A Foggy Day at Lake Willastein

Volume 11, Issue 4 • January/February 2017
A Foggy Day
at Lake Willastein

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January/February 2017
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Misti Sweere,
a Force in Maumelle
9
THE ARTS
The Art of
George R. Hoelzeman
6
34
COVER PHOTOGRAPHPY BY ROGER A. FRANGIEH
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Goin’ A-Festing
What could be more fun than a year
of traveling Arkansas via festival?
14
Volume 10, Issue 4 • January/February 2016
Volume 11, Issue 2 • September/October 2016
January/February 2017
4
Mumps Outbreak Highlights
Importance of Vaccines
18
Why Choose a Dentist For
Botox and Dermal Fillers
19
20
Is Our Healthy Food Starving Us?
2017 The Year of It
22
8 Ways to Make Your Fitness
New Year’s Resolution Work
23
2017: The Yes Year.......................................... 11
WINE............................................. 12
Wine Information..............................................12
POETRY........................................ 17
Reaping the Rhythms...................................... 17
Love Yourself......................................................24
FINANCIAL................................... 26
The Biggest Risk To Sustainable
Retirement Income.......................................... 26
Minute with Maddox........................................29
Is That a Flotilla of Fowl?...................................30
PHOTOGRAPHY........................... 31
Arkansas Photo Destinations.............................31
Maumelle Photography Club............................34
TECH TALK................................... 36
Google Reveals Their Secret to
High-Performance Machine Learning ..............36
Quick Tip: How to See Which Files
Are Taking Up So Much Space
On My Hard Drive...........................................36
FICTION........................................ 37
A Heart Full of Empty.................................... 37
BOOK REVIEW............................. 38
The Weight of Blood.........................................38
The Mothers.......................................................38
Publisher/Editor
Roger A. Frangieh
Publisher/President
RAFIMI Publishing LLC
RAFIMI Advertising & Strategic Marketing
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Art Director
Jeremy Henderson
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Writers & Contributors
Bryan Austin, D.D.S.
Christie Brooks, MS, RD, LD
Natalie Cannady
Marion Scott-Coney
Ken Forrester
Leigh Gough
Frank Howell, CFP
Cary Maddox
Michelle McCon
Michae Orfanos
Prunella Pinetree
Austin Pittman
Troy Pousardien
Robyn D. Rektor
Jose Romero, MD, FAAP
Pam Rudkin
MaryAnn Stafford
Harding Stedler
Kathy Wheeler
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A Remarkable Journey
Dr. Derek S. Long
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VISIO DIVINA
The Art of
George R. Hoelzeman
By MaryAnn Stafford
Mr. Hoelzeman with his wood
sculpture of St. Anne and St. Mary in
Cowie Chapel in Carbon City, Arkansas.
of the Cross for St. Augustine’s Church in
North Little Rock. For this work, he received
the National BENE Award for Excellence
in Liturgical Art and Design. He
considers it one of his most significant
creations.
Ambo, tabernacle support, chairs, and altar from Our Lady of the Holy Souls Church in Little
Rock: simplicity with elegance. The life- sized statue in the Memorial Chapel of that church is
of Our Lady of the Holy Souls, and is made from basswood.
January/February 2017
6
As a liturgical artist and consultant,
George Hoelzeman designs spaces and
artworks for churches that transcend
the ordinary and connect worshippers
to the Divine. He has provided altars,
doors, ambos, icons, tabernacles, crosses,
stained glass windows, baptismal fonts,
pulpits, stations-of-the-cross, statues,
and chairs for liturgical churches such
as Catholic, Lutheran, Episcopalian
and Methodist. His expertise as an art
consultant is recognized throughout
Arkansas and other states.
VISIO DIVINA is defined as
“spiritual seeing.” Liturgical
artist George Hoelzeman believes
that sacred art allows us
to look at objects and persons
in a way that allows God to reveal himself
to us. “Symbolism and visual art in worship
focuses the mind, heart, and soul; but also
teaches, preaches and engages us in the
Divine Mystery. Symbolism makes connections
so that we can discover new and deeper
meaning – as the Orthodox would say,
the image is a kind of visual scripture. Symbolism
is also an embodiment of a vast body
of meaning in one compact form. Thus,
seeing a cross has more meaning than just
a reference to the manner of Christ’s death
– it opens a floodgate of meaning related to
that death (and resurrection.)”
George Hoelzeman grew up in Morrilton
and still lives in that vicinity, but has
created religious art for Arkansas churches
as well as in Texas, Illinois, New York, North
Carolina, Michigan, and Connecticut. As
the child of devout Catholics, he was
taught early on that symbols, signs, and
images were links to God and promoted a
much deeper faith.
Hoelzeman’s career as a sacred artist
evolved over time. Woodworking was
always a part of his life, since his ancestry
included a long line of woodworkers and
carpenters dating back to Medieval Germany.
He drew and sculpted in high school,
making his own duck decoys because they
were expensive to buy. As a young man, he
considered becoming a priest, and entered
the Benedictine Seminary. When he left,
he thought to become a commercial artist
or an architect and attended UCA and
UALR. After studying Medieval Art History,
PHOTOGRAPHY BY KELLY HICKS
he came to realize that he needed to be in
a field that “combined theology, liturgy, art,
history, and the Church.”
Before starting his own business as
a liturgical artist and consultant, Hoelzeman
worked as a photographer at AETN
and subsequently taught at Catholic High
School in Little Rock for over 10 years. His
first real commission was the African Way
He received this commission from
the newly ordained Father Warren Harvey
who asked him to carve a set of stations
(commemoration of the Way of the
Cross in 14 different images.) His only
stipulation was that they look African. So
Hoelzeman began studying West African
cultures in order to achieve this result. He
evidently succeeded, since many Nigerians
in the community thought he was African
American until they met him!
These two-sided great doors were built in Trinity Episcopal Church in Fayetteville,
North Carolina. There were twelve panels - six inside and six outside, each 3 x 3’.
This was one of Hoelzeman’s most complicated commissions.
Continued on page 8 >
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7

Misti Sweere, a Force in Maumelle
By Marion Scott-Coney
January/February 2017
8
St. Francis of Assisi Church – Fairfield Bay, Arkansas
As part of an ongoing renovation, the pastor expressed
a desire for an ambo which was a worthier place of
proclamation, and more visually accessible in the long,
narrow church. This ambo picks up elements found in
the Spanish Colonial architecture and other furnishings
of the space. Cherry was selected as an appropriate
contrast with the oak parquet floor.
The arts continued from page 7>
Among his many other commissions
have been the Holy Family group for a
church in Ann Arbor, Michigan which took
him three years to complete; the crucifix,
large statue, ambo, altar, chairs, and tabernacle
support for Our Lady of the Holy
Souls in Little Rock; the pulpit in St. Luke
Episcopal Church in North Little Rock;
and the main altar casement and reredos
(screen or decoration behind the altar)
for St. Joseph Church in Marshall Texas.
He likes to use native woods like cherry
oak, walnut, maple, sycamore, beech and
will often use a special tree requested by
the client. He has even used persimmon,
apple, or pine, and has sometimes worked
with exotic woods such as ebony, zebrawood,
and mahogany. Metals and clays are
often added to the works.
Among his major influences, he counts
the work of Gian Lorenzo Bernini whose
Holy Redeemer Parish – El Dorado, Arkansas
When George Hoelzeman was introduced to this project, the parish committee was struggling
with designs for their altar. After a brief tour of the space to get a fresh perspective,
he came up with the idea of using Gothic style appliques to transform the altar into an
open, architectural base with columns inspired by Cistercian monastic churches. The
committee selected a unique piece of granite for the table from Arkansas Granite and
More (Benton, AR). Stone diamonds cut from the same piece of granite adorn the sides of
the base and serve as a visual link to similar patterns in the central aisle of the church and
on the baptismal font, which stands at the entrance. Material: Red Oak, Granite
spiral columns on the Baldachinno in
St. Peter’s Church in Rome absolutely inspired
him. He also admires Italian artist
Donatello, Tilman Riemenchnieer from
Medieval Germany, and Michelangelo’s architecture
and sculpture. Modern artists
he admires include Salvador Dali, Georgia
O’Keefe, and Frank Lloyd Wright.
Hoelzeman is married with two young
daughters and states that he is trying to
inspire them with the “…same passion,
dedication, creativity and love of learning
and art that I got from my parents. One of
my goals, even before I got married, was
to be able to do liturgical work so that I
could be home with my children. Also I
want them to remember their father as
someone who created Beauty and added
something unique and wonderful to the
world. That’s kept me focused even when
things were difficult, and everyone said I
should give up and get a ‘real job’.
I’m glad I didn’t listen to those
voices.”MM
M
aryAnn Stafford taught visual arts, humanities, and English
at Pine Bluff High School for many years before becoming an
Assistant Principal. She retired from the Arkansas Department of Education
in 1993. A teacher and an artist, she exhibits regularly and teaches drawing
at the Maumelle Senior Wellness Center. Dr. Stafford holds signature
membership in Mid-Southern Watercolorists, the Pastel Society of the
Southwest, and the Arkansas League of Artists. Her art can be seen at Eurekan
Art in Eureka Springs and Gallery 221 in Little Rock. Web sites are www.
staffordart.com, www.fineartamerica.com, and www.arkansasartists.com.
Her artists’ blog can be found at www.pastelanne.wordpress.com.
“
THREE MORE” boom, boom,
“TWO MORE” boom, boom,
“ONE MORE” boom, boom!
It’s hard to miss that BIG voice
reverberating through the halls
when entering the Community Center during
a Misti Sweere exercise class. Those inspiring
pipes, pushing attendants to greater
fitness heights, belong to a diminutive ball
of energy. Misti has been teaching classes at
the Community Center for fifteen years. Her
fourteen classes a week include Zumba, Body
Toning, Tabata Kick Boxing, Step, Abs and
Arms, Abs and Legs, and Butts and Gut. She
also teaches six classes a week at the Maumelle
Senior Center, modifying intensity for
her target audiences. As a personal trainer,
she works with 8 to 10 clients at all times. Fitness
fills a big part of her life.
Misti has always been interested in fitness,
having been an athlete and cheerleader
in high school and participating in gymnastics,
track, basketball, and softball. She began
teaching gymnastics in Conway before marrying
Jess Sweere in 1992. After marrying,
she and Jess moved several times with his job
then decided to return to Maumelle where
Misti had family and where Jess wanted to
be to pursue his education to become an attorney.
Attorney Jess Sweere now works at
Cross, Gunter, Witherspoon, and Galches and
is on the Charter School board. All of their
four children attended the Academics Plus
Charter school; Dave, 24, Charlotte, 22, Sally,
19 have graduated from there and are in college.
Seventeen year-old Bobby is a Junior
this year.
Misti received the required Zumba license
in 2007, but also has certification
for group classes and for personal training
through NETA (National Exercise Training
Association). Her class career began here
in Maumelle in 2001 when she and Jess returned
“home” from Orlando, Florida. She
was working with Connie Raley (Maumelle
Gymnastics and Cheer owner) teaching gymnastics
at the Community Center. Nicole
Heaps, current Senior Center Director, was
then a manager with Parks and Rec at the
Community Center, and approached Misti
about teaching some exercise classes. The
program blossomed into what it is today.
While in Springfield, Missouri, pregnant
with her first child, Misti took cake decorating
classes and found she had not only a love
for, but a flair for the craft. Since then she has
been making custom cakes for friends and
others. She never advertised, and was recommended
by word-of-mouth.
Conducting classes, this one at the Community Center, is one of Misti’s favorite
things to do.
Misti prepares for an exercise class at
the Senior Center.
Besides cake decorating and a full-time
fitness schedule, Misti’s home neighborhood
was her biggest passion. It was the sort of
neighborhood television programs are written
about – a close knit, friendly family of
neighbors whose children played together
every evening in the cul d sac. In 2004, Beth
Hutchison moved into the ‘hood. She went
home after initial introductions and said
unequivocally, “She doesn’t know it yet, but
Misti Sweere is going to be my best friend!”
Beth says of BFF Misti, “She never judges. She
accepts people for what they are.”
Their friendship grew due to proximity
on the street, their combined children (Beth’s
sons Wesley and Corben, and nephew Justin
were about Misti’s kids ages at the time), and
common interests. Misti had started a babysitting
co-op about which Beth says, “I never
would have been able to do anything without
it!” The two organized ad hoc neighborhood
dinners; sometimes combining ingredients,
sometimes pot luck and sometimes
Continued on page 10>
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9

