Tag Archives: photo favorites

blogging, flowers, garden, gardening, May, Natural World, photography favorites, Plant Lady, seaonal change, southern living, Spring, Spring Gardening, Spring photography

Majestic May

May 23, 2024 hardwarelifewife Leave a comment

Just simply marveling in the magic that May brings each year. The month of May brings an explosion of color and beauty as the glory of Spring fully emerges. Sharing a few of my photo favorites from this month’s captures.

**Shiloh**
**Visiting the hardware store**

April, Earth Day, garden, gardening, Hardware Store Life, Natural World, photography favorites, southern living, Spring, Spring Gardening, Spring photography, Summer Photography, sunrise photography, Winter Photography

Earth Day 2024

April 21, 2024 hardwarelifewife 2 Comments

Everyday is Earth Day! April 22nd is the Day we officially designate as Earth Day. The first Earth Day was celebrated back in 1970. Fast forward into 2024, our Earth is still as beautiful as ever! Sharing a few photos of all Earthly things that make our Earthly home just a little bit sweeter… All Things Bright and Beautiful. Remember to take care of our Earth. Enjoy!

All things wise and wonderful. God made them all.

Each bird that sings, He made their glowing colors, He made their tiny wings.

The sunset and the morning, that brightens up the sky

The ripe fruits in the garden, He made them every one.

April, blogging, flowers, garden, gardening, hardware store, Hardware Store Life, Home, hummingbirds, Natural World, old hardware stores, photography favorites, recipe, seaonal change, Shop Local, southern living, Spring, Spring Gardening, stew

April

April 3, 2024 hardwarelifewife Leave a comment

April, preparing her “green traffic light”… April, a month when Spring moves from a quiet, slow, slumber to a full blown reality. The trees fill out with abundant green leaves almost overnight, and the grass greens up. The last of the cooler nights are a short- lived phenomenon and the warmth of a lasting Spring has arrived.

**No Fooling Around**… April 1st sunrise was absolutely stunning.

**Solar Eclipse sunrise**… lots of clouds in view

April 12th… This series of 4 photos were taken the morning after the brief tornado touchdown in our neighborhood. We are fine, no damage to our home. The skies were dramatic this quiet Friday morning.

Blooming in the Garden during the month of April

***Peony buds are beginning to show signs early this year. Normally my peonies are in full bloom around Mother’s Day.***

**Solidarity among the purple blossoms**

**In full bloom along the front sidewalk**

New Recipe Alert 🔔

**Pork Stew and cornbread on a rainy April Sunday afternoon view complete recipe here…** Pork Stew

In the Wild

**Wispy Wildflowers along the Greenway**

**First signs of strawberries** 🍓 **beginning to ripen**

**These sweet horses walked up to have picture taken near Shiloh General Store**

Finished Creative Pieces

**Poppies are glazed and ready to enjoy!**

Happenings inside the hardware store in the Month of April

**New on the blog.. the Spring is Here** MUST HAVE itemshttp://Spring is Here! Garden Essentials 101 April is here and the Gardening season is upon us! I have prepared for y’all a quick list of TEN basic gardening essentials that are selling quickly … https://hardwarelifewife.com/2024/04/06/spring-is-here-garden-essentials-101/

**New locally sourced products arrive during the spring season**

**Hummingbird season is here!** Hummingbird Season

**April 22nd -Earth Day-** Earth Friendly products found inside our hardware store

**Oh no Wally!** Our Front windows received a fresh update this month

**Open doors and empty chair ready for you!**

blogging, clover, finding inspiration, flowers, Forsythia, gardening, Hardware Store Life, Home, March, memories, Natural World, photography favorites, seaonal change, southern cooking, Southern food, southern living, Spring, Spring photography, sunrise photography, Transitions in Life

March Photo Favorites

March 3, 2024 hardwarelifewife Leave a comment

Scripture for March :

But those who wait on the Lord shall renew their strength;
They shall mount up with wings like eagles,
They shall run and not be weary, they shall walk and not faint.” (Isaiah 40:31)

I took a series of photos on the morning of March 1st during this spectacular sunrise. I posted a few of these directly on my Facebook page without edits. My mom and dad noticed the eagle in the background in a few of the pictures from the series of shots. She had texted me about the pictures I had posted and told me to go look for it… A few other Facebook friends commented on the eagle as well… It was a very sweet surprise for me and maybe a message that It’s Time to Soar in the Month of March.

A HUGE thank you to all who continue to support my blog by reading and sharing. An even bigger blessing, my family and friends who are consistently the wind beneath my wings offering endless support, love and encouragement. Thank you.

I hope you enjoy the photos from my day to day activities in the month of March.

**Searching for Signs of Spring**… Piper and I always use this Willow tree as a reference for the arrival of spring along the Greenway. The first tiny leaves are forming as we walked on March 2nd.

March 5th! What a difference a few days make!

**All Damned Up…** a huge pile of brush and tree limbs are pushed up against this tree, beaver 🦫 busy at work or excessive rain????

**“Leafing Up**” By March 30th some trees have a good base of leaves

**Green Acres… well probably not like the tv show** 😂**. Planting in progress on the fields along the Greenway Trails**

**Hiding In the Mist**… a foggy Sunday morning March 3rd

**Drop In**… Rain has been fairly abundant in the month of March.

**Awakening**… March mornings often bring a crisp, cool feeling that brings you awake immediately after walking outdoors.

