wonder - december 2012
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AtUrbanMagazine December 2012 IssueTRANSCRIPT
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Evening Appointment
Ignite: The Beginning of Hope
Gingerbread Boys
Urban 8
Last Night
lifes
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78
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Now Hear This
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2022
Poetry in West Plains
Honor at Station No. 1
Suite, Sweet Christmas
The Art of Being Authentic
Urban Appeal
peop
le
2428323640
Shop Local
Mexico on My Mind
White Chocolate Almond
and Lemon Italian Torta
Naughty Nog
tast
e
444850
52
The Lights at Garvan Gardens
Christmas at Big Cedar
On the Eve of the Eve
of the End of the World
trav
el
545661
Catherine Frederick
Marla Cantrell
Marla CantrellMarcus CokerKody FordCatherine FrederickLaura HobbsDave MaloneTonya McCoyAnita Paddock
Catherine FrederickMarla CantrellJeromy Price
Jeromy Price
David Jamell
Read Chair Publishing, LLC
MANAGING EDITOR
DESIGNER
WEB GURU
EDITOR-IN-CHIEFPRESIDENT
©2012 Read Chair Publishing, LLC. All rights reserved. The opinions contained in @Urban are exclusively those of the writers and do not represent those of Read Chair Publishing, LLC. as a whole or its affiliates. Any correspondence to @Urban or Read Chair Publishing, LLC., including photography becomes the property of Read Chair Publishing, LLC. @Urban reserves the right to edit content and images.
CONTRIBUTINGWRITERS
CONTRIBUTINGPHOTOGRAPHERS
PUBLISHER
Advertising InformationCatherine Frederick at 479 / 782 / 1500
Editorial InformationMarla Cantrell at 479 / 831 / 9116
@INSIDE
Oh how I love this time of year. I love to see the lights twinkle all around town, the trees aglow in the
windows of the houses we pass by. It always amazes me how an entire neighborhood can go from
ho-hum to magical overnight.
It’s been looking a lot like Christmas at our house since before Thanksgiving. It’s the first year I’ve ever
had the trees up before the turkey graces the serving platter. I wanted to squeeze as much wonder as
I could from the season, even if it’s only a few extra days. Truth is, I think we all rekindle a little of that
childlike wonder during the holidays.
One extraordinary place to find that wonder is at the award-winning Big Cedar Lodge, where we just
happened to spend a little time with Mr. and Mrs. Claus. But we also found inspiration in our visit with
one of today’s best poets, and with an artist who’s found a technique that is guaranteed to unleash your creativity.
To round things out, we have Anita Paddock’s picks for holiday reading and gift giving, a look inside the home of a Fort Smith woman
whose story behind her growing nutcracker collection will touch your heart, and we’re hanging out with local firefighters who took up
bagpipes to honor one of their own.
What about food you ask? How about recipes for Mexitalian (yeah, we made that word up) Chili Rellenos, a simple White Chocolate-
Almond and Lemon Italian Torta, and I’m making gingerbread boy cupcakes.
So, get comfy, put on a little Christmas music, and settle in for a long winter’s night with us. Have relatives in town? Serve up some
Naughty Nog (pg. 52) and relax.
It’s the holidays after all, and the man in red is watching. Merry Christmas.
To reserve this free space for your charitable non-profit organization, email: [email protected]
@LETTER FROM CATHERINE
@lines Dave Malone
I am upright in your chair
Your final evening appointment
While evening lurks outside.
You laugh and tell me stories
In your German accent,
thick as cake.
Now, evening surges quickly.
It swoops down how bats do.
Dusk has its own agenda. Beneath wings,
our small town falls into shadows.
Your hair scissors fly through the air,
Stories drip like chocolate from your lips,
and through a December sky
past dark, skinny tree limbs,
a blue light, barely seen,
pushes through distant clouds.
7
@LIFESTYLE
@story & image Marla Cantrell
8
Karen Beckner’s story starts on the sixteenth day of June.
She was at home, listening to a message by Craig Groeschel,
pastor of Life Church, a man she’d heard about while attending
Mt. Olive Methodist Church in Van Buren. She was intrigued
by the topic: Take Your Misery and Turn it Into Your Ministry.
The preacher asked a question. What is it, he said, that breaks
your heart?
Karen’s answer? Drug addiction.
From those two words, Karen’s life began to change. She started
taking notes, daily, trying to figure out what she was supposed
to do with this revelation. Karen says, “It was a five-week series.
Every day I felt like I was given one more piece of the puzzle to
figure out what I was supposed to do. I was consumed with it,
and I’d never felt that way before.”
As the assistant athletic director of youth sports at Van Buren
Schools, she’s worked laying the foundation for healthy living.
She’s proud of the work she’s done. But she’d taken four calls
over the course of her career that broke her heart. Each time,
she’d learn that one of the kids she’d taught years before had
died from using drugs.
Those were dark days. The father of one of the boys who died
told her this. “He was a good boy. He just couldn’t stop.”
But what if there was more help for kids fighting addiction to
drugs and alcohol? It was a question that fed directly into the
one the preacher had asked.
Still, Karen did not know what the answer was. She got online
and searched. She typed in: kids, recovery, drugs. The search
led her to recovery schools, something she knew nothing about.
She discovered that there were only twenty-three in the
country. The schools, often working within the public school
setting, offered kids in recovery hope for a clean future. Each
school day began with group meetings to address any issues
the students were facing. The schools relied on small classes,
unique ways of teaching, and counselors who worked closely
with the staff and students.
“These kids have spent a lot of time checked out. Going to
school high, going to ballgames high,” Karen says. “For a school
to work, you have to teach the kids how to interact, and give
them lots of support and accountability. You have to let them
know that they’re loved and that they’re respected.
“By giving them this environment, you keep them out of the
mainstream classroom. The statistics for kids leaving recovery
and returning to drugs is bleak. I was told that eighty-five percent
of the kids coming out of recovery and back into the schools use
drugs within twenty-four hours. At a recovery school, they can
stay on track, and with the right help they can stay clean.”’
Karen was learning more, and every morning she got up at 4:30,
and prayed about what to do next.
“I didn’t even want to go on vacation at the end of June, that’s
how excited I was about what was happening. But I did go to
Florida. One morning I was watching the sun come up at about
five in the morning and I was thinking about how God parted
the sea and I felt like Moses when he told God surely there was
someone else to do the job. But God was telling me that if He
could do that for Moses, He could do it for me.”
9
@LIFESTYLE
On July 2, she decided it was time to talk to the Van Buren
Superintendent of Schools, Dr. Merle Dickerson. She told him
what she’d learned about recovery schools and that she believed
Van Buren should start one. She smiles when she recalls that
meeting. “Dr. Dickerson said, ‘How can we not do it?’”
And so Karen headed to Houston to attend the national
conference of recovery schools.
At this point she thought her role would be to get the fire going.
She’d make a DVD, send it to the churches and get the community
excited about the new school. She’d contact those who could
donate their time or money to the effort. But as the mission grew,
she realized her piece of the puzzle was much bigger.
She went back to Dr. Dickerson to talk. There was space at J.J.
Izard, a former elementary school that is now being used as an
alternative school. The Hope Academy could be housed there,
in a separate wing. And Karen seemed the logical choice to run
it. The two made plans. Karen would resign her post this month,
and in January begin working at the new school.
Already, momentum is building. Karen has had people in the
community offer everything from teaching guitar lessons to
cooking lessons to creative writing lessons. And while Hope
Academy is still working out its curriculum, Karen says the
support she’s seeing is heartwarming.
What she does know is that the program will work with each
student, coming up with individual plans that will help them
succeed. There will be lots of support to keep them on track
with their recovery, including an after school program. And if
the students need extra help, it will be there.
“We’ll do whatever we need to, to get them ready for a test.
If they’re having trouble grasping a math lesson, we’ll work
with them until they get it. We’ll take the pressure off and help
them succeed.”
Hope Academy will target students in the seventh through
twelfth grades, who are leaving a recovery program. Karen
expects there will be others who will be helped, such as a
student who was in recovery in the past and needs the help of
the school to stay clean.
When she tells the story, Karen says over and over, “You’re not
going to believe this.” Every door that opened seems like a
miracle to her. The message she heard that led her to recovery
schools that sent her to her superintendent, who stood beside
her and said yes, and the community that agreed they were not
giving up on some of their youngest citizens.
When school reconvenes next fall, Karen will be in charge of
Hope Academy, helping the first of the students get through
the tough times and find safe ground. It is more than she
could have imagined six months ago. And it turns out, it is all
she ever wanted.
@LIFESTYLE
10
I love combining my favorite things, and when I'm cooking I
call it a “mash up.” Think peanut butter and chocolate Yum.