January/February 2017
10
Misti and BFF Beth in front of their amazing mural in the Dreamy Spoon.
Continued from page 9>
collecting for a special treat like crab legs. The
food was always delicious and enjoyed by all
of the families. These sorts of neighborhoods
make Maumelle the city where folks can live,
work, and play together…and form lasting
friendships and memories.
Beth’s background included a stint managing
Mangos on the Island, owned by retired
Miami Dolphin defensive tackle, Bob
Baumhower, in Orange Beach, Alabama. She
and Misti would sit in the cul d sac, watching
the kids play, and dream…They talked about
opening a coffee shop, or a cake or pie store.
But in 2005, fate intervened. Academics Plus
Charter School, where the kids were attending,
discontinued their catering services forcing
parents to pack a cold lunch every day for
their students. The ladies hatched the idea of
providing a hot food option, approached the
school board, and were granted permission.
They started simply, corndogs-in-a-crockpot
sort of fare. Eventually they expanded their
menu. All earnings went back into the business
and into improving the Charter School’s
meager kitchen. In 2006, they competitively
bid for the option to continue, which they did
until 2008. At that point the school wanted
to have their own cafeteria and offered Misti
and Beth food manager positions, but they
were still dreaming a bigger dream, and the
business they had grown “from crock pot to
kitchen” was sold back to the school.
Emboldened by that “commercial” success
and experience, they continued the
hope of someday being real restauranteurs.
And all of this time, Misti continued
with her cakes.
The waters finally parted! The Dreamy
Spoon (yogurt emporium) became available.
When they went to take a closer look at the
property and assets, Beth was so taken with
the mural that she thought, “It’s a sign! This
speaks to me – it looks like us!” The mural,
by the way, was an original art work by Erik
Jones, a famous New York artist and cousin of
original owner Kandid Scott. Ms. Scott had
the art made into a wallpaper mural and it
adorns the Dreamy Spoon’s wall. Their business
includes more than yogurt. Misti’s cakes
are available through the store with a couple
of days’ notice; also cupcakes, cake pops, novelty
cones and cobblers. Each day a hot cobbler
is available, ala mode, naturally.
Misti Sweere is smart, talented, and a
bundle of energy. She has made her mark
here in Maumelle by being the voice of fitness
at the Community Center, a favorite at
the Senior Center, a restauranteur, a treasured
BFF, and a neighbor we all wish we had.
Does she have new dreams? “Just to see my
business thrive and for my kids to be happy
and successful!” MM
Misti, Beth, Chamber Director Alicia Gillam and a group of fans being congratulated
by Judy Keller at the Dreamy Spoon ribbon cutting.
M
arion Scott-Coney has lived in Maumelle
since 2006. She enjoys running, reading,
volunteering, and staying active in Maumelle’s political scene.
You may contact her at marionella01@hotmail.com .
New Year’s resolutions and I
are not a good mix. It’s not
that I’m inherently against
them; anything that encourages
mankind to make a
change for the better is all right by me. It’s
just that resolutions seem so, er, resolute,
and I’m all about treating myself to a little
grace and forgiveness these days – the me
of yesteryear did no such thing – as opposed
to setting myself up for complete
and utter failure and disappointment and
self-loathing and binge-watching of Gilmore
Girls while sobbing over a pint of Ben
& Jerry’s.
And so I create goals. New Year’s goals.
Sounds so much less ominous and more attainable,
yes? Semantics aside, goals make
me feel all kinds of inspired and tingly inside,
like I’ve got BIG things to work toward.
But if I don’t accomplish them? No worries.
It’s not like I was resolute about them or
anything.
This time around I’ve taken a good, invasive
look within and simplified the year
a bit. As in, I created goal. One (BIG) New
Year’s goal. Sure, there’s plenty I need to
work on. Loads. Tons times infinity and beyond.
But Self-Grace Me has declared that
it’s okay to focus a chunk of my attention
on only one area of improvement in 2017.
That area? Saying yes.
I’m not talking about saying yes to
more volunteering at my daughter’s school
or making more flyers for folks or editing
more resumes and whatnot. If anything,
my people-pleasing self and I need to work
on voicing H-E-double-hockey-sticks-NO
lots more in that respect, but that’s a goal
for another year. Perhaps 2018. But this
year, my friends . . . this is the year I say
2017: The Yes Year
By Michelle McCon
yes to Life. Please note the capital L. That
makes it somehow more important.
This is the year I say yes to being more
present. Yes to more dinners and phone
calls with friends instead of mere sporadic
texts. Yes to more time with my husband
engaged in actual conversation. Yes to
more undivided attention for my children
instead of an iGadget or a silly grownup
issue that can totally wait. Yes to listening
more and talking less.
This is the year I say yes to more adventures
and outings. Yes to new experiences.
Yes to more walks and hikes and bike rides
with my family. Yes to new foods and recipes
and restaurants, even though I’m picky
as all get-out and not the best cook. Yes
to more books and fewer games of Candy
Crush. Yes to ideas and undertakings that
push me and challenge me and take me
outside of my comfort zone. Except for
public speaking. I don’t do public speaking.
Ever. Not even in 2018.
And this is the year I say yes to all the
projects looming cruelly over my head.
All the unfinished business of years past.
Yes to the curtains for my daughter’s bunk
bed (complete with door and windows to
look like a little house!) Yes to all my halffinished
woodworking projects. Maybe
even yes to my book, the one that calls to
me mercilessly, but I’ve been too afraid to
I’M NOT TALKING ABOUT
SAYING YES TO MORE
VOLUNTEERING AT MY
DAUGHTER’S SCHOOL
OR MAKING MORE
FLYERS FOR FOLKS OR
EDITING MORE RESUMES
AND WHATNOT.
finish it because that would mean I could
face rejection and possibly FAIL, which is
the worst, most despicable f-word in the
history of ever.
F-word aside, I’m feeling pretty good
about my goal, if you must know. Still tingly
inside and inspired. Determined even. One
could almost, but not quite, say I’m resolute
about it. Twenty seventeen will be the year
of the Yes with a capital Y. I’m sure of it, just
as I am sure that I will never in my life ever,
ever engage in public speaking.
But if things don’t pan out quite the
way I’ve planned, rest assured that Self-
Grace Me will cut me some serious slack,
and the Gilmore Girls will undoubtedly
be on standby too. Along with my good
friends Ben & Jerry. MM
Michelle McCon is a stay-at-home mom, writer, and sometimes
graphic designer. She enjoys the great outdoors, a good
book, trashy television, word games, music and lots of it, sewing, biking,
woodworking, Hershey Bars, iGadgetry, finished business, and her BFFs Lorelei
and Rory and Ben & Jerry.
Have a question or comment? Please feel free to email her at msmccon@
gmail.com.
www.MauMag.com
11

January/February 2017
12
One of the things that has
puzzled me about wine
writing is that wine writers
seldom discuss their personal
wine background or their
writing credentials, apparently assuming
their readers will simply conclude that
the writer is an expert. I recall one wine
writer in the remote past who never mentioned
that he was completely blind and
that all of his wine writing about variations
and complexities in color, appearance and
similar matters were written by an unidentified
person.
I cheerfully admit that while my wine
knowledge probably exceeds that of someone
who started enjoying wine last year,
that knowledge often needs supplementation.
Invariably, the needed supplementation
starts with Frank Schoonmaker’s “Encyclopedia
of Wine.”
That statement may be a bit puzzling
when it is considered that my copy of the
Encyclopedia was published more than 50
years ago and Frank died in 1976. Certainly
the Encyclopedia is out of date in many respects
but it often remains the best place to
start when I research an aspect of wine with
which I am not familiar.
As to Frank, most people consider him
to be the greatest wine authority of his time.
His wine book is impeccably detailed and
presents wine information in authoritative
but still understandable language. While the
greatest emphasis in the book’s more than
400 pages is on California and France, it covers
most of the other regions and aspects of
wine enjoyment, including wine and food
affinities. It even dares to recommend “no
Wine Information
By Ken Forrester
wine at all” in at least one instance. It contains
dozens of maps of wine regions and is
still widely available. If your personal wine
journey is just starting do find a copy and
buy it.
I haven’t bought a lot of wine books
at new retail prices in recent years since
friends give me many of them and publishers
sometimes send complimentary copies
of upcoming books although some of the
complimentary copies have obvious defects
e.g., the cover is installed upside down.
One recent purchase was titled simply,
“Wines of the World,” a 688 page “Visual
Reference Guide” that bills itself as “Your Essential
Handbook.” It is published by Metro
Books of New York; Susan Keevil is listed as
a consultant and there are several contributors.
The back page gives essential information:
comprehensive facts on each wine
region, its grape varieties, vineyards producers
and wines with detailed reports on
styles, flavors of hundreds of wines, best vintages,
who makes them. Also covered are
hundreds of photographs, maps and special
illustrated features. There is a comprehensive
wine glossary and a section on wine
and food matching.
My only criticism of the book is that
it crams so much information into its reduced
size (about 5 inches by 8 ½ inches,
688 pages). If that is a problem for you, do
buy a magnifying glass or see if you can run
a copy through your computer to enlarge
it. If your seeking of wine knowledge is just
starting, or isn’t yet very comprehensive,
I suggest that you buy a copy of the book
and shelve it next to your copy of the Frank
Schoonmaker book.
A ploy that has worked well for me and
which you may find useful in acquiring wine
books is going to library book sales. Libraries
frequently discard books in their collection.
This likely is fine for ordinary books but
not for wine books, since older wine books
often contain information not available
elsewhere. (A friend once found an old set
of encyclopedias giving then-current information
on Benjamin Franklin’s experiments
with electricity.) When my local library has a
sale I go and take a number of sacks which
I fill with any books related to any aspect
of wine. The price is usually a dollar or under
per book and I can fill a sack with what
would otherwise be the cost of one new
book. I take the books home and examine
them carefully. The ones I wish to add to
my wine library I keep; the others I return to
the library to sell at future sales. Books by
favored wine writers (Alexis Lichine, Hugh
Johnson, Philip M. Wagner, Alexis Bespaloff,
many others) I keep and add to my personal
wine library.
This system has an added advantage: it
“sort-of” separates the wine books into categories:
winemaking, cooking with wine,
wine producers, wine regions and others.
The Wine Spectator is an excellent, authoritative,
upscale magazine and source of
wine information. I recommend it with only
one relatively small reservation: wine reviewers
have excellent credentials but tend
to use cutsey-poo language in their reviews.
Ignore this other-world (in my opinion) language
and the rest of the reports are very
worthwhile.
Now for a bit of personal aggrandizement:
I have been selling my writing about
wine for more than 50 years and during
that time I have acquired a great deal of
practical information not usually available
elsewhere. A minor illustration: the most
important sentence in any manuscript you
hope to get published (whether that manuscript
is about wine or any other subject) is
the first sentence. If that sentence doesn’t
Ken Forrester, a retired administrative
law judge, is the published author of
numerous articles and columns on wine.
Ken is a member of the Authors League, the American
Wine Society and the Society of Wine Educators.
figuratively reach out and grab the reader
by the lapels and say, “Listen up, dammit, I’m
talking to you,” your chance of a sale often
decreases to the vanishing point.
I have included most of this practical
knowledge In a multi-page monograph
titled, “About Wine, To Get You Started.” As
one reviewer stated, “It starts just forward
of which end of the bottle you open and
goes on from there.” It also mentions, describes
and discusses most aspects of wine
in a practical way, lists a dozen or so specific
Welcome to Our World!
Valentine’s Day
Gift Cards Available Online
Est. 1981
Skincare
Hair care, Nail care, Massage
3101 Club Manor Drive - Maumelle, AR 72113
wines to taste as well as the pages of additional
wine information.
It sells for $4.95 and is not available from
me but from barnesandnoble.com or amazon.com.
In the search window type “Ken
Forrester” and a list of this and my other
“About” monographs will appear.
My admittedly biased opinion is that
the monograph gives you more practical
wine information for less money than you
are likely to get from any other source. MM
501.851.3641
www.quyspa.com
www.MauMag.com
13

