February… the shortest month of the year, and this year in 2024, Leap Year! February acts as a bridge month between the end of the winter season to the coming of Spring and time change.
I hope that your month of February was filled with sunshine, joy, love, and kindness. Onward to March and Spring! Here’s a few of my February favorites from 2024.
A beautiful gift from the heart… 💜
Favorite February Photo Captures
Purple Heart… February 1st SunriseV NeckBlue Skies… dotted our path along the Greenway, the water was remarkably still in several places along our path.Stay Gold– February 5thThat Touch of PinkMorning GlowTrailing Behind… Contrails marked the morning skies February 5thCatching sunset through the treesCotton Candy SunsetBetween Two Trees … Sunrise February 8thGolden Opportunity Touchdown! Clouds reaching down towards the mountains on a rainy February MondayA New Beginning… Fantastic Friday morning sunrise in February!Sunday Reset…The weekend offers a chance to recharge, refresh and reset your energy levels. This Sunday evening sunset didn’t disappoint. I’m definitely enjoying the later sunset times… Spring will be coming soon!Pushing Up… I almost walked right over this blooming beauty! This tiny little flower has found its space inside the concrete sidewalk.Blue Skies… Late February has brought warmer temperatures in the afternoon and bright blue skies.Cat Walk … as we walk on the Greenway we often spot the feral cats 🐈⬛. Here’s one enjoying the morning sunshine after trees have been cut down along the border of the Greenway near Smoot Park. Simply “Purrfect” … this kitty found the perfect place to enjoy a bit of morning sunshine
Creating in February
Making bread… tackling another challenge and it was fun, and tasty!Glazing Success!!! I created/made this acorn last fall. It was one of the first pieces that I made on my own at home. I had lots of help with the finishing touches from Kim Reid. After much discussion it went into the kiln for last firing in February. Thanks Kim!Bunny Building… learning to create something new with one of my besties!Glazed and finished!!! Too cute!!!
The Hardware Store… Favorite Photos from February
All Keyed Up… Key Contest fun inside Wilkes County Hardware this month… 353 keys inside the jar and yes, I counted them 🤪Wood… we go through a lot in day ! Valentine 💝 Gift ideas! Finding flowers inside the hardware store!Wood and roses…End cap switch out… right side was winter setEnd cap switch out… getting ready for springSpring Refresh continues by adding a touch of green to the front. Terrariums! I love this one with the bunny on top! What a great way to welcome Spring into your home!
Meanwhile back at the ranch…
My dishwasher died this month and hand washing the dishes has become a daily task until a replacement is found… here’s a few thoughts on the blog about hand washing dishes in case you missed it this monthhttps://hardwarelifewife.com/2024/02/12/all-washed-uphand-washing-dishes-a-chore-or-a-pleasant-dish-traction/New dishwasher ordered and installed by my boys February 25th.I make up the bed everyday and these two enjoy putting the pillows and blankets where they want them 🙄. It’s a “ruff 🐶 life.” First signs of blooms of my Lenten RoseFirst blooms! So exciting!!!Framing up a few favorite photos this February Bingo! Well, not this time, but we had fun playing with friends!I’ve been reading and researching about the 5 pockets of Centenarians found across the globe… called the Blue Zones. Each of these groups share similar characteristics that have increased their longevity. Netflix also has a documentary on the subject. Fascinating topic!!!
Spending time back on the regular big three networks as some of our favorite shows are back on air!!! Yah!!! Streaming in February… Apple TV Masters of Air, Netflix Sweet Magnolias, The Pacific, Living to 100: Secrets of the Blue Zones, Super Bowl Sunday and much more!I have spotted the first blooms on one of my overgrown Forsythia… spring beckons as we approach March. Bring it on Spring!!!
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 Foodand 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, SilentNight.
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 , allis 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 2022Christmas Eve photos at Church… this one was from a few years ago but the laughter was a sweet sprinkling of a memory. Merry Christmas!
Photography has enabled me to capture a moment in time via the camera lens. I don’t have a sophisticated camera. I use my camera from my phone. I have it wherever I go, and it’s easy to use. If you’re an avid reader of my blog, you may recall, that Photography is a goal for my personal growth this year.
