Northwest Arkansas Democrat-Gazette
Personal space
Editor’s note: After this issue, Personal Space will be on hiatus until future notice.
Jacinda Jones
Where I live: Granite Mountain in a home that was bought by my late grandparents, William and Aretha Pearson Jones, for less than $15,000 in 1953.
Occupation: CEO & Founder of Aretha’s Beverages and Office Administrator at Bethel AME Church
What is your favorite room? That would be a tie… between my kitchen and my living room.
Why? Growing up, it was sometimes forbidden for my sister Janee, my cousins, and me to sit in the living room. Since my grandmother Aretha P. Jones was a special event caterer for the Arkansas Governor’s Mansion and around Little Rock, many of her clients and friends would stop by for a meal, dessert, or a glass of her famous sweet mint tea. The living room always had to be ready for entertaining. Some of those people were judges, doctors, lawyers, educators, future secretaries of state, Grammy-Award winners, and just good ole neighbors. Now that I have the house, I sit in the living room whenever I want and I keep it ready for entertaining just like my grandmother did. The kitchen was the hub of ‘all things family’ and was always open to anyone who wanted or needed a good a meal — no questions asked. It excites me to continue cooking, feeding and hosting brunches and dinners parties in the kitchen as my grandparents did.
If I could make one change to improve this space, I would: not change a thing.