My Spring Garden Flowers

Spring is here in the Rockies.  Most of these photos were taken on 5/9/12.  

Bleeding Heart

Herb Garden before most of this years plantings with St. Francis and a planter of mint. From bottom left going clockwise - Rosemary, Oregano, Mint planter, Yarrow, Thyme and Basil. We had added Cilantro and Dill to this bed.  There is alot of volunteer Cilantro coming up from last years seeds.

Chives, Parsley and Strawberries on top level,. All these are last years and new ones from when they reseeded themselves.

Honeysuckle

Volunteer Johnny Jump Up

Deep Purple, double Lilac

Double Lilacs

Single Lilac

White Lilac

Snowball

Spirea

 Most all the bushes were here when we moved in.  The scent of the of lilacs is so strong you can smell it all the way out to the front street.

Next to do is the veggie garden and more herbs.  I have already made Chive vinegar and drying parsley!!

"The Green Thing" - Being Green from a Seniors Point of View

 From a recent email - 
 

The Green Thing 

Checking out at the store, the young cashier suggested to the older woman that she should bring her own grocery bags because plastic bags weren't good for the environment.

The woman apologized and explained, "We didn't have this green thing back in my earlier days."

The clerk responded, "That's our problem today. Your generation did not care enough to save our environment for future generations." 

She was right -- our generation didn't have the green thing in its day.

Back then, we returned milk bottles, soda bottles and beer bottles to the store. The store sent them back to the plant to be washed and sterilized and refilled, so it could use the same bottles over and over. So they really were recycled. But we didn't have the green thing back in our day.

We walked up stairs, because we didn't have an escalator in every store and office building. We walked to the grocery store and didn't climb into a 300-horsepower machine every time we had to go two blocks. But she was right. We didn't have the green thing in our day. 

Back then, we washed the baby's diapers because we didn't have the throw-away kind. We dried clothes on a line, not in an energy gobbling machine burning up 220 volts -- wind and solar power really did dry our clothes back in our early days. 

Kids got hand-me-down clothes from their brothers or sisters, not always brand-new clothing. But that young lady is right. We didn't have the green thing back in our day. 

Back then, we had one TV, or radio, in the house -- not a TV in every room. And the TV had a small screen the size of a handkerchief (remember them?), not a screen the size of the state of Montana . 

In the kitchen, we blended and stirred by hand because we didn't have electric machines to do everything for us. When we packaged a fragile item to send in the mail, we used wadded up old newspapers to cushion it, not Styrofoam or plastic bubble wrap. Back then, we didn't fire up an engine and burn gasoline just to cut the lawn. We used a push mower that ran on human power. We exercised by working so we didn't need to go to a health club to run on treadmills that operate on electricity. But she's right. We didn't have the green thing back then. 

We drank from a fountain when we were thirsty instead of using a cup or a plastic bottle every time we had a drink of water. We refilled writing pens with ink instead of buying a new pen, and we replaced the razor blades in a razor instead of throwing away the whole razor just because the blade got dull. But we didn't have the green thing back then.

Back then, people took the streetcar or a bus, and kids rode their bikes to school or walked instead of turning their mums into a 24-hour taxi service. We had one electrical outlet in a room, not an entire bank of sockets to power a dozen appliances. And we didn't need a computerized gadget to receive a signal beamed from satellites 2,000 miles out in space in order to find the nearest pizza joint. 

But isn't it sad the current generation laments how wasteful we old folks were just because we didn't have the green thing back then? 

Please forward this on to another selfish old person who needs a lesson in conservation from a smart-ass young person. 
Remember: Don't make old people mad. We don't like being old in the first place, so it doesn't take much to tick us off

Author Unknown

I Love eBay

 

eBay is so many things to so many people.  For us it is a way for us to keep busy, now that we are retired. There is so much to sell.  

Our eBay listings 

For many years we did craft shows and state fairs and found merchandise that folks really liked that we have continued selling on eBay.  

Over the years, like everyone else,  we have accumulated 'stuff' and for the most part, none of our children want any of it. So besides the new items, we are selling the other 'stuff' for 2 reasons 1 - so they won't have to and 2 - so we can enjoy the $$  LOL.   It also helps to  keep our bodies active and minds agile..

 

As an experienced seller, I am also an Education Specialist Trained by eBay. I love to talk about eBay all the time, enjoy meeting like-minded folks. Now I can really talk about the wonders of eBay all the time, help buyers and train folks face to face or on the phone, too. 

I am also helping to revive this Meetup group, here in Colorado Springs.

As this group grows our mission is to help sellers increase sales by learning and understanding all the ways to make the job easier, more fruitful and the roll social media plays in promoting our eBay listings.  It is also good to help buyers understand the process.  

I also have a group on Facebook - eBay Sellers Only.  Lots of conversation about the workings of eBay, we all help each other brainstorm situations and how to create a better listings and so much more.   

eBay on Location 2012 - Denver and Philly

Every year eBay holds these events in different cities. This May 2012 it will be in Denver CO and in Sept. in Philadelphia, PA.  

If you have free time and stuff to sell, consider eBay as an additional source of income  People from all walks of life are also making a living selling here too from 16 year olds to 80+ and everyone in-between working for just a few hours a week to full time +.  

Our business is a partnership.  I do all the computer work and Gene keeps and stores the inventory and does all the shipping.  Somedays we feel like the find of a lifetime is just waiting for us at the next yard sale or church sale, so we both go sourcing together, too.   

If I can answer any questions or help in any way I am always available through the comments section on this page and if you liked this blog, please like or leave a comment.  Thanks 

HerbsCraftsGifts

My Kitchen Workspace & Small Appliances

As with most folks one of the most important rooms for me when buying this house was the kitchen.  This is my corner for food prep.  The stove is to the left, sink to the right and refrig straight behind me.

Starting at the stove - Utensils in stainless canisