Category Archives: family

A new journey begins, aging, blogging, breast cancer, Cancer, caregiving, challenges, change, Christmas, classic movies, community, December, family, Hardware Store Life, Home, Hometown Holidays, journey in life, Life experiences, Life In Wilkes, Resilence, The Grinch, Transitions in Life

The Grinch That Didn’t Steal My Christmas

14 Comments

Often the Christmas Classics have an unscrupulous or “misfit”character that is central in the story. As the Christmas story unfolds, that unruly character evolves and begins to change over time, reaching a new level of understanding and empathy. The Grinch is no stranger to this scenario. The Grinch has a unique meaning for me this 2025 holiday season.

The Grinch… the neighbor North of Whoville who hated the entire Christmas season.

The Grinch…hated the thought of the people of Whoville experiencing joy on Christmas Day. He stole all of the Christmas presents, stockings, Christmas trees, feasting food and even the firewood logs!!!

The Grinch…hoped the joy of Christmas would be spoiled, every home had been emptied by him as he taken all of their possessions. But, it didn’t happen. The people of Whoville celebrated Christmas anyway.

The Grinch… eventually realized that Christmas had come without all the excitement of Christmas presents, toys, wrapping paper, and all the other components of how we often celebrate Christmas Day. Christmas was about something so much more.

The Grinch… Experiencing Cancer, sickness OR even the loss of a loved one during the holiday season. These life altering events can definitely steal the Joy of the Holiday Season and leave you feeling sad, stressed or “Grinchy”.

The Grinch…personally present for me this holiday season, but NOT stealing the hope for healing, or the joy of celebrating the holiday season with family and friends. Will the holiday look potentially different? Yes. But, so will the next few months. Meeting my care team, Surgery, radiation, and ❤️‍🩹 begin the process of healing and recovery.

The Grinch… learned that the Whoville community gathered together to celebrate what was wonderfully good about Christmas, ultimately making his heart grow bigger.

The Grinch… has nothing our own hardware community….We are blessed. I always look forward to your smiles, laughter, and conversations as you have continued to shop with us for the last 10 years. You have become a part of our family.

The Grinch… The arrival of Cancer within my own life has made me very thankful and grateful for my community of family and friends who are supporting me daily as I embark upon a journey to find wellness once again. My heart is full of strength, hope, and courage as I continue to live ONE day at a time.

The Grinch… Unable to steal Christmas away, because Christmas is so much more than the day itself. Christmas is more about tiny acts of kindness, compassion, community spirit, and finding Grace in second chance opportunities.

The Grinch… Often when sickness or grief comes, we don’t allow ourselves the opportunity to live in full grace. The daily mantra should be for us all, not just cancer patients to live ONE DAY AT A TIME. When experiencing grief, anxiety, sickness, or cancer, every single day can be challenge with ever changing health conditions, or emotions. Through God’s grace, tomorrow is a uniquely different day. Celebrate the positive days and allow ourselves to rest when we need to.

Foot Note: Earlier this month, I was officially diagnosed with Invasive Ductal Breast Cancer, my Grinch. This cancer was found after my regularly scheduled mammogram. I strongly encourage everyone to keep all medical screening appointments. It’s so easy to get “busy” in the moment and forget about or delay them months down the line.

My initial prognosis is good and surgery will be scheduled soon. I have two appointments this week in Winston Salem. Please keep us in your thoughts and prayers over the next few months. I covet your prayers.

I know many of you that might be reading this today, have faced similar health challenges whether it was long term sickness, loss of a dear loved one, or a personal battle with cancer and can empathize with my personal situation.

Moving forward, we may find it necessary to alter our store hours to accommodate my appointments. Please be patient with us as we try to navigate this new “un-normal” phase of life for us.

Please also consider that if you reach out to our social media pages that a response might be delayed due to this new phase “unwellness” I am experiencing. That being said, If you need an immediate response to a specific product question, please call the hardware store for further assistance. We thank you for your support and understanding.

