On a hot August day, the thought of a dip in the lake or pool is divine, isn’t it? I’m a water baby through and through, having grown up on the lakes of Minnesota, so I’m excited about the two very different water stories in this summer issue. Darling little Peeka on our cover has been through so much in her seven years, more than should be asked of any child. We celebrate her because she has not only survived leukemia, she is swimming her way to the Junior Olympics. I know kids are supposed to be full of energy, but Peeka isn’t your normal kid.
I hope you will let this pixie inspire you to overcome your own challenges and get a little exercise in the pool or lake.
If you would rather cruise on the lake than swim in it, you’ll love our story about the houseboat Katie and Sean Combs enjoy on Lake Norfork. When the Marvelous! Muses, my girlfriend advisory board, said they want to see a home in every issue, I went looking for a houseboat, and boy did we find a marvelous one! It’s a little hard to call it a boat, although they do. It’s more like a floating luxury vacation home. We give you just a peek inside, topside, and outside as it sailed into the setting sun. The photo shoot was super fun, but challenging as far as lighting and motion. I could not have done it without the help of Kelly Householder-Giuliano and her husband, Peter. I believe I owe them more than a margarita.
If you don’t care about being near the water on hot summer days, maybe an ice cream cone sounds nice. Stop by the new Printing Press Café and Ice Cream Parlor in Calico Rock, opened by Gloria Gushue Sanders. Susan Varno writes about Gloria’s efforts to preserve the history of this small town in our area.
I met Gabriela Schaar Ford, our Marvelous! Woman, when she wrote an article for my Continuing Education site at About.com about how going back to school as an adult can change your life. I was so impressed with her story that we are sharing it with you. She is truly passionate about education, but she bubbles over with enthusiasm for just about everything else, too. She’s a delight, and I hope you find a chance to meet her. She’s been known to attend Marvelous! Minis, our mini events for girlfriends at Marvelous! World Headquarters in Cotter. Join us and maybe you’ll see her there. You’ll find our calendar at marvmag.com and photos from past minis on page 36.
It was a mini that helped Pamela Emenger-Hoffman make new friends when she moved here from California. She almost talked herself out of coming alone, but she found the courage, and I’m so glad she did. There are many marvelous women in the Twin Lakes Area, and Pamela is now one of them. She wrote the Marvelous! Voices essay in this issue. If you need a little courage to get out and create the life you want, let her inspire you, and then come out and have some fun with us at a mini.
Mark your calendars for the 2015 Marvelous! Holiday Bazaar coming up November 28, December 5, and December 12. We make shopping with girlfriends extra fun!
— Deb Peterson
Publisher, Editor
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