Ronald McDonald Help ... say hello to my new friend!

This is Chad ... he's the manager for the local MAILBOX IT! in Nixa, Missouri.  I went in there a few weeks ago because I wanted to mail some food to my in-laws.  My dear Mother In Law, Peggy, fell down the stairs and was seriously injured.  Poor thing broke ribs, had her collar bone dislocated, and had lacerations, and was looking at surgery.  Thank The Lord she did not have to go thru surgery.  Her wonderful hubby Harold, was taking good care of her along with some wonderful grand daughters.   So I did what my line of southern women do,  I got out the food, and started cooking.  I cooked pot roasts, meatloaves, taco meat, spaghetti sauce ... stuff like that.  So as I cooked, I sealed them in Food Saver bags and froze them.


When it came time for mailing the food, I called Mailbox It! in Nixa Missouri.  They are a locally owned and operated business who help with shipping, mailing, and copies... and so much more!  I talked with Chad on the phone, and gave him dimensions of an ice chest that I wanted to buy and asked his opinions and expertise in this situation.  He told me to get the ice chest, buy some dry ice, and pack away, then bring it in and he would help me in getting a box to fit it all.


So on a Tuesday I did just that.  I got the styrofoam ice chest, packed all the frozen sealed bags of food in, then went to Price Cutter for dry ice and put it on top.  Then I took off to see Chad... He found a box for me.  The lid wouldn't fit in the box, so he turned it upside down to create the seal with the styrofoam, and sealed it with packing tape, making sure it was ALL sealed properly!  He then packed around it with insulating material of wadded paper and foam peanuts, and found that FedEx ground could deliver THE NEXT DAY!  


So I left it in good hands with Chad, and went on my way ... by the way ... it was VERY AFFORDABLE to mail that food!  A LOT LESS than a tank of gas it would have cost me to drive it the 7 hours there!  I got a call from my InLaws the next day and said the food arrived, still frozen, and was in perfect condition!  THANKS CHAD!


So when I needed some help getting tickets for the Ronald McDonald Quilt Raffle printed up, I went and talked with Chad.  He VERY GENEROUSLY copied the tickets on his copier that I had made the master for.  It was fast, it was easy, and he did it with a big smile, because he wanted to help with such an AWESOME CAUSE!  So I now have tickets for those who want to sell to friends and co-workers, fellow church goers, or at your neighborhood yard sale!


SO ... IF YOU NEED HELP with your copy or mailing needs, go to Mailbox It! in Nixa.  These are the services you can find there ~



~ Black & white copies
~ Color copies ( customers are welcome to email their docucments, pictures or flyers to their email address (nixamailboxit@sbcglobal.net) and Mailbox It will copy according to their instructions and email or call them when they are complete.
~ Professional packaging for shipping
~ Shipping services (USPS and FedEx) overnight guaranteed time deliveries and ground for more economic alternatives.  Also offer international shipping services.
~ Mailbox rentals  offering a physical address.
~ Laminating (up to 11 x 17 sizes)
~ fax services (Local, long distance and international.
~ Internet rental and printing options online
~ Shredding services (Charged by the pound)

They are a local family-owned business who thrives on great customer service.... and that's EXACTLY what I received at Mailbox It in Nixa.  Go check them out and tell them you read about it on my blog!  They are on Hwy 14 (Mt Vernon), west of 160 across from City Hall.

HAPPY BIRTHDAY BRANSON! 

Photo courtesy of Branson/Lakes Area CVB

This year marks the 100th Birthday for the City of Branson ... and they are celebrating with Heritage, Hospitality and Harmony.  And they are having a year long celebration !!


Branson is located in the Missouri Ozarks Mountain region of the country ... if you've never been to the Ozarks, you are in for a TREAT !!!  It's beautiful, clean, and attracts people from all over for it's natural beauty!  There are lots of outdoor activities, including camping, fishing, boating, hiking... and Table Rock Lake is home to the bass capital of the US !


Branson was named for the first postmaster, Reuben S. Branson, who opened a general store and post office in 1882.  The City was incorporated on April 1, 1912, and later that year, most all of downtown was destroyed in a fire.  The city had no fire department at the time, but Ozarks people are strong, and rebuilt the city.


Harold Bell Wright, who wrote Shepherd of the Hills, based the novel on  some folks he stayed with in the Ozarks.  Published in 1907, the book told the story of the self-reliant and stoic hill people he encountered in the area and of the wooded valleys, the mountain “balds” and the incredible cave he had seen.  The book was a huge success. Millions of copies were sold in several languages, and four movies were filmed, including a 1941 version starring John Wayne, in his first technicolor film. Wright’s novel is the fourth most widely read book in publishing history.  I LOVE the movie, and with Betty Field playing that little barefoot hillbilly, she cracked me up running up and down those Ozarks hills barefooted in all those scenes!  Made it very real for me!


The show "Beverly Hillbillies" was based on a Boy Scout camping trip to the Branson area by TV director Paul Henning as a child.  The TV show was a great success, and Henning brought the Clampetts "home" to the Ozarks in 1967, filming five episodes on location at Silver Dollar City.  He later donated 1,534 acres just outside Branson that became the Ruth and Paul Henning Conservation Area.  He also donated the Beverly Hillbillies' 1921 Oldsmobile truck to the College of the Ozarks where it is on display in the Ralph Foster Museum.


There is rich history and tradition in the Ozarks from people who have made it thru some rough times but still prevailed.  For more Branson history, check out these web pages ~~


100 years of Branson history


Pictures of Branson thru the years 


There will be more of Branson's rich history to come !