I know people who can clean and service their own gas logs. And then there’s me. One time I disassembled the logs to get at the pilot light, then couldn’t get the logs back together. I didn’t do well with Lincoln Logs, either. So, for the past few years, we’d call a professional each fall to come out and get the logs in working order. The first year, I called one of the gas log specialists in … [Read more...]

We have one of those newer toilets in our bathroom that flushes quickly and uses very little water. It’s been a real money saver, but about a month ago, it began acting up. We had to hold the handle down every now and then to get it to completely flush. Then the commode began to require this more frequently until one day, it simply refused to flush all the water from the bowl When I was much … [Read more...]

Did you know we have our own Willy Wonka in Charlottesville? His name is David Shalloway, the owner of C-ville Candy. Davis is a Master Chocolatier, creating blends of fine confection. From rich dark chocolates to creamy milk chocolates, his ingredients are nothing less than the very best and the results are candies that delight. Some of the specialties at C-ville Candy are Candies … [Read more...]

I was baking a batch of brownies and set the oven at 315. Fifteen minutes later, there was smoke in the kitchen. The oven had fried the brownies – it was a tray of chocolate charcoal. The oven, obviously, was on the blink so we called around, looking for someone who could work on and get parts for an older model GE, and had no luck. Finally, we called a company called Mr. Appliance, offering … [Read more...]

About a hundred years ago, the last Whale Oil store closed its doors. Today, Men’s Shops are likewise disappearing. In Charlottesville, where fine men’s’ clothing was once a religion, there used to be Ed Michtom’s, the Young Men’s Shop, Page Foster, Eljo’s and the Men and Boy’s Shop. Now, they are all gone except for the Men and Boy’s Shop on the Downtown Mall. A recent attempt to sell … [Read more...]

What do you do with an old hot tub that is no longer in workable condition? You can’t put it out on the curb for trash pick-up on Monday mornings. You don’t have enough friends to help drag it to a truck if you could find one big enough to hold a huge six-seater. I had such a hot tub and it looked like we were stuck with it. Then Nancy called an outfit known as Rubbish Works Junk Removal. No … [Read more...]

Meadowbrook Hardware For 53 years, Meadowbrook Hardware kept Charlottesville do-it-yourselfers in nuts and bolts. Originally located in the Meadowbrook Shopping Center at the intersection of Emmett Street and Barracks Road, the store was founded by Ronnie Kite, an entrepreneur with no degrees and no experience in hardware. He did business the old-fashioned way and he did it well. It’s said … [Read more...]

A Reueben Sandwich from Lord Hardwicke's It opened in 1970. It opened at a time when there weren’t that many restaurants in Charlottesville. There were no McDonald’s, no Hardy’s, no Burger Kings, no Domino’s. But Lord Hardwicke’s was now open, and our good friends, Joe and Theresa Davis, went with us to check it out. The place had an English theme. Their signature dish was Fish & … [Read more...]

There are only a handful of stores where I know I will be greeted and welcomed and that what ensues will always be a good experience. The Corner Store Garden Center in Ruckersville is such a place. Garden Stores are super busy this time of the year and most don’t have the time or take time to stop and chat with customers and offer advice. When I need a little advice, I know the store owners, … [Read more...]

The first Bojangles in Charlottesville opened in the late 1970’s, as memory serves. They set up shop below Hardees which was well established at the corner of Hydraulic Road and Rt. 29. They had their work cut out for them. Staffing was difficult, they spent little on advertising, folks weren’t used to so much spice on their chicken and Hardees was booming. But the little restaurant held its own, … [Read more...]