The Cozy Corner by Steve Nauman

Probably the most important thing I learned when I started working in my father’s store at age 7 was to listen, not talk. As a boy working in that little country store, I used to love just listening to some of the “old timers” telling stories that almost always began with “well, years ago…” It…

Have you ever known someone by their nickname? If you have, that most likely means you were in a special group of close friends or family–or in my case where I grew up–a small community where we were the only ones allowed to use those nicknames. If a stranger or someone not yet “accepted” into…

Hopefully, you’ve had some memorable life lessons along your journey that have helped you make some good choices in life! Sometimes these Lessons can come suddenly when we see-or hear of someone who did not make a good choice, and a little voice inside us says: “Note to self; don’t ever do that!” One of…

One of my childhood memories is the family dinner table. My father tried to have everyone seated together at the supper table–even though that meant our meal was close to 7 p.m. because of my father’s store closing at 6 p.m. most nights, (Monday and Friday it closed at 9 p.m.). But we always had…

Many people have bird feeders and enjoy watching the different kinds of birds coming to their feeder. I’ve also heard of some who put out corn to watch squirrels and deer or turkeys! I enjoy watching just about everything that God created, but I think my favorite is the Barn Swallow! I’ve been fascinated by…

Maybe you’ve said it or heard someone else say it: “That comedy movie wasn’t very funny for a comedy!” When I was in my junior year of high school, I helped produce a class fundraiser called “Entertainment Night”. I wrote most of the material for the “skits” and I did “impressions” of popular entertainers and…

Father’s Day 2023…As I have made clear in previous blogs, my father had a general store and that store kept him working over 70 hours a week for more than 40 years! BUT…Even though he wasn’t able to leave the store and “be there” for many of his 7 children’s activities, we always knew he…

When I was 13 years old, I had a mini cycle. I call it a mini cycle not a minibike because it had 5 speeds and a top speed of 55 mph! That cycle with those off-road tires, took me places exploring the abandoned dirt roads where no car or truck could go-because there were…

My great grandfather who was born in 1880, had a general store in the rolling hills of upstate New York. Then my grandfather bought that general store, and my father bought the store from him. I started working in that store when I was 7 years old, and even though the plan was for me…

When I turned 16 years old, I tested for and received my driver’s license. Then almost immediately my father had plans for me to drive his truck to Syracuse, NY at times-not just to give him a break, because he loved being in the city and dealing with all the different vendors, but mostly because…