Category Archives: Christmas

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A Sprinkle of Christmas Memories… Christmas Eve

December 18, 2023 hardwarelifewife 2 Comments

The opening paragraphs are the same if you read the first blog in this series… but just wanted to share the beginning again with those who may have missed the last two blog posts in this series of Christmas memories.

When my son was much younger, he loved sprinkles. We literally put sprinkles on everything… cookies, ice cream, cupcakes… anything he deemed sprinkle worthy. I had a specific kitchen cabinet where the bounty of sprinkles were stashed away, ready for a quick, special treat. We had multiple flavors and colors to select from and it was such a joyful experience for him.

Christmas memories are very much the same way, a sprinkle of sweetness in our hearts and minds of a very special Christmas moment. These moments can be recreated by establishing traditions that are repeated year after year during the Christmas season… like the sprinkles of sweetness on top of a very special treat.

Sometimes as I am working inside our hardware store, I often see glimpses of these special Christmas memories from interactions with our customers, or stocking the shelves with products, and yes, even the endless search for new product offerings to bring to you, can create a sense of nostalgia of Christmas past. So here’s a small sprinkling of Christmas memories through my eyes as I wander through the hardware store… I hope you will enjoy this mini series of blog posts centered around on of the most wonderful times of the year, Christmas.

Christmas Eve

Last year, Christmas Eve, 2022, ranks in the top 5 of one of the hardest days as a hardware store owner. The extreme cold snap had caused tremendous damage to many of our customers homes.

*Our neighbors tree came down in our driveway during that big cold snap last December 23, 2022. It was inches away from hitting Richard’s truck and B’s car. We were very lucky!*

Frozen pipes were everywhere and the water issues that come with that… Power was out, and devastation was impacting our community. If I’m remembering correctly, Power outages were commonplace on Christmas Eve in some parts of the county.

*Warming by the fire is always a sweet memory that our customers love to share…*

Many of our employees were already spending time with their families, so Richard and I were left to deal with the day. Normally the overtones of Joy of the holiday season abounds on Christmas Eve. But the tone of our conversations with customers last Christmas Eve, was somber and often sobering… learning of the devastation that many were facing during the holiday. Gratitude and exhaustion set in by the end of that workday. Richard and I survived last Christmas Eve through the small smiles of our customers who found what they were searching for and the tired faces that thanked us for being there to help them.

*Just ONE of the many items that was in popular demand last December during the extreme cold snap .*

It took us both a long moment to readjust and reframe our mindset after we closed up for the day that last Christmas Eve in 2022. But that’s the thing about memories, some are absolutely beautiful and precious and some are very powerful. This one was powerful. I began to think about past, poignant, Christmas Eve memories from my childhood and adult life. Christmas Day memories are something of a blur because of the endless hours of play, joy, and pure excitement of the day. I don’t truly remember a specific toy or year that I received something extra special. Each year was special! But, THE EXPERIENCE and EXCITEMENT of Christmas Eve and build up to Christmas Day seems to fit perfectly! I hope that you will enjoy a few Christmas Eve memories I have selected for you in this blog post.

*Christmas Eve Memories opening presents at Granny and Papa’s house every Christmas Eve!!!!*

1. The Trip to Granny and Papa’s House… Christmas Eve was the day that was selected for my mom’s side of the family to gather together and celebrate Christmas. A traditional big family meal was always planned and of course, presents! As young children, the morning of Christmas Eve, absolutely was the longest day ever!!!! My sister and I looked forward to seeing our cousins and opening the FIRST Christmas presents on Christmas Eve at Granny and Papa’s House. I’m not really sure how Mom survived all those Christmas Eve days with us… the excitement bubbling over all day long, the building anticipation of Christmas Day, and preparing food for the holiday meals.

Mom was a pro, and she kept us busy every Christmas Eve. The day steadily progressed and before we knew it, we were loaded up into the car, gifts in tow, all giggles and smiles… our destination, Christmas Eve at Granny’s and Papa’s House. I think before Dad could turn the car off, we were both running around the house grabbing hugs, and kisses and then we were off to play before the feast of a meal was placed onto the kitchen table. Then it was finally time to gather around to say a prayer, eating a meal together prior to celebrating the occasion of Christmas with presents.

