Greg's General Store

Here we go again. I am too lazy to copy the special logo that goes along with this today so I am using the old one. 1. How do you feel about the marshmallow Easter Peeps? I love peeps….they taste like chicken. 2. Chickens are notoriously nervous creatures. When you are nervous, what is the best way to calm down? Can I say drugs? Nothing calms me down like a Valium. Just kidding. Quiet time is what I need to calm down. 3. People say, "April showers bring May flowers." Do you enjoy Spring rains? I do because they wash away lots of pollen. I have hay fever. 4. When I was randomly flipping through TV channels this week, I saw a show in which tattoo parlor employees received tattoos of a co-worker's face on their bodies. I can't imagine having a portrait of a colleague tattooed on me. But if someone forced you to receive a portrait tattoo (face only) of anyone, who would it be? Why? How about the invisible man. Does that count? I don’t care for ink. 5. Would you rather ha...

Where did that weekend go. It was a really busy one but a great one too. We got so much stuff done it isn't funny. The Market is only 5 days away but we are ready to go. (for once) We have a new table to accent our new display and we think it will make a big difference. It's all about presentation and we think the changes will be for the better. It looks like winter is behind us now. At least in our area. We put in some veggies over the weekend and just in time. It has been raining all night and it is still raining this morning. As long as the seeds don't wash away we should have a good crop. I will have photos in about a week to show you. We already have onions and the potatoes are looking good. We are by no means well off but God is providing for us and we have everything we need and a few things we want as well. We are learning to do more with less and that is a good thing. Of course they are expecting the same at the office; More with less but I can handle it if they ca...

There are a lot of changes taking place in our world. Some are good but some are bad. And because of the bad changes, a lot of people are worrying. And because they are worrying, they are getting sick. Then they worry about being sick and not being able to take care of the things in their life that they are responsible for and then others around them begin to worry and they get sick. Have you noticed now many people are getting sick these days? It is alarming. Some people say it is because of the food we eat, the water we drink and the air we breathe. But a lot of it is simply due to stress from worrying. So today I want to center “my” Thankful Thursday about worrying, or more importantly not worrying because only God knows what tomorrow will bring. Matthew 6: 25 "Therefore I tell you, do not worry about your life, what you will eat or drink; or about your body, what you will wear. Is not life more important than food, and the body more important than clothes? I am thankful for m...

The theme is Spring . . . and any other random questions that crept in. Lid is spending some time with a friend so we have a substitute leader today. Just follow the links and you will get there. 1. What is your favorite sign of Spring? This is easy: “YARD SALE” These signs tend to pop up in spring as people clean out their garages. 2. Did you remember to spring forward on March 14? If not, how did it impact your day? Yes I remembered. It didn’t impact me at all. 3. If soil, time, talent and climate were no problem, what vegetable would you plant in a garden this year? Cucumbers. With any luck by the time I post this, they will be in the ground. 4. If soil, time, talent and climate were no problem, what fruit would you plant? I would love to grow peaches but I have tried and they take a lot of work. Mine always do well for a year or two but then get a fungus and die. 5. What is your least favorite insect? Stink bugs. They DON’T taste like chicken. My regular readers know what I a...

I got home late tonight. As I was loading my car with my gym clothes for tomorrow, I saw the most beautiful sunset. I stood there in awe for a few moments and then decided to go get my camera. In the few moments it took to get in and out of the house the sun sank a little lower and the lighting was different. Although the clouds are roughly in the same position, the colors aren't quite as brilliant as they were when I first observed them. Never less this is what it looked like: It made me wonder just how many beautiful sunsets or other things I have missed by only a few moments. Have a great day, Greg

It's Saturday morning and I am up and ready for another full day. The sun will be shining soon and the temperature is supposed to be around 70 today. Life is good. However it wasn't my best week. So I decided to get a few things out in the open and behind me. That way I can go forward and be happy today. So I call this post: The secret to happiness or I would like cheese with this whine. First off this is not a complaint this is a whine. There is a difference. When you complain you expect some action to be taken. When you whine you simply want someone to toss you some cheese and say sorry you are having a bad day, eat this cheese and be quiet. I have a new motto to live by: “The secret to happiness in not only accepting failure but also embracing it.” You may quote me on that. Why did it take me so long to figure this out? I mean for my entire life I have struggled to succeed when I tried to accomplish something. And as anyone can tell you, you can’t win them all. There will b...

