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Saturday, July 4, 2020

Playskool Heroes Transformers Review

Playskool Heroes Transformers as birthday toys for Tyler

Grandson Tyler just turned six. Since we only get to visit in person a couple times a year, I always need advice from his parents as to what his latest 'favorite' toy is. This time the recommendation was for a Heroes Transformers action figure by Playskool.

Due to the marvel of today's video chats, I was able to watch-in-person while Tyler opened his birthday gift from grandma. Judging by his reaction, my birthday gift of this transformer action figure was a BIG hit.

The Optimus Prime Rescue Bot Action Figure

The Robot Mode

Available on Amazon

The Vehicle Mode

Prime Rescue Bot by Playskool in vehicle mode

Available on Amazon

This Rescue Bot Action Figure manufactured by Hasbro (a trusted toy company) has an easy-to-do conversion. It converts from robot mode to vehicle mode and back again. As a fierce truck, Optimus Prime is ready to roll to the rescue in a (pretend) dangerous situation. Then the vehicle can be quickly converted into a heroic robot figure to save the day!

This 2-in-1 toy is sized just right for small hands and recommended for ages 3-7. The perfect toy for newly 6-year-old Tyler.

Transformers Boys' Optimus Prime T-Shirt

Transformer T-Shirt

As a grandmother, I also like to be 'practical' when it comes to purchasing gifts for my five grandsons. It is also appreciated by the parents. So, in addition to the Transformers Toy, I also sent a Transformers Boys' Optimus Prime T-Shirt to match the toy. The T-Shirt has an Officially licensed graphics decal on the front that matches the Transformer Toy. The shirt is 100% cotton, has a super soft crew neck, is made in the USA, and is machine washable.

Summary

My little Tyler liked both the Transformers Rescue Bot Robot toy and the T-shirt to match. He knows all about the Transformers Cyberverse Adventures by Hasbro..... and Grandma is now being educated about this world of Transformers. :)

Happy Birthday, Tyler!

Boy wearing & playing with Playskook Heroes Transformers t-shirt and toy

Transformers Review written by Wednesday Elf on (c) 7/4/2020

Note: The author may receive a commission from purchases made using links found in this article. “As an Amazon Associate, Ebay (EPN) and/or Esty (Awin) Affiliate, I (we) earn from qualifying purchases.”

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Friday, July 3, 2020

Just CrossStitch Magazine in Print, on Kindle, & DVD Reviewed

Very few magazines are interesting enough for me to pay for a subscription, especially since just about everything can found on the internet. However, I do subscribe to Just CrossStitch. Every time a new issue arrives, I drop whatever I am doing and browse the pages. Then I set it aside for later, when I have time to really examine the patterns and mark what I might want to stitch.

Just CrossStitch includes beautiful pictures of each finished project, plus easy to read full patterns.

I have saved years of back subscriptions of Just CrossStitch! I never know when I will feel the itch to stitch and I do love having a variety of patterns available.

Long before I started my subscription, I would buy the issues every time I visited Barnes & Noble, which used to be quite often before I was gifted with a Kindle. It was our favorite date night to dine out and then head over to B&N.

Just Crossstitch SubscriptionCheck Price

Just CrossStitch Magazines

Just CrossStitch Magazine -Single Issue
December 2017Check PriceUnlike books, a magazine is very lightweight, which makes it easy to carry when we travel. I always carry either a cross stitch project or a crochet project with me in the car or on a plane.

I well remember cross stitching a bookmark from a Just CrossStitch magazine pattern for my son in the airport on a layover with a flight delay. It was such a restful way for me to wait. I didn't stress at all over the delay. As a matter of fact, I remember thinking how I wished I had time to make a bookmark for our daughter too.

Every time I see my son using that bookmark, I think how glad I am that I used that layover time to make something special for him. I am also glad the magazine had just the right pattern within its pages. Of course, that was probably why I selected that particular issue to carry with me.

Tip: Patterns for bookmarks only require being small single images pulled from any cross stitch design. They don't have to be titled "bookmark" for the pattern to work well on a bookmark.