Wishing y’all a very Merry Christmas season! 🎄🎄🎄🎄🎄🎄🎄🎄🎄🎄🎄🎄🎄🎄

blogging, community, Cornbread, dessert, family, hardware store, Hardware Store Life, June, Life experiences, Life In Wilkes, memories, NC Mountains, old hardware stores, old school hardware store, southern cooking, Southern food, southern living, Southern Phrases, Summer, supper, Western North Carolina

I’m Just Sayin’

Leave a comment

The Southern vernacular is distinct. Case in point, Buggy. If you are from the South, you know this IS your grocery store shopping cart. Those common Southern phrases that are used in everyday language makes total sense to the user, but, for someone who has never heard that phrase… it can be a definite learning experience.

Rows of Grocery Shoppin’ Buggies

The Southern dialect is deeply rooted in our colonial past with the integral interaction of various immigrant cultures. Likewise, other regions of the US developed similarly with native dialects and spoken vernacular.

A Southerner can speak to a “non native” of the South in welcoming, hospitable terms… because that’s what we do. We welcome folks here to our corner of the world. But don’t underestimate that “sugary, sweet tea tone” nor the intelligence of the Southern speaker. A true Southern knows that “you can catch more flies with honey than vinegar” with the power of words and actions… AND because those same words can leave you “wondering if your cornbread ain’t done in the middle”. That’s right, I surely reckon a well versed Southern can easily complement you and “Bless your heart” all in the same sentence. 😬

Cornbread and buttermilk crumbled together… a snack or a meal????

As a hardware store owner, I have had the opportunity to converse with our customers each day. We have have had the pleasure to meet and talk with people from all over the globe. That’s right, from literally every corner of the world in our small, Southern town, inside our hardware store.

As conversation would have it, we have been able to learn a few “new”Southern phrases over the last ten years and even shared a few iconic phrases with non-native Southerners to take back home with them to their corner of the world.

A powerful conversation starter for us at the hardware store most days is the status of the weather. Whether it is freezing cold, pouring rain, or a beautiful sunny day, Southerners say it perfectly, as we often experience the ever changing weather conditions within the same day/week.

I’m Just Sayin’… Southern Phrases and the Weather

  1. It’s Hotter than blue blazes! meaning it’s hot outside and the blue part of flame is the hottest!
  2. That rain was a Gully washer! short heavy rain storm
  3. Boy, that was a Frog strangler… a big rain storm 
  4. It’s RAW outside today… meaning it’s cold and wet/moisture in the air 
  5. It’s hog killing weather. Very Cold Weather
  6. It’s cold as all get out! Brr…
  7. Looks like it might be blowin up a storm out there.
Storm Brewin’

8. It’s not the heat, it’s the humidity

9. This is front porch sittin weather- mild weather, nice weather

10. Too hot to heat up the oven in this weather…

I’m Just Sayin… The Southern Greetings and the Long Goodbye

The Southern hello or greeting can take you back home… even though your Southern roots/home might be hundreds of miles away. It’s a way Southerners“visit with each other”. Likewise, the long Southern goodbye, makes total sense if you ever grew up in the South, and spent 30 minutes in a parking lot trying to leave somewhere saying “Let me let you go…” or watched your Mama try to get off the rotary phone with a friend, that’s in essence, the long Southern goodbye. Here’s a few of my favorites from this category:

Many Southern conversations take place inside our vintage walls at Wilkes County Hardware
  1. Hey, not hi! 
  2. Howdy, how y’all doin?
  3. I’ll holler at you later! I’ll call you later
  4. You good? Do you need anything? How are you?
  5. I guess I’d better Skedaddle– get out of here, it’s time to go 
  6. I haven’t seen you in a Month of Sundays– it’s been long time since we’ve seen each other
  7. How’s your Mama and them? How’s the family doing
  8. How you been doing? I’m upright and taking nourishment… meaning doing ok
  9. How are you doing?? Fair to middlin’ Doing ok
  10. How are you doing? I’m finer than Frogs Hair! Doing great! Couldn’t be better
  11. Boy, you are a sight for sore eyes! Good to see you!
  12. So, who is your mama and daddy??? Meaning, you meet another person for the first time and they ask… who are your people… making connections and learning about who you are
  13. I’ve known her since she was knee high to a grasshopper- know her since she was a young child
  14. As part of that long Southern goodbye, you might possibly hear this phrase, Lord willing and the creek doesn’t rise!
  15. Finally, finishing off the long Southern goodbye with this final phrase, We’d better hurry up, we’re burning daylight! 

