT SHOP AT SPARKS HEALTH 479.441.4221

shop

We’re a little bit in love with everything you see here! March right in to some of our favorite local shops this month, see what strikes your fancy, and be sure to tell them Do South® sent you!

Jameson Irish Whiskey Caskmates®, Knockmore Irish Whiskey, Tullamore Dew® Irish Whiskey, Green Spot Single Pot Still Irish Whiskey, Nitro Irish Stout

Muse iQ Rechargeable Hearing Aids and Docking Station, the Smallest Rechargeable Hearing Aid Available, by Starkey®

CENTER FOR HEARING 479.785.3277

SODIE’S WINE & SPIRITS 479.783.8013

Baby Foot, a Highly Effective Product for Rough, Calloused and Dry Feet

Portraits Sunglasses by FaceAFace Paris

DR. STEVEN B. STILES OPTOMETRY

ARKANSAS VEIN CLINICS & SKINCARE 479.484.7100

DOSOUTHMAGAZINE.COM

479.452.2020

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people

In the Beginning

The Olde Fashioned Foods Story

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words Marla Cantrell IMAGEs Jade Graves, Jade Graves Photography

Mary Adams doesn’t see the sense in changing things that have

She remembers the school years particularly, unwrapping her

always worked. She orders the herbs and supplements that

lunch at the cafeteria table, unveiling the two slabs of home-

line the shelves of Olde Fashioned Foods in historic Fort Smith,

made brown bread that drew stares from the other kids. This

Arkansas, over the phone. Send her an email, and you’re up a

was at a time when convenience foods were the rising star of

creek. Mary uses snail mail, the telephone, or better still, face-to-

the American lifestyle. Tang, for instance. TV dinners in metal

face interactions.

trays. Soft pillows of bright white bread. “When other people had Cheerios, we’d be eating millet cereal. Buckwheat pancakes

As she’s explaining her philosophy on sticking with the tried

with blackstrap molasses.” Mary makes a face. “I could hardly

and true, she’s smiling. The afternoon sun from the wide

stand those pancakes,” she says.

windows of her natural foods shop is pooling around her, and in this light, she could be twenty years younger than her sixty-

Back then, Mary felt different.

two years. Maybe twenty-five.

Rightly so. Her parents, Bill and Louise Bruce, both born in Mary lives in much the same way she grew up, the eighth and

1912, made the family home on two-and-a-half acres on Free

final child of progressive parents who believed in organic food

Ferry Road, in a house that is long since gone. She remembers

long before it was cool. “They met at twenty-eight years of age,

certain books in the house, such as Let’s Get Well, and Let’s

and had eight kids in eleven years,” Mary says, describing a

Have Healthy Children, by Adelle Davis, whose belief that you

household that was always bustling, always in motion.

could improve your health through better nutrition may have seemed revolutionary at the time.

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people

Mary’s parents used their plot of land vigorously, planting a big garden in the back of the house, a plum and apple orchard. There were goats and chickens. There was a big, glass greenhouse where Mary’s father would raise papayas, pineapples, avocados. “In the winter, one of us would invariably leave the door open and kill something,” Mary says, the memory of that time as vivid as ever.

“The brothers had paper routes. The girls babysat. We mowed the grass. We worked the garden; we shucked corn together in the backyard. Our parents had land north of Dyer, and they farmed there.

That’s where we had watermelons.”

When Mary was still a preschooler, her parents started Olde Fashioned Foods in their garage, ordering staples like whole wheat flour and brown rice in bulk. They’d divide the order with people with similar interests, such as fellow members of the church they attended. Mary says it was one of the earliest co-ops around.

When she was somewhere around eight or nine, the business moved

Bill and Louise Bruce

to this location at 123 North 18th Street. It is a lovely old dormered house with stained-glass, a fireplace surrounded by muted green tile.

It smells the way great natural food stores do, like exotic spices and fresh-from-the-earth produce.

For Mary, it feels a lot like home. In fact, it was her great-great uncle’s house, Edgar Bruce. His entire married life, he lived here. After his wife passed away, though, he wasn’t able to live alone. Mary’s family took him in, and when he died, the house became theirs. “When I think of him,” Mary says, “I always remember what a sweet, kind man he was.”

When she was sixteen, she started working at Olde Fashioned Foods, like three of her siblings had done before her. (Her brother, John Bruce, now owns Squash Blossom Company in Van Buren.) She took to it immediately. But when she graduated from high school, she headed to Texas State University where she earned her teaching degree. She took inspiration from her mother, who taught at Darby Junior High for years, and Mary taught for about four years while she lived in the Longhorn State. But then she came home to visit when her oldest son was born, and the allure of Olde Fashioned Foods pulled her back in.

At first, she worked part-time, but twenty-nine years ago, she and her then-husband bought the business from her parents.

At this spot in the conversation, Mary changes course to relay an unexpected story from a woman whose life screams “clean living.” She says, “Not that I didn’t stray. There was a time when I ate anything that didn’t DOSOUTHMAGAZINE.COM

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people

run away. Twinkies, bologna sandwiches on white bread, soda pop, potato chips. We’d go to White Spot and get a dozen burgers. The last Big Mac I had was about thirtythree years ago when I was pregnant.”

Part of her departure from the straight-and-narrow might have been a bit of a rebellion from that unconventional upbringing, that feeling of missing out on something other kids took for granted. Whatever the case, her foray into this processed diet was merely a fling.

Looking back, she can smile about her indiscretion. She also has the distance she needs to realize what a gift her parents gave her, teaching her about organic foods, the taste of a fresh plum, a ripe avocado, a tomato sunwarmed from the garden.

Today, Mary is a vegetarian leaning toward veganism.

She smiles her sparkling smile and recites what she’d eaten the day before: barbeque tempeh, homemade coleslaw, a green salad with radishes and turnips, and butternut squash and sweet potatoes. “I eat tons and tons of vegetables. Fruits and vegetables are key.”

Part of Mary’s success in business is likely that she has so much faith in this way of living. Organic produce, specialty teas—she’s fond of hibiscus tea, for example— veggie entrees, she loves it all. As for the supplements she sells, she’s quick to say she never dispenses medical advice. She has a wealth of knowledge about her products, however, from study and life experience. There is also much information online and in books.

Customers often come in after finding that information.

Those following certain diets do as well. And sometimes doctors will send patients in for certain supplements.

Mary appreciates everyone who walks through the door.

There is a sense of community at Olde Fashioned Foods.

Of customers who return again and again. Of co-workers who made all the difference, like Ed, Connie, Juliana and Diane who’ve stood beside Mary for more than twenty years. Stay long enough (Mary certainly has), and you’ll watch kids come in who will later return as adults.

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people

A little more than twenty years ago, a second Olde Fashioned Foods opened across town at 8434 Phoenix Avenue.

That location is run by Mary’s sons: Bruce, Seth, and Isaac. Also working there is her niece, Arden, the daughter of Mary’s oldest sister.

As she describes what it’s like to see the business continue with another generation of her family, she returns once again to the way she was reared. Her parents believed in a way of life that seemed odd at the time, but that’s since come into favor. It’s hard to imagine anyone who doesn’t now think that what we eat affects our health, for example. Mary wonders what her mother and father would think today, fifty-nine years after they started their business in their garage.

