Carl Junction Archives - Cindy Goes Beyond

December 6, 2014

Day 340: This is Studio Bliss

I had heard of this place in Carl Junction, MO, located at 405 E Pennell Street. I also knew that the shop was only open on the first Friday and Saturday of each month and that workshops were held there frequently. With the name containing the word “Bliss”, I was intrigued and looked forward to visiting. Today, after I completed a showing on a property north of Carl Junction, it worked out perfectly to stop by as Studio Bliss was having an Open House.

What a beautiful, delightful place! I stopped just inside the door of the studio, which is located in an older house. There were so many wonderful items to look at. As I was gazing around, taking it all in, the owner introduced herself and I had the opportunity to chat with her and learn about her business. And the first thing I learned is that the Bliss in the company name comes from owner, Laurie Bliss. Laurie, a joyful, energetic lady, has been creating and selling her goods for more than 25 years. She had a business in Utah, Tattered Treasures, before marrying Mr. Bliss (I love that!) and eventually settling in Missouri. When she opened her studio in Carl Junction, she realized she had the perfect last name to use in naming her new venture.

The shop has a large variety of hand-made, unique and vintage items. According to the This is Studio Bliss website, the goal has always been to create with things that can’t be duplicated or purchased anywhere else. The workshops offered at the studio are for small groups of 6-8, and they are perfect for girls’ nights out, bridal showers, and birthday parties. Projects are offered for all skill levels and participants are encouraged to bring items with sentimental value to include in the creation of their projects (note: the studio provides all that is needed to create the projects…crafters may bring bits and pieces that have special meaning, from home, if they so desire). Create a little bliss is the perfect tagline for these fun gatherings. Check out the website, at the link below, to see the upcoming schedule for workshops…and sign up!

Pocket Watch Pendant can be made in an upcoming workshop

With Laurie’s permission, I wandered around the shop and took pictures. In every room and every nook, on shelves and in beautifully arranged displays using clever containers, hand crafted items drew my eyes and made me smile. This is a lovely place for unique gifts and home décor for the vintage lover and those who appreciate lovingly crafted items. The very atmosphere in the studio sparks creativity and brings joy. I loved the sign in one room that declares: A creation and celebration type place. That sums up This is Studio Bliss well!

Today, I picked up a lavender filled sachet with the words, This is Bliss stamped on it. And I purchased small paper doilies to use with Christmas gift packages. I look forward to being a frequent visitor on the weekends the shop is open. And I anticipate attending my first workshop. I’m especially excited about creating a pocket watch pendant, using some items from home. Bliss is, indeed, found here…..and so much more!

Visit This is Studio Bliss Website Here

September 5, 2014

Day 248: Carl Junction Friday Night Football – Not

I planned out today’s first early in the week. Tonight was Carl Junction High School’s first home football game. It was also the marching band’s first halftime performance of the new school year and therefore, my grandson Dayan’s first time to take the field with the band this year also. And today was Cheese Pizza Day. My evening plan was to attend the Carl Junction football game with Elissa, Josh and Greg, cheer on the Bulldogs, watch Dayan and the marching band give a stellar performance during halftime and then finish out the evening with a cheese pizza! It seemed like a good plan.

One thing that is absolutely true, in Missouri, is that the weather can change in a heartbeat. As Greg and I drove toward Carl Junction, which is a few miles northwest of Joplin, the sky looked ominous. Dark clouds were massing to the west. Dayan was already at the high school. This young man and the rest of the marching band, have been meeting early, EARLY, in the morning, for weeks, to practice the songs and marching pattern for tonight’s home game. Dayan has been rising at 4:30 am and walking the short distance to school in the dark, to take the field. I so admire the determination and commitment of the band teacher, the band, and Dayan. His mom, who is my daughter Elissa, and her charming beau, Josh, were also at the stadium, saving seats for Greg and me.

Elissa and I had a continuing text conversation going on about the threatening weather. From Elissa’s seat on the CJHS bleachers, the sky looked like it was clearing up a bit. She was facing east. I was driving into the west, and as Greg and I arrived at the high school football field, lightning was flickering in the black clouds. Thunder rumbled as we parked and made our way into the stadium. The band was standing on the far side of the field, facing west also, and they too, were watching the sky. Unfortunately, just as we all settled into our seats and prepared to watch the Bulldogs take the field, the storm moved into Carl Junction. A delay of game was called because of lightning. The band members scurried off the field. I got to watch Dayan actually run. He was, after all, carrying a large metal tuba! A moment later, it was announced that we must leave the metal bleachers. As we filed toward the front gate, the black sky loomed overhead. A severe thunderstorm warning was issued and the four of us darted for the car as Dayan and the band gathered in the high school.

I had hoped to have a slice of cheese pizza while at the game, thereby celebrating Cheese Pizza Day. With rain pelting the car and lightning splitting the sky, we changed course and drove to Randy’s Drive In, located at 1201 Pennell in Carl Junction. My first shifted from pizza to trying out this well loved hamburger hang out. Greg and I sampled the special of the day, the cheeseburger basket, while we waited to see if the weather would clear enough for the game to be played and the band to perform. The cheeseburger was an excellent old fashioned type burger. I enjoyed chatting with Greg, Elissa and Josh while savoring the burger. We laughed and shared stories while getting text updates from Dayan. Greg has a great weather app on his Galaxy phone and he kept us apprised of the weather. As one storm front moved through the area, another was forming behind it. And yet another appeared further west. Just as we finished our meal and moved to the car, intending to drive back to the football stadium, Dayan texted that they were releasing the band members to go home. Whether or not the rain cleared and the football team took to the field, the halftime show was cancelled.