I’m Just Sayin…The Southern Meal

Dinner and Supper are the terms Southerners use to describe the afternoon and evening meals. Supper doesn’t have to be a formal affair. It can be a casual family meal where everyone gathers to eat a simple meal. The Southern table is no exception to amazing food and fellowship. You probably have heard of a few of these phrases as you have entered the Southern kitchen to help prepare a meal or gathered at the Southern table.

“Mess of green beans with new potatoes”, this gorgeous white enamel bowl is available for purchase at WCH… great for all kitchen or gardening tasks!
  1. Many hands make light work. Working together we can get it done quickly
  2. Sop– soak up … like a biscuit soaking up the last bit of gravy from your plate 
  3. You didn’t eat enough to keep a bird alive… meaning you didn’t eat enough
  4. I just need a smidge more of this… a little bit more
  5. I got a Hankering… craving for
  6. I’m so full, I’m about to bust my britches!!! Or I’m full as a tick!
  7. Grab me a pack of Nabs… Lance peanut butter crackers, can be eaten for a snack, substitute for dinner/lunch when you are on the run…
Pack of Nabs to go…always available for purchase at WCH

8. Don’t throw out that bacon grease, put it in my mason jar. It’ll keep.

Bacon grease jar… do you have one???

9. That’s Good potlikker… when cooking up a mess of collards or mustard greens, the remaining liquid gold is the potlikker.

10. Stringing up a “Mess” of green beans and “new potatoes”. A mess of green beans, not enough to run a full canner, but enough to feed the family… new potatoes, smallish potatoes just dug from garden and cooked with green beans usually. Now that’s summer cookin’.

11. Sit down and “fix you a plate”, meaning… make yourself at home, grab a plate, and load up on the good food!

These enamel plates are new, at WCH!!!

12. Sonker, nope, that is actually a dessert! Read more about it here using the link… Sonker Summers

Peach Sonker ready to go into oven

13. Mater sandwich– tomato sandwich 🍅

Summer “maters” means a good sandwich is on the way…

I’m Just Sayin…Strong Soul-Stirring Southern Phrases

These phrases are iconic and unforgettable… I’m just sayin’

  1. Well, I’ll Be… a form of exasperation
  2. Heavens to Besty! Similar to the phrase, oh my goodness!!
  3. Lord, just kiss them up to Heaven! only the Good Lord can help them now… I’m at my wits end 
  4. Bless! Or Bless Your Little Ol’ Heart…
  5. Aren’t you just precious! Listen for the user tone with this one
  6. I’m just worn slap out, Plumb tired – exhausted
  7. Look at you… all gussied up! All dressed up
  8. It’s all cattywampus … all out of sorts, not quite right 
  9. If it had been a snake, it would have bitten me! It was right there under my sight, just couldn’t see it!
  10. Take your own sweet time 
  11. Boy, that really “got my goose”…got the best of me, stumped me
  12. You’re just cute as button! Pumpkin or Sweet Pea… terms of endearment
  13. Smack Dab– in the middle of doing something
  14. “I’ll get to it dreckly”, meaning I’ll do it soon
  15. Mash that button for me, like in an elevator you don’t push a button, you mash it.
  16. I’m just gonna “Hunker” down over yonder … I’m staying home , not moving around, staying put
  17. Fixin to… getting ready to do something 

I’m Just Sayin…Phrases A Southern Kid Never Wanted to Hear

If your Southern Mama or Daddy used these phrases in conversation with YOU growing up, you might have been a bit of trouble or needed to rethink your current situation… just sayin

Southern Word… SAAVE
  1. “You weren’t raised in a barn”shut that door please!
  2. Mind your manners/ Act like you have been to town before… meaning behave yourself in public places
  3. Don’t make me tan your hide! Warning… trouble ahead 😬 if you don’t straighten up!
  4. Y’all quit that wrasslin, or I’ll come over there and jerk a knot in you. 
  5. Hold your britches, I’m comin!
  6. Piddlin… messing around, not doing much or Lollygaggin, “movin slower than molasses”
  7. Who is making all that ruckus? Who is making all that noise
  8. Over there havin a hissy fit, all tore up over it, or don’t fly off the handle!
  9. Quit being ugly– stop acting out
  10. We need to have a come to Jesus meeting… we need to have a talk and come to terms about this situation
  11. Let me put some Saave on it… the A sound is long… Salve- a cream or ointment put onto skin to soothe or heal  
  12. That’s not cutting the mustard, in other words, you probably need to redo what you’re working on, not meeting expectations
  13. Quit making a mountain outta that molehill… it’s really not that big of a deal as you think it is
  14. OR as a kid if you ever said this to your Mama or Daddy before school… I just got Bus left… meaning you missed the school bus and you need a ride to school!!!! 🚌

