Sippin' - May 2015

SIPPIN'

MAY 2015 DoSouthMagazine.com

CONTENTS Charolette Tidwell

EDITOR-IN-CHIEF Catherine Frederick MANAGING EDITOR Marla Cantrell CONTRIBUTING WRITERS / PHOTOGRAPHERS Tonya McCoy Marla Cantrell Catherine Frederick Nancy Hartney Rusty Henderson, DVM Lee Anne Henry Saidee Holmes Laura Hobbs Anita Paddock Jessica Sowards Stoney Stamper Debbie Stuckey GRAPHIC DESIGNER Artifex 323

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

24

30

INSIDE 24

38

LOOKING FOR THE LIGHT Career setbacks, a fall that almost crippled him, and overwhelming depression could have stopped Steven Hunter. But he made his way back through his love for nature and his talent as a photographer.

30

WONDERFUL WALLPAPER

38

PLAY WITH YOUR VEGETABLES!

40

Can one small change transform your home?

Absolutely, if you take our advice on the latest trend– sleek, modern wallpaper.

We've got the perfect DIY for the whole family. All you'll need are a few veggies, a little paint, and a plain tea towel. Make a few for mom's special day and she'll be smiling all year.

ADVERTISING INFORMATION Catherine Frederick - 479.782.1500 Kate Edson - 479.242.8222 EDITORIAL INFORMATION Marla Cantrell - 479.831.9116 ©2015 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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04

letter from Catherine

As I write, it’s the middle of April, and looking out my window

on wallpaper. Yes, I said wallpaper! Forget what you thought you

I see everything suffocating under a thick yellow blanket. But

knew - it’s making a comeback and the results are jaw dropping.

in the distance, I see gray clouds inching closer, filled with rain, aiming to wash away that caked-on dust

Charolette Tidwell gets her strength from

and bring everything back to life. The rain

helping others, and help is putting it mild-

is so close I can smell it, along with fresh-

ly. Charolette sacrifices. When I heard her

cut grass. Those two top my list of favorite

story on the national news and discovered

smells; they make me feel closer to nature.

she lived right here in Fort Smith, I knew we had to tell her story, page 40, so that others

I’m a hippie at heart, or as my husband

could get involved in her mission to support

loves to call me, a “tree hugger.” I’ll own

the elderly in our community.

that. I’d love to take off for a hike, pack up a cooler for a day-long float down the

Laura Hobbs' passion is adventure. She’s

Buffalo River. The scenery gets me every

taking us along on her trip to San Pancho,

time. Tall buildings and the noise of the

Mexico, page 46. Laura tells of her time in

city melt away, replaced by towering trees

the town, her love of its people, and as a

and the sound of a paddle slicing through

bonus brings us not one, but two recipes

the running water.

from her favorite taco stand, Tacos con Eva.

Local photographer Steve Hunter, page

If you're looking for ways to have fun this

24, shares my love of nature. The out-

summer, check out our travel features,

doors are his playground, and I am slight-

starting on page 65, and our special adver-

ly jealous. He discovered his passion for photography at age

tising section, page 65, for some of our favorites, along with our

twelve and he’s living out his dream today, at the age of fifty-

picks for the top ten places to hike and splash around Arkansas!

eight. Steve found his passion, as I believe everyone eventually does – they just live it out in different ways.

All this talk of the great outdoors has me thinking about summer. Before we know it, school will be out. That's when we'll

Zac Steinfeldt considers each day of his life a gift from God. De-

be heading for the woods and the water! A little time away

scribing himself as a walking, talking miracle, Zac’s passion for the

from technology will do us all good. And who knows, my family

Lord and for his family are at the forefront as he relives his hor-

may just find a new passion of their own.

rifying near-death experience and his battle to recover, page 10.

See you in June!

Others find passion in their daily work, as evident in Lee Anne Henry’s home feature this month, page 30, where she shines new light

~Catherine

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

06

calendar

DO SOUTH MAY 2015 SUNDAY

MONDAY

TUESDAY

WEDNESDAY THURSDAY FRIDAY

SATURDAY

01 02

View the calendar on dosouthmagazine.com for more events and details.

(5/1 - 8/31) Motorcycle Memories, Fort Smith Museum of History

(5/1-5/2) Springtime Arts & Crafts Festival, NW Arkansas Convention Center, Springdale, 9am-7pm Night in the Caribbean, Kistler Center, 6pm-11pm

03 04 05 06 07 08 09 Chicago Concert, Walmart AMP, Rogers, 7:30pm

(5/4 - 5/10) Arts and the Park - Arts Festival, Hot Springs

Hot Springs Farmers Market, Historic Downtown Hot Springs, 5pm-8pm

(5/6 - 5/10) Disney on Ice – Worlds of Fantasy, Verizon Arena, Little Rock

Program with Denny Flynn, Fort Smith Museum of History, 6pm

Star Wars Day

Critter Crunch Snake Feeding, Janet Huckabee Nature Center, Fort Smith, 2pm

Center for Art and Educations, 5X5 Event, Fort Smith Convention Center, 6pm

National Day of Prayer

10 11 12 13 14 15 16 Kendrick Fincher 5K Run/Walk and free youth run, Pinnacle Hills Promenade, Rogers, 7:30am

(5/11- 5/29) “Momentum” Art Exhibit on display, Blue Lion at UAFS Downtown, Fort Smith

20th Annual Greening of the Garden, Botanical Garden of the Ozarks, Fayetteville

(5/13 - 5/15) Still-Life & Figure Workshop

by Peggi Kroll-Roberts, RAM, Fort Smith, 10am-5pm

UAFS Jazz, ArcBest Performing Arts Center, 7:30pm

Timber! presented

by Cirque Alfonse, Walton Arts Center, 8pm

Fort Smith Symphony's Fate and the Phoenix, ArcBest Performing Arts Center, Fort Smith, 7:30pm

(15-17) Old Timers' Days Festival, Downtown Van Buren

Mother’s Day

17 18 19 20 21 22 23 53rd Annual Arkansas Folk Festival, Downtown Mountain View

“The Cat in the Hat Knows a Lot About That”, Fort Smith Public Main Library, 10am-1pm

Cool Waters, Center for Lifelong Learning, UAFS, Fort Smith,10am - 6pm

Fort Smith Little Theatre “The Best of Everything” Audition, 7pm

Beer Tasting 101, Center for Lifelong Learning, UAFS, Fort Smith, 6pm-8pm

(5/22 - 5/24) Riverfest 2015, Little Rock

Mud Factor 5K Obstacle Run, Ascott Park, Moffett, OK, 10am

24 25 26 27 28 29 30 Perfect Pet Storytime & Stuffed Animal Show, Miller Branch Library

Cowboy Poets, Fort Smith Museum of History, 12pm

31

Memorial Day

Family History Series: “Railroads to Splendor: Family Roots”, The Clayton House, 1pm

Spring River Cleanup, Mammoth Spring, 8am-4pm

“Queen’s Tea” with rodeo queens and Dandies, Fort Smith Museum of History, 1pm-3pm

Razorback Club Chism Reed Award Dinner, Fort Smith Convention Center, 5:15pm

(5/31 - 6/13) 20 Annual Hot Springs Music Fest th

Show Your Mom You Love Her Wash her car • Write her a letter, poem, or make a card • Help plant her garden • Mow the lawn • Take her on a picnic •

We hope you enjoy this issue.

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DOSOUTHMAGAZINE

Everyday Superhero 5k/1 mile walk, Mike Myers Park, Van Buren, 8am-11am

Spring Blooms

poetry

LINES Debbie Stuckey Image Steven Hunter

They are falling all over themselves In their rush to join their peers.

These botanical teens.

Desperate not to be left out Of this Spring’s Dance.

Heedlessly they flaunt their fragile beauty In the face of the storms, Storms that are sure to come.

They do not quite know the power of their youth, The living force of their beauty.

How often we catch our breath at the sight of them, Or long to gather them by the armfuls And bring them into the short-lived safety of our homes.

They do not know how easily The whirlwinds that they tease can strip them bare.

That soon their blooms will fade and fall, And give way to a leafy maturity.

DOSOUTHMAGAZINE

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08

UPCLOSE&PERSONAL

Tonya Beineman Advanced Nurse Practitioner (APN) Fort Smith Medical Center & Beineman Aesthetics Fort Smith Medical Center 3811 Rogers Avenue, Suite A Fort Smith, AR 72903 479.434.3131

DOSOUTHMAGAZINE

UPCLOSE&PERSONAL

You are braver than you believe, stronger than you seem, and smarter than you think.

— A.A. Milne

About Fort Smith Medical Center & Beineman Aesthetics FSMC is unique, comprehensive health care. We treat the “whole” person in wellness, prevention, weight loss, genetic testing, and bioidentical hormone replacement therapy, as well as treating acute and chronic illness. We offer aesthetic services that include Botox®, Xeomin® and various fillers. We have a full-time aesthetician, offering skincare services including facials, peels, waxing and SkinPenTMII. In addition, we carry a full skincare line, offer on-site lab services and have a registered dietician in house.

Favorite food as a child? Grandma's popcorn balls.

What's something your mom always said when you were a kid? "Oh, my lord!"

What's the one thing you always do after you finish up work on Friday? Date with my husband. Sushi!

What's your favorite part of being a mom? Everything! Smiles, laughter, hugs, tears, and fun.

What was your first job, and how old were you? I worked at Tastee-Freeze when I was fourteen.

What did you buy with your first paycheck? Clothes.

Farthest you’ve been away from home? The Bahamas, after I graduated from UAMS. Strangest place you’ve called the Hogs? A Las Vegas piano bar.

Who was your best friend when you were a kid? Kathy Hixson.

What's your favorite way to spend a Sunday? Reading next to the pool.

3 things Tonya can't live without:

Most sentimental thing you own? My photos and my wedding ring.

What did you want to grow up to be when you were a kid? A nurse.

What’s something that’s gone out of style that you wish would make a comeback? Flash Dance workout attire.

Coffee

What cheers you up? Flowers, every time.

What’s the first thing you’d do if you won the lottery? Pay off debt.

Lipstick & Mascara

Do you have pets? Chloe and Boston, our twin cats, and Karlie, our yellow Lab, who's our empty nest baby.

What three things do you think about every day? My family, my friends, my patients.

Best advice your mom ever gave you? She told me to work hard.

High Heels

What smell reminds you of home? In the summer, fresh-cut grass. In winter, wood burning in the fireplace.

How did you end up in the business you're in? Because I love nursing, and lots of dedication.

Favorite comfort food? Soup, pickles, or popcorn.

Favorite song from when you were a teen? "Jump" by Van Halen.

What would you do if you had to take a year off from what you're doing now? I would get involved in missionary work, travel to Tuscany, Paris and Martha’s Vineyard, and "flip" one fabulous house with my husband.

When was the last time someone surprised you? Just the other day, my patient brought me two beautiful bottles of wine from their new winery!

