Meet our new neighbors Kamala and Paul! Want to know why they’re beaming? They recently retired and bought a home on Marrowstone. Two wise decisions! They say Marrowstone is the whole package. Quiet. Close to the mountains. Fabulous community store with yummy treats. Welcome neighbors!

Two and a half year-old Finnley is a shopping rockstar. She can fill her shopping cart with goodies faster than Grandma Gigi can take them out. Did you know Finnley’s uncle donated the materials and labor for our stunning front countertop? Our store’s special sauce is families like these.

Meet 2 year-old Rune. This shopper-in-training visited with his dad Stewart. Stewart told us he used to ride his bike to the store for penny candy back when there was a gas pump at the store! Now he stops for staples, local beer and organic produce on his way to visit his parents on Marrowstone. Have fun with your grandparents Rune!

Meet 8 month-old Kai and his mom Courtney. We love Kai’s cherubic cheeks! Mom is grateful for our many gluten free options and loves grabbing coffee and a snack before paddle boarding in Mystery Bay or hiking in Fort Flagler. Courtney says she “just loves the aesthetic and unique selection, the store is truly a gem”.

Meet Marrrowstone Island shopper-in-training Mabel! At 17 months, Mabel is already practicing full basket shopping. She’s a huge fan of our organic fruit and may or may not sample a grape or three before checking out. Thank you board members Carol and John for our new pint-sized shopping carts!

Amber and Matt shopped with their 3-year-old twins, Willie and Gus, on their way to Fort Flagler. This adorable family just moved to the Peninsula from Brooklyn. Mom and dad love our selection of easy snacks. They said our staff is “kind to our active, rambunctious boys”. We love the boys’ energy and can’t wait to have you back!

Meet 9 month old Hayes. We’re pretty confident he is the youngest shopping cart user yet! Hayes says traveling barefoot allows him to get a real feel for the store. And it’s feeling pretty good. Don’t worry big guy! We keep our floors pristine.

This is Laird and Casey with their adorable children Jack and Maeve. Jack was enjoying his introduction to licorice while his dad told us about coming to the store as a kid with his own dad. Casey referred to our store as the heartbeat of our island. We couldn’t agree more!

Quince is back! He loved spending winter break in Hawaii eating coconuts, but is happy to be back home on Marrowstone. He’s studying aerodynamics and flight patterns in school. And apparently he’s also studying the flight pattern of navel oranges in our produce section! Quince will be juggling three by Valentine’s Day!

The 2025 Polar Dip was a success! Bravo to our friends who braved 49 degree water and had an invigorating start to the new year. And well done to the many supporters who came supplied with towels, warm drinks and hugs. We are grateful to Tom and Sue for continuing this tradition for our community for 30 years. Keep scrolling for more pics!

We love Winter Solstice. Five added seconds of daylight on December 22 and 293 added seconds by December 31. It doesn’t sound like much, but like supporting your community store, it adds up. We hope you enjoy the extra light while continuing to appreciate the stillness of our long nights.

Our annual member meeting was a night of celebration and merriment. Thank you Lee, Carol, Linda, Susan and Rebecca for making the evening special. We are grateful to the Nordland Garden Club for providing a gathering place for our overflowing crowd. We envisioned creating a simple general store. What we built together is a space that binds us as a community.

We love to chat with islanders Devon and Jim after their bike rides. Jim is training for a 3,000 mile bike ride next spring from the southern tip of Italy to the northern tip of Scotland! This duo stops in almost daily for produce and plans to do their holiday shopping at our store. Forgot to ask. Are you wearing bike helmets to stay safe in the store or do you have impressive helmet hair?

Tomato-loving two-year-old Aleila and her dad Layne gave our new shopping carts a solid thumbs up! Sorry about the tomato seeds and juice on your cozy outfit!

On your marks, get set, GO!!! Run, don’t walk for Nordland General Store wine from Marrowstone Vineyards, coffee from Port Townsend Roasting and gift cards. Treat your people or treat yourself. We may have just sampled both the 2022 Cabernet Sauvignon-Merlot blend and the Mild Dark Roast coffee. Which could explain our current state. Glug. Yum.

Check out these dedicated birders! Karin, Jackie, Cinda, Wendy and Hillary participate in the Puget Sound Seabird Survey (PSSS). Once a month they monitor the bird population at Fort Flagler. And, of course, they gather on our porch after for coffee, tea and Pane d’Amore pastries.

Yes, Quince has been in our newsletter three times. But how can we resist his toothy smile made even cuter with our scarlet cranberries? He pops them raw from a paper bag. Kids these days!

June loves her border collie Bruno (Encanto fan!) and is surprising him with Gathering Place biscuits. No doubt Bruno will use the 2025 Gathering Place calendar to track his treat schedule. June and her family are island residents and regularly support our community store. Which allows us to support organizations like the Gathering Place. Yup. We’re all connected!

TOMORROW, October 19th from 2 to 4 pm

Cherie Priest, author of The Drowning House, is coming to the Nordland General Store for a reading and book signing. Grab a freshly stocked baked treat and warm beverage and snuggle in with us!

This store crew keeps us stocked in smiles, groceries and gifts. From left to right; Sarah, Tim, Jill, Dean, Wilson, Sue, Zac, Cheryl, Chelsie and MaryBeth (Ally isn’t pictured). Our store would be empty without these souls to fill it.

Find your store. Find your people. Find your community.