“I do not miss childhood, but I miss the way I took pleasure in small things, even as greater things crumbled. I could not control the world I was in, could not walk away from things or people or moments that hurt, but I found joy in the things that made me happy.”
– Neil Gaiman, from “The Ocean At The End Of The Lane”

Another New Year has come; the last year flew by at lightning speed, leaving me wondering what happened. Where did it go?
Much too quick! Too fast! Wait, come back, go a little slower! When you’re a little kid, time is too slow, but when you’re an adult, it flies. When winter hits, my old VW diesel balks on frozen mornings at starting which means either a call to AAA for a jump or tow. I’ve tried to drive the slowpoke daily to keep her juiced up.
No alluding to myself on that, of course!
One chilly silver-gray morning, I bundled River dog in the passenger seat and took off for a hardware store… our winter morning drive was peaceful, mostly along winding roads with stark trees, some with mistletoe up high, winding our way to the hardware parking lot.
Rolling the car windows halfway for River’s sniffing/watching enjoyment, I headed in. Hardware stores smell good and unpretentious: blends of grass and birdseed, garden center plants, soil, popcorn and tools. It’s an earthy blend of many things, decidedly not a fancy perfume counter, but enticing in its own right. One can spend hours wandering among the aisles, looking over paints, gadgets, plumbing supplies, bins of hardware.
My problem is I have to look at everything; so many useful things. My basket ends up with marked-down Christmas tinsel, reusable poster putty, Fiber-Fix tape that claims to fix anything   – even better than duct tape. Wildflower seed for bees, paint chips, and last but not least, a bright yellow can of Anti-Monkey Butt powder. That’s a gag present to put in my son’s birthday care-package to mail off soon. I’m sure he’ll get a funny look on his face when he pulls that out of the box.
I didn’t spend much, but had a ball rooting through the store. For a little bit, it was that deliciousness of small things that brought joy, even finding something silly called “Anti-Monkey Butt Powder” in a happy yellow can. Ah, life.
Community:
There’s still time to honor a loved one with an engraved brick paver for Pace Park. Proceeds go toward building public restrooms at this community park to be located downtown near M.A. Pace Store; for additional information, contact Catherine Ross at 828-749-3534 or carnc@charter.net
Saluda Community Land Trust (SCLT) can benefit from your donations for the year ahead or your time as a volunteer for their many community projects. Contact SCLT at 828-749-1560 or visit www.saludasclt.org
It may be early yet, but not too soon to book your spot for Thompson’s Store’s “Let the Good Times Roll” music series with a Mardi Gras party in the upstairs Boarding House venue, March 1, starting at 5:30 p.m. with music, dancing, and food.Make reservations by Feb. 24; call Judy Ward at 828-749-2321.
Happy January Birthday to Sparkles who is special to Saluda, Brandy Bradley, Alex Bardos, Carolyn Ashburn, Scott Kinard, Donna Bond, Greer Eargle, Wyatt Alan Pace, Irma Anderson, Paul Aaybe, Rich Rauschenbach, Phyllis Arrington and Kenneth Justus. Please add your name to the list.May all of you have a Happy New Year, dear readers. Thank you for reading this column; as ever, the goal is to make you feel like you’re enjoying a cup of hot tea and small town life in a friendly little mountain town called Saluda. You can contact me at bbardos@gmail.com; or 828-749-1153, visit my website at bonniebardos.com for more writing and art, or find me on Facebook.