January/February 2017
14
Goin’ A-Festing
What could be more fun than a year
of traveling Arkansas via festival?
believe in grabbing life by the horns.
I pack each day with as many activities as
I can fit in. Friends have said I squeeze more
than 24 hours out of my days. My mom used
to say I had a real zest for life. My drive is that
there are so many new places to explore, books
to read, lessons to absorb, people to love, and
fun to be had, why lose hours lying in bed doing
something as mundane as sleeping?!
So when an illness or case of the doldrums
slows me down, when my sparkle loses its shine
and fun fades to bland, I get bummed out. I
have little appreciation for a forced rest. Several
losses and minor sickness in early ‘16 gave
me some pause. After begrudgingly taking my
spells of rest, all of that blah had to get shaken
off and swept out. How to get the shine back?
Hmm. After some contemplation, the answer
was obvious.
It was time to go festivaling.
In no time the blues were gone and the zest
resprouted. In the ensuing months, I traveled
many miles, ate a lot of good food, put on a few
lbs, laughed so much surely I burned some off,
made some new friends, strengthened some
old friendships, and had a heckuva good time.
Why am I telling you about all of this right
now, tantalizing you when you currently can’t
go to most of these fun fests? Quite simply because
right now is the perfect moment to start
planning! It’s January--what better time to map
out your festival year? Block off some time,
round up some friends, reserve a campsite or
hotel room, and get ready to enjoy our state’s
timely treasures. When winter weather grounds
you indoors, festival dreaming goes remarkably
well with a crackling fire, cozy blanket, and
steaming mug of cocoa.
This list does not aim to be comprehensive,
rather quite the opposite. It highlights just a few
By Robyn D. Rektor
of Arkansas’ many festivals, and is comprised of
either good times I can vouch for or festivals I
am hoping to check out during this upcoming
year. Because this abridged compilation was
nonetheless stretching really looong, this will
be a two-part series. Look for June-December
festivals--including some Maumelle fests--in the
next issue of MauMag.
JANUARY
Admittedly, this is a pretty slow month
festival-speaking but you can still find some
fun ways to start your year. For one, should you
need to begin 2017 in quiet contemplation, the
beautiful and pastorally idyllic Subiaco Abbey
near Paris (Arkansas) hosts a short but powerful
New Year’s Eve Retreat (Dec. 31-Jan. 1) that
combines conference talks, vespers with the
monks, a pre-midnight toast with abbey staff
and monks, and ringing in the new year with
prayer at midnight. This is followed by worship
the morning of the brand new year and a tasty
Hoppin’ John lunch before you head back out
into the world, refreshed and ready to seize
2017. Visit countrymonks.org for more info.
Get your new year mojo moving right
off the bat! This is not a festival per se, but a
one-day event taking place at lovely spots all
across the state. First Day Hikes (Jan. 1) are a
great way to set the pace for what you want
in the new year and combine outdoor beauty
with fitness. They are offered at a number of
state parks across Arkansas, including close,
or at least not-too-far, Pinnacle Mountain, Petit
Jean, Mount Nebo, Mount Magazine, and Lake
Catherine in Hot Springs. Visit arkansasstateparks.com
for more info.
Spotting eagles nearby is par for the
course at the 38th Annual Eagles Etc. Festival
at DeGray Lake Resort near Arkadelphia (Jan.
27-29). I went to this fest a few years ago on
a cold, rainy weekend but it was a good time
despite the less than ideal conditions. You’ll be
treated to demonstrations and classes by experts
and conservationists, up-close encounters
with birds of prey, and guided eagle tours
on barges. I had to run out of the room during
a class in which we dissected owl pellets
when my scalpel turned up a small skull that
emitted a strong smell, so be forewarned if you
PHOTOGRAPH COURTESY ARKANSAS DEPARTMENT OF PARKS AND TOURISM.
PHOTOGRAPH COURTESY ARKANSAS DEPARTMENT OF PARKS AND TOURISM.
also have a weenie stomach. Otherwise it was
a fun, relaxing low-key weekend getaway. Visit
degray.com for more info.
FEBRUARY
Lanterns! Festival at Wildwood Park in
Little Rock (Feb. 10-12) is always a delightful
stroll through international magic when the
paths of Wildwood are lit with thousands of
luminaries, notes of music waft around every
corner, and culinary creations wait to be explored
and devoured. Featured places include
China, the UK, Brazil, and the moon. While
youngsters will enjoy arts and crafts such as
making an origami boat to set adrift on the
lake, adults will be treated to a variety libations
and plenty of their own fun. It’s an enjoyable,
entertaining, and educational event. Visit wildwoodpark.org
for more info.
These next two events aren’t festivals but
are too cute to not include! Hikes, Hearts, and
Hugs Weekend (Feb. 10-12) at historic Mather
Lodge on Petit Jean Mountain at the state park
in Morrilton offers a romantic weekend with
activities such as guided trail hikes geared toward
couples. Visit petitjeanstatepark.com for
more info.
Take your beloved to Pinnacle Mountain
State Park for a Sweetheart Hayride and
Campfire (Feb. 11, 3-5 pm). This sweet event
includes a romantic hayride through fields
and woods followed by a cozy campfire, with
“blankets and snuggling recommended.” Advance
reservations and payment required. Visit
arkansasstateparks.com/pinnaclemountain
for more info.
MARCH
The sweet idyllic of spring’s warm sunshine
begs for outdoor festival going. If you’ve
never been to the wildly popular Annual Wye
Mountain Daffodil Festival (Mar. 1-31), make
it a must-do this year. Acres of the happily waving
yellow flowers are a treat for the eyes and
make a cheerful backdrop for many of central
Arkansans’ Easter pictures. The daffodil field is
maintained by Wye Mountain United Methodist
Church and is rented out for weddings and
other occasions. Festival weekends offer face
painting, artisan crafts, church tours, and concessions.
You may want to remember on April
16 that it’s also the setting of the Wye Mountain
Easter Sunrise Service at 6:45 a.m in the
Flower Field, which must be a gloriously gorgeous
event. The service is followed by a free
hot breakfast in Fellowship Hall. Visit wyemountainumc.org
for more info.
The Mountain View Bluegrass Festival
(Mar. 9-11; Nov. 9-11) is held twice a year at the
Ozark Folk Center in Mountain View and sells
out early so buy your tickets several months
early online. While the show is indoors at the
Folk Center auditorium, impromptu pickin’ in
town and on the grounds are a second treat as
every corner you round revels a player or group
and unique sounds. For music aficionados, this
festival should not be missed. Visit mountainview-bluegrass.com
for more info.
I’ve never been to or heard of this before,
but have added it to my must-do list. Marshall
(not too far from Conway) will host the 6th Annual
Marshall High School Chocolate Roll
Contest and Festival (March 17, 8 am-1pm).
The day gets off to a fun and calorie-reducing
start with the Chocolate Roll 5K at 8 am, followed
by a car show at 9, and the “Chocolate
Roll Make and Take” workshop at 10. Enjoy music,
vendors, and the focus of the festival, the
Chocolate Roll Contest. Visit http://www.arkansas.com/event/6th-annual-mhs-chocolate-rollcontest-and-fes/143364
for more info.
APRIL
Who knew Arkansas had its own Edamame
Festival (in early April)?! It makes sense considering
soybeans are big in the natural state;
we are the tenth biggest producer in the country
and the 4th largest soybean user. In fact, in
2015 alone Arkansas producers harvested 3.1
million acres of soybeans, valued at $1.5 billion.
Edamame is the soybean’s half-brother, harvested
before it’s fully grown and culled from
a creamier, tastier bean. Large-scale edamame
production came to Arkansas in 2012, and the
festival held at the Mulberry City Park cropped
Continued on page 16>
PHOTOGRAPH COURTESY ARKANSAS DEPARTMENT OF PARKS AND TOURISM.
www.MauMag.com
15

January/February 2017
16
PHOTOGRAPH COURTESY ARKANSAS DEPARTMENT OF PARKS AND TOURISM.
Continued from page 15>
up three years later. A funky, fun festival like
this one is not to be missed! Visit cityofmulberry.org
for more info.
The 38th Annual Arkansas Scottish
Festival (Apr. 7-9) at Lyon College in Batesville
is a legendary good time that attracts up
to 10,000 visitors each year. Regarded as one
of the premier Scottish festivals in the United
States, it was recently named a “Southern Travel
Treasure” by Southern Traveler. In addition to
hearing many a bagpipe and seeing many a
hairy leg protruding from plaid skirts, you can
expect to sample traditional Scottish cuisines
such as meat pies, bridies, and Scotch eggs,
revel in Celtic music, and watch the Highland
Adventure Race—in which teams compete in
such events as disc golf, orienteering, kayaking,
sheaf toss, and Highland dancing. Visit
www.lyon.edu/arkansas-scottish-festival for
more info.
The 55th Annual Arkansas Folk Festival
(Apr. 13-15) in downtown Mountain View is the
oldest music festival in these here parts and is
scheduled on the third April weekend every
year to make the most of the glorious Ozark
spring and blooming dogwood trees. Activities
on the Courthouse Square are evocative of
“the Good Ole Days” and include a parade on
Saturday morning, children’s games, arts and
crafts, and yummy food. Visit yourplaceinthemountains.com
for more info.
You do not have to be a bibliophile to
have an epic adventure at the 14th Annual
Arkansas Literary Festival (Apr. 27-30). At
this always-interesting festival, I have heard
serious talks by great scholars, laughed until
my sides hurt listening to Harrison Scott Key
read and tell stories about his dad, had impromptu
discussions with perfect strangers,
happened upon a pack of canine fans at The
Dogist’s reading, and enjoyed a smorgasboard
of unanticipated characters and happenings.
Located at various venues in downtown Little
Rock’s River Market, getting from point A to
point B can be as equally entertaining as the
destination at this festival that attracts a wide
variety of patrons. Visit arkansasliteraryfestival.
org for more info.
One day a year, you don’t have to teleport
to a street vendor in New York to buy an authentic
knish. The Jewish Food and Cultural
Festival (Apr. 30) at War Memorial Stadium in
Little Rock hopes more than 15,000 visitors will
enjoy traditional Jewish foods such as cabbage
rolls, blintzes, kugel, rugelach, babka, and
challah and learn about Jewish and Israeli culture.
Festival goers can leave a note or prayer
at a replica of the Western Wall or get answers
at the popular Ask-the-Rabbi booth. Judaica,
jewelry, and hand-crafted gifts will be for sale.
Kids can play on the field and inflatables while
adults enjoy contemporary and traditional
Jewish music by local and regional musicians.
Visit jewisharkansas.org/ for more info.
MAY
Did you know a city not so far away pays
tribute yearly to what is surely the state’s top
roadkill? I am both charmed and grossed out.
And ridiculously curious. The 47th Annual
World Famous Armadillo Festival (May 6) is
held in the city square of Hamburg (near El Dorado)
and lures visitors with street food, armadillo
races, arts and crafts, antiques, National
Historic Register churches and architecture
dating to the Civil War, and an old-fashioned
ice cream shop.Visit hamburgark.com for
more info.
JUNE
No Arkansas festival list worth its ink could
not mention the 61st Bradley County Pink
Tomato Festival (June 9-10) held in the town
square of Warren. Proclaimed the oldest continuous
running festival in Arkansas, it pays
homage to the Bradley County Pink Tomato,
which was designated the state’s official fruit
and vegetable by the Arkansas Legislature in
1987. The festival also boasts a parade of course,
the Pink Tomato Beauty Pageants, an All-Tomato
Luncheon, and evening street dance that is
said to be quite a party. There’s also an arts and
crafts show, tomato eating contest, 5K, and Pink
Tomato golf tournament. I went a few years
ago and sadly left without a case of tomatoes,
they went faster than hot cakes. My friend who
had just moved here from Iowa went with me
to get a taste of Arkansas culture and won the
quilt raffle, a treasured prize made each year by
the quilting guild, and was featured in the local
paper. She has loved our state dearly ever since.
Visit pinktomatofestival.com for more info.
The 28th Annual PurpleHull Pea Festival
& World Championship Rotary Tiller
Race (June 24) in Emerson (near Magnolia)
bills itself as “a small-town festival with a oneof-a-kind
world championship sporting event,
with the world’s fastest garden tillers.” On this
one Saturday a year the town of 368 grows by
bushels and pecks to accommodate throngs of
curious bean-hungry folk come to watch the
Million Tiller Parade, The World Cup PurpleHull
Pea Shelling Competition, the Pea-Stompin’
Street Dance, and to acquire one-of-kind Peashirts,
Who knew legumes and garden tools
could incite such frenzy? Visit purphehull.com
for more info. MM
Robyn D. Rektor is an avid
festival goer, writer, and
writing teacher for the University of Phoenix.
Try a new festival in 2017 and tell all about it
at rdr0119@icloud.com.
MISS NOMA
She was the first one
To think I was someone
To recognize what I could be
Standing beside me
When others denied me
She brought out the poet in me
She lifted the darkness from me
And gave me a reason to be
My lonely nights ending
My broken heart mending
She brought out the poet in me
HAIKU
– Carrol Crolley
Jacksonville, AR
infinity cards
like the faces in stacked decks
people’s hidden selves
--Todd Hanks
Fayetteville, AR
Reaping the Rhythms
Harding Stedler
Poet, Poetry Editor
FOR ALL THINGS LONG
Winter: pass me by
this year.
Nothing you could bring—
snow or ice or arctic winds—
would interest me
whatsoever.
As a sun worshipper,
I long for warm days…
and leaves…
and tulips in full bloom.
I long for westerly breezes
and bluebirds nesting
outside my windows.
I yearn for long days
and gentle rains
and poems adrift
on morning’s sunrise.
--Harding Stedler
Maumelle, AR
TEXAS HILL COUNTRY
In the Texas hills, near the Llano River,
migrating Monarchs illume the horizon
in rainbow glow. Wings flutter skyward
as dazzling saffron kites while browncrusted
moths cling like Velcro to tree bark.
Autumn means letting go.
Waning scents of summer grass,
the last strawberry, the absence
of feathered warblers, all remind me
to take that solitary walk behind my cabin.
This is the moment to hear the silence.
In one last breath, a sudden wind gust
tangles sweet brambles near a cluster
of collared mushrooms.
This crowning summer song sighs,
for it is autumn.
--Rita Goodgame
Little Rock, AR
The poetry of Harding Stedler written during the past half century
has been governed by two definitions coined by him during different
periods of his writing career:
1. Poetry is the invisible heartbeat of a people kept young by dreaming.
~and~
2. The ultimate test of poetry is the degree to which it approximates music.
www.MauMag.com
17

