FORTY DAYS in 2008

This year should be very rewarding visually as the construction of the interior cabinets and a wall are on the agenda. We have 40 days...kind of like Noah. This amounts to 4 days or one long weekend each month for ten months. 2008 should see a considerable change to the front posts of the store and some trim work on one side. As the housing market slides so do the prospects for the store. Rather than take a grim look at our projects we will take this bleak outlook as a challenge to our ingenuity and count our blessings as we trek on. After all, if God blesses us, we can not fail. If he does not, no amount of determination will help us succeed. So that being said, we rely heavily on the Volunteer Army (our children) and the prayers of our supporters.

Our first major project for 2008 is a GARDEN section for the wall that is crooked bent and houses electric boxes we need access too. Flex space planning has been one of the more difficult challenges as we must be able to change with the needs of our community. The plan is for this area to transition to CHRISTMAS as the planting season ends but provide for seed displays, space for gardening tools and bags of unknown size weight and number most of the year.

Planning has consumed a great deal of our time. This is likely due to the inexperience we have at almost every task required to renovate, plan and open a store. This year we will seek professional help for accounting ie tax purposes as well as establishing a tax number to purchase wholesale items and seek information concerning laws rules and state mandates for those serving food, gasoline, cigarettes. All of these are free for the asking if you can just find them:0)

http://window.state.tx.us/taxinfo/sales/questions.html
http://www.tceq.state.tx.us/about/directory/region/reglist.html#5
http://www.tceq.state.tx.us/permitting/registration/pst/ast_ust_notification.html
http://www.tceq.state.tx.us/assets/public/permitting/rrr/forms/0659.pdf
http://www.valero.com/ProductsServices/Wholesale/CustomerForms.htm


Sunday was a fleeting trip to measure again...cut trim and murder the roots of that tree that is causing concrete cracks, and destroy the roots of the poison ivy that is rooted deeply in the flowerbeds beside the store. Bill made a small dent in the root issues and will likely be down for another fast trip to do more of the same.

Bill's cure for those pesky tree roots is boiling salt water poured into a fresh cut into the trunk. He read this in an online article. It is cheap easy and environmentally friendly. Now if it just works.

The poison ivy cure seems like a last resort. Again it is friendly to the environment and seems fool proof however it is a lot of digging, must be completed in the winter and does not help the area at the tree line where the vines are especially happy.