Touchdown - September 2015

速

TOUCHDOWN

SEPTEMBER 2015 DoSouthMagazine.com

CONTENTS EDITOR-IN-CHIEF Catherine Frederick CHIEF OPERATING OFFICER Scott Frederick MANAGING EDITOR Marla Cantrell CONTRIBUTING WRITERS / PHOTOGRAPHERS Brett Brecheisen John Blase Marla Cantrell Catherine Frederick Rusty Henderson, DVM Lee Anne Henry Laura Hobbs Jill Rohrbach Jessica Sowards Stoney Stamper GRAPHIC DESIGNER Artifex 323 - Jessica Wooden

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

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INSIDE

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RAZORBACK READY The Hogs are aiming for a championship and enter the season as one of the nation's most intriguing teams. Get the low-down, the lineup, and this year's schedule.

EDITORIAL INFORMATION Marla Cantrell - 479.831.9116

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LET'S DISH

40

JUST LET IT HAPPEN

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ADVERTISING INFORMATION Catherine Frederick - 479.782.1500 Scott Frederick - 479.459.6672

We love these gorgeous jewelry holders, made with just a few products and a little love. Make a few for yourself and then start making more for Christmas gifts.

The waves crashed, the beach sparkled in the sun, and a little girl said the exact right thing to help a grieving mom feel hope after a terrible loss.

BEAUTIFUL FALL, BEAUTIFUL ARKANSAS What a beautiful time of year! Temperatures are falling, the leaves will soon be turning, and we're ready to get out and hike and camp in our beautiful state!

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息2015 Read Chair Publishing, LLC. All rights reserved. The opinions contained in Do South速 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速 or Read Chair Publishing, LLC., including photography becomes the property of Read Chair Publishing, LLC. Do South速 reserves the right to edit content and images. Printed in the U.S.A. | ISSN 2373-1893

FOLLOW US Annual subscriptions are $30 (12 months), within the contiguous United States. Subscribe at DoSouthMagazine.com or mail check to 7030 Taylor Avenue, Suite 5, Fort Smith, AR, 72916.

Single issues are available upon request for $7.

Inquiries or address changes, call 479.782.1500.

letter from the editor

05

Well, friends, in a matter of weeks, we’ve

Smith Symphony and how they're honoring

changed gears and seasons at our house.

The Greatest Generation.

School is back in full swing, so the alarm clock is screeching at a monstrous hour, and

We're also giving you some great tips on

our son has transitioned from full-time bas-

decorating your home with gorgeous light

ketball to football. He’s really enjoying play-

fixtures, a DIY that will help you corral your

ing for the Fort Smith IC Buffaloes, and it’s

jewelry in a beautiful handmade dish, and

hard to know most days who's having more

a look at some of the most unique Razor-

fun—him playing or us watching!

back (or at least Razorback red) products that you can buy locally.

I’ve had to break out the winter clothing for those cool mornings and late nights

This is one exciting issue!

on the football field. Yes, I’ve been toting a blanket and jacket to games and practices since late August—deal with

Want to know what else is exciting? We’re celebrating our five-year mile-

it! Just seeing my tubs of sweaters and scarves makes me happy. I am

stone this month! Yep, Do South is now five years old! It’s wonderful

beyond ready for fall weather! Warm fires, the crackle of leaves beneath

and a little bit amazing to think about. Even though the magazine has

my feet, and did I mention cute fall clothes? Bring on the boots!

grown in overall size, page count (and even a name change), we’ve never changed what we set out to do—to share the stories of the wonderful

Fall also means it’s time for wine and cheese weekends with our best

people in the great state of Arkansas. We’ve met some amazing families

neighborhood friends. There's not much better than a fine (or not so

who were gracious enough to let us into their lives to share their stories

fine) glass of red wine, an assortment of our favorite cheeses, and the

with all of you.

laughter of friends while all of our kiddos run wild through the house.

We’ve also enjoyed trekking all over Arkansas with our travel features as Our group of friends also tries to gather every time the Hogs play foot-

well as providing some delicious recipes along the way. We’re glad you

ball. Our hopes are high this year, and you can see why when you read

love what we’re doing because we’re certainly not slowing down, we’re

Razorback Ready! If you’re looking for some time outdoors, check out

just getting started! Special thanks to our readers and loyal advertisers

our great guide to some of the best camping and hiking spots in the

for your overwhelming support, friendship and love over the past five

state. We've also got a list of some the most unique festivals for foodies!

years—we look forward to many, many more.

Anybody ready for some squirrel ice cream?

No? Then what about spending a little time with Chef Steven Brooks, who is sharing secrets to some of his best recipes, including his Lemon Bars with

~Catherine

Follow Do South® Magazine

Lemon Custard. We're also taking you to the beach for a heartwarming story about the power of friendship. From there, we're sharing the story of the Fort To reserve this free space for your charitable non-profit organization, email: Editors@DoSouthMagazine.com

06

calendar

SEPTEMBER 2015 SUNDAY

MONDAY

TUESDAY

WEDNESDAY

THURSDAY

FRIDAY

SATURDAY

01

02

(9/2–9/7) 24th Annual Jazz Festival, Hot Springs

Sunset Kayak Tour, Hobbs State Park Conservation Area, Rogers

03

04

05

(9/1–9/5) Polk County Fair and Livestock Show, Polk County Fairgrounds, Mena

Coffee and Cars, Shiloh Square, Springdale

Fall Star Party, Pinnacle Mountain State Park, Little Rock

06

07

08

09

10

11

12

(9/6­–9/13) The Unexpected Project Festival of Murals, Fort Smith

Run for a Child’s Hunger, Pinnacle Hills Promenade, Rogers

Savor the Flavor, Dickson Street, Fayetteville

Get outdoors in Arkansas, page 52

(9/10–9/12) Offshoot Film Festival, Fayetteville Square

(9/11–9/13) Konsplosion, Fort Smith Convention Center

Meet the Chef Dinner, Hardscrabble Country Club, Fort Smith

Labor Day

13

9/11 Remembrance Day

14

15

16

17

18

19

21

22

23

24

25

26

Hell on the Border (9/14­–9/19) Crawford Criterium Championships, County Fair, Kirksey Garrison Avenue, Park, Mulberry Downtown Fort Smith

Arkansas Chef’s Culinary Classic, Statehouse Convention Center, Little Rock

Grandparents’ Day

20

Civil War Collections, Prairie Grove Battlefield State Park, Prairie Grove

Make our corn chowder for dinner, page 64

Plan your Fall garden, page 38

With My Nose to the Grindstone: The Rebirth of War Eagle Mill, Shiloh Museum of Ozark History, Springdale

(9/23–9/26) Bikes, Blues & BBQ, Dickson Street, Fayetteville

(9/17–9/23) Disney on Ice Presents Frozen, Oklahoma State Fair, Oklahoma City, 7:30pm-9pm Constitution Day

(9/24–9/27) Southern Fried Swing, Fort Smith

(9/18–9/19) Greenwood Annual Yard Sale, Greenwood

(9/25–10/3) Arkansas Oklahoma State Fair, Kay Rodgers Park, Fort Smith

Migration Celebration, Mount Magazine State Park, Paris

Fall Ozark Demolition Derby, Parsons Stadium, Springdale

Autumnal Equinox Native American Day

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“Curtain Up on Murder”, Fort Smith Little Theatre

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Blues Traveler Live in Concert, Cain’s Ballroom, Tulsa

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Summer Concert Series: Smokey and the Mirror, The Botanical Garden of the Ozarks, Fayetteville

AMP UP YOUR KIDS' LUNCH • Sliced apples with peanut butter • Veggie sticks with low-fat Ranch dip • Yogurt with granola • Sliced banana, honey, peanut butter on wheat tortilla

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(9/30–10/4) Fall Carnival, Parsons Stadium, Springdale

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

We hope you enjoy this issue.

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

Get one year of Do South® for just $30.

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

7030 Taylor Ave, Ste 5

Fort Smith, AR 72916

• Turkey, cheese, veggie pita sandwich

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08

poetry

Epiphany for Kara LINES John D. Blase

I thought of you early this morning when I looked out into the windowed sky and saw the full phased white orb casting enough light to rival the sun.

I thought that’s what you are to me, to us, that although your body has slowly waned your heart has only continued to wax, brighter and grander in its intensity.

I sat down to capture these thoughts then rose minutes later to gain another glimpse of you in the night sky but you were gone.

Dawn was beginning to bleed against the cold.

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DOSOUTHMAGAZINE.COM

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UPCLOSE&PERSONAL

James E. Kelly, III, M.D. Western Arkansas Plastic, Hand & Reconstructive Surgery Center

James and Pam Kelly

DOSOUTHMAGAZINE.COM

UPCLOSE&PERSONAL

About Western Arkansas Plastic, Hand & Reconstructive Surgery Center I am a plastic surgeon with multiple subspecialties, with emphasis in hand and upper extremity, micro surgery, general plastic and cosmetic surgery. I am also board certified in plastic surgery and hand surgery by the American Board of Plastic Surgeons. The practice is accredited by the Joint Commission of Hospitals Organization Accreditation.

What's the biggest challenge you've conquered? Overcoming a spartan childhood to become a surgeon.

What's the most sentimental thing you own? My watch. It was given to me as my oneyear anniversary gift from my wife, who at the time couldn't really afford to buy it for me. (She used her savings.)

What's the farthest you've been from home? Port Elizabeth, South Africa, which is 9,062 miles from Fort Smith, Arkansas.

What do you love about fall in Arkansas? Cool, crisp mornings and fall colors. Both remind me of my home state of Vermont.

Strangest place you've called the Hogs? On a Royal Caribbean Cruise at the dock in Nassau, Bahamas.

What's your favorite home-cooked meal? Pot roast.

Who was your first grade teacher? Who was your best friend that year? My first grade teacher was Sister Helen and my best friend was Steve Baker, who is still my friend today.

3501 W.E. Knight Drive, Ste. B Fort Smith, Arkansas 72903

What was your first job? Driving a tractor when I was ten years old. I saved my paychecks to buy a 20-gauge shotgun.

479.709.8300 or 877.709.7100 jameskelly3md.com

Do you have pets? Three Yorkies: Maddie, Lilly and Ellie; a German Shorthair named Gunner; a duck named Daisy; a Yellow Nape Green Amazon Parrot named Kiwi; two cats named Frodo and Jack; ten Koi fish (no names).

What's something your mama always said? OH Geezum!

