Pau's General Store

Happy Birthday Everett M! We hope you have a fabulous day!

Did you get what you were hoping for, for Christmas? We certainly hope so! Our store is still open until Friday, December 31st with our 40% off store wide sale *except local artists! So if there is a gift you are still hoping to get or give than come on by and see us in our last few days. We are closed today but we will be open Tues, Weds and Fri 10 am to 6pm and Thursday 10 am to 7pm! Help us go out with a bang!

Here are some cool gifts received in years past by a few of the co-authors of 'A Scrapbook of Christmas Firsts'.

Cathy - "After losing the diamond from my engagement ring in Murfreesboro, Arkansas - home of the only diamond mine in the USA - I asked my husband, David, for a simple gold band. Santa Dave gifted me with the perfect wedding band on Christmas Morning, and several years later, on Valentine's Day, the engagement ring sparked to life again."

Terra - "During a visit to my hometown, I picked out fifty family slides from thousands that document our family history. Mu husband and I had the slides transferred to a CD. One of the slides, taken in 1944, is only the slightest bit faded and has an ethereal beauty, showing the tenderness between my mom and dad.

For Christmas, my husband printed two photos from that slide for me and my sister. I love to gaze at the photograph and imagine the time when my parents were newlyweds and their world was full of promise."

Trish- "My husband, Mike, gave the gift of volunteer help. Our 4th child was due in early January, and after Christmas break, I would have the three older children to get ready every morning and a new baby. Mike arranged for dear women from our church to come over every morning of the work week at 6am to help with the morning routine. Over half a dozen faithful women volunteered to be on our Mom Squad and became part of my best Christmas."

What's the best gift you ever received?

Holidays for December 27th:

Make Cut Out Snowflakes Day
National Fruitcake Day
Visit the Zoo Day

In honor of National Candy Cane Day- a little backstory..

Candy Canes- Terra Hangen

"Does every family in America hang candy canes on their Christmas tree? In my family, candy canes are considered essential ornaments. If someone forgets to buy them, a candy cane aficionado will point out that our tree, with its limbs sagging from a myriad of ornaments, looks downright naked. This causes an emergency run to the local candy cane emporium.

The king of canes in the United States is the red and white variety, but the first candy sticks were pure white and straight in shape. These white confections, created 350 years ago, were first bent into the shape of a cane or shepherd's staff in 1670 by the frustrated choirmaster at the Cologne Cathedral in Germany.

Each year unruly children disrupted the music during the very long Nativity services, until the choirmaster had the brilliant idea to bend the canes to look like a shepherd's staff, and give them to the children during Nativity services. This gambit worked so well that candy canes were soon doled out at Christmas church services throughout Europe.

The candy cane first appeared in America in 1847. A German immigrant, August Imgard, decorated his tree in Wooster, Ohio, with them. The first red and white striped canes were introduced early in the twentieth century. Soon after, candy makers added peppermint and wintergreen flavors."

Holidays for December 26th are:

Boxing Day
National Candy Cane Day
National Thank You Note Day
National Whiner's Day