I feel confident that there are a ton more Southern phrases that are very commonplace within our Southern community. But I’ll stop while I’m behind… 😂😬

I’ll close with one that Wayne, who worked many years at our hardware store used everyday as his daily farewell. This phrase maybe unfamiliar to you, but it is too good not to share his classic farewell with you today for my closing… “If you need me, I’ll call you”-Wayne Matherly

blogging, Christmas, Christmas Memories, classic movies, Crockpot Cooking, December, dessert, family, hardware store, Hardware Store Life, Holiday Baking, holiday cooking, Home, Hometown Holidays, Life experiences, Life In Wilkes, memories, old hardware stores, old school hardware store, pound cake, recipe, Shop Local, soup, southern cooking, Southern food, southern living, stew

Hometown Holidays, The “Old School Tradition” of Homemade Holidays-Blog Post 4

Leave a comment

Statistics show that a resurgence of baking takes place between Thanksgiving and New Year’s holidays. Over 73% of folks get excited about getting into the kitchen to either prepare meals for their family holiday meals or BAKE the holidays away. Speaking from personal experience, I do have a relative who begins baking cookies right after the Thanksgiving holiday concludes and he bakes cookies the entire month of December! He generously shares with his mailman, delivery drivers, friends, family, etc.

An “old school tradition”, homemade holidays.. sharing with neighbors and even the postal carrier

A trip into the grocery store will confirm these earlier facts… finding stacks of baking supplies which are definitely impulse purchases waiting for those who experience the urge for a making a sweet treat during Christmas.

Yes, there are a few holiday traditional foods that I always enjoy making each year. As you read this you are probably making a mental checklist as well, maybe even your finalizing the grocery shopping list to get started with your homemade holiday. I hope you enjoy this glimpse into a homemade holiday season. Happy Homemade Holidays!!!

Baking for the holidays for gift giving purposes is an “old school” tradition of Christmas. In our Agricultural rooted traditions, folks harvested their abundance, and at Christmas offering a time to share in holiday joy by sharing a homemade treats with friends and neighbors.

Cakes are often shared around the table over Christmas, if you haven’t read this previous blog: Pound Cake, A Southern Staple

Even in 2024, I must admit, nothing is better than homemade for the holidays. I feel very honored to receive the homemade gifts that we have been given. These are homemade gifts took a considerable amount of time and effort for the gift to be completed prior to giving. That can’t be purchased online either!

The gift of homemade can be found inside Wilkes County Hardware!

I know that I don’t necessarily fit neatly into that category of homemade gift giving, but there are other ways we can observe the “old school” tradition of homemade holidays.

Gathering together around the table to “break bread” and celebrate the season with those traditional homemade holiday foods that we all know and love can make our time together memorable. All pitching in…sharing the load of preparing the family favorite foods, what could be better!!!

And yes, I’ll say we had the best biscuits on the holiday table when we gathered at Granny’s house on Christmas Eve. Those little buttery, golden treats, literally melting in my mouth and warming my full stomach into a blissful holiday slumber as we awaited Santa’s arrival made for some delicious homemade memories of Christmas that I still recall fondly.

Granny used an old, vintage metal dishpan smaller than this one to make her homemade biscuits. I used to sit and watch her make them. She would create a “well” in the middle for the milk after she worked the shortening into the flour. Granny did this effortlessly every single time. I’m thankful that she taught me how to recreate them. I don’t think mine are quite as tasty as Granny’s were. Wilkes County Hardware offers these dishpans for sale year round.
Apple Butter and a biscuit… homemade goodness!
Or honey and a pat of butter???

The homemade holiday… Offering all, a time to reconnect, laugh, share the joy of the holiday. Traditional homemade holiday meals AND desserts bring a sense of nostalgia, comfort and belonging to those gathered together, a sense of HOME.