Mary smiles, the warmth of the afternoon filling every corner of Olde Fashioned Foods. She believes they’d be proud, she says, her voice wavering with emotion as she says this. The phone rings then, and a customer comes through the door, and the day marches on in this grand old house in the heart of Fort Smith.

Mary Adams

Olde Fashioned Foods 123 North 18th, Fort Smith, 479.782.6183 Olde Fashioned Foods 8434 Phoenix Avenue, Fort Smith, 479.649.8200

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community

Our Community Cares words Do South® staff

Hannah House houses young women ages 13-29 who are experiencing a crisis, providing a place that empowers young women, allowing them to have a chance to stabilize their lives and prepare for a better future. Young women typically stay for six months to a year. Do South® spoke with CEO Cindy Crawford about their mission.

DS: Hannah House has been around since 1997.

How did it get its start?

Cindy: I was working at a local crisis center for women, and we had young women come in who wanted to give life to their babies; however, their support system wanted something different. We began to pray, and from that, a group of people formed a board of directors and the rest is history.

418 S. 17th Street

DS: There’s a misconception that Hannah House only serves pregnant young women.

Fort Smith, AR 72901

Cindy: That’s how we started, but very quickly we began receiving calls from other

hannahhouseark.com

young women who needed help. In 1998, we branched out, serving additional young

479.782.5683

women who were experiencing crises such as drug/alcohol abuse (and had been clean for at least 30 days), emotional abuse, homelessness, etc.

DS: What’s it like to positively impact so many lives?

Cindy: It’s wonderful! Seeing a newborn and knowing you helped to make a way possible for Next month, we’ll showcase another worthy charity in our area.

If you have a non-profit you’d like to see recognized, email us at editors@dosouthmagazine.com.

his/her mom to give life! Watching the young women come in hurt, scared, depressed and hopeless. You begin to see a light in their faces as they begin to feel safe, as they are taught the Word of God, and are given tools to be successful. I have a plaque that reads, "Just when the caterpillar thought the world was over, she became a butterfly." That's what happens at Hannah House. It's like a cocoon experience, being sheltered from the world for a season.

DS: If our readers want to help, what should they do?

Cindy: Call us at 479.782.5683, or you can go to our website, hannahhouseark.com, and fill out a volunteer application.

DS: Is there anything else you want us to know?

Cindy: We do not take federal or state grants because we are a Christian home. We are supported by individuals, businesses, and only 18 churches in our community.

Fifty percent of our income comes from fundraising events that are put on by our Fundraising Board, and we need more people to help in this area. If you’re interested, contact me at 479.782.5683 or cindy@hannahhouseark.com.

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people

d l r o W The d e e a S e d si n I s and

Word

rds owa ica S s s e age J

im

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people

Years ago, when my oldest son Jackson was around six years old, my

cheaper. Because of this, pest and disease resistance are prized,

husband asked him what he thought I might like for my birthday.

and hybrid plants with the ability to produce consistent, strong,

Jackson thought long and hard, and as if a light bulb suddenly

early fruit become staples. Unfortunately, these hybrids are often

burned above his head, he exclaimed, "I know! Catalogs!"

created with these attributes at the cost of sacrificing flavor. And most of them, being hybrids, are not open pollinated and therefore cannot consistently reproduce.

Catalogs. He wanted to gift his mother catalogs.

No, not the sort filled with finery or fancy

Many home gardeners visit the garden

home furnishings. Those were never the

centers in chain home stores every year

things to turn my heart. My boy had been watching, and when the mail ran in

and purchase their starter plants.

our suburban neighborhood, I would

They take them home and tenderly

bring in the seed catalogs as if they

cultivate them, enjoying the fruits

were treasures. The laundry and the

of their labor without ever having

cleaning would be left waiting, and

touched a seed packet. They never

I would sit down as an avid reader

think of saving seeds from their

does with a long-anticipated install-

efforts, because they are certain

ment in a beloved book series. My boys

the garden center will stock plants the next year and their needs will be

would curl up next to me, and we would

met. Which is true. The home centers

flip through the glossy pages, marveling at

will. They will stock a handful of best-

the colorful carrots, the wildly beautiful toma-

selling varieties and maybe a few heirlooms.

toes, and the many interesting varieties of veggies

Their seed racks will tout a few more vari-

that would be long forgotten if it weren't for

eties, but largely, the world of heirloom

heirloom seed preservers.

options will go unrepresented.

Before I ever had the space to plant them, I loved to shop for seeds. Every

This is how I used to garden until

year, I'd buy far more than I could

I got my first heirloom seed cata-

hope to grow in the containers that

logs from places like Baker Creek

lined my front porch. So when my

Seeds and Pine Tree Seeds. I was

dreams of owning a hobby farm came

astounded. Page after page, I was

to pass, my seed collection was ample

blown away by varieties of fruits and vegetables I had never heard of

and ready. It took a couple of years of

before. Colors of peppers and toma-

planning and saving, but eventually, the

toes I had never imagined spread out

greenhouse was erected, the garden beds

over pages coupled with stories of families

built, and the soil was delivered. The first year

handing down seeds for generations. Melon

of having a big garden, I planted over a thousand square feet. The next year, we doubled that. And in the

seeds obtained through world travels and cucumber

midst of it, I became more fascinated than ever with the smallest

varieties saved from the brink of extinction sparked my desire

and most important factor of the whole garden endeavor: seeds.

to do it differently.

It seems like an obvious thing, that a gardener would love

I didn't want to just grow food. I wanted to grow beauty. And

seeds. But you'd be surprised. Modern growing practices have

I didn't just want to harvest vegetables; I wanted to harvest

largely changed the face of agriculture, and it is a completely

seeds. Because these were stories in plant form. Someone cared

different thing than it was when our grandparents were farming.

enough to save them, and it felt like an invitation to take part in

Now, commercial farms are expected to grow more, faster, and

keeping their stories alive.

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people

This year, I was able to take part in multiple seed swaps in the online community of gardeners on Instagram. I packaged offerings from my collection and mailed them off. In return, I received hundreds of seed packets from all over the nation, lovingly saved from the gardens of strangers, all eager to share their stories.

I still collect the seed catalogs through the winter, though now my sons know well that it isn't the catalogs themselves that excite me. I place orders for seeds that I've never tried before, and by March, my greenhouse and living room windowsills are lined with adolescent plants of wild and nearly forgotten varieties. I start five times more plants than I have room to grow in my garden because I love to gift them to family and friends and offer them for sale to local gardeners. I don't do this to pay my bills or have any hopes of changing the way things are done on a large scale. I just hope to spread the joy I've found in beautiful and delicious plants gardeners might never get to experience otherwise.

My organic heirloom garden is more work than one full of hybrids might be. February and March mean daily trips to the green-

In the midst of harvesttime, I will sit in my garden every evening

house to attentively care for sprouting seeds. Without relying on

as awe washes over me. With baskets of bounty at my feet, it will

hybrid resistance and spray-on chemicals, the battle against pests

strike my heart to be surrounded by two thousand square feet of

and disease can be a tough one. Evenings in June and July might

plants that once fit in my hands as a few hundred seeds. Then, as

require hours of hand picking hornworms from tomato leaves or

the days begin to cool and the production begins to wane, I will

spraying the garden with essential oils. The difficulty of the work

start the process of saving seeds. The final vestiges of one season

pales in comparison to the joy my garden brings.

will become the bounty of the next. Seeds will be traded, gifted and put up for years to come.