You can purchase the individual issue that you want like I did in years past, or you can subscribe to receive your issue in the mail. An annual subscription includes 6 issues, plus the Christmas Ornament special edition.

Surprisingly, the Just CrossStitch magazine is now available on Kindle! I haven't personally tried viewing the magazine on my Kindle since I have the print issue subscription, but I can see how it would be awesome to get them on my Kindle Fire. (The Kindle Fire will provide color pictures.)

Just CrossStitch DVD's

Just CrossStitch Collection 1983-–1990Check Price
Don't stress if you wish you had discovered this wonderful magazine years ago! You can purchase DVD's that have the back issue patterns for multiple past years.

The DVD's contain every issue of the years noted of the Just CrossStitch magazine. They consist of PDFs that are searchable, plus provide printer-friendly charts. Therefore, you can print out a pattern and carry it with you wherever you go. Even though I have the magazines, I like having the convenience of the DVD for searching out a pattern of choice.

When you insert the DVD into your computer's DVD-ROM drive, it will open a list of file names. Simply select the year, then the month you wish to view and open using the free version of Adobe Reader. You can print the patterns by clicking on the print icon of the Adobe Reader.

I Prefer to View On Full Screen and click my mouse to click through the pages.

(use the ESC key on your keyboard to close the full screen viewing)

full screen view of a magazine page on a dvd

There are also Halloween or Christmas patterns from the Just CrossStitch magazine available on DVD.

The Just CrossStitch Collection 1991–2000Check Price The Just CrossStitch Collection 2001–2010Check Price Just CrossStitch 2011-2015 Collection DVDCheck Price Just CrossStitch Christmas Ornament Collection 1997–2013Check Price

Thursday, July 2, 2020

Fast Girls - Book Review

Order Fast Girls Today

Three fast girls. Three very different pathways to the 1936 Berlin Olympics. Three: the number of seconds between "get set" and blasting off the starting line into your future. Three young women running, for all they are worth, for their lives.

Fast Girls is historical fiction that introduces us to real women who broke world records, achieved Olympic gold, rose above rampant racism, sexism, and the societal norms meant to keep them off the track... out of the running for their dreams... out of their place in history.

Betty Robinson. Louise Stokes. Helen Stephens. Remember their names. These fast girls will teach us much that goes far beyond 100 meters. From them, we will gain the perspective and insight that becomes a kind of second wind, which is what you need when you hit the wall during a race, or in the midst of dealing with life's hard challenges.

Each fast girl had to rise above tremendous obstacles to become who she was destined to be. Take Betty Robinson, for starters. As the first American woman to achieve Olympic gold, at the very first Olympics that included female athletes (Amsterdam, 1928), it seemed the "Golden Girl" had it made. Not long afterwards, Robinson was involved in a near-fatal plane crash that left her body wrecked beyond hope of any kind of recovery, or any return to her former glory. Everyone counted her out. Everyone, that is, except Betty herself. What she does with her brokenness is what will define her greatness.

Next up, Louise Stokes. As a member of the first integrated Olympic team, Stokes, a black athlete, will face the kind of abuses no one deserves, or should ever experience. Her treatment, how she copes with it, and where it leads, even to today's Black Lives Matter movement, is not just a lesson for the history books. It is living history. It matters as much right now as it did back in 1932.

Which brings us to Helen Stephens. Stephens, a misfit, unwanted by her father, mocked and bullied by her childhood peers, so different, so confused about her identity, so incredibly talented. What will become of Helen? Who will see her immense promise and provide a means for her to leave the bleak, hardscrabble existence of her youth?

Fast Girls is about so much more than blazing speed. Even though these women, at their peak, were the fastest women in the world, what mattered, and still matters, is what they did with their enormous capacity for turning tragedies into personal triumph. Their disappointments and losses, perhaps even more than their triumphs, are what make for compelling reading.

This is a book for the history buff, the athlete, the coach, the teacher, the enthusiastic spectator, the one who cares about the worthiness, and enormous value, of every single person who asks only to be allowed the opportunity to fly down that straightaway toward the achievement of a dream... toward the fulfillment of personal destiny.