DOSOUTHMAGAZINE

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10

people The Steinfeldts

WALKING, TALKING

Miracle

words Marla Cantrell images courtesy Zac and Angela Steinfeldt, and A Moment Captured Photography

Zac Steinfeldt sits inside a Fort Smith, Arkansas coffee shop, his long

Afterward, in the dressing room, he got even sicker, and a co-work-

fingers wrapped around his Styrofoam cup. He is a tall man, lanky,

er realized something was terribly wrong. A call to 911 brought

with blue eyes and cropped brown hair. He's dressed in a checkered

help. Zac's memory ends soon after. He recalls being outside lying

shirt, and he tugs at the bill of his ball cap, once and then again. If

on the ground, waiting for the ambulance. The cold earth eased

you had to guess what he loved by what he's wearing, you'd have

the throbbing in his head. "I didn't know where I was. I thought it

two clues: he has on a necklace with a cross etched on it, and a

was Friday night, not Monday, and that I'd fallen asleep and that I

bracelet with the words "I am second" written across the black

was having weird dreams. I kept thinking I had soccer games in the

band. The slogan is a universal code that means the wearer strives

morning, and that I'd better get to sleep. That's the last memory I

to put Jesus first in every aspect of his life.

have for days and days," he says.

When asked to describe himself, he does it this way: "I'm a walking,

His wife Angela, who has been listening intently, begins to fill in

talking miracle."

the gaps. She was at home that day, about to put their youngest down for a nap, when the phone rang. One of Zac's co-workers

It is not until he pulls off his hat that the story becomes clearer. There is

was on the line. Angela, stoic up until now, brushes away tears.

a broad scar in the shape of a "C" that splits his skull in half and then

"They said he was incoherent, that he couldn't talk, and that

dips below one ear. Not long ago, seventy-seven staples held his head

he was resisting getting into the ambulance. He wasn't able to

together, the marks like rambling train tracks across the lone prairie.

respond to them." Angela pauses. "I didn't know if he was going to make it," she says, and Zac puts his arm around her.

The story of the scar begins on a Thursday in November of 2013. Zac, who's thirty-six, works for Traveler's Insurance, and his office is inside

Zac was airlifted to Washington Regional Medical Center in Fay-

the Golden Living headquarters in Fort Smith. On that day, he had a

etteville. A CT scan showed what was going on inside Zac's head.

headache that he thought was a migraine. The last migraine he'd had

He'd had a massive hemorrhage, so intense there was a two to

was just before a mission trip to India the year before, after he'd been

three centimeter mid-line shift in his brain. Doctors use a numeric

fasting for twenty-four hours, and this felt much like that one.

scale to rate the intensity of the bleeding. Zac says anything over a five typically results in coma or death. His measurement was

On Friday, the pain persisted, so he called in sick and rested at his

8.9, and his outcome looked grim.

home in Greenwood. When the weekend rolled around, he tried to push through the pain, even coaching his kids' soccer games and

What was causing Zac's bleeding was a condition called AVM (ar-

teaching Sunday school. On Monday, November 10, he went back

teriovenous malformation). He points to his skull. "I had a tangle

to work, determined not to let his aching head stop him. Zac's rou-

of veins and arteries right here," he says. In people with AVM, the

tine was to eat lunch at his desk and then go to the gym downstairs,

arteries in the brain connect directly to nearby veins without having

and so he headed there. Even though he wasn't pushing himself, he

the normal vessels (capillaries) between them. This happens as the

was dizzy and sweating so much his shirt was soaked through. The

brain is forming, and is present in less than one percent of the gen-

headache was getting worse by then, superseding anything he'd

eral population. It’s estimated that about one in 200–500 people

ever felt before.

may have an AVM, and it's more common in males than in females.

DOSOUTHMAGAZINE

people people

Even as rare as the condition is, what happened to Zac is even more

When Zac was rushed into the O.R. to remove two large blood clots

uncommon. "They say less than one percent of the one percent

and stop the bleeding, the doctor estimated a twelve-hour surgery. Six

have their AVM burst like mine did. That breaks down to only one to

and a half hours later, Dr. Evans came to find Angela. The surgery had

three people a year." He's also learned that the persistent headache

been a success, although Zac still was in dire straits. He could have suf-

he had was a symptom he should not have ignored. It was the big

fered a major stroke, for example, in the hours that followed, and he

warning sign he wishes he hadn't missed.

would likely have some trouble with his speech. But twelve days later, he was out of ICU. Not long after that, he was back home.

It is at this point in the story where the extraordinary starts to reveal itself. Because this is where Dr. Brandon Evans, graduate of the Uni-

Because of the damage the hemorrhage left behind, Zac found that

versity of Oklahoma College of Medicine, class of 2005, comes in. It

certain words were lost to him. They put labels all over their house,

just so happens that he'd worked under a doctor in California who

identifying things as simple as doors. And when he first saw his

had a wealth of knowledge about this disorder. "The doctor he'd

three kids, he couldn't recall their names. He asked them to help

studied under had done one thousand surgeries over twenty-six years

him, and they all filled in the blanks when he reached for words that

on people with AVM. Many of them had not burst like mine, but he

would not come.

knew so much about this condition."

At first, they thought it would take him Surgery started at nine that night.

at least a year to go back to work, but in

All the while, prayers were going up.

three months he returned, and he cred-

There were posts on Facebook, and

its his bosses with helping him acclimate,

people from across the nation were

saying they did everything they could to

asking God to help Zac. One of his

help him get back on his feet. Still, things

friends decided he needed to be in

are not quite the same. He continues to

church, and so he showed up at First

have headaches from the trauma he suf-

Baptist in Greenwood, where he and

fered, and he says his brain often hurts,

Zac are both members, and began to

which means there are times when he

pray. He told only two people he'd

feels like he's having a "brain freeze."

be there but little by little, more men

Zac

showed up. They bowed their heads and asked for help. Before the night ended, sixty men had gathered to intercede for Zac. An amazing thing was happening in the surgery waiting room as well.

You've probably felt the same way after you chugged down an icy drink really fast and had a few minutes of pain. The differ-

"I have said these things to you, that in me you may have peace. In the world you will have tribulation. But take heart; I have overcome the world." -John 16:33

Peace flooded Angela's heart. Even

ence is that his lasts all day long.

Even now, there are words that hover just out of his reach. He might want to say "pizza," and in his mind he can see an entire piece, complete with cheese

now she struggles to articulate the calm that she most certainly

and tomato sauce and a perfect crust. What he'll end up doing is

shouldn't have felt. The two will celebrate their fifteenth anniver-

describing it until someone gives him the word.

sary this year, and that night was by far the worst time in their marriage. "It's something I can't even explain, because my whole

"I saw the word 'chemical' spelled out on a show the other day, and

world was uncertain at that time. It was a peace that surpasses all

I tried to say it. I'd say 'chime-ical' and then 'chem-I-CAL' and then

understanding," Angela says. And then she quotes her favorite

'coo-mical'. I couldn't get it. Trampoline I call a 'bounce house,'"

Bible verse, John 16:33 "I have said these things to you, that in me

Zac says. Asked for a recent example, he says this: "Today at work

you may have peace. In the world you will have tribulation. But

they were serving turkey hamburgers, and they had something that

take heart; I have overcome the world."

comes in a package, and it's not bread, but you eat it with a sandwich. They serve it at Subway速. They're square and lean."

DOSOUTHMAGAZINE

13 11

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people

As he says this, it is as if he is a contestant in the old TV show, The

'I'm not bringing it. God is going to take care of my husband.' She

Secret Password. He gives clues, and Angela listens until she comes

knew God was going to take care of me," he says, and then he

up with the word in question. "You're talking about Sun Chips速,

reaches over and hugs her.

Zac" she says, and you can see relief flood his face.

They intend to treat each other tenderly, to adore this life that is He has made concessions in other areas, like getting a co-coach to

fragile, of course, but so beautiful it's stunning to behold. As they

help with his soccer team. It takes some of the pressure off him,

leave, Zac's hand is on Angela's back. It is as if he wants to hold

knowing he's not flying solo. It's even affected him emotionally. He

onto her. He reaches out to open the door for her, and she looks

avoids movies where any of the main characters die, and when he

up at him, this man she prayed so hard for, the one she was certain

meets someone who's lost a family member, his heart breaks. Even

God was going to save.

things he loved before, like camping, have been put on hold, since there is so much planning and preparation involved. He's finding that in all things, simple is better. His progress, however, has been remarkable and his prognosis is good. Once he's past this, in about

Symptoms of a brain AVM include:

another year, he should be as healthy as anyone else his age.

A whooshing sound heard on examination of the

What he's learned through it all is that you need to honor every

Seizures

day, to celebrate each waking hour. "Just to see God come through

Headache

the way He did takes both of us aback," Zac says. "There's nothing special about us. We're just two people who love Jesus. For Him to

skull with a stethoscope or may be audible

Progressive weakness or numbness

take care of us is just amazing."

All during the time Zac and Angela are telling their story, they are leaning into one another, they are touching each other's hands, they are acutely aware of the other. Angela says, "As for our marriage, it's changed that. We don't get upset over the little things."

Some people may experience more-serious neurological symptoms, depending on the location of the AVM, including: Severe headache Weakness, numbness or paralysis

"Prior to this," Zac says, "the little things bothered us. Now they don't. What's the purpose of that? There's a pile of dirty laundry?

So what? Little irritations just don't matter."

Vision loss Difficulty speaking Inability to understand others

The subject of purpose ignites something in Angela. She believes

Severe unsteadiness

Zac was spared for a reason, and they both are praying about what to do now that they've been granted more time together. They want to give back, to be open to what God has in mind for them.

Zac sees that Angela has started to cry again, and he leaves to find tissue to dry her tears. When he returns, he tells one last story. Since the surgery, most of the focus has been on Zac, and he knows that Angela's journey was just as frightening. He is in awe of her strength, and her faith, and her devotion to him.

Symptoms may begin at any age, but you're more likely to experience symptoms between ages 10 and 40. Brain AVM can damage brain tissue over time. The effects slowly build up, sometimes causing symptoms in early adulthood.

Once you reach middle age, however, brain AVMs tend

"I told my Sunday school class about Angela and what she went through because of me," he says. "At the hospital, a nurse asked her if I had a Living Will. Angela said I did, and then she told them,

to remain stable and are less likely to cause symptoms.

Source: mayoclinic.com

DOSOUTHMAGAZINE

14

pets

ASK THE PET VET

Resident pet expert, Dr. Rusty Henderson, DVM, answers your questions on dog adoption, cats with the need to lick everything, and how old is too old when it comes to adopting exotic birds.

Have a question for our pet vet? Email editors@dosouthmagazine.com.

Shutterstock

Q: A:

My kids want a puppy. I want low maintenance. Aside from a hairless breed, what’s our best option?