Mumps Outbreak Highlights Importance of Vaccines
Jose Romero, MD, FAAP
Section Chief of Pediatric Infectious Disease at Arkansas Children’s Hospital
Professor of Pediatrics at UAMS
Why Choose a Dentist For
Botox and Dermal Fillers
By Dr. Bryan Austin
January/February 2017
18
Here’s the takeaway from the
ongoing mumps outbreak in
Northwest Arkansas: Children
MUST be vaccinated against
communicable diseases.
We have been blessed in this country to
rarely see diseases like mumps. I’ve seen just a
handful of cases in the United States during my
time as a pediatrician
We live in a country where these diseases
don’t happen frequently. Families forget that
they can be life-threatening because they
haven’t heard about them in ages
But mumps is not just swollen jowls and a
fever. This is a disease that has serious consequences
like meningoencephalitis and deafness.
The good news is that this isn’t out of our
control. Ensuring children have received the
MMR vaccine (measles, mumps and rubella) is
the very best thing parents can do to protect
their kids.
Make sure your child is fully immunized
by following the CDC’s recommended vaccine
schedule.
We want toddlers to receive the first dose of
the MMR between a 12 and 15 months of age.
Pre-schoolers should receive an MMR booster
between 4 and 6 years old.
There’s a lot of conversation among parents
about pursing an alternative vaccine schedules
for their children. Don’t take the bait. Vaccine
schedules should not be staggered or altered.
The CDC-recommended vaccine schedule
has been researched – time and time again –
and proven to be safe and effective. By delaying,
you may be putting your son or daughter
at greater risk for mumps and other communicable
diseases.
I know parents have a questions about
mumps and the vaccine. I hope this info can
help:
How is Arkansas Children’s
protecting patients?
To protect patients we must first protect
their physicians, nurses and other care providers.
Here at Arkansas Children’s, we have verified
MMR status for all of our staff. We also ensure
that we have equipment on hand like special
masks that reduce the risk of transmission.
Of course, we could never stress good hand
hygiene enough. Wash hands thoroughly with
soap and water to prevent outbreaks of all illnesses.
But get the vaccine on time first and
foremost!
What should I do if my child isn’t old
enough to receive the MMR yet?
Families with children under a year of age
should be aware of any exposure their child
might have had to mumps. They should report
those to their pediatrician ASAP. Their
pediatrician can recommend any preventive
measures that might be appropriate in those
situations. This is why herd immunity is crucial.
We have to protect little ones who haven’t had
the vaccine yet or are immune-compromised.
How do I know if my child
is at risk for mumps?
First, were they exposed to someone else
who had it? If so, take note of the following
symptoms:
o Fever that lasts longer than three days
o Headache
o Tiredness
o Muscle aches
o Loss of appetite
o Respiratory symptoms
o Swollen salivary glands,
swollen face and/or jaw
My child has been vaccinated. Should
I be worried?
The vaccine is considered to be 88 percent
effective when someone has had both the
initial and second dose. We know, of course,
that nothing is 100 percent effective. But this is
our best line of defense. Parents who have vaccinated
their children should rest assured they
have done everything they can to keep their
family safe.
Why do people choose not to vaccinate?
My experience has been that it’s primarily
one of concern on a parent’s part. They’re worried
about giving something to their child that
could cause harm. That means their concern is
in the right place.
When I talk to them, I point out that vaccines
have been studied extensively – and
more so the MMR because of the alleged and
now to put to rest association with autism.
We know, without a doubt, that the MMR
doesn’t cause autism. That vaccine has been
very well studied. It’s very safe. It prevents
the disease. Most times in my experience,
when you explain this to parents, they understand
the benefits and decide to vaccinate.
What about exemptions?
There is only one good reason for an exemption:
Your child’s pediatrician has said that
he or she has a medical contraindication to the
vaccine. Those are very rare situations. Virtually
everyone else should get the MMR. Period. MM
Jose Romero, MD, FAAP
Section Chief of Pediatric
Infectious Disease at
Arkansas Children’s Hospital
Professor of Pediatrics at UAMS
Well, it’s the beginning
of 2017 and those
New Year’s resolutions.
Most of those
resolutions include
looking better, feeling better, doing better
or not doing something ever again… Let’s
talk about looking better and feeling better.
Botox and dermal fillers are the two fastest
growing cosmetic treatments over the
last decade. The dollar amount exceeds the
combined amount spent on breast implants
and liposuction. In this uncertain economy
these procedures are popular because people
want to look better with options that are
more affordable and less radical than surgery.
Botox is typically used as a muscle relaxer
that reduces or stops the contraction of
a muscle. Cosmetically, this process is great
because if a muscle does not contract then
wrinkles are not placed in the overlying
tissue. It is typically used on the forehead,
between the eyes, on the corner of the eyes
and around the lips to prevent wrinkles. In
the dental office, it is also used to treat TMJ
and prevent gummy smiles where too much
gum tissue is shown while smiling.
Dermal fillers such as Juvederm and
Radiesse are used under the tissue to “fill in”
deeper lines and smooth out wrinkles. It can
also be used to fill in large concavities and
lift sagging facial tissue. One of the most
popular uses of dermal fillers is to enhance
the lips. It is also used to fill in the nasolabial
lines between the nose and the corner of
the mouth and the marionette lines below
the corner of the mouth.
So, why should you choose a dentist
to perform your Botox and dermal filler injections?
One of the main reasons is that
dentists have the ability to perform these
treatments in a completely painless manner
with dental injections to numb the area
before treatment. I know some of you are
reading this and can remember having your
lips done and the pain associated with the
injections. I hear all the time from patients
that they would never go back if they had to
experience the pain again. They are pleasantly
surprised when they find out how easy
and painless it is with dental injections.
Dentists also have a vast training in the
head and neck area and a comprehensive
knowledge of the facial muscle expression
and dynamics. Dentists have always paid attention
to the lips and facial muscles while
doing veneers, orthodontics, dentures and
other complicated prosthetics. Why would
a dentist want to deliver a beautiful set of
porcelain veneers that are framed by thin
wrinkled lips, creased marionette lines and
down turned corners of the mouth? We
now have the ability to correct all aspects
of the beautification process. Dentists consider
the teeth proportions and the smile
line before augmentation to achieve ideal
results. Dentists have been giving injections
their entire career and are very used
to syringes and procedures of injections.
And, the dentist always gives the injections
in a dental office. You always know a well
trained doctor will be giving the injections.
Another reason to choose a dentist for
these cosmetic procedures is convenience.
Most procedures last around four to six
months. It’s very convenient to have a Botox
or dermal filler every six months when
you come in for your cleaning appointment.
It usually only takes a few minutes for most
procedures and you can walk out with clean
teeth and a little extra beautification. On a
funny note, I’m shocked at the number of
wives that never tell their husbands that
they had any of the procedures done and
they just went to a dental appointment. I
can’t believe that the husbands never know,
but that’s a whole different topic…
Currently only about twenty percent
of dentists have extensive training in these
procedures and have decided to offer them
in their practices. So, call your local dentist
to see if you can enjoy all the comfort and
convenience of Botox and dermal fillers at a
place that you are already familiar with. MM
r. Bryan Austin graduated from Magnolia High School, University of
D Central Arkansas, and obtained his Doctorate of Dental Surgery degree
at Baylor College of Dentistry. He attends church at New Life. He has a wonderful
son Gene. His hobbies are numerous and include hunting, fishing, travel and
golfing. He also plays lead guitar in a band, and he loves to fly airplanes. He
belongs to the American Dental Association, Academy of General Dentistry, Central
District Dental Society, Pulaski Dental Learning Society, Dental Organization for
Conscious Sedation, and the International Academy of Facial Aesthetics.
www.MauMag.com
19

Is Our Healthy Food Starving Us?
By Christie Brooks, MS, RD, LD
Registered Dietitian, CrossFit Trainer, Essential Oils Educator
Why Weight Lifestyle Program - www.WhyWeightLifestsyle.com
Are you in PAIN?
Living with Arthritis, Fibromyalgia,
Headaches or Back Pain?
Soil is our foundation for nutrition
security… our health. In
the United States and throughout
the world, there is a widespread lack
of adequate nutrients in our agricultural soils
in which food is grown and harvested. In the
last 50-80 years, the destruction of our topsoil
has been due to overuse of inorganic fertilizers,
erosion, and farming practices that deplete soil
nutrients (according to the non-profit Nutrition
Security Institute). Exhausted soil depleted of
needed minerals and organic matter cannot
grow nutrient rich food.
SERVICES
January/February 2017
20
It is very critical that the human body has
nutrients to stay healthy. It’s NOT just calories
in vs calories out. Our body pathways function
off of nutrients and vitamins. With the soil being
in the current state it’s in, this compromises
our body’s biochemical processes, even if we
eat 100% all organic everything. Most Americans
lack the minerals calcium, magnesium,
potassium, and the vitamins A, C, D, and E. In
fact, the minerals may be more vital to physical
and mental health than vitamins. If minerals
are lacking in our food, vitamins are of no use
because vitamins (and enzymes) need minerals
for them to work in our bodies. This means that
vitamin supplements would be of no use unless
we also have adequate minerals.
1) Here’s just one example of how our soil
quality is decreasing (Source: Japan Standardized
Ingredients List):
Amounts of Vitamin C in 100 g
of Spinach
1950 = 150 mg
1963 = 100 mg
1982 = 063 mg
1994 = 013 mg
That’s almost a 90% drop in quality!
2) Here’s another study from 1992 Earth
Summit Statistics: 1992 Earth Summit Report
indicate that the mineral content of
the world’s farm and range land soil has
decreased dramatically.
Percentage of Mineral Depletion
from Soil During the Past 100 Years,
By Continent:
North America 85%
South America 76%
Asia 76%
Africa 74%
Europe 72%
Australia 55%
_________________________________
NOTE how America
_________________________________
compares to everyone else
So what are we to do with our eroding
topsoil, overuse of inorganic fertilizers, and
farming practices that deplete soil nutrients?
While research is being done or policies
are being fought for to take a stand against
toxic fertilizers, it is up to us to take charge of
our health. Go to your local health food store
and purchase a food-based or highest quality
mineral supplement. They typically come in a
liquid form and are not appealing to the taste
buds but they can be disguised by adding them
to orange juice. I personally use Young Living’s
Mineral Essence. Once you start on mineral
supplementation, then start a food-based high
quality multi-vitamin from your local health
food store.
It’s not just calories in, it’s the vital pieces of
all human biochemistry for your health… the
minerals. MM
C
hristie Brooks is a Registered Dietitian and a CrossFit Level 1
Trainer. She and her family live in Searcy. She has taught at
Harding University, worked at several hospitals, a dialysis clinic, and a
gym. She has also worked under a childhood obesity grant, diabetes and
HIV clinics, and has owned a restaurant.
She started the Why Weight Lifestyle Program, which is comprised of
an individualized meal plan and weekly one-hour consults targeting hormone
balancing, detoxing, clean eating, exercise, and disease prevention.
More info can be found at www.WhyWeightLifestyle.com and www.
facebook.com/WhyWeightLifestyle. Email: christiebrooksrd@gmail.com
Dr. Tray Fowler, D.C.
Kyle L. Skinner D.C. , C.C.S.P.
www.skinnerchiropractic.com
• Chiropractic
• Massage Therapy
• Spinal Decompression
Therapy
• Acupuncture
• Cold Laser Therapy
TWO LOCATIONS
103 Park Drive
Maumelle
501.851.6685
663 Highway 365
Mayflower
501.470.9855
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21