Gingerbread and chocolate are a delicious mash up, so when
I came across this recipe in the cookbook, Hello Cupcake, I got
right to work.
This recipe will introduce you to “almost instant” ganache
(made by zapping store-bought icing in a microwave) and it’s
also very forgiving to the novice icing piper. Microwaving the
icing is what gives the tops of the cupcakes their professional
candy-coated sheen.
@DIY and images Catherine Frederick
12
It may take a couple of practice runs to get the white piped
frosting to follow the gaps between the cupcakes, but if it
breaks just go back to the broken end and start piping again. The
white frosting will still be soft and will melt slightly and heal the
break. One boxed cake mix makes twenty-four cupcakes, so you
will have three cupcakes to practice on. You can be a chef and
an orthopedic surgeon. Who knew?
Gingerbread Boys Makes 24 cupcakes 1 box gingerbread or spice cake mix
(any flavor of cake mix will work)
24 brown or black paper cupcake liners
1 cup vanilla frosting
1 tub (16 oz.) milk chocolate frosting
6 green M&M’s
3 each red, green, yellow spice drops
Icing bags or Ziplock bags
TIME TIP: Bake your cupcakes in advance and store them in
an airtight container or even the freezer until you're ready to
decorate them.
Icing the cupcakesStart by placing 1 cup of vanilla frosting in a Ziplock bag. Snip
off the bottom corner of the bag- about 1/4” or less. Next, scoop
the chocolate frosting into a 2 cup microwave safe dish. Make
sure the opening of the dish is large enough to dip the cupcakes
in by hand. Place the chocolate in the microwave and heat for
twenty to thirty seconds, stirring frequently, until the frosting is
the texture of slightly whipped cream. If your microwave is old
as the hills like mine, you may have to repeat this step.
Create your assembly station. Make sure you have your melted
chocolate, your cupcakes and a serving dish or cookie sheet to
place them on once dipped. Holding the cupcake by the bottom,
turn it over and dip the top into the melted chocolate frosting
so the chocolate reaches the paper liner. Allow the excess
frosting to drip off. Invert and let stand. Step back and admire
what you’ve accomplished. Instant, glorious, glossy ganache.
Ok, enough of that; get back to dipping!
13
@LIFESTYLE
Pipe it perfectGrab your bag of vanilla frosting and outline the gingerbread
boy along the outer edge of the cupcakes, creating a mitted
hand and feet along the way. Add a squiggly line at the wrist
and the ankles. No need to go for perfection here, remember
the icing is very forgiving.
Add the blingPipe three dots of vanilla frosting down the middle of the body
and add the spice drops for buttons. Pipe two dots of frosting on
the head and add M&M’s for eyes. Pipe a vanilla frosting smile
on two of the boys, but on the other, pipe an “O” for the mouth.
Pull one of the feet off of this boy so it appears he is saying, “oh
nooooo!” - he is getting ready to be eaten after all!
Did you make the Gingerbread boys? Send us a photo to [email protected]!
Repeat this process with the remaining cupcakes. If the chocolate
begins to thicken, reheat for a few seconds in the microwave.
Brought to life Be sure to arrange the cupcakes on their final destination,
whether a serving dish or cookie sheet. Once you pipe the
white icing, you cannot move them. Group 7 cupcakes to make
3 gingerbread boys. Place three cupcakes in a vertical row to
make the head and body, then place one on each side of the
bottom cupcake to make the feet, and one cupcake on either
side of the middle cupcake to make the hands (see photo).
14
@LIFESTYLE
Shop for original works of art from a wide assortment of artfully
made handcrafted items: jewelry, pottery, photography, fabric art,
watercolor, oil, pastel, pen & ink, and mixed medium.
During his forty-seven year affiliation with The Saturday Evening
Post, Norman Rockwell was celebrated for his special holiday cover
illustrations. This exhibit features original Saturday Evening Post cover
tearsheets and includes many of Norman Rockwell’s most memorable
and enduring holiday images.
It’s the 150th anniversary of the Battle of Prairie Grove and during the
weekend you can tour the Union, Confederate, and civilian camps,
watch re-enactments of military drills, and see cooking, spinning, and
lace making demonstrations.
The battle demonstration begins at 1 p.m. each day, on the actual
battlefield near Borden House.
It’s a Fort Smith tradition. Walk through the lights of Creekmore Park
or hop aboard the Holiday Express train that will take you on a ride
through the winter wonderland!
Holiday Market
Norman Rockwell Exhibit
Re-enactment
Battle of Prairie Grove
Holiday Express
Van Buren Art Center, 104 North 13th
William F. Laman Public Library Exhibit Hall, North Little Rock
Prairie Grove Battlefield
Creekmore Park off Rogers Avenue
arkansasstateparks.com
fortsmith.orgWhen: Dec. 1st & 8th, 10am - 4Pm; Dec. 2nd, 1pm - 4pm; Dec. 4th - 14th, 10pm - 4pm
Cost: Free Admission
When: Dec. 9th Cost: Free
When: Dec. 1st & 2nd Cost: Free, Parking $5 Per Vehicle
When: Dec. 3rd – 24th, 26th – 29th, 5:30pm – 8:30pm Cost: Free
lamanlibrary.org
16
Treat your family to wonderful holiday music, created from the
acoustic combination of talented area musicians’ voices and stringed
instruments in the great Cathedral Room at Blanchard Springs Caverns,
near Mountain View.
Head to Bentonville for a ton of family fun. There’s an outdoor ice
skating rink, a mailbox where you send your letters directly to Santa,
certain times when you can have your picture made with the jolly old
elf, and free holiday movie nights on a 25 foot inflatable screen. See
website for details.
Enjoy the fun and festivities aboard the Children’s Christmas Train!
Come early and enjoy a winter wonderland of games and activities.
Special treats and surprises await you!
Forget the sleigh! Santa’s arriving by boat. The lighted boat parade
passes beneath the bluffs of Spadra Park in Clarksville. Watch from
your car, campsite, blanket or lawn chair. Santa and Mrs. Claus will
stop by for a quick hello & will hand out candy at the east boat ramp.
Caroling in the Caverns
Ice Skating and Family MoviesChildren’s Christmas Train
Santa By Boat
Blanchard Springs Caverns, Near Mountain View
Lawrence Plaza , Bentonville SquareSpringdale Depot, Springdale
Lake Spadra, Clarksville
yourplaceinthemountains.com | 888.679.2859
bentonvillear.com
AMRAILROAD.COM
When: Dec. 1st, 2nd, 8th, 9th, 15th, & 16th Cost: $20 - $27
When: Now – Jan. 20th (See website for details)
Cost: $3 per 75 min. session, $2 skate rentalWhen: Dec. 1st – 20th
Cost: See website for details
When: Dec. 21st, 7pm Cost: Free
spadramarina.com | 479.754.5021
It is the most wonderful time of the year!
Parades, ice skating, Christmas trains.
We love December. We hope you’ll get
out with your family and friends and
make some holiday memories that will
last a lifetime.
And for those of you who have events
planned in 2013, send them on to us at
[email protected]. They
may show up in Urban 8!
17
Arkansas Jazz Society president Robert Ginsburg, and a Last
Night after party with DJ Robe Flax. Comedy lovers will laugh
in the New Year with Phunbags Comedy Improv and the NWA
Comedians, while theater fans won’t want to miss Artist’s
Laboratory Theatre’s new production of “Found Fayetteville,”
which debuted to sold out audiences at Last Night in 2011.
New additions to the evening’s festivities include a local beer
garden showcasing the region’s best brews, an adults-only
performance by the dance troupe Blossom’s Burlesque, and a
one of a kind VIP experience presented by Chef David Lewis
at BHK Kafe. Visual arts also take the stage at this year’s event,
with art installations at the Fayetteville Underground including
a fashion gallery featuring the work of local designers, and a
short-film festival presented by the Seedling Film Association.
Festival goers of all ages will enjoy performances by juggling
duo Jugglology, Ozark Slam Poets, and the Terra-Nova Belly
Dancers. A full children’s stage will feature music by Shaky
Bugs & Friends, interactive art projects, and the traditional
Giant Puppet Parade around the Square.
Admission to the event is $10 in advance for adults 18+ and $5 for children & youth. A limited number of VIP tickets are available for $50, and include access to the BHK VIP Lounge featuring live entertainment, catered hors d’oeuvres and champagne bar by Chef David Lewis at BHK Kafe. Tickets will go on sale Monday, December 3rd at the festival website www.LastNightFayetteville.com. To stay up to date on the latest news, follow Last Night Fayetteville on Facebook at www.Facebook.com/LastNightFayetteville or Twitter @LastNightVille.
How are you going to ring in 2013?
