Day 3

The construction crew is quickly making our building look unrecognizable! This is what you would see if you stepped in the front door of the old Buttonhole Building. And in case you were wondering, that purple/green circular structure in the center is what is left of the gazebo.

And if you would glance to your left, the painted mural (and the bricks behind it) is all that remains of the area where the Hearth Room will eventually be.

The pillars are being stripped down of their "decorations". We're still undecided about how we want them to look in the end.

The guys have been ripping a lot of the carpet out today. Anyone in desperate need of a pink flowered rug?

The trash bin outside is full everyday. Today, it is mostly carpet. Good thing the cool weather makes the job a little easier.

Day 1

The sound of hammers, power tools, and various tearing noises could be heard slicing through the air from our building since early this morning. The construction crew parked this large trash bin and trailer in front of our store for easy access.

But don't worry, we're still open! (The red sign is proof!) Several of these large, white signs guide customers to use the Body & Soul door, which will be used to get to the Hearth Room until the construction is completed. A bit of a maze, yes, but the inconveinence will only last as long as the construction continues.

This is a glimpse of what the deconstruction looks like from the inside. Lots of ladders and dust. In the top left corner, you can see they are starting to take away the light blue/green coverings on the pillars.

It took only a few hours for them to put up these clear plastic walls that will keep the dust out. (And, will keep everyone from knowing what the new place will look like until the opportune moment!) However, these walls are certainly not thick enough to keep out the noise!

For anyone who is wanting a slightly quiter setting, tables and chairs are available in Body & Soul.

Another view of the plastic walls from inside the Hearth Room.

Thank you for your patience and understanding! Pictures will be uploaded as much as possible to keep you informed of the exciting changes in our building.

Relocation Fever

In case you haven't stopped by, (or you have stopped by and wondered "why is there all that cavernous empty space behind the Hearth Room?") Body & Soul has now--for a temporary time only--moved back into our original building. No, we aren't trying to see how many times we can move the bookstore in one year. (However, we are getting quite time efficient with the task!) And yes, we will move one more time!

The books, music, and other supplies were relocated (by employees and kind volunteers--thank you!) on Monday, July 13. It only took one business day to transfer everything to the new location. Muscles were exerted, bookshelves were manuvered, and sweat was inevidibly present.

(Left) Jessica removes all the books off the shelves so that the heavy shelves can be pushed. Then the books are returned to their proper, alphabetical location.

(Right) Pam organizes the shelves that will be used behind the check out counters.

(Left) Jerry and Matthew do the heavy lifting. But of course, they always remember to lift with their legs.

(Right) Look a little familiar? This is one angle from Body & Soul's temporary home.

Business will go on as usual in this location until the various renovations are completed in the southern building (old Buttonhole building). The Hearth Room will also remain in business in its current location for the time being.

The first day of construction is currently scheduled to begin July 27.

Heavenly Redirection

These blog entries are to keep everyone informed of the goings on at Body & Soul. If you would like to stay informed, this is the place for you!

Let's start at the beginning. Some of you may be wondering, "what are they doing with the Buttonhole?" "Do THEY even know what the plan is?"

Well, it might not appear so, but hey, isn't that how it is so many times on this journey of life? We make our plans, head the direction we think we are to go, and God "redirects" us.

Body & Soul moved out of its "original" bookstore and over to the Buttonhole building in May. The plan, at the time, was to remodel Body & Soul, then move back over in September. Several meetings and plans for the bookstore/coffee shop had been discussed. But after moving over to the Buttonhole building, God began redirecting our plans.

Many things were discussed. Many options were considered. What is the best location? There was much prayer, deliberation, prayer, discussion, prayer, deliberation, and numerous angles taken into account. And did we mention prayer?

As we pondered our options, it became increasingly clear that Body & Soul's "temporary" home was what we had been looking for. The quality of the building, the lighting, and the space "just felt right," according to Jerry.

So, just like the suprises God always seems to delight himself in, he suprised us with this plan to end up in the Buttonhole building when all construction is finished. Completion of the move to our permanent location is estimated to be done in September at the earliest.