3 things James can't live without:

What's the best advice you ever got from your parents? Do your best.

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

What do you love about being a doctor? As a surgeon I have the ability to make a difference in people's lives.

What are three things in your car's console? ChapStick®, change, and a coffee travel mug.

What's the secret to living life well? Don't be afraid to take a risk.

Jet Fuel

If you could take a year off and do anything you wanted, what would it be? Fly myself around the world.

What was your favorite song when you were in high school? "Taking Care of Business" by Bachman Turner Overdrive.

Gun Powder

What's your favorite place in Arkansas? The White Rock area of the National Forest.

Coffee

What are your hobbies? I am a licensed commercial pilot and love to fly. I am an avid hunter and enjoy trap shooting. I love to ski, dive, smoke barbeque, and travel. And, I love a really good cup of coffee.

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12

sports

RAZORBACK R

Ready!

HOGS AIMING FOR CHAMPIONSHIP

words Brett Brecheisen, Razorback Communications IMAGES courtesy Razorback Communications

Alex Collins

Brandon Allen

Brooks Ellis

DOSOUTHMAGAZINE.COM

T

sports

The Arkansas Razorbacks enter the 2015 football season as one of the nation’s most intriguing teams. A late-season surge last year has given the program a lot of momentum heading into the season and the nation is taking notice. “Arkansas will win 10 games and I firmly believe that,” ESPN and SEC Network personality Dari Nowkhah said last month.

Ten wins would speak volumes for how much Arkansas has improved since Bret Bielema took over as head coach in 2013.

The Razorbacks won just four games in 2012 and three in 2013 but took major strides last season as they defeated LSU, Ole Miss and Texas in the same year for the first time in program history. Arkansas won seven games total, matching its combined win total from the two previous seasons and winning a bowl game for the first time since 2011.

The 2015 Razorbacks have a lot of experience at key positions—particularly on offense. Fifth-year senior quarterback Brandon Allen has started more games at quarterback (twenty-five) than any other SEC returner.

He’s joined in the backfield by Alex Collins, who has rushed for 1,000 yards in consecutive seasons. Collins joins Darren McFadden as the only two players in Arkansas history to begin their careers with back-to-back 1,000 yard seasons.

The Razorbacks also have a mammoth offensive line. The five starters weigh an average of 327.8 pounds per player. Four of the five starters return from a season ago on a unit that was the largest offensive line in all of football (college or

Bret Bielema

NFL) and led the SEC in fewest sacks allowed.

Last year, Arkansas’ defense had the biggest turnaround of any defense in the SEC. Led by Robb Smith, the new defensive coordinator, the Razorbacks improved by 11.6 points per game and became the first unranked team in college football history to post back-to-back shutouts of ranked opponents when they blanked No. 20 LSU and No. 8 Ole Miss.

Fast forward a year, and the Arkansas defense should be solid once again. The unit returns six starters from last season including three from the secondary.

Jared Collins

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14

sports

Junior Brooks Ellis started at middle linebacker this year but is

of new talent. Arkansas has eight defensive linemen that played

moving outside to the highly-productive weak side linebacker

meaningful snaps last season and added highly-touted junior

position. In Smith’s defense, the weak side linebacker thrives,

college transfer in Jeremiah Ledbetter and true freshman Hjalte

as Martrell Spaight proved a year ago when he led the SEC in

Froholdt. “This Arkansas team is primed to make a run at the SEC

tackles (128) and became a fifth-round draft pick of the Wash-

West this fall,” said Greg Ostendorf of ESPN.com.

ington Redskins. Ellis is Arkansas’ most skilled linebacker and is poised for a big season in 2015.

Not much separates the top from the bottom in the daunting SEC West, so why can’t the Razorbacks win the division and play for an

The defensive line may have lost two NFL draft picks, but the unit

SEC championship for the first time since 2006? The college football

is deeper than ever thanks to experienced players and an influx

world thinks the Hogs may have a chance to do just that.

Game Days Saturday, September 5

UTEP Miners | Fayetteville

2:30p

Saturday, September 12

Toledo Rockets | Little Rock

3:00p

Saturday, September 19

Texas Tech Red Raiders | Fayetteville

6:00p

Saturday, September 26

Texas A&M Aggies | AT&T Stadium, Arlington, TX

TBA

Saturday, October 3

Tennessee Volunteers | Knoxville, TN

TBA

Saturday, October 10

Alabama Crimson Tide | Tuscaloosa, AL

TBA

Saturday, October 24

Auburn Tigers | Fayetteville

TBA

Saturday, October 31

UT Martin Skyhawks (HC) | Fayetteville

TBA

Saturday, November 7

Ole Miss Rebels | Oxford, MS

TBA

Saturday, November 14

LSU Tigers | Baton Rouge, LA

TBA

Saturday, November 21

Mississippi State Bulldogs | Fayetteville

TBA

Missouri Tigers | Fayetteville

1:30p

Friday, November 27

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16

pets

ADOPT YOUR FUR-MATE M

M

F

Cocheese

Trevor

F

M

Sparkle

F

Tiny

Georgie

Tyger

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.

DOSOUTHMAGAZINE.COM

18

shop

WOO PIG SOOIE™! Go HOG WILD & SHOP LOCAL.

Brighton Handbag and Brighton Arkansas Razorback Bracelet GALLIVANTING LADIES APPAREL Fort Smith | 479.646.7555 ®

®

®

Jean LaFont and Lunor Sunglasses DR. STEVEN STILES OPTOMETRY Fort Smith | 479.452.2020

Razorback Pom-Pom Gloves, The All American Glass Arkansas Razorbacks Mason Jar Mug, Tumbler, Vodka by La Collection IN GOOD SPIRITS LIQUOR Fort Smith | 479.434.6604 ®

Arkansas Razorback Shirt and Scarf, Razorback Glass and Stone Wall Hanging SUNSHINE GIFT SHOP, MERCY Fort Smith | 479.314.6079 ®

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Shinola "The Runwell" Red Dial Watch JOHN MAYS JEWELERS Fort Smith | 479.452.2140

shop

Are you ready for some football? We sure are! Who better to help us celebrate in style than our local shops? Check out some of our favorite finds, just in time for football season.

Arkansas Razorback Pet Collars, Razorback Wind Spinner, Razorback Flags FARMERS COOP 15 locations in the River Valley & NWA | 479.474.8051 ®

®

Arkansas Razorback Bentley Drink Ware Tumblers and Pitcher LUTHER STEM POOLS & SPAS Fort Smith | 479. 646.7772 ®

Arkansas Razorbacks Steering Wheel Cover, Razorback Toaster, Razorbacks Door Décor JENNIFER’S GIFT SHOP, SPARKS HEALTH SYSTEM Fort Smith | 479.441.4221 ®

®

®

Go Team! Cookie Cake GREAT AMERICAN COOKIE COMPANY Fort Smith & Rogers | 479.452.9999

Deep Eddy Vodka, Bloody Revolution Gourmet Bloody Mary Mix in Original, Smoked Habanero, Texas Prime Ribeye, and Pickle Zing SODIE’S WINE & SPIRITS Fort Smith | 479.783.8013 DOSOUTHMAGAZINE.COM

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entertainment

All Fall Down review Marla Cantrell

been having lunch (and possibly more) with another woman, she sees her world unraveling.

What does she do? She ups her intake of pills, finding a website that will sell her Vicodin and OxyContin without a prescription. For a while, she holds it all together, but one by one, those closest to her start to notice something is terribly wrong.

Told with dark humor, honesty, and hope, this novel shows how easy it is to slip into a life you never imagined. It also shows the power of asking for help, and how important it is to admit you can't do everything on your own.

By Jennifer Weiner Washington Square Press, an imprint of Simon and Schuster 381 pages | $16

W

Author Jennifer Weiner, a Princeton graduate, typically writes romantic comedies that sell well because they entertain so easily. Much has been said about this story and its departure from that formula. But it is in that departure that so much happens.

Allison, who seems to have everything the rest of us aspire to, is taken down one step at a time. She starts to lie, hide money from

When All Fall Down opens, Allison Weiss is at the pediatrician's

her husband to buy drugs, and ignore the daughter she loves so

office with her five-year-old daughter, Ellie, for a routine check-

much. She loses the trappings of her former life but gains insight

up. While waiting, Allison takes a magazine quiz on addiction. In

that helps her create a different world, with different values.

the article that accompanies it, she learns prescription painkiller overdoses are the leading cause of accidental death in American

And while it's not a traditional love story, there is a great deal of

women. She thinks about her own habits, the wine she drinks, the

love in it. Allison reconnects with her distant mother, sees how

pain pills she takes to get her through the day. Her heart races.

much her friends care for her, and finds hope in relationships with

Surely she's not an addict. She's a successful blogger who lives in

the women she meets who help her get back on her feet. By the

a McMansion with her husband, an award-winning journalist. She

time the story ends, you'll be cheering for Allison, proud of the

takes impeccable care of her daughter. She gets dinner on the ta-

woman she's become.

ble every night. She hosts fantastic parties. Still, as Allison answers the questions on the quiz, it becomes apparent she has a problem.

While the quiz bothers her, it does not stop her. Life is getting

Jennifer Weiner's newest novel, Who Do You Love, as

increasingly hard. Ellie is an extremely sensitive child who has

released on August 11. It follows the lives of two eight-

outbursts regularly. Allison's father has been diagnosed with

year-olds who meet in an emergency room, grow older,

Alzheimer's, and her mother, who's been pampered her en-

reconnect, and fall in love.

tire life, is little help. When Allison discovers her husband has DOSOUTHMAGAZINE.COM

22

pets

ASK THE PET VET

Resident pet expert, Rusty Henderson, DVM, lets us know whether you should be buying raw food for your dog, if you should get a salamander as a pet for a young child, and whether apartment living is right for a big dog.

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

Q A Q A Q A

I live in a small apartment and I'm thinking about adopting a lab mix. Will I have enough room?

A larger dog in a small apartment might quickly become a chore. Large animals require room to run and play窶馬ot to mention lounge around your small space.

Proceed with caution or consider looking for a smaller fury friend.

Jeremy Ellis

Do you think a salamander is a good pet for a young child?

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention advises against having reptiles or amphibians as pets in homes with children five years or younger. They say that more than 70,000 cases of salmonella annually are due to exposure to these creatures.

Yolaine Conti

My friend says I should feed my dog raw food. Is that true?