Arkansas’ largest New Year’s festival, Last Night Fayetteville, will
return to the downtown square on December 31st to celebrate
the end of the year with local bands 3 Penny Acre, Groovement,
and Randall Shreve & the Sideshow headlining the main stage.
Seven indoor venues around the square will host musicians,
performers, comedians and artists, promising to provide a full
evening of entertainment for revelers of all ages. The tradition
continues as Fayetteville welcomes 2013 with the Fly-N-Hog
Drop countdown to midnight and a spectacular fireworks
display presented by Cox Communications.
With the success of the inaugural event in 2011, Last Night
Fayetteville Event Director Lauren Embree said it was an easy
decision to produce the event again for 2012. “Last year all
of our venues were packed with patrons enjoying so many
amazing local performers & artists, many for the first time,” said
Embree. “It truly is a celebration of this wonderful community,
and we knew we had to continue the tradition.”
Other musical acts set to perform include Emily Kaitz and Still
on the Hill on the folk stage, a jazz stage curated by North
last night@image Courtesy Last Night Fayetteville
18
@LIFESTYLE
While maintaining the traditional musical arrangements, the band
picks up the pace dramatically on their new album. The title track
“Babel” marks an explosive introduction and is one of the most
aggressive tunes in their catalogue. However, it seems misplaced
at the beginning of the album. They don’t cut any slack for the first
half of the album, including “Whispers in the Dark” and the debut
single “I Will Wait.”
The tempo finally slows on “Lover of the Light,” their newest single,
for which British actor Idris Elba (Thor, The Wire, Luther) directed the
video. “Broken Crown” is one of the most angst-filled songs.
Some of the best tunes are the bonus tracks (These are on the
Deluxe Edition. Check Spotify for them.) “For Those Below” is a mid-
tempo tune reminiscent of their first record. “The Boxer,” a cover of
the Simon & Garfunkel song, tells the story of young boy leaving
his family looking for a better life in New York City, only to find
trials and tribulations. The band gives the song a more complete
and hopeful sound than the original, which featured minimalist,
desolate instrumentation.
Though it’s not the greatest album of 2012, “Babel” is worth adding
to your collection. The main problem is the pacing comes off a bit
aggressive on the front end. They would have been better served
to have move “I Will Wait” towards the end of the record. Over all,
Mumford and Sons show musical progression in the right direction.
It will leave you longing for the next one.
In 2010, Mumford and Son’s debut “Sign No More” did something
seemingly impossible. They broke through mainstream rock
radio without sounding like Nickelback or griping about how their
parents neglected them. They didn’t use distortion or Auto-tune,
but rather banjos and harmony. They made the traditional seem
like the revolutionary.
Fast forward two years. Mumford and Sons’ sophomore release
“Babel” became an instant smash hit, selling 600,000 copies in its
first week and reigning supreme on the charts until Taylor Swift
released a new CD.
now hear thismumford & sons — babel
@review Kody Ford
I Rate It
20
@ENTERTAINMENT
The following are books I suggest for Christmas giving:
No Easy Day, (Dutton Publishing, 315 pages),
an autobiography by Mark Owen, ( not his real
name) tells the story of SEAL Team Six and the
twenty-four man team who completed the
mission to find and kill Osama Bin Laden. He
describes taking photographs of Bin Laden’s
body, and how black his beard was, which had obviously been
dyed. The book contains fifteen pages of pictures, which is
an added bonus in further explaining the preparation and
execution of this extremely dangerous mission. It’s a very
readable book that also describes the highest levels of
physical and mental training this select group must endure
before becoming a Seal and the continued training it takes to
remain one. This book can be given to those who are in their
teens or older.
The next book, This is How You Lose Her,
(Riverhead Books, 213 pages) by Junot
Diaz, is not for everyone, but is for those
who know that “sometimes a start of love is
all you ever get.” It’s written by a professor
at MIT who has won many literary prizes,
including the Pulitzer in 2007. He was
born in Santo Domingo and grew up in a chaotic apartment
in New Jersey, within a culture and climate that was vastly
different than that of his native home. His novel might be
based on his own life of loving women, cheating on them,
and feeling sad when they leave. This book is definitely for
the reader in your life who appreciates the literary novel and
thinks she or he has romantic relationships all figured out.
I think books make the best presents, don’t you? You can
write a nice inscription on the first blank page that gives
the gift a sense of being special. It’s easy to wrap. And it
gives you something to talk about after Christmas is over:
“Hey, did you like that book I gave you?”
@reviews Anita Paddock
22
The End of Your Life Book Club by Will
Schwalbe (Knopf Publishing, 327 pages) is
the perfect book to give to the person in your
life who really, really, really loves books. The
Schwalbe household was filled with books,
and the mother, Mary Ann, instilled in her
three children the love of books. The author,
who makes his living in the publishing business, tells us that for
the last two years of his mother’s life, he and she belonged to
a book club of two people. While she was undergoing chemo
and other rounds of hospital stays, he often accompanied her,
and they talked about the books they were reading. “Books
were a way to talk about what was really going on in our lives,”
the author explains. This is a wonderful book that illustrates so
beautifully the tenderness that exists between a mother and
son, and a reader with another reader. And I was delighted to
see that many of their favorites were mine, as well.
I don’t know of anyone who doesn’t like a mystery/suspense
novel. In fact, this book would be a nice gift for someone
you wouldn’t ordinarily give a book to. Maybe your dad, your
brother, your cousin, even your grandmother would enjoy a
new book that was suspenseful and didn’t require heavy duty
thinking. Nobody wants to eat a steak everyday; sometimes we
like a cheeseburger.
The Black Box (Little Brown, 416 pages) is
Michael Connelly‘s twenty-fifth book. He
graduated from the University of Florida, where
he worked as a crime reporter in Daytona Beach
and Fort Lauderdale. From there, he moved to
Los Angeles as a crime reporter for the LA Times.
His first published book was based on a true crime he covered
in LA. In this novel, the main character Harry Bosch investigates
a twenty-year-old crime involving a woman journalist who was
killed during the LA race riots in 1992. Detectives first thought
her death was from a stray bullet, but twenty years later, Bosch
discovers that a bullet from a recent crime is linked to her death.
And now for those on your list who love Christmas the most -
those toddler and kindergarten cuties. I love all the Llama Llama
books by Anna Dewdney.
They’re funny and each book
teaches a little lesson. They
come in hardback or paperback.
Llama Llama, Holiday Drama
would be an especially nice gift
for this time of year.
Eve Bunting is another one
of my favorite children authors. Her books contain charming
artwork and contribute nicely to the stories. I especially like
The Wednesday Surprise because it tells the story of a little girl
who teaches her grandmother how to read. Another of her
books, Dandelions, is about a family who moves to Nebraska in
a covered wagon.
But, of course, the best gift of all is the story read ‘round the
Christmas tree that begins with “…and it came to pass.”
@ENTERTAINMENT
23
24
Dave Malone lives in West Plains, Missouri, not far from the Arkansas
state line. It is there he writes poetry so intimate that it feels at times
as if you’ve stumbled across a journal filled with verses meant only for the
subject of the poem to read.
That is one of the many joys of his newest book, Seasons in Love, which was
released by Trask Road Press earlier this year. The seventy-two poems that
make up this collection were written over a span of twenty years, and are
divided into four sections: spring, summer, autumn, winter.
Many of the poems were penned in his studio in West Plains, a place where
he takes notes on things that inspire him, and where he examines the
Ozarks, a place he understands as well as he does his own heart.
But it is Dave’s fascination with relationships, how they work, how they
fall apart, and the moments in between when we’re all trying to get it
right, that fuels this body of work. In just a few lines he captures regret, or
ecstasy, or contentment.
Likely, what will strike you most is how sensual many of the poems are.
This is a book for adults, with adult language and situations. In one poem
he compares his lover’s body to a slender harp. He lets us listen in to a
conversation with two people who’ve spied a couple during their most
private moments. He shares the torment we’ve all felt after a breakup,
when we keep seeing our ex-lover everywhere, in passing cars, or in the
people that walk just out of our reach on a busy street.
Only Stars@lines Dave Malone
A week without you, the moon grows thinner.
Once your thumbnail, now barelythe lobe of your ear. Soon total shadow
hiding your body in space.
In another week, the moon will risethe slender knob of your wrist,
then become your entire handyou open up with my name
where only stars know light.
@story Marla Cantrell@image Courtesy Jenni Wichern
25
@PEOPLE
It is not an easy thing to do, this crafting of verses that draw us
in and make us want to read on. Dave, at forty-four, has been
working on his craft since third grade, when he was introduced
to the haiku.
“I was a math geek and to have five, seven, five, in terms of
syllables, worked with my nature,” Dave says. “And then in
high school I became more sincere. A poem I wrote when I
was a junior was a winner, I think third place, in the high school
literature contest. They read the winners at an assembly and I
was petrified. And the students applauded. I thought, this is
all right.”