My first choice is always the local animal shelter. And while you can't know everything about the mixed breeds you find there, the chances of getting a wonderful pet are extremely high. If, however, you plan to buy a puppy, my choice is a Labradoodle or Goldendoodle. These designer dogs make wonderful, loving, healthy pets.

DOSOUTHMAGAZINE

pets

Shutterstock

Q: A:

My cat, Frankie, obsessively licks household objects such as our stainless steel refrigerator and windows. What’s his deal?

Usually, it's a manifestation of some feline social behavior and is in fact a great compliment that your cat is paying you. But sometimes it's a sign of anxiety, or a compulsive disorder brought on by changes in environment, stress, or even hormonal fluctuations. This is true when your cat licks not only you but other objects. Distract him with a feather on a string, cat nip, or by brushing his fur. If stress seems the issue, identify the cause and treat it.

DOSOUTHMAGAZINE

15

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pets

image Catherine Frederick

Q: A:

I’m in my fifties and I would like a bird; however, I'm concerned it will outlive me. Do you have any suggestions?

Consider adopting a mature exotic bird from one of the many rescues on the Internet. Since these birds can live up to fifty years, look for one that is already middle-aged.

DOSOUTHMAGAZINE

people pets

ADOPT SOME LOVE M

M

F

Poncho

Patrick

F

M

Bette Davis

F

Raquel

Henry

Shyla

Charleston Dog Shelter Donations are always needed and greatly appreciated.

Charleston Dog Shelter | Charleston, AR 72933 | 479.965.3591 | Find us on Petfinder™ |

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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people

The Good Mom words & images Jessica Sowards

Jessica Sowards & sons

I

I am a good mom.

between my capabilities now and then are as stark as day and night.

But it has taken the last ten years of trial and error for me to be able

Ten years ago, in the middle of the night on a Wednesday in No-

to say that I am a good mom.

vember, my first son was born. I was nineteen years old. The next day, I changed a dirty diaper for the first time and prayed that there

When Eve was cursed in Genesis, she was told that her pain in bring-

wouldn't be some sort of baby test in order for me to take him home.

ing forth children would be greatly multiplied. I've given birth without

Because I just knew I would have failed it.

pain medication. I'll be the first person to tell you it hurts. Badly. But I've kind of always felt like Eve's curse went further than the labor and

This spring, I gave birth to my fifth son. I can now change a dia-

delivery room. Physical pain is a breeze compared to the hurt of failing

per one-handed in the dark without waking the baby. The contrast

our kids. The crushing weight of mom guilt is known by all mothers.

DOSOUTHMAGAZINE

people

Feeling like we aren't enough is, hands down, one of the universal

photos with dirty floors, food-caked faces and the kitchen table lit-

struggles all moms deal with. It's suffocating sometimes. It never fully

tered with convenience food packages. I started to share my real life.

goes away. And it is ingrained in us all.

And people were moved by it. They found my life beautiful, and I felt so encouraged by the compliments I received because they were

So what do we do? We carry around this insecurity like a stone. We

genuine. They were based on the truth, not just some pretty picture

worry constantly and then turn to our magic mirror, the Internet. Here

I'd composed to hide the real mess.

we can post the moments we are proud of, pleading to be told that we are doing well. We can smooth over and romanticize our lives. We are all guilty. But at the end of the day, if we cannot say "I am a good mom," and believe it, it isn't enough. I want you to be able to say it.

But first you absolutely have to believe it.

Watch Your Words

What you say matters. The things you say to your kids and about your kids have long reaching fingers. Ephesians 4:29 says, "Let everything you say be good and helpful, so that your words will be an encour-

How? Well, this is what has worked for me:

agement to those who hear them." Obviously, this means we should be lifting up and encouraging our kids. But it also means we should be saying positive things about them even when they can't hear. How

Stop Comparing

we feel and choose to act is greatly affected by what we choose to

Comparison is the thief of joy. You cannot take your reality

speak. Praise your kids at every chance you get.

and compare it to someone else's highlight reel. It is unrealistic and destructive.

Understand that the lives you see on your favorite blog or on Instagram of that girl you went to high school with have the ugly

Kids' Faults are an Overflow of Their Strengths

For years I prayed for patience. Every single day. I'd beg God to give

omitted. You know what I'm talking about. They aren't snap-

me the patience to love my boys better, to not lose my temper with

ping a picture while their toddler has a meltdown at the grocery

them. I'd end the day feeling defeated and then I'd pray some more

store. They don't post about how much they love their hubby even

and just hope the day would come when it would stick.

though he chose to go fishing on their anniversary, or how their fat jeans won't button anymore. Even when people share every-

My oldest son, Jackson, is obsessive about details. I am your typical

thing from their dinner to the book they're reading, they aren't

right-brained creative person. I'm unorganized, unscheduled and ok

generally as forthcoming with their ugliness.

with that. But Jackson likes everything in order, everything planned.

For the longest time, his need to have things a certain way completely

This rule goes both ways though. Do you catch yourself noticing

wore me out. I'd get frustrated with him. He'd get frustrated at me.

other mothers and thinking, Well at least I'm doing better than

Then one day, God showed me something life changing. I realized

her? Do you find yourself bolstered when you DO catch a glimpse

that I can always count on Jackson to do a job well. He follows direc-

of someone's weakness? Stop. You cannot find your affirmation

tions. I trust him to do what I ask of him.

in the shortcomings of others. It may feel good for the moment, but in the end, it will only damage your confidence. Build other

Generally, a person's weaknesses are an overflow of their best traits. A

mothers up. If you see a shortcoming, offer to help. And pray.

passionate person can move mountains but can be painfully bullheaded once he has his mind set on something. Creative people can make in-

Get Real

credible art, but are often completely incapable of order. A thorough and

of my kids every day. It was so rewarding and really made me realize

Somehow, realizing this about each of my sons has helped me cope

how guilty I was of only posting the things online that made me look

with their faults. It has given me patience that I never had before.

good. I decided I didn't want to be that mom anymore. So I started

Because when I start to get frustrated, I just think, If he didn't have

sharing photos that would have otherwise been unworthy. I posted

this struggle, he wouldn't be the amazing boy he is.

dependable worker often struggles with being a perfectionist.

Last year I challenged myself to a photo project where I took photos

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Be Yielding When it Matters

Forgive Yourself

to be a Nerf gun war of epic proportions being plotted in the basement.

isn't a declaration of being perfect. I still mess up more than I

It was bedtime. I got up and started to go call for lights out and send

like to admit. I had a hormonal breakdown less than forty-eight

A few nights ago, I was lying in bed reading and I heard what promised

Please do not mistake my advice for something that it isn't. This

them to their bedrooms. But

hours ago in which I actu-

I didn't. I lay back down and

ally said to my husband, "I

listened to their laughter. The

hate everything. Everything

mess was huge. Bedtime was

sucks and I am the world's

late. And it was worth it. They

worst." Dramatic, I know. I

will remember that night. They

can laugh about it now, but

will remember enjoying each

the truth is no one is perfect.

other and their dad. Some-

Be assured that you will fail.

times memories are worth

If we strive for perfection,

bending the rules.

we might as well hang up our hats now. The standard of motherhood cannot be

Invest in the Eternal

perfection. It has to be love.

Psalms 127: 4 - 5 says, "Like

Love gives grace for mis-

arrows in the hands of a warrior are children born in one’s youth.

takes. Love embraces faults because they go hand in hand with

Blessed is the man whose quiver is full of them."

strengths. Love recognizes that memories are more important than rules. Love wants what is best, even when it isn't easy. Love

Right now, I cannot know who my sons will be. I don't know

doesn't care about material things. Love is fierce, forgiving. Love is

where they will go or what they will do or even what they will

always, always enough.

choose to stand for. But if they are truly arrows in my quiver, I know what kind of archer I have been. I know that I have trained

Remember, while we love our kids immeasurably, they love us too.

my eye on the target of eternity.

Even when you do not feel like you are a good mom, I bet if you asked your babies, they would say that you are not only good, I

Last summer, we couldn't afford to go on a big vacation. We spent

bet they would say that you are the best mom in the world.

a lot of time together at home, doing fun things locally, but as friends posted photos of white, sandy beaches and Mickey Mouse,

And I am sure of one thing. They believe it.

I started to get that creeping feeling of letting the boys down.

Jessica Sowards blogs at TheHodgepodgeDarling.blogspot.com

My second son, Asher, accepted Christ a couple of months before and had been begging to declare it by baptism. At the end of the summer, we obliged.

The moment he came up out of the water, his face lifted up in a beaming smile, his little fists triumphantly aloft, nothing else mattered. It was payment for our investment. And though I don't have a lot of money and they will miss out on some things, they'll have Jesus. It's more than enough.

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ACURE Organics Hair Care Products OLDE FASHIONED FOODS Fort Smith DOSOUTHMAGAZINE

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Lytera Skin Brightening Products by SkinMedica® FORT SMITH MEDICAL CENTER & BEINEMAN AESTHETICS Fort Smith DOSOUTHMAGAZINE

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LOOKING FOR THE

LIGHT words Tonya McCoy images courtesy Steven Hunter

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D

Dew-dropped wildflowers tilt their petaled heads toward the sun as it rises over the Charleston Prairie in Arkansas. The purple, pink and gold flowers mimic the color of dawn as they dot the field. Photographer Steven Hunter adjusts the macro lens on his Nikon®D700 digital camera. He’s preparing to capture the most minute details of the plants, and this time of day casts the perfect light. Depending on the time of year, his office sits beneath towering ice-encased oaks, or beside bluffs blanketed in autumn colors, or in the midst of American Lady butterflies posed atop spring coneflowers. He’s done lots of jobs in the past, including financial planning, occupational therapy, and even working for the FBI. But, as light floods the field and he snaps shot after shot, he knows he’d rather be here than anywhere else.

“I wouldn’t trade my job with anybody,” says fifty-eight-year-old Steven. His interest began early. When he was a boy he enjoyed flipping through photo albums with his grandmother, who was born in 1907 and grew up on a ranch in Wyoming, near Yellowstone National Park. The albums were filled with pictures of her visiting the park in a Model T and fly fishing in the Big Horn Mountains. “I loved looking at old pictures and listening to the stories she would tell about the adventures with her family.”

When Steven was twelve his parents surprised him with the best gift ever. "I got a little Kodak® Instamatic camera for Christmas and I became the official family photographer.

I took all the family pictures. I took pictures of family and friends up until about the time I got married. And my wife and I, we liked to go camping and hiking, so I started taking pictures of nature just to record what we were doing.”

When Steven was younger, he also thought it would be exciting to be an FBI agent, and the dream didn’t end there. After a few semesters at Westark Community College (now the University of Arkansas - Fort Smith), he decided to apply for a position at the FBI headquarters in Washington D.C. He went through an extensive application and interview process and landed a job sending fingerprint cards to law enforcement agencies all over the United States. Eventually he wanted to become a special agent, but shortly after being hired, the FBI ended their policy that favored promoting existing employees for those openings. The edge Steven thought he’d have by working at headquarters was gone.