January/February 2017
22
Happy New Year!!! I truly hope all
What exactly do I mean the year of
of you had a wonderful 2016 and
are ready to make 2017 the year of It.
“It.” It can be whatever you want; the
year of getting healthy, the year of gratitude, the
year of forgiveness, the year of happiness, etc.
Year in, year out people make New Year’s
resolutions to only find themselves three weeks
into the new year abandoning them. It’s too
hard, it’s too overwhelming, it’s too…well you
fill in the blank. Let’s change that this year and
make 2017 the most successful year yet. Here
are some steps on how to do that.
Start somewhere.
Begin by writing down what you want to
accomplish in 2017 then rank them from most
important to least important. Also, be specific
with each resolution. For example, if you want
to get healthier this year then ask yourself what
changes do I need to make to be healthier.
Some changes you could make would be to
stop drinking soft drinks, drink more water, exercise
3-5 days a week. Begin by changing one
thing at a time and after you have accomplished
it then move to the next. Don’t try to change
too much at once. This is when you will get
overwhelmed, throw in the towel, grab a spoon
and dive into a pint of Ben and Jerry’s.
“The secret of getting ahead is getting started.”
– Mark Twain
So, you failed. Are you going
to give up just like that?
Think on this…A failure is just a re-direction
to the right way. You will fail at some point or
another, that’s a given. Honestly, it’s how you
become a stronger person. If you always succeeded
in everything you did you wouldn’t
know how to work hard and appreciate what
you have accomplished, you’d just take everything
for granted. If you fail or fall off the wagon,
re-evaluate what happened. Is there something
you could’ve changed? What could you
have done to be more prepared for the situation
2017 The Year of It
By Kathy Wheeler
or occasion? Who can you enlist to help you get
through a tough time? Get back up, learn from
your mistake and make adjustments. You are
stronger than you realize!
“The secret of Life, though, is to fall seven times
and to get up eight times.” – Paulo Coelho
Step outside your box.
Yes, it’s safe inside your box, it’s where you
are the most comfortable. However, did you
realize that your box is holding you back from
achieving your dreams, growing as an individual,
and accomplishing your goals? By stepping
outside your box, you will see the world in a different
way. You will learn new things, meet new
people and finally become the person you were
always meant to be. When you grow, you have
more to offer others and you get back more
from them. Of course, it takes courage but you
can do it. But once again, start small.
“You will never change your life until you
change something you do daily. The secret to
your success is found in your daily routine.”
–John C. Maxwell
Stop comparing yourself to others.
The tendency to compare ourselves to
others is as human as any other emotion and
is a decision that only steals joy from your life.
Your gifts, talents, success, contributions and
value are all unique to you and your purpose
in this world and they can never be compared
to others. Strive to be the best version
of yourself, not only for your own self but for
the benefit and contribution you can offer
others. Commit to growing a little each day
by taking care of yourself physically, emotionally
and spiritually.
“Comparison is the thief of joy.”
– Theodore Roosevelt
Road Blocks.
We all face tough and difficult challenges
in life. Yet, to overcome these challenges you
need to develop a “never quit” attitude. Motivate
yourself and say “YES I CAN.” Here are some
other methods to overcoming challenges:
1. Build a team. Find friends or family to work
together with you to drive your life forward.
Get an accountability partner that you
check in with to monitor your progress.
2. Focus on the positive. Your brain has a
natural inclination to focus on the negative.
Instead, make a conscious effort every single
day to focus on the positive and what is
right about the world around you. Find reasons
to appreciate everything around you
and before too long you will begin to notice
that you are a much happier person.
3. Exercise. For at least three times a week,
do some sort of physical exercise. This has
been shown to improve habits in all areas
of your life and improve your overall selfconfidence.
It will also give you the energy
to overcome the life challenges you might
be facing.
“One of the secrets of life is to make stepping
stones out of stumbling blocks.” - Jack Penn
To establish true and lasting changes a
change of mind is necessary. Changes will not
happen overnight but if practiced daily true
change will happen.
“All our dreams can come true-if we have the
courage to pursue them.” – Walt Disney MM
Kathy Wheeler is a nationally
certified personal trainer
with over 10 years experience who works for
10 Fitness-Maumelle. She is an ACE-certified
Personal Fitness Trainer, Cooper Institute
Master Fitness Specialist, IDEA Professional
Member, SCW Yoga and mat Pilates certified
and CPR/AED certified. To learn more about
personal training call 501-519-1746.
We’ve been here before.
The New Year rolls around
with all its possibilities and
opportunities to start fresh,
including getting fit. We
buy a gym membership and are there bright
and early to start a new, healthy year.
Unfortunately, by the time Valentine’s
Day candy hits the grocery store shelves in
late January, that plan is often abandoned.
Committing to a fitness goal is a great New
Year’s resolution, but committing to it for the
long haul is a common problem.
So, how do we make it stick?
1. Set realistic goals.
Make sure to set a goal you’re confident
you can reach. Focus on fitness and health
and not on weight loss alone. Yes, looking
good provides a great feeling, but feeling
good because of increased stamina or lowered
blood pressure is much better.
The goal I notice my clients meet first
is usually the loss of inches or gains in energy
and strength. Those outcomes show
what the scale sometimes does not: Positive
changes in your body. Make a list of the
health improvements that would make you
feel better and start there. Weight loss is usually
a side effect of dedication, so start small
and get dedicated to win big!
8 Ways to Make Your Fitness
New Year’s Resolution Work
By Natalie Cannady
Fitness Center Manager
University of Arkansas for Medical Sciences
2. Practice positive self-talk.
Negative thoughts can be draining and
keep you from meeting your goals. Each time
you have a negative thought about something
you are striving for, take a deep breath
and tell yourself something positive you have
achieved in your fitness journey.
3. Find something you enjoy.
If you’re not a gym person, find a program
or regimen you can complete at home.
The Internet has many easy programs that
require little to no equipment. If you like to
dance, try Zumba. If you like to stretch and
strengthen, try a yoga class. If outdoors is
more your style, hit the walking and hiking
trails the Natural State has to offer. Make sure
you’re striving to be active at least three times
a week.
4. Consider hiring a personal trainer.
Many still prefer a classic gym setting. A
personal trainer will get you on the right track
and teach you the proper ways to lift and
work out. This might also help you navigate
the larger crowds at the beginning of the
year. Some gym memberships come with a
free personal training program.
5. Change up your workout.
If you’d rather go it alone, make sure your
workout is varied. You’ll want to skip weightlifting
with the same muscles every day and
allow 48 hours of rest. This lets the muscle
groups tear down and heal back before another
concentrated workout.
Sometimes women are less than enthusiastic
about lifting weights because
they’re afraid it will make them look bulky.
Don’t believe the myth. Women benefit
greatly from lifting weights, including increased
strength, energy and bone density.
6. Don’t forget nutrition.
When beginning a new workout routine,
nutrition is key. It’s like Frank Sinatra sang in
“Love and Marriage,” you can’t have one without
the other.
New research from the American College
of Sports Medicine shows you need protein
before and during a workout to help you
refuel and start the healing process sooner.
Make sure your meals are diverse and balanced.
Try www.choosemyplate.gov. It helps
you decide how you should eat based on
your age and activity level.
7. Give yourself permission to rest
(and even cheat).
Cheat and rest days are important. Rest
gives your body the opportunity to recuperate
and come back stronger. Those who don’t
use rest properly are prone to injury and less
likely to meet their goals. Allowing yourself to
have a snack or dessert you consider a cheat
every now and then can keep you from going
off the deep end.
8. Have faith in the process.
No matter what path you take to a
healthier lifestyle, with the right mindset,
you will succeed. Remember: Change comes
from change! MM
Natalie Cannady
Fitness Center Manager
University of Arkansas
for Medical Sciences
www.MauMag.com
23

