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 ! 

WE HAVE A SPECIAL ANNOUNCEMENT FOR THE CIRCLE OF FRIENDS RETREAT!!!

I went on a long country drive today ... it was a country drive, but with a purpose.  The scenery was SO beautiful!  The red bud trees and the dogwood trees are both in full bloom, and just breath taking as I drive through the country roads, over looking the hills and hollers, with the dog woods peeking out everywhere.  The other wooded areas are just starting to leaf, so they are pretty sparse, but then there are the dogwoods showing their beauty when nothing else is able to.  So as you drive, you have white dogwoods, a few pink, and then the beautiful shades of pink and purple from the redbud trees... I LOVE the Spring in the Ozarks!

So I drive a bit towards Table Rock Lake ... out to Cape Fair which is the BASS Capital of the US ... That's what the sign says :)  I cross over the lake, looking at the relaxed fishermen enjoying their day out on their bass boats ... I come to the small town of Cape Fair... drive a little bit more ... then, there it is!

It's a quilt shop in the middle of this small town ... and it's called THE QUILTED COW!  I had gone to a quilt show a few weeks earlier, where I met up and WORKED with our buddy Rainbow ... and I had talked with the gals from the Quilted Cow! 

So I drove and met up with the owner, Jennifer.  She is SO EXCITED y'all are coming to retreat!  She will have a vendor booth at the Ozark Piecemaker's Quilt Show when we go on Saturday ... 

but she is SO EXCITED, that she wants to do something special!!!

So... for those of you coming into Branson early, Jennifer would like to invite you to come to her shop, The Quilted Cow, and have lunch on her!  She'll be serving a light lunch of chicken salad, tuna, or egg salad, along with chips, goodies, sweets, and drinks. 

She'll also be having a GIVEAWAY while you're there!  There will be free patterns, door prizes (you must be present to win), AND she will also have a drawing for a GIFT CERTIFICATE that can be used on her website! 

You do NOT have to be present to win the gift certificate!  You just have to register in her shop while you're there for lunch!  

The hours for this fun is 10am to 2pm on Thursday, September 20th.  That will give you PLENTY of time to enjoy the Ozark beauty (about 30 minutes from Branson), have lunch, do a little pre-shopping at her store, and then make it back in time for Early Bird Fat Quarter Bingo and the Early Bird Dinner at Andy Williams Moon River Grill!  

She has LOTS of fabrics, patterns, everything a quilter could want, and they even do long arm quilting in the back room!  She's got a GREAT set-up, a friendly store and I think y'all will really enjoy yourselves if you visit her.  What a GREAT WAY to start off the retreat!

So think it over ... if you're driving in, might be worth it to come a little early.  If you're already planning on coming early, then it will give you a little added fun!  And if you're coming from the south, you can stop in on your way into Branson!

And HUBBYs ARE WELCOME!  For lunch and shopping!

She says they usually congregate in the back room with the MAN doing the long arm quilting!  They have a blast, she says!

I'll be asking about it later on as it gets closer, just to see what kinda of numbers we may have that want to do this ... just so she has enough food.  She's VERY excited y'all are coming!  So if you get a chance, stop by her QUILTED COW WEBSITE at www.thequiltedcow.com or LIKE them on facebook!  You'll like Jennifer, and you'll love her shop! 

HAPPY INTERNATIONAL QUILTING DAY !

Today is the day that celebrates our love of fabric, cutting it up, then putting it back together again!  I had a love for quilting LONG before I ever got to sew any of it ... I used to get up at 5am so I could watch Simply Quilts with Alex Anderson on HGTV.  Those were the days of GOOD TV!  I would watch in amazement at how beautiful these projects of love would turn out!  And I always thought... one day, when I retire, I'm gonna learn how to quilt!

When I moved to Missouri in 2005, I came Missouri, where I only knew 2 people, and we were 20 miles apart.  We moved to the country so I didn't have neighbors for quite a long time, and it was hard to get to know people.  So I just delved into my computer and decided that I would figure out this quilting stuff.  That's when I found the HGTV.com Quilting Message Forum, and my life has been forever changed!


SO ... in honor of International Quilting Day ... let's look at some quilts!  These are the LATEST ADDITIONS to the Ronald McDonald House Charities Quilt Raffle, that will happen at the Circle of Friends Retreat in Branson this September!  I hope you're coming!!!

 This beauty was donated by IRISH 62 ... LOVE the colors and the pattern is awesome! Thank you, Irish for such a BEAUTIFUL contribution to our raffle to benefit the Ronald McDonald House in Springfield, MO!

THIS gorgeous quilt was donated by Quiltaholics blogging friend, Pam ... Didn't she do an outstanding quilt?  Thank you for your donation, Pam!

And then our friend, Jayardi, made this "so" outside the box quilt!  Jayardi is in love with dots ... all sizes, all colors ... and her quilts are her own design and masterpiece.  Thank you, Jayardi, for your very expressive DOTS !