The assembly validated what Dave hoped. People would
respond to his work, and so he continued, studying through
college, writing fiction, performing in community theater, doing
everything he could to stay in touch with the creativity that
feeds his work.
Writing a poem comes easily to him, although the need to
revise brings him back to his desk again and again. “Some of
these poems were much longer in the beginning, but I felt like I
was giving too much away. The cardinal rule is to show not tell,
so I went back in and worked on several of them. I think every
writer has trouble knowing when a poem is ready. Oscar Wilde
said we don’t finish, we just abandon.”
Still mathematically inclined, he believes in the formula: an
opening that grabs the reader’s attention, crisp language, and
solid experience.
His experience rests solidly in the land he loves. He writes of
the tornado’s toothy grin, of the red beards of low maples, of the
miracle of lightning. “All that flows into the power of a poem,”
Dave says. “Good writing is hard for a young person to do, it’s
not impossible, but it’s hard, because of the lack of experience.
It’s a lot to ask of a poem, and it’s a lot to ask of a writer.”
Dave looks back on some of his early work and sees the same
problem. Just living your life deepens your work. Heartbreak
happens, relationships fall apart. And if you’re Dave, you go
back and examine it. You organize the emotions, you map out
the location of your greatest pain, and you put it on the page for
others to read.
Today there is much more joy than pain. Dave credits much of
his happiness to Jenni Wichern, an artist and photographer, and
the inspiration for much of his poetry.
“You have to find someone that resonates with you on a great
number of levels, and is very supportive, and I have that, so I am
exceedingly lucky.”
Right now, he has several projects underway, including a novel
that he’s in the midst of writing. He likes to cook, he likes to
hike, he likes to spend his days and nights with Jenni.
He leaves aspiring writers with this advice. “Read, read, read,”
he says. “Develop your own voice.” If you are called to write,
Dave says, you get the chance to live well. You get the chance
to influence lives, and to bring beauty into the world. Not a bad
way to spend your days. Not a bad way at all.
You can buy Seasons in Love at Amazon or for a signed copy visit davemalone.net
26
@PEOPLE
P aul Hoover was a driver for the Fort
Smith Fire Department at Station No.
1. Like the rest of the men and women
there, he spent a lot of time on the job,
working twenty-four-hour shifts (one day
on and two days off). While on the job, Paul
worked closely with his fellow firemen to
save lives, often putting another’s needs
before his own. We look at people like Paul
and call them heroes. But for the people at
Station No. 1, Paul was family.
In the summer of 2007, Paul was on
vacation with his wife and in-laws to
Cancun, Mexico, and tragedy struck. Hit
head-on in an automobile collision, Paul
and his family were killed. In response, the
fire department at Station No. 1 honored
him with a traditional firefighter funeral,
which included hiring a bagpipe player
because they didn’t have one of their own.
@story & images Marcus Coker
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“When you go to a fire or police department funeral, you
traditionally hear bagpipes,” says Captain Tery Graves, who’s
forty-five and has been a firefighter in Fort Smith for twenty-
four years. “During the potato famine of Ireland, there were a lot
of Irish and Scottish immigrants in the United States, and they
commonly worked as firefighters or policemen. There weren’t
a lot of safety measures in place, and it wasn’t uncommon for
someone to die every day.”
After Paul’s funeral, the department began talking about
forming its own Pipe and Drum Corps, but it didn’t take long to
realize that the corps wasn’t something the city could afford.
The answer was found in the Fort Smith Firefighters Foundation,
a nonprofit organization that was formed in 2004 to support the
Fort Smith Fire Department Honor Guard and help convert an
old fire truck into a caisson (hearse).
“The Honor Guard acts as pallbearers at funerals, folds the
flags to present to the families of those who have served, and
marches in parades,” says Tery. “Our twenty-eight members
donate a few dollars each pay period to the foundation, and
several of them agreed to give money to help fund the Pipe and
Drum Corps as well.”
The donations helped with uniforms, and the men agreed to
volunteer their time and buy their own instruments. (Bagpipes
can cost between $1,500 and $3,000.) For a solid year, mostly
during 2009, Tery and several others drove to Fayetteville every
Sunday to take bagpipe lessons from Harriett Sisson, the pipe
major for the Ozark Highlanders Pipe Band. “With bagpipes,
there’s an eighty percent failure rate,” says Tery. “There were
ten of us who started, seven after the first week, and four by the
time it was all over.”
Bagpipes, which date back hundreds, maybe thousands of
years, are a reed instrument. The piper fills a bag with air, which
then feeds four pipes as the piper squeezes the bag. Three
pipes (called drones) come out of the top of the bag, and play
preset notes. The last pipe, called a chanter, points downward,
somewhat like a clarinet. The piper is able to control which
sounds come out of the chanter using different finger positions.
One of the challenges the men faced while learning the
bagpipes was memorizing music. “You’ll never see a sheet of
music in front of a bagpiper,” says Tery. “Historically, the music
used to be passed on from teacher to student; nothing was ever
written down. Then when England took over Scotland, they
banned bagpipes altogether because they were considered
an instrument of war, used to rally the troops. When the ban
was lifted, it was with the condition that the music had to be
written down.” Still, in keeping with tradition, bagpipers like
Tery memorize their music.
When it comes to the Pipe and Drum Corps, there’s a lot of
tradition, including uniforms. The members of the corps wear
traditional Scottish dress, which includes kilts, socks (called
kilt hose), hats (glengarries), and shoes (ghillie brogues). “The
Scottish Club of Fort Smith (SCOFS) donated our kilts,” says Tery.
“We wouldn’t have a pipe and drum corps if it weren’t for them.”
Currently, the Pipe and Drum Corps consists of four pipers
(including one civilian member, Tery’s eighteen-year-old son
Dalton), and five drummers. Since their first public performance
in March of 2011, they have played for a number of firefighter,
police, and military funerals, as well as in several parades.
@PEOPLE
29
“For a funeral, we start with a slow march, something like ‘Danny
Boy,’ says Tery. “It sets the mood. If it’s a military funeral, we
stop playing the moment they touch the casket. Once the flag
is presented to the family, we play ‘Amazing Grace.’ It can get
pretty emotional.”
The corps sometimes charges a moderate fee to cover travel
and expenses, or for civilian funerals. Otherwise, all their time
and talents are volunteered. “We want to honor those who’ve
sacrificed their lives,” says Tery. “We’ve started something
Fort Smith hadn’t seen before, and that’s a really good feeling.
Families come up to us and tell us how much they appreciate
our time, and that’s what it’s all about.”
Sometimes, people come up to say more than thank you. Tery
laughs and says, “Little old ladies will lift up our kilts to see
what we have underneath. Traditionally, it would be nothing,
which is called going regimental, but that’s the one thing the
chief asked us NOT to do.”
For Ryan Rains, who’s thirty-seven, and one of the four pipe
players, the Pipe and Drum Corps is about giving back. Ryan
says, “Everyone here is called to service at some level. As
firemen, people tell us thank you all the time, but there’s no
way for us to honor each other, other than the Honor Guard
and the Pipe and Drum Corps. We all want one last trip down
the avenue, and this is a way for us as firemen to honor our
brother’s service.”
No wonder they call each other family. No wonder we call
them heroes.
For more information or to donate to the Pipeand Drum Corps, call 479-783-4052 or email [email protected].
30
@PEOPLE
A three foot tall
red and navy
nutcracker soldier with
a long white beard
stands guard outside
Sandy Wikman’s home
in Fort Smith. He watches
gallantly from beside the
front door. Melodies from
Tchaikovsky’s Nutcracker
Suite dance through the
crisp December air. Just
inside the door a wooden
music box ‘theater’ plays.
Curtains open and tiny ballerinas
glide across the floor, the Mouse
King leers menacingly stage right,
and doors open and close, moving
@story Tonya McCoy@images Catherine Frederick
32
intricate pieces through the entire ballet. Several hundred
colorful nutcrackers decorate Sandy’s Christmas tree, mantle
and counters as the scents of sugar plums, chocolate and hot
apple cider waft through her home.
“Some call me the nutcracker nut,” Sandy says with a laugh.
A nutcracker smiles as it hangs from her necklace and small
nutcrackers dangle from her ears.
She started collecting nutcrackers a quarter century ago and admits
she stopped counting her collection years ago, after reaching four
hundred. Each nutcracker has a name that’s carefully written on its
box. Many are named after family and friends.
Nutcrackers mean more to Sandy than simple holiday decor.
They mean more to her than one might guess.