Even though the months of pampering sprouts demands much more than simply buying plants at the store, I wouldn't trade

Sometimes I dream of having a seed bank and a catalog of my

them. During those days, I slip through the greenhouse door and

own, but I doubt that ever happens. Right now, the big plastic

settle into the warmth. I run my hands across the little fledgling

tote under my bed works just fine for seed storage and my collec-

plants and feel my hope and anticipation bud and grow along-

tion catalog is a composition book full of doodles and notes. I

side them. In the summer, when the work mounts and I may feel

may not change the world and the way things are done on a

slightly seduced by the idea of chemical pesticides, I am stilled in

large scale, but of one thing I can be sure. That box underneath

wonder by the first ripe fruits. Suddenly, it is altogether worth

my bed is full of stories, and my garden will remain a sanctuary

it. The explosion of flavor and the absolute beauty of heirloom

for them to be told.

vegetables is unmatched.

Follow Jessica

@thehodgepodgedarling.blogspot.com.

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people

Do You Know A Do SouthÂŽ Do-Gooder?

Someone who makes the world a better place?

Someone who goes out of his or her way to make life easier for those around them?

If so, send their name, contact information, the city where they live, and why you think they deserve to be acknowledged, to: editors@dosouthmagazine.com.

We would love to tell their story, and let them know what a difference they make. We can't wait to hear from you!

DOSOUTHMAGAZINE.COM

garden

Gary C. Tognoni/Shutterstock

Words Catherine Frederick

March in the Garden THE DIRT Time to get your soil tested. Submit one pint of airdried soil to your county extension office so you’ll know the exact amount of fertilizer and other amendments to add before planting. Most offices perform this service for free.

The Site Before choosing a garden site, make sure you know how much sun the area receives. Most vegetables need at least six hours of direct sun.

Others, like cabbage, broccoli and cauliflower, can handle a bit more shade .

The Space Make the best use of a small space by interplanting. Plant okra, eggplant, peppers or tomatoes in between rows of early cool-weather crops. You’ll have harvested the early crop before the ones you inter-planted become too large. Also, consider vegetables that don’t use much space. Think small plants in close rows, such as radishes, turnips, lettuces, beets, spinach, chard, cilantro, mustard, and onions.

TIP: Know the mean date of your last frost before placing plants or seeds in the ground. Typically, the mean date in zone C (Sebastian County, Arkansas) is around April 1st.

DOSOUTHMAGAZINE.COM

What to plant: (only a partial list)

Lettuce Brussels Sprouts Kale Carrots Radishes Cauliflower Cabbage Broccoli Turnips Swiss Chard Beets Irish Potatoes Onions Spinach English Peas The closer the vegetable is to the bottom of the list, the closer it should be planted to the end of the month.

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CLOSE ONLY COUNTS IN

Horseshoes!

Words and images Jim Hattabaugh

W

hen farrier Darrell Belt was only fourteen years old, his

even have an intelligent conversation every once in a while.”

father went blind from a burst blood vessel in his eye,

After forty-seven years in the trade, he also knows a thing or

which happened while he was shoeing a horse. While his

two about the danger of being close to horses.

father was able to regain some of his vision, he was not able to continue shoeing horses. Following this harrowing event,

He has the broken bones, scars, and hospital stays to prove it.

Darrell took over the horseshoeing business. It has provided a

Yet, he has a passion for and love of working with horses. Once,

life-long career and a good living for his wife, daughter, and

a horse he was working on spooked and ran Darrell through a

son, who is the third generation to enter the profession.

wooden fence. The exploratory surgery that followed showed a damaged spleen, liver, and lung.

In the beginning, the horses were brought to the family farm in the Kibler bottoms to be shod. But since coming of age,

Putting shoes on a 1,200-pound animal that may be as tall as

he has driven the backroads of his home state of Arkansas,

he is—six-foot tall in stockinged feet—is hard physical work.

and Oklahoma, providing expert horseshoeing from his current

He does most of his work bent over with a horse hoof between

home in Mulberry. Darrell, who carries several farrier licenses,

his knees. The horses don’t always want to cooperate. They

says, “It can be a lonely job, but I enjoy my own company and

can bite, kick and move very quickly so understanding horses

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people

and their behavior is imperative for their safety and his. Darrell

into Darrell as if to say, “Could I have those pretty Prada shoes

says, “After many years, I can tell which horse may be an issue

on the back of the truck?” As he begins to work, it looks a lot

or is dangerous,” and takes the necessary precautions. Calm

like giving this gal a pedicure.

is good! Horses seem to sense if you are angry, frightened, or just having a bad day, and will respond accordingly. He

His method is the same in every barn. If the horse already

has shod a horse while it was being held down on its side by

has shoes on, the old shoes are removed, inspected for wear,

the owners; otherwise, it was too dangerous. However, if he

and replaced if necessary. If the old shoe is still usable, it is

moves slowly, talks to these massive animals in a calm voice

reshaped to fit the trimmed hoof. If the shoe is new, the hoof

and places them where they feel safe, he can safely do his

is trimmed and prepped, then the shoe is fitted, shaped, and

magic on their hooves.

attached using horseshoe nails. The ends of these special nails are clipped and crimped to the hoof so the shoe will not come

Darrell’s days start early to avoid the extremes of weather and

off before a final buffing and polishing take place.

only end once he has nailed a shoe on the last horse. In the summer heat, he carries a fan to keep both him and the horse

Today, the first horse only needed a trim of her hooves, which

cool. “I prefer to work in the winter as there are not flies to

involved cleaning out the bottom, snipping off the excess,

pester the horse while I am working, and I can stay warm from

much like clipping your nails, then smoothing and buffing the

moving,” Darrell says. He works six horses a day on average,

surface. And while her shoes were definitely not Prada, she

five to six days a week, usually in a barn. If you multiply this

seemed mighty proud of them.

number with the years he’s worked, that comes to almost Trimming, I learned, is the smelly part, and you have to watch

90,000 horses.

where you step. Horses walk around all day in this stuff that On this particular misty day on a ranch in Porum, Oklahoma, he

stinks. Regular care of the hooves helps prevent infection.

had six horses to work. Each is led to the breezeway of the big red barn. Darrell reaches up and strokes the neck and front leg

Horses are also known to be flatulent. And that is evident in one

of the first horse while speaking softly to her. The horse leans

of the horses that is standing nearby. This Cracker horse from

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Florida, bred to be stocky,

He views horses as athletes,

strong and quick, has a gas

every one as unique as a

problem that is piercing the

snowflake. “Each hoof on

air around me. The horse’s

each horse is different;

quickness is imperative, since

some need special shoes

this breed works with the

or a different size on each

Cracker cattle in the grass-

hoof,” Darrell explains. In

lands and swamps, tricky

some cases, he’d had to

terrain to maneuver. On this

reshape one shoe as many

day, catching the horse was

as five times to get a fit

a challenge, but once he quit

that satisfied him.

running, it didn’t take long to replace his rear shoes, which

Darrell Belt

are made of steel and come

There is a tried and true saying that goes, “Close

already forged, the most

doesn’t count except in

common type of horseshoes.

horseshoes.” While this may be true of the game of

However, not every horse

horseshoes, it doesn’t trans-

gets the steel shoes. One of

late to the actual shoeing

the horses Darrell worked

of horses. In that endeavor,

with today needed some

everything must be precise,

additional help. She was

no matter how long it takes,

pigeon-toed from having

no matter how many fittings

long legs as a colt. Darrell

a horse requires.

fitted

her

with

orthotic

shoes made of aluminum

As Darrell talks about that

that seemed to have lifts

Darrell and Cracker horse

on the inside to correct her knee issues. “Helping a

need for perfection, he reflects on how this all began, a fourteen-year-old

horse with potential crippling conditions, or assisting an injured

boy intent on helping his father. Now, he sees how that trou-

horse to get healthy is the best part of the job,” Darrell says.

bling time led to a fulfilling career. Darrell says, “Kept me out of the factories. I can be my own boss, set my own schedule.”

The equipment he uses has improved through the years, and

And even though he is of an age where many retire, his passion

has become mobile, so a farrier can go to the horses, allowing

and love for what he does keeps him driving the back roads.

the animals to stay in their comfort zone. I saw this for myself, when Darrell pulled his gas-powered forge, equipped with all

As I make my way home, I consider what an amazing experi-

the tools he needs, from his truck. The forge heats the shoes

ence it was to watch Darrell. He lays out his tools like the skilled

quickly so they can be hammered and shaped on an anvil.

artisan he is, then horse, man, and tools all work together. It was an incredible thing to watch.

As Darrell finishes up at this farm, he talks about his long career.

He has worked on all types of horses. Rodeo and roping horses,

It’s hard to imagine Darrell living a life without horses and

barrel racers, and race horses. Roping horses wear special shoes

horseshoes. He feels the same way. Being close to these

on their back feet so they can slide to a stop without injury. He has

animals has made all the difference in the world.

also put shoes on mules and one bull. Both he and the bull were happy when it was over!

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people

If Your Yard Could Talk

YARD YAP WORDS Marla Cantrell IMAGES courtesy Renee Carman and Jean Ann Sadler

A

little more than a year and a half ago, Renee Carman

newer friends. Jean Ann had an idea she was itching to share with

was in a funk. Usually a whirlwind of charisma going

Renee. And to do it, she wanted to get Renee out of her house.

a mile a minute, she found herself confined to her

bedroom for seventy-two hours to make sure a skin graft

So she picked her up one late morning and drove her to River

wasn’t compromised. The graft was necessary after knee

City Deli. Renee remembers pulling on her stretchiest yoga

surgery for an old sports injury.

pants. She remembers the halting way she made her trek to one of the closest tables. Renee looked around, seeing people

After her exile, Renee leaned on a cane as she hobbled across

she knew (there are legions of people she knows), and running

the floors of her house in Fort Smith, Arkansas. She’d always

her fingers through her tangled blonde hair.

been the kind of person who gained momentum during the day, her energy showing in every new idea, and now she was having

When she looked across the table, Jean Ann was beaming. “I

to slow down so that she could recover. Friends (and she has a

have an idea,” she said. “And I think you’ll love it.”

chorus of them) brought food that filled her freezer. They sent cards and gifts, snappy messages, happy words to cheer her up.

Renee is a sucker for new ideas, and she adores the beginning of things when everything is possible. She listened as Jean Ann

It all helped, but that dang knee was still getting her down. And

laid out her plan. Dismissing Renee’s feeble condition, she talked

that’s where Jean Ann Sadler comes in, at the time one of Renee’s

about how the two of them would design big wooden signs,

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people taste

build them, and then rent them to customers who wanted to surprise someone for their birthday, graduation, or even to ask a date to prom. They’d need a lot of brightly painted numbers, for example, so that someone turning sixteen would have a one and a six in their front yard for the world to see.

No matter that Renee and Jean Ann had never handled saws or sanders. That they’d never designed signs. Or that they hadn’t thought how difficult it might be to secure an eight-foot wooden sign in frozen ground, sometimes in the dark of night.

That day, all that seemed to matter was that Jean Ann had an idea, she needed Renee’s help to make it happen, and it sounded like a whole lot of fun.

The two laugh at their naivete. They laugh at their husbands’ laughter when they tried to picture their wives lugging these signs out of their SUVs and onto lawns across Fort Smith and beyond.

But soon the laughter stopped. Their husbands knew enough about these two to know that they’d do whatever they set their minds to. So, they signed up not only to teach them the basics of power tools, but to be part of their delivery service.

For weeks the two texted each other, trying to come up with the perfect name for the company. They settled on Yard Yap, surmising that what they were doing was getting people’s yards to talk, to say Happy Birthday, or There’s a new baby in the house. They started a Facebook page, and they waited.

And just like that, they had an order for a little boy’s seventh birthday. He liked racecars, and they designed a sign shaped like one, and he was thrilled.

No one around had seen anything quite like what Jean Ann and Renee were doing. They were elves, showing up, often under moonlight, erecting a surprise sign, and whisking away undetected. But then one night, Renee (fully recovered) and her husband ended up at the wrong house. They worked stealthily, being as quiet as they could. The money for the sign rental was supposed to be under a flower pot on the porch, but when Renee went to fetch it, it wasn’t there.

Shouting was coming from the house. The sign-putting had caused a fright, both for these unsuspecting homeowners and Renee and her husband.

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recipient gets to keep that part of the set-up. Kids often hang the sign in their bedroom as a reminder.

The signs are a three-day rental, which gives everyone a chance to snap photos and show their friends. They’ve done signs for all ages, including a dear woman in her upper nineties, who loved all the attention she got.

As for Jean Ann and Renee, they feel like their lives are conduits for joy, something that sustains them even as they lug the heavy signs in and out of their SUVs. Renee laughs at the memory. “I can’t read a map,” she confesses,

They’ve learned a lot in the last year and a half, not the least of

“and my navigation system had taken us to the wrong street. We

which is how much they care about each other. Renee stands

got it all worked out, but we don’t put up signs at night anymore.”

in boots with heels and a perfect knee next to Jean Ann who is radiant in a bright pink top, the light catching her dark hair.

Since then, Jean Ann and Renee estimate they’ve installed 500 signs all across the area. They’ve designed dragons and cupcakes,

At times, you’re likely to find Renee on the tennis court, living

basketballs and Razorbacks. They’ve gotten super friendly with

life big. But she never forgets the day Jean Ann came to get

Jerry the Paint Wizard, at Yeager’s Hardware. They’ve had repeat

her out of the house, when the surgery and the recovery that

customers, and kids who’ve requested the signs for their birthdays.

followed bothered her more than she ever imagined it would.

Often, you’ll find the two women covered in sawdust, spackled

Looking back, she sees that there was already a plan in place that

with paint, wondering when the last time it was they had a

would take her on her next adventure with a friend she loves.

manicure. And then they’ll laugh, the sound like singing bells

The two of them would make yards talk. What could ever be

in the mote-filled light of the garage. What they’ve found is

better than that?

worth so much more than painted fingernails.

Renee Carman and Jean Ann Sadler

“We make people happy,” Jean Ann says.

Renee is beaming at Jean Ann. “When we started out, we had no idea what would happen.”

Jean Ann says, “We thought if we put up a few signs a month, we’d be happy. But I can’t tell you how many times we scrambled because we didn’t have enough of a certain number to fill all our orders. Renee got up super early one morning to make a ‘one’ just so we could get a last-minute order done.”

Renee is a soft touch, and has trouble saying no to anyone who wants to surprise someone with a Yard Yap sign. She shrugs her shoulders. She says, “What can I say? I like to see people smile.”

Yard Yap Today, they do at least thirty signs a month, all across the

Find them on Facebook or call 479.651.1933.

region. If you order a sign that includes the person’s name, the DOSOUTHMAGAZINE.COM

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beauty

We’ve got more than warmer weather to be excited about! Check out some of our favorite beauty products that have us pumped for spring.

IT'S A

THING words Do South® staff images courtesy vendors

FARMACY HONEY BUTTER LIP BALM 100% natural, antioxidant-rich lip balm moisturizes, protects and primes thanks to a blend of Echinacea GreenEnvy Honey™, and butters and oils. Hydrating balm absorbs quickly leaving lips super soft and fills in lines to help smooth and enhance natural lip volume.

BOBBI BROWN EXTRA ILLUMINATING MOISTURE BALM Mix it with foundation, use as a moisturizer, or highlight the high points on your face.

Give skin an instant glow and a burst of hydration along with long-term skin-improving benefits while bringing new life to a dull, dry complexion.

DOSOUTHMAGAZINE.COM

beauty taste

STILA BOHEMIAN BEAUTY LIP COLLECTION Glitter and Glow Liquid Eyeshadows and Stay All Day Shimmer Liquid Lipsticks. We love the new free-spirited bohemian vibe. Rich neutrals, muted pinks, and electric brights. Lightweight, they glide on easily and dry smooth.

NARS SPRING 2018 COLOR COLLECTION Creamy shadow sticks won’t fade, smudge, or crease, in matte to multi-dimensional shades, pair with powder or wear alone. Lip colors in 4 shades offer intense, full coverage with velvety smooth texture. Liquid blush glides on and one pump gives the perfect amount for natural-looking color.

LE TEINT MACARON Lightly color your cheeks with a natural flush of color with the rich and creamy texture of Lancôme cream-based blushes.

Apply to the top of the cheek bones and diffuse out towards the hairline. Set includes one blush and one blender.

URBAN DECAY BACKTALK This palette pulls double-duty featuring eye shadow and blush. The compact contains a removable mirror, 4 shades for cheeks (2 for blush, 2 for highlight and contour) along with 8 of their signature shades of eyeshadow from Bare to Hot Chocolate in matte, satin, and metallic.

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diy

Easter Eggs To Dye For words Catherine Frederick IMAGES Jeromy Price

Natural Beauty

Dye eggs naturally with foods and spices (dyeing agents) from your pantry. Choose your dyeing agent.

Place in saucepan with 2 cups water. If using more water, increase amount of dyeing agent. Bring mixture to a boil, reduce heat, and simmer for 30 minutes. Strain dye through paper towels or coffee filter into container. Submerge hard-boiled eggs in cooled dye, let soak for as little as 5 seconds or as long as overnight, depending on the depth of color you desire. Remove eggs with spoon, place on paper towels or rack to dry. Canned dyeing agents produce paler colors. Boiling the agent with 1 teaspoon vinegar produces more vibrant colors. The following dyeing agents were used for the eggs featured here: canned blueberries, canned cherries, paprika, purple grape juice, chili powder, dill seeds, coffee, red wine, yellow onion skins, pomegranate juice, pickled beet juice, turmeric, and red onion skins.

Find a detailed chart of color options and coordinating ingredients at DoSouthMagazine.com/NaturalEggs.

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diy

Speckled

For natural cream and tan shades, submerge hard-boiled egg in a mug of lukewarm Earl Gray tea. For blue shades, add hard-boiled egg to a mixture of 1 cup white vinegar, 1 cup water, 2 drops blue food coloring and 1 drop green food coloring. Vary the shades by varying the amount of time the egg is left in the liquid — lighter shades, less time, deeper shades, longer time. Dry eggs on wire rack. Dilute 1 tablespoon brown acrylic paint in 1 tablespoon water. Dip clean, dry toothbrush in paint mixture. Hold toothbrush 2-3 inches from egg with bristles pointed at egg. Run finger along bristles, creating a spray of paint onto egg surface. Let dry 15 minutes. Rotate egg. Repeat paint process.

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diy

Volcano

Kool-Eggs

Make baking soda paste by combining 1 tablespoon baking soda, 2 teaspoons water, and a few drops food coloring. Place egg in a bowl or dish with sides. Using a paint brush, paint, or dab, the eggs in a few colors of baking soda paste. Next, drip a few drops of food coloring directly on the egg’s surface. Pour a small amount of white vinegar on top of the egg and watch the “volcanic eruption” take place! Repeat the steps until you have the desired effect, and colors, on the egg. Pat dry. You may wish to wear gloves for this process!

Combine 2/3 cup water and 1 packet Kool-Aid. Stir to dissolve. Submerge hard-boiled egg in mixture until desired color is reached. Less time for lighter colors, more time for deeper hues.

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diy

OOFTFHE

T

RACES !

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diy

words and images Catherine Frederick

Hop on in to the kitchen with your kiddos and create this adorable sweet treat in no time at all! It’s fun to make and more fun to eat. We think it would make the perfect centerpiece for your Easter feast. So, start your engines and let’s create some bunny racers!

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diy

INGREDIENTS Twinkies® Large marshmallows Peeps® Marshmallow Bunnies Chocolate icing Wilton White Decorating Icing Sprinkles (sugar and spring flowers) Pretzels – small Piping bag and tip (I used Wilton #3) Platter, spatula, knife

STEP 1

STEP 2

STEP 3

STEP 4

STEP 5

Unwrap Twinkies® and set on plate.

Cut section out of back of Twinkies®, large enough to accommodate a bunny and a pretzel.

Add a small amount of white icing to bottom of bunny to secure him in place. Set bunny in Twinkie®.

Place a pretzel upside down in front of bunny.

Cut marshmallow in half. Add a bit of white icing to the cut edge of marshmallow and press to the side of Twinkie® to create the wheels.

Add a small amount of white icing to the sprinkle of choice and press to the outside of the marshmallow.

Pipe number on top of Twinkie® in chocolate icing.

You’re in the home stretch now! To finish, use a spatula to move finished bunny racers to serving platter. Pipe lines down center of platter and add any words you'd like to the plate, in chocolate icing, using piping bag. We even added a few spectators to the sidelines!

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diy

Peter Cotton Tail words Catherine Frederick image Jeromy Price

Here comes Peter Cotton Tail, hopping right across your table! But don’t worry, he won’t eat much, and even though he’s chocolate brown, he won’t melt. What he will do is grace your Easter table in the cutest way possible!

Method

Purchase burlap table runner (much easier as the edges are already hemmed and will not fray). Print out bunny silhouette from the URL below (tip: print out as many bunnies as you will place on the runner – makes it easier to space them out). Place paper under runner so paint doesn’t seep through. Space silhouettes onto runner, then using a brown Sharpie®, trace around each silhouette.