Most of my photos that I share on my blog or in other social media sites are purely everyday places that I have been blessed to see and share with you as my readers. I hope you enjoy the season of Fall through my everyday life “camera lens” in “thehardware life”.
The Fall Leaves
Fall Leaves are dropping everywhere! Here’s a few favorites featuring leaves as the centerpiece of the autumn season.
Vibrant Fall Colors
Vibrant Fall Colors are simply abundant this Autumn. We are so blessed to live in an area with such amazing color everywhere we look.
A Day at the Lake
This year I decided to look for Fall colors in unusual places. The Blue Ridge Mountains are an amazing place to find beautiful views and fall colors. Instead of trekking up the mountain, I wanted to check out some local areas to see how the Fall colors were coming and I wasn’t disappointed! These photos were captured a week or so before peak in our area at W Kerr Scott Lake.
Unusual Finds in the Fall
Sometimes a walk around the neighborhood or just being outside brings us face to face to with the unusual and unexpected. When I find those things, I often take a snapshot of my findings.
Tree trunk covered in leaves Acorns.. finding an abundance of acorns according to old weather folklore, forecasts a colder winter. Animals will need the acorns to survive the long, cold winter🥶. Cotton field “leftovers” Moving bales of cotton, that’s just ONE! Feather 🪶 in the grass… Persimmon Tree… old winter folklore tells us that the shape of the persimmon seed can predict the type of winter that is coming. A fork shaped seed inside the persimmon means a milder winter, a spoon shaped persimmon foretells a snowy winter, and a knife shaped seed means a cold, wind biting winter 🥶!
The Pines
This pine is dropping its needles beneath the tree, Pines drop their needles heavily during the Fall months . Long leaf pine needles Pine cones nestled in the fallen pine needles
Sunrises
As you may already know, I love a good sunrise or a beautiful sunset. I’m often up to see the sunrise. Sun chasers, here you go… my 2023 Fall sunrise captures.
The Fall Moon
There is simply nothing more intriguing than a full moon. As an educator, teaching during a full moon cycle brought unique challenges. Medical professionals and others have also attested to the Full moon impact upon human behavior. I couldn’t resist the opportunity to capture the moon behind all those clouds after Spooktacular.
“The night walked down the sky and brought the moon to the forefront “.
Foggy Morning Breakdown
The fog was so thick you could cut it with a knife!
Seeking Warmth…
First fire in the wood stove the morning of October 16th inside Wilkes County Hardware.
I hope you enjoyed a small sample of my Fall favorites. Look for your everyday moments and capture them through your life lens, whether you use your camera or not. Happy Fall Y’all! 🍂🍂🍂🍂
The sunlight was just in the right spot, to capture all those beautiful fall colors… one I couldn’t resist.
It’s hard to believe that 2022 is almost in the books! Sharing a few moments with y’all from our hardware life from this year in the form of pictorial memories and a few of my photo favorites.
We welcomed Cookie into our home in January. She was found abandoned at a local car wash, very thin and wet. The top pictures depict her thin size when she was found/first came home. On December 26th, 2022 she weighed in at the vet at 21 pounds…. She is definitely living the good life now. Beautiful blooms in January 2022 January snow 2022 Hardware show in Orlando, back in person! Richard & Steve Foster The freight elevator from a unique perspective, top down view … yes, it still works and we use it frequently Afternoon Sun gleams in from the front windows Spring Feature… thanks for sharing y’all Friday morning friends 😊, a diverse group who gather together as they can on Friday mornings, to discuss business, and have a bit fun too. Graduation 2022! Very proud of our son who has gained not only his high school diploma but his two year degree at WCC. Spring Storm clouds New Bern boats all aglow at night. Richard & I took a few days away to celebrate our anniversary in New Bern. What a beautiful town! Cutie pie Joy enjoying life August morning Fogs… did you keep count??? A photo collection of the fire at Smithey’s across the street. Very thankful for our amazing community of firefighters, police, who kept the fire/area under control. September morning sunrise Wet return for the Brushy Mountain Apple Festival in 2022 A very popular new t-shirt available at WCH this Fall. Thank y’all! Amazing fall colors this year The first annual Spooktacular was a tremendous success! So many people came out for this event this year. We hope to make it bigger and better next year! November brings leaves 🍁 falling everywhere Lighting up the night with Christmas lights… Light Up Downtown North Wilkesboro Our view has dramatically changed with our neighbor gone, capturing this beautiful sunset after the time change in November Mistletoe spotted in the height of a tree. My parents neighborhood has a ton of trees with mistletoe everywhere. December… the festive month with Christmas trees and more!