Gingerbread buttercream! Oh my!!! (See recipe below)

Looking back, the first time I ever gathered with Richard’s family at Christmas, their homemade holiday looked slightly different from what I experienced growing up. His grandmother made fresh coconut cake every single year as well as Ambrosia. Let’s just say, she loved coconut and fresh oranges for the homemade holidays.

Fresh oranges 🍊 an “old school” homemade holiday tradition. Oranges were a staple treat found inside Christmas stockings for many years. Fresh orange slices were always on the Christmas breakfast table at home. I always looked forward to Christmas breakfast with my family, featuring…fresh biscuits, country ham, and fresh orange slices

Besides the love of oranges, one other shared homemade food that Richard and I both enjoyed each Christmas, Sausage Balls. I still make them every year around the holidays to honor our combined family homemade holiday traditions.

Christmas mornings are made for these yummy treats! Benjamin now helps me make these each time as a tradition that we started many years ago when he was younger.

And let’s not forget about those great snacking foods and warm cozy drinks! Chex Party Mix takes me back to the Christmas memories of my parents making the mix in the kitchen, while my sister and I were busy eating the Chex Mix at the table as they finished it up. I also love the white chocolate version with M&M’s.

Whatever you may call this version of heavenly Chex Mix… Reindeer Food, Christmas Chex… it’s a definite keeper for Christmas (recipe below)
Sipping on a hot mug of mulling spices, Russian Tea, or a cup of hot cocoa overflowing with melting marshmallows, all the while munching on a homemade holiday cookie, Christmas homemade holidays are definitely underway.

New memories can made each year around all these shared homemade meals or treats. Homemade holidays, such as Thanksgiving and Christmas are the perfect opportunity to get back into the kitchen and celebrate the holiday with a bit of homemade goodness. And the opportunity for Christmas nostalgia reigns supreme as we reconnect with these special homemade holidays memories. Happy Homemade Holidays!

Essential ingredient for Gingerbread Buttercream (see below)

Gingerbread Buttercream

Recipe Ingredients (perfect for 13×9 cake pan) Please double recipe for a layer cake.

1/2 unsalted butter (softened)

2 1/2 c confectioners sugar

1/4 t ground ginger

1/8 t ground cinnamon

1/8 t ground cloves

1 t vanilla

1 T molasses

3 T maple syrup

2 T Heavy cream

Step by Step Process for success:

  1. Place softened butter and sugar into mixer and beat until blended.
  2. Add all other ingredients and beat on high for 3 minutes, stopping to scrape sides, blend until smooth, light, fluffy buttercream texture forms.
  3. Icing cake after cooling down completely and enjoy!

Reindeer Food

Key ingredients: (add what you love, this what I put into my Reindeer Food)

Rice or corn Chex (one box)

Cheerios (half box)

Pretzels (half bag)

M&M’s (one bag or more of Christmas colors)

Confectioners Sugar

White Chocolate Chips (2 bags- melted)

Mix all ingredients together (excluding M&M’s) in a very large bowl while white chocolate chips are melting. Pour the mixture onto sheet pans covered with parchment paper (prevent sticking) and adding M&M’s into mixture. Pour melted white chocolate evenly over the cereal mixture, allow to cool. I melted my white chocolate chips in microwave in glass bowl and added a small amount of vegetable oil and stir well until melted. Sprinkle confectioners sugar over top of Reindeer Food.

Christmas is a fantastic time to watch an old movie…. Start a new homemade tradition with this recipe: Hearty Slumgullion Stew: From a recipe adapted from the Classic Christmas movie, It Happened on 5th Avenue (1947)

The Most Wonderful Time of the Year
blogging, Christmas, Christmas Memories, community, December, family, Hardware Store Life, Hometown Holidays, Life experiences, Life In Wilkes, memories, southern living

Hometown Holidays: Blog Post 2

Leave a comment

November 1st hit me hard this year. October is a very, very busy month in our world… two festivals occur each year in Downtown North Wilkesboro. Apple Festival begins the month of October and Spooktacular concludes the month.

As I began to put the Halloween decorations away, it occurred to me that Light Up Downtown was 21 days away. Literally, as a downtown merchant we are moving from Halloween into Christmas season as quickly as possible 😬.

Always a fun time when Santa drops in for a visit!

Wow! So much prep work gets underway between each holiday season and festival… BUT that would require a different day and blog post!