Her nutcracker story starts twenty-five years ago. Not during
the holidays, but during a hot Arkansas summer. Her youngest
daughter, Pam Moore, the baby of the family, was expecting a
baby of her own. “I’d go over to her house and decorate that
nursery and play music and we would talk about ‘On Christmas
we’ll go do this,’ and ‘at Christmas we’re going to do that.’ Well,
it wasn’t that way.”
In August the unthinkable happened.
Baby James was born and died the same day. There had been
unforeseen complications.
Months went by and Sandy slipped into depression as what
would have been baby James’ first Christmas approached. “It was
a very sad Christmastime because we had such anticipation for
this baby.” Sandy points out her dining room window. “The leaves
out there on the trees looked black to me, that’s how sad I was.”
Sandy’s close friend, Barbara Hicks, was concerned for Sandy
and lovingly coaxed her to a Christmas party. “Barbara invited
me over because she knew how I was grieving. I walked into
her house and she had Christmas goodies and things around. I
walked into her living room and there on here mantle were all
these funny looking guys, and I didn’t know what they were. I
looked up there, and as sad as I was, I thought, these little guys,
they’re so colorful, and they’ve all got funny faces. And I got to
looking at the different nutcrackers and they each had a different
expression and something happened to me during this time. I say
the Lord works in mysterious ways, because I started laughing
and I saw color again. I saw color again! I just felt the presence of
Jesus with me. He was comforting me because I was sad.”
The next nutcracker she saw, she bought. He was on sale at a
shop for only fifty cents. He had seen better days. His handle
that was supposed to operate his nutcracking smile was
broken. She brought him home and carefully mended him,
much like her own soul had been mended by the sight of these
merry little men.
33
@PEOPLE
“Every year after that, every gift I would open from my kids
would be a nutcracker or something similar to nutcrackers. After
a while I had all this stuff and I thought, you know, I found my
‘happy’ again through my nutcrackers, I’m going to share my
‘happy.’ I’m going to share my joy with my friends and my family
and my prayer group and that’s how my tea parties started.”
So each year she climbed into the attic to gather hundreds of
her little men. And every other Christmas she would throw a
Nutcracker Tea Party.
But about seven years ago, Sandy and her husband Willy knew it
was time to find a new home for her collection. Sandy remembers
working in the attic while Willy was in the living room:
“He was putting up the Christmas tree, and my foot went
through our kitchen ceiling. Part of me was hanging down in
front of the stove. He hollered and said, ‘Are you hurt?’ I was
kind of addled, and I said, ‘No. But I can see my stove.’ He said,
‘I thought only Santa Claus came down through the chimney.’"
The couple laughs about the incident now, but after Sandy
fell through the ceiling a second time and also fell down the
stairs once, the two decided that the nutcrackers should take
permanent residence in the garage. And that’s where they stay
until each fall. By December the house is filled with nutcrackers
of different colors and sizes, ranging from one inch to three
feet tall. Some are red and green. Some are blue. Others are
stars-and-stripes spangled, or regal gold, and there are even
Razorback nutcrackers.
When Sandy throws her Nutcracker Tea Party and brunch for her
friends, family and prayer group from Eastside Baptist, ladies
ranging in age from their thirties to their nineties attend. This
includes Sandy’s mother who’s eighty-seven.
For each guest Sandy makes a treat. She pours chocolate into
her single nutcracker mold one by one. When they’re finished,
she fashions them with colorful ribbons and places them
on golden dollies. Each guest also receives a handcrafted
nutcracker cookie from Paul’s Bakery in Van Buren. Sandy loans
her nutcracker cookie cutters to the bakery along with photos
of her nutcrackers, so decorators can get the coloring just right.
And every year Sandy coordinates her special parties to coincide
with the date of Western Arkansas Ballet’s performance of The
Nutcracker so the ladies can go to the ballet afterwards.
Willy admits, “I didn’t know it would grow into all of this, starting
with one little nutcracker.”
Sandy confesses, “I look at them, and I study them. And it gives me
joy, and it makes me happy, and I think we all need happy.”
34
@PEOPLE
Inside Studio 7 in Rogers, artist Tania Knudson
guides her students through the process that
will teach them to let go of their left-brain thinking.
She uses squirt bottles of house paint, large sheets
of art paper, lots of water, and games like blindly
selecting some of the colors they’ll be using to
create their work of art.
The abstract pieces that come from the classes
hang on walls across the area, beautiful reminders
of what happens when we let go of that negative
voice that stops us from creating.
At forty-four, Tania’s own paintings, in acrylic and oil
and mixed medium, are coveted by collectors. One
of her larger pieces, of a pig, hangs in nearby Tusk
& Trotter in Bentonville. Her abstracts are selling as
@story Marla Cantrell@images Courtesy Tania Knudson
36
well, along with her traditional pieces. It’s hard to nail down her
style, because she has so many. “I’m all about eliminating the
rules. You should follow your heart. When I teach, I say it’s okay
to combine watercolor and pastels and collage all in the same
painting, if that’s what you need to do.”
When she was only nine years old, her mother arranged for her
to take lessons from Melissa Garrett, and she studied with her
until Melissa’s death three years ago. During those years, Tania
learned traditional technique and the discipline she’d need to
make it as an artist. But something else was also happening.
The relationship grew from teacher and student, to mentor
and student, and finally to close friends. There was an age
difference, of course, but that didn’t come into play. “Age is
irrelevant in creative people,” Tania says.
Melissa left Tania her art supplies, something that still touches
her. She felt as if the torch had been passed. She likes having
Melissa’s things nearby when she teaches those as young as
six and as old as ninety. “I treat them each the same. I respect
them and I try to get out of the way as much as I can so that the
art can come through. I’d hate to see their work become little
mini-me’s, just copies of mine.”
The other thing she does is love them. “I’ve been thinking
about putting a sign on the door that says ‘Free Hugs,” Tania
says. “That’s one of the greatest parts of what we do here. We
come together and we become this community, this net of
energy. My students bring in the best things. I had one student
who brought in a piece of a tree that had to be taken down from
her yard. It had a lot of sentimental value to her and she wanted
to paint it and I said, ‘Why not?’”
It’s a sentence you’ll hear a lot if you spend any time with Tania.
She has a “You Cannot Fail” philosophy when it comes to art.
“So,” she says, “you ruin a six dollar sheet of paper. That’s okay.
The things that don’t work are okay because they’ll get you to
another place where the right thing does happen.”
All along the walls are impressive works of art. A table holds
buckets of brushes, the table tops sit covered in plastic, ready for
the next class. There is so much hope here, so much possibility,
and Tania feels it too. She loves this place, and again she turns
to another woman and gives her credit.
“When I was three, my mother came into my room. I was sitting
on top of a table. And she said, ‘Tania, people don’t sit on tables.’
And I said, ‘Well, I do.’ My mother saw that I had a different way
of thinking, and even though she wasn’t like me in that way, she
encouraged that.”
When Tania finished high school in Bentonville, she attended
college, studying art education and elementary education,
and focusing on watercolors. She could have ended up in the
37
@PEOPLE
classroom, teaching children to love art. But by the time she
graduated, she was a single mom. She stayed with her son and
taught in the afternoons. She painted a lot.
“Of course, you give up some things when you decide not to go
the traditional job route, but the trade off is worth it. I didn’t have
benefits, but I was in control of what I did and when I did it.”
She eventually married, had a daughter, and moved to Omaha
for seven years. “Those were my stay at home years,” she said.
“And I did enjoy it. I moved back to be close to my parents.”
When she came home, she was gripped by the beauty of
Arkansas. “You live here and you become immune to it. But I’d
been away and when I came back, I looked around and saw all
this gorgeous land and all these places I wanted to paint.”
And so she did, creating the Arkansas series that showcases
places like the U of A’s Old Main, the iconic corner in Eureka
Springs, old red barns that dot the countryside. She also started
painting pigs, something all Hog fans can appreciate. One called
“Green Eggs and Ham” shows a pink pig in front of a background
of green egg cartons.
Throughout her body of work is one theme: joy. It’s something
she’s proud of, but she feels her life turning again, and she
thinks her future works will incorporate other feelings as well.
She talks again about her son. He was twenty-three when,
on New Year’s Eve of 2010, he got in his new car and had an
accident. He did not survive.
“He was such a great kid,” she says. "A great kid. He was a guitar
player, such a great musician. He loved all kinds of music, Frank
Sinatra to alternative to heavy metal. He’d been on a juice fast
for three days when it happened. He wasn’t drinking. It was an
incredibly difficult time.”
It says a lot about Tania that she can speak of him so openly and
gently. “I have lost a lot of people in my life. It makes you clear.
People, love, being authentic, that’s all that really matters. I’m
blessed to be able to teach. That’s my way of serving.”
And so she continues to paint, and supporting other artists who
spend so much of their time bringing beauty into the world.