As the book closes on 2022, I’m personally noting the ebb and flow of the year is often marked with highs and lows. The perspective and reflection of 2022 should be the focus on the blessings in life.
Wishing you and your family a blessed 2023. We await the new chapters in 2023 to see what blessings will mark the highlights of each of the 12 new chapters. Happy New Year to all!
Do you celebrate New Year’s with a traditional meal each year??? Pork chops, black eyed peas, cheese grits, cabbage and cornbread was on our menu for 2022 .
My morning usually starts with breakfast and a large mug of steaming, hot coffee. After breakfast, I usually try to check notifications on our social media and put out new stories on our most active social media accounts. My morning routine was in full swing today when I came across a post about the first day of November. It was a cute one, Bette Milder in her best Sanderson sister costume on the left side of the screen and on the right, Chevy Chase as Clark Griswold, of National Lampoons Christmas Vacation. The gist is that Christmas has officially begun today on November 1st.
In reality, yes, it probably has officially begun. Retailers have had all things Christmas up and in stores for a few weeks now… trees, lights, and decorations. Hallmark Christmas movies have been featured on the television for the last few weeks and I would bet some folks are ready to get onto a healthy dose of holiday spirit with Christmas lights, and trees .
So what happened to the season of Thanksgiving? It is now a holiday surrounded by a kickoff of the Christmas shopping season. I’m not debating the right or wrong way to celebrate the month of November in this blog post, but my thoughts are just reflection upon the season of Thanksgiving.
Thanksgiving… a time of gratitude, grace, thanks, blessings, and giving back to our community. After all, the smallest blessing can be received even from the tiniest of things in life.
Shouldn’t we hold the season of Thanksgiving in our hearts every single day???
Thanksgiving is now just 23 days away. What will I do differently over the next few weeks in preparation for this important holiday of Thanksgiving besides shopping for a turkey & dressing???
I’m actively working on my November “bucket list” and I don’t think putting up my Christmas tree is high on the list right now.
Here’s my current brainstorming plan…
What would you put on your November list???
1. Create a Thanksgiving playlist of music. ( FYI: I have a working playlist now and will continue to update it as the month progresses.)
2. Make & bake a pumpkin spice treat, pumpkin muffins??? Thanks mom for sharing the recipe.
3. Make Hot Apple Cider – Muddled with spices
Looking forward to this blend on a cool evening or Sunday afternoon
4. Fire pit and marshmallows
5. Friendsgiving fun.. it’s been a couple of years since we have done this, but going to try to do this again.
Pumpkin spice buttercream…. It was so delicious!!!
6. Try a new soup or stew recipe for a cool, “fallish” evening meal
I already have one soup recipe on my list to make so far!
7. Enjoy the simplicity of every day life in the season of Fall.
8. Gratitude posts… share posts that are inspiring and complete at least two a week on my personal IG page or Facebook page.
Sharing on my stories will be a constant in the month of November. Check back for posts and other updates.
9. Watch A Charlie Brown Thanksgiving, with popcorn of course!
Popcorn is a definite movie treat!
10. Create a list of must watch Thanksgiving movies 🍿 or shows. This one will be a work in progress for 2022… so I’ll let you know what ends up on my list when it is finished.
Life is short. I can’t believe my son is grown now. It was just like yesterday he wanted to go turkey hunting with my dad while riding the golf cart. Treasure each day it is a unique gift.
November might actually turn out to be a nice month y’all, with more reflection about blessings, thanks, gratitude, family, friendship and slowing down to enjoy the last days of Fall.
Give thanks for a little, you will find a whole lot in return.
Living the "hardwarelife", join us in our journey of hardware store ownership
The Hardware Life - A wife's journey into the hardware business 