January/February 2017
24
Let me introduce myself; My
name is Leigh, I am a Mum to
five beautiful children, a wife to an
amazing man and a photographer
by trade. We moved here to Maumelle Arkansas
around a year ago from our native country
Wales, United Kingdom. I was astounded by
how welcoming and kind the people of Maumelle
were.
Bringing up children I’m always aware
of my surroundings and any outside influences.
I see so many people today trying to be
something they’re not. We seemed to be conditioned
to be as close to the media’s version
of ‘beautiful’ as we possibly can, regardless of
how unrealistic that may be. We are harming
our own selves by striving for this perceived
perfection and comparing ourselves to images
that are mostly created by computer and
are completely unobtainable. I don’t want my
children growing up with low self-esteem; I
don’t want my children feeling they’re inadequate.
I want them to feel comfortable in
their own skin, I want them and others to love
themselves just the way they are.
I decided to try and do something about
it, to try and make a difference, Even if I was
to only reach a handful of people. I want to
give my children a good example of how we
should behave and how we shouldn’t judge
people by the standards spoon fed to us by
the media.
I came up with an idea; The Love Yourself
Project. The idea was to get a few people to
come forward and share their stories, to let
others know that they aren’t alone in their
struggles. After receiving each persons’ testimony’s
we arranged a date to meet up. I styled
their hair, I applied their makeup and we went
for a photo-shoot. The idea was to raise awareness
of the growing problem of people being
bullied, becoming depressed and just not feeling
like they’re enough. I also wanted to make
my volunteers feel beautiful, I wanted them
to have a positive enjoyable experience. My
aim was to show each person just how beautiful
they are! I wanted them to be able to look
Love Yourself
Submitted by Leigh Gough
Photography by Leigh Gough,
Professional Photographer
back at their photographs and be reminded of
how beautiful they are.
The day went incredibly well, we had
such a great variety of people. We talked and
laughed, a lot!
Isn’t it funny how we may hear many,
many great things about ourselves yet the
one thing our mind seems to keep going back
to is that one ‘throw away comment’ or that
one negative thing someone has mad comment
on. We find it easier to believe the bad
stuff about ourselves rather than the good!
We need to change our way of thinking we
need to just be ourselves! One of the main
things that kept popping into my head when I
thinking about this project is that; we need to
just be ourselves. I decided to include a hash
tag to go with this project of ‘just be you’. We
are at our happiest when; we are just being
ourselves, when we are around people that
we can be ourselves around and we when are
valued for being who we are.
If you’re reading this and you’re feeling;
too fat, too thin, ugly, depressed, like your hair
is too thin or your nose is too big and any other
label society has imprinted on you. Please
know that you are not alone, you are beautiful.
Beautiful isn’t a one size fits all, beautiful is you
being you and accepting and loving you for
who you truly are.
If this article has made you feel happy
or good at all I ask of you to share the love,
share the article with as many people as you
can. Take a selfie and hashtag it ‘Just Be You’
and perhaps most importantly; please take
time to compliment people. Even if you have
never seen them before and may never see
them again….You never know what a passing
comment of ‘ excuse me I just had to tell
you I think you look beautiful’ could do for
someone’s day!
I am very proud of you Sandy, Fatima,
Matti, Shelly and Parker for sharing your amazing
stories and being a part of this project. You
are all beautiful from your very core which radiates
outwards for all to see! Keep being you,
keep being beautiful!
Fati Kamara
Tell me a little about yourself. What happened
to knock your self- image?
My name is Fati Kamara, I was born in West
Africa Sierra Leone, I am married to wonderful
God fearing husband, and the Lord has blessed
me with three Beautiful Children. I moved
to the States when I was 16 years old, went
through High school and college in New Jersey,
but am currently living in Arkansas. At age two
I was diagnosed with Polio, in my left leg, which
causes me to limp when I walk. That is one of
the worst news any mother will want to hear
for their children. Growing up in Africa with a
single Mother, is tough on its own, harder being
disabled. Life was great for us in the beginning
when my father was home, but things drastically
changed when my parents got divorced.
I went from been going to school in a private
car by my father’s driver, to walking on those
rocky roads to school. Other kids were so cruel
to me. I had to quickly learn how to speak up for
myself, and with God on my side, he had a way
to comfort me during those trying times. Other
children will call me names, mock me, some will
even push me to the ground, knowing that I
couldn’t fight back. There were days I didn’t look
forward to school. It affected my confidence,
self-esteem, and I always wanted to hide from
people. It has been long journey for me, But
God has been faithful, he has taught me how
to depend on him for strength and courage.
What made you want to be part of this project?
What motivated me to be part of this project
is very simple. I want people with or without
Disability to hear my story, to be inspired and
live their lives knowing that God is able to see
you through in any situation or condition we
find ourselves. I want people to know that we
have so much more strength in us than we realize,
we just need to focus less on our problems,
condition, situation and be more grateful for
the victories, and trials we have overcome.
Matti Grace
Tell me a little about yourself. What happened
to knock your self-image?
In Elementary school is where the bullying
started, I have a condition called Ptosis that
causes my eyes to droop. In middle school,
when I moved schools for a year is when it really
hit and a lot of people were constantly picking
on me to the point where I didn’t even want to
go anymore, I eventually moved back to Mayflower
and joined the cheer team. Last year I
walked in on a small group of girls discussing my
weight and how I’m too fat to be a flyer on the
cheer team. I weigh 113lbs and I’m 4’8” to put
that in perspective. I wanted to quit but I know I
couldn’t let anything get to me or else they win.
What made you want to be a part of this project?
I wanted to be a part of this project because
I know how much it hurts to be bullied and how
much words can hurt. I want to spread the word
and let others know to stand up for others and
yourself, you are much strong than they will
ever be.
What is the worst thing that has ever been said or
done to make you feel bad?
The worst thing anyone has ever done
that really hurt my feelings was when I was in
8th grade somebody came up to me and made
«Chinese» eyes at me, making fun of how my
What is the worst thing that has even been said/
done to you to make you feel bad? Was it one defining
moment or a collection of many?
The worst thing that has ever been said to
me, was when my family members would say
nothing good will never come out of me because
am disabled. These are people I looked up
to for support, encouragement and reassurance.
Would you like to say anything to the people that
made you feel bad? What would you say and why?
I would like to say thanks to those people
who said nothing good will come from me in life,
because there words helped remember God’s
promises for my life. God said in Jeremiah 29;11.
For I know the Plans I have for you says the Lord,
they are Plans of good and not of evil, to give
you future, and hope. So yes I want to say a big
thanks to those people who have said or done
bad things to me in the past and the present.
What do you think is to blame for the huge
amount of people with low self-esteem?
Well, in my case, I will say myself and then
society. The reason why I said myself, is because
eyes droop. I came home crying and it hurt my
feelings really bad.
What would you like to say to the people who
have made you feel bad?
To everybody Who has made fun of me..
Thank you, you made me the strong kind hearted
person I am today.. Because of you I want to
lift others up instead of bringing them down.
What do you think is to blame for low self-esteem?
I guess the blame would be mostly on how
their home life would be.. If they have a bad
I allowed those people to make me feel the way I
felt, I have control over my feelings. I control 90%
of how I feel, but I can’t control the 10% of what
others think or feel about me. We have to be in
control of our emotions and to not allow the
negative words spoken to us by others to limit us.
If you could go back in time and give yourself
some advice and support, what Would you say
and or do?
If I could go back in time, I would advise
myself to be in control of my emotion, encourage
myself in the Lord, focus on positive
things, surround myself with positive and
prayerful people.
Thank you Leigh for giving me the opportunity
to be part of this project, i pray it
blesses others.
home life that nobody knows about then maybe
to make themselves feel better they need to
bring others down.. But I can assure bullying is
not the answer.
If you could go back and time and give yourself
some advice and support what would you say
or do?
If I could go back and give myself advice I
would probably tell myself what others think of
you doesn’t define who you are, you know exactly
who you are inside and out and you are a
much better person than they ever will be.
Continued on page 26>
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January/February 2017
26
Love yourself continued from page 25>
Tell me a little about yourself. What happened
to knock your self- image?
I started having medical issues with my ankles
and knees around 2008. Since then I have
had 6 surgeries between both feet (2 on my left
foot and 4 on the right foot) and 3 surgeries on
my knees resulting in total knee replacement
in both knees. Then I developed fibromyalgia.
Most people don’t realize how debilitating this
disease can be. After waiting 3 years from filing
date I was finally approved for disability.
What made you want to be part of this project?
I may post photos of myself with friends,
family or my husband’s Corvette, but I never feel
like I look good! I have gained 50 pounds since
September 2011 and haven’t been able to lose
any weight. My self-esteem is pretty low and I
go through bouts of depression.
THERE ARE DAYS THAT
FIBROMYALGIA KEEPS ME
FROM GETTING OUT OF
BED IN THE MORNING, OR
THE EVENINGS THAT I HURT
SO BAD THAT I CAN HARDLY
STAND IT BECAUSE I OVER
DID IT EARLIER THAT DAY.
Sandy
What is the worst thing that has even been said/
done to you to make you feel bad? Was it one defining
moment or a collection of many?
This is a hard one for me to answer. But I
would say a collection of many. It started while
I was working. Once my body started failing
me, my last supervisor felt like I was putting
on an act. Even went as far as to tell another
employee she didn’t care what medical issues
I reported, After I had been diagnosed with fibromyalgia.
She would also make comments
about my clothing to others behind my back,
such as, “I can’t believe she is wearing that”, or,
“Did you see what Sandy is wearing today?”
Nowadays there are many days that just looking
at me you can’t tell that I am disabled. I
have had people stare at me sometimes when
I walk in a store and get an electric cart (on
my bad days). You know they are thinking,
“Why is she in a handicapped electric cart”?
There are days that fibromyalgia keeps me
from getting out of bed in the morning, or the
evenings that I hurt so bad that I can hardly
stand it because I over did it earlier that day.
My self-esteem has been really low for a while
now. My budget isn’t anywhere near what it
was when I was working so I get depressed
when I can’t do financially what I was once able
to do. I feel like I look like an old woman trying
to look young a lot of times. (I will be 60 in
November) I need to update my wardrobe to
clothes that compliment me better instead of
clothes that show how overweight I am and are
a bit outdated. Even with having silver sneakers
through my insurance, I can’t make myself
go to a gym because I am so self-conscience of
my appearance. I used to get out more often,
but now I am getting to where I would rather
stay home and sleep. I do look forward to the
occasional trip out with hubby in his Corvette,
but sometimes I pay for it later as I am limited
on how much walking/standing I can do once
we get to our destination. You see, if I am on my
feet for more than 15 minutes my ankles start
hurting and start swelling, 30-45 minutes of
not moving constantly the knees start hurting
as well, meanwhile if I am stationary too long,
my back really starts hurting in addition to the
knees and ankles because fibromyalgia is really
kicking in by then and I am in pain from my
shoulder blades to my feet. Then I start walking
all bent over like an old woman. Or if I sit too
long I have difficulty getting up and moving
around. Usually after a day of a lot of activity, I
am laid up for at least a day because my ankles
are so swollen, my knees are tight and the rest
of my body hurts so bad I can hardly move at all.
Of course, after resting for a day, my knees are
stiff and killing me cause I didn’t move around
enough and my back still feels like I have a
pinched nerve! Did I mention I also have arthritis
throughout my body. Done areas are worse
than others. But I consider myself one of the
lucky ones. There are so many people out there
with worse disabilities than I that I am embarrassed
to even complain or to tell others. Plus
there are those with worse disabilities that manage
to get up every day and get out and quite a
few of them can even hold down jobs.
Would you like to say anything to the people that
made you feel bad? What would you say and why?
Never judge someone unless you’ve walked
in their shoes. You really don’t know what they
have been through. Like me at times, they may
look good on the outside, but inside they are
screaming in pain or even worse, depression.
What do you think is to blame for the huge amount
of people with low self-esteem?
Too many people are too quick to judge.
Too many people have forgotten how to be nice
to others. You should never judge a book by
its cover! Compliments can be given to others
without someone feeling you’re making a pass
or “being too friendly.” You could be making
someone smile and helped their self- esteem.
If you could go back in time and give yourself
some advice and support, what would you say
and or do?
Be good to your body. Exercise regularly, eat
right, work where you love what you do and feel
appreciated, and can make good money and
remember to take time to play some too. And
always try to smile as a smile can be infectious!
You never know who I needing that smile! And
always remember, life is a gift!
Shelly Mollette
BSN, RN - CVOR-Heart Team
Arkansas Children’s Hospital
Tell me a little about yourself. What happened
to knock your self-image?
I am a married mom of two. I was born in
the 1970’s to a teenage mom who never told
anyone about her pregnancy & due to lack of
prenatal care, I suffered a stroke in utero. When I
was born Drs said I’d never walk, I have a lazy left
eye that I’m really self-conscious about. I’ve also
had weight issues my whole life. Not super big,
but 160-170. In Jan 2015, I decided to change
& cut my portions, eat less carbs & eventually
began running. I just completed the NYC marathon.
Although I’m smaller now at 128, I still
struggle mentally with every bite that goes in
my mouth. Today a co-worker said something
to the effect of “yeah she’s small, but she’s got
some meat on her thighs & hips.” At my size I
shouldn’t care but it crushed me. Back in high
school, I was told I was so tiny on top, but if my
legs were skinny, I could “almost” model….
What made you want to be part of this project?
I think projects like these, such as the
recent Dove campaign, are very important!
Most importantly, for young pre-teen and
teenage girls who begin to face the struggle
of self-image in today’s society, but also for
us women of all ages. We’ve all faced image
struggles and project’s like this can begin
the break down the preconceived notions of
what we should look like and help us to love
our own selves more than we have in the past.
What is the worst thing that has even been said/
done to you to make you feel bad? Was it one defining
moment or a collection of many?
I mentioned a couple of the many comments
I’ve heard before in my statement above,
but it was never one moment, rather a collection
of many. However, all of the comments or
so called back-handed compliments stand out
in my memory very vividly. It is more an everyday
feeling of not being pretty enough. I also
battle with the days or events when I have the
chance to dress up and look cute, but once at
the event, I feel discouraged and like there are
always more beautiful women who are thinner,
have better clothes, makeup, hairstyles, etc…
Would you like to say anything to the people that
made you feel bad? What would you say and why?
I don’t think saying anything to these
people would accomplish anything, however
I wish I’d told them at the time that their comments
hurt me. I think the best solution is to
try and reverse the emotional and mental
damage done and educate our children, boys
and girls alike, how words can affect people
throughout their lives.
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What do you think is to blame for the huge
amount of people with low self-esteem?
I’d like to blame the media and culture
for the low self-esteem movement that currently
exists from the magazine ads, movies
and general way society sexualizes and
expects women/girls to look. However, I
think the bigger issue is teaching and practicing
humility, decency and kindness to
our children and in our lives. I think it’s
easier to blame the media and television,
but I don’t feel it’s the root of this problem.
If you could go back in time and give yourself
some advice and support, what would you say
and or do?
If I could go back in time, I’d stand up
for myself more and be kinder to other girls
and women in my past. I’d be lying if I said I’d
never insulted someone else out of my own
jealousy or way of sticking in with the crowd.
I’d tell myself that insults, hurting someone
else and being part of the cool crowd is not
what really matters in life and won’t matter at
all one day, yet self-esteem and poor image
can last a lifetime. We as women need to encourage
and lift each other up! MM
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27

January/February 2017
28
Financial
The Biggest Risk To Sustainable Retirement Income
Despite what any of my prior
articles state, the biggest
obstacle to living a prosperous
and fulfilling retirement
is not poor investment returns,
low interest rates, higher taxes,
or volatility. It is the cost of long term care.
The Association for Long-Term Care Insurance provides
the following statistics.
Who Needs Long-Term Care?
Baby boomers started turning 65 in 2011 and the
number of older Americans will increase dramatically during
the 2010 to 2030 period. The older population in 2030
is projected to be twice as large as in 2000, growing from
35 million to 71.5 million. [Source: 2009 Long Term Care Insurance
Sourcebook, American Association for Long-Term
Care Insurance]
Between 2000 and 2040 the number of older adults
with disabilities will more than double, increasing from
about 10 million to 21 million. [Source: 2009 Long Term
Care Insurance Sourcebook, American Association for
Long-Term Care Insurance]
More that two-fifths (42%) of people age 65 and over
reported a functional limitation. Eighteen percent had difficulty
with 1-2 Activities of Daily Living. Five percent had
difficulty with 3 of 4 ADLs. And three percent had difficulty
with five to six ADLs. [Source: 2009 Long Term Care Insurance
Sourcebook, American Association for Long-Term
Care Insurance]
An estimated 10 million Americans needed longterm
care in 2000.
[ Rogers, S., & H. Komisar. Who needs long-term care?
Fact Sheet, Long-Term Care Financing Project. Washington,
DC: Georgetown University Press, 2003. ]
Most but not all persons in need of long-term care
are elderly. Approximately 63% are persons aged 65 and
older (6.3 million); the remaining 37% are 64 years of age
and younger (3.7 million). [ Rogers, S., & H. Komisar. Who
needs long-term care? Fact Sheet, Long-Term Care Financing
Project. Washington, DC: Georgetown University Press,
2003. ]
The lifetime probability of becoming disabled in at
least two activities of daily living or of being cognitively
impaired is 68% for people age 65 and older. [ AARP. Beyond
50.2003: A Report to the Nation on Independent
Living and Disability, 2003, (11 Jan 2005). ] By 2050, the
number of individuals using paid long-term care services
in any setting (e.g., at home, residential care such as assisted
living, or skilled nursing facilities) will likely double
from the 13 million using services in 2000, to 27 million
people. This estimate is influenced by growth in the population
of older people in need of care. [U.S. Department of
Health and Human Services, and U.S. Department of Labor.
The future supply of long-term care workers in relation
to the aging baby boom generation: Report to Congress.
Washington, DC: ] Of the older population with
long-term care needs in the community, about 30% (1.5
million persons) have substantial long-term care needs
(three or more ADL limitations). Of these, about 25% are
85 and older and 70% report they are in fair to poor health.
[The Henry J. Kaiser Foundation. Long-term Care: Medicaid’s
role and challenges [Publication #2172]. Washington,
DC: Author, 1999 ] 40% of the older population with longterm
care needs are poor or near poor (with incomes below
150% of the federal poverty level). [The Henry J. Kaiser
Foundation. Long-term Care: Medicaid’s role and challenges
[Publication #2172]. Washington, DC: Author, 1999 ]
If the potential for long term care expense is so high,
who pays for those expenses? Unless you deplete substantially
all of your current assets and qualify for Medicaid you
are responsible for the expenses associated with long term
care. Contrary to popular belief it is not a primary responsibility
of Medicare.
A variety of forms of private insurance are available
to cover the cost of long term care for those who qualify. It
is normally not possible to by long term care coverage after
symptoms start. 45% of people age 70 – 79 are turned
down when applying for coverage. Should you wish to plan
for this possibility I would suggest you look into coverage
as a part of the retirement income planning process.
For quick reference this is how Medicare covers long
term care expenses:
Skilled Nursing Facility (SNF)
You can receive care in a skilled nursing facility for a limited
number of days (Original Medicare helps pay costs for up
to 100 days in a benefit period) if your doctor decides that you
F
rank
By Frank Howell
require skilled care after a hospital stay. The facility must be
certified by Medicare. Skilled care means services are provided
by skilled nursing or rehabilitation staff, such as a nurse or
physical therapist.
Your Skilled Nursing Facility
Costs under Original Medicare
• $0 for the first 20 days of your stay and care
• 20% of your care costs (about $150/day in 2013) for
days 21 to 100 of your stay and care
• All costs for each day after day 100
If you selected a Medicare Advantage Plan, your costs will
vary based on that specific plan.
Home Health Services
If your doctor decides that you are home-bound
(your condition keeps you from leaving home without
significant effort), then you may be eligible for home
health services under hospital insurance (Part A) and
medical coverage (Part B). Covered services may include
(but are not limited to):
• Intermittent skilled nursing care
• Rehabilitation (physical/occupational therapy/speech
therapy)
• Assistance with activities of daily living
• Medical supplies/equipment to use at home
Services must be ordered by a physician and provided
by a Medicare-certified home health agency for Original
Medicare enrollees. Medicare Advantage Plan members
must use a home health agency that accepts their plan’s
payment.
What is NOT covered by Medicare?
Custodial care is help with personal care needs such
as dressing or bathing. If the ONLY type of care you need
is custodial, then Medicare will not pay for your care in a
nursing home or in your own home. Medicare may cover
medical and rehabilitation services provided in an Assisted
Living Facility, but typically will not cover the costs of the
facility – such as rent and meals. Medicare pays only for
the first 100 days of skilled nursing care. MM
B Howell, Jr. is a Certified Financial Planner in Little Rock, AR
and developer of the Tax Efficient Asset Movement process.
No portion of this article is to be construed as a solicitation to buy or sell a security or to provide
personalized investment, tax, or legal advice. Frank can be reached by phone at 501-519-3280
or on the web at TaxEfficientAssetMovement.com. Frank B Howell, Jr. holds Arkansas Insurance
Consultant License # 829849 / CFP Board ID # 116373
Minute With Maddox
Pace of play is a difficult
issue at most golf
courses. In todays faced
paced world many can’t afford
the time involved when play gets slow. It only
takes one slow group to create a problem on
the course. And oftentimes that group is slow
because of one player in the group. Each
golfer must take responsibility for his/her
own pace of play. Below are a few tips to help
you and your group speed up play.
Before You Tee Off:
»»
Select appropriate tees to play from.
»»
Put a ball mark repair tool, two ball
markers, and tees into your pocket.
»»
Carry a spare ball in your pocket so that
you don’t have to go back to your bag
when you need to hit a provisional ball.
Tee Box:
»»
When in doubt hit a provisional ball.
»»
Minimize practice swings.
Fairway:
»»
Take divot bottle that is on the cart to
your next shot.
»»
Take more than one club to your next
shot. From the cart estimate your yardage,
grab a few clubs and your rangefinder
and head to your ball.
»»
CART DRIVER: Drop off your passenger
at their ball before proceeding to your
own ball.
»»
CART PASSENGER: Take more than one
club to your shot and proceed down
the fairway after your shot. Don’t wait
for the driver to pick you up.
»»
If your next shot is with a PW or SW
always take your putter with you.
Pick Up The Pace!
Putting Green:
»»
Park your golf cart (leave
your bag if walking) to the
side nearer to the next tee
box or behind the green
and always park on cart
path.
»»
Study your line of putt
while others are putting.
»»
Continue putting until
your ball is holed out
»»
If you are the first in the
cup, pick up the flagstick
so that you can replace it
after the last person has
putted out.
In Between Holes:
»»
Always mark your scorecard
on the next tee box,
not on or next to the putting
green.
»»
Be sure to limit your time
when making the turn.
Other:
»»
Always keep up with the group in front
of you
»»
On par 3’s, players who cannot reach
the green should hit when ready
»»
Limit your search for lost balls to three
minutes
»»
If not in a tournament, play balls that
are out of bounds or lost, under the
lateral water hazard rule.
Remember golf is more enjoyable for
everyone when all golfers keep place of
play in mind and do what they can to prevent
slow play.
Good luck! MM
By Cary Maddox
C
ary Maddox is the PGA Head Golf Professional at the Maumelle
Country Club. He has over 15 years of teaching experience
working with men, women, seniors, and juniors. For more information on
lessons contact him at carymaddox@pga.com.
Visit Cary on the web at www.carymaddoxpga.com.
www.MauMag.com
29