*I received an ARC of Fast Girls from NetGalley in exchange for my honest review. I wish to thank the author, Elise Hooper, and her publisher, HarperCollins, for this opportunity.

**You may also wish to check out my five-star review of Elise Hooper's fabulous book Learning to See.

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Wednesday, July 1, 2020

Six Historical Fiction Books Set in Canada

Happy Canada Day! This is the day that Canadians from coast to coast to coast don their red and white and head out to celebrate our fabulous country, which was born on this day, July 1, 1867. It is with history in mind that I thought I would share six interesting historical fiction novels that are at least partly set in Canada. If you love historic fiction, I hope you will find a new book to add to your reading list.

Despite the unprecedented virus situation in Canada Day 2020, this list is by no means an indicator that Canadians will be staying home and reading on July 1. I will be wearing red and white, cooking up something special on the grill, eating some ripe red strawberries, having a walk in our neighborhood to see from a safe distance many Canadian flags flying high and our red and white attired neighbors before coming home and toasting Canada. Here's how we're celebrating Canada Day Together, Apart in 2020 but I digress. Here's the promised list of six fabulous historical fiction books set in Canada.

UNDER THIS UNBROKEN SKY

Under This Unbroken Sky by Shandi Mitchell is a close look at the settling of Canada. Read this book and you will wonder how the prairies ever came to be settled. If it was not one thing it was another for this poor Ukrainian family when they took up a homesteading on the Canadian prairies in the 1930s. Truly a look at how tough life was for those immigrant settlers with a story line that will capture your attention. I have not written a full review of this fascinating book yet but you can read more about Under This Unbroken Sky on Amazon here.

ANNE OF GREEN GABLES: A NEW BEGINNING

Anne of Green Gables may be thought of as a children's book but they are totally appropriate for adults, too. They are an interesting look into Lucy Maud Montgomery's Prince Edward Island in the early 1900s.

Anne of Green Gables: A New Beginning was written by Kevin Sullivan. Sullivan was the creator of the original Anne of Green Gables movie series. This book is his more recent prequel to the Anne of Green Gables stories. You can read my complete review of Anne of Green Gables: A New Beginning here. I have always been a fan of Anne Shirley and I enjoyed this book.

BEFORE OF GREEN GABLES

Before Green Gables was written by Nova Scotia's Budge Wilson and was my preferred version of what Anne Shirley's life might have looked like before she was sent as an orphan to live on Prince Edward Island. Interesting that two prequels with two totally different stories were published and that they were published just a year apart. You can find my complete review of Before Green Gables here.

THE HOME FOR UNWANTED GIRLS

Joanna Goodman's The Home for Unwanted Girls is set in in French Canada in the 1950s and tells the story of a woman forced to give up her daughter and the tale of that daughter in the Canadian system. There is a lot of heartache in this book but that it is HIGHLY RECOMMENDED by me. You will find my complete review of The Home for Unwanted Girls here.

THE PIANO MAKER

The Piano Maker was written by Kurt Palka and tells the tale of a woman's life taking her from France in the era of the First World War to Canada in the 1930s. I enjoyed this book because it was partially set in Canada. It is particularly interesting for anyone who is interested in the piano and who wants a look into war-time fiction set in Canada's maritime provinces. Find my complete review of The Piano Maker here.

THE QUINTLAND SISTERS

I have long been interested in the lives of the Dionne Quintuplets. Pierre Berton's 1978 novel introduced me to the sisters and I have followed the true life story of these mistreated sisters ever since. They were the world's first set of quintuplets to survive infancy. This book, written by Shelley Wood, is an interesting look into their lives in the 1930s when the world was glad to embrace the sisters even if it meant that they were taken from their parents and displayed as a tourist attraction. Find my complete review of The Quintland Sisters here.

There. I hope you have found a novel with a Canadian theme to add to your list!

Happy Canada Day
and Happy Reading!
Brenda
Treasures By Brenda

Quick Links:

Discover how we're celebrating Canada Day, 2020.
Discover a page full of fabulous Anne of Green Gables gift ideas.

