The Way I See It...

Publisher's Letter 

Robin Rogers, Ed.D.

March 2025

 have lived on the same street for 22 years. I know all of my neighbors, their children (and grandchildren), and most of their pets. When someone is out of town, it’s just natural to keep an eye out for anything unusual. Over the past Christmas holidays, sweet Emily (my disabled adult daughter) rolled out of her bed and onto the floor in the early morning. While I am pretty strong and can lift and transfer her most of the time, from the floor, it’s like lifting two large bags of dog food—dead weight. I couldn’t get her up, and her caregiver and I couldn’t get her up together, so we called LifeNet to help. LifeNet’s EMTs were amazing, by the way. And, by noon, two of my neighbors had reached out to me about why an ambulance had been in my driveway. Being part of a neighborhood community provides homeowners with a sense of safety, love, and care. I’m grateful for my neighborhood.

Every March, FSLM dedicates an entire issue to home and garden articles. What that really means is that we share stories about the place you feel safe. Home is where your friends and family are always welcome. Home is where your neighbors water your plants when you’re out of town. Home is where you build your life, whatever that looks like for you: maybe you work from home as an entrepreneur, or raise your children full-time, or grow your own food, or simply tend to your home as your own personal oasis. Whatever “home” means to you, those of us who have roofs over our heads have something to celebrate and cherish. That’s what this issue is about.

Somehow, we manage to find people every month who are generous enough to let us photograph their gorgeous homes for our “Exquisite Interiors” feature. Some of the homes are rustic, some are modern, and some are traditional—but they are always beautiful and loved, designed just for the people who reside there. This month, we feature two homes that are different in scale but alike in quality. The home featured on the cover, belonging to Annemarie Sullivan, used to be her grandfather’s dairy barn. After decades of disuse, she renovated it into a small, French-inspired “chateau” that is full of charm. In contrast, our Interiors home this month is more of a mansion, glamorously decorated in the Hollywood Regency style. Each of these houses has been outfitted with intention, care, and unique details. If you too like looking at high-end houses on Zillow or in Architectural Digest, these spreads are for you.

But when it comes to homes, it’s not just what’s on the inside that counts. One of the stories this month is about Freeman Landscaping, a family-owned company celebrating 100 years in business. I remember being dragged by my mother and grandmother to Freeman’s Nursery when it was located on New Boston Road. The greenhouses were cozy and so warm, and I distinctly remember Marie Freeman always at the front checkout counter, ready to give advice on a plant or actively potting something for sale. The women in my life taught me to appreciate the beauty of plants and trees and gardening at an early age. I am extra thankful for the locally owned businesses that still cater to those of us who still like to dig holes and plant.

In the last few years, I have written about my mother wanting to raise chickens in her backyard. It’s a romantic idea for sure. On her fridge, Mom has this black-and-white photograph of her grandmother, wearing a big sun hat, walking down her front porch steps with a bucket to feed her chickens. Fast-forward to 2025, and I see photos on Facebook of friends handling their chickens, building extravagance of their coops, and collecting beautiful eggs in a variety of colors. For a while, I thought, “I could raise chickens.” But then, one friend posted a photo of a 10-foot snake impaled on her husband’s hoe; she had discovered the snake when she went to collect eggs in the early morning. That ended any idea I had that chickens were “fun.” 

While it’s not for me, I am so glad to see more and more people trying their hands at homesteading. We have a great story this month about a family in Genoa who is doing just that—and selling their products to people like me. Raising cows, pigs, goats, and chickens isn’t for the faint of heart. There’s hard work attached to the beauty in the photos featured.

I mentioned that I have lived on the same street for 22 years. What I didn’t mention is that those 22 years have been split between two houses, which are directly across from each other. Emily and I only moved into our current house a few years ago. We love our house, but it has required some renovations. Unless you can afford to completely remodel a house in one fell swoop, it takes a project at a time to make a house a home. Our first priority was a wheelchair-accessible bathroom, an undertaking we obviously left to the professionals. We also had the exterior professionally painted. I have personally painted some interior rooms, and I realized that painting is for the birds, the professionals, or the young people; I’d love to paint a few more rooms, but for now, the off-white will do. I have dreams of moving my washer and dryer out of my kitchen, but alas, those things take time, and I’m a procrastinator. 

In the meantime, I will be attending the Texarkana Home and Garden Show at Crossties Event Center on March 22nd. Whether you’re planning a major renovation or just looking for inspiration, the home and garden show is a must-visit event that offers something for everyone. It doesn’t cost a thing to attend, and there are going to be lots of locally-owned vendors who will showcase the newest of the new for those of us who need a little prodding. And, who knows—maybe you’ll win the $1500 gift card that Farmers Bank & Trust is raffling off.

I hope you enjoy all of the stories we share this month. With longer daylight hours and milder weather, homeowners can tackle indoor and outdoor projects with a renewed sense of joy. I have bought new gardening gloves, and my lawnmower is fully fueled. Bring on spring (March 20th), and bring on Daylight Savings Time (March 9th). We are ready.

Happy March, and as always, thanks for reading FSLM.