Tania again turns the conversation to another woman, an artist
she works closely with. “Judi Harrison has meant so much to
me. We do a lot of projects together. We are such great friends.”
That is the thing you take away from spending time with Tania.
She is always lifting those around her, from the students who
inspire her, to the friends who light her way, to her daughter, who
is in high school, an aspiring photographer, and Tania’s great joy.
“When I’m working with my students, I tell them to let go. I say,
‘We’re not writing novels here, we’re writing poetry.”
It is a lesson we could all take to heart. Create a little poetry.
Ignore the voices that say you can’t. Spend a little time getting
used to a life filled with joy.
To see more of Tania’s work or to see a video on her painting technique, visit taniaknudson.com
38
@PEOPLE
Sweet DreamsAt least a third of your life is spent sleeping. This is why the bedroom is so
important and should never be neglected. It is your respite from the world, so
ensure that your bedroom is a tranquil retreat, not a hodgepodge of clutter.
To create a serene space, start with a light and calming color palette.
Here are five more tips to keep your bedroom stylish and cozy all winter long.Christine HowardCreative Director, I.O. Metro
40
1 Silver Geo Mirror — $199.952 Dream Canvas Art — $399.953 Blaze Pillow – Gray — $79.954 Turquoise Pucker Fish — $29.955 Everyly Lamp — $199.956 Maddox Dresser – 7 drawer — $1,299.957 Maddox Bed – Queen — $999.95 (also available in King- $1,299.95)8 Rug Willow – Tan 5'x8' — $499.95
Head HonchoThe central feature of the room is the bed. Be sure yours is
eye-catching but also comforting. For example, the natural and
muted tones in this reclaimed bed make a statement without
overpowering the space. Winter is the perfect time to change
out your bedding. Incorporating a bold chevron pattern, in a
restful gray color, is a fun way to add personality without taking
away from the rest of the room.
Dynamic DuoHanging a mirror above your nightstand is a definite design do!
Please never leave this space blank. When a lamp is placed on
the nightstand, the mirror creates more light, which we always
crave more of in the winter. It also creates a balance between
the nightstand and the bed. We covet this evenness, because
balanced rooms feel larger and generate a sense of serenity.
Luxe LayersLuxury is also key. To add richness, layer a plush rug on top of
your existing wall-to-wall carpeting. It’s one of the easiest ways
to add depth and texture to your space, and to keep your toes
comfortable and warm all winter long.
Color CuesLuminescent colors aren’t just reserved for summer anymore. For
a bold winter statement, pair bright colored art and accessories
with neutral colored basics.
Time to ShineFinally, warm up a modern gray-hued space by incorporating
different textures and finishes. This winter, metallics are back in
a big way. Mix high shine accessories and lamps with colored art,
light fabrics, and reclaimed wood for a contrasting, chic style.
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W.I.N.O.S. (Women in Need of Sanity), do we have a cookbook for you! W.I.N.O.S. Cook with Wine is a book of 226 recipes using wine, like Chicken Marengo, Steaks with Red Wine Sauce and Baked Apple Marsala. Yum. Me.
309 Garrison Ave., Fort Smith479.646.3233Creativekitchenstore.com
VinOair Wine Aerator. This little gizmo fits inside a bottle of your (very) reasonably priced wine, aerates it and makes it taste like a much pricier vino. How smart is that?
Capabunga Reseal Your Wine toppers put a little fun into the holidays. Ours read, “In Case of In-Laws Remove Cap” and “All is Calm.” Better still? If the bottle topples over, wine will not spill.
$22
@creative kitchen
$21
$850
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Stonewall Kitchen Pie Crust Mix makes 2 single crust pies, or 1 double crust pie. All natural, flaky crust from a company that started in 1991, when they set up a table at a local famers’ market.
Stonewall Apple Pie Filling, 25 oz. Save some time in the kitchen with this all-American favorite! Apples, spices, and just enough sweetness to bring you back for seconds.
Back your pie in this perky red and white checkered tin, which is a cheery addition to any holiday table.
Serve your pie with this Zyliss pie server. It slices, scoots under the pie and allows you to slide the slice onto a plate with a thumb lever. Genius!
$9
$16
$8
$1545
The Resident Chef (from Maumelle, AR) has a great line of dips, including the Parmesan Italian. Just add 1 cup sour cream and 1 cup mayo to the mix, chill and serve. Delicious!
Party Starters! The Original Savory SaltineSeasoning. Turn ordinary crackers into the best appetizers ever. All you do is add the mix to 1 ¾ cups of canola oil to 4 tubes of saltines in a 2-gallon zip top bag and mix well.
$6Don’t have time for that? Creative Kitchen sells the crackers ready to serve, as well. 1lb for $12.$12
This 8 ½” by 14” pig cutting board by Simply Bamboo adds a whimsical touch to any kitchen. Sustainable and adorable.$18
$450
46
Pickle Picker. Love pickles but don’t like reaching into the jar to get one? Voila! The tongs on this stainless steel gadget grab the pickle so you don’t have to.
Zyliss 5-way opener. This opener uncaps beer bottles, opens pull tabs, unscrews caps, loosens tight lids, and opens cans with ring tabs. Viola!
Joseph Joseph Rotary Peeler. 3 compact stainless steel blades do everything from peeling vegetables to making julienne and serrated slices. Just twist the dial to select blade.
$8
$8 $1450
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I visited Mexico for the first time when I was seven. My
parents pulled me out of school for two weeks to take a
road trip to the innards of Mexico, visiting cities like Saltillo,
Monterrey and Real de Catorce. I have fond – and strange –
memories of that trip: Buying gas from a makeshift gas station
in the middle of nowhere, riding single car ferries operated by a
teenager with a rope-and-pulley system, seeing donkeys used
as a power source, and being treated like the second coming
for having blonde hair. I returned from that trip to my second
grade classmates, gloating about my newfound worldliness and
bearing gifts of mini sombreros and Mexican blankets.
Fast forward twenty-plus years, and Hubby and I decided to
take our annual vacation to Tulum, Mexico. For nine days we sat
beachside, sunning ourselves in the Mayan sun, visiting ruins,
floating in ancient cenotes, and stuffing ourselves with fresh
seafood and ripe mangos. Our time there was heaven on earth,
and I cried quietly as our plane’s nose tipped up, headed back
to the States.
Fast forward again – this time, only four years. With the days
growing shorter and my cubicle growing stuffier, Hubby and I
made a wine-fueled decision to head south of the border again
– back to Tulum, this time with good friends in tow. We scoured
the internet for the best airline deals and the cheapest casita
we could find. I’m counting the nanoseconds until I hit Mexican
soil again.
To celebrate our upcoming trip, I planned a fiesta night, with
homemade corn chips, fresh guacamole and a fun and unique
spin on classic chiles rellenos, which was inspired by the
fabulous Deb Perelman of Smitten Kitchen. Instead of the usual
beef and cheese filling, these chiles rellenos are fancied up
with the addition of Mexican-style risotto.
How is it Mexican, you ask? Instead of deglazing the pan with
wine, a good Mexican beer is used. Fresh corn is tossed in at the
end. Handfuls of Monterrey Jack take the place of Parmesan.
And you know what? It may even be better than the traditional
Italian dish.
48
@recipe & images Laura Hobbs
Turn on your broiler. Place the peppers in a single layer in a shallow dish, and place them under the broiler on the top third oven rack. Rotate the peppers until the skins are blistered, about 5 minutes per side (check them frequently). Remove the peppers from the dish, place them in a large bowl and cover with plastic wrap. Set aside for at least 30 minutes.
When the peppers are cool enough to handle, gently remove the skins. Cut a lengthwise slit in each chile, and remove the seeds and membranes as best you can. Keep the stems on. Set the prepared chiles aside.
In a medium saucepan, heat the stock to a low simmer. On a separate burner, heat a large saucepan over medium heat. Once the saucepan is hot, add the oil. Add the onion and sauté until it’s soft and translucent, about 8 minutes. Add the garlic and cook for 1 minute more. Add the rice, and stir for a minute or two, until the rice begins to crackle. Pour in the beer, scraping the bottom of the pan to loosen any stuck bits. Let the beer simmer for about a minute.
Ladle 1 cup of warm stock into the rice mixture and simmer until it’s absorbed, stirring frequently. Continue with the remaining stock, adding 1 ladle at a time, and allowing it to absorb before adding more. Stir frequently. With the final addition of the stock, add the fresh corn. When just over al dente, turn off the heat, stir in the Monterey Jack cheese, season with salt and pepper, and cover for 5 minutes.
Preheat the oven to 400°. Fill each prepared chile with a serving spoon of risotto through the slit. Tightly arrange the chiles in a deep baking dish; if you’re using the shredded meat, add it here on top of the risotto. Sprinkle the chiles with the queso fresco. Bake for 15-20 minutes, until bronzed on top. Garnish with cilantro and serve with the Mexican crema.