Six Historical Fiction Books Set in Canada

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Tuesday, June 30, 2020

Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid Review

The big screen has had its share of famous duos. Either Hollywood knows how to pick them, or it's just luck that two actors work together so well.

To name a few of these famous duos that we have come to love and adore; Spencer Tracey and Katherine Hepburn, Lucille Ball and Desi Arnaz, and how about Mel Gibson and Danny Glover in Lethal Weapon.

These actors and so many more have teamed up to make so many classics. Their characters and personalities complemented each other to take us into another world for a few hours. They make us laugh, cry, gasp, or sit on the edge of our seats to see what happens next.

Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid Review

Paul Newman and Robert Redford, in my opinion, were one of these duos that were perfectly matched. In 1969 they teamed up in the film Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid. This film was said to have launched Robert Redford's career.

Movie Plot:

The film is based on real-life outlaws in the late 1890's. Robert Leroy Parker is known as Butch Cassidy played by (Paul Newman), and Harry Longabaugh is known as the Sundance Kid played by (Robert Redford). Butch is the leader of the group known as The Hole in the Wall Gang.

The gang devises a new plan to rob the Union Pacific Railroad on both the eastbound and westbound runs. The first robbery goes well, but the second robbery things go wrong. A second train shows up carrying six lawmen.

As the six lawmen jump off the train on their horses, the gang decides to split up, Butch and Sundance go one way and the gang goes another. But, the six lawmen follow Butch and Sundance. All attempts to elude the six lawmen are failing.

Butch and Sundance find out the group is lead by a famous Indian tracker known as "Lord Baltimore" and a determined lawman Joe Lefors.

They find out from Sundance's girlfriend Etta played by (Kathern Ross) that the team of lawmen was hired by the head of the Union Pacific Railroad. Their job is to track them down and kill them. Butch, Sundance, and Etta move to Bolivia to try and start a new life.

I don't want to spoil the rest of the movie if you haven't seen it. This is one of those movies that will make you laugh, and you're going to find yourself rooting for the bad guys.

This short video is one of my favorite parts of the movie

Paul Newman and Robert Redford teamed up again in 1973 to make "The Sting". After these two hits by this duo, they never made another movie together. What a shame because they worked so well together.

You can find this classic on Amazon Prime or other streaming sites. Or, you could buy the DVD here.

These are the only two movies that Paul Newman and Robert Redford made together.

Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid (Widescreen Special Edition) by 20th Century Fox The Sting [Blu-ray]

Clich

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Monday, June 29, 2020

Reviewing Royal Wing No Waste Bird Seed with Fruit

If you would like a larger variety of birds visiting your bird feeder and you haven't used Royal Wing Total Care No Waste bird seed with Fruit, you should give this a try!

Royal Wing bird seed brand available at Tractor Supple Company

I enjoy bird-watching have had a large variety of bird feeders over the years. But I have had the most luck with this particular feeder and bird seed combination. The birds literally began to line up as soon as I put this No Waste Blend with Fruit in a hanging platform feeder. It has been amazing.

In the past, I would put out Nyjer seed for the finches, suet for the nuthatches and mixed bird seed for everyone else. Of course, Cardinals like sunflower seeds. Some seed mixes did not seem to attract Cardinals. Perhaps not the right type of sunflower or not enough sunflower seed to other seed ratio. I don't know.

In an impulse buy during a shopping trip at Tractor Supply Company (TSC), I bought this seed. It is a bit more expensive than the mixed seed at the big box stores but it was well worth it! The very next day I saw Cardinals and a variety of other birds - some birds I've never seen at my feeder before -- such as this Grosbeak. This was the very first Grosbeak I've added to the list of birds I've seen! In addition to the Rose Breasted Grosbeak, I am excited that the Indigo Bunting pair have nested somewhere very close to this feeder and a Spotted Towhee makes a daily appearance and sings to us -- both birds I had never seen prior to bird watching at The Shack. I think this food has helped attract them to the area on a daily basis.

The birds line up for their turn at this seed. I have continued to use the remaining nyjer seed. But it seems the finches are coming even when I don't add the nyjer seed.