No! Where the notion that dogs REQUIRE raw meat originated is unknown. In the wild they consume raw flesh, so some might think they require this in their domesticated diets. It's simply not true or scientifically valid. In fact, in too many ways to list here, it could be harmful.

Luiz Pinheiro

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24

home

LIGHT UP YOUR LIFE! words & IMages Lee Anne Henry, Whiteline Designs

I absolutely love natural light flowing into a room through a window.

Lighting brings us closer to nature, it brightens a room, and it gives color the chance to shine! Light makes small rooms seem larger and can give you a clean, sharp feel.

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.

Today there is a dizzying array of choices for lighting. There are track lights, desk lamps, can lights, flush-mount fixtures, chandeliers, and pendants. With so many choices, my clients sometimes struggle when choosing the right style of lighting fixtures to fit their needs.

Here are four considerations to keep in mind before you go shopping for that new light fixture.

DOSOUTHMAGAZINE.COM

home

1. How large does the light fixture need to be in order to balance the room?

Designers refer to this as scale. It must be proportional to the rest of the room. Let me explain. Have you been inside a large home where the entryway light fixture is tiny? Doesn’t it feel

3. Buy what you like!

Look for value and quality. Sometimes I purchase fixtures from home improvement stores, but I also shop at light fixture specialty stores. Whatever your choice—be sure your selection is consistent with your existing light fixtures.

as though something is lacking? In my experience, it is better to have no fixture at all than to have a tiny or outdated fixture welcoming your guests. There’s an easy solution here—lighting

4. Pay close attention to your bulb!

stores will be happy to help select a light fixture that has proper

Select the right light bulb to minimize conflict between fluo-

scale. Bring your room dimensions and a photo as you shop.

rescent and LED lighting color spectrums. Inspect the back of the box to find the right color temperature. For living areas, I

2. Remember that less is more.

encourage using a warm tone, which is around 2700 Kelvin. It’s

I encourage clients to use natural lighting as much as possible, and you don’t need a fixture everywhere. It may just be me, but I actually discourage the overuse of wall sconces. I have seen

the one described as inviting, comfortable, and relaxing.

One fixture can make a dramatic change to a room, so be creative!

many wall sconces come and go, and all seem to look outdated after only a few years.

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lifestyle

Celebrating the Greatest Generation

I

words and image courtesy Fort Smith Symphony

In the summer of 2013, Fort Smith Symphony Music Director John

war and conflict have on music and art. The artistic plans were fit-

Jeter was in the process of programming the music for the sym-

ting as tightly in place as rivets on a B-17!

phony’s 2015-2016 concert season. With John's interest in world history, it occurred to him that the year 2015 marked the seventi-

John hoped that further elements could be added. This summer,

eth anniversary of the end of World War II. It seemed fitting that a

he was reading Alamo in the Ardennes, an excellent account of

concert commemorating this epic world event was warranted. But

the early days of the Battle of the Bulge, by internationally re-

what to do? Most musical tributes to the war are “patriotic pops”

nowned World War II historian and author, John McManus. At a

concerts that are entertaining for sure, but far from the thoughtful

brief glance at the acknowledgments, John noticed that the au-

experience John had in mind.

thor was a professor at the University of Missouri in Rolla. John thought it would be great if John McManus could come to Fort

A chance phone call (again in the Summer of 2013) with Pulitzer Prize

Smith and give a pre-concert lecture on World War II. And so he

nominated composer, Michael Schelle, led to a discussion about his

decided to send him an invitation to speak and do a book signing.

upcoming projects. “I am finishing some chamber music and then

The author responded with an enthusiastic “yes.” As it turns out,

getting started on my big World War II orchestra piece,” Michael said.

he is a classical music enthusiast. The subject of his latest book

“What? A World War II piece. Are you joking?" John asked, and then

corresponds with the first movement of Michael's World War II

he said, “We are looking for a substantial new work about the war.”

piece. The second movement of Michael’s piece corresponds with his next literary project currently in the works. The list of coinci-

By the end of the conversation, John had agreed to help commis-

dences and “ah-ha” moments with this concert goes on and on.

sion the work and give the world premier in Fort Smith, which will

It's a meant-to-be event you won't want to miss.

be held on October 3, 2015, at 7:30 pm, at the ArcBest Corporation Performing Arts Center. The program, also including music by Aaron Copland and John Williams, now had all the musical moments in place for a soulful evening of exciting orchestra pieces.

But that wasn’t enough. They wanted to carry the event outside the concert hall. John and Michael came up with a plan to do a series of visits to Fort Smith Public Schools and UAFS on the week of the concert that would focus on modern music and the effect

The Greatest Generation Saturday, October 3, 7:30 pm ArcBest Corporation Performing Arts Center For more information: fortsmithsymphony.org or 479.452.7575

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diy

Let's Dish words and images Catherine Frederick inspiration Pinterest 速

DOSOUTHMAGAZINE.COM

diy

D

o you lay your rings or earrings down in the most random

places, becoming frantic later when you can’t find them? I’ve worked myself into tears looking for my rings (my memory is just not what it used to be). Then, I discovered the most beautiful

solution

on

Pinterest ®.

Check out this gorgeous, and oh-soeasy, DIY! Customize to match your color scheme and place it next to the kitchen sink or on the bathroom

Method

1

counter, and never lose track of your

Choose your clay colors. Pinch off a section of clay for each color and roll into a length of about 5”. For most of my dishes, I used 2 thick rolls of white or a colored clay, a medium roll of a secondary color, and a thin roll of another, plus a tiny roll of black or gray. There are no precise measurements. You need to have enough clay in total to roll out a 6” circle that is 1/4” thick. This can take a bit of practice.

My advice is use a bit more clay than you think you'll need.

precious jewels again! I’ll be making these for Christmas gifts too!

Materials you’ll need: • Scupley® oven bake clay (1.75 lb white, and a few ounces of black and other colors of choice) • X-acto® knife or plastic clay tool • Oven-safe bowl • Oil based metallic gold paint marker or gold liquid gilding • Small paintbrush, if using gilding • Large jar or rolling pin

2

Group rolls and twist together to form one large twist.

• Coffee can or circular object to trace around • Satin glaze (optional) • Nail file (optional)

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diy

6

Place a coffee can or other item that is about 6” wide on top of clay circle then use your X-Acto® knife to trim any excess.

3

Roll out the twist into one long roll until it’s twice the original length. Fold in half to combine colors and twist ends together. Repeat the twisting, folding and rolling 2-3 times more or until colors start to blend.

4

Squash clay into a singular ball. Make sure you see all of the colors on the surface of the ball. If not, break ball in two pieces then reform ball.

7

You have two choices in this step: A) Place clay circle into an oven-safe bowl that’s small enough for the circle to sag a bit in the middle and give it the correct shape.

B) Turn oven-safe dish over, then place clay circle over the bottom of the dish, shaping the circle to the outside of the bowl.

Bake according to package directions. I baked mine at 275 degrees for 15 minutes. Remove from oven and allow to cool before removing clay from dish

8

Once cooled, sand the edges of the dish with a nail file, if desired, to even out the edges. Paint the rim of the dish with the gold marker or gilding. Allow to dry, then seal with glaze, if desired. You can choose a matte or shiny finish.

5

Using a large glass or rolling pin, roll out the ball of clay. You will see the colors begin to merge together and create the marbled pattern. Roll in various directions from edge to center to mold the clay. Roll to about a 1/4” thick.

Note: Glazing will not make your dish food safe or waterproof!

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people

Chef Brooks

COOKING UP A GRAND LIFE words Marla Cantrell images courtesy KNWA/KFTA

CHEF BROOKS IS IN CHARGE OF THE MENU FOR THE FIFTH ANNUAL RED SHOE SHINDIG, WHICH BENEFITS THE RONALD MCDONALD FAMILY ROOM 速 AT MERCY HOSPITAL IN FORT SMITH, ARKANSAS. THIS IS HIS STORY.

W

When Steven Brooks left Alabama in 2000, he was feeling pretty good

There was a bit of heartbreak after every game, as the band

about life. Looking in his rearview mirror, he thought about his child-

marched by, dazzling in their uniforms, excited to play music, and

hood in Hueytown, and the remarkable way dreams change. When he

Steven wondered each time what it would feel like to be part of

was in the sixth grade, Steven was already a big kid (he would even-

something like that.

tually grow to be 6'4"), and his father thought playing football the following year would open many doors for him. And so, even though

After high school, he got serious about the drums, and in two months'

he wanted to be in the band, he listened to his dad and for the remain-

time he was performing with a band: hard rock, punk, and funk. The

der of his school career, played football, giving it all he had. But that

guys he played with were good, and for a time it looked as if they

first year, when two-a-days began, he listened as the band practiced

might just make it. But music is a hard business, and by the time the

nearby, and when he got a break he'd borrow one of their drums and

1990s arrived, Steven knew his dream was dying. He describes that

recreate what they'd been playing, note by note, all by ear.

time like this: "I was one of those people out there playing music,

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people

ing and Steven remembers stuffing row after row of turkeys. He also remembers how happy he felt, and how he knew he was on the cusp of something new and wonderful.

"I was in my twenties and I didn't have a culinary degree," Steven says, marveling at his good fortune. "I tell everybody I got paid to get that education instead of paying for it, and I tell them God's been good to me."

From that point on, the world became a brighter place. Steven learned quickly, and as the years went by he moved up. (He thinks it's serendipitous that his father had worked for years as a truck driver for Bruno's, the very company that changed his life.)

Let's step back to 2000, when Steven was headed to Bentonville, Arkansas, to work in another gourmet grocery store that served things like hot meals and offered customers more than 250 kinds of cheese. It was a new concept in the area at the time and Steven couldn't wait to be part of it.

Arkansas, with its rolling hills and sprawling rivers, appealed to Steven. He settled in, and one day while at work, he met a woman named Mandy who'd gotten lost on her drive from Kansas, and had come to the store for directions. Before she left the market, she'd made such an impression that she'd been offered a job, and so she decided to stay in Bentonville to work.

As Steven got to know her, he found he couldn't get her out of his mind. Soon, they were dating, and later the two married, a fact that makes him smile so wide it is as if the sun has just trying to make a living, and I was starving to death."

emerged from a bank of clouds.

Pretty serious stuff, but there were other issues. "I was on the road

His story soars from there. He worked at the gourmet market for

over here," Steven says, and points to the left. "And there was

five years. "At the end of that, Johnny Tyson, son of Don Tyson,

nothing good on this road."

hired me to be the chef at Blessings Golf Club in Fayetteville.