If your runner falls over the ends of your table, you may want to turn the silhouette on each end of the runner so the bunny is sitting horizontally and not vertically. Using brown acrylic craft paint, paint the bunnies. Let dry completely. While paint is drying, create pom-poms for the tails. For pom-pom making instructions, visit our website at DoSouthMagazine.com. Once paint is dry, attach pom-poms for tails with craft glue or a glue gun.

Bunny Silhouette: www.openclipart.org/detail/116629/1296480840

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taste

&

Pasta Zucchini Sauce Recipe and Images James Stefiuk

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taste

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taste

INGREDIENTS ∏ ∏ ∏ ∏ ∏ ∏ ∏ ∏ ∏ ∏ ∏

METHOD Heat pan to medium heat. Add two Tablespoons of olive oil. Lightly sauté onion and garlic, until softened—about 5 minutes. Set aside.

Meanwhile, in another sauté pan, heat remaining olive oil on medium high, add chopped zucchini in batches so you don't overcrowd the pan (2 - 3 batches total depending on the size of your pan). Cook zucchini on both sides until done and set aside with onions and garlic.

Place cooked zucchini, onions, garlic, shredded Parmesan, and the greens you're using into a blender (you can do this in batches if necessary) and blend while slowly adding chicken broth/stock until you reach a desired consistency.

Return blended mixture to pan and keep warm until pasta is finished cooking. Add a dollop of ricotta cheese on top of each serving!

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6 cups roughly chopped zucchini 2 cups diced onion 3 Tablespoons minced garlic ½ cup shredded Parmesan ½ cup chicken broth 4 Tablespoons olive oil (divided in half) 6 oz. of either arugula or spinach 1 bunch parsley 1 container ricotta cheese 1 box Orecchiette or Gemelli pasta Crushed red pepper & salt to taste

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taste

The Irish Push-UP WORDS Catherine Frederick image Jeromy Price

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taste

These containers bring back memories of orange sherbet push-ups from my childhood. My friends and I could eat a box of those in no time flat. I had one last summer. It was good, but not as good as I remembered. But this push-up, the Irish push-up, is a new favorite. It’s packed with chocolate brownie cake, pudding, whipped cream, and topped with an Andes ® Mint. So dig in! Or should I say, give me a push up?

{ METHOD } Preheat oven to 350°. Line a 13 X 9 pan with foil, then spray with non-stick spray. Pour one box chocolate cake mix into a large bowl and set aside.

In a medium saucepan, combine 2 cups milk and 1 small box of chocolate pudding mix (not instant) until slightly thickened. Add pudding to the cake mix and stir to combine.

Spread mixture into the pan and press down with your fingers – careful, the mixture may be hot. Sprinkle the top of the mixture with 1 bag Andes ® Mint Chips (in the baking section). Bake for 30 minutes, or until a toothpick comes out clean. Let cool completely.

In a medium bowl, add 1 (4oz) package of instant vanilla pudding, plus 3 to 4 drops of green food coloring, 1 ½ cups milk, and ½ cup Irish Coffee creamer, mix well to combine, then place in refrigerator to set.

Using the top of the push-up container, cut cooled brownies into small circles. Place a brownie circle in the bottom of the push-up container, top with a dollop of the green pudding mixture, add a swirl of whipped cream, then top with an Andes ® Mint and green sprinkles.

TIP: If you’re not using the push-up containers, prepare as directed above, and repeat layers depending on the size of dish you’re using. Find Wilton® Treat Tops with Stand at local craft stores and big box retailers.

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taste

WORDS Catherine Frederick images Catherine Frederick and Jeromy Price

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taste

This is a busy month in my house.

My son’s birthday is in March, as is my husband’s.

Our son was born on St. Patrick’s Day, and we have a great time celebrating each year. Years ago, my dad started a tradition that included sprinkling our son's family birthday party with splashes of green.

From the cake, to a special St. Patrick’s Day shirt, to flashing green shamrock glasses, we’ve seen it all and now it’s something the birthday boy has come to expect.

We have another, fairly new, tradition during the month of March. We must have our corned beef and cabbage with a side of soda bread! I must admit, up until a couple of years ago, I had never tried it and I was adamant that I wasn’t missing a thing. But fate stepped in when my family and I were invited to a St. Patrick’s Day celebration at a friend’s house. Low and behold, what do you think they served? Yep, corned beef and cabbage and potatoes. What’s a girl to do? I couldn’t be rude. So I made a small plate. Then went back for seconds and thirds. I was hooked, and so was my family.

I love a traditional meal of corned beef and cabbage but thought this recipe also looked interesting. It swaps out the cabbage for spinach, and wraps up this new twist on tradition into one beautiful braid. I recommend serving it up with Dijon mustard, Thousand Island dressing, or creamy horseradish. And, if you happen to be looking for an Irish blessing to go along with the meal, try one of our favorites: May your thoughts be as glad as the shamrocks. May your heart be as light as a song. May each day bring you bright, happy hours that stay with you all the year long.

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METHOD

Heat oven to 375°. Line baking sheet with a silicone mat or spray with cooking spray. Boil 2 large red potatoes, let cool completely, then cut into ¼” slices, set aside. Thaw and drain 1 cup frozen, cooked spinach, set aside. Unroll 2 Pillsbury Recipe Creations seamless dough sheets onto prepared baking sheet. Place sheets side-by-side lengthwise and arrange into one large rectangle, pressing the seams together with your fingers. Place 6 oz sliced corned beef in center of dough in an 8” wide strip. Add spinach, then add potatoes. Top with 1 cup shredded white cheddar cheese.

Using a knife, slice 1” wide strips on long sides of dough, making sure to cut the same number of strips on each side, cutting to within a ½” of the filling. Fold in the short sides, then alternately cross strips over the filling to make a braid.

Brush finished braid with egg wash (1 egg beaten with 1 Tablespoon water), then sprinkle with caraway seeds. Bake 25 minutes or until golden brown. Let cool 10 minutes before slicing.

TIP: If you can't find seamless dough sheets, use crescent rolls instead, pressing the seams together with your fingers.

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taste

• • • • • • • • • • •

4 oz. Reposado Tequila 2 oz. Blue Curacao 2 oz. peach schnapps 1 oz. Irish whiskey 1 oz. Aperol 1 oz. lime juice 8-12 oz. pineapple juice (more or less to taste) Crushed ice (optional) 2 lime wheels Gold sugar sprinkles Corn syrup

METHOD

INGREDIENTS

Luck O’ the Irish MAKES 2

56

Pour sugar crystals onto small plate. Rim tops of glasses with corn syrup. Dip rims of glasses in sugar crystals to coat. Add crushed ice to shaker tin along with tequila, Curacao, schnapps, whiskey, Aperol, and both juices. Shake, then strain into glasses evenly.

Garnish with lime wheel.

Please drink responsibly.

Never drink and drive.

Image James Stefiuk

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DOSD OO UT SH OM UT AH GM AA ZG I NAEZ. C I NOEM

44 58

travel travel

A River Runs Through It words Dwain Hebda images Dwain Hebda and Arkansas Department of Tourism

T

Throughout all of the Natural State's varied ecosystems—mountains, swamps, Delta, woods—the White River areas stand out for relaxing vistas and excellent fish and game. More than half a million fishing licenses were sold in Arkansas alone in 2017 and while it's impossible to know how many license holders dropped a line where, it's a fair bet that many found their way to the White River, along with countless visitors from out of state.