If you are not familiar with TSC (Tractor Supply Company) or prefer shopping via Amazon there are similar "waste free" seeds with fruit to chose from.

Related Links:

I'm not as good at bird photography as I would like to be. Our own Mary Beth is both a wonderful photographer as well as a bird-lover. Please check out some of her posts featuring birds such as Review of Spring Bird Photography and Review of Bluebird Facts and Photography. I love bluebirds and Mary Beth's photos of them are outstanding!

To read more about my personal adventures at The Shack click here. It is my piece of land, and future home, on top of a mountain ridge in West Virginia. Bird watching there has been an amazing experience.

My basalt bird bath by Stone Age Creations has been very popular with the birds. The Eastern Bluebirds and sparrows (Chipping Sparrows I think but I'm not sure) are daily bathers. I was very excited to see a Cardinal using the bath recently. See my review of this particular bird bath here. This bird bath has been one of the best splurge purchases I have ever made.

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Sunday, June 28, 2020

Matte or Glossy Covers on a Self Published Book? Which One To Choose?

That is the question, matte or glossy?

Let me start off by admitting that I'm not a self-publishing guru! The entire self-publishing process has been self taught.

In 2019 I made a decision to tackle a bucket list item; publish my personally written life's collection of poetry. Since then, and to this date, via Amazon Self-Publishing (KDP), I've self-published a total of seven books, and am in the middle of writing my eighth and ninth book.

I've written multiple times about the learning curve to self-publishing. I have to admit it wasn't easy. However, now that I have a few books under my belt, I'm learning more about the nuanced details that make a difference in a book's appearance and presentation.

As an example, I learned how to create professional-looking book covers, and have changed my covers multiple times to what they are as of this date. I actually made another slight modification to one of them again today! I'm planning on stopping these changes soon - Nah, probably not lol - but hopefully I'll get the covers to a place where I'm completely satisfied! Building book covers from scratch is tough at first, but after you get the hang of it, it's a ton of fun and very addictive!

A Matte or Glossy Finish on the Cover of Your Self-Published Book - Which Should You Choose?

I googled the crap out of this. Watched videos - you know, the usual stuff we do when we have questions. However, I didn't get a suitable answer. So, when I published the first editions of each book, I decided to go with a matte finish for the covers.

Guess what? For my books, a glossy finish is much nicer and more practical. So, I'm in the process of changing them all to glossy. I'll do all future books in a glossy cover format from now forward.

Why a Glossy Cover Works for This Genre of Books

I write riddle books, books about sayings for cards, and of course, a poetry book. I haven't written, nor plan to write novels. Novel covers may be better in a matte finish, but honestly, I can't give you advice on that.

For Activity Books (Like My Riddle Books & Saying Books and Poetry Books), Here's Why I Believe a Glossy Cover is Best

These types of books are picked up and put down often, and a glossy cover is more durable. The matte cover actually ended up with smudged fingerprints on it from too much handling.
They look way more professional with glossy covers! My husband put it this way - he said, 'the matte finish made it look like it was purchased at the dollar store, and a glossy finish gives it a bookstore feel' - Yikes!
A glossy cover feels nicer to hold in your hands (a personal thing)
The shiny cover helps the colors to pop more. With fun activity books, the colors are essential, so yah ... glossy all the way for that reason alone.
The matte finish looks more like a school book, the glossy finish gives it an 'author feel.'

The Cellphone Photos of the Books Below Don't Really Capture the Difference Between Matte and Glossy However There is A Big Difference:

Both of These Riddle Books Have a GLOSSY COVER
#STUMPED - A Party Game

The Book on the Left is a MATTE Finish
The Book on the Right is a GLOSSY Finish
Boredom Buster Riddles - #Stumped Volume 4

The final vote of approval came from my adult kids and my husband, they all agreed that the glossy covers were superior to the matte covers. Sorry matte.