Then there was a chance meeting in 1991 with a chef named

"Mr. Tyson made me better. You had to be straight up and

Scott Berg who worked for a grocery chain called Bruno's. That

you had to be honest, and I think that's what he liked about

meeting changed everything. Steven helped Scott with the

me. I wouldn't shoot him a line of crap. If I didn't know the

sound system at a charity golf tournament and Scott was so

answer to a question, I'd say, 'Mr. Tyson, I don't know but

impressed he hired him on the spot.

I'll find out for you.'

What Scott wanted was to teach Steven to be a chef, and so he

"After the first time I told him that, he said, 'You know what I like

put him in one of the company's gourmet grocery stores and start-

about you? You don't try to BS a BS-er.' He made me better. He

ed training him to work in the department that prepared meals for

turned me into a business-minded person."

customers who didn't feel like cooking. It was around ThanksgivDOSOUTHMAGAZINE.COM

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"I JUST STAYED FOCUSED ON THE ROAD AND GOD DID EVERYTHING ELSE FOR ME. I HAVE BEEN BLESSED. I GIVE ALL THE GLORY TO GOD." Steven is proud of his work there. He left to open a restaurant

came into my life and then I came to Arkansas and met my wife

with a partner in Fayetteville called Soul, that has since closed,

who made a wrong turn. I just stayed focused on the road and

and he is now the executive chef for Tankersley Foodservice,

God did everything else for me. I have been blessed. I give all

a job he adores. He also hosts Cooking Today on KNWA TV, a

the glory to God."

place where he can share his recipes and hear from those who love to cook along with him.

In each step, he sees divine intervention. The people who helped him, the opportunities that came about, it all seems mi-

Not all his ventures worked out the way he wanted. He would

raculous to Steven. He is as happy as a man can be. If his life

have liked it if Soul had taken off the way he had hoped, but

could have turned out any better, he doesn't know how. What

even closing his restaurant didn't overwhelm him. He knew

he does know is that he is grateful every day, and that when

something good was in his future, and he never doubted that

he wakes up he says a prayer of thanksgiving. It is a beautiful

he'd be okay. As for his music, he continues on, playing when

world and he has been given a wonderful role. Every time he

he can. He learned guitar after he learned how to play the

has a chance, he tells his story of how everything can turn on a

drums, and he taught himself how to write music. In a way,

dime, even in your darkest hour.

he sees how it's all connected. In music, you work with your hands. In cooking, you do as well. So, all those years of struggle were really just training for what was to come.

Enjoy delicious food created by Chef Brooks at the Red

As he talks about all that has happened, he keeps directing the conversation back to that time in his life when he was hungry and desperate for a change. "God was doing something, and I had no idea what He was doing for me. God put people in front

Shoe Shindig, October 10, at Movie Lounge's Starlight Ballroom, Fort Smith.

Find out more at rmhcofarkoma.org

of me perfectly. As I look back, I see it now. Chef Scott Berg DOSOUTHMAGAZINE.COM

taste

Beer Batter Shrimp & Asian Slaw Chef Steven Brooks loves to cook, and he shows up every weekday on KNWA at 12:30 in the afternoon to share his recipes. Two of our favorites are his Beer Batter Shrimp and Asian Slaw. They're easy to make, delicious, and oh so filling!

BEER BATTER SHRIMP

ASIAN SLAW Ingredients 1 ounce ginger, chopped

Ingredients

4 cloves garlic, chopped

1 cup flour

1 Tablespoon sesame oil

1 teaspoon granulated garlic

1 Tablespoon hoisin sauce

Pepper, to taste

1 Tablespoon soy sauce

1 egg

2 Tablespoons sambal

1 beer (any kind)

3 dashes of fish sauce

Shrimp, peeled and deveined

1 teaspoon rice vinegar

Parsley, garnish

1 fennel bulb, chopped 1 onion, chopped

Method

½ head Napa cabbage, chopped

Mix flour and granulated garlic along with pepper to taste. Add in

Chopped cilantro

egg and mix together. Add in beer a little at a time. If mix becomes

1 carrot, peeled and grated

too runny, add more flour until you have reached desired consistency. Make sure no lumps are left in the mixture. Dredge shrimp

Method

through batter and fry. Garnish with parsley.

Mix all ingredients together and make sure all the cabbage is wet.

Put in the fridge and chill for about 1 hour.

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taste

Lemon Bars with Lemon Custard LEMON BARS

LEMON CUSTARD

Ingredients

Ingredients

1 stick of butter

2 lemons, zested

1 ½ cups flour

6 lemons, juiced

½ cup powdered sugar

2 whole eggs

Salt, to taste

7 egg yolks 1 cup sugar

Method

½ teaspoon salt

Butter the entire pan. Place wax/parchment paper and butter the

½ stick of butter, cubed

paper, as well (on sides, as well). Place flour, rest of butter, salt

4 Tablespoons heavy whipping cream

and powdered sugar in food processor and pulse 3 to 4 times until

Powdered sugar, garnish

mixture is flakey and turns a yellow color. Press inside the pan, on top of the butter/parchment paper. Bake at 350° for 25 minutes

Method

or until crust is golden brown.

Add lemon juice to pan on stove. Add in lemon zest, whole eggs, egg yolks, sugar and salt. Let warm up. Add in butter cubes and let melt very slowly all the while mixing all the ingredients together (take on and off heat to keep from overcooking). Once butter is almost melted, add in heavy whipping cream and blend. Pull off the heat.

Once butter has completely melted, pour mixture into crust and place back in oven for 10 minutes. Garnish with powdered sugar.

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lifestyle

Redemption

in the

Garden

T

words Catherine Frederick

This year will definitely go down in history as the worst year

If you love fall color, October is the month to plant winter annu-

ever for my garden. It started out in the right direction, and all

als, so start planning now. When it’s time to plant, layer them on

the rain we received in early summer certainly helped. But our

top of spring flowering bulbs so your color blooms right through

family activity level didn’t match up with a garden’s need for

spring. Bury your spring bulbs deep (at least double the size of the

water and TLC. Even though I’m not doing any planting right

bulb), then plant your winter annuals on top.

now, there is still plenty to keep me busy outdoors. I have to redeem myself with my fall garden—can’t let that neighbor of

Hubby and I typically choose pansies for our winter annuals. Their

mine outdo me again.

beautiful burst of color is welcomed alongside ornamental kale and cabbage. If you’re planning on planting kale and cabbage,

If you compost (and you should), start shredding the leaves that

do so before the frigid temperatures set in so they have time

will soon be tumbling to the ground. Add them to your compost

to root. I’m thinking of adding edible ornamentals to my beds

pile or use them as mulch for your garden.

this year—lettuce, spinach or beets. I may even throw in some parsley and cilantro for ground cover.

Before long, you’ll also want to bring any houseplants back indoors. Wait too long to move them and you risk sending them

Of course, there’s the hippie in me who wants

into shock. I waited too long one year and my beloved Schef-

to clear a spot and toss out a ton of wild-

flera dropped almost every leaf. Before bringing your plants in,

flowers (October’s the best month to plant

tidy up unhealthy leaves and check for insects. I scratch the top

them). Perennials from seed don’t always

layer of soil and rustle the leaves a bit to ensure I rid the plant

bloom to their fullest the first season.

of any gnats or mosquitoes.

It's recommended you mix in some annuals so you’ll have plenty of color.

Looking at our trees and shrubs out front, it’s hard not to whip out the clippers and snip away the dead and dying leaves and branch-

Whatever your plans, don’t delay,

es. However, I did some research and found it’s best to wait until

start planning to plant! Jack Frost

spring and watch for new growth so you can see the full extent of

will be nipping at our noses before

the damage and then make your necessary cuts.

we know it.

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people

JUST LET IT HAPPEN words Stoney Stamper images courtesy April Stamper

The definition of vacation is “a specific trip, usually for relaxation,

red-faced and confused. So how do you remedy that? Well, I don’t

recreation and tourism.” The key word there for most people

know what I should have done, but I know what I did. I invited two

would be 'relaxation'. Prior to five years ago, taking a vacation was

more females to join us.

about the last thing on my mind. I worked, I played golf, I played guitar in the evenings with a glass of scotch, and I went to bed.

Yes, you read that right. My wife April’s best friend since the sixth

That was pretty much my life. But then when April and I got to-

grade, April Hicks (or April H. as I'll call her for the remainder of

gether and I was suddenly the father to her two daughters, I soon

this story), and her daughter Maggie were going with us. Seven

realized that vacation was a regular part of family life. I was often

women and girls. And me. In one car. In one condo. For a whole

asked by all three of my lovely ladies, “Where are we going this

week. I was equal parts happy and terrified.

year? Are we going to Destin again? Can we go snorkeling? Can we rent a boat and go to Crab Island? Can we go parasailing?”

April H. and Maggie recently suffered a terrible loss. Only five

The list of “can we’s” seemed to be never-ending. And expensive.

weeks prior to our vacation, April's husband Todd passed away after an awe-inspiring battle against ALS. For five years, he coura-

As the family accountant, or the “money Nazi” as the girls like to

geously fought this incurable disease, knowing full well what his

call me, the relaxation part becomes more difficult as the vacation

fate would someday be.

nears. The cost of renting a condo, gas, flights, rental cars, and daily expeditions can be daunting. Not to mention the food. And the price

Once Todd was laid to rest, April H. and Maggie had to begin a

tag just keeps getting higher. I know there are less expensive ways to

new journey. And April and I thought that taking them on vaca-

go to the beach, but these are memories we are making, right? So

tion, away from the worries and stresses that they've endured for

even though staying at Motel 6 is tempting, I generally bend to their

the last several years, would be a great start. So a few weeks later,

wishes. This year was no exception. We got a beautiful condo right

we all headed to Destin.

on the beach in Destin, Florida. We would leave during the last week of June and stay through the Fourth of July weekend.