If you missed the first blog post in this series, use the link here to read the full story Home for the Holidays… Gathering Around the Table: Hometown Holidays Series #1

My mind wandering, task in hand, Halloween decorations being packed away and beginning to think about the upcoming Christmas season ahead… Light Up Downtown North Wilkesboro marks the official beginning of our “Hometown Holidays” here in Wilkes. I began to reminisce about my personal experiences of Christmases past in our hometown.

Time flooded my memories… the ultimate focus, making memories with our son by recalling upon the Christmas experiences that we shared together here in our hometown.

All of these Christmas memories were a core holiday remembrance that I have coined as a “Hometown Holiday” Memory.

A visit with Santa at Talia

I can vividly recall taking “B” to Light Up Downtown to view all the lights in the Downtown corridor, seeing Santa at Talia, or even snacking on a homemade cookie as we wandered through the Christmas Open House at the old Wilkes Courthouse.

And it simply wasn’t a Hometown Holiday without heading down to Memorial Park to select a Christmas tree.

Our Hometown holiday experiences continued with The Annual Christmas parade sponsored by the Wilkes County Chamber of Commerce. The ultimate celebration of the parade each year, was the final view of Santa as he waved to all, boasting a joyful Merry Christmas !!!!

We always enjoyed the togetherness and loyally participated every year. We gathered with friends to enjoy the moments of Hometown Holidays that seemed to happened seamlessly every year. To those who put these events together, I say Thank You! The Christmas memories are precious and very special to not only my family, but to many families who participate in these local holiday celebrations and events every year!

Another part of Hometown Holidays: Christmas plays, and church on Christmas Eve

My personal reflections went even deeper. The Gifts we give at Christmas will often be forgotten years down the road, but these “Hometown Holidays” memories will stay with us and will be remembered always.

That thought put a bit a perspective into Hometown Holidays Season that is now upcoming for 2024. So my personal goal for this Christmas is to explore and experience new Christmas hometown holiday events.

All the Christmas lights are on! Light Up Downtown 2024

Will you also accept this opportunity??? What new memories will we all make this Christmas 2024 by experiencing something new in our hometown??? After all, Christmas is a special time with family and what could be better than by establishing new traditions and memories.

Looking at the list below, our hometown is full of opportunities for families to gather and create hometown Christmas traditions and memories. Christmas Memories are simply timeless treasures of the heart. Go make some new Hometown memories this holiday season!

I’m looking forward to new Hometown Holiday Memories, and a return trip to the Gingerbread Festival this year! Last year was our first time seeing the talent of all of our local gingerbread makers, and can’t wait to see what’s in store for this year!
Coming Soon: Look for the next edition on the blog, Handmade for the Holidays.

What special hometown holidays events do you always look forward to each year???

Hometown Holiday Events in Wilkes at a Glance! (Definitely not a complete list but gets you started)

  1. Light Up Downtown North Wilkesboro- November 22, 2024
  2. Reindeer Games- Wilkes Playmakers December 5-8
  3. Wilkes Literacy Gingerbread Festival- December 6-7, 2024 at The 1915 Event Venue
  4. Christmas in the Commons- in Downtown Wilkesboro December 7, 2024 3:30-8pm
  5. Holly Jolly Christmas Party- Wilkes Art Gallery- December 6th
  6. Wilkes Chamber Singers- Performance of The 12 Days of Christmas – December 8th St. Paul’s Episcopal Church, 3pm, Tuesday December 10th North Wilkesboro Presbyterian 7:30pm.
  7. Community Lovefeast- Candlelight Service in the Moravian Tradition, North Wilkesboro Baptist Church Sunday December 8, 2024 7pm.
  8. Sip and Shop Holiday Market- Wilkes Art Gallery December 9, 2024 5pm-6:30pm
  9. Annual Holiday Market- Wilkes Art Gallery December 10-21
  10. A Storybook Christmas Parade- Saturday December 7th 3pm
  11. Wilkes Heritage Museum Christmas Open House- December 7th 10am-4pm
  12. Christmas Carriage Rides-in Downtown North Wilkesboro December 5, 7, 19, 20,21
  13. Santa And Mrs. Claus visits Tripp Mercantile- December 7, 20,21 (4-7pm) during carriage rides
  14. Christmas at the Cross- Candlelight service at Faithfest Thursday December 12th 6pm.
  15. Friends of the Library Holiday Book Sale- December 12 5-7pm, December 13-14 9am-5pm. 611 Cherry Street North Wilkesboro (buy one get one holiday books on Friday and Saturday!)
  16. Santa at Liberty Theater and FREE movie-Polar Express Friday December 13 6pm. FREE movie runs from December 13-19, 2024.
  17. Breakfast with Santa- Wilkes Playmakers Saturday December 14 9am-12pm
  18. Santa at Dom’s Bakery- Saturday December 14th 2-4pm
  19. Grand Ole Christmas Show- JAWC- December 19th 7:30 pm
  20. Festival of Tables- Benton Hall Thursday December 19th, 2024 6pm.
  21. Santa at Cook’s Sporting Goods-Saturday December 21, 2024 1-4pm
  22. AND Don’t forget your memory making Annual shopping trips to Wilkes County Hardware for handmade Christmas gifts, stocking stuffers, picking up a Santa key for the kids, and warming by the stove.
See y’all soon!
blogging, family, Hardware Store Life, holiday cooking, Home, Hometown Holidays, memories, old school hardware store, Shop Local, Southern food, southern living, Thanksgiving