Steven decided to move back home.

Once back in the state, he finished college at the University of Arkansas in Fayetteville, earning a Master of Business Administration degree. From there he worked for financial planners in both Chicago and Fort Smith, but his heart just wasn’t in it, so he decided to change course again.

At thirty-two, he started back to school, this time for occupational therapy, and moved to Missouri where he had a wide range of clientele including patients in public schools, nursing homes, inpatient and outpatient rehabilitation and home health services. He was working long hours for several different bosses. “I really liked the work, but I just got burned out after ten years. It was pretty stressful. It was long hours and a lot of pressure, and I really wanted to be a nature photographer."

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After burning out, Steven began to work on his dream. His classroom

change his lifestyle, meaning he wouldn’t be able to lift anything

became the mountains, fields, and trails, and he became his own

heavy and would have to take several breaks during the day to rest

teacher. He picked up every book he could find about photography

his back. His depression grew worse.

and started building a library at home. He spent hours voraciously poring over books and trying different techniques. He only took one

“While I was laid up, I prayed to God, 'If you heal me enough

hands-on photography class, which was a workshop with renowned

to where I can walk again, I'll do nature photography. That's my

photographer Tim Ernst. Ernst’s work is published in several state

heart's desire anyway. That's what I really want to do.'

guidebooks and photography books including Arkansas Landscapes and Arkansas Wildlife. Steven drove from Missouri to Arkansas to

“It’s kind of like God closed all the doors, but left that one door

take photos under Ernst’s direction at White Rock Mountain.

open. And that was the only place to go was to pictures. That’s what was in my heart, so I started doing it, and that’s what made me feel most alive, being out there in the field, taking pictures of plants and animals and landscapes that are beautiful. And for a while the demons of depression would be held at bay. And if I was really into it, I didn’t notice my back pain as much.”

Steven was able to work on his photography by taking breaks when he needed to. Often he would lie flat on his back, right on the ground, until the pain subsided. Photo by photo, he gathered two decades' worth of work and published two books. His first book, Looking for the Light, is focused on the landscapes and natural beauty of Mt. Magazine. His second book, Graced by the Light, is centered around the Charleston Prairie.

Steven found his way out of darkness through photography and

He returned to Arkansas in 2000 where he continued photography

by the help of God. “There was one day when I was at the prairie.

while working for his father who’d started a payphone business.

It’s so beautiful out there and I was all alone and I just kind of had

Steven did everything from installing to programming the phones.

an epiphany. I just felt like I’d been singled out by God that day

One day tragedy struck when Steven was installing a phone line

to be blessed with the light. Both the physical light coming from

on top of the laundromat of an apartment building. His dad's

the sun and the inner light as well: your spirit... I was looking for

truck was below and Steven thought it would be easy to jump

the light. Literally and metaphorically. Going through that really

from where he was to the pickup bed.

changed my life forever. I think for the rest of my life, seeking out the light is the theme. Whether it be through the Word of God,

“I landed wrong, and it jarred my back really hard. It hurt really bad.

or through prayer, or through nature and the light that we see.”

By the time March of 2001 came around, I was completely incapacitated and I didn’t have health insurance. ..I was laid up for three solid

Every day, Steven is happy that his work takes him to beautiful

months. I spent them flat on my back in bed. I lost all my savings. I

places, filled with nature. He can't imagine a better life, or a hap-

was broke and I became really depressed about the whole thing.

pier one, and every day he is grateful that this is what he gets to do. He looks back on his first camera, the first time he fell in love

“When I was flat on my back, I didn't even know if I'd be able to walk

with photography, and he thinks this is what he was born to do.

again. I finally had an MRI and it was really bad. I’d herniated three

That it took him awhile to find it is fine with him. It only makes

discs and one of them was a worst case scenario: it herniated out the

him treasure it more.

side. To this day — my right leg, I still don't have full strength in it.”

You can buy Steven Hunter’s books on Amazon or you can log on Steven’s doctor prescribed bed rest and told him he’d have to

to lookingforthelight.net.

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diy entertainment

A Spool of Blue Thread

By Anne Tyler Alfred Knopf Publishers 358 pages $25.95 review Anita Paddock

I’ve always felt a kinship with Anne Tyler.

Episcopalians. Junior talked people’s ears off,

We’re close to the same age, and I’d feel

but Linnie was shy and quiet and noticeably

comfortable having a cup of morning coffee

younger. No one could figure out how they ever

with her on my back porch. I’ve read nearly

got together, not even their children. By and by

all of her books – all set in Baltimore – and this

we’ll find out, though. That’s the beauty of the

novel, her twentieth, does not disappoint. I

way Anne Tyler writes. She lets you know the

am once again in love with her storytelling.

details little by little, so the reader says, “Aha.”

The Whitshanks, a family of carpenters and

We’re introduced to a cast of characters, with all

wives and children, are the subject of A Spool

their good and bad qualities fitting together like

of Blue Thread. The novel opens with Red and

pieces of a big jigsaw puzzle. Tender moments,

Abby in their twilight years, living in the house

jealousies, and carefully guarded secrets hold

they inherited from Red’s parents, Junior and

the pieces together.

Linnie, who were killed in a car crash. Red and Abby have four grown children: two girls

Tyler deftly describes the perils of old age:

and two boys. One son, Denny, is the most

a touch of forgetfulness, poor hearing that

handsome and the one who causes grief for

mistakes important words for unimportant

his parents. He dropped out of college, can’t

words, humming parts of songs over and over,

keep a job, and often disappears without telling his family where he

painful joints, and the inability to fall asleep quickly. She also knows the

is. During one of his disappearances, he married and had a daughter.

jargon of young people, and her multi-generational conversations on

Despite their troubled relationship, if anyone outside of the immediate

the front porch are perfect.

family asks about Denny, his parents say he’s doing fine.

The color blue figures prominently in the novel: Denny uses blue thread The Whitshank house is the lynchpin of the novel. It is a perfectly built

to repair a shirt first fashioned by his mother for his father on their

and maintained home that sits on a slight hill with a flagstone sidewalk

wedding day, during a particularly moving moment in the story. When

leading up to a big front porch with a swing and chairs arranged for

you finish this story, you'll feel like you know the Whitshanks, and you'll

looking out at neighbors passing by. The house was originally built

understand the inner workings of a family through hard times and

by Red's father for another family. When the original owners moved

good times, through sorrow and joy.

closer to town, Junior bought it and moved his family there, which he thought gave them respectability. But that never happened. Even

I’ve read that Tyler says this is her last book. A talent like hers should

though they never missed a Sunday at St. David’s Episcopal Church,

only be silenced by the one thing that will finally silence us all. I'm

the church leaders knew the Whitshanks certainly didn’t start out as

hoping she'll reconsider.

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entertainment diy

Windfall Joe Pug

review Marla Cantrell

"Great Hosannas" sounds like something you'd hear in church.

There's an ache to it, and the harmonica seems to pick up on that, and you can imagine a choir joining in. It takes a while to really get the song. The lyrics are a series of images strung together that tell the stories of our lives, from walk-in closets to open faucets to costume jewelry. He seems to lament life, to want it to be better than it seems to be.

Quite possibly the best track is "Veteran Fighter." "You see the moon in the mirror tonight as you put it onto 35 South," Pug sings, and then he takes us on a ride with someone who's trying to sort life out on this long drive. Pug offers this advice: "Don't back down. It will get brighter. Stand your ground like a veteran fighter. Grip that wheel just a little bit tighter, now."

A close second is "O My Chesapeake." It sounds like a ballad that could have been written a century ago, and tells the story of a wandering man who's looking back at the life he's lived.

You are going to love this album. Folk singer Joe Pug, thirty-

On "Windfallen," Pug finally uses the word "windfall." He

one, has never been better. He's often compared to greats

dismisses the power of blind luck and says we should sign up

like John Prine, Bob Dylan, and Bruce Springsteen, and you'll

for the long haul, put in the work, and reap the benefits of

easily see why. It's not just his voice that draws you in. His

never giving in.

songwriting is stellar, turning phrases like, "They don't know beauty, just the costume. Don't know music, just the volume.

It occurred to me that what I love so much about this album is

Stay and dance with just who brought you."

that these songs sound a lot like short stories. Particularly, they sound like Southern short stories. It could be that Pug's interest

All ten songs on Windfall are written by Pug, and all are

in classic literature is showing through. He's said to admire

beautiful. The album starts with "Bright Beginnings." Here's

Walt Whitman, Raymond Carver, and John Steinbeck. He has

the first line: "I don't know but I could swear, we left our better

so many lines that are absolutely perfect, but my favorite is, "I

selves somewhere." The acoustic guitar, which Pug plays, shines

was born, then I loved you, I guess that was enough." He sings

through. The song takes a look at our perfect beginnings, the

it like a man who believes the words, who has found out the

way the sun rises and sets on the person we love. But few of

greatest joy on earth. I like to think he has.

us can keep those moments. If we're lucky, we get something better, something deeper, and that's what this song is about.

DO SOUTH RATING: 10 OUT OF 10

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WONDERFUL WALLPAPER! words & images Lee Anne Henry, Whiteline Designs

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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home

I have a few strong memories of wallpaper that go way back.

One is seeing flowers everywhere in my grandmother’s house when I was young. Those bright pink hues and floral motifs were overwhelming to me then, just as they would be today.

The other memory is of buying a fanciful wallpaper border, (yes, I am guilty) that encircled the room near the ceiling in my first baby’s nursery. It was not hard to put up, but then, of course, it was hard to take down — ouch! And then there was the house I bought, and the indelible pain of spending hours scraping hideous wallpaper off the walls to make way for colorful paint.

For a while now, we have seen white walls, brightly colored accent walls, and faux painted walls in designers' homes and in magazines. We have also seen murals of all styles come and go.

As a designer, it’s my job to watch for trends and stay ahead of the game. I’m so happy to report one of the raging trends coming back into home design is wallpaper. Let me assure you, it’s not your grandmother’s wallpaper.

The photos I chose reveal a sleek, beautiful, and new approach to wallpaper that can transform a room rather inexpensively and in such a dramatic way!

Every day I advise clients who are understandably nervous about this surging trend. My answer is much like everything else for your home: use it wisely and creatively.

For example, try installing a new take on a classic wallpaper design on unusual places, like on a ceiling.

I recommend that if yours is a more modern taste, you’ll be happiest with a geometric shape-inspired paper. I have used these in small areas like a powder room and the results are amazing.

If you’re worried about the cost of papering a full room, then find the perfect wallpaper and use it only as an accent wall.

Whatever you choose, let the paper reflect your own style.

Trust me on this one; today’s new innovative wallpapers can be fun and elegant and they make a great statement in any room.