I could feel Todd watching over us as the car pulled away, and I believe he was laughing. We left early in the morning so the

Under normal circumstances, my group of ladies has the tenden-

girls could sleep through the first three or four hours of the trip.

cy to be emotional, dramatic, whiny and sometimes downright

They didn't wake up until we were nearly in Mississippi. And then

grumpy during the ten-and-a-half hour drive from east Texas to

they listened to music, and watched movies on their iPads. They

the beautiful white beaches of the Emerald Coast. You would

laughed and they looked at the battleships in Mobile Bay and

think that by now I’d be used to being the only testosterone life

watched for dolphins at Pensacola Beach. They didn’t fight, or cry,

raft floating in a sea of estrogen, but it’s not uncommon to see me

or scream. It was the most problem-free, stress-free cross-country

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"SOMETIMES WHEN THOSE GREAT BIG WAVES COME IN, I JUST CLOSE MY EYES, GRIT MY TEETH, AND LET IT HAPPEN. THEY KNOCK ME DOWN, BUT I JUST GET BACK UP AGAIN." trip that any of us could have ever dreamed of. It was almost too

undoubtedly wiping away tears. Clearly, they were talking about

good to be true, but we weren’t going to look a gift horse in the

Todd. I said, “Hey girls,” and grabbed a beer from the cooler, and

mouth. The Aprils and I were ecstatic.

then sat down. April H. said, "What do I do? I am a thirty-fiveyear-old widow. How do I go on without him?" More tears now

As we pulled up to our condo, the kids were already getting antsy

from both of them. Then April H. said, "And what about Maggie?

to get to the beach. So we let them get their swimsuits on and ev-

How do I raise her alone? She needs a daddy! I’m just so scared."

eryone went down to the water while I unloaded the car. I joined

I said the same old cliché things that everyone always says when

them as soon as I could, and we played for a few hours, then

something bad happens, “You’ll be fine. You are strong. You just

dressed for dinner. I had the best plate of oysters I’ve ever shoved

need time to heal.” But I felt like these words were weak and

into my pie-hole, while drinking a Yuengling Lager, which is my

empty. We gave her a hug, and wiped away our tears. I then stood

favorite beer and can only be found on the East Coast. I didn’t

up and headed back to the water.

want to get ahead of myself, but if the rest of this vacation went like the first day did, then this was going to be the greatest week

A few minutes later, April H. came out to where we were play-

anyone had ever had.

ing. She is not very tall, and the waves were big. A few of them crashed in over her head. My eleven-year-old daughter Emma was

The next morning we packed our beach bags, filled coolers and

laughing. She said to her, "April, sometimes when those great big

headed out. The water was cold and the waves were rough. The

waves come in, I just close my eyes, grit my teeth, and let it hap-

Aprils set up camp on the beach, and the kids and I jumped in the

pen. They knock me down, but I just get back up again."

ocean. I could feel the stress leaving my body as the cool waves broke over my shoulders.

In that instant, I knew that the words I had struggled to find had just rolled off the tongue of an innocent little girl. I said, “There’s

After thirty minutes, I headed back up to the Aprils on the beach.

your words of wisdom,” and April H. smiled. Life can be full of big

When I walked up to them, I could tell that their attitudes were

waves and rocky seas. Sometimes they knock you down, but you

somber. Each of them was dabbing her eyes behind her sunglasses,

just have to keep getting up.

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Niki Waters' The

STORY words Marla Cantrell IMAGES courtesy Janet Galland, Galland Street Photography

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people

Niki Waters stands on stage, microphone in hand, waiting for the music to start. When it does, she begins to sing a jazzy version of "It's All About That Bass." She is moving to the beat, smiling her million-dollar smile, her long, blonde hair shining under the spotlights. She is radiant, her voice brilliant, and the room grows still as everyone in it turns to listen to this seventeen-year-old girl from Booneville, Arkansas.

There is more to being a singer than having a great voice; there is this thing called "stage presence," something Niki talks about as soon as she's finished her set. When she first started performing, in the eighth grade, she entered a talent contest, losing to a band. "I remember being confused, wondering what had happened," Niki says.

"I thought I'd done really well. It was a good lesson for me, and now when I sing, I get lost in the lyrics. I think about something that's happened to me, or something I'm going through. I work to make the songs my own. I don't want to sound like anybody else."

The technique of drawing from her life experience, combined with her impressive voice, has served her well. Last year she won second place at the Channel 5 Youth Talent Show at the Arkansas-Oklahoma State Fair. (A little trivia: Carrie Underwood competed in the same event when she was a young teen, but failed to place.) Niki's win earned her a chance to compete at the Arkansas State Fair in Little Rock, where she won the firstplace prize in the solo vocalist category.

It was thrilling, this time in the spotlight, knowing that the judges found her talent exceptional. Her style is more blues and jazz than anything else, something she says shocks people who typically assume she sings country, mostly because she's from a small town of 4,000 in the hills of Arkansas.

For almost as long as Niki can remember, singing has mattered a great deal to her. "When I was five or six, I would stand on this bowl in our living room and I'd sing to my mom. If I messed up, I'd push a pretend button on my pretend tape recorder and say, 'The track messed up. I have to start over again.'"

At this recollection, Niki's mother, Kim, begins to laugh. Kim, who plays the piano and sings, has encouraged her daughter from the beginning. "She's always been so talented," Kim says.

"Well, I loved it, that's for sure," Niki says. As she grew older, she started singing in public, and now, at Booneville High School, she

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performs in musicals and sings in the show choir (think Glee with

"I had to go to respiratory therapy because I wasn't able to breathe

a lot less drama), and in her church's youth praise choir. But it was

very well, at first, because everything had been so out of line. I still

this year's Arkansas-Oklahoma Old Fort Days Rodeo that provided

have muscle spasms if I do more than I should or if I bend wrong.

her with her biggest audience ever. She sang "The Star-Spangled Banner," and as she looked across the crowd, the rows of people

"I went back to school for half-days after three weeks. When they

seemed to go on forever.

had cheer tryouts, I went, and I made it. They knew I wouldn't be able to do jumps or tumbling, but they let me on the team anyway."

"I think there were about four to five thousand people there, and I looked at no one. I stared straight at the ground," Niki says. "After

Since then, she's helped a few other girls at her school who were

it was over, I could hear the roar of the crowd, and I thought, Oh

diagnosed with scoliosis. She was able to give them pointers on how

my gosh."

to deal with the condition, and what to expect if they had to have surgery. Recently, she's started a campaign to raise awareness, going to

As Niki talks, Kim is beaming at her daughter. She is exceedingly

civic groups and talking about her experience, and what she learned

proud of her, not just because of her success in music, but because

in the process. She is also a proponent of having scoliometers in the

Niki is brave and strong and giving. Kim pulls two copies of x-rays

schools, which are devices used to diagnose the condition.

from her purse. In the first, Niki's spine looks more like the letter "C" than a straight line.

Niki is philosophical about what she's gone through. "It taught me to be strong. To not let anything stop me."

Doctors discovered she had adolescent idiopathic scoliosis when she was in the sixth grade. (Scoliosis is marked by a sideways cur-

Niki recently began her senior year. This is a critical time for her. She's

vature of the spine. This typically occurs during a growth spurt just

going to decide where to go to college, and she'll be auditioning for

before puberty.) She'd gone to the doctor with bronchitis, and

music scholarships. In another year or so, she wants to try out for the

after the x-ray came back, he saw the distinctive curve of Niki's

TV show The Voice, something she believes could make her singing

spine. At that time it was only a mild case, but by the next year it

career skyrocket. But no matter what happens, she knows music will

had worsened. "When Mom told me I was going to have to have

always be a part of her life.

surgery, I was devastated," Niki says. "I was fourteen. The pain started in my lower back, because that's where the curving start-

One day, when her education is finished, Niki may be cranking out

ed, and it just corkscrewed." She points to the x-ray, "You can see

platinum albums, or she may be a choir teacher or a drama coach,

that here," she says. "My ribs are twisted. I had a lot of problems

or the director of a church's music program. All these possibilities

understanding why it was happening to me. It was major surgery,

appeal to Niki, who thinks life works out the way it should, as long

fusing my spine, and it was really emotional for me.

as you never stop trying to make it better.

"Half of my spine is now fused. I have a little bit of mobility in

Kim has been listening closely as her daughter described her jour-

my bottom half. I have titanium rods and screws that made it as

ney through surgery and recovery. It can't be easy to relive the

straight as they could get it. I had a great doctor and medical team

days that were so difficult. She reaches out, touches Niki's arm,

at Arkansas Children's Hospital. I had to relearn how to walk; I

pats her on the back. They are lovely together, the perfect moth-

didn't have my balance. It was as if someone put this huge weight

er-daughter duo. When they stand, Niki does indeed tower over

on my back."

her mother. They walk out into the summer day, this teen on the verge of having her dreams come true, and the mother who al-

The curvature was so severe that when the surgery was over and

ways believed they would.

Niki was able to stand up, she was a full three inches taller, and towered over her mother. "I was shocked, but Niki laughed," Kim says. "She was happy to be so tall."Â

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The

Least ofthese words Jes sica Sowards

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A few weeks ago, I was given the opportunity to preach at Soul Food Café, a mission outreach in Conway, AR. It was one of those times where, despite my best efforts, I had been completely unable to come up with a message to give. Nada. Zilch. Nothing.

So when they handed me the microphone, I simply said “My name is Jessica,” and started to pray, knowing it would be good because it would be all on God. It was. It was a good message. But when I think about that day, any words that came from my mouth pale in comparison to the juggernaut that sat before me. Poverty. That oppressive thing.

Big, ugly, stinking, sucking poverty.

You know, I can’t stop thinking about it. Every Tuesday this place opens and feeds hundreds of people. They come in because they are in a shelter, or a rehab, or because they are simply having a hard time making the budget stretch until the next paycheck. They get a hot plate of food and a box of items donated from grocery stores with expiration dates that have since passed.

Volunteers in red t-shirts serve beans or spaghetti or garlicky bread and they pack boxes or cut hair or pray. And every week, the people come. Because they have needs that are not met and they hear of a place full of people willing to meet them.

"The brokenness of our world screams the need for revival and love and a savior. And it is up to us to be the conduit for that."

Most go for the spaghetti, not Jesus. But they find Him anyway.

They told me to be prepared for a loud audience. They told me I

they were made by the broken world.

might have to hush them up, because they came for the spaghetti

What bothered me was the fact that

and they’d be in line to get it. I didn’t have to hush them though,

many of these comments came from

and they weren’t loud. They were too captivated by the words be-

professed Christians. I walked away

ing spoken over them. I saw it. I saw the tears in their eyes as God

from the computer without comment-

used me to tell them, “You are a masterpiece. You are an heir to

ing, but I’m still being haunted by the jux-

the kingdom. You are a child of a King. You are loved. You are

taposition of that hour.

loved. You are loved.”