We would OR could hardly eat anything because the presents under the tree were simply too much to resist! As our parents wanted to linger in conversation after dinner, the quick reminder came from all of us kids, that it was time to open the 🎁 presents! Hearty laughter from throughout the kitchen could be heard and footsteps would be trod towards the fully lit Christmas tree in the front living room. It didn’t take long for the litter of the remnants of Christmas wrapping paper to be found across the floor… mostly by the kids in the family. We played with our new toys/gifts while the kitchen was cleaned, and the was car packed to leave. Everyone said their final goodbyes and Merry Christmas. Mom made final plans for breakfast at our house, (Granny and Papa, made it a special treat to visit each of us on Christmas Day, they had breakfast with us, then went to visit our cousins afterwards each Christmas morning).

My sister and I loaded up our enthusiastic little bodies back into the car to await Santa’s arrival. I’m not really sure how much sleep we actually got on those childhood Christmas Eve nights. I feel pretty confident that our parents were sleep deprived the next morning… but these Christmas Eve memories were joyful and some of the absolute best Christmas memories ever.

2. Christmas Eve Cookies for Santa, Reindeer Food and the Santa Key

When Benjamin was little, we established the tradition of making Chocolate chip cookies each Christmas Eve before bedtime. B would put a few of the freshly baked cookies onto the Santa plate, ready for him to grab a snack as he was placing gifts from the North Pole, under our Christmas tree. Benjamin would always assist in making cookies, never wanting to alter the type of cookies, because Santa liked Chocolate Chip cookies the best!

After Santa’s cookies were made, we would turn our attention to his reindeer… And… Santa’s reindeer had to be fed! They must be starving by the time they arrived at our house!!! Carrots and celery were placed onto the plate next to the cookies and milk for Santa. Lastly, the Santa key had to be placed on the front door, hanging in view of Santa’s sleigh arrival. Sleepy slumber would soon follow and he was off to bed from the busy Christmas Eve activities.

*A sweet little sprinkle of a Christmas Eve memory… the Santa Key*

It was always so exciting each Christmas morning to see the “nubs” of the reindeer food that was left. Santa was always so kind, leaving a note to thank Benjamin for the cookies and reindeer food. That small little tradition created so much fun and excitement for B when he walked into the living room every Christmas morning, checking the empty Santa plate, FIRST, before moving to see what was under the Christmas tree.

Santa also had a “Santa Key” that we had to put out every Christmas Eve. Wilkes County Hardware has a tree full of Santa keys! Stop by and pick one up for your kids, or grandkids. It’s a sweet tradition to begin in 2023.

3. Christmas Eve Church

There’s absolutely nothing more powerful than a beautiful Christmas Eve service filled with music, and the celebration of the birth of Jesus. The joyful sounds of Christmas carols ushering in the reason for the Christmas celebration ending with a beautiful favorite, Silent Night.

The events of last Christmas Eve were heavy on the mind and in our hearts … the extremely cold temperatures, frozen pipes, busted water lines…. but as the Christmas Eve service began, the sadness of the day lifted and the joy of Christmas came to the forefront… “Silent Night, Holy Night…”

Everyone who attends Christmas Eve church brings an extra bit of joy, happiness and warmth into this special Christmas Eve service as they enter into church and leave with a glow of light and peace… “ Son of God, loves pure light… radiant beams from Thy holy face with the dawn of redeeming grace,
Jesus, Lord, at Thy birth!”

Our family tradition of Christmas Eve church began many years ago when Benjamin was younger and involved in the children’s church Christmas play… held every Christmas Eve at the 6pm service. He loved to be one of the shepherds watching in the field during the play… “Silent night! Holy night!
Shepherds quake at the sight.
Glories stream from heaven afar,
heav’nly hosts sing, “Alleluia!
Christ the Savior is born!
Christ the Savior is born!”

*These nativity sets have been very popular this year at Wilkes County Hardware*

As he grew older, his role changed as his responsibilities became more important as an acolyte. He served as an acolyte in the Christmas Eve late service, beginning at 10:30 pm. This Christmas Eve service became the traditional Christmas holiday service that we enjoyed the most.

*B all ready for Easter service at church*

Nothing is more beautiful than enjoying the extensive variety of Christmas music (especially the vocals, strings, brass), the message of the birth of Jesus, partaking in communion, and the service ending with the traditional candlelight vigil and concluding with Silent Night.

Each person in the church holding a single candle, sharing the light of the flame with each other… “Wondrous star, lend thy light; with the angels let us sing
“Alleluia” to our King:
“Christ the Savior is born!
Christ the Savior is born.”