SO ... have you bought YOUR raffle tickets yet?  One of these beauties could be yours!  For MORE BEAUTIFUL QUILTS, click on the CRAYOLA PICS tab... there are 22 more quilts for you to see.  And for purchasing YOUR RAFFLE TICKETS, click the Crayola Quilt Raffle tab!

MAKE YOUR TRAVEL ARRANGEMENTS NOW !

The travel to and from Branson Airport (BKG) has now opened up (finally!)  We will be gathering travel info a little later on to coordinate shuttle service.  The retreat will be providing shuttle service to and from the Branson Airport.  Shuttle service will run WEDNESDAY, SEPT 19th 9am to MONDAY, SEPT 24th, 11am.


CAR RENTAL for Enterprise, National and Alamo, as well as AIRLINE INFO can be found at www.discoverbranson.com.


AIRTRAN flies straight into Branson Airport direct from Atlanta, Baltimore, Chicago Midway, Houston Hobby and Orlando.  These airport have MAJOR city connections, so Branson is just 1 flight away from many big cities across the country!


FRONTIER AIRLINES travels from Denver straight into Branson Airport.  They have LOTS of flights into Denver.  Go to their website for more info !  (As of March 1st, they are still only booking through Sept 9th).  Will contact them today for update info.


Branson is located in the middle of the country, and is easily accessible no matter where  you come from!  There are 2 airports that serve the Branson area ... Branson (BKG) and Springfield (SGF).  There's also "Walmart Airport" just outside of Bentonville, Arkansas, which is 90 miles away, and a beautiful drive through the Ozarks !  It's called Northwest Arkansas Regional Airport (XNA).  I've used this airport for flights, and it's a NICE airport!  All the Walmart executives use it for their corporate travel.


If you so choose, you can also fly into Springfield-Branson National Airport (SGF).  The airlines serving this airport are American, Allegiant, Delta and United.  If you plan on flying into Springfield, you will need to either rent a car or call for shuttle to Branson, which is not covered by the retreat costs.  I can send you info on shuttle costs to and from Springfield if you request it.  It's about a 45 minute drive down a major interstate to Branson, and is a beautiful drive.  Car rental out of Springfield are Avis, Budget, Enterprise, Dollar Rent A Car, Hertz, National and Thrifty Car Rental.  For more info on the Springfield Airport, please go to www.flyspringfield.com for airline and car rental info !


For those who wish to drive to Branson, it connects with major interstates and is centrally located.  For more info visit www.discoverbranson.com!

Are you ready to travel?  

This will give you info on the airports in the area, and helping you to keep an eye out on when they will be booking!  Also, we are just 40 mins away from Springfield airport, and 1-1/2 hours from Bentonville airport in Arkansas... nice drive !  Keep your eyes out on the websites for booking information!

Branson Airport (BKG) 

10 miles south of Branson
	AirTran
	Branson AirExpress
	Frontier

The Branson Airport, which opened in 2009, is just 10 miles south of the world-famous Branson Strip. The new airport and 58,000-SF terminal have the capacity to handle more than 1 million travelers annually. The airport is the first privately-financed and operated commercial airport in the United States.  Families and groups flying to Branson enjoy dining and auto-rental services on-site, as well as taxi and shuttle service into Branson.  

The airlines that service Branson Airport (BKG) are Frontier Airlines, Air Trans and Branson AirExpress.  These airlines are providing non-stop or 1-stop flight to Branson from most major US cities, as well as international destinations ... and any time now they will be opening the availability to make your airline reservations (they wait til about 6 to 9 months out).  So I've included some TRAVEL MAPS to let you see where they fly from and connect to. 

Service at Branson Airport (BKG)

Springfield-Branson National Airport

Springfield-Branson Natl. Airport (SGF): 50 miles north of Branson
	Allegiant
	American
	Delta
	United

Springfield-Branson National Airport opened its new 275,000 sq. ft., $117 million Midfield Terminal in 2009, has 10 airline gates and room to add 50 more if needed. Accessibility has been improved as well: flyers can walk from their car to their airplane without climbing a single stair. Allegiant Air and American Airlines are among the carriers providing low-cost flights to the airport. Springfield-Branson National Airport is roughly 50 miles north of Branson.

For more information, visit www.flyspringfield.com or call 417-868-0500.

Service at Springfield International Airport (SGF)

Northwest Arkansas Regional Airport

NW Arkansas Regional Airport (XNA): 98 miles SW of Branson
	Allegiant
	American
	Continental
	Delta
	US Airways
	United

The Northwest Arkansas Regional Airport (XNA) is another major area  airport facility that opened in 1998. The airport serves primarily the Northwest Arkansas cities of Bentonville, Fayetteville, Rogers, Siloam Springs and Springdale, but it's also less than two hours from the Branson/Lakes Area.

The airport's location also makes it convenient for visitors who also want to visit Eureka Springs, Ark. on their way to Branson, or the Joplin, Mo., area.  