My friend Jennifer cuts hair in the back I preached twice, prayed with half a dozen people, ate a

room of Soul Food. She sits addicts down

plate of spaghetti and left in awe of what strong truth will

in her chair and makes them feel like peo-

do for lost and hurting people. Then I went home, got on

ple again. She sits down men and wom-

Facebook and within just a few minutes, I had come across

en two weeks out of the state pen and

a news story with a long line of comments dogging welfare

makes them feel value again. They get

recipients and thugs and all sorts of the people that I had

haircuts they would not be able to af-

just preached to. Of course, the world is broken. Of course,

ford otherwise. They are made pre-

these comments shouldn’t shock me and they wouldn’t if

sentable to obtain jobs and a chance

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at a new beginning. More importantly, they also get the gos-

didn’t want me to pray for her to get more money or to get a new

pel. They receive healing. They get delivered. Because they

car or to have a great new job or a husband or any of the things

meet Jesus, obviously. But they meet Him through Jennifer.

we privileged Christians might petition God for. No. Shirley asked

They meet Him because someone took the initiative to show

for me to pray for her to be able to sleep at night.

them what love looks like by giving them something they couldn’t afford without expecting anything in return. Do you

So I did.

know how many people are bewildered by that concept?

And then I went home and saw professed Christians making comWe’re so comfortable, this nation. I wonder how many Christians click on celebrity news stories about sex

ments about welfare rats and white trash. And I didn’t comment, but I am now.

changes and divorces, but walk by homeless men needing a dollar or a prayer. What

How dare you talk about Shirley like that?

are we turning our heads and reaching our hand to? Is it Jesus?

I don’t mean to be condemning.

I really don’t. Unfortunately, the action of humans is condemning enough. We live in a country so consumed with want, that need goes unmet right under our noses.

Yeah, I’ve heard the arguments.

They had choices to make. They

How dare you say such Christ-less things,

"The King will reply, 'Truly I tell you, whatever you did for one of the least of these brothers and sisters of mine, you did for me."

Matthew 25:40

screwed up. They made their bed.

you with your computer with internet and your clean socks and your childhood where you weren’t prostituted to the neighbor in exchange for someone to mow the lawn? Was it really her choices? And if it was, does it really matter?

Didn’t Jesus say to feed His sheep?

Didn’t He say to do it for the least? Are you using your privilege to follow that command or are you staying comfortable?

But telling them to lie in that bed is not a Christian concept.

The brokenness of the world is an opportunity for those who know Jesus to introduce Him to others. The bro-

One of the women I prayed with at Soul Food was named Shir-

kenness of our world screams the need for revival and love and a

ley. I took her in the back and we talked for a while. She’s been

savior. And it is up to us to be the conduit for that.

clean for a month, but there’s no security in the shelter she’s living in, so the money she’s trying to save keeps getting stolen.

There aren’t enough Christians willing to leave their comfort zone

As we prayed, I opened my eyes and noticed an oozing scab on

and love people. Even though they know that’s exactly what Jesus did

her knee dripping blood down onto her low, white sock. She

for them. While we were still sinners, He left His throne and loved us.

must have been wearing them for a couple of days based on

He bandaged up our scabby knees and pulled us from our poverty.

the color of the blood stains. I noticed how small her feet were,

And He loved us first so we could then love others in return.

so much smaller than my own feet, which I have always considered average. I don’t pay for pedicures like so many of my

Open your eyes. Quiet your opinion. Reach out your hand.

friends, but when I looked down and saw my clean, plain feet

When you do it for the least of them, you do it for Him.

in one hundred dollar Birkenstocks next to hers in her bloody ®

socks, my heart was grief-stricken. Why do I have so much?

Shirley was molested for the first time at age nine when her mother used to make deals with the neighbor for her to go over to visit while his sons came to do yard work. She’s fifty-nine now, and she

Jessica Sowards blogs @ thehodgepodgedarling.blogspot.com

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travel

Beautiful Fall,

words Jill Rohrbach, Arkansas Department of Parks and Tourism images courtesy Arkansas Department of Parks and Tourism

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53

Beautiful Arkansas

O

One of my favorite things about Arkansas is that it gives the best of

Arkansas has more than 250 hiking trails totaling over 1,500

every season. When the heat of summer arrives there are pools and

miles. Trails accommodate all skill levels and allow for day hikes

lakes to cool off in. The perfect temps of spring bring the fun of fes-

and multi-day backpacking. Campgrounds and RV sites are lo-

tivals and flowers. The cold of winter is meant for visiting cabins with

cated across the state in Arkansas State Parks, U.S. Army Corps of

fireplaces and sledding in the snow. And then there’s fall.

Engineer areas, three national forests, and along must-see destinations like the Buffalo National River.

While camping and hiking can be enjoyed in The Natural State any time of year, there’s just something about the crisper mornings

Here are five places to consider when you hear Mother Nature

of autumn that give way to warm afternoons and settle into an

beckon you to enjoy the great outdoors and her showcase of fall-

evening aglow with golden hues of changing leaves. Nature’s call

ing fiery leaves.

is strong in the fall. Campers and hikers can hear it well.

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Bear Hollow Trail Hiking – Located at Mount Magazine State Park, the upper part of the hollow has never been logged and is some of the last remaining virgin hardwood forest in Arkansas. Some of the mountain’s most beautiful scenery is found along this trail with points of interest at Sunrise Rock, Inspiration Point, Bear Head Bluff, and Shoal Creek. The first part of this trail was originally constructed by the Works Progress Administration in 1938. The trail is moderate in difficulty. The length is 2.8 miles with an option of starting at the picnic area or near the visitor center to create a 7.5-mile loop connecting four other trails.

Trailhead Location - On Scenic Highway 309, 17 miles south of Paris.

Camping – The park campground contains 18 campsites with water, electric, and sewer hookups, a barrier-free bathhouse with hot showers and flush toilets, and an RV dump station. Park campsites may be reserved online at MountMagazineStatePark.com, or by calling 479.963.8502. Additional campsites can be found down the mountain at Cove Lake, run by the USDA Forest Service, and at Blue Mountain Lake, administered by the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers.

Whitaker Point Hiking – If you haven’t, you really must hike to Whitaker Point, one of Arkansas’s most iconic spots. Near the Buffalo National River, the sweeping view from the rock outcropping that juts over the valley is incredible, especially in autumn. Don’t forget your camera. It’s only a short 1.5 miles (3 miles round trip) on a looping trail. The terrain is easy, but do be careful along the bluff portion and on the crag.

Trailhead Location – From Highway 43 South to left onto Highway 21. Go about two miles to the Boxley Bridge that crosses the Buffalo River. Turn right onto gravel road #9560 and go about 6 miles. Pass the Cave Mountain Church and Cemetery on the right and the trailhead is about ¼-mile further. Trailhead parking is limited, so if you're arriving on a Saturday, especially in the fall, expect to park along the roadside. When the trailhead parking area is full, be sure to park your vehicle so that it does not obstruct through-traffic.

Camping – Steel Creek Campground is about 3 miles east of Ponca off of Highway 74. The tent campground has 26 campsites and the horse campground has 14 sites. Water and restrooms are available.

Kyle’s Landing Campground is also located off Highway 74.

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King’s Bluff Loop Trail Hiking – Considered moderately difficult, this trail is a short 1.7mile hike to the awe-inspiring King’s Bluff, a large flat bluff top with a waterfall that flows over the ledge. Enjoy views of the large hardwood forest as well as views of the surrounding valley. If you’re taking kids or animals, be careful around the bluff line. Featuring weathered rocks that form pedestals, the 2.5-mile Pedestal Loop Trail also starts here. There are cool caves to climb around in, but camping is not allowed.

Trailhead Location – Approximately 6 miles east of Pelsor on Highway 16; both the Pedestal Loop and the King's Bluff Loop Trails are accessed from the Pedestal Rocks Trailhead.

Camping – Within about a 20-mile radius is a variety of primitive and modern campsites. Haw Creek has nine primitive sites, with tables and fire pits. There is a vault toilet but no running water.

Richland Creek contains a vault toilet and running water; plus, there are two hiking trails that also have waterfalls in the wet season. Moccasin Gap has 13 sites with a vault toilet, three water spouts, and electricity for camping trailers. Long Pool Recreation area has the most modern sites for tents and RVs with water and electricity, flushable toilets and showers.

Lost Bridge Hiking Trail Hiking – Relatively flat and easy, the 6-mile hike winds through a heavily wooded area containing overlooks and rock outcroppings as well as bluffs that served as prehistoric shelters for Native Americans. A section of the trail also runs along the lake.

Around the midpoint of the trail are the remnants of the Old Schrader Homestead. Kid friendly. There is a nominal day use fee at the park.

Trailhead Location – Located at Lost Bridge recreation area. From Rogers, take Highway 62 east for about 13 miles to Garfield. Turn south on Highway 127 and continue for 6 miles. Turn left on Marina Road and follow the signs to the North park.

Camping – Located in the Beaver Lake area of Northwest Arkansas, the campground has 36 large campsites and is steps away from the lake shore. Sites accommodate one RV and one tent, or three tents.

Other amenities: shade trees, fire rings, picnic area, drinking water and flush toilets. Reserve a spot online at recreation.gov.

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Ozark Highlands Trail Hiking – Known for its scenery, the OHT runs east across the entire Ozark National Forest, turns north to end up on the Buffalo National River as it heads downstream to Tyler Bend Campground. It’s one of the most spectacular trails in the U.S. because of its mountainous terrain, scenic views, lush upland hardwoods, unique rock outcroppings, and clear streams. At 210 miles total, the trail is perfect for extended backpacking or day-use hiking. The hike is considered strenuous and white rectangular paint blazes are the official marker.

Trailhead Location – Western terminus: Lake Fort Smith State Park, 8 miles north of Mountainburg on US 71. Eastern terminus: Tyler Bend Campground on the Buffalo National River; U.S. 65 at Silver Hill. Other access points are found at major National Forest Recreation Areas such as Shores Lake, White Rock Mountain, Ozone, Haw Creek Falls, Fairview and Richland Creek.

Camping – Pitch a tent anywhere outside of the recreation areas; although trail etiquette encourages camping at least 200 feet away from the trail and water sources, and preferably out of sight of the trail. If a previous campsite (one that has been used before) is available, make camp there to lessen impact on the environment. Camping is also available at each terminus. Lake Fort Smith State Park has 20 campsites with full hookups and 10 campsites with water and electricity. Two sites are barrier-free. Also enjoy hot showers in a heated bathhouse. Tyler Bend Campground is comprised of 10 walk-in and 28 drive-in sites. The campground provides flush toilet restrooms, one with hot showers. Water faucets are located throughout the campground. A dump station and tank filler is located near the park entrance at Highway 65 but there are no RV hookups in the campground.

