Holiday Pumpkin bread surprise!

One of the nice things about having neighbors like Jan and Larry Ray is the surprise of a holiday delicious loaf of pumpkin bread that Mrs. Ray brought over to my house one afternoon.They are truly nice folks.

It’s people like these that give one pause to say what a wonderful nation it is we live in. Jan is an excellent cook and her pumpkin bread had to be the best I’ve had in a long time. There’s just something about homemade that beats anything you can buy at a store no matter what the cost.

Thanks so much. Your gift of food was most generous!

A weather roller coaster ride so far!

With an opening shot of snow on Thanksgiving Day followed by a succession of cold incursions from the north, you’d think Mother Nature might be acting a bit snarly and you'd be right. With still more than a week to go before the official start of winter, I’ve already had enough of the cold stuff thank you very much. Unfortunately, no one listens to me.

This coming weekend will keep the downhill trend going as it will warm up slightly by Friday, Dec the 10th, only to be followed by a very rapid plunge into the arctic locker before the end of the weekend. In between, on Saturday, we might just also get a snowflake or two thrown our way. The National Weather Service, while still holding its cards close to its vest, is hinting at a snow event if the storm, which will sweep through the region on Saturday, digs far enough to the south. Any winter precipitation and the form it takes will be a timing event. Unlike some states like Kansas where the geology allows for fairly predictable weather patterns, our climatological location here in SWMO makes weather prediction more an art than science. What is for sure is that by Sunday, it will feel more like January than mid December, as it will struggle to get to the upper twenties with the overnight temperatures in the single digits! Brrr.

At Mobil One Express Auto in Forsyth Missouri, the customer's are happy.

From a quiet start, when Mobil One Express Auto only did oil changes to today when it has evolved into a full-sized auto service center, has been fun to experience. The customer service I’ve received there has always been top notch. This included short waits for oil changes, a staff that is keyed to making the customer happy and an aggressive, get it done management that will find you smiling as you motor down the road.

Any business that works directly with the public is lucky to get even a few letters of appreciation a year. Mobil One has a wall with many, many such letters like the one pictured here. For a discerning customer like me, this inspires confidence that I can expect exceptional service at a fair price. In my experience, that’s just what you get. (Note that I have removed the names from this letter for the sake of privacy concerns, but can attest that there are other like it on display by the counter).

Please give these folks your business next time you need an oil change or other automotive service. In difficult economic times such as these, we need to band together as a community and support our local businesses. This holds true especially for venues like this who strive so hard to earn your repeat business.

You can visit Mobil One Express Auto at 194 Coy Blvd in Forsyth Missouri or call them at 417 546-4224 or visit their web page.

Brr. It's cold out there. A sign of more to come? Snow on the 11th?

Early December and already there is an abundance of snow on the ground in many of the northern tier of states. Almost no part of the United States has been cold temperatures either as freeze warnings are even now being issued as far south as Florida. And it’s only the first week of December!

While cold weather is to be expected in southwest Missouri, it still arrived a bit early by my reckoning. With so many out of work or under-employed, the last thing we need is a harsh winter! Last December was colder than normal and I’m sure many remember the very cold first couple of weeks in January 2009 that saw minus readings on their outdoor thermometers. That cold spell seemed to last forever to me.

My gut feeling this year, which is shared by some of my friends, is for a rough go this time around. The arctic air machine seems to be set up for business and now all we need is some moisture to make for a white (and frigid) Christmas. Our next chance for snow will come on Saturday, December the 11th overnight.

A lesson to be relearned.

At the age of only 14, a local resident by the name of Johnny Jones then living in Texas, ran away from home to pursue a dream. His aspiration, back in 1957 was to meet Roy Rogers and Dale Evans who were big time stars living in California.

Hitch hiking across the United States with just a few dollars in his pocket he was unsuccessful. On his second and third attempts, both times traveling a distance of thousands of miles he was also sent home, unsigned photo in hand.

Then, on his fourth attempt, he got to meet both Roy and Dale in person. So, what’s the moral of this story? That anyone with enough desire in their hearts can make a dream come true. Something that is too often forgotten in a world where many of us increasingly feel like bricks in some wall.

Forsyth Christmas Parade

A parade is scheduled for 2PM along Highway 160 and will begin at Coy Blvd and Hwy 160. This event is normally a lot of fun for everyone, especially the kids who look forward to the candy this is thrown from the floats as they pass by.

Weather wise, it will be overcast and cool with blustery winds out of the northwest, so dress appropriately.

Country Mart access is congested in Forsyth Missouri

As times get a little bit hectic the closer we get to the Thanksgiving Holidays and then Christmas, it pays to remember to be considerate to others. This point was driven home to me one afternoon when I found myself inadvertently blocking the parking access of a truck that was trying to unload in front of the Country Mart store in Forsyth, Missouri.

I was parked in a no parking zone while waiting for a relative to finish her shopping. She is disabled and has a hard time walking very far as a result of a hip replacement surgery some years ago. The thing is that there is evidently no loading dock for trucks to unload. They must park in front of the building. A process made that much more difficult when people like me are blocking the way. This is even more exacerbated considering the increased need to stock the stores during the holiday rush.

The fact that Country Mart has apparently made little effort to accommodate both needs is a subject for a later blog. Right now, the trucks should be given the right of access and I will make an effort in the future to make an allowance for them.

Sorry, Tracy, my bad.