Category Archives: Covid Life

A new journey begins, August, blogging, Covid Life, customer service, entrepreneurship, hardware store, Hardware Store Life, historical building, memories, old hardware stores, old school hardware store, Shop Local, Works in Progress

A Blast from the Past

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Looking back at where we started in 2015 to now present day in August 2024 as we roll into year number NINE in the hardware business, I’m just shocked and amazed at the amount of change we have been able to accomplish over time. When you are there everyday, working amongst all this, it’s harder to see the progress sometimes. As the old saying goes, “can’t see the forest, for the trees”.

A small stack of old pictures were gifted to us by our friend, Steve Foster, who is our Orgill Hardware representative. Orgill, is our main hardware supplier. When we purchased the store in 2015, a new layout was in order. Initially, Steve took some photos to share with the Orgill layout team who helped us to reconfigure the best use of the available space. Did we follow the design they planned out??? Well, no. We modified a few things to suit what we wanted and needed our business to be after reviewing the blueprints with them. But those pictures are a good reminder of what the hardware store was, A Blast From the Past.

The original blueprint developed for us after we purchased Wilkes Hardware.

Those photo memories stirred a bit of excitement in me to create a pictorial version of that journey. Here’s an insider blog post reflecting upon some of the changes that have been made over time since our beginnings in 2015. The series of photos that follows in this blog will be featuring the 2015 photo then 2024 pictures will follow highlighting certain aspects of the hardware store.

2015 outside view
2025 outside view, exterior holding area for bagged goods which was not available in store prior to 2015.
2015 front door view… one thing I noticed was the lack of light 💡 interior of the hardware store
2024… LED lights installed, and artist inspired designs on the front doors. Seasonal Flowers blooming at the front doors.

Initially, we were encouraged to paint the interior ceiling white. I pushed back hard. I wanted to keep it as “vintage, old hardware store” as I could. The ceiling and posts are still intact with original wood.

Summer of 2015: view around wood stove
Summer of 2024: New work areas for staff has been created over time and in 2024 a new point of sale was added. We moved from the era of simply using a cash register to a full scale point of sale system in the first few years of business.
2015: Sink area used by employees but surrounded by merchandise
2024: Now mostly a true work area for our staff, same area in view but this area is less customer friendly due to the proximity to the key desk work area and pool water testing computer work area. I noticed the amount of light is much more visible in this recent photo!
2015: Back door entrance, note that the key 🔑 desk is not here!!!
2024: Back door entrance. Key desk area present AND more light!
2015: Work area at back door entrance
2024: Key Desk area at back door entrance
Behind the scenes of the key area
Rekey area
Pool computer, chip keys and more!
2015: Front Entrance View, it was a bit of a maze to find what you needed
2024: Front entrance view, we have tried to created a more open flow for customers to walk through
2024: Front Door View
2015: Key Desk was tucked away in the back of store… near the stairs leading to the second level
2024: This area is currently being updated… it’s a work area for chain cutting, kerosene heater repair, stove pipe replacement parts, etc
2015: The back front windows of the hardware store were covered with pegboard, which was used to display long handle tools.
2017: These doors were uncovered and the pegboard removed! Wayne worked on the old lock mechanism so the doors were moving and mobile to unlock.
Look at that beautiful door handle!!!
2024: Doors are open on the warm, summer days to add extra air flow into the hardware store
2024: Same view as the 2015 picture
2024: Lawn and Garden has been moved up to the front of the store
2015: Lock shop entrance door opened
2020: Covid AND the flooding of our hardware store with the water originating from the lock shop created the need to close the connecting door permanently. Due to the nature of the lock shop business, they are often gone on call. The security of the lock shop is more secure with the hardware store door closed.
2020: Water entered from the back door of the lock shop, pushing the doors open. Water entered into our building as a result from the massive amount of water coming into flooded lock shop. The water was knee deep inside the lock shop!
2020: Water, water everywhere!!! It took several hours, lots of friends helping us to push the water out, and days of drying out. We were extremely lucky that the water level never reached higher than it did!
2024: Threaded rod, wooden dowels are right at home in front of the old lock shop door. Believe it or not, we still have folks who still try to go through this door to get to the lock shop. They are shocked to find it closed when they come in and find that they must use the main front entrance.
2015: View from back of store

Richard told me the other day the staff used to keep and carry a small flashlight (in pocket) with them as they worked inside the hardware store when he first started in the summer of 2015 due to the lack of light coming into the space. I had no idea that was how they were working. Adding light was a key factor initially as we began to analyze what should be done. Slowly, the light has been expanding and more work is yet to come!