Camping and hiking this fall? We'd love to see your photos.

We might even use them in an upcoming issue. Email them to editors@dosouthmagazine.com.

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community

Arkansas Eats!

Celebrating Food in the South We love this time of year. The weather starts to change and

and horseback rides, polka dancing, a motorcycle show, and a

we all get out to enjoy the beauty of Arkansas. How does

dog show! You can even eat at the Weinkeller Restaurant.

that make us feel? Yep, hungry! Here are six upcoming festiWar Eagle Mill Craft & Culinary Fair

vals that no self-respecting foodie should miss.

October 15 - 18, 6:30 am - 5:00 pm World Championship Squirrel Cook Off

11045 War Eagle Road, Rogers, wareaglemill.com

September 12

Admission is free

Bentonville Square, Bentonville, squirrelcookoff.com Starts at 9 am. Judging at 11:30 am. Ends around 3 p.m.

The War Eagle Mill Craft & Culinary Fair takes place on the

Admission is free

grounds of War Eagle Mill, a working water-powered grist mill. The Mill opens at 6:30 am for breakfast and features

The World Championship Squirrel Cook Off has been fea-

War Eagle Mill products. Juried craftsmen from throughout

tured on the Travel channel. In the past, contestants have

the United States will be represented. Live music too.

prepared squirrel pizza, squirrel gumbo, squirrel ice cream, and squirrel lollipops. Cooks range from amateurs to the fin-

World Cheese Dip Championship

est wild game chefs, and have two and a half hours to cook

October 31, Noon – 3 pm

their dishes on site. The audience gets to sample!

Bernice Garden & South Main Street, Little Rock, cheesedip.net

Bacon Fest

$10 at gate. Free Admission to children

September 19

10 years of age and younger

Arkansas State Fairgrounds, Little Rock, Facebook/LittleRockBaconFest

Try the cheese dips, made by contestants who come from

11 am - 3 pm

across the country, and then cast your vote for the one

Tickets: $10 at the gate. Kids 8 and under, free.

you think should win. Listen to live music, meet the cooks, and learn a little about the history of cheese dip. It was

The Bacon Fest has a 5K run with Bacon Stations, live music, bacon-

first made in 1935.

themed cooking contests, a bacon eating contest, a beer garden, merchant booths, a kids' zone, and lots of tasty bacon concessions.

Arkansas Cornbread Festival November 7, 11 a.m. – 4 p.m.

Wiederkehr Village Weinfest

South Main Street, Little Rock,

October 10

arkansascornbreadfestival.com

8 am - 10 pm

Tickets: $10 for 13 and older, $5 for 6-12.

3324 Swiss Family Drive, Wiederkehr Village,

Children 5 and younger are free.

wiederkehrwines.com Meet the cooks, try the creative cornbread recipes, cast your

Admission is free

vote, and wait for the judging to see who wins. There will be Swiss-German food. Wine tasting tours. Rides through the vine-

plenty of vendors, live music, tons of activities for kids, and

yards. A beer garden, log toss, grape stomping contest, carriage

a whole lot of fun for the entire family.

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outdoors

OUTDOORS IN

Arkansas

words Reprinted with permission from Arkansas Game and Fish Commission images courtesy Arkansas Game and Fish Commission/Mike Wintroath

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outdoors

Backcountry water trails, a new app for hunters, and a women's outdoor weekend. Aren't you glad you live in Arkansas? Let's start with dove season. The dates were recently released, and are as follows:

Dove Season Dates Mourning Dove and Eurasian Collared Dove Sept. 5 - Oct. 24 and Dec. 19, 2015 - Jan. 7, 2016 Teal Season Sept. 12 - 27 Rail Season Sept. 12 - Nov. 20 bottomland hardwood forests in the nation and has been designated Woodcock Season

a Wetland of International Importance. This is where the ivory-billed

Nov. 7 - Dec. 21

woodpecker search happened in the early 2000s. It is known for very old cypress trees that can be hundreds of years old. It’s a pretty wild

Common Snipe Season

trail. People need to pay attention to the signs and if you do have GPS

Nov. 1, 2015 - Feb. 15, 2016

and map and compass skills, it’s good to bring them along. Flooded timber can be a fairly easy place to get lost.

Purple Gallinule and Common Moorhen Season “There are a lot of different options you can do on trip lengths. You

Sept. 1 - Nov. 9

can paddle one section of trail, paddle out and then paddle back to Early Canada Goose Season

your vehicle, or do the entire fifteen-mile trail with an overnight at

Sept. 1-15

Hickson Lake. There is now a USGS gauge to help people determine when Bayou DeView is accessible by boat.

Northwest Canada Goose Zone Season “Generally it needs to be around fourteen feet. It can be a wonder-

Sept. 19-28

ful place to paddle any time of year, but it is rain dependent and can become too low to paddle certain times of year and can become too high and the roads flood. The area is rich with wildlife including Looking for a new place to canoe or kayak? This could be just

migratory songbirds and waterfowl and is popular with duck hunters.

what you're looking for!

“Right within the same wildlife management area is Robe Bayou (also

Bayou DeView Trails = Backcountry

an Arkansas Water Trail), which is a more distinct channel and holds

Bayou DeView Water Trail is on the Sheffield Nelson Dagmar Wildlife

water year round. It is pretty as well, has great cypress trees and it is a

Management Area near Brinkley, Arkansas, and it is suitable for be-

good beginner route. And then just down the road is the Wattensaw

ginning canoers and kayakers as well as being kid-friendly, assuming

Bayou Water Trail (also part of the Arkansas Water Trail program) and

youngsters wear flotation devices and follow adults’ instructions.

it is also a bit more of a distinct channel. We have a new camping site on the trail where visitors can do an overnight stay if they would like.”

Kirsten Bartlow, AGFC’s watchable wildlife coordinator and coordinator of the Arkansas Water Trails program, says, “Bayou DeView is

For more information on the Arkansas Water Trails program, go to

special. It is part of the Big Woods, which is bottomland hardwood

www.agfc.com. For more details on canoeing and kayaking in Arkan-

forests and an imperiled type of habitat. It’s one of the largest tracts of

sas, visit Arkansas.com/outdoors.

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outdoors Want to know how your new Apple Watch® can help you when you're hunting? We have the answer!

AGFC launches Apple Watch® app You can now glance at your wrist to see when it’s legal to shoot, thanks to the new Apple Watch® app from the Arkansas Game and Fish Commission. When paired with the popular AGFC mobile app for iPhone, the Apple Watch® counts down and displays the exact sunrise and sunset times at the hunter’s location.

“We focused on what would be most important for hunters in the field who are using wearable devices,” AGFC Chief Technology Officer Mark Vaught said. “Through our partnership with the Information Network of Arkansas, we designed the new Apple Watch® app to enable hunters to see when it’s officially time to shoot. It truly helps hunters comply with regulations in a hands-free way that keeps them safe and focused on their hunt.”

A red “Sun is down” alert changes to a green “Sun is up” alert at the precise moment of sunrise for the exact location where the hunter is standing. A countdown reveals, to the second, how much time remains in the hunting day or until hunting can begin.

The original free AGFC mobile app is still available in the iTunes® App Store and Google Play®. Since its launch in 2009, more than 122,000 people have downloaded the app and nearly 47,500 hunters have used it to check 207,340 deer and turkeys with the AGFC.

Hunter Education Classes Fayetteville 9/14 – 9/16 Held at the Washington County Sheriff’s Department in Fayetteville. Partici-

There's a lot going on outdoors in Arkansas. Here are some events

pants must attend all three nights. Contact Ruth McBride for more informa-

you won't want to miss!

tion 479.841.5115 or 479.634.2027. Registration is required, class is free.

Women’s Outdoor Weekend 10/2 thru 10/4

Fort Smith 9/19

Bull Shoals-White River State Park will be hosting a Women’s Out-

Held at the Janet Huckabee Arkansas River Valley Nature Center in Fort

door Weekend on October 2–4. During this three-day two-night

Smith. Class is from 7am – 6pm. Registration is not required, class is free.

workshop, participants will attend different sessions on Basic Camping/Backpacking Skills, Beginning Bird Watching, Intro to Fly Fishing, Beginning Kayaking, Dutch Oven Cooking and much more; plus lots

Be sure to check in next

of free time to hang out, laugh, and build new friendships. All gear

month when Do South®

and meals included in the registration fee. Registration fee is $125,

brings you more great

and space is limited so register early. Don’t miss this wonderful op-

ways to enjoy outdoors

portunity. Registration deadline is September 25. Call 870.445.3629.

in Arkansas!

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taste

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taste

Chowder

CHOWTIME recipe & images Laura Hobbs

If your timing is right, you can buy some of the sweetest, most

Grilling corn is a simple

tender corn this time of year. For those who don’t have farm-

task—one so simple you can

fresh corn readily available, there are a few rules to abide by

even do it while multitasking, like

in buying a good ear of corn. One, check the cut ends of the

folding laundry or icing a cake—as long as you keep an eye on it and

ears; they should look like they were just cut from the stalk, not

rotate it regularly. I also added carrots and celery to my soup base to

shriveled or dry. Two, the ears should be tightly wrapped in their

add more flavor, texture and color to the otherwise monochromatic

husks—and if possible, avoid buying partially husked corn, the

soup. Another addition was the white wine before the stock to add

kind that’s had its tops lopped off and been wrapped in plas-

depth. Tyler calls for peeled russet potatoes in his recipe; I switched

tic; this tends to dry out the kernels. Three, the ears should feel

this to red potatoes with the skins on. I like the less-starchy red potato

heavy for their size and have husks that are green and fresh, the

better, and I like the texture of the potato peel—it makes me feel

kernels should feel plump and tight, and the silk should appear

like I’m adding a few more nutrients. (I know the nutrient thing is a

shiny and golden. Capice? Capice. Moving on!

stretch; just let me keep thinking that.)

