Our third anniversary issue is all about our relationship with nature—art, adventure, sport, stewardship.
There’s a Dell commercial playing on TV now that shows where the ideas for some hugely successful companies were hatched—in dorm rooms and on buses. Anyone who has started his or her own business at their kitchen table or, as in the case of Marvelous!, a corner of the living room, knows the freedom of being your own boss and the sleepless nights of worry. The key to success is staying focused on the mission, the dream, through the good days and the horrible. Melinda Caldwell, owner of Via Recycling, and steadfast steward of the Earth, is a good example. She shares with us her passion for diverting waste from our landfills, and in the midst of a public outcry over an area landfill, she inspires with her laser beam-like focus on making it easier for every individual, every company, to contribute to saving our planet.
We have all seen the lists of what can be recycled at home and at work, and if you’re still not recycling, I’m pretty sure you’ll improve your efforts after reading what Matthew and Jaren Beavers recycle, reuse, or compost in a single day. Take their 24-hour challenge and impress yourself.
There are all kinds of ways in which we experience that crystal clear sense of being on task, of being right with the world. Jan Badovinac, our popular Take a Hike! columnist, writes a feature article in this issue about how she was able to reconcile the heartbreaking grief she experienced the day her dad died with the crystalline peace she had felt while hiking earlier that day. Her story includes a visit to the studio of Tim Ernst, well-known Arkansas photographer, and
I know you’ll love the mysterious way in which that visit helped Jan connect with her dad.
In addition to outdoor enthusiasts Melinda, Matthew, Jaren, and Jan, you’ll meet Bonnie Smith who, with her horse, is passionate about inspiring children to read. Clara Cobb found inspiration for her art from the bark scattered in Weaver Hollow after the 2008 tornado. And there aren’t many Arkansans who don’t know the consummate outdoors woman Phyllis Speer. We are thrilled that she wrote the Marvelous! Voices essay in this issue.
Whether your interest is hiking, riding, reading, cooking outdoors, or saving our planet, I hope you’ll find in our pages the inspiration to get up, get out, and do it.
When you get home, you might just try one of Bella’s recipes. I recommend the soup.
— Deb Peterson
Publisher, Editor
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