Have fun!

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When Mama's Gone words Stoney Stamper images courtesy April Stamper

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Some people are just born to be parents. They fall effortlessly

one more thing that I wanted to say to you." And then she

into the parenting routine as though they’ve been doing it all

projectile vomited straight up into the air.

of their lives. The feeding, burping, diaper changing, bathing, and getting these tiny people dressed in the itsy bitsy, impos-

It was astonishing, like a puke fountain at the Bellagio in Vegas.

sible onesies with buttons, zippers and flaps out the wazoo can

It covered her face, and hair, and eyes. It was in her ears, all over

be unbelievably overwhelming. Yet some of these super-parents

her clothes, and all over my clothes and arms. It's pretty amazing

seem to perform these daily obstacles as easily as Mary Lou Ret-

that she puked about a gallon, because she only ate four ounces.

ton doing a cartwheel.

So then she said, "Hey Daddy? I've kind of got puke all over everything and everywhere.” And then I said, "Holy moley!” At this

I was not one of these people. I was thirty-three years old when

point, I jumped up and got her to the bedroom to start getting the

Gracee June was born, and since she is my only biological child, I

puke off her face and hair.

had never tackled even one of these parental duties before March 29, 2013. I was lost. Scared. Confused. You name it, I didn’t know

I took her clothes off, wrapped her up and headed to the kitchen

how to do it. But as time went on, I changed countless diapers and

for our first solo bath. I'd seen her do it dozens of times. So I put

made hundreds of bottles, and soon I became a fairly able-bod-

her down on the towel on the counter, and she was all happy and

ied caregiver for my little munchkin. But it wasn’t without some

smiley because, hey, everyone loves a bath!

major speed bumps. There were days when I questioned who had signed off on me becoming a legal guardian of even a dog, much less a human.

One such fateful day occurred on May 16, not long after Gracee arrived. I relive the whole scene in my mind often. It was the Thursday after Mother’s Day,

There were days when I questioned who had signed off on me becoming a legal guardian of even a dog, much less a human.

and for my wife, April's, special

I started clearing our two older

daughters'

breakfast

dishes out of the sink, while I held my hand on her belly so she wouldn't roll off the counter. She then said, "Hey Daddy, what's this little plastic rack with all my bottles on it?

I think I’ll throw it.” And being a little girl of her word, she then threw the bottle rack that

day I had bought her a spa package at a local salon. She was to

was covered in bottles and nipples, sending them loudly tumbling

be pampered with a manicure, pedicure, and massage. The whole

to the floor. She then said, "Hey Daddy, all those bottles flying

works. Gracee was six weeks old, and for the very first time I was

around and banging off the tile floor for no apparent reason just

going to keep her at home, all by myself. I was nervous but oddly

scared me really bad, so I'm going to scream real loud now, for a

confident that I had this under control.

while.” I pleaded with her, "No baby, don't scream, I'm just trying to get the water to the right temperature for you. Too cold. Nope,

One of the cool things about having this little mini-me is the

too hot. There we go, just right.”

amazing connection that we have. I have always felt that I could look at her face and know what she was thinking. Like we are

Once the water was dialed to the right temperature, the diaper

on some other level. So, on this special first day together, we

came off, and I picked her up. But then, at the last second, I de-

began having a conversation. We were lying on the couch, and

cided that the water was a tad too warm, so I held on to her, and

she looked at me with questioning eyes and said, "Hey Daddy,

tried to cool it down just a bit. Right then, Gracee said, "Hey Dad-

where's mama?” And I said to her, "Well, she's getting her

dy? I’ve really got to pee.” And then she peed all over my t-shirt

Queen for the Day spa treatment that you and your sisters got

and belly. I admit, I screamed a little, not too unlike our ten-year-

her for Mother’s Day.” Gracee then replied, "Oh, well that's

old Emma when she sees a spider. I quickly laid her down into her

cool. Thank you for watching me today while she goes and

little bath chair thingy, and started running the warm water over

does that. She really deserves it. Oh, and Daddy? There’s just

her. She smiled so pretty at me, and then said, "Daddy, I LOVE

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baths. They make me so relaxed. I think I'll go ahead and make a poop.” The eyebrows turned red and her face took on a look of total concentration, which are the telltale signs that it's go time.

OH. NO. I'll admit to you now that I panicked a little bit. I turned around and grabbed the diaper that I'd just taken off of her, and slid it under her butt. Unfortunately, it was just a moment too late.

Ok. There was poop in the kitchen sink. I was going to have to burn the house down. But first, I had to finish what I'd started with cleaning this baby. She looked up at me with a very satisfied face and said, "Daddy, I feel so much better.” I said, “I'm glad, honey. I'm really happy for you.” But right at that particular moment, I was much more concerned with some other more important things.

First, I picked the baby up out of the sink and cleaned the unholy deposit out of it that she had left for me. I had to give it a thorough cleaning. I mean, really thorough. Once that was done, back into the bath we went.

Why in the world were there three different kinds of baby soaps by the sink? I read the instructions to determine what each of them were for, but they all looked exactly the same to me. Just to be safe, we used all three of them. I scrubbed her up really good, being sure to get in all her little baby fat rolls. Washed, rinsed, repeated and then we were done. Easy as pie. Gracee looked at me with a loving, toothless grin and said, "Not too bad Daddy, but Mom does it way better.” OK, it wasn’t pretty, I’ll give you that. Admittedly, I kind of panicked under pressure.

There were still bottles all over the kitchen floor and puke-covered clothes in the bedroom floor, and undoubtedly there was some puke somewhere on the couch. But we’d survived. No one was hurt. Nothing was broken that couldn’t be fixed. I call that a win. A huge win.

Then, with a smug look of victory on my face, I looked over at the clock on the wall and realized that April had only been gone thirty minutes.

She’d be gone for another three and a half hours.

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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DIY diy

Go Ahead, PLAY WITH YOUR FOOD! words and images Catherine Frederick inspired by Pinterest速

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Add a splash of color to your kitchen with this DIY custom tea towel. No expert painting skills required - just some paint, tea towels, and fruits and vegetables! Even the kiddos can get in on this one. Great for gifting or for use in your own kitchen. Enjoy!

Materials • Flour sack tea towels (Hobby Lobby or Walmart) • Acrylic or fabric paint • Textile medium (only if using acrylic paint) • Paint brush • Paper towels • Scrap paper • Fruits and vegetables

Prep Work

Painting

Stamping

Protect your work surface with newspaper or an old towel. Prewash tea towels to remove sizing, then dry. Do not use fabric softeners! Decide the direction to cut the fruits and vegetables to obtain the desired shape (lengthwise or through the center).

Using a sharp knife, cut in a swift motion to avoid uneven edges (you want the cut side (flesh) to be as even and flat as possible).

Place cut side down onto a paper towel to absorb any liquid. Allow to air dry for 5 to 10 minutes.

While fruits and vegetables are drying, press tea towels, if needed, to remove wrinkles.

If using acrylic paint, you must mix the paint with textile medium so the paint does not come off when washing.

Follow the instructions on the textile medium for ratio of medium to paint.

If using fabric paint, make sure you apply a thin coat as it tends to raise up a bit when drying. Don’t go too heavy on the paint, brush on just enough to cover the cut portion's surface. If you brush on too much you’ll just end up with a large blob.

Press (stamp) fruit onto tea towel in desired pattern. I created one towel with a cut onion stamped over the entire towel, one with a cut pear lining only one edge, and another using a cut orange, stamping only the corners.

Testing Test out a few stamps on scrap paper to get the right amount of paint. You may find that you want to stamp first onto paper before applying to the tea towel each time, or vary the amount of paint each time for shades of light and dark.

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Try this: Experiment with different fruits and vegetables as well as painting and stamping the outside skin of the fruit or vegetable to obtain a different pattern, like seeds on strawberries. I especially love the pattern a painted cob of corn makes. If you can sew, try adding a strip of fabric, to the edge or even the across the center of the tea towel for added customization!

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diy

Strawberries

Apple

(cut half & whole)

Lime

Corn

Onion

Bell Pepper

Lemon

Orange

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people

Charolette Tidwell

CHAROLETTE'S PLAN

TO CHANGE THE WORLD

'scrappy.' During her career she'd done everything from nursing to teaching to writing textbooks. But then, during that low spell, her life slowed to a crawl. She told her husband, "I've got to get back to work."

When Charolette makes a statement like that, the world shifts.

Years before, at the height of her career at Sparks Health System, she stepped down as Director of Nursing to open a daycare for the

words Marla Cantrell images courtesy Joel Culberson

children of single parents.

It's only Tuesday and already Charolette Tidwell is dealing with a

As she talks, her story loops back to the beginning. She came

raft of problems. Just days before, the axle on the trailer she uses to

from a big family. Charolette holds up her index finger. "I was

deliver food to those in need snapped, and then she looked at the

never more than this big," she says, and laughs. "I was a skinny

tires on the van that pulled the trailer. Two of the four were bald.

thing, like my mother. And so shy. My mother arranged for us— there were ten—to go to St. John's Catholic School even though

"My accountant worries I'm going to go bankrupt," Charolette

she couldn't pay. We cleaned the school; that was part of the

says. And I said to him, 'It'll never happen.'" Call her attitude what

arrangement. And I saw the nuns give totally of themselves. We

you like: determination, confidence, hope. But whatever it is, it

were not Catholic; we were Baptists. At home, we were con-

has served her well through her sixty-nine years. His concern is

stantly driven to the things of community because my mom re-

valid, though. Because Charolette is a radical giver. She uses her

quired it. My church required it.

pension to help fund the non-profit she runs, Antioch Consolidated Association for Youth & Family, which operates out of an

"One of my teachers, Sister Pierre Voster, who later became the

old two-story redbrick building on North 11th Street in Fort Smith,

principal, is now the groundskeeper at St. Scholastica. I called

Arkansas and serves as a food bank for those struggling to get by.

her last week to see how she was and she said, 'Charolette, just doing what I do.' She hasn't changed a bit. She's outside digging

Fifteen years ago Charolette had just come off a year of ill health.

and weeding. Because of her and the other nuns, I got to see

For her entire life she'd been a dynamo, someone you'd likely call

giving up close."

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people

Charolette cites other good influences. There were her teachers

Who knows what she would have accomplished next had her health

at Lincoln High, and later her instructors at nursing school, who

held up. "I'd been on the road for so long. I was never so sick I went

helped her conquer her shyness. "I did learn to talk more," she

to bed, but I did retire in 2000. My husband helped open the Lincoln

says. "Now, my kids tell me that when I'm excited about some-

Youth Service Center, encouraging kids to be excellent, and I'd helped

thing I won't shut up. I guess I've come a long way."

behind the scenes. I remember saying to myself, 'You've been sick long enough. You've got to get up and get something done.' I started hand-

Just how far is incredible. Her résumé is filled with honors, as well

ing out food out of the bed of an old truck at the Lincoln Center.

as a list of degrees, the last of which is a Master of Education from the University of Arkansas.

