Our mission at Marvelous! is to inspire women to get up and out and do the things they’ve always wanted to do, to inspire women to create the life they want and live it passionately. We focus on education in our August/September issue, and you may be surprised by the many forms education can take. It can happen anywhere, not just in the classroom. Be inspired to learn something new.
Marvelous! Woman Brigitte Volltrauer-Shipman’s story will break your heart and lift you up. She describes the personal challenges she has faced in life as tsunamis, and indeed they are, but she has never given up. On the contrary, she has found solutions through persistence, the love of girlfriends and family, and an attitude of gratitude. She teaches in the Mountain Home Public School District, and is a new Martha Beck Life Coach. If you are the parent of an autistic child and don’t already know Brigitte, seek her out.
Tracy Myers teaches speech therapy in our schools and throughout the Twin Lakes Area, filling in wherever she is needed. She is married to Dr. Robin Myers, chancellor at Arkansas State University-Mountain Home, and she is passionate about using their home to bring our community together in a way that helps more kids go to college. Her humble spirit is endearing and makes you want to say yes!
You may not know that Twin Lakes Literacy Council offers all kinds of education absolutely free to people of all ages. Nancy Tester wrote the Marvelous! Voices essay in this issue about Irena Newland, a native of Siberia, who not only improved her English at the council but studied there to become a U.S. citizen and found various other kinds of help from volunteers. She now helps at the council herself. It just might be the right place for you as a student or a teacher. Learning often happens through doing.
Cindy Young grew up in the Twin Lakes Area but had never kayaked the Buffalo National River! She invited some girlfriends on a getaway at the Ozark Outlook Retreat in Yellville, and together they educated Cindy on the reasons this river is a national treasure. Local photographer Kevin Pieper went along to capture a portrait. If you haven’t been on the Buffalo, you have some enjoyable learning to look forward to.
Three local women won makeovers for our 5th Anniversary. We featured our grand prize winner, Sandy LaBahn, in the June/July issue. Denise Southworth, our second runner up, learned the joys of taking a little time for herself and is featured in this issue. Look for Ali Pierce Jefferson, our first runner up, in our October/November issue.
We are thrilled to announce the upcoming publication of Bella’s Table Cookbook by Estella Tullgren, another 5th Anniversary celebration! It will be the best holiday gift of the season. Watch for opportunities to preorder copies and to meet Estella at book signings this fall. She will be at Gifts for Girlfriends: A Marvelous! Holiday Shopping Experience on December 3, 10 to 4, at the Ramada Inn in Mountain Home. Watch for additional signings in the October/November issue. M! August/September 2016
Love and Peace,
Deb Peterson, Publisher/Editor
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