@TASTE
49
Mexitalian Chiles Rellenos (Inspired by The Smitten Kitchen Cookbook)
8 large poblano peppers 6 c. chicken or vegetable stock 2 Tbs. olive oil 1 small onion, finely chopped 1 garlic clove, minced 2 c. Arborio rice ½ c. Mexican beer 1 ½ c. fresh corn kernels 1 c. Monterey Jack cheese, grated 1 c. favorite shredded meat (optional) ¼ c. queso fresco or ricotta salata, crumbled 3 Tbs. Mexican crema (or 3 Tbs. sour cream mixed with 1 Tb. milk and a pinch of salt) 3 Tbs. fresh cilantro, chopped
@recipe Scott Riedesel, Pastry Chef - Tusk and Trotter@image Catherine Frederick
This cake is typically found in Europe, ground nuts
and the absence of baking powder or baking soda,
make it far different than most American cakes.
They are typically shorter and less sweet than their
American counterparts. European torts appear
simple, yet are elegant and sublime in flavor.
50
Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Butter and flour a 9 inch cake
pan. Using a stand or hand mixer beat sugar and butter together
until light and fluffy. Next, add the melted chocolate to butter-
sugar mixture then add yolks to the mixture one at a time. Last,
add the lemon juice, zest, almonds and flour.
Clean your mixing bowl then whip egg whites to soft peaks. Stir
half of the egg whites into mixture and fold the rest in gently.
Carefully scrape batter into the cake pan and smooth the top
without deflating the mixture.
Bake 35-40 minutes or until a toothpick in the center does not
produce any batter, a few crumbs are fine though. Cool cake for
at least an hour before unmolding. Running a knife along the
inside of the pan will ensure it does not stick.
The cake will sink in the center because there is little flour
for structure. Don’t be alarmed, this normal for torts. For a
rustic look, dust with powdered sugar or cocoa. For a more
refined occasion trim the edges flush to make a flat cake and
then carefully flip over for a perfectly smooth top. Melted
white chocolate drizzled over the cake is another option for
presentation. To make this cake gluten free, substitute the flour
with rice flour or potato starch.
Makes one 9" cake 4 oz ( 1/4 cup) softened butter
1/2 cup sugar
8 oz white chocolate (melted and slightly cool)
7 large eggs (separated, put whites aside)
3 Tablespoons lemon juice
1 Tablespoon lemon zest
7 oz finely ground almonds
1/3 all purpose flour
51
@TASTE
Sponsored byCheers Liquor4000 Rogers Ave.Fort Smith479.782.9463 Cheers of Fort Smith
1 quart eggnog
1 cup cream
2 cups Maker's Mark bourbon
2 cups vanilla ice cream
1 tablespoon vanilla extract
Ground nutmeg for dusting
Whipped cream (optional)
Combine all liquid ingredients in blender. Blend until smooth. Pour in glass and dust with nutmeg.
OPTIONAL: After pouring into glass, top with whipped cream, then dust with nutmeg.
52
@TASTE
The displays are magnificent. A giant turtle stands illuminated
off one of the paths. A gingerbread house, complete with a tree
inside, beckons you in.
One of the ponds is awash in blue lights, the trees around it lit
up as well, so that the whole thing looks like something from a
fairytale. Dozens of flowers line the paths, their lights red and
white and green. Arches rise above the paths, and when you walk
through you feel as if you are part of this whimsical display.
A dozen kids, all dressed in red and green, are in line for hot
chocolate. Christmas music plays, families pose for photographs,
and almost everyone has a Smart phone out, capturing the
magic to share with those who haven’t yet been.
A choir is singing “White Christmas”, and a crowd gathers round.
Some of the kids are singing along, delighted to join in the
holiday fun.
It’s a delightful way to spend an evening filled with Christmas
cheer. If you get hungry, the Chipmunk Café is open from 3-9
p.m. Grab a snack or a gourmet salad, sandwich or wrap.
One tip. If you want to avoid the crowds, consider attending on
Sundays through Wednesdays. On those evenings there will
be less waiting and more time to roam through the extensive
displays. There’s also a golf cart to take you into the garden. It’s
on a first come, first served basis.
For more information, visit gardengardens.org.$10 for Adults; $5 for Kids ages 6-12Starts at 5pm nightly. Closed on Christmas.
It is one of those perfect nights. Cool, but not cold, and
the air is still. Just ahead is Hot Spring’s Garvan Woodland
Gardens, where the holiday lights are in place, two million to be
exact, and they twinkle against the ebony sky.
The display covers seventeen acres of sculpted gardens, all
maintained by the University of Arkansas. Garvan Gardens sits
on Lake Hamilton, and is a lush landscape with wooded areas,
streams, waterfalls, and even a Japanese garden.
But tonight the visitors are here specifically for the lights.
Just ahead is a fifty-foot tall Rose tree in the Rose Garden
amphitheater. Nearby are more trees, Santa’s sleigh and of
course, Rudolph and the other reindeer.
The Lights at Garvan Gardens@story Marla Cantrell@image Courtesy Garvan Gardens
54
@TRAVEL
@story Catherine Frederick@image Courtesy Big Cedar Lodge
56
Big Cedar Lodge sits on 800 acres near Table Rock Lake, just
outside Branson. It is a gorgeous resort, with a history that
dates back to the 1920s when area businessmen used the site
as a weekend vacation getaway. At that time there were two
houses, one an English Tudor owned by the Worman family,
the other an Adirondack style cabin. Both still remain a part of
Big Cedar today, one as the Worman House Restaurant and the
other as Devil’s Pool Restaurant.
In the 1960s, the property became a dude ranch. A lodge and
a few cottages were built to house visitors. In
the late 1980s, Johnny Morris, the founder of
Bass Pro Shops, bought the property intending
to use it as a fish camp for his employees and
their families.
Then Morris decided to put an ad in the Bass
Pro catalog, to see what kind of interest there
was for a place like Big Cedar. The response was
overwhelming, and slowly this award-winning lodge began to
evolve.
The road to the lodge winds through some of the most beautiful
land in the area. Pine, maple, oak and cedar line the path, hawks
fly above, and squirrels scamper at the edge of the woods. The
air is crisp with the smell of wood smoke, and the trees are
bright with fall colors.
There are over 200 rooms at Big Cedar, from large lodges, to
cottages and cabins. Whether staying in the lodge or a private
cabin, any time spent at Big Cedar is a treat. But during the
holidays, guests come from near and far to experience a
magical Christmas.
We took the trip with our son. We’d reserved a cabin, the waters
of Table Rock Lake visible from the wide windows and ample
balcony. When we arrived, there was a pile of wood waiting
outside our door, beckoning us to light a fire. Upon entering
the cabin, we were greeted by a beautifully decorated, full-size
Christmas tree.
From the time you arrive, to the time you leave, no detail is left
to chance. Upon check in, you’ll set your eyes on an enormous,
and lavishly decorated, indoor Christmas tree. Families gather in
the lobby awaiting their scheduled activities. While
they wait, they enjoy board games and apple cider.
Activities abound from early morning until
nightfall. There truly is something for everyone.
We started our morning with breakfast at The
Worman House. I don’t know what was better, the
view or the food. As we were finishing up, guess
who made an appearance? Santa and Mrs. Claus!
After breakfast, we followed a winding staircase down past a
large grizzly, to decorate stockings. Later in the afternoon, after
a delicious lunch at Buzzard Bar, we dropped our son off for
cookie making with Mrs. Claus. Not only did he make some
cookies, but he also decorated his own chef’s hat.
For dinner, we opted for the rustic elegance of Devil’s Pool.
The restaurant is casual and the food is Southern, down home
comfort. Many of the recipes come from Johnny Morris’ wife
Jeannie’s family cookbook. Word of warning, it can be difficult
to decide where to go to eat! There are four dining restaurants,
live music at night, a bistro, family dining, and you can order
protein shakes if you’re on a special diet at Truman Café.
57
@TRAVEL
So, how do you top off a day like that? A holiday wagon light
tour, of course. We bundled up in the blankets they provided
as our horse-drawn wagon carried us through Big Cedar’s
gorgeous display of lights. After the tour, we gathered ‘round a
waiting campfire, made S’mores, and drank more than our share
of delicious hot cocoa.
We traveled back to our cabin, and just when we thought it
couldn’t get any better, there was a knock at the door. It was
an elf who wanted to read my little one a Christmas story. She
even had a stocking she left behind as a gift.
There is so much more to enjoy. It really is up to you to plan
your perfect getaway. There are classes where kids can make
ornaments to take home, a gingerbread class, a Santa hat
decorating class, and story time with Santa and Mrs. Claus.