"Michael Helm, who was the president of Sparks and now vice president of my board, saw me down there one day and asked me

As she's talking, the subject of her daycare comes up again. She

what I was doing. I said, 'I'm giving out food.' I said, 'Mr. Helm,

remembers sitting in her office just before she left Sparks. "David

I need a building. I can't peddle on the street forever.' He found

Banks, the CEO and president of Beverly Enterprises (which was

Robert Miller, who's now president of my board, and told him

the largest long-term care provider in the nation, now Golden Liv-

what I needed. When Robert brought me in this building, I cried,

ing) called. He offered me a job, and I told him I wasn't leaving

because here's what he said to me: 'Is this good enough?'"

because I was dissatisfied. I was leaving because I needed to do this. He said, 'What do you know about daycare centers?' And I

Nearby, rows of cafeteria tables are covered with grocery sacks.

said, 'Absolutely nothing!' He was just wonderful. He asked me

Six volunteers — nobody here draws a paycheck — work methodi-

who was funding it and I said I was. He said, 'Do you know you're

cally, adding canned goods and fruits and vegetables. Before the

going to go broke?' And I said, 'When I go broke, can I come work

sacks are delivered, packages of meat will be added. Then they'll

for you?' Every month he called me and said, 'Are you broke yet?'

be taken to senior citizens across the area.

One day he called and I said, 'I'm dead broke, David.'"

"We feed between 6,500 and 7,000 people. We feed the genFor seven years she worked for Beverly. She created the com-

eral public who come here. I have a senior mobile pantry. I have

pany's first wellness programs, which was an innovative concept

at least seven regular volunteers and about twenty-five others

at the time. She also started a nursing education department and

I can call to help. My goal right now is to serve more people.

published textbooks.

That requires buildings, warehouses, transportation."

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people

Charolette wears a Bluetooth device so she can answer calls and keep going. The phone rings incessantly, until she finally switches it off for a moment. Until now, her story has been mostly reminiscing. But there is an urgency to what she's now saying.

Arkansas is #1 in both overall food insecurity and child food insecurity. Food insecurity means people may be missing meals or deliberately eating inferior foods or less than they should.

"Arkansas is lowest on the list for food insecurity. (Food insecurity means people may be missing meals or deliberately eating inferior foods or less than they should.) The lowest. Are we content with that when we know what is essential for living and hoping and dreaming? I'm not content. I've seen little old ladies buying cat food to eat. That's what started the senior pantry. Broke down trailers, van problems, it doesn't matter, we get there.

How in America, with so much opportunity, do we leave people behind? How can we let the people who mentored us, taught us, helped us dream, eat cat food and dog food?"

Charolette says that many believe programs like Meals on Wheels and meals at certain senior centers fill the need when there's no way they possibly could. She cites the cut in food stamp funding.

All of this weighs heavily on her.

Many of her younger clients were fine when the local factories were running at peak capacity. "We used to be a manufacturing community. Whirlpool closed. Over 2,000 people were affected. Baldor has

ARKANSAS population 2,959,373

19.7% Overall Food Insecurity Rate 28.4% Child Food Insecurity Rate

RIVER VALLEY OF WEST CENTRAL ARKANSAS population 307,936 (Crawford, Franklin, Johnson, Logan, Polk, Scott, Sebastian and Yell Counties)

17.9% Overall Food Insecurity Rate 30.2% Child Food Insecurity Rate

NORTHWEST ARKANSAS population 478,552 (Benton, Carroll, Madison and Washington Counties)

15.5% Overall Food Insecurity Rate 25.6% Child Food Insecurity Rate

cut back. Rheem has cut back. These are the people who need additional food. Most have jobs, one to two of them, but it's not enough."

Source: Map the Meal Gap 2015

Charolette's mother taught her the "one helps one" principle when she was just a girl. If one person reaches out to another, and that person does the same, eventually the world changes.

Donations can be sent to:

Charolette can't wait for that to happen. And so she does more

Antioch Consolidated Association for Youth & Family

than her share. She drives an old car. She lives frugally. "I'll be

PO Box 1571

doing this till the day I die," she says, and switches her phone

Fort Smith, AR 72902

back on. It rings immediately. The caller needs help, and Charo-

Find them on Facebook

lette is just the person to provide it.

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taste

Berrylicious INGREDIENTS

METHOD

> 2 oz. vodka

Add all ingredients to blender

> ½ oz. Licor 43

or use hand mixer. Blend, then

Image Catherine Frederick

> ½ oz. grenadine

strain into martini glass.

Adapted from Cocktail Flow

> ½ oz. fresh lime juice

Garnish with fresh strawberry.

> 3 strawberries

Please drink responsibly.

Never drink and drive.

> Crushed ice

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taste/travel

EVA’S

Chilaquiles words and images Laura Hobbs

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taste/travel

About an hour north of the hustle and bustle of Puerto Vallarta's

gooey chiles rellenos, hearty tortilla soup, and tacos embel-

beach resorts and high-rise hotels is the sleepy fishing village of

lished with a condiment table that will knock your socks into

San Francisco, affectionately nicknamed San Pancho by locals.

next week: heaping bowls of chopped cilantro, minced onion,

Tucked into a bay that hugs Mexico’s pristine Pacific coast to the

shredded cabbage, tiny pinto beans, and a rainbow of salsas.

west and the densely forested Sierra Madre mountains to the east, San Pancho is home to 1,600 residents, about half as many

And that’s just the food. Cherubic and giggly Eva hosts her

dogs, and twice as many chickens. San Pancho's more popular

guests with a casual, motherly demeanor, making small talk

and party-centric neighbor, Sayulita, lies just three miles south.

between shifts at the griddle in a fluid mix of Spanish and Eng-

When the tide is right, you can

lish that’ll keep you on your

walk there, scrambling over

toes. “You wanna eat?” is of-

the rugged rocks that separate

ten followed with a swish of

the two towns with a proud jut

Spanglish and plenty of pink-

into the Pacific.

cheeked laughter.

Tourism's throng hasn't quite

In addition to her street-side

made it to San Pancho yet.

restaurant, Eva offers cooking

There are horseback rides,

classes on Wednesdays in her

jungle hikes and boat tours

open-air kitchen. Each week, ea-

offered, but the town's de-

ger and hungry gringas gather

mographic

reflect

around Eva’s cooktop to learn

much gentrification. There are

doesn't

the secrets of her trade, fum-

a couple of small groceries, a

bling through her Spanish-only

handful of modest restaurants

instruction and quickly learning

and a "fish shop" that's noth-

new words, new ingredients,

ing more than a well-traveled

and the value of gesturing.

Igloo cooler sitting in a local ®

fisherman's backyard. If you're

On this sweltering Wednesday

looking for a quick bite, many

morning, Eva made chilaqui-

locals offer homemade tacos,

les,

gorditas and other handheld

breakfast junk food. Using her

snacks from their patios.

homemade totopos (Mexico’s

Mexico’s

quintessential

thicker, better version of torLife in San Pancho is slow, but

tilla chips), Eva dunked them

it's a loud kind of slow: dogs

in a smooth tomatillo-based Eva

bark, roosters crow, Mexican music blasts from houses,

sauce and served them with a fierce chile salsa alongside.

kids ride squeaky-wheeled bikes, locals host parties in public

Topped with fire-extinguishing crema, diced onion and crumbly

parks, trucks blast announcements from loudspeakers winched

queso fresco, this hearty breakfast is perfect for a pre-hike meal or

into their truck beds, horses clop along the cobblestones and

as remedy for a late night out. The addition of a fried egg, sliced

scooters whiz unmuffled through the streets.

avocado or a few strips of grilled steak is highly recommended, as long as you serve them with a smile and a laugh.

Back to the homemade tacos. While San Pancho offers many snacks, the taco stand that's mentioned most is Tacos con Eva,

Want to try it yourself? Perfect. I've included the recipes for your

a streetside setup of plastic patio furniture and a propane-fired

dining pleasure.

griddle. Eva’s menu changes by the day; weekly staples include DOSOUTHMAGAZINE

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taste/travel

Chilaquiles con Salsa Verde (serves 4-6)

Place the boiled tomatillos in a blender and add half of the onion, garlic clove, entire bunch of cilantro (stems and all!) and chicken

2 lb. thick-cut tortilla chips

bouillon. Blend until smooth.

1 1/4 lb. whole tomatillos, cleaned and rinsed 1/4 white onion, halved

In a large frying pan, heat the cooking oil and add the other

1 clove garlic

half of the onion, cooking over med-high heat until translucent,

1 bunch cilantro

about 3 minutes. Add the blended tomatillo mixture to the frying

2 heaping teaspoons chicken bouillon (powdered)

pan, along with 1/4 cup of the reserved tomatillo water, stirring

2 Tablespoons cooking oil (your choice)

to combine. Once boiling, add an additional 1/4 cup of reserved

Salt and pepper to taste

tomatillo water. Season with salt and pepper to taste.

For the toppings: crema/sour cream, diced onion, queso fresco Once the sauce is boiling, remove from the heat and fold in the In a large pot of salted water, bring the whole tomatillos to a boil

tortilla chips. Allow the chips to sit in the sauce, off the heat,

and boil for 10 minutes, until soft. Remove tomatillos from water

about 5 minutes to soften. Serve with toppings of crema/sour

and set aside, reserving the tomatillo water.

cream, diced onion and queso fresco.

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Salsa de Tres Chiles (muy picante!)

1/2 cup water 12 tomatillos, cleaned, rinsed and halved 1 clove garlic, whole 1/2 white onion, sliced 1 bunch cilantro 2 poblano peppers 2 large jalapeĂąo chiles, chopped into large chunks 4 serrano chiles, chopped into large chunks 1/2 c. cooking oil (your choice), divided 1 heaping Tablespoon chicken bouillon, powdered 1/2 Tablespoon ground black pepper On a gas grill, gas range or in the broiler, char the poblano peppers until the skin is blistered and blackened on all sides. Place the poblanos in a sealed plastic bag and allow them to steam for about 10-15 minutes (this helps to peel the skin off easier).

In a frying pan, heat 2 Tablespoons of the cooking oil over medhigh heat. Add the onion and whole garlic clove and cook until the onion is translucent, about 3 minutes. Add the chopped jalapeĂąos and serranos to the pan and cook about a minute. Add the chopped tomatillos and cook a minute longer. Lower the heat to medium-low and allow to slowly sautĂŠ for 5 minutes. "When you start to cough, you know it's done!"

While the chiles and onion cook, peel the poblanos and cut them into large chunks, discarding the stems, ribs and most of the seeds (don't be too concerned with getting all the seeds - leaving some of them is traditional.)

