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.

Christmas 2007

http://www.newsweek.com/id/76929

article about rural stores selling unhealthy food

Listen...the leaves are laughing

If we are in the path of a tornado I'll be under this very heavy cabinet Bill built. It is by far the sturdiest thing he has constructed. It looks pretty good too. It provided a base for our 25 dollar bargain desk top. It is the first thing we have installed on the right side of the store and the last construction this year. the top has a sliding compartment where we can keep pre-season cards. To get the finish to match the top we painted a dollar can of opps brown first and let it show through the black top coat this created a fairly close match and the used comfortable look we want.

The door frame for the restroom got put on but will need a finish coat of white paint. The choice of lumber with bumps and bruises helps it blend well with what was already on the baseboards from 1970. We owe some of the character of the store to Vann who used heavy sturdy wide boards to build with.

The baskets are salvaged school locker room finds. We will use them to display fresh produce or packaged dinners. We hung them on the grocery side after a fresh coat of crisp green paint.

Lots of painting on the shelves was done and left to complete but all and all it was a good trip.

We went for a walk and saw a doe and her fawn. They were about a city block from the store just lounging by the lane. It was a beautiful sight. We collected crimson leaves that floated down from the trees. They were chattering all crisp and curled as they fell.

We had a visit from a friend of Lonnie Ham's who said he is not well. We will keep him in our prayers.

We added Camel Lights cigarettes, bean dip, motor oil and plumbing supplies to our MUST CARRY list.

It didn't rain! The weather was perfect, but as we left wind began to gust, probably relieving the trees of the rest of their leaves. Kanawha in November is picture perfect.

burnin rubber

This flattened stop sign was in Woodland four miles south of Kanawha. The hay trucks two stories high, their long beds outlined in neat strips of white Christmas lights thundering past our little store like tyrannosaurus rex made us keenly aware it is hay-haulin time.

We stretched our wall of grocery shelves from 8 to 16 feet. Running out of board and sweat we quit six shelves short, but the grocery out side section is mostly done. The turning of the end shelves sturdied up the unit and we are confident they will not be the cause of any grocery fatilities.

We will skip to the opposite side of the store in November and leave the aisle shelving till last so we have room to work. The next section is office/stationary/school supplies. We frequent a wonderful junk store that sells parts and damaged bits of furniture. The top portion of this next project was a $25 dollar bargain we found and with a bit of tlc think it will be a wonderful addition to the store.

Ray Spencer dropped by to ask about the store. He sells campers in Paris, but owns land nearby. He ask if we plan on serving breakfast at the store. We already have two breakfast items on our menu but this interest may make us think about a third. We were told this has become a popular deer hunting area. Guess we will have to consult our resident pro hunter Clint about what hunters reload, run out of and eat. Out Grandson and his dad Chuck have been hunting deer for years now.

We drove Woodland to Detroit and saw the Good Hope Ranch has started drilling for something. Oil maybe? The rig is quit impressive. The Circle C which has put short horns on their property in Kanawha, has been painting their fence posts white. In another move, they have been fencing some of their near Detroit property with a taller more dense fencing. Not sure if they are keeping something in ot out, but not the usual cattle fence we see on other ranches. In any respect, it is certainly a warm fuzzy feeling to see activity.

We celebrated my parents birthdays. They were born on the 10th and 12th of October so we just have one big party. Combined we needed about 160 candles, but settled for 96. It took three of us to light them all, the cake got so hot the candles melted wax on the melting icing. we sent Timothy to carry it in to them never thinking about his long beard! I think he got away with just a little singe. My moma's comment, "wait till next year". Our Granddaughter Danielle took this "perfect" picture. She is an honor student with athletic ability but maybe she has a bit of photo genius too. Danielle and her mother, Tammy, helped make this family gathering come together.

It rained, my camera got wet, I pulled something in my back that shouldn't be pulled, Bill got blisters and splinters, but this store is a labor of love and like all good things it is at times a bit painful. I can not remember seeing so many blue butterflies. The sasafras is turning red. The outside of our traveltrailer has mildewed. And did I say, it rained again.

Jericho

Our son Timothy spent his Saturday in Kanawha completing the roof for us. It is outstanding like everything he does! I defy anyone to have a whiter roof or at least until the first dirt lands on it. Thank you again Tim.

We called the Glass people in Paris and got an estimate on replacing the door on the side of the building. I hope each of you lingers at the door of your favorite store and marvels at the beauty of the glass chrome that swings your way. One thousand three hundred ninety five dollars...approximately. On the up side the things are nearly indestructible and are installed with weather stripping and framing if needed. BIG OUCH! Putting a commercial glass door on the side of the building will not only let more light in the nether regions of the building but will make entering much more pleasant. We want to stay consistent with the front of the building door we were already blessed with so will match it as best we can when we are ready to replace the existing solid door.

Our trip on Monday was our first attempt to cover the walls on the inside of the building. This is important to close all the holes so air conditioning becomes a possibility. The solid back on the shelving will also look better and keep merchandise from sifting down in the waffle steel walls that are there now. The problem is a difficult one because it requires a material that can attach at only two places where there are 2x4's. That is not such a issue until you realize shelves can not be free standing in a store where they might take out a customer if they fell on them.

On a happy note: The paint lady at Home Depot where we shop was outstanding. She took the square of metal Bill managed to gouge off the wall and matched the paint so well we think we will be able to touch up the ceiling with it later. What a blessing. She also gave us two paint sticks an opener and glued an extra formula to the back of our sample! As Bill so aptly put it, "We don't get this kind of service from our Home Depot in Cedar Hill".

After two days of wrangling with plywood, nails, screws and one whacked thumb we got the 6 feet of shelves up and though not attached to the wall at the top yet are fairly strong as long as they are empty and no wind is blowing. Bill also created a wonderful mop/broom display table for the corner where we will have cleaners and dustpans for sale. We didn't cut anything off and nothing fell on us so it was a great trip.

While we were there we enjoyed the mowed and sprayed grounds around the store thanks to Jody who out did herself. In addition she shared some of her ant killer and blueberry muffins with us so Bill was happy. Jody told us the grandaughter of Blake Boulware has moved into the house across the way. Blake was the son of George W. Boulwares oldest son James.

The Allen and Sons truckers came by and talked a bit. They were in Kanawha hauling logs. They said they would be back for ribs. Bologna sandwiches were requested. This requires another look see at those slicing machines we thought were out of our reach.

Mowers parked across from the store and for two days they mowed neat swaths down the country lanes near the store. One of the mowers came in and ask if we had a box for his kitten. He was careful to poke holes so it was cool and told us his wife loved cats and would be pleased when he returned home. Another potential customer!

Speaking of cats. Bill said the moma cat who hunts near our store is bloated or expecting. What are the odds? Kittens to look forward to:0)

On the way home we stopped to visit with my parents. We gave them our progress report and they ask questions and shared memories about the store when Charlie Hart owned it in the 1930's.

It began to rain. It has rained almost every trip we make.