Well here we are again. Thankful Thursday. The day after St’ Patrick’s Day. March 18th. Hmmmmm Now what am I supposed to remember? I know there is something important about today. Now what was it? Drum Roll please……. My wife. Today is her birthday. Happy birthday Diane. I am thankful that I have a great wife that puts up with my shenanigans. And she just happens to be part Irish. Now if we just had some of that Irish luck. I can’t say how old she is but as she puts it: She is always younger than I am. I am also thankful for the rest of my family who also put up with me although I am almost a saint so how hard can that be. Well in my mind anyway. Yes I do have a few flaws but then we all do. We aren’t perfect but we can all be forgiven. I am thankful for Great bloggers who provide me support, guidance and encouragement. Give yourselves a pat on the back today for being so great. I also want to thank and welcome my new visitors. I promise as the days get longer, and warmer, I will...

1. On a scale of 1-10, how superstitious are you, honestly? I wouldn’t say I am superstitious. I do however read the signs. For instance if I have a close call while driving, I slow down. If I am having a really good day, I might be a little less cautious when doing something. I read good and bad karma and go with it. 2. Julius Caesar is quoted as saying, "I came, I saw, I conquered." Which circumstance or experience of yours does this saying best describe? I think this fits with anything that I put my mind to do. If I see something that I want to master then I do it. 3. If I peeked in on your day like a mischievous little leprechaun, at what time would I most likely find you blogging? Well this used to be 9-5 but now you are either going to have to get up early (like 4 am) or wait until I get my turn at the computer sometime in the evening. 4. Re springing forward for Daylight Saving Time, is there anything you've ever been really early or really late for? Ha, I was just...

I’ve said it before and I will say it again: Where does the time go? It is hard to believe that it is Thursday already. But I made it here as you did so "we" already have one thing to be thankful for: I am thankful just to be alive. That in itself is a blessing and I thank God for every day He gives me here on earth. When I hear about all the people dying, the pain and suffering and all the drama going on, it makes me thankful just to be me. I am thankful for my children. My youngest turned 13 on Wednesday which makes him officially a teenager. That also makes me officially OLD. But then old is better than the other option. Not that I am afraid of dying or anything like that, I am just happy to be here. I am thankful for my sense of humor. I know the people I work with appreciate it too. Otherwise things would be really dull at work. I guess it takes all kinds but I really don't know why people mope around when they have it so good. And speaking of humor; If you think the...

If you don't know what Plinko is just visit Lid's blog. It's a random game and so are these questions: 1. How old is the oldest pair of shoes in your closet? Without looking, I haven’t got a clue. I think I still have some of my old Navy shoes. No I am not talking about the “Old Navy” brand shoes, I mean some old shoes from when I was in the Navy. They would be pre-1994. 2. Did you buy Girl Scout cookies this year? If so, what variety? So far I haven’t bought any but I think there is still time. I like the Samoas. I think that is what they are called. 3. Do you know how to ballroom dance? If not, would you like to? Who wrote these questions, a woman? I can’t ballroom dance but I am willing to learn. I can however do the chicken dance and will do it in a ballroom. Does that count? 4. Were you a responsible child/teenager? I was a very responsible teenager/child. I did everything I was told and then some. When both of my parents were working, I would clean the house, mow the ...