Is That a Flotilla of Fowl?
By Prunella Pinetree
January/February 2017
30
I
was flabbergasted the other
night to hear a chicken commercial
report that the United
States IMPORTS 110 million
pounds of chicken each year
from 4 continents. Imports? That’s quite
a lot of chicken headed our way by boat
and airplane, so I had to stop and think
about that statement a minute. Which 4
continents are sending us their chickens?
Obviously, Antarctica isn’t, so we’re left
with South America, Asia, Europe, Africa, or
Australia. I don’t mean to sound snobbish,
but I’m not too happy about that source of
meat production or the fact that my food
travels farther than I ever will.
I’m really puzzled that the U.S. is not
able to supply enough chickens for all
324,000,000 of us. Heck, just by driving
around rural Arkansas, I’d think that the U.S.
had a good portion of that production covered
right here, wouldn’t you? Why would
we need to buy chickens from other countries,
and how in the world can that possibly
be cost effective? When we travel to other
countries, we tourists are very concerned
about what we should eat or drink to avoid
sickness or diseases, so how can we be sure
that their chickens didn’t eat or drink that
same very harmful stuff? How are we assured
that foreign poultry is safe for Mamaw’s
chicken potpie or Uncle Tater’s bbq
extravaganza? The chicken packages, cans
and bags we purchase at the grocery stores
do not show the nationality of the chicken
we’re consuming, so could we be playing a
dangerous game of chicken without knowing
it?
First, let’s hear a few facts about chickens,
shall we?
»»
A chicken will reach “adulthood” in
about 45 days and weigh about 5 lbs.
»»
Chickens begin laying eggs at about 6
months of age, and their peak producing
age is 3-4 years old.
»»
Hens lay eggs with or without a rooster
present.
»»
Chickens can lay 1 egg each day or
two.
»»
A chicken’s first few eggs may be soft
or misshaped.
»»
Not all hens sit on nests.
»»
Chicken farmers pick up eggs daily
from nests and put them in the icebox
so broody hens don’t collect and
sit on a giant nest they can’t properly
incubate.
»»
It takes 21 days to hatch eggs.
»»
Many hens like to peck fingers reaching
into nests.
I did a little research and discovered that
chickens come in a variety of plumage colors,
comb types, body sizes, and even number
of toes. The Silkie hen has a white fluffy
head and body similar to a giant cotton ball
with major static electricity problems. The
Naked-neck is fairly U-G-L-Y with no feathers
on its neck, thus exposing its red skin which
resembles a rather nasty sunburn. A Double
Frizzle Showgirl has feathers that curve out
rather than lie flat which look like someone
blew the feathers in the wrong direction
with a hair dryer. (For you non-FFA people,
frizzle means to form into small, crisp curls.)
When I attended the county fair with
my running buddy last year, I was coerced
into visiting the livestock area. He was in
FFA in high school, so we ventured through
there as he reminisced about how he had
wanted to be a farmer. As we wandered
through the stinky barn, he regaled me with
his childhood memories of raising a massive
hog which won a blue ribbon, riding bucking
broncos in the neighbor’s corn patch,
and a polka-dot dipsy-doodle chicken that
won homecoming queen or something
like that……..I don’t know, my brain was
in stench-overload. I was badly in need of
fresh air!
As we peeked into the various cages, I
was amazed at the range of feather colors
and a little freaked out by the weirdness of
these chickens. Some were downright intimidating,
and I was extremely glad that
they were not running loose. There I stood,
a stranger amongst a garish sideshow of
feathers, beaks, claws, and beady little eyes.
It was unnerving, to say the least. I’ve heard
that some people treat chickens as pets, but
I can’t imagine holding one in hopes of it
being cuddly and certainly not without me
wearing a hockey mask and welding gloves.
One thing grabbed my attention right
away and was common to all the chickens
I encountered: they really glared at me. I
don’t mean that they just watched me go
by either, no ma’am! I’m talking wide-eyed,
no blinking, get-outta-my-face type glaring.
It actually felt somewhat threatening. Did I
perhaps reek of their deep-fried friends with
sweet and sour sauce? Gee, I sure hope not.
That would be insensitive. I just looked at
the chickens, and they locked eyes with me
in an almost hypnotic way. It’s like they were
attempting mind control while sending
me telepathic messages of “You’re getting
sleepy……..sleepy………sle”.
I’m not saying that I actually blacked
out or lost consciousness that day in the
barnyard, but there does seem to be a
small time lapse that afternoon which
is unaccountable. Also, I’m not going to
blame the recent livestock visit for my sudden
aversion to chicken nuggets and strips,
but I do find the timing a little disturbing.
However, on the plus side, I just can’t seem
to eat enough corn.
prunellapinetree@gmail.com MM
Arkansas Photo Destinations
By Austin Pittman
Photography by Alex Kent
www.alexkentphoto.com
Arkansas is an amazing state
to live in if you are a photographer.
Name one other state in
America in which you can photograph
both elk and alligators!
Whether your passion is wildlife, landscape,
people or art photography, the Natural State
has a lot to offer. I polled all of the employees
at Bedford Camera in Little Rock, and here
are five of our favorite photography destinations
in Arkansas.
If you have only an hour or two to get out,
there are several great places to shoot right
around Little Rock. The Old Mill in North Little
Rock is probably the most famous setting for
portrait photography in Central Arkansas. The
famous reproduction of a water powered mill
appears in the opening scene of the classic
movie Gone with the Wind, and is a historic
landmark. Almost any time of year you can find
photographers there shooting either the mill
itself or engagement, family or senior portraits.
Downtown Little Rock itself is also a great place
to take pictures if you are looking for some-
Continued on page 32>
PHOTOGRAPHY BY RICK ORRELL
www.MauMag.com
31

January/February 2017
32
PHOTOGRAPHY BY RICK ORRELL
Photography continued from page 31>
thing close to home. The Junction Bridge,
The Main Street bridge, and the Clinton Presidential
Center Bridge over the Arkansas River
are illuminated at night with led lighting that
constantly change colors. They can make for
some awesome night photography, especially
with the Little Rock skyline in the background.
Just make sure and bring your tripod! You can
also walk through the river market district if you
are more in to urban photography. Subjects
include everything from people to architecture,
and even a very impressive farmers market on
the weekends during the summer months. If
you are more in to wildlife photography but
don’t have time to spend an entire day driving,
check out Two Rivers Park. For a location practically
right in Little Rock, there is a surprising
amount of wildlife.
Hot Springs is another photographic destination
well worth exploring. Garvin Woodland
Gardens offers photo opportunities for every
season of the year. When people think of botanical
gardens, macro photography comes to
mind. Although Garvin Gardens certainly has
plenty of opportunities to photograph thousands
of species of beautiful flowers and plants,
you may need to pack around more than just
your macro lens. The Anthony Chapel has floor
to ceiling glass walls, and is very popular for portrait
and wedding photography. The Garden of
the Pine Wind is a rock and stream garden that
has been voted the fifth best Asian garden in
North America. And don’t forget about Garvin
Gardens during the Christmas season. With
over 4.5 million lights in a picturesque setting, it
is definitely one of the best Christmas light displays
in Arkansas. Historic Bathhouse Row near
downtown Hot Springs is also a very unique
photographic destination. With 8 bath houses
built between 1892 and 1923, there is a lot of
history and very cool old architecture. It is a
very easy walk to see all 8 bath houses, as they
are all adjacent to each other on Central Avenue.
Hot Springs is also home to Lake Ouachita,
Lake Hamilton, and Lake Catherine, which obviously
offer endless photo opportunities.
The Crystal Bridges Museum of Art in
Northwest Arkansas is truly one of the best art
museums in the country. Their permanent art
collection contains work by American artists
that ranges back to the colonial days. Artists on
exhibit include Warhol and Rockwell, and photography
is allowed on all of the permanent exhibits.
No flash photography and no tripods or
monopods are allowed, so make sure and bring
a fast aperture lens to allow you to get sharp
images. Some of the touring exhibits do not allow
photography, so be mindful and respectful.
The exhibits that do not allow photography are
clearly marked and closely guarded. The museum
is situated on 120 acres of forest,with more
than 3 ½ miles of trails to hike, and explore.
Crystal Bridges is an amazing museum that is
only a 3 ½ hour drive from Central Arkansas. It
is well worth the trip!
Eureka Springs is one of my favorite small
towns in Arkansas. From a photographic standpoint,
it is an incredibly diverse destination.
Old buildings, hotels (one is even haunted),
spas, and cool restaurants line the downtown
streets. The North Arkansas Railway Depot offers
not only a chance to photograph old trains,
you can even take a ride and eat a meal in one!
You can photography big cats and other rescue
wild animals at Turpentine Creek Wildlife Refuge.
The Pivot Rock Natural Bridge area offers
fascinating geological rock formations in a nice
wooded setting. The serene Kings River runs
right through Eureka Springs and offers great
scenic and wildlife photography. Fall foliage in
and around Eureka Springs is some of the best
in the state. It is a beautiful little town right in
the mountains, and if you haven’t been there,
you owe it to yourself to go.
Without a doubt my favorite photography
destination in Arkansas is the Buffalo National
River Area. The elk that I mentioned
early in the article can be consistently
found and photographed
around Ponca and Boxley Valley
in the fall. Hawksbill Crag is one of
the most photographed rock formations
in the state, and for good
reason. It is a relatively short hike
to reach the crag, but I recommend
going early or late in the day or in
the off-season, unless you want
people in your photo. If waterfalls
are more your thing, I recommend
Triple Falls. Triple Falls is sometimes
also called Twin Falls, as in times of
lower water there are only two distinct
falls instead of three. It is located
at the Camp Orr Boy Scout camp
south of Harrison, and is one of the
most beautiful waterfalls in the
state. There is a short (1/2 mile) easy
hike to reach the falls. If you want
to rent a canoe and actually float
the Buffalo, the scenery and photo opportunities
are unlimited. The bluffs around Steel
Creek and Skull Rock near the town of St Joe
are two of my favorite spots. There is also an
abundance of wildlife that you may stumble
across, including deer, elk, bald eagles, herons,
otters and many others. Traveling the Buffalo
by canoe is without a doubt my favorite mode
of transport, but again you have to watch the
crowds during the summer months.
These five places are just a few of the incredible
photo destinations right here in our
home state. Most of them are free other than
the price it takes to get there. We all get so
caught up in our big travel photography adventures
to other states and countries that we
sometimes forget what is right around us. We
live in a very diverse state, so get out there and
take advantage of it! MM
A
ustin Pittman is the Vice President
of Operations for Bedford’s Camera
and Video stores in the Little Rock area. Austin
has been a Certified Photographic Consultant
since 2000.
He lives in Maumelle with his wife Shannon
and son Andrew. Austin may be reached by
email at austin@bedfords.com.
www.MauMag.com
33

hn Schwankhaus
John Schwankhaus
Photographs courtesy of members of the Maumelle Photography Club. - 501.960.6077
Photographs courtesy of members of the Maumelle Photography Club. - 501.960.6077
Naked Trees
By John Schwankhaus
By William A. Johnson
By Harvey Durham
By John Schwankhaus
By Joseph E. Goble
By Roger A. Frangieh
January/February 2017
By Harvey Durham
By Larry Egger
www.MauMag.com
34
By Joseph E. Goble
By Penn Kelley
Roger A. Frangieh
35

