Holidays can be a bit overwhelming, especially Christmas.  I have lost track of the number of times I have heard people say the holiday season sneaks up every year. I have always agreed because I am never really done.  I just stop when I run out of time. I have to wonder why that is since the holidays always show up the same time each year.

When my children were small I focused on them and kept outside activities to a minimum. As my family grew older the other events snowballed. Adding my online business meant holiday preparations of another kind. For some reason the empty nest syndrome crowded my holiday schedule even more.  Perhaps I thought – and others thought for me – that while working from home with no children I should have plenty of extra time/energy/money.  The stress of trying to keep up took much of the fun out of the festivities. I was so busy, I am not sure that I stopped long enough to notice.

The past two or three years changed my outlook. Our income was interrupted in big ways during the holiday season of those years. Though we had much to be thankful for, our holiday plans were greatly affected while we concentrated on household expenses and necessities.

In the midst of creative budgeting and selling a few personal belongings, there was a sense of relief that gave me pause for thought. I was grateful for an easy way out of holiday “to-dos”. People understood if I just couldn’t join in.  Gift exchanges were eliminated, most travel plans canceled, and gift lists all but disappeared.  Though I would not choose to go through another struggle this season, I did learn a lesson that will make these holidays more enjoyable. 

This year I am going to slow down and take more time to stop and smell the pine trees and maybe even taste some fresh snow.  I will simplify my lists while remembering the important things twice. It is my plan to sneak up on Christmas this year, and smile the whole time!

One of the great things about my job is that I own a lot of fun jigsaw puzzles – at least for a short time.  This artist, Tom Newsome, has done several Santa images.  I am sharing this one because it makes me smile and it is the most popular with my customers.  I am shipping my last one tomorrow.  Look closely at this picture of Santa painting toy cars.  You can almost hear him laughing as he works…

Santa's Toy Fords

This Sunday I had the rare opportunity to be part of a larger than life experience. Because my son is a police officer, I was invited to participate in the photo for the calendar mentioned in the below article from our local WLFI.com.  It was humbling to stand on the hill with cancer survivors,cancer fighter Johnna Parker, and many local first responders. Breast cancer touches so many lives. This was a good way to raise awareness as well as remind the rest of us that our health is something to be so very thankful for. You can see more on the facebook page link given at the bottom of this page.

I work best with goals. Whether I set them for myself or rise to the occasion when challenged by others, I tend to do better when I work with an end in mind.

This blog post is a good example of what goals do for me.  It is part of a challenge from the group that I belong to and learn from.  Virtual Online Learning. 

I have had a challenging week, but none of the challenges have caused me anything other than frustration.  The heat went out at the shop.  My computer bit the dust and is currently at the repair shop.  My business partner and I announced the year end closing of our shop, Mustard Seed.  Add all of this to the gloomy fall weather and cold temperature and all that I really want to do is curl up on the corner of my couch – hoping this all works itself out while I read a good book.

VOL sets challenges.  Blog challenges. Listing challenges.  Twitter challenges.  The leader, Danna Crawford, must know that reaching past the day to day difficulties and keeping on, keeping on, is the best for all of us that truly want to learn and grow our online presence.  It works for me…because here I am.  Blogging and sharing and feeling empowered.  You should join us if you haven’t already.

Frank and Addie (McCain) Groninger bought and operated the Groninger’s General Store in Burrows during the years when small towns had a lot to offer the rural community as well as the townspeople.

The store was open seven days a week. Frank and Addie would start early in the morning and be available to customers until late at night no matter how small the purchase. They eventually lived in the house right next door. On Saturday nights business was so good, the customers would be in the store until about midnight. 

The store had just about anything anyone needed or wanted, and customers would trade their eggs and chickens and produce for goods.

The Post Office was located in the back of the store when they bought it. Frank became the Postmaster about five years later. He would hang the mailbag twice a day for the mail train to pick up. He decided to retire as Postmaster when he was 80 years old.

The store flourished for several years – even during the war when there were so many rations on items.  After Frank and Addie were not able to work in the store, their son Charles and Kathalene became the new proprietors in 1948.

After World War II, small towns gradually lost their businesses. The little general store could not compete with the big supermarkets.  Customers had faster transportation than the horse and buggy. They wanted to shop in bigger towns with larger stores. Eventually, the customers became so few there was just not enough financial income to keep the store open.  The doors were closed in 1959.

 However, there is a nice ending to this bit of history. The Groninger’s General Store was moved to Dayton, Indiana in 2000. With much of the original store intact, it now sits on Ron Koehler’s property, next to his nursery.  Photographs can be seen on the home page of this web site.

I do not always get a chance to go to the Covered Bridge Festival, but this October I was able to go twice!  Once to Mansfield and then to Bridgeton, Indiana.  Part of the attraction, on the first trip, was yard sales and barn sales along the way. We took more photos the second day when we spent more time at the actual festival.

Scott and I had a great time with friends, Carol and Yvonne.  We all ate too much, bought interesting items, did a lot of window shopping, and made plans to go again next year.  I am adding captions to the photographs to give you a mini tour of our day.

Bridgeton Covered Bridge, over a waterfall

food stop, Walleye Fish

Grist Mill store front

Bridgeton Country StoreI loved the fact that some of the town people raise chickens!

Bridgeton 1878 House

Collums General Store - full of treasures!!

wood carver's wares

I came home with a new found love of pumpkin ice cream and Amish hot pretzels as well as a renewed appreciation for indoor plumbing.  Notice there are NO photographs of porta-potties One stop that got the females in our group excited was this scrapbook supply booth in the general store. I plan to write more about the store, based out of Muncie Indiana, at a later date.

a wonderful assortment of scrapbook supplies