In Arkansas' hierarchy of waterways, the Mississippi is the undisputed king in terms of size and significance, followed by the Arkansas River that bisects the state rolling west to east. But right up there is the White River, a 722-mile northsouth ribbon of water of enormous economic and ecological importance.

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travel taste

Unlike its two companions, the White River can be rightfully claimed as ours, birthed as she is as a mountain spring in the Boston Mountains near Fayetteville (the Arkansas originates in the Rockies, Mighty Miss in Minnesota). Proud and headstrong, she flows north for a spell feeding Missouri's Table Rock Lake and Lake Taneycomo via a system of dams there and giving vacationers in Branson some recreation. But she quickly turns back south into the arms of Bull Shoals Dam and Lake.

Bull Shoals is a shimmering jewel and no small feat of engineering, either. The lake was created with the completion of Bull Shoals Dam, one of several dams in the White River Basin greenlighted by Congress in the wake of devastating floods.

Bull Shoals

Constructed between 1947 and 1951, the 2,256-foot-long dam Bull Shoals

soars 265 feet above the creek bed.

Peering down on this majestic structure from the glittering James A. Gaston Visitor's Center of Bull Shoals-White River State Park, and the tranquil, curvaceous slip of the river that extends from the dam's spillway, it's hard to appreciate the fury with which the wild river once flowed. In the Great Flood of 1927, heavy Canadian snow melt combined with a torrentially wet spring to send the Mississippi over its banks to back up the White, along with the Arkansas and St. Francis Rivers. So ferocious was the rush of the Mississippi's largesse, it caused the White to run backwards for a time.

Modern water management has changed all that and created a recreational wonderland in the process. Bull Shoals Lake, on the

fish. Brown trout and rainbow trout have done particularly well

border between Baxter and Marion counties, boasts about 740

although only brown trout have successfully bred in these waters;

feet of shoreline, 45,000 surface acres of water and a capacity of

rainbow trout are stocked annually.

nearly 6-million acre feet (one acre foot equals 326,000 gallons).

All of these facts and more are on display at the 16,000-square-

As fishing enthusiasts come from all over the country to try their

foot visitor's center, a must during any visit to the area as is a

luck on the upper White River, it's spawned outdoor tourism that's

drive across the top of the dam.

an important source of revenue for local economies. Guide services, fishing lodges and resorts, from bare-bones rustic to swank, are in

The White River may emerge from the Bull Shoals Dam much

abundance here, the most famous of which—Gaston's White River

more docile than her wilder days, but she's no less appealing

Resort—is a short drive from the dam.

to anglers. The lake is home to catfish, crappie, and bream and prized nationally for its bass while the tailwaters of the White

Gaston's is among the oldest (established 1958) and most devel-

here and below Norfolk Dam to the southeast are considered the

oped of the accommodations in the area, complete with an

best trout fishing in mid-America.

on-premises conference center and its own grass airstrip. Even if you're not staying on-site, consider a guided fishing trip, fly-fishing

Trout are not indigenous to Arkansas, but were introduced here

lesson or just grab lunch or dinner in Gaston's award-winning

after the discharge from the dams proved too cold for native

restaurant. They even cook your day's catch.

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As the White continues its route southeasterly through the area, it curls and bends its way through hairpins and horseshoes that become the stuff of fishing legend. Many small towns in the region play second fiddle to the river; take Cotter and next-door Gassville for example. Combined, the two communities didn’t break 3,000 residents on the last census, but that doesn't stop them from advertising themselves as the epicenter of the trout universe—in Cotter's case, literally, "Trout City USA." Snuggled into a U-bend in the White River providing outstanding access, the overflow of anglers and nature lovers is enough to keep both towns happy.

Though much smaller in size, the fame of the Buffalo River as a recreation attraction leads some to think it's the White's peer waterway. In fact, the Buffalo is a tributary of the White, the two coming together about half an hour west of Norfolk at Buffalo White RIver

City. Lodges located near this confluence, such as the White Buffalo Resort, provide the unique experience of fishing both rivers which support different species.

White RIver

The Buffalo River is the nation's first national river and prized by generations of Arkansans who have floated its gentle current. It's also considered one of the most significant wins for conservationists in the history of the state. The same measures that resulted in Bull Shoals Dam originally targeted the Buffalo as well, dam proposals successfully opposed by "free stream" naturalists, thus keeping the river wild.

The White has also been caught between commerce and conservation during its lifetime, particularly in the lower White River area that cuts through the Grand Prairie region of Arkansas en route to the Mississippi. Here, the river takes on more commercial

From clear-running mountain waters to broad, meandering

applications, watering rice fields and providing a means for trans-

stretches, the White River reflects the many faces of our state,

port. Separate proposals for large-scale pumping for agricultural

providing its lifeblood in more ways than one. A visit along any part

purposes and deepening a channel to increase barge traffic are

of it is a singular chapter in the story of Arkansas and its people.

recent battles that as of this writing have yet to be resolved.

Visitors to the lower White River on the Delta will want to visit the Dale Bumpers White River Wildlife Refuge east of DeWitt. The

Bull Shoals-White River State Park

refuge protects important and endangered wetland ecosystems

Arkansasstateparks.com/bullshoalswhiteriver

including southern bottomland hardwood forest (The Big Woods)

870.445.3629

and native grasslands. Black bears have made a comeback thanks to the refuge, which is also home to a dizzying array of Arkansas bird

Dale Bumpers White River National Wildlife Refuge

species from mallard duck to bald eagle. The sighting of the fabled

fws.gov/refuge/white_river

Ivory Bill Woodpecker – the sasquatch of birds – happened here too.

870.282.8200

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southern fiction

WE ARE

DIAMONDS

FICTION Marla Cantrell

For Anita I like to tell people I don’t love that dog, but I do. I tell him Out my back window, I can see the dreary light of winter, the

stories about my dearly departed husband, Gus. I tell him

tufts of grass gone to gold, the rose vines on the fencerow

what Gus’s hand felt like on my cheek. The rough pad of his

brown and tangled as a lady’s uncombed hair. It’s the tail-end

thumb, the split in his thumbnail that never healed. When he

of February, but still, all that brown. All that winter.

rubbed your cheek for too long, it felt like you’d been worked over by a gunny sack.

In January I had a dear friend die from that old devil flu. I didn’t go to see her in the hospital, even though I loved her

This morning, I looked at Festus the dog, and I said, “What I

mightily. You get to be old, you get to be cautious. After

wouldn’t give to feel the scrape of Gus’s hand on my weary

Eloise passed, I stayed put in my house for a full three weeks.

old face,” and Festus bared his teeth, but still I couldn’t get

Unplugged my phone from the wall. Stopped taking in the

mad at him. The temperature will rise to seventy degrees after

mail. Every sunrise was a heartache. Every sunset another

a week of highs in the low thirties, so I’m taking him for his

defeat. I didn’t talk to anybody except for my rickety dog

checkup at the vet, something he finds undignified and, I’m

with his bad temper and shaky legs.

guessing, unnecessary.