By Troy Pousardien
January/February 2017
36
Google Reveals Their Secret to High-Performance Machine Learning
Google has made quite a few advancements
(1) in the field of machine
learning, with one of it’s more recent endeavors
being capable of beating a professional
human player at Go, (2) a game notorious for being very difficult
to build computer opponents for. They accomplished
this by using what’s called “neural networks,” a computer
model that allows machines to dynamically form associations
between arbitrary concepts in a way similar to our
own brains. This allowed the machine to determine moves
more like a human would, and was what allowed it to beat
its human opponent.
That kind of machine learning requires a lot of processing
power, and is what led Google to develop what it’s
calling its “Tensor Processing Unit.” Much like how a video
card is optimized for graphics processing, and a sound card
is optimized for audio processing, this “TPU” is optimized
for machine learning applications, and reportedly outperforms
any other commercially available hardware in
that regard.
It is interesting to speculate what Google now plans
to use these for. They have said that they already use these
TPUs to improve their search engine’s results, as well as “the
accuracy and quality of our maps and navigation” in Google
Street View, but many of the announcements in their recent
Google I/O conference seems to reveal quite a few more applications
(3) that would be relying on this new technology.
As unique and interesting as many of these applications
may seem, however, their data-mining potential is also
somewhat worrying, and something worth considering
before you put an always-listening microphone connected
directly to Google into your own home. (4)
Quick Tip: How to See Which Files Are Taking Up So Much Space On My Hard Drive
I had a caller ask me this week why her hard drive is
so full. I was able to remote in and find out exactly what the
problem was. Her son had downloaded some large video
and game files and had drastically reduced her hard drive
space. How would she have known where these large files
were located? I’ll show you how.
There are two easy methods you can use to get a visual
indicator of where these large files are. Windows 10
now features a new Disk Storage application which will
show you. For those who don’t have Windows 10, you can
use Spacemonger to easily scan and find large files. In fact,
Spacemonger has a better graphical representation of
where these files are.
For Windows 10, simply go to Start/System/Storage,
and double-click your hard drive (typically the C: drive).
From there, you’ll be able to double-click each section to
open the files and manually
delete them.
The other method of
graphically locating large files
is with Spacemonger (link to
an older, portable version of
Spacemonger), which will
work on Windows XP, Vista,
7, 8, and 10. Spacemonger is
an .exe file that does not have
to be installed, but rather
will run from any location,
which makes it nice since it
can even run portably from a
USB drive. Once opened, you
select which drive you want
to scan and it will graphically show you all your files and
free space on that drive. From there, you’ll be able to quickly
open files or folders and delete them as needed.
Another good alternative to Spacemonger is the newer
WinDirStat, which works in a similar way (albeit with an
arguably clunkier UI).
Watch my short video to see more! (5) MM
Referred Links
(1) http://go.greendragonpc.com/1eq
(2) http://go.greendragonpc.com/1er
(3) http://go.greendragonpc.com/1es
(4) http://go.greendragonpc.com/1et
(5) http://go.greendragonpc.com/1eu
T
roy Pousardien owns and operates
Green Dragon Technology in
NLR. Working on computers since 1990 and
holding a B.S. in Information Technology, Troy
is ready to take on your computer challenges.
Got a tech question, email Troy at techtips@
greendragonpc.com.
Valerie had let herself go. Where she
had gone was a place of monotony
and longing. As she sat at her computer,
curser blinking for the next keystroke,
she thought back to her high school days. Val,
the Valedictorian, everyone used to say. She
had been voted “Most Likely to Succeed” by
her class. Looking at her life she had accomplished
plenty; a rewarding career in adolescent
psychology, a relatively happy family, and
a design magazine featured home. Valerie’s
life lacked for nothing. Alas, Val sat at her desk
racking her brain for optimistic things to say in
the class reunion speech she had been asked
to give.
A Heart Full of Empty
By Michae Orfanos
Thirty years had passed since the bright
shining teen graduated so full of herself, ready
to take on the world. The thing is, the world
has a way of eroding the vast colorful horizon
at the beginning of our lives. At this point in
her life, Valerie found herself locked in a windowless
world of beige. She wouldn’t describe
herself as unhappy as much as completely bereft
of joy. A general numbness had set in that
blanketed Val’s heart. Years passed by without
distinction. Each holiday was similar to
the last; family, food… check, and check. The
same withheld grievances no one talked about
sat at the table like a regular dinner guest. It
wasn’t like Valerie didn’t want to enjoy the
holidays, but her heart just wasn’t in it. Once
as she decked the Christmas tree a bubble of
emotion punctuated with tears took her by
surprise. “I don’t want to be here”, she said out
loud choked by the words. The thought of going
through the motions of buying gifts, cooking
a meal, avoiding controversies, and pretending
to be content was unbearable. It hit
her like a sudden gust of wind, and just as instantly
the feeling subsided. Looking around
to make sure no one overheard her outburst,
Val quickly wiped her eyes and continued
placing ornaments. She owed it to her family
to construct the appearance of Christmas
cheer, but inside she longed to hit the road.
Destination unknown.
Val had been born with a restless spirit
that kept her moving in her single years.
Some had questioned her satisfaction with
life then, but for Val moving somewhere new
was a way of getting to know herself. She
learned about her likes and dislikes by the
context of a new location. Some places she
liked more than others, and some she didn’t
fit in at all. As it turned out, Valerie settled in
a place that wasn’t as hospitable as she would
like, but the roots she laid were deep and
fixed. She had cultivated a strong reputation
as a valued children’s therapist. Her children
were growing towards their own futures with
hopeful eyes wide open. Her relationships
were sturdy. Everything she created was
successful, and had become a heavy anchor
keeping her in place. She loved and was
loved in return, but inside her heart, love had
begun to feel like a buoy floating in a pool of
obligations.
Valerie sipped her tea as she sat staring
at her computer, hoping for inspiration
to take over. She, so far, couldn’t come up
with anything to say that didn’t sound corny
or stale. Had Val the
Valedictorian become
that mundane? She
decided to channel
the spirit of a long list
of interesting writers
and moved from tea
to bourbon. Settling
back into her desk she began to type any
words that popped into her head. “Lifetime,
soften, kind, bold, give, more”. The last two
words came into sharp focus. Give more; it
seemed to counter how she felt, which was
hollow. Val didn’t feel like she had much inside
to give, but if she was around the back
turn of life there wasn’t that much time left to
shine. Valerie began to sit up straighter in her
chair and type with a vengeance.
“Here we are together to celebrate all the
accomplishments we have achieved since high
school, she began. Some of us are departed,
and the rest of us are here, grayer and wiser than
we once were. We have all made contributions
to our families, our jobs, our friends, and maybe
feel like we are at a stopping point. Someone
once told me that as long as you are still learning
you will grow as a person. I think that’s true,
and I would like to add that as long as you give
you will also grow. At this point in our lives, it’s
time to look for more. This isn’t time to rest on
our laurels. It is time for more. Do more. Give
more. Love more. Be more.”
Valerie smiled knowingly at the computer
screen. This challenge was her own call
to action. She decided it was time for finding
where her joy lie. Unsure where to begin,
Val considered being more for herself a good
place to start.
The end. MM
ichae Orfanos lives in Maumelle
M with her family and three dogs.
She has settled here after living in New York and
Los Angeles, and working in the entertainment
industry. After growing up in Arkansas and then
living in the big city, Maumelle is a perfect place to
raise her family and write stories.
www.MauMag.com
37

By Pam Rudkin
The Weight of Blood
by Laura McHugh
lot of us have
had the surre-
A
al experience
from time
to time of reading a
good book, only to
discover its setting is
a familiar one: either
it’s your hometown
or somewhere with
which you are intimately
familiar. The
Weight of Blood by Laura
McHugh is set in my neck
of the woods, the Ozarks,
and tells the gripping story
of a teenager’s quest to unravel
the mystery behind her
friend’s disappearance and
subsequent murder.
McHugh sets her characters
in this vivid southern
Missouri/north central Arkansas
setting with its alltoo
familiar hot and humid
summers, dense woods,
whisper of superstition,
and mountain people love
deeply and carry shotguns.
While the main character,
The Mothers
by Brit Bennett
Lucy, digs into clues she has stumbled upon
about her friend Cheri’s murder, an undercurrent
is slowly being revealed about a dark secret
of these seemingly friendly folk involving
human trafficking. Lucy’s own mother had
disappeared without a trace when Lucy was
a baby. Now suddenly a trail begins to form
that might explain what happened to her
mother as well.
Those closest to Lucy prize and protect
family, loyalty, and secrets. But those secrets
turn out to be deadly, illegal, and deeply disturbing.
The author expertly weaves in the
darkest of these secrets amid fierce love and
devotion, as Lucy risks her own life to learn
the truth about her mother and her friend.
Placing your ad in Maumelle Magazine
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January/February 2017
38
The word “mothers” within this story is
somewhat of a double (and arguably even
triple) entendre; first referring to the elderly
ladies of a small-town church, the widows
and voices of wisdom (and gossip); two girls
who experience motherhood very early, in
two very different ways; and
finally, the absence of mothers
for the story’s two main
characters, Nadia and Aubrey.
Nadia is 17 years old,
finds herself pregnant by the
pastor’s son, and alone with
her father. Her mother has
recently committed suicide,
breaking her heart and breaking
her world.
Aubrey has come to Upper
Room Chapel as a young
woman on her own, looking
for solace and stability in her
life. Her mother looked the other way when
Aubrey was molested by her stepfather, and
Aubrey fled to live with her older sister in a
new town.
Both girls are damaged and hurting, and
both girls find their lives deeply connected
to the Upper Room Chapel, and then to each
other as best friends.
This evangelical church openly condemns
abortion, but when Nadia’s boyfriend
confides in his parents that she is pregnant,
Pastor Turner and his wife swiftly and quietly
give him the cash to pay for Nadia’s abortion.
They also give Nadia a job at the church
and never acknowledge their
part in the abortion. Nadia believes
her boyfriend, Luke, has
come up with the money on
his own. Her heart is further
crushed when he doesn’t even
show up at the abortion clinic
the day of the procedure.
Aubrey’s entanglement
with the Turners takes a different
turn, when she becomes
involved with Luke herself,
not knowing about his past
with Nadia. Aubrey and Nadia
forge a friendship outside of
these betrayals, and the full weight of the
matter doesn’t surface until Aubrey has married
Luke and become pregnant with their
first baby.
This is a strong story of female bonding,
of betrayal, of youthful indiscretion, and of
hypocrisy and failure in the face of real testing.
The “mothers” of the church narrate the
story at times, giving the reader the outsidelooking-in
viewpoint. Bennett beautifully
illustrates humanity and youth, flawed and
naïve, and the strength to be found in mothering
itself.
Both books are available to read free in
multiple formats through the Central Arkansas
Library System. Happy reading!
Both of these books are available to enjoy
free with your library card through the Central
Arkansas Library System. Happy reading!MM
am Rudkin is the librarian for the Maumelle Library, a branch of the
P Central Arkansas Library System. She is a graduate of Texas Woman’s
University, where she earned her Master of Library Science degree. Rudkin
grew up in Harrison, Arkansas and continued her education at the University of
Central Arkansas where she earned her bachelor’s degree in journalism.
Pam is married and is the mother of three children. Her interests include
reading and music composition.
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