“The holidays here are different than the holidays anywhere
else,” Sydney Friar, the public relations manager, says. “It truly
is magical. And it’s something we cherish and hold very near
and dear to our hearts. Many of our guests return year after
year. They associate this place with home and family, and family
traditions. It’s interesting because often they’ll ask to stay in
the same cabin as they did the year before. They want to relive
those memories.”
Their dedication shows. There are trees and wreaths and lights
everywhere. All 800 acres get the Christmas treatment, so that
it feels as if you’ve shown up in a snow globe of Christmas cheer.
We had planned to head on into Branson, but we had so much
to do that we never made it off the Big Cedar property. There’s
a gift shop, a fitness center that looks like a log cabin, a 5K
walking trail that runs through the entire property, boat rentals
including kayaks, canoes and paddle boats, and two spas. Want
more? There are also volleyball areas, miniature courses, five
pools and hot tubs.
It was hard to leave this oasis in the Ozark Mountains. We made
memories there to last a lifetime and can’t wait to return. This
truly is a treasure just a short drive away.
For information visit bigcedar.com. Some of the Christmas activities are free with a stay. Others have a small fee. Be sure to reserve your activities in advance.
58
@TRAVEL
@short story Marla Cantrell
61
@SHORT STORY
I’m sitting on the shoulder of the highway, two days before
the end of the world. I slipped a Xanax in Loyal’s soup at
supper or I’d be in the storm cellar with him, stacking sacks of
pinto beans onto the shelves we put in this summer.
Loyal and I live off a straight stretch of country road, by a white
church that’s been here since 1901. There are a lot of speeders
that zip by here, in a hurry to get somewhere else.
I’ve always liked watching cars go by. When I was a girl, my
brother and I used to play a game where we’d guess the make
and model of a car just by the sound of the engine as it topped
the hill and then slipped down into the valley where we lived.
We’d stand side by side and wait for them to get close enough
for us to see. I almost never won.
The biggest win in my life is Loyal. I met him two weeks after Sid
Hawkins broke up with me. I was a wreck but Loyal kept telling
me I was wonderful. After a while I started to believe him.
Sid’s the mayor of Halfway now. He’s caught up in a scandal
because he put his girlfriend on the payroll and his wife found
out. And then the news caught wind of it and interviewed the
girlfriend, who looks like me twenty years and ten pounds ago.
Blond hair to her waist, green eyes, a little top heavy.
They asked the girlfriend what she’d learned from her disgrace
and she said, “A lot. For instance, my grammar’s better. The
mayor taught me how to use ‘seen’ and ‘saw’ properly. For
example, I’d never say, ‘I seen Mayor Hawkins slipping tax
money into a sack he took directly to his safety deposit box
down at City Bank.’ No sir,” she said, “I know better now.”
I think about what Sid taught me. I couldn’t repeat any of it on TV.
He was a party waiting to happen, and he knew everybody.
You’d go in a restaurant and you couldn’t eat for the people
coming over to say hi. With Loyal, it’s different. He’s a solitary
man who likes the country, doesn’t trust the government, and
thinks the world is ending on Friday.
You probably wonder if I think the same. The short answer is
no. But when all this started Loyal and I were drifting a little.
He works the graveyard shift at the feed mill and I work days
at a law office in town. On weekends, when we’d go for a drive,
we couldn’t talk for more than five minutes. I thought I might
lose him, and then he heard a radio program about the Mayan
calendar, which started five thousand one hundred and twenty-
five years ago and stops cold on December 21.
“Only the strong and the true will survive,” Loyal said, sounding
a lot like a TV evangelist “I believe an asteroid will hit the earth,
or something will happen with black holes in space. Either way,
we need to get ready.”
And then he said this. “You do believe I’m strong and true.
Don’t you, Leigh?”
That broke my heart.
We stayed up late into the night talking, figuring out how to get
ready. He asked if I’d be willing to use some of our savings to
deck out the storm cellar and I said yes.
And then one day in the spring, I saw him unload his truck. He
had eighteen jumbo packs of disposable diapers he’d bought
62
from Sam’s Club and he was taking them into the cellar. We’ve
been trying for a baby for three years now, and nothing, not
even one false alarm.
I watched through the screen door and I imagined Loyal and
me hunkered down underground and him pushing our two army
cots together and us finally making it happen.
That’s why I go along with him. Even though I figure some Mayan
just got sick of recording time, the way I get sick of my own job,
when the big wigs down at the firm snap orders like I’m a fast-
order cook and turn on their heels to take a three-hour lunch.
So sometimes I forget just how real this all is to Loyal. Three
weeks ago I made the mistake of asking Loyal what he wanted
for Christmas. He put his hand on my shoulder and said, “Honey,
nobody’s celebrating Christmas this year. You’ve got to give up
your old way of thinking.”
I do have a Christmas tree in the living room. Loyal says it’s better
if we keep up appearances. He figures the fewer people who
know what we’re doing, the safer we’ll be when the folks that
make it through have exhausted all the supplies in the Walmarts
and Quick Piks and migrate to the country looking for food.
A car is coming. From the sound of the engine, I believe it’s an SUV
or a pickup. Like I said, I’ve never been too good at this game. I
stand up and move back off the shoulder. As it gets closer, I can
hear something else. “Santa Baby” is playing so loud it sounds
like I’m in the good seats at a concert, and I realize the driver must
have a speaker system on the outside of the car.
The SUV is covered with Christmas lights. There is a lighted
wreath on the front grill.
The driver slows to a crawl. He rolls down the windows and
shouts, “Merry Christmas.” Beside him is a woman, dark haired
and smiling.
In the back, a boy, four or five years old, sticks out his stockinged
head. His face is awash in the light from the car and he looks
otherworldly, like an angel sent down.
They look painfully happy, like actors selling toothpaste. I flash
my best smile and wave at them as they pass. I want them to
keep all their happiness. I want a halo of happiness to descend
on their car and ride through the world with them.
“Only the strong and the true will survive,” Loyal said, sounding a lot like a TV evangelist “I believe an asteroid will hit the earth, or something will happen with black holes in space. Either way, we need to get ready.”
They look painfully happy, like actors selling toothpaste.
63
@SHORT STORY
Tomorrow, Loyal wants to go into town and get matching tattoos
that read, Loyal and Leigh Mankin, Married 3-24-2006. May we
never part.
I don’t believe in marking my body. But I’ll go just the same. I’ve
spent the last year doing things I didn’t believe in, just so I could
stay close to Loyal. If the tattoos make him happy, so be it.
I head for home, chilled to the bone and suddenly tired. I bend
to dip through the barbed wire fence. I pass by the old church.
It’s been too warm a year and still the antique roses bloom, their
pink blossoms scenting the air like French perfume.
I stop near the pond, the moon reflecting on its surface, and
look up into the navy blue sky. I try to see this place the way
Loyal must, a beautiful, doomed oasis.
A shooting star swooshes across the sky, flaring above me. Just
then, another star whips by, and then another. I count ten in
less than thirty seconds, more than I’ve ever seen, even in an
entire night.
It is enough to cause my chest to tighten. What if Loyal is right?
What if this is the eve of the eve of the end of the world? I
run, past the barn and then past the grapevines that tangle near
the fencerow. The sky is growing brighter, with hundreds of
shooting stars that sweep and arc and then turn to nothing.
I stop, my breathing raspy, and squeeze my eyes shut. Should I try
to make it back to the barn or sprint the half mile home? It is too
hard a decision. I feel my toes tremble inside my boots, my teeth
rattling so hard I hold my hand beneath my jaw and try to stop it.
I try to pray but all I can manage is "Dear Jesus, please help me,"
which I say over and over like a mantra.
A boom rains down on me, from up ahead on the road, where the
unmistakable sound of metal and glass crashing fills the air. A car
has fallen victim to the curve that skirts our property, most likely,
and I feel my lungs go flat, all the air gone from them. An owl calls,
a dog howls and then two more join in. I hear my neighbor calling
out to her husband, ‘Jim Bob,’ she cries. ‘Jim Bob.’ Her voice like a
siren that whirls around and around. ‘JimBobJimBobJimBob.’
I shake my head and set my sights back on the house. The porch
light starts to flicker and then comes alive, the yellow glow pulling
me forward. Somehow Loyal must have awakened, pushed his
way through the Xanax and deep sleep, and found me missing. I
run even faster, aiming for Loyal, who is stronger and truer than
anyone I’ve ever known, and who will know what to do, who has
always known exactly what to do.
Be sure to check back next month when the 1st place winners of @Urban’s Get Published in 2013 short story and poetry contest will be featured in our January issue.
What if this is the eve of the eve of the end of the world?
64
@SHORT STORY
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