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southern fiction

Festus growls at me a lot now, even when I’m handing him a

“Hey, there, Eloise,” I said and looked around for a sign from

doggie bone, a habit the vet said could be a sign of dementia.

Heaven. But the ground didn’t move, a spirit didn’t appear.

“Who can tell if a dog has dementia?” I asked in that room

“Maybe you’re not talking to me, hon. I wouldn’t blame you.”

that smelled like bleach and dog pee, and the vet said real Festus looked at me. I cleared my throat. “The flu,” I said, and

cocky like, “Well, Miss Edith, me, for one.”

shook my head. “Scares me half to death.”

No one ever used to talk to me like that.

The silence that followed was a siren that rang loud as a fire Me and Festus wobbled to the car after paying the too-high bill,

alarm. I shifted from foot to foot, and when I did the wind

Festus losing his mind over a fluffy white dog with a flagpole of

picked up, so I held my pink cardigan together at the collar.

a tail. “You can’t be acting like a crazy person,” I said to Festus, but by then he’d calmed down, climbed in the front seat, and

It was that time in the afternoon when light turns to gold, even

was looking out the window like I’d offended him somehow.

in this land of soil and sorrow. “In China,” I said, “they hang wooden coffins on cliff ledges. I don’t remember why. But you

We drove through the Wendy’s, parked in their blacktopped lot,

can see them if you look up in places, the boxes of the dead

and shared a cheeseburger, something the vet and my primary

pinned to shafts of rock.”

care physician frown upon. I gave Festus a chunk of meat and said, “Life’s too short, buddy, to worry about every little thing.”

Festus cocked his head. If he were a person, I’d say his eyebrows were knitted together.

Festus inched over to me, laid his graying head on my lap for a second. That’s what I live for, those moments of concern

“In Romania, they paint the headstones blue and yellow and

from the dang dog. I gave him a fry, and then two, and before

purple. Happy colors. Again, I don’t know why, but wouldn’t

I knew it, I was crying like the first runner-up in the Miss

that be something to see?”

America contest after the curtain drops.

A trio of birds chirped in the pine tree, and I stopped and listened. Festus lay down, his head on his paws. He used to

Kindness just crushes me.

chase birds, back when he was more dog than old man.

Eloise is buried on the border of Fort Smith, Arkansas, and Arkoma, Oklahoma, in a cemetery where all the headstones

“You always smelled like magnolia blossoms and new rain,

are flat and the same. I only swerved off the road once while

Eloise. Even when we’d been working in the fields all day and

driving there, a triumph these days. There was a little hand-

I smelled like a hobo a month removed from a tub and soap.”

written marker at her grave, one that will get replaced by a flat bronze plaque that will have her dates on it if her family

Festus was snoring by then, his old ribs showing beneath his

will foot the bill. I pulled my old car over, attached Festus’s

once-black coat. I looked at his graying snout, the floppy ears

leash, and walked my old dog to where my best friend lay.

that used to seem bigger than the rest of him when he was a puppy. I felt the loss of Gus and Eloise in the pit of my stomach.

On the way, Festus sniffed the ground, the pancake-flat

I felt as if I needed to hold on to Festus forever and ever.

headstones, the pine tree that was the only green I could see around. And then he sat at Eloise’s grave like a pedigreed pup

Tears were stinging my eyes, closing my throat. I raised my hand.

from that Westminster Dog Show, kind of dignified and at

“Enough!” I said. “I’m going on like one of those soap operas

attention. Sometimes Festus amazes me. I looked at the lumpy

you and me used to love so much.” I smiled, remembering.

dirt that mounded on top of my friend, the decaying flowers

“Guiding Light. The Secret Storm. As the World Turns. Now that

that sat in three metal vases.

was TV. And nobody really died. They’d just come back as their own twin or a cousin in a bad wig.

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southern fiction

I looked around at the headstones that seemed like bronze enve-

I was lying in bed with Festus while I was thinking about Eloise

lopes ready to be delivered to God. “I wish it was the same here,”

and Gus, the two loves of my life, the two people I could

I said. “I wasn’t there when you passed. I doubt you would have

say understood the workings of my feeble heart. Festus was

known it if I was, but that doesn’t change how sorry I am.”

snoring beside me, and his legs were jerking every now and then. Maybe Festus understood me too, in his own way.

I tugged on Festus’s leash, and he rose, sleepy as a truck driver after a three-day run. “We’ll bring flowers next time,” I said,

At the stores and in restaurants, the workers call me honey

and Festus lumbered up, growling while he did it, and then

now. They call me sugar. They make me want to spit. You get

lifted his leg before I could stop him.

old, and suddenly you’re treated as if you’re simple when you’re the most complex you’ve ever been. Eloise used to carry a cane

“Well,” I said, when Festus finished. “Sorry about that, too,

painted in a leopard print. She wore a wiglet that made her hair

Eloise. Festus is just a dog being a dog. Nothing much we can

look big and young. She read books about human trafficking

do about that.”

and art theory and everything Malcolm Gladwell ever wrote.

In the car, Festus nosed through the Wendy’s wrappers, licking

She was smarter than anyone I knew, but she got old, and

off a splotch of catsup that remained. At home, we turned on

everyone forgot.

Family Feud, a silly show, but happy. Sometimes you need to get lost in somebody else’s happiness.

Last year, Eloise convinced me to celebrate the Day of the Dead, something that caused my Baptist heart to shiver. “It’s as main-

After Gus died, I found where he’d hidden his Marlboros,

stream as Christmas in Mexico, and just as happy,” Eloise said.

and a bottle of whiskey about three-fourths gone. Gus was a

“The belief is that if you set up this party right, there’s a chance

deacon in the Baptist church, sworn not to drink or smoke or

you’ll see Gus again. Don’t you want to try, Edith?”

cuss or gamble or cheat on his wife. For a while, I wondered what else I didn’t know about Gus.

We lit candles. We put up his picture. I made his favorite meal, roast and carrots and potatoes, and put it on a platter right

But then I thought about my own secrets. Boxes of Russell

by his photo. We waited and waited and waited, and finally,

Stover candy lived in my underwear drawer, and even my sugar

Eloise went home.

diabetes couldn’t keep me from raiding it about once every two weeks. I lied to Gus a lot. Not about anything important.

I’ve never been sure that he crossed that great divide to see

Just what I’d had for lunch that day, or that I’d spent the after-

me, but that night in bed, I smelled his particular scent of sweat

noon with Eloise when I was supposed to be sorting clothes at

and the Alberto VO5 he used in his curly auburn hair. The next

the church thrift shop.

morning, I had a small rash on my cheek, as if he’d used that calloused thumb to touch my face for a little too long.

Eloise had secrets too. She’d had a baby when she was fifteen, giving him away, and she’d never tried to find him. She’d had

People used to look at Eloise and see an old lady, a car with

a boyfriend when her husband was going under with the

too many miles to bring much of a price. They look at me now

Alzheimer’s. Even so, I knew her heart as well as I did mine.

and see the same. But we are coal turned into diamonds, the

We are all legions upon legions of trouble. We are all legions

two of us. Coal turned into diamonds. And my word, how

upon legions of goodness and light.

long and bright we sparkled!

Try to sort it out, and you’ll go mad.

Marla Cantrell is an Arkansas Arts Council Fellow in short fiction.

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