Home for the Holidays… Gathering Around the Table: Hometown Holidays Series #1

1 Comment

All I want for the holidays is FOOD!!! It’s all gravy, keep your holiday balanced, a cookie in each hand… all of these cute and funny food quotes stir up my appetite for a delicious holiday meal.

Just couldn’t resist 😂

As they say, “All roads lead to home during the holidays” I must say, your Hometown. Wherever that might be. Yes, usually, most of us find the time and commit ourselves to winding our way back to our hometown during the winter holidays. According to AAA, close to 80 million people will travel at least 50 miles or more over the Thanksgiving holiday week in 2024.

Are you traveling for the Thanksgiving holiday weekend???

Traveling back to your hometown and gathering with family over the holiday dinner table, allows time to reconnect with those we love… and hopefully time to enjoy and explore the beautiful landscape of nature that makes your hometown uniquely special. Offering the opportunity to “feed” your soul, not the just the body literally.

Thanksgiving and Christmas Holidays are the two biggest holidays for the cook in the family. Special meals are often served over the family table and shared with extended family members who return home from all over the globe.

This beautiful table is featured inside Wilkes County Hardware, made by Keegan Watson.

Many hours of thought, shopping, prep, and cooking occur before the holiday meal is complete. Once these steps are finished, the entire family can gather together, ready to partake in the celebration of the “hometown holiday dinner”.

Whether the family is large or small, it is a process to gather together and share a meal over the holiday. Let’s include the time and journey to return home. The melding of unique personalities, coming together as one complete family. All, simply gathering around the table to “ break bread”, sharing memories of times past, and the enveloping sense of belonging, Home.

WCH Tip: Bake ahead of the holiday

Let’s return to the process of preparation for the Hometown Holiday Gathering. The holidays are fast approaching! The clock is ticking away, it’s officially ONE week away now until Thanksgiving Day!

Thanksgiving is one of the biggest food holidays of the year. Thanksgiving ranks as THE top food consumption holiday. Surprisingly, Super Bowl Sunday follows close behind.

Let’s just get it out there, we all have been there… do any of these holiday scenarios sound familiar to you???? Forgetting to prepare certain dishes, broken dishes, stressing over the lack of oven space, unexpected guests, slightly overcooked /burned foods, maybe the turkey did not thaw out in time for roasting… these ALL can happen and have happened during the holidays.

My hope is that IF you plan to cook over the holidays this year, success will reign supreme! Set yourself up for success before you begin cooking for the holidays. Have a definite meal plan and execute it accordingly and adjust as needed. Things will happen even to the most experienced cooks in the kitchen.

Cooking is art form. The artful cook can use ingredients masterfully, creating dishes that are delicious, and delightful in appearance. These artful hometown cooks have conquered these kitchen skills, will effortlessly make the most of the family gathering. A masterful cook can make and prepare a hometown homemade holiday gathering … a feast for the eyes. All the while, the aromatic goodness wafting through the kitchen welcoming you into the heart and soul of the kitchen, feeding your spirit. HOME.