On the Home Front…

**Hello Buttercup…** My mother-in-law always called these yellow daffodils buttercups. These mini daffodils are in full bloom in early March in my front flower garden.

**Forcing branches of Forsythia bloomed almost immediately! Will definitely do this again next year!**

**In case you missed this earlier blog post…** https://hardwarelifewife.com/2024/03/06/forsythia-spring-is-here/

**Tomato, lentil and vegetable soup** (keeper recipe)

**First attempt at making a Burnt Cheesecake, no crust on bottom! Delicious and easy. Will definitely make again!**

**Reinventing the BLT… Bacon, spinach, avocado, tomatoes and ranch(out of mayo** 🤪**) I asked Benjamin if he wanted me to make him a sandwich, he said no… it had too many vegetables on it**😂

**Pineapple Casserole for Easter… Thank you Ashley Frazier for sharing your recipe for Pineapple Casserole! It was simply delicious!**

**Hey Bud! I**t’s a beautiful sight to see the our trees beginning to bud out

**Time to plant**… getting my hands dirty again and putting these in my planters in March

**Finding Clover** https://hardwarelifewife.com/2024/03/17/finding-clover/

**Spring has replaced the winter gloom, with abundant blooms… Bradford Pears in full bloom everywhere!**

**The Pick of the Crop… Annual Tulip picking trip** 🌷

**Opening** **and closing act… once tulips fully bloom and open, the flower petals don’t last much longer**

**Cookie and Joy: These two always enjoy #Nationalpuppyday March 23rd**

**Bunny building…, it has been fun creating new Easter pieces for this Easter season**

What’s have we been streaming in March???

1. Apple TV: Finished Masters of Air, began Manhunt, and Palm Royale.

2. Max- The Great Pottery Throw Down, you don’t have to be a lover of all things pottery to enjoy this show, it’s a fantastic competition based show with amazing art in progress

3. Hulu Live: March Madness… basketball games! 🏀, The Food That Built America, Lady Bird Diaries, and also streaming our favorite weekly shows.

4. Netflix: The Gentlemen

At the Hardware Store…

**Chopping Wood still a necessity on the cooler days of March**

**Beautiful afternoons in March… front door open to let the fresh air and sunshine inside**

**Adding a bit of color to the ladder wall**

**Stacking out new merchandise for Spring and Summer**

**Count Me In! The jellybeans are counted and ready for your guess! Congrats to Jane Will for winning the hummingbird feeder!**

**Did you know that you can shop our shelves at Carolina Treasures on Main??? You can find me there checking on the shelves regularly**

**Who’s ready to dig into the dirt????**

Wayne announced his retirement on March 25, 2024.

Wayne Matherly has been an amazing asset to our business as well as a mentor to both of us for the last 8 1/2 years. It’s simply hard to imagine life without him at Wilkes County Hardware.

Richard and I have been blessed with Wayne’s leadership and presence, as he shared and we received a small part of his knowledge. He taught us both so much about various areas of the hardware store. His vast experience with locks and keys, plumbing,and Wayne’s knowledge of lawn and garden has not been wasted… we have soaked up all the time and experience we could with Wayne.

They say that “Age is a just number”but, I know when the numbers begin to grow in size, our bodies often tell us to slow down a bit. Wayne, we definitely honor your wishes to slow down.

So what do you do when a piece of your heart goes home??? I’m not sure… but we plan to celebrate this new milestone of retirement with Wayne soon, honoring his wishes on how he chooses to do so.

Congratulations to Wayne, on a long career in the hardware industry. You will surely be missed dearly by all of us and hoping that you know that you have left a legacy of hardware excellence behind. We love you always! 💕

**Wayne at work through the years… 2015-2024**

As our month of March concludes, Wayne is soaring into retirement and I’m drawn back to the scripture that I began the month with for strength and courage as we begin a new chapter in our business.

But those who wait on the Lord shall renew their strength;
They shall mount up with wings like eagles,
They shall run and not be weary, they shall walk and not faint.” (Isaiah 40:31)

blogging, February, Fighting The Winter Blues, Hand washing dishes, Hardware Store Life, heart health, Home, memories, Natural World, photography favorites, southern living, Spring photography, sunrise photography, TV streaming, winter, Winter Photography

February Photos

February 27, 2024 hardwarelifewife Leave a comment

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.

Favorite February Photo Captures

**Blue Skies**… dotted our path along the Greenway, the water was remarkably still in several places along our path.

**Trailing Behind**… Contrails marked the morning skies February 5th

**Between Two Trees** … Sunrise February 8th

**Touchdown!** Clouds reaching down towards the mountains on a rainy February Monday

**A 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!

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 🤪

Finding flowers inside the hardware store!

End cap switch out… right side was winter set

End cap switch out… getting ready for spring

Spring Refresh continues by adding a touch of green to the front.

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.”

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!!!

Find the link to my last blog post which ties in nicely with the subject of Longevity and Heart Health… https://hardwarelifewife.com/2024/02/19/the-heart-of-the-matter/

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