My Non-Guru Self-Publishing Journey in Articles:
1. How to get started on that eBook you've been meaning to do for decades
2. Confessions of a Newbie Self-Publisher
3. 5 Helpful Tools from a Newbie Self-Publisher
4. 3 More Tips from a Newbie Self-Publisher

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Saturday, June 27, 2020

The Stranger, a TV Series

I would like to review a British television series called The Stranger and I can easily do it in one sentence. Go and watch it right now!

Harlan Coben's The Stranger a Netflix series

The Stranger (British TV Series) - image adapted by Lou16
from a photo on Pixabay.com

Want more than my bossy sentence? Well I must admit the trailer for this series looked good and certainly peaked mine and my husband's interest, but the series itself totally outshone our expectations. It is based on a book by American author Harlan Coben and after watching it I am definitely going to start reading some of his books.

The series has a British cast that if you watch many British shows you'll probably be very familiar with. There were lots of actors that I recognise from different shows that they've popped up on. The main star of the show is Richard Armitage who as an actor first came to my attention in the British spy series Spooks, although he has a number of other credits to his name.

Another star is actress Siobhan Finneran who has appeared in several British television shows over the years, but I particularly liked her portayal of a police detective in The Moorside (available through Amazon Prime). In this show she, again, plays a detective.

I would also like to mention two other stars of the show - Shaun Dooley and Jennifer Saunders. I will be honest and say that I felt both of these actors were not (in my opinion) on their best game, but the story was strong enough that they didn't need to be better. As a fan of Shaun Dooley since I watched Married, Single, Other years ago (a great British drama series) I was a little disappointed in his acting. I've also loved Jennifer Saunders since her French and Saunders days, but I didn't feel that her acting was to the standard of the rest of the cast.

An actor that was amazing was Paul Kaye, I absolutely hated his character, he played it perfectly

This series is what I call bingeworthy. We started watching it on a Sunday night and were only going to watch one episode - 3 episodes later we had to turn it off as we had work the next day. The following night we had things on and decided to just watch one episode before bed...we watched two and it was very hard to get up the following morning.

Luckily the third night we had nothing on and the series only has 8 episodes so we managed to finish it! I recommend watching it when you have 8 hours to spare because you may not want to stop.

The main story line is very interesting as it's about a stranger approaching someone with details of a secret. What keeps it enthralling is not just wondering about the stranger, but all the intricate little threads that the writers have kept running through it. The book was adapted by screenwritter Danny Brocklehurst and he has done an amazing job.

The suspense was kept up with all these surprising things happening - as an example at the end of one of the episodes someone walks into their workplace and is greeted by their workmates. That doesn't sound very cliffhangerish now does it? However it made my husband and I both sit up as we hadn't anticipated that happening!

The ending of every episode has you wanting more and that is exactly why I loved it.

I did see that Danny Brocklehurst and Harlan Coben co- wrote another Netflix series called Safe so I am definitely going to put that one on the must watch list!

One of the great things about winter is definitely cold nights watching some great shows/movies with my hubby.

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Friday, June 26, 2020

How to Use Ebay to Find Old Automobile Parts Reviewed

My husband recently purchased an older model jeep that needed a lot of repairs and restoration. He has spent the last few months under the hood or under the jeep assessing, then replacing worn or rotted parts. The interior also needed a tremendous amount of loving care. This jeep sure chose the right new owner! My husband is meticulous and dedicated.

As for me, my job with this restoration has been to assist in finding replacement parts. I'm not very keen on walking junkyards or old vehicle graveyards to find parts. However, I am extremely familiar and experienced with finding impossible things on Ebay. Locating the needed parts for his jeep on Ebay has actually been a lot of fun!

Because of the needed work, this pretty Jeep Wrangler will always hold a special place in our hearts. You can't focus and work on something for so long without becoming attached to it. We have already enjoyed a day out exploring jeep trails in one State Park and we look forward to spending a lot more time having fun with our restored jeep.

How to Find Replacement Automobile Parts on Ebay

You might not even realize that Ebay has old automobile parts listed. However, there are several sellers who tear down old or wrecked vehicles and sell individual parts separately. For us, those sellers were essential for our jeep's restoration.

