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 ◄ Back to MagnifyThis Home Page		 BEST CONTACT AT THIS TIME IS Email AND ALLOW ME TIME TO ANSWER!!!.  Because of the flooding problems (which piled on top of the computer problems when THEY were almost ironed out), AND NOW THE TORNADO, I cannot answer the phone while also filling all the orders that come in automatically via email; the shopping cart, FAX and eBay store.   PLEASE email questions/orders and allow me time to get to you.  Thanks so much!  My sincere apologies for this but it cannot be helped!   missouritrading@gmail.com (best to use)
 

UPDATE August 2008:  If all goes well, Mom (she's 81) and I will be moving into my new house in the next few weeks.  This home is on the same grounds as MTCo's new building.  So, simultaneously, if all goes as hoped and planned, MTCo will be moving into it's new building, too.  This will present a bit more chaos in addition to what we are dealing with already this year, but in the long run, it will be wonderful & a blessing.  Please continue to bear with us!  This building has been a three year project, pay as I go deal which seemed like it would never be finished...many problems with the initial contractor.  However, God sent Michael Dees to fix the initial structural problems and finish the building.  It has taken him a long to do as he has had to work in his spare time.  But last night when the flooring guys left after laying the beautiful new tile, I was in tears.  It is so beautiful and had seemed so impossible for so long! 

For those of you who dream of having your own business or have other high aspirations, please, never ever give up no matter what happens or what is said to you, do NOT give up.  Here's a tiny bit of history regarding me and MTCo, a one woman business:

While working my engineering job in the 1980's, my (now long ago ex) husband bankrupted me and left me in terrible debt.  I had entered that marriage with no debt other than $5,500 on my little farm.  [Now, this was my bad choice, so I am not whining, just trying to inspire you!]  So, anyway, to work my way out of this situation, I took second & third jobs, learned to live on oatmeal & beans, AND I started building a little business on weekends.  In the mid 1990's, I quit my job to try to live on the business income.  By the year 2000, I paid off the debt which totaled around $100K.  It had been a bit like paying for a dead horse except I managed to keep my farm.  Missouri Trading Company got its name during a trip I took to Viet-Nam in 1996.  I opened a temporary bricks & mortar store in '98 to support myself while getting the mail order started.  When Mom first became ill, I realized I could not manage a store, a web business AND help Daddy with her.  So I closed the store.  Regarding the web business, when I started that in 1998, I had no clue of how to build websites, so I acquired the software, the cheapest digital camera I could find, and plunged into cyber-space with the help of God, really.  He put folks in my path who would teach me what I could not figure out on my own.  Computers were not new to me, thank goodness, as I had owned them since 1983 and had schooling at McDonnell Douglas on their CAD Unigraphics, setting that up for my employer.  Just a tiny bit of history there ~ sorry for the ramble.  My point is, do not quit, do not give up.  For the last ten years, it seems like there has been a major catastrophe every 3-6 months including family illnesses, deaths, catastrophic computer failures, personal injuries requiring lengthy recovery times, weather devastation, and scoundrels.  But remember, if it were easy, everyone would be doing it!  And it makes you tough, smart and free.

Woods & house after May 10, 2008 tornado.

NOW a TORNADO! 

Well....This is getting a little challenging...MAY 10th, the tornado
that came through Missouri tagged the house.  We are having to relocate for a few months while repairs are made ....big UGH!  However, Thank you Lord, we are safe and sound.  Her house is in 40 acres of large timber.  ALL the big trees are flat.  Looks like a war zone.  Amazing but the house is still standing.  While it sustained substantial damage, it can be fixed.  Super friends, knappers Michael Dees and Craig Ratzat came to the rescue spending days of their own time clearing a way back into her house.  Thank you Craig and Michael!  .....more....click here....

   HIGH WATER! 
AGAIN! 4/10/2008 Yep.  The building was flooded again!  Unbelievable.  So I have obtained another building for my office and some inventory.  Have most of the office moved at this time (4/14).  Phone is out again.  Gradually, inventory will be moved also as there is  time for me and the friends who help out to do it.  Please email instead of phoning.  I am trying to get all orders out and caught up.  Prepaid orders (eBay, Shopping Cart & mailed orders) have top priority.  Thank you. 
WATER PROBLEMS 3/18/08  This pretty little creek (picture below) just did a 30 year extreme flood this week.  Got into our building and caused some chaos!  While we lost no inventory (thank you, Lord) we had only a few hours to move a lot of stuff.  It will take some days (weeks?) to dry out / repair the building and get everything back up on shelves.  Meanwhile, I spent the last two days trying to organize what I could in an additional building.  Please be patient.  Thank you!
3/26/2008 Flood UPDATE  Just today, started moving my "office" back into the building after cleaning and cleaning.  Phone line does not work, too much mud, so I ran the line to a single jack in the far end that did not get underwater...gets the computers back on line.  Stuff is still helter/skelter in thrown into boxes on tables.  Inventory is still in another building but now laid out on tables and sorted so I can at least find stuff.  Hopefully by next week, I can be caught up and back to sawing rocks, cooking stone, and talking to you all on the phone.  Right now, it's a tough catch up.  Thanks again for kind messages; means a lot!  I am so grateful there was no real damage such as many folks more east of here in Missouri suffered.

Normally.....!

Forty acres of timber, uncut since the 1800's, was laid flat...all the large beautiful trees are gone.

Twister damage.

Twister damage.


Twister damage.  The top of this large tree was lifted upside down and slammed into the roof, two stories high causing extensive damage.

Front of the house.

Front of the house.  Windows blown out/in; glass everywhere.
Above - The first problem was to clear our long driveway back to the house.  There were roughly 35 large trees down across the driveway alone, blocking the way.  Michael Dees and Craig Ratzat work diligently.  You may recognize Craig's red one ton Dodge diesel 4-WD from the knap-ins.  Bet you did not have any idea what a wonderful TRACTOR it is!  This Dodge truck easily pulled two large logs at a time out to the highway right-of-way.  I want one!
Once most of the driveway was cleared, they tackled the major tree on the house.  After hours of clearing brush and sawing off all the branches of this massive tree, Michael and Craig began the strategizing and initiating the dangerous task of removing this large tree off of the house.
Scratching their heads....
NOW WHAT??
       
  Twister stories.  
Even though my Mom does not drive anymore, she still has her pride and joy, bought for her by Daddy, a 1992 Crown Victoria.  It was sitting in the drive in front of the house.  The tornado flattened 40 acres of timber, heavily damaged the house; there were trees criss-crossed, down everywhere including on the house…. There were baseball sized hail stones on the ground all around, etc.  But you know what?  There was not a scratch or a dent on that car.  Around 35 trees blocked the driveway alone; there were trees down on every side of the car, BUT the car was not touched. When I ordered a load of lumber, the truck driver and I got to talking about the tornado, of course.  Turns out, he and his wife live just up the road from our house.  They had left and picked up his mother to take her out dinner Saturday night (the next day was Mother’s Day).  On the radio, they heard a news report of the storm coming in so turned around and the three of them went back toward their home for safety.  In doing so, they (inadvertently!) drove into the path of the tornado.  He said that their car was spun around and all the glass was broken out of it but there was not a single scratch on any of them!  Once the ‘dust’ settled, he said his mom exclaimed, “This was a time when three silent prayers were louder than a tornado!”
   
   
   

Last updated 08/25/2008