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sat10AM - 8PM
sun11AM - 6PM
mon10AM - 6PM
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thu10AM - 6PM
fri10AM - 7PM
sat10AM - 7PM
sun11AM - 6PM
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What a difference a few decades make! The images of New York City were taken in 1970 (Bernard Gotfryd, Library of Congress) and in 2018 by Afif Ramdhasuma (from pexels.com). Earth Day has been celebrated on April 22 since it was established through grassroots efforts in 1970. It was a response to increasing concerns caused by smog (intense air pollution caused mainly by exhaust fumes), Great Lakes at risk of dying from pesticide runoff and waste dumping, and rivers that caught on fire (the Cuyahoga River in Ohio famously caught fire in June of 1969). It was also the year when monumental legislation was enacted to address all kinds of environmental concerns. ...read more
At Home | Inspiration
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If it’s true, as they say, that seeing is believing, then we at Mast Store would like to propose another entry to your quip collection: Doing is moving. “Doing” not only requires movement - “doing” moves you both physically and emotionally. ...read more
Local Flavor | Mast Family Favorites | Travel
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What is a library? It’s a big building with lots of books in it. But wait, it’s so much more. The library is a gateway to your wildest dreams, a place to learn, a place to imagine, a place to make friends. Today’s libraries are repositories of books, but they also are places to get help to learn to read or improve your reading, to improve your math skills, to listen to a performance by a string quartet, to watch a movie, to refine your crafting skills, and to gather with fellow writers. Yes, libraries are SO much more. ...read more
Adventure | Inspiration | Mast Family Favorites
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... Our favorite foods! Food is universal because everybody’s got ta eat! And the last two months of the year are filled with more than their fair share of family meals, work gatherings, special outings to favorite restaurants, tins filled with homemade cookies and fudge, and the anticipation of food traditions handed down from generation to generation ...read more
At Home | Recipes
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Even before we bought the Mast General Store, we were taken by the beauty of Valle Crucis. We’ve heard people describe the drive out Broadstone Road as traveling through a time portal. In the 1970s, fields in the river bottoms would be filled with tobacco, cabbage, or high with hay to feed cattle that were grazing in the summer pasture. ...read more
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The lucky few who have seen the Earth from a different perspective – astronauts - all echo the same viewpoint upon their return. Yuri Gagarin, a Russian cosmonaut and the first human to go to space, commented, “Orbiting Earth in the spaceship, I saw how beautiful our planet is. People, let us preserve and increase this beauty, not destroy it.”
Behind the Scenes | Inspiration
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Five weeks of winter in the books and seven more to go. Longer nights, cold temperatures, and gray days all figure into a general feeling of sadness and depression. But, there are steps you can take to reduce its effects. Here are five ways to escape the winter blues.
**This blog was originally published in February of 2018. Please make sure to update some of these suggestions to fit within COVID-19 safety protocols. It might be prudent to delay a progressive dinner until late spring to enjoy it outside and to take your yoga class online.**
Take a Hike
It’s easy to come up with a list of reasons not to go outside – it’s cold; I’m tired; it’s dark. But being outside and active are the best things you can do to combat the effects of SAD. If you really think about it, fretting about going outside where the temperature is a little challenging is worse than the actual being outside. Once you’re out taking your walk or on the trail, the scenery and your hiking companion make it more fun than you’d anticipated. Dress in layers and cover your hands and head. The sunlight and fresh air will do you good.
Spend Some Time in the Kitchen
There’s no denying that eating our favorite comfort foods during the winter makes us feel better. You don’t have as many reasons to head outside like ballgames, gardening, or concerts, so pick up a new cookbook and try some new foods. Weekends are a great time to come up with meals for the rest of the week, so try a healthier spin on your favorite comfort foods and have them ready to heat and eat after coming home from work or picking up the kids at basketball practice.
Plan a Progressive Dinner
OK, so we like food, but this activity rolls three important SAD-busting activities into one. First, the planning part will likely require getting together with friends and neighbors. It’s important to socialize during the winter months because it will improve your mood. Second, you’ll get a bit of exercise walking from one place to another for each course. Third, a dinner like this presents opportunities to eat healthier and to try new foods and menus.
Practice a Little Yoga
Yoga can be an excellent way to relieve stress and depression. There are many forms of yoga, from ones that are highly meditative to forms that are extremely physically challenging. A gentle yoga class will have an instructor that leads you through breathing exercises and poses that increase your flexibility. Yoga may reduce your blood pressure and heart rate. It’s a time to focus on you and your body, to be meditative and at peace, oh, and it’s also a little socializing, too. Here's a link to Yoga for Complete Beginners by Yoga with Adriene. No special equipment needed - just 20 minutes and an open mind.
Wear Bright Colors
You may have noticed the tendency to mimic the weather in your winter wardrobe. Throw open your closet – do you see lots of dark colors, gray, black, navy, etc? That’s natural, and there’s a scientific reason behind it. The darker, grayer days in the winter make it more difficult for our eyes to tolerate brighter colors, but that’s not a reason to put them all away. Adding a little color to your wardrobe will not only positively affect your mood, but will also influence the moods of those around you. Brighter colors are associated with warmth and happiness, so try adding a touch of color to your daily ensemble. For instance, wear a bright blue t-shirt under a v-neck sweater. Add in some colorful jewelry; accessorize with a multi-colored scarf; try a brightly-colored tie. We bet you’ll get a compliment or two.
Hang in there. Spring really is on the way, but while you’re waiting, these steps will keep most of the gloom at bay.