Corn chowder is a staple late summer dish—fresh corn right off

The two cups (!!!) of heavy cream gave the consistency a luxurious

the cob in a creamy, flavorful broth, often enhanced by bacon and

feel, the grilled corn added a subtle smoky flavor and the essence

onion. Delish, right? Well, me being me, I made a few tweaks and

of the wine lingered with just the right intensity. We topped our

adjustments to my favorite corn chowder recipe—this one is from

soup with chopped garden tomatoes and scallions, but feel free

the Food Network’s Tyler Florence.

to play around: add bacon, sour cream, or a light drizzle of olive oil—as I always say, the possibilities are endless! Play around, have

My first tweak was to grill the corn before cutting it off the cob.

fun, and savor the summer while you can. Enjoy!

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taste

INGREDIENTS 2 Tablespoons butter 2 Tablespoons olive oil

METHOD Grill the corn until the kernels begin to crackle and turn brown, rotating the cobs regularly. Remove from the grill and set aside.

1 onion, diced

Heat the butter and olive oil in a large pot over medium heat. Add the

2 medium carrots, peeled and diced

onion, carrots and celery and cook until the vegetables are soft, about

1 large celery stalk, diced 2 garlic cloves, minced

8 to 10 minutes. Add the garlic and thyme and cook for a minute longer. Add the flour and stir to coat everything well, cooking for about a minute, until the flour begins to brown. Add the wine and

6 sprigs fresh thyme, leaves only

simmer a minute longer. Pour in the vegetable stock and bring to a

Âź cup all-purpose flour

boil. Add the cream and the potatoes, bring to a boil, and boil for

½ cup white wine

about 7 minutes, until the potatoes begin to break down.

6 cups vegetable stock

Cut the grilled corn kernels off the cob and add to the soup. Sea-

2 cups heavy cream

son with salt and pepper and simmer about 10 to 12 minutes

3 red potatoes, diced 6 ears corn, shucked, rinsed and grilled Salt and pepper, to taste

longer. With an immersion blender, or working in batches with a food processor, blend about half of the soup until smoother but still chunky, or until the desired consistency is reached. Ladle the soup into bowls and serve with your choice of toppings.

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taste

SWEET T-FORMATION image Catherine Frederick

Ingredients 1 ½ ounce Jeremiah Sweet Tea Vodka ½ ounce Southern Comfort ¼ ounce Peach Schnapps 2 ounces Peach Nectar 2 ounces Lemonade Juice of Half a Lemon Lemon Wedge for Garnish

Method Combine all ingredients except for garnish in a mixing tin. Shake well. Pour over ice into a highball glass. Garnish with lemon wedge.

Always drink responsibly. Never drink and drive.

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southern fiction

THE MIDDLE CHILD’S MIDDLE NAME FICTION Marla Cantrell

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southern fiction

The only reason my oldest daughter Reba Fay moved me in with her

I sucked in my breath and pointed to the recliner that was next to

was because that wet-behind-the-ears doctor at the emergency room

mine. Mae sat down, grabbed the handle on the side of the chair

said I’d be dead by spring. I know it’s true. I overheard Reba Fay talk-

and pushed herself all the way back. Looked like she was sitting in

ing on the phone one day, telling her best friend all about it.

a dentist’s chair and wasn’t aiming on having a good time there.

It’s been four years come October since I moved in. And let me

“Let’s see," I said. "You were born a year after my mama

tell you it ain’t no cakewalk for me either. My room is this little

passed on. That was the year the drought hit Needmore and

hole-in-the-wall nook, not much bigger than the cupboard in my

we were all just barely scratching by. The land wasn’t giving up

old house. I try to keep to myself and enjoy the peace and quiet.

nothing. There was no such thing as irrigation, so what crops

Everybody’s always thinking old folks want chitchat. Well, Sister,

did push through wilted right back into the earth. The dust

not me. I’d give a hundred dollar bill to anybody who’d just show

from the bare fields blew through our house and on into town,

up and talk to me about something important: raising day lilies,

dirtying everything in its path.

crooked politicians, that smut that passes for TV these days.

"Reba Fay wasn’t much more than a baby herself so I wasn’t aim-

When my other two girls, Mae and Opal June, come to visit,

ing on having another child just yet. In fact, I was trying not to."

they generally start with questions about my good bowels

Mae blushed when I said that, so I hurried my story along. "Any-

and bad joints. But before long they gravitate to the story of

how," I said, "in no time at all I was expecting you.

their childhood. They ask me when they started to walk, what

their first words were, when they had the chicken pox. I don't

“You’d of had to live through it to understand how one thing can

remember most of it.

tumble into another. How all those things can turn into one great, dark mood. Like I said, my mama had up and died. Without her to

Mae, my middle girl, is the worst. The last time she visited she was

steady him, my daddy went on a drinking spree and took off. I didn’t

acting real fidgety. I watched her pace and noticed she’s getting puffy

see him again for five years, and by then he'd remarried a woman

under her eyes, which makes her look worn out even when she's not.

younger than I was. There wasn’t a soul left to take care of my brothers, your Uncle Billy and Uncle Harp. So I took them in. They were

“Mama,” she said, “how come you named me Mae? No middle

teenagers but big as grown men by then and ate like field hands—

name at all. How come you did that to me? Reba’s Reba Fay. Opal

got in so much trouble I started calling the sheriff by his first name.”

is Opal June. And I’m just Mae. Do you have any idea what it was like for me to grow up with everybody asking me what my middle

I shifted in the recliner, tugged at the hem of my housedress.

name was and me having to explain I didn’t have one?"

“Little Reba Fay had just turned two. A sickly child. It all bore down on me. I was so tired I felt like I could’ve slept for a month. I think

Mae looked almost as old as me, standing there under the hard

it’s funny how all your spare time comes at the end of your life

light of the ceiling fixture. Looked kind of out of place in her own

when you don’t need it or even want it. And when you're younger

skin. Like she woke up that morning and discovered she wasn’t

and worn out, well, Honey, good luck.”

the same girl she’d been when she crawled in bed the night before. She’s always been dramatic like that. Plus, she took acting

Mae was pulling on her left earlobe, a habit she'd had since she

classes down at the junior college when she was a teenager and

was a toddler.

now she uses it whenever she can.

“Lawd, Mae, you were so small when you were born," I said. "AlI made her wait for an answer. Silence can be a powerful thing. I

most three pounds less than Reba Fay. Somehow I got it in my head

let Mae’s words hang in the air around me, trying to find room for

that I had to find exactly the right name for you. It seemed like the

them in my tired old head. When you get to be my age, your brain

most important thing in the world. But every name I came up with

gets kind of like an old pocketbook. Packed so full of senseless

just swallowed your little body. I thought how a heavy name would

junk that you can’t get to the important stuff, like, say, your house

weigh you down. How a big name might smother you. I kept dwell-

keys, without sifting through a whole load of garbage.

ing on my own name, Havelin Evangeline McWilliams Sullivan. I wrote

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southern fiction

it down and watched it spread across the page, like grape juice ru-

of proud. Knowing I was special to you after all. We really

ining a Sunday tablecloth. I was thinking how, if I’d had a smaller

ought to talk like this more often.”

name, my life might have turned out easier somehow."

Mae twisted the face of her watch to the front of her wrist and

Mae was working the rings on her right hand, pulling them

glanced down. “Goodness, I’ve got to be going. Ima Jean will be

over her knuckles.

waiting for me. You remember my old friend, Ima Jean, don’t you?”

“But mama did give me that huge name and it seemed all of

She was out the door before I could answer. Those long, silent

a sudden like a curse. As I said, I was feeling mighty low at

pauses don’t work a hundred percent of the time. I was worn

the time. And there wasn’t an 800 number to call back then.

to a frazzle anyway.

Nobody to tell you that you were suffering from a full-blown depression or that your hormones were out of whack. Nothing

Not everything I said was true. I never wrote my name down

like that. You just let life take its best shot and then you picked

and regretted it. I never thought I was cursed. What I believed

yourself up and went on about your business.”

was that life was hard, people died too soon, and this baby was

no exception. The whole thing seemed like a mean joke.

Mae was fiddling with the handle on the side of her chair, easing the footrest up a few inches and then dropping it down

There was a dark-haired girl on the avenue, in downtown Need-

again. It occurred to me that I had never seen her still in her

more, who'd pull a piano on wheels out on the sidewalk in

whole life, not even in sleep when her feet shifted the bed

front of Ray-Ray's Tavern and sing for tips. She was not a good

sheets, over and over, like she was pedaling a bike.

girl; she wore dresses that showed her shoulders, and red lip-

stick and pink blush in the middle of the day, but she was a

“Of course,” I said, “that theory ain’t held water. I know that

beauty, and every time we'd go to town, the men would look

now. You’ve had your share of trouble. More heartache than

at her like she was the last drink of water in the Mojave Desert.

both your sisters put together." With that, Mae perked up. She liked stories that showed her at a disadvantage. "And I have

Her name was Mae. While I was expecting, I'd sometimes sit

thought, from time to time," I said, "that small names might

across the way, inside Marabelle's Diner, and watch her perform.

hold a curse same as big ones. Your name has three letters and your trouble always seems to run in groups of three.”

One day I got up my nerve and talked to her. She wore blue eye

shadow, and a man's wedding ring on a chain around her neck.

I breathed in deep, debating whether I should mention Mae’s

She was from Alabama, low country, and she pointed at my stom-

failings or not. “Take those three ex-husbands of yours. You

ach, and said, "All I ever wanted was somebody to call my own."

couldn’t get a decent man out of that unhappy trio if you cut all the good that was in each of them and stacked it together.

I don't know how I knew it, but I was sure she'd never have a

A nice elf maybe, but never a full-sized man.

child. When my own baby was born, I gave her Mae's name. As

soon as I was able, I took my Mae to town, but Ray-Ray's Tavern

"And your three boys. If God didn’t write spare the rod and

had already disappeared.

spoil the child for those little rascals, then I don’t know who else He could have been thinking about."

I felt like I'd lost my best friend, though I don't know why. I

remember those mornings after I knew she was gone; how it

Mae eased her chair back up. Her chin was cupped in the palm of

felt to be barefoot on wood floors that needed sweeping. At

her hand and her elbow was propped on the arm of the recliner.

night, the moon seemed too far away and the stars too close.

"I have had it hard," she said. "I just don't like to complain." And

I'd unbraid my hair and sit on the front porch, the night loud

then she smiled, which seemed like a minor miracle.

with tree frogs, wanting to run away so bad I'd have to hang

onto the arms of the swing to keep myself from going. But I

“Mama,” she said, “that's a wonderful story. Makes me kind

never did run away. I never ever did.

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