I mentioned this post last week in the random dozen post so I decided to go back and revisit what I wrote. I found it after much searching. It was longer ago that I thought (January 2008)and the title was actually fishing with my father. After reading the post, I remembered why I used the word Father instead of Dad. I appologize to all of my followers who already read this post ( Wanda ). That too amazed me; the fact that I only got a few comments on this post and the only person who commented who is still following my blog is Wanda. Way to go Wanda. I guess you are my #1 fan. So here is the post exactly as I wrote it: "Fishing with my Father" We ate a lot of fish when we were growing up and one reason was because my dad loved to fish and was good at it. On weekend mornings when the tide, wind and temperature were right you could expect him to head out to his secret spot and bring home enough fish for two or three meals. We had fish cooked every way imaginable but we fried it...

It was totally unbelievable in more ways than one. I am talking about the Free concert we went to last night. It was a performance by the United States Navy Band and it was awesome. But before I get to the highlights of the performance, let me tell you what happened BEFORE the concert. The concert was at the North Charleston Performing Arts Center(NCPAC). This is located right next to the North Charleston Colosseum. The two buildings are almost touching and they share the same parking lots. We arrived at the parking lot with plenty of time to spare. To my amazement the traffic was very heavy and as I guessed there were other events going on. We were supposed to have tickets waiting at the will call office but the question was which one. We asked the first person who looked official; Can you tell us where we pick up our tickets to.... He just pointed in a direction and said "will call" We hurried along with the masses which all seemed to be heading in the same direction. The c...

Hello everyone and welcome to Thankful Thursday. This is my first week doing this all by myself. I had a lot of help and encouragement in getting this set up which leads me to my first Thankful "Items" or should I say people. I want to thank Sonya and Edie for helping me get started. I am not the most blogger literate person so it took a lot of cattle prodding to get me over several humps. Don’t worry the scars should heal from where they kept poking me but I admit that I deserved it and needed it. Hopefully all that is behind me now. Notice I said Hopefully. We will see!!! I am thankful that we have some warm weather on the way. Despite the fact that I had more firewood than any previous year, our supply is getting a little low. It looks like we are going to make it but we by no means have a lot left. I am thankful that my wife and youngest son chopped so much wood this past summer. It was nice not having to split it when the weather was cold. My youngest is still doin...

1. Do you prefer even or odd numbers? Any particular reason? I am not sure why but I prefer odd numbers. Perhaps it is because I am an odd person or the fact that I was born on an odd day. Who knows but I am without a doubt an odd number person. My favorite numbers are 1, 3, 5, 7, and 13. 2. On a scale of 1-10, with 1 being "not at all" and 10 being Carly Simon-worthy, how vain are you? I would give myself a 5 but my family would most likely give me a 10. Yes that song IS about me but as I like to say; It aint bragging if you can back it up. Yes I have been to Saratoga and Nova Scotia and I have seen the total eclipse of the sun. So it just could be….. 3. Among these Irish stereotypes, with which do you identify most closely? Talkative, Proud, Inquisitive, Love to party, Hot-tempered. I am not Irish but my wife is. But more of these fit me than her. I think all 5 fit me. What’s up with that? 4. How lucky do you consider yourself? Just give me a 10 here. Everyone says I am t...

The Weather Channel is calling for a “wintery mix” on Tuesday night. Here in Charleston SC? I know what you are thinking; I thought the same thing. I thought; "no way" and I stood there with that deer in the headlight look. See I wasn’t kidding about the deer. This photo was taken a block from my house as I headed to work. At first glance I only saw one but the camera flash revealed more in the back ground. (click on the photo to see for yourself)Anywhoo, yes it’s true, we may get another snow here in Charleston making it the first time ever (well since I have been here) that it has snowed twice in one year. As you can see, our cat, Mr. T was all excited about the news. His initial reaction was; Hey, can’t a cat get some rest around this place? But after the excitement wore off he went back to sleep. I doubt if we get as much as we did last time or even any at all but they are predicting it. This is what it looked like the last time it snowed here. It seems like it was jus...