Almost every dashboard trim piece on our jeep had to be replaced. One of the previous owners had painted them white with splatter dots. The paint job didn't appeal to us. We purchased and replaced every individual trim piece that was painted. The dashboard area looks a million times better.

jeep dashboard trim piece - replacement found on ebay

In order to find the correct trim pieces, my husband removed each piece and wrote down the trim piece number which was found molded into the backside of each piece. In several cases, it was as simple as typing in the year, make and model of the vehicle, plus the trim piece name and number in the Ebay search bar. Then making our selection by color and condition.

Before we embarked on this restoration, I had no idea each trim piece had an identity number stamped into the molded piece. That makes finding a replacement much easier than simply matching by looks.

Example Search: "2004 Jeep TJ Wrangler Knee Bolster 5G00TRM"

stamped identity number on jeep molded trim piece

The part number was not always listed in the title. Details in the title vary by seller. However, we were always able to verify those numbers in the photos provided by the sellers. That guaranteed the piece would fit our jeep when it arrived.

I found the Ebay parts sellers usually know more than I do about piece numbers & names, therefore whatever I put in a search, as long as I included the year, model, and name of the piece, I could find what we needed. The sellers pictures for proper piece identity made it easy!

We also replaced the wheels, several engine parts, and the jack tools by finding them on Ebay. The OEM jack & lug tool set had a few rusty areas, but my husband cleaned them up like new by letting them soak in Evapo-rust overnight.

Example Part Searches:
"Jeep Wrangler TJ OEM Tire Jack Tool Set",
"Jeep Wrangler TJ Heater Drain Tube",
"2004 Jeep Wranger 15" Refinished Steel Wheel"

When Total Price Matters

When restoring an old vehicle, you can find yourself financially upside down pretty quick. We didn't want to spend "new car" money on an older jeep.

Purchasing the exact individual used part on Ebay and replacing it ourselves was a lot cheaper than buying new parts, if available.

Keep in mind though, not all parts are even still available. That is another reason we love shopping for vehicle parts on Ebay. The sellers competitively price parts, therefore price gouging is minimal, if even existent.

If you are buying several parts from the same Ebay seller, contact them and ask for combined shipping costs. That literally costs them nothing and can often save you a lot. Why pay more when you don't have to?

If you don't find exactly what you want on Ebay today, go back tomorrow.
There are new listings daily!

Search Ebay for Auto Parts by Clicking Here Today!

How to Use Ebay to Find Old Automobile Parts Reviewed by:

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Thursday, June 25, 2020

Visit Missouri-Klondike Park St. Charles County

Klondike Park Meeting Facility

On a recent beautiful June afternoon, my friend and I ventured out into Missouri Wine Country. After a wonderful lunch at a winery overlooking the Missouri River Valley, we stopped at Klondike park for a bit of hiking and photography.

Location of Park

Klondike park is located in St. Charles county just 14 miles south of the 40/94 interchange. It is a wonderful location with over 250 acres nestled in the middle of Missouri Wine Country.

Boat Ramp

As we left the winery we took the first exit we saw for the park and found that this exit really just led to the boat ramp with access to the Missouri river and not into the park itself. We decided to get out for a few minutes to photograph the river from this vantage point.

There is a power plant in this area and from the boat ramp we got a good view of the power plant across the river.

We had really wanted the main entrance to the park so we got back in the car and went down hwy 94 for about 1/4 of a mile and we came to the main entrance.

Features of Klondike Park

The park has a modern meeting facility (pictured at the beginning of this page) that is perfect for both family and business meetings.

One of the key features of the park is the beautiful bluffs overlooking the Missouri River valley. There is a paved path that you can hike to the top of the bluffs for some scenic views of the area.

Hiking and Biking Trails

There are more than 4 miles of natural and paved trails for hiking and biking. The trail pictured above is one that we took to go down to the river. It was an unpaved path that went down a rather steep hill before it crossed the Katy Trail and eventually ended up at the river.

Katy Trail

The Katy Trail is a 237 mile hiking and biking trail that goes across most of Missouri. Over half of the trail follows the path that explorers Lewis and Clark took along the Missouri River.