A hot dessert baking in the oven! What a way to be welcomed back home!!!! Dessert, a central ingredient for holiday dinners!

Whether you find yourself in the master cook category or even if you consider yourself a cook still honing skills in the kitchen, having a plan for a successful Hometown Holiday Gathering can be accomplished with a few simple steps.

The perfect execution of the “roadmap of success” for a fantastic hometown holiday meal gathering can be achieved with the combination of assistance from family who might linger in the kitchen either to “sample the good stuff”. OR those in your family who wish to truly help in the effort to make the day fruitful and wholeheartedly worth the extra time and energy spent on making the hometown holiday meal a reality. Team in place, you can work together to create the ultimate holiday celebration for your entire crew.

Once the meal has arrived on the table, beautifully presented, the literal feast for your body can begin. Bringing balance and a bit of zen or comfort to your hometown holiday experience, and maybe even a good nap…. after all that turkey 😂😂. I couldn’t resist that one!

Another view of this gorgeous family table made by Keegan Watson.

It is also worth a mention that THE BIG Food holidays can leave you a bit frazzled, stressed, and worn out even if you fall into the “expert cook” category when it comes to food preparation. Everyone wants a “true zen experience” for their hometown holiday meal. So… What can you do prior to gathering that ensures a masterful experience this Thanksgiving or any other holiday for that matter?

This is where your hometown hardware store can assist you, believe it or not!

The time is come to prepare for the Thanksgiving Day Meal.

Wilkes County Hardware, Helping You Find Hometown Holiday Success:

  1. If you are having overnight guests for the Thanksgiving holiday, get your home in order, cleaned and prepare for your guests arrival. Don’t forget to make sure that you are stocked up on toilet paper, paper towels, dish washer tablets, Clorox wipes, etc! You don’t want to run to store during the holiday weekend and fight the crowds or find yourself running low on essentials with guests in house!
When you shop small businesses, you can beat the chaos of the box store, during the holidays AND find a friendly greeting as you enter the store. WCH Tip: Your Guests appreciate the extra touches, like the great smelling soap in the bathroom. Wilkes County Hardware has a fantastic selection of Meyers products
Always have extra paper products on hand with guests over the busy holiday weekends. When you shop small businesses, $68 out of every $100 will stay in your local community.

2. Set your menu and grocery shop. As you are planning your menu for Thanksgiving or the holiday meal, think about how each dish should be prepared. Will you have enough oven space and time??? How could these dishes be altered or prepared differently, if the answer was No… A masterful cook will explore other techniques for food preparation, like using the grill or smoker to prepare your meats, using a crockpot, toaster oven to warm up pre-made casseroles, preparing dishes ahead of time, asking others to pitch and bringing food to the gathering… the list is long! Lastly, as a masterful cook, explore our selection of sauces and rubs to enhance your holiday meal.

Traeger Grills are a great resource for holiday food preparation! Stop by to learn more or pick up your flavorful pellets before next Thursday!

3. Inventory your kitchen utensils and other equipment. Make sure you have the necessary tools for your biggest kitchen day of the year! Nothing is worse than a dull knife on Thanksgiving Day to complicate the task of carving the turkey. Wilkes County Hardware sharpens knives as a continuing service to our customers. Wilkes County Hardware has a good selection of basic kitchen equipment that can help make your holiday meal plan come together.

4. Lastly, think about the gathering itself. Gathering around the table, what will it look like??? A formal affair??? Mom’s finest china, silver, and crystal??? If so, a good cleaning might be required. Stop by Wilkes County Hardware to pick up silver polish, or Brasso, or any other cleaning products to keep your beautiful heirlooms looking great on the family table this holiday season.

A more casual family hometown holiday dinner??? Stop by to find some classic handmade items to complement your decor.

It’s amazing how ONE new anchor piece can spark great dinner conversation, especially when it’s locally made!

Ultimately, Gathering around the hometown holiday table, enjoying each other’s company creates the atmosphere where people linger around the table, stories are told, and memories made. Glimpses and Snapshots of joy, and laughter, radiating across the table. Life simply couldn’t be better. The holiday meal has moved from pure sustenance to an amiable experience and soulfully satisfying. Nothing could be better💕! The essence of Hometown for the Holidays.

Happy Thanksgiving Y’all!