*Make a sprinkling of new memories this Christmas Eve, star gazing, church, gather with family and friends*

The sanctuary is darkened and initially only a few small candles are visible… the flame begins to slowly spread across the room… creating light. In a matter of a few moments, as the first few verses of Silent Night concludes, the glow of candlelight can be seen throughout the entire church. and the many Faces of the crowd are highlighted by the candlelight. The old, vintage, stained glass windows are illuminated by the mass of candlelight across the sanctuary… “All is calm , all is bright.”

As I conclude this series of Christmas memories on the blog, I would just like to leave you with one more thought. Christmas is a very special time of the year. Make the memories, all the other things will fade with time. Memories will last forever in your heart and soul. Merry Christmas Y’all!

*Christmas Eve photos at Church… this one was from a few years ago but the laughter was a sweet sprinkling of a memory. Merry Christmas!*

blogging, Christmas, Christmas Memories, Christmas stockings, family, Hardware Store Life, Home, memories, old hardware stores, Shop Local, southern living

A Sprinkling of Christmas Memories… Blog Post 2- The Stockings

December 9, 2023 hardwarelifewife Leave a comment

A very happy Cowboy… a sprinkle of sweetness from a Christmas past

Wilkes County Hardware has been featuring unique hardware store Stocking Stuffers each day leading up to Christmas Eve! Head over to our Instagram and Facebook stories each day to find some great ideas for everyone on your gift list!

The Stockings

“Twas the night before Christmas, when all through the house, not a creature was stirring, not even a mouse. The stockings were hung by the chimney with care, in hopes that St. Nicholas would soon be there…” Clement Clark Moore

*This classic Christmas story written so many years ago and is and read aloud to children across the globe*

Stockings are treasured memories of Christmases past. I can’t imagine a Christmas without Christmas stockings and a tree… or having to choose between one or the other. Yes, I have read that the Christmas tree did try to replace the tradition of the Christmas stocking, but luckily it didn’t come to fruition… both remain as solidified Christmas traditions that should continue on for many more generations to come!

*Our Christmas tree is full of family ornaments, a sprinkling of sweet memories of Christmases past.*

The history of the Christmas stocking is centuries older than the tradition of putting up a Christmas tree! Christmas stockings date back to the origins of Saint Nicholas … Christmas trees, well, a much younger history, Victorian times.

*Christmas stockings take center stage this year in our family room… family favorites are on display*

My Granny used to tell me about the Christmases from her childhood when a great Christmas meant that candy(like hard peppermint sticks) and oranges were in found in the toe of her Christmas stocking.

*Granny would have loved these* 💕*… memories of family can be found everywhere even in the smallest things.*

Did you ever wonder why an orange in the stocking??? The tradition of stashing an orange into a stocking reveals a legend of a very poor man who had three daughters who were unable to wed without a decent dowry. On Christmas Eve, St. Nicholas, placed three golden balls inside their home. The three young ladies were overjoyed with the gift. Over time, the golden balls were replaced with oranges as the legend reveals.

I may begin to stash a few oranges in our stockings each year… a great way to carry out a sprinkling of a Christmas memory of my Granny, and a bit of history of Christmas all wrapped up into one stocking.

The photo I provided for you today is a cherished Christmas treasure that is always found at our house each year, my Christmas stocking.

This is definitely a sprinkle of sweetness of Christmas memories from my childhood, Mom and Dad have shared several Christmas pieces with my sister and I so that we can each have a sprinkle of sweet memories of our Christmas times together even when we can’t celebrate Christmas Day together.

My mom made this Christmas stocking when I was kid… my sister also has a matching one with her name as well. Mom is an amazing seamstress, she could make anything she wants to make. Presents didn’t usually go in these beautiful stockings, but they were always hung up each Christmas. For some, I would venture to guess, that this might be the purpose of Christmas stockings, as a treat to the eye, hanging by the mantle as a symbol of each family member at Christmas time.

*Yes, our pups even have their own stockings too! These pups are worn out Christmas Day after opening up their Christmas stockings gifts! Snacks, toys, treats!!! What a great day!*

*Stop by Wilkes County Hardware for dog toys, and treats for Christmas!*

After I married, Christmas Stocking gifts were always a big tradition at the Searcy house. Christmas stockings were always completed FIRST before opening presents under the tree. Each one of us would begin to dig into the Christmas stocking gifts, eventually each family member revealing the carefully curated collection of small gifts from “the stash” tucked inside the stocking.

