When Mast Store’s newest old location opened its doors in Winston-Salem in May of 2015, we had the pleasure of meeting a woman with close ties to 516 North Trade Street. Her father worked in the building that boasted one of the largest retail and wholesale companies in the South: Brown-Rogers-Dixson (B-R-D). Originally posted 12/2/2015

It’s plain to see. This year’s Thanksgiving is going to be very different. Family gatherings are being discouraged, and if you are getting together, it is recommended that meals be enjoyed outside. With resolve and creativity, we can find small things to be thankful for and make this Thanksgiving memorable.

You've mastered being a teacher. Now it's time to pick up a different mantle – camp counselor. Whether you're “hosting” a day camp, overnight camp, or just a weekend experience camp, this blog has ideas for “programming” to keep your campers engaged and happy.

Who's ready for another diversion or two? By now, our new routines are, well, routine. Get up, make coffee, fix breakfast, send the students to school in one corner of the living room, and set up the office on the kitchen table. This week's Boredom Busters will revisit a skill that many of us have let slip in the days of GPS, offer up a few podcasts, and send a jigsaw puzzle or two your way.

What were you doing 40 years ago? The year was 1980, and the country was in the middle of the hostage crisis in Iran, facing a recession, and trying to solve the mystery of who shot J. R. Ewing. That’s the big picture, but what was happening in Valle Crucis, NC? Maybe it was a little magic. We’re stepping into our time machine and turning back the clock for a look at the rebirth of the Mast General Store. 

We hope everyone enjoyed a little yoga, fixed a nice extra special meal one night, and then threw down at a big dance party. We are all wearing lots of hats these days – from small business CEO and the school's head master to the top chef and building custodian. That means its even more challenging to get everything done and to have a little spare time for fun. This week we have a few more suggestions to shake up your stay-at-home routine with activities and a movie night.

If the situation was different, we would all be excited to spend time at home. We are all in this together, and we’ll make it through it with creativity and grace. We’ll be offering a few ideas to break up the boredom and routine while you’re spending more time at home for the next few weeks. Let’s get started! 

One of the traditions John and Faye Cooper established as soon as they could afford to after re-opening the Original Mast Store in Valle Crucis was giving back to the community. Over the years, that tradition has grown and now includes organizations and causes in three major categories – human needs, arts and education, and conservation across all our home communities. That tradition is continuing, but this year, we need your help. That's where Gift Cards for Good comes in.

General stores have always been there for their communities. Now, we need everyone to be there for all.

As an old-fashioned general store, customer service is at our core. We realize you may not feel comfortable coming into the store right now, but you may have some needs that we can help with. So, we did a little brainstorming around the pot-bellied stove, and we think we have an idea – curbside pickup.