Remove the chile/onion mixture from the heat. In a blender, add the chile/onion mixture, poblanos, cilantro (stems and all!), chicken bouillon, ground pepper, the remainder of the oil and 1/2 cup of water. Blend until mostly smooth.

Serve the sauce alongside the chilaquiles (or anything else) for a serious kick!

There you have it, your own taste of San Pancho! Try the recipe, and then plan your trip. You'll learn a lot, meet great people, and get a taste of life in one of the best small towns in Mexico.

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52 50

diy taste

words Catherine Frederick

Selecting Strawberries

Tell Me How!

Choose berries that are bright red in color, have a natural shine and fresh looking green stems. Keep dry in the refrigerator until just before use.

Leave stems on and wash berries gently with a spray of cool water. Blot dry.

Remove stems from berries by slicing, giving a light twist, or using the point of a knife. You can also push the stem out from the bottom up using a plastic straw.

Julienning Basil Start with several leaves of fresh basil, washed and patted dry.

Julienne is to cut into long, thin strips, like matchsticks.

1 Stack basil leaves on top of each other.

Who Knew?

Want pancakes that are super light and fluffy? Try replacing the water with club soda when mixing up the batter. Your pancakes will be fluffier than the fluffiest of clouds!

2 Roll basil starting from one long side to the other, creating a single roll.

3 Cut thin slices from the roll, about 1/8� thick, from one end to the other.

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travel

Biking the

Razorback Greenway words Nancy Hartney images courtesy NWA Council

T

Thirty-six intercity miles of biking and hiking paths stretch across

two Arkansas Champion Trees. Check out locally grown pro-

woodlands, parks, shared roads, and hills connecting Fayette-

duce Saturdays, April 25 through October 31, at the Bentonville

ville to Bentonville, Arkansas. The trail is officially known as the

County Farmers' Market.

Razorback Regional Greenway and it’s a great way to enjoy the beauty of this area.

Although the entire route can be completed in a six-hour day by hardcore cyclists, most folks opt to sample shorter loops

Fayetteville on the southern end of the Greenway includes Dick-

with frequent stops. I've mapped out two options: one in Fay-

son Street with year-round live music, theatre and stage pro-

etteville and one in Bentonville, to make planning your day-

ductions, clothing boutiques, and second-hand shops. Arsagas

trip easy. Also included are suggestions for local eateries. Get

Depot, Hog Haus, Common Grounds, Bordinos Italian, Jose's

a Razorback Greenway system map, available at nwatrails.org,

Mexican, and Grubs offer eats and libations for every palate. The

and pick up a city-specific map at the visitor’s bureau in Fay-

Farmers' Market on the Historic Square takes place three days

etteville, 21 South Block Avenue, or in Bentonville, 104 East

a week (Tuesday, Thursday, Saturday) from late April through

Central Avenue.

October dropping to Saturday only into November.

Family friendly trails accommodate walkers, cyclists, wheelchairs, Bentonville holds bragging rights on the Crystal Bridges Muse-

skaters, and dogs (on leash). Trailhead parking lots are scattered

um of American Art (closed Tuesdays), Walmart Museum, and

across the area with bike racks, drinking fountains, benches, pic-

Compton Gardens with its woodland plants, native prairie, and

nic areas, and restrooms available.

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Fayetteville in a Day Begin early morning at Walker Park, 10 W. 15th Street, using the Frisco Trail north to cross School Street. Breakfast tip: Sample chorizo, eggs, and salsa at El Camino Real, 815 S. School.

After breakfast, continue north on the Frisco Trail to Dickson Street and the Razorback Greenway Belt. Downtown, check out Nightbird Books, 205 W. Dickson, for new books, note cards, and magazines or drop by Dickson Street Book Exchange, 653 Dickson, for gently used reads and antique bargains. Pick up event calendars and browse the Markham Art Gallery at Walton Arts Center, 495 W. Dickson. Take Block Street, at the upper end of Dickson, for a landscaped ride to the Fayetteville Square with local eats, craft beers, import shops, jewelry stores, and clothing boutiques.

Use the Frisco Trail, switch to Scull Creek Trail, and peddle north to Clear Creek Trail for the Apple Blossom Brewing Company, 1550 E. Zion Road. Lunch tip: balsamic marinated Chicken Caprese with spinach, tomatoes, and pane Siciliano, $10.

For the afternoon ride, Clear Creek Trail connects to Lake Fayetteville Trail crossing Callie’s Prairie with a stop-off at the Botanical Garden of the Ozarks. Be sure to visit their twelve themed gardens and butterfly house. If you’d prefer, you can shop the afternoon away at the Northwest Arkansas Mall using the Clear Creek Trail spur into the Mall. Scull Creek Trail and Razorback Greenway are good loops for your return south.

In the evening, return via Scull Creek Trail and Dickson Street past the Fayetteville Public Library, 401 W. Mountain Street, open weekdays till 8PM. Continue south to Greenhouse Grill, 481 S. School Avenue, in the Mill District. Dinner tip: herb and parmesan crusted Rainbow Trout with grits, $22. Scull Creek Trail connects to Walker Park and your return to the parking lot.

Celebrate!

On May 2, the Razorback Regional Greenway is having their grand opening celebration. There will be guided bike rides along the 36-mile trail, free transportation via the train and Ozark Regional Transit service, and history and garden walks.

For details, visit nwatrails.org.

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Bentonville in a Day Start the day at the trailhead parking lot, NE 3rd Street, off the Bentonville square. Leave the bike and stroll two blocks for breakfast at 21c Hive Restaurant, 200 NE A Street. Fresh brewed coffee ($3) and a hot scone ($4) are bargains in this minimalist, artsy setting. After breakfast, from the trailhead, take the Art Trail, your entry to Crystal Bridges south grounds. Cross the foot bridge. Six distinct trails, open to hikers, crisscross the Museum grounds; three trails—Art, Orchard, and Crystal Bridges—are open to cyclists.

Relax at the Skyspace: The Way of Color, outdoor structure. Check out the wood and wetland flora on the way to the fiberglass Vaquero sculpture. Time and energy permitting, stroll the museum galleys, gift shop, or coffee bar. “Van Gogh to Rothko Masterworks from Albright-Knox Art Gallery”, on loan to June 1, is free to CB members, general public admission, $10.

Return to the trailhead on the Art Trail for lunch at Crepes Paulette French Restaurant, 213 Northeast A Street. Open from 11AM-2PM, this food truck specializes in crepes. Lunch tip: Le poulet épicé (spicy chicken), $7.50.

After lunch, use the All-American Trail, a soft surface trail for beginners and families, accessed off the town square, as gateway to the Slaughter Pen Trail system. Slaughter Pen offers twenty interconnecting single track miles of varying complexity featuring log rides, rock drops, rock squeeze, and jumps. Alternate riding lines for different skill levels are scattered throughout the system. For those preferring mountain biking, Slaughter Pen Hollow trailhead offers easy access.

Back on the Square at 108 E. Central, Table Mesa Bistro sports exposed brick walls and Latin cuisine. Evening dining tip: Oaxaca Salmon, $18, with Tres Leches cake, $6.

Fayetteville and Bentonville Bike Rentals: Creekside Plaza Phat Tire 3761 North Mall Avenue, Fayetteville, 479.966.4308 Phat Tire Bikes 125 West Central Avenue, Bentonville, 479.715.6170 Call for reservations and prices.

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MID-AMERICA

Science Museum words Marla Cantrell images Saidee Holmes and courtesy Mid-America Science Museum

It is one of those perfect spring days. A breeze is rippling through

Not far away, kids are sitting on wooden seats, using their own

treetops, the high will reach the mid-seventies by mid afternoon,

strength to hoist themselves up several feet by using a rope and

and it seems as if every family within a hundred-mile radius has

pulley system. In another area, they're stepping onto a platform

decided to take advantage of this perfect weather. The streets in

where wind swirls around them, mimicking the effects of a blustery

downtown Hot Springs are flooded with tourists, many of whom

storm. Farther away, they are climbing on a yellow sculpture that

are gathered at the town's fountain where you can bring your

looks like a series of giant Cheez-Its® that have been twisted into

own containers and take home all the spring water you want.

odd shapes. Everywhere you look, kids are happy. Some are so

This place was built on the popularity of the springs – there are

caught up in what they're doing that they don't seem to notice

forty-seven of them – churning out a million gallons of water every day.

anyone else around. Others are calling out to their friends, telling them to come see what they've found. Age doesn't seem to be a

But the springs aren't the only attraction. Just six and a half miles

factor. There are kids exploring who look to be two or three, and

away is the newly renovated Mid-America Science Museum. It's

others who are clearly teenagers.

been less than two months since the museum reopened after a $7.8 million dollar renovation, thanks to a grant from the Donald

Drawing tons of attention is the giant water tower, Fluid Motion,

W. Reynolds Foundation. It is the state's biggest hands-on science

that's two stories high. Crowds are gathered both on the top floor

center and its first Smithsonian affiliate.

and down below. In each area there are activities galore. But the favorite by far seems to be the area where you can launch colorful

Children are rushing along the pathway, tugging at their parents'

plastic balls into a water vortex. While the kids are playing, they're

hands, ready to get inside. There are more than 100 exhibits

also learning the Bernoulli effect, which is the principle showing

awaiting them (seventy-five are brand new), and everything in the

the same forces that keep the balls flying along the column of

museum is interactive. It's the equivalent of a super-smart theme

water also allows birds and planes to fly across the sky.

park without the long lines.

The place to have your picture taken on this day seems to be in One of the first exhibits you'll see is a peanut fountain, the only

front of the Mastodon skeleton, which looms large in the cavernous

one around. There's a clear cylinder in the center, through which

space. Kids are posing and parents are snapping photos.

air is circulating foam peanuts in a continuous column, then dropping them onto the surrounding area, which looks like a small

And there aren't only exhibits. There are rooms where kids are working

trampoline. Kids are up to their elbows in foam peanuts, tossing

with battery power to make working lights, and animation studios

them up and watching them fall.

where kids are creating videos. Outside, the museum continues with the Bob Wheeler Science Skywalk. There's a treehouse pavilion high

The Rain and Terrain exhibit is in another area, and it's stunning.

off the ground with telescopes so you can look around at the creek

There, kids are sculpting mountains and rivers and dams with a

and the squirrels and the wildflowers of Arkansas. There is what looks

special material that shifts easily across the wide table. There are

like a giant woven potholder, where kids are lying down, sitting in

lights above that make it appear as if the rivers are flowing, and if

groups, and even walking gingerly across it. The rope bridges are

you hold your hands over a mountaintop, it looks like it is snowing.

drawing tons of interest as kids walk one foot in front of the other

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along this swaying, narrow pathway. There's even a musical bench that's causing lines to form, since every kid seems to want to try this grand experiment of making music.

Another addition is the Oaklawn Foundation Digital Dome Theater, which seats up to fifty people, has state of the art surround sound and a 180-degree screen for viewing the night sky, as well as other special space exploration programming.