This is the airport that I used when I traveled to Charlotte NC for the 2011 Circle of Friends Retreat because they had the best fares.  It's a couple of hours out of Branson, but the drive is beautiful, traveling through the Ozarks.  If you would like to rent a car, it's modern, busy, and easy to find... around here it's call "the walmart airport" because so many of the walmart executives fly through here to and from all over the country!

For more information, visit www.nwara.com or call 479-205-1000.

Service at Bentonville (Fayetteville) Airport (XNA)

WANT TO WIN A BEAUTIFUL QUILT ???

THE 4th Annual Crayola Challenge Quilt Drawing has begun! Get YOUR tickets for a chance at one of these GORGEOUS QUILTS! And will benefit an AWESOME cause at the same time!!!

Our friend Quiltaholic has headed up the project for the past drawings that have benefited many charities, including the bringing Christmas for children twice, back to school clothes and supplies for children, presented funds to the Susan G. Komen Foundation, as well as Ronald McDonald Houses in different areas of the country. She has asked me to take over the coordinating of the raffle, which I am honored to do, and I will try my best to carry on the tradition that Q has set such high bars for!

So... are you READY for some QUILTS? We are celebrating the 4th Annual Crayola Challenge Quilt Drawing for the Ronald McDonald Houses, and it will be benefiting the Ronald McDonald House Charities of the Ozarks, which is located in Springfield, Missouri! And this year, we are collaborating it with the Circle of Friends Retreat in Branson!

The theme this year was " Life Is Like A Bowlful Of ______ " and we filled in the blank with the Crayola color we wanted. We also had to incorporate black and white as well, so it was a 3 color challenge!

The quilts have been sent to Quiltaholic, and will be mailed to the winners from North Carolina. There are some REAL BEAUTIES in this fun, and the gals did an outstanding job of embracing the challenge!

The drawing itself will be on Sunday morning, September 23rd at the COF Retreat! The quilts will be shown on a slide show, by coordinating numbers and names of quilt makers, so that everyone will know what quilt they have won!

You do not have to be present at the retreat to win. Winners will be notified by Monday, September 24th.

A staff member from the Ronald McDonald House in Springfield will be joining us and do the drawing of the tickets! I'm excited for them to meet SOME of the wonderful gals who make this whole endeavor possible, and for the retreat goers to see what our labors of love work for!

Also in the drawing, are 3 HUGE baskets of quilting goodies, tools, patterns, fabrics... all sorts of goodies every quilter would love. Two of the baskets are in machine totes ... a great prize or a gift for a quilter you know!


We have scheduled 29 quilts to give away! Right now there are 22 received, and the rest will be received before the drawing. These quilts are GORGEOUS and will make FABULOUS prizes for the lucky winners!

If you would like to SEE the quilts, you can check them out at CRAYOLA PICS TAB ON THIS BLOG. As all the quilts are received, the pics will be updated!


In the last raffle we had at the 2011 Circle of Friends Retreat, we raised over $4200 for the Muscular Dystrophy Association. Jayardi and Quiltaholic did a fantastic job in raising funds for such a worthy cause!

Let's top that! The goal this year is $5000. Wouldn't YOU love to see us hand a check to such a worthy cause? I WOULD!!!

HERE'S THE SCOOP ON THE TICKETS!
TICKET SALES WILL BEGIN FEBRUARY 1st! For your chance at a quilt, a donation of $2 will get your name in for the drawing... and for every $5 donated, you will receive 3 tickets for The Ronald McDonald House Quilt Raffle.

All monies must be here by September 15, 2012, unless you are attending retreat. Tickets WILL ALSO BE SOLD AT THE RETREAT, and retreat ticket sales will close at 9pm, Saturday, September 22nd.

For those desiring, please make checks payable to Ronald McDonald House Charites of the Ozarks (RMHC), and post date them for September 20, 2012. I don't accept PayPal, so send it thru pony mail. For the mailing address, please go to THE MAILING LIST LINK on the side of the blog. Any cash or checks received with my name will be deposited in a bank account specifically set up for this raffle :)

If you would like to SELL to your friends, neighbors, brothers, sisters, quilting buddies ... we can send you tickets with stubs by mail. You can request them thru a PM, or an email to CRAYOLA QUILTS. You will send in the money for tickets, and return the stubs and their name will be put into the raffle. All sales to others will be tracked, so that we can tally for a special drawing... There will be a Special Quilty Prize for the person who brings in the most donations... that's tickets sold to others.

So, get out there and blog about it. Tell all your friends about it. Share with your family and co-workers. If you would like, I can send you an e-mail with all the details. That way, all you have to do is forward it to them.

WHO'S READY FOR SOME TICKETS ???Official rules for the 2012 Crayola Quilt Challenge Drawing for the Ronald McDonald House Charities of the Ozarks can be found here. Thank you for your participation for such a great cause!