I did at least get to see Dayan and give him a hug. He was one tired young man. His attitude was great, as always, knowing that the hard work the band has put in these last three weeks will yield wonderful results when they do get to perform. There will be other home games. Elissa and Dayan pointed out that this was the first time in years that a halftime band performance has been cancelled due to the weather.

My firsts shifted around this evening. No high school football game, no marching band performance, no cheese pizza. However, as they always do, the firsts did appear, exactly as they were supposed to. First cancelled half time performance, first time to eat at Randy’s Drive In. I am one to make the most of what is happening NOW. I enjoyed the cozy impromptu dinner at Randy’s with Greg, Elissa and Josh. And I am so proud of Dayan, who is learning at a young age to also make the most of the present moment. He accepted the gift of the unexpected early end to the evening. He was going to get some rest! We will all be there at the next Carl Junction High School football game, ready to cheer on the team and clap wildly for the Bulldogs Marching Band.

July 18, 2014

Day 199: Creepy Geocaching

My grandson Dayan and I discovered the thrill of geocaching back on Day 72. Geocaching is a type of treasure hunting game played using a phone’s GPS. There is an app that includes a map of nearby caches, coordinates and hints, if you need them. We had fun the first time we played, although we only found 1 of our 2 caches. Today, for my first, Dayan and I teamed up again to geocache, focusing on the Carl Junction area.

As we ate lunch, Dayan pulled up the map to discover what caches were hidden nearby. We realized that there were three caches in small cemeteries in the area. One of the cemeteries was well known to us because we drive by it often. It also has a reputation for being spooky, due to the burial there of a mass murderer. We agreed that today, our treasure seeking would take a creepy turn. We were up for the challenge and after lunch, off we went.

Our first stop was Twin Groves Cemetery, off of 96 Highway. Neither of us knew this small cemetery existed. Using my phone’s GPS system and Dayan’s tracking skills, we began our search. I have to say, Dayan has a knack for finding these caches. He just seems to start in the right spot, finding the general location in a matter of seconds. We cheered our success as Dayan spied the cache nestled in the V formed by two trees. I signed the log and we recorded our find through the Geocache app. While we were there, we walked around and looked at the old headstones and talked about those buried there. Dayan discovered many who were born prior to the Civil War.

On we traveled to our second location, called Burning House on the app. This spot, while not a cemetery, was creepy for other reasons. After a fire and demolition, all that was left of this house was a basement and one section of foundation above ground. We figured out rapidly that the cache was hidden in the foundation, since it would be unsafe to drop down into the exposed basement. Dayan retrieved our treasure and then carefully replaced it after I signed the log. Further down the dirt drive was a tall stand of weeds and trees. There appeared to be someone living back there so we didn’t linger long at this site.

We were excited we had found two for two and that encouraged us to head to the next cemetery on our list, Peace Cemetery. It is ironic that this place has the word Peace in its name. It has been the focus of several paranormal investigations because of unrest here. Dayan read aloud about Billy Cook, the murderer who is buried there, and suddenly our creepy geocaching session also became a history lesson. Billy Cook was known as a spree killer, going on a rampage over 22 days, in January of 1951, that left six people dead between Missouri and California, including three children. Cook was a Joplin, MO native and dumped the bodies of five of his victims, all members of the same family, into an abandoned mine shaft near Joplin. After he was executed in San Quentin, his body was returned to Joplin, but residents didn’t want him buried in town. Eventually he was buried in Peace Cemetery, in an unmarked grave, outside the cemetery proper.

Dayan and I were glad it was daylight while we were there! The cemetery is old and not used any more, cared for by volunteers who occasionally mow. Dayan’s instinct stopped us in the right spot and we ventured into a little fenced off area beneath overhanging trees. We noticed right away that there were Cooks buried in this section and wondered if these were Billy’s parents and family members. If so, perhaps he is buried in there too. While Dayan swatted at cobwebs and spiders, I crept forward and discovered our cache hidden beneath a rock. Even though we had never been in this historic cemetery before, we decided not to explore further. We were both ready to move on to our next site.

Our last stop was Sherwood Cemetery. Dayan found interesting information about Sherwood and so our history lesson continued. Union troops burned the town of Sherwood on May 19, 1863. At that time, with 250 residents, Sherwood was the third largest town in Jasper County. Nothing of the community remains except the almost forgotten cemetery. It is reported that Abraham Lincoln has a cousin buried there, Catherine Lincoln Sallinger. We found our last cache and sat on a stone bench to record our visit in the log. As we headed back to the car, Dayan found an interesting headstone. We discussed how cemeteries are really places of history. Each person had a family, a life, a story.

What a fun afternoon! We are hooked on geocaching and look forward to more afternoons spent seeking these interesting treasures. Riding in the car, we had time to chat and share our own stories and laugh. At one point, in a lull in our conversation, we both said, simultaneously, “This has been fun!” We cracked up over our in-sync speaking. This grandson of mine and I are often in sync. I appreciate him and love our time together. We laughed today that we used to make up stories called the Adventures of Dayan and Yaya. Geocaching is giving us an opportunity to live out some adventures!