So much of the museum is new, but they did keep the tried-and-true exhibits MidAmerica is known for. The Tesla Coil, which can produce 1.5 million volts of electricity, is still here. The Underground Arkansas Cave is still on site, and dozens of pairs of shoes are lined up outside the entrance as the kids inside find their way through, crawling, going down slides and across bridges, seeing what life is like in the belly of the earth. Even the Rowland Emmett's sculpture The Featherstone-Kite Openwork Basketweave Mark Two Gentleman’s Flying Machine (that appeared in the children's classic movie Chitty Chitty Bang Bang) is in its prominent place.

A group of schoolchildren is ambling about.

They stop at the Rock Crusher. This teaches kids about erosion, and it looks a lot like the machines at discount stores that urge you to put in a quarter and try to pick up a stuffed toy with a tiny crane. Here, though, there is a weight on a chain you can control with a lever, and down below are rocks you are trying to

Mid-America Science Museum

break apart. A blond boy works the lever, biting his lip, intent on crushing these stones to dust.

500 Mid-America Blvd. Hot Springs, AR 71913

The only downside of the visit is having to leave. There is so much

501.767.3461 | midamericamuseum.org

to do and so many ways to learn. Even if you've spent time at MidAmerica Science Museum in the past, you need to go again. It has

Hours: Tuesday-Saturday, 9AM - 5PM | Sunday, 1-5PM

been transformed by this renovation, and it can transform you as well. It's the place where you go to have fun and come out a little

Adults: $10 | Kids 3-12: $8 | Under 2: Free

brainier, and a whole lot happier.

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broken like

stone FICTION Marla Cantrell

Shutterstock

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T

The rock fell. That was all Cookie Whittington knew. It fell from a

that always comes when she is nervous. A priest and a rabbi, it

bridge to the silver Buick below. The Buick that held her Vernon.

sounds like the beginning of a joke. They stare at their feet, and

He was coming to get her. She had called. Distraught. Over the

then they tell her Vernon is dead. The rabbi says "passed," the

new exercise class that promised to make her look twenty again.

priest says "gone to his great reward." But they both mean dead.

How stupid it seemed now, the way she cried in the parking lot, covered in sweat, her hair soaked, her T-shirt straining against her

Cookie wipes her brow. Her mouth goes dry. Her stomach jumps.

belly. She'd only made it through ten minutes of the class. The rest

She is shaking, visibly, the water inside the cup she's been handed

of the women were gazelles, whippets, or possibly drug addicts

is a tsunami. The holy men want her to identify Vernon, but she

by the way they ran and jumped and screamed encouragement

stalls. They will go with her, one or both – her decision – but

at eight o'clock in the morning. The blonde one in the red sports

instead she closes her eyes and refuses to open them again. “Call

bra kept clapping her hands, yelling, "You can do it! You can do

my mom,” she finally says. “She’ll know what to do.” She is

it!" It was obvious Cookie could not. She felt as if she might die.

suddenly fifteen again. A ward of her mother’s again, unafraid to

Defeated, she raised her hand for a bathroom break and trotted

say she cannot or will not do what is necessary.

out of the gym. In the car, she ran her hands over her squishy thighs. She'd had dreams once: her body like a vision; the long

When her mother comes, they take the elevator down to the

line of her sculpted legs peeking through an open trench coat; her

basement. They pass the cafeteria. The cooks are baking cinnamon

waist so small it looked as if she might snap in two.

rolls, the smell a curtain that falls across her, and for the first time in her life she does not turn toward them. She walks past the clattering

But that was not who Cookie was. She was a thirty-seven-year-

trays, the visitors sitting at stunted plastic tables, and she says aloud,

old fatty who'd been steeped in salsa from the local Mexican

“Who puts a cafeteria on the same floor as the morgue?”

joint, filled with root beer from the town's one drive-in, flush with frozen coconut cake she ate from the box, that she bought weekly

Inside the morgue, on a table covered in marble, is her Vernon.

at the discount grocery store.

She can tell by the wedding ring that bites into his finger. His hand has been placed on top of the white sheet, and Cookie looks no

And so she called Vernon. She wept, great tears, as if someone had

further than his lonely wrist.

died, when really she had only awakened to her true self. “Come get me,” she said. "I don't think I can drive." Just like that Vernon

She is wearing her exercise T-shirt with the slogan that reads, If I

left his cubicle at Ashworth Tile where he'd been hunched over

Can Get Through This I Can Get Through Anything. She crosses

his desk, figuring out how much grout it would take to rework

her arms to try to hide the words. It is as if a cruel prankster has

old Mrs. Bondurant's downstairs shower. Cookie could see him

written the script for this entire wretched day. She glances at her

tucking his blue scarf in his coat pocket. She could see the slant of

mother, who willed herself to look at Vernon’s face, and now her

his shoulders as he headed for his car, and the way his slick shoes

mother is paying for it.

slid on the circle of ice that had been a puddle just the day before.

The fluorescent light stutters for a second, turns to gray, then In Hobbtown there is a road that ducks under a stone bridge built in

sputters back to life. Cookie finds the door, and then the

1933. Vernon drove under it and one of the stones fell and crashed

bathroom, and finally the tile floor, where she plans to stay until

through his windshield. Why the rock dislodged just at that time, no

someone bigger than she is comes to take her away. And who,

one knew. But they would investigate. They would surely investigate!

she thinks, is bigger than her?

Even hearing this was not enough to prepare her for what came next.

For even then, with her phone pressed against her ear, she imagined

This is where her mother finds her. This is where her mother sinks

the rock to be small, the hole in the windshield fixable, her husband

to the floor beside her, dropping her handbag that slides three

stunned but not eternally damaged.

feet away. Crawling, she retrieves it, reaches in, fishes for the amber bottle. "Ativan," she says, and pulls out two pills, taking

But now she is sitting in a chapel inside Pleasant Hill Hospital with

one and handing the other over. "It'll make the next few hours

a priest and a rabbi, and she covers her mouth to stop the laughter

easier." When Cookie hesitates, she says, "I promise."

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At most times the size of your individual parts matters, but there

a kind man, and he said, 'I'll write that down, Mrs. Dupree. Your

are brief snippets when they do not. Cookie lets her stomach go

husband was a fine man, paid on time, liked to keep his pipes

slack. She slumps against the wall and seems to puddle there. A

clean. I always appreciated that.'

nurse comes in, looks around, backs away. Cookie and her mom are a sight right now. They are covered in their grief: hollowed-

"I liked what he said. Your daddy did like to keep the house up.

eyed, tortured, tears rolling like a river.

And he did pay on time, which shows great character. Mostly, though, folks will say the wrong thing. They'll tell you to be

When Cookie finally speaks, she says, "I killed Vernon. He was

thankful you had Vernon as long as you did. They'll tell you you're

coming to get me, a grown woman, because I said I couldn't drive

lucky because you had a man that didn't sneak around or ruin

home from my exercise class. Because I was upset over my big

your credit. That'll come mostly from the divorcees. People will

behind. Because I was crying over my ruined body."

come up to you in the grocery store and ask if you're getting life insurance money. Then they'll ask you how much.

Her mother shakes her head. She takes Cookie's hand. "Our days are numbered from the time we're born. You couldn't have

"None of that matters, though. The important part is to keep letting

stopped today no matter what. We show up on this earth, we

people talk. They want to help, by and large, they want to take a piece

muddle through, and one day we're called to our eternal home.

of your grief and carry it for you for a little while. That's the great mystery

It's all laid out before we draw one breath."

of people. Even when they say the worst wrong thing, they're trying."

Cookie wants to believe it's not her fault. She tries to imagine

In the hour or so that follows, Cookie lays with her head in her

Vernon in heaven, but all she can see is him in a nicer cubicle. The

mother's lap. Already, her thighs are aching from the exercise

monitor on his computer is gold trimmed, and he has wings, but

class. There is a stain on the ceiling in the shape of Texas and

nothing else has changed. Old Mrs. Bondurant still needs grout.

Cookie studies it, and she cries until her throat hurts.

She remembers a day last summer, when she and Vernon were

There is no way to judge time in a hospital basement, no sunlight to

stretched out in their double hammock. He was touching her

shift through open windows, no clouds to roll past. Cookie does not

shoulders, telling her how beautiful she was. She didn't feel

know how long she's been there until her mother shifts her weight

beautiful, and had not since she'd packed on twenty extra pounds

and looks at her watch. "I think we should go," she says, and they

that seemed to come out of nowhere.

pull themselves up, using each other and the wall to help them.

"You are so wonderfully and beautifully made," he said, and she

Neither are in any shape to drive, so they call a cab. They arrive at

swatted his hand away. "Is that Shakespeare?" she asked, and he

Cookie's house just as the sun is dipping so low in the sky it seems

said, "That's King James."

like a memory. Already, there are sympathy cards clipped to the screen door, and two cherry pies are sitting in a cardboard box

"I don't think it was written for me," Cookie said, and Vernon

on the porch. Cookie touches the card in the pink envelope and

said, "Of course it was."

then takes each of them from the screen. In many, as her mother predicted, her friends and neighbors say the exact wrong thing, but Cookie decides it doesn't matter. This caring, even in such

My lord, how she misses him.

imperfect doses, works its magic on her heart that was broken like stone when Vernon slipped beneath the Hobbtown Bridge.

"What am I supposed to do now?" Cookie asks.

Her mother mistakes the question, thinking Cookie is asking for an immediate plan. "There's no rule book, baby girl. When your daddy died, I started calling. I had my address book and I went

Marla Cantrell is an award-winning writer and an Arkansas

down the list. I even phoned our plumber. I said, 'From now on I'll

Arts Council Fellow for her work in short fiction.

be handling the bills because Alton just expired.' The plumber was DOSOUTHMAGAZINE

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ALMA AQUATIC PARK Alma cityofalma.org

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LAKE HAMILTON Hot Springs arkansas.com

GREERS FERRY LAKE

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BUFFALO NATIONAL RIVER buffaloriver.com

COSSATOT RIVER Mena arkansasstateparks.com

BULL SHOALS LAKE bullshoalslake.com

SILOAM SPRINGS KAYAK PARK Siloam Springs siloamspringskayakpark.com

MAGIC SPRINGS WATER AND THEME PARK Hot Springs magicsprings.com

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Falls Branch Trail

Lady Catherine State Park Hot Springs arkansasstateparks.com

Mount Magazine

Dardanelle arkansasstateparks.com

Petit Jean Mountain

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Morrilton petitjeanstatepark.com

Devils Den State Park

Sugar Loaf Mountain Trail

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Womble Trail

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Mount Nebo

Springhill Park Mountain Bike Trail

Fort Smith ouachitaadventures.com

Heber Springs sugarloafmd.com

Pinnacle Mountain State Park

Little Rock arkansasstateparks.com

Ouachita National Recreation Trail

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