From the editor.

I'd like to say I planned it this way, but it's actually only a coincidence that much of this issue is devoted to incredibly talented Mississippi women. Like an Olive Branch-based female stunt pilot whose thrill-seeking feats put her among the best racers--of either sex--in the world. An elderly artist in Collins whose multimedia works are collected by members of Congress and celebrated by New York gallery owners. And a creative chef whose unique ideas have led her to a top position with the Viking Cooking School in Greenwood.

For pilot Mary Dilda, being a woman has never felt like a handicap in her male-dominated field. "I can do anything I want to do" was her motto from the first time she attempted an aerial stunt at the age of 19. Mary now gets a kick out of causing spectators to do a double-take when they see her climb out of the cockpit and remove her helmet to reveal perfectly styled blonde hair. Her success has certainly created a buzz in the world of aviation; a much-publicized cartoon depicted her winning a race while painting her toenails and talking on a cell phone! (So maybe some stereotypes still persist ...)

Gertrude Smith's achievements have come in a significantly less dangerous, but equally thrilling, field of interest. The 82-year-old artist didn't begin to seriously pursue her passion until after raising a family and leading a successful career as a cake baker. But the rewards, both tangible and emotional, have come steadily in this new phase of her life. Mrs. Smith now welcomes art lovers from around the United States to a converted barn in Collins that holds her studio and a gallery filled with an astounding 1,000 paintings and mixed-media pieces. She's still painting feverishly, adding about 100 paintings to her body of work every year. She's even working on a new large-scale project that will chronicle the history and "progressive spirit" of her beloved South.

Martha Foose's amazing artistic creations are usually gone as quickly as she can make them. Foose, executive chef at the Viking Cooking School, is the mastermind behind most of the jaw-dropping and mouth-watering dishes that are produced in the hands-on classes held at the Greenwood institute. Her experience in top American restaurants and her French culinary academy credentials--combined with a Southern flair that could only come from her Mississippi roots--have helped to make the cooking school a runaway success after less than two years in operation. Some of Foose's recipes begin on pg. 31.

A scan of the pages to come reveals many more outstanding women, from a master gardener who transformed her yard into an elaborate European-style formal garden to the winners of our annual Sensational Spaces interior design competition (every single one's a she!). I have to think Eudora Welty would be proud. So, perhaps, would Leontyne Price ... Mary Ann Mobley ... Kate Freeman Clark ... Ellen Douglas ... Oprah Winfrey ... and so many other great Mississippi women who have shared their talents with the citizens of this state from its earliest days. Planned or unplanned, this issue is a tribute to their enduring gifts to us all.