Looking back 114 million miles to Earth and her moon.

 (originally published 2010 in Forsythkid.com)

Whenever I get to feeling too big about myself, I make it a point to take a celestial mental stroll out in the heavens. Can you see those two little dots of light? It’s the earth and moon from 114 million miles away. Now, click on the picture to expand it. Can you see the cross?

While not a very far distance in terms of astronomical units, it conveys a sense of how alone we are, or would be, were it not for God and the son he sent to save us. The cross is on an asteroid known as Faith. Not far from it is a dome wherein rests the heart and soul of mankind.

I wish I could take each of our worlds leaders out here, one at a time, so they could stand by the cross and see just how tiny their little home called Earth really is. A mere dust mote, upon the surface of which, seven billion souls of His making call home.

A word to the wise. Please, don't fuck it up. It's all we have.

Just ME Apparel and Accessories in Forsyth!

What's this ? Yet another new shop has opened in Forsyth recently. This time it's a woman’s apparel store. Even during challenging economic times, it's heartening to see new businesses springing up here and there. Just M.E. Apparel and Accessories is located at 15796 US Hwy 160 just across from Peoples Bank in Forsyth Missouri. The phone number is 417-546-5878 Their hours are from Wednesday to Saturday 10AM to 6PM. They're closed Monday, Tuesday and Sunday. That's about all I know at this time.

The Yarn Diva located in Forsyth Missouri is a great place to shop!

A very long time ago, while attend Southern Illinois University, I took a class in macramé. That was an experience I thoroughly enjoyed and the good memories have lasted with me even to this day. When I walked into The Yarn Diva, I was reminded of the fact that my mom also did needlepoint and knitting most of her life. She always had a knitting bag close to here with all kinds of yarn hanging out of it. I still have, and cherish, a few of the comforters she made for me.

The Yarn Diva shop which is located at 10726 E. State Hwy 76 in Forsyth seems to have it all together. A nice inventory that is well presented making the shopping a very pleasant experience. I had a chance to talk to the owner, a nice lady by the name of Sharon Betz, who gave me a couple of newsletters (some of the best I’ve seen) that they put out periodically. In the newsletter were all sorts of announcements including scheduled classes, event and charitable efforts that the shop was involved in. They have a great website where you can get a feel for what they have to offer. You can also use this site to contact them in case you have a question or two.

The store is open Tues – Fri 9:30 AM to 5:30 PM and Sat 10:00 AM to 2:00 PM. They are closed on Sunday and Monday. You can reach them by calling 417-546-2037.

It’s the 2011 Fall Taney Demolition Derby!

Coming to Forsyth Missouri on September the 10^th 2011, will be the annual Fall Demolition Derby sponsored by the Taney County Fair Board of Taney County Missouri! It will be held at the new Fair grounds known also as Shoals Bend Park. The action starts at 7PM and admission is $5 for adults while children six and under will be admitted free. For additional information call 417-546-4277 or visit the official website at www.taneycountyfair.org! (Please click on the picture above to gleam additional information and details)!

It came as a great surprise to me that my entry - 'Da Crusher' was not allowed to compete! What gives with dat? Something about my tires being a tad too large! OK, there may be something to that! Maybe next year!

The Forsyth Computer Shop: A Clinic for your computer!

Every once in a while I run into some nice people here where I live in Forsyth Missouri. That was the case today when I had occasion to visit with the owners of the newly opened Forsyth Computer Shop located at 15960 US Hwy 160, right across from the Prime Time gas island. Their phone number is 417-546-8400.

I talked, at some length, with both Brian and Michelle who were busy with customer when I first walked in. They were very courteous, and when Michelle got free, she filled me in on some of the services they offer. In a nutshell, the Forsyth Computer Shop is a full service center that specializes in refurbished systems that are rebuilt with all new parts (they also have new systems available). This includes desktops and laptops along with flat screen monitors. Prices for basic systems can range anywhere from $450 on up, and they can even build you a custom system should you so desire.  They also maintain a service center that offers you a place to take your existing system should it get sick.

While I was there, I was impressed with how neat the place looked and with the confident way they fielded my computer related questions. That is to say, they didn’t talk over my head, but in a manner that made me feel confident in their abilities.

If you have a spare moment, I would encourage everyone to stop in and say hi!

Gun Shop and Antique Store Now Open!

On a sunny nice day here in Forsyth Missouri, I had occasion to stop in the newly opened KJM Mercantile gun shop and antique furniture store located at 16071 US Hwy 160, right next door to the Chamber of Commerce. I was there to have the owner, a nice guy named Chris, take a look at a firearm that I’m considering having him sell on consignment. Chris told me his is interested in building his gun inventory, so if you have a gun you’d like to sell, Chris might be able to help you out via consignment.

The store also has a nice collection of knick knacks, antiques, fishing equipment and electronics for you to browse through. You can reach them by calling 417-251-9012 during regular business hours.

$50 Jeep window regulator repair!

In my younger days, whenever a problem arose that proved to be difficult, I would raise my hands and run away! These days, however, I will tend to dive in and see what is what. Must be an age thing.

This was the case with a pesky rear door regulator on a 2006 Jeep Liberty that kept breaking. More specifically, the part that kept breaking was a plastic riser that rides up and down on a rail driven by a spiral cable. In a previous blog, I indicated I felt that the part was poorly made and was unable to do the job for which it was designed. In my case, three of these mechanisms have bit the dust. On the first occasion, the car was still newish and Jeep repaired it for free. The second time around, about 14 months ago, same problem but this time the cost through an Independent Repair Facility (IRF) was $135.00. This last time, the part broke even though I never used the window! A call to Jeep resulted in a quote for repair of $420! To be fair, my IRF was lower, but not by much. Either way this was not a good thing as I was informed at that time that the regulators were defective and that I could count on the problems happening with the other Jeep power windows. Bummer! Now, as for the IRF. I don’t blame them as this is something they couldn’t know about. Jeep, however, was a different story.

So, how did I fix my problem with a $50 part? I researched on the internet and discovered that a repair part was available from both Amazon (a company called TKO Auto) and from another company called Steiger. While Steiger is more expensive, they do offer better documentation. Either source offers basically the same part. Steiger does offer a hex wrench and machine screws while TKO Auto offers only a single rivet ( I assume you will have to supply the rivet gun). I’m going to guess that if there are broken pieces of plastic riser that have gotten into the power window motor gears, you might want to go with Steiger. That wasn’t the case with me, so I ordered the part from TKO Auto (Amazon.com) and used a machine screw that I had lying around the house.

The total repair time was about two hours, but only because I was doing it for the first time. If my other rear window also breaks in a similar fashion, I’m sure I could do the whole thing in under an hour tops! Either way, I now have a fix that should last the life of the vehicle.

If you are experiencing a similar problem and would like some advice, I would be happy to open up some dialog. Please contact me at Forsythkid@Gmail.com and I’ll help if I can. Note: I did document my fix with pictures which I can forward.