*Martha’s Christmas stocking… a sweet sprinkle of Christmas past memories*

Everyone had their own special Christmas stocking. Martha, Richard’s mom, made sure that each individual stocking was unique to each person within the family. None of the Searcy family Christmas stockings were alike, and that tradition still lives on in our house as well.

*Our stockings are hung, and now we wait! Notice, mine aren’t hung over the mantle*.

Christmas stocking gifts don’t have to be expensive or “only Christmasy” type gifts. The great thing about Christmas stocking gifts is that you can target the gifts to suit each individual person and what they need or use regularly. Christmas stocking gifts are much more intimate gifts… indicating to the recipient that you know them well enough to know what they need and love.

Teenagers, or young kids who have electronic toys, batteries are an IDEAL stocking gift of choice!

No matter how big or small your Christmas celebration might be this year, remember that making Christmas memories is the best way to celebrate the season.

As I conclude this blog post, I have decided to definitely stash a few oranges in our stockings each year. A new tradition to carry out a sprinkling of a Christmas memory of my Granny, and also a bit of celebration of Christmas history all wrapped up into one stocking. Merry Christmas Y’all!

*Merry Christmas* 🎄 *from our family and staff to yours this holiday season!*

blogging, Christmas, Christmas Memories, family, hardware store, Hardware Store Life, Home, memories, Natural World, southern living

A Sprinkling of Christmas Memories

December 1, 2023 hardwarelifewife 3 Comments

One of my favorites… B in front of the tree. Christmas memories in picture form from so many years ago… the sweetest treat of all

Christmas memories are very much the same way, a sprinkle of sweetness in our hearts and minds of a very special Christmas moment. Luckily for us, these moments can be recreated and fondly remembered by establishing traditions that are repeated year after year during the Christmas season… like the sprinkles of sweetness on top of a very special treat. Memories are simply timeless treasures of the heart.

Candlelight Christmas Eve Service… some of the best Christmas memories

Sometimes as I am working inside the hardware store, I often remember glimpses of these special Christmas memories from interactions and conversations with our customers, or even stocking the shelves with products. Yes, even the endless search for new product offerings we might bring to you, can create a sense of nostalgia of Christmases past. So here’s a small sprinkling of Christmas memories through my eyes as I wander through the hardware store. I hope you will enjoy this mini series of blog posts centered around one of the most wonderful time of the year, Christmas.

Wishing y’all a wonderful Christmas season in 2023, make some lasting memories with family and friends

The Tree

Let’s get right into this one. Typically, each Christmas season begins with the decision of the Christmas tree. The joy of the holiday season launches once your tree is up, leaving you to find splendor in the glow of the Christmas lights and glistening ornaments.

Picking out the perfect Christmas tree … my boys 💕

I have so many wonderful memories of Christmas tree shopping with my boys, and decorating the tree each year… like the Christmas tree full of ornaments that B made in preschool, ornaments handed down from family members, all of these memories are sprinkled into my heart each year as we begin with the tree and the decorations.

But, one memorable tradition from my childhood was the search for the kid-sized Christmas tree that was put in our bedroom each Christmas when my sister and I were younger.

Dad would grab his hand saw, and axe… no chain saw was needed for this small task… He would tell my sister and I to find our coats and off to our woods we would go seeking the perfect small-sized Christmas tree.

Stop by Wilkes County Hardware for your hand tool needs and repairs.

I think we probably skipped all the way into the woods. Dad handled all that endless child energy bubbling over… always smiling and redirecting our silliness towards our purpose, finding the best Christmas tree.

Often times, my sister and I would select a small 3 foot cedar tree that was abundant in our woods.

I must admit, as I reflect back, my sister and I were always so excited about our own special Christmas tree that we selected ourselves and decorated with our own ornaments. These ornaments never went on the family tree. Mom made these especially for our kid-sized tree. The love and care modeled by both of our parents in creating a bit of extra special Christmas magic with this wonderful gift of the tree each year probably wasn’t fully appreciated until reaching adulthood.

Our trek in the woods often brought us to a patch of tiny sized cedar trees. The aromatic scent of the cedars was pleasant and the size was appealing to our “smallish” eyes. As a result, the cedar tree was our typical “go to” little Christmas tree that we selected each year. The cedar tree was cut down, giddy girls in tow, and we carried the tree back to the house from our journey into the woods.

A walk in the woods always brings back memories of the treks I took with my parents into our woods behind our house… looking for the best sticks, or even wading in the creek.

That cedar tree might not have been great for hanging our ornaments, as cedar branches are not as sturdy as a Fraser Fir, but we didn’t care. Mom, of course always helped us in decorating the “pint sized tree” so that our ornaments had the sturdier branches.

Battery operated trees are available in “pint size” versions at Wilkes County Hardware

The delight of spending time with our dad, and hanging the ornaments that our mom made especially for us are memory sprinkles of joy from past Christmases. My sister and I enjoyed the beauty of the Cedar Christmas tree lights every night…providing us the opportunity to experience the Christmas season in our little corner of the house.

Merry Christmas from our house to yours!

Christmas, classic movies, Hardware Store Life, Home, recipe, winter

The Most Wonderful Time of the Year

December 22, 2022 hardwarelifewife 1 Comment

December 21st, Winter Solstice… no snow today but the cold temperatures are coming by the end of this week! Brrr 🥶

Today marks the first day of the winter season. Soup and stew season has already begun at our house and is a regular feature in our weekly menu.

There is simply nothing better than a hot bowl of soup and a melted, gooey grilled cheese to take the winter chill off after a long day at the hardware store.

Christmas is almost here… a wonderful time of the year!

During the Christmas season, I love to curl up on the couch and enjoy my favorite Christmas classic movies. This past weekend I stumbled upon a recipe from one of my favorite vintage movies, It Happened on 5th Avenue(1947).

Thankful for TCM and my small collection of Christmas classics that I have on DVD

Richard & I have watched this movie countless number of times, but as our conversation took a turn about the stew featured in the movie, I decided to do a quick internet search to find out more about the intriguing dish. Slumgullion Stew, an Irish stew, mentioned in the 5th Avenue movie, was easy enough to find a few different variations of the recipe. I settled on my favorite and then decided to give it a try and see if it will make the cut on our menu board for our family favorites.

It looks like I’ll be adding Slumgullion Stew to our menu board favorites soon!

One of the central characters in the movie, Mike, enters the room and instantly smells the fragrance of Slumgullion Stew cooking in the kitchen, which transports him to a memory of a better time in his life. This stew scene will ultimately mark the beginning of change for him.

Upon further reflection, many of those old, classic black and white movies have the theme of transformation for the main character in the movie. An iconic example is, It’s a Wonderful Life(1946). The central actor, George Bailey is transformed into a more appreciative person by the end of the movie.

Many of our Christmas favorites we have on DVD

Regardless if you love those old movies or not, I’ve decided to share my version of Slumgullion Stew with y’all today. I believe the original intention with the recipe/movie version is to use what you have. I did conclude that one unique feature of the stew is black eyed peas and pasta from my research.

There are different versions of Slumgullion are out there when you check the internet, but I’m sharing my take on the original movie stew pictured on the big screen.

Recipe for Slumgullion Stew

⁃ 1 to 2 lbs. of stew beef (cooked)

I used my leftovers from earlier in week

⁃ 2 cans of black eyed peas

⁃ Cubed carrots (add as many as you like)

⁃ Potato chunks (I added approximately 3-4 red potatoes)

⁃ 1 15 oz. can tomato sauce

⁃ 1 32 oz. Beef broth

⁃ 1 beef bullion cube with 1 cup water

⁃ Salt and pepper to taste

⁃ 1 tsp. Italian seasoning

⁃ 1 bay leaf

⁃ Pasta (macaroni noodles would be the traditional favorite)

⁃ Add all ingredients into a large crock pot for simmer on low for 8 hours or until vegetables are tender. Add pasta hour before serving.

Slumgullion, holds an earthy flavor profile

Special note: The recipe I found online added cabbage, and chopped red peppers. I opted to leave them out. The consistency of my final stew was soup like, which is what I intended since I added the pasta into the recipe. For a thicker stew like consistency add a flour roux.

Lastly, sharing my Classic Christmas Movies Favorites… in no particular order

1. White Christmas (1954)

2. It Happened on 5th Avenue (1947)

3. Going My Way (1944)

4. Shop Around the Corner (1940)

5. Bishop’s Wife (1948)

6. Holiday Inn (1942)

7. Christmas in Connecticut (1945)

8. Remember the Night (1940)

9. It’s a Wonderful Life (1946)

10. Holiday Affair (1949)

11. The Thin Man (1934)

Wishing everyone a fantastic holiday season and hoping that you will enjoy the most wonderful time of the year whether it is spent trying new recipes, establishing new Christmas traditions, gathering with friends and family, or even watching a few new classic Christmas movies .

The Hardware Life – A wife's journey into the hardware business