These pictures are a treasure to me. Steve thank you! One of my biggest regrets is not taking enough pictures to photograph our beginnings accurately as we have grown and evolved.

2024: This area is currently being reset now!

Thanks for being part of our hardware journey. Stay tuned in for more updates! We appreciate your continued support.

challenges, Covid Life, Hardware Store Life, Historical Events, Life in 2020, memories, Transitions in Life

2020… “a year that will live in infamy”

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As a retired history teacher, this day many years ago, was a watershed event in American history. Famously stated now by our former President, Franklin Roosevelt, “December 7th, 1941, a date which will live in infamy-the United States was suddenly and deliberately attacked by the naval and air forces of the Empire of Japan.”

How Americans lived and worked simply turned on a dime after this tragic day. America quickly entered into World War II and wartime life began.

My grandfather in his Navy uniform. He enlisted during WWII as a young man.

The significance of history sometimes makes me consider the present day… in 2020, our world has experienced one of those unique watershed events, fighting a pandemic.

No, we may not have sent troops into full combat across the globe to fight against tyranny. But for many folks, 2020 will be a year that will go down in “infamy “.

Those like my grandparents who were part of the Great Depression/WWII Era, were called the Greatest Generation, rightfully so, in my opinion.

Granny & Papa in their early years

The “Greatest Generation” was given the name by news anchor, Tom Brokaw. These folks contributed to war effort, fought in war, & helped however they could because it was the right thing to do. They also worked in war production plants, & rationed… yes, they sacrificed… they didn’t have the basic necessities so the troops could have them during the war. Meatless days, Wheatless days, no sugar, coffee, & gas rationing. What an amazing group of people who made our nation stronger! If you still have these folks in your life, hold them dearly in your heart & prayers each day.

Ration books, codes

What will history reveal about life in 2020 Pandemic Life??? Will it be a “Greatest Generation Scenario” where folks did everything they could??? Or will it be a more muddled view???

My mind goes back to the old Thomas Paine passage from the American Crisis, “ These are the times that try men’s souls. The summer solider and sunshine patriot will in times of crisis shrink, from the service of their country…”

2020 has brought trying times. No need to elaborate. People are struggling everywhere, sickness, quarantine, economic struggles, business closings… the list is long.

Thomas Paine wrote these words during the American Revolution. By the way, the word revolution, it is a synonym for change…. we talked a lot about this in history. It doesn’t have to be a “change” in governmental structure. Case in point, The Industrial Revolution- so much change occurred in our world during this time.

Think about how our lives have changed in 2020… new ways to teach students, working from home, zoom, curbside business, to go orders only at restaurants, the list is long and still changing daily. Life in 2020 has been revolutionary whether we realize it or not.

I must admit, at times, I wanted to shrink away and just go hide. The difficulties of 2020 have been relentless in my world. I would bet that we all have had those days… but 2020 experiences have made me a stronger person. I’m still here, working through different situations as they arise, one at a time, using friends & family and prayer as my anchors.

The revolutionary quote by Thomas Paine continues, “ but he who stands it now, deserves the love and thanks of man and woman”. In other words, we need to have strength to continue on.

Stay strong. Be safe. Practice social distancing, wear your mask, wash your hands. Follow the science. Do all the right things, like our grandparents did during WWII.

We are now experiencing some of the darkest times of the pandemic, our numbers seem to continue to rise more and more each day. Let’s end 2020 with Hope…. Such a small word, HOPE. The power it holds is mind boggling.

Quite mornings… beautiful sunrise always a beautiful way to begin a day… Hope springs anew

I leave you today with more words from the World War II Era, just like I began this blog post… Winston Churchill’s famous line from WWII, “we shall never surrender”. In the speech he gave, he told the people of his nation, “we shall fight on the beaches, we shall fight on the landing grounds, we shall fight in the fields…” in other words, he told them, we are not giving up. We will press on… The “Greatest Generation”.

So I guess that could be a significant lesson for us today in 2020. Not giving up, always seeking answers, finding solutions to difficult problems. “Never surrender”. Go find your hope today.

Hope