Warm Thoughts on a Cold Day Out

Today was bright, sunny and ice/snow free, but only in the upper 30's! Brrrr! We are not used to all the snow and freezing precip that we've had these last 2 months. We are thankful for a warm place to land each day as the temperatures plummet. The extremely cold days have outnumbered the normal (50 degree) days of late.


I took my mother-in-law out to lunch at a small restaurant about 30 minutes away. It is in a former hardware store, thus it is called The Hardware Cafe. The lunch menu consists of salads, soups, sandwiches and the typical variety of side dishes and beverages. They had a few special desserts and a homemade soup that my MIL chose to chase the chill away, but I was more interested in the toffee, cinnamon coffee to combat the stiff wind and cold temps. We entered onto the creaking antique wood floors with their warm patina and selected a table near a heat vent and the kitchen (both good heat sources) and away from the door and quickly ordered coffee.

The restaurant has the original flooring and shelving of the hardware store, but now the shelves display wares from local artisans and a few antiques along with specialty coffees. I've purchased 3 sofa pillows in the past and they work perfectly with my living room furniture. We scanned the menu of sandwiches and made our selections. Mine was The Hammer (aka Reuben). All the sandwiches are named for items you would find in a hardware store.


It is such a fun place--quiet, cozy, and a part of the town's history. It sits across from the town square and courthouse right on Main Street. They serve lunch and a set menu for dinner 3 nights a week.


There is a posted 2 hour parking limit; however, so be sure you move your vehicle if you plan to survey the local shops in the downtown district. The town is full of magnificent old homes and you could fill up most of a day gazing at the architecture, the variety of fences, and the restoration of some of the local painted ladies.



We dallied at lunch as locals came in with their standard orders and while a small committee came in and conducted an informal meeting over lunch. Once when I was there, an acquaintance came in with a group of sisters and other female relatives to catch up over lunch. I sometimes meet my daughters and grandchildren there for a lazy lunch. The seats for children are metal tractor seats on stools. Very cool to my almost 7 year old granddaughter and 2 year old grandson.


We drove through the historic district before leaving town and meandered through the countryside as we made our way back to my MIL's rural community. It's a small NC spot in the road, but they have their own post office complete with boxes and 1 very friendly employee who had never seen me, but knew me from hearing about me and my husband from my MIL.


I savored my day as I made my way home just before nightfall. I was happy to have had the privilege of having time with my MIL and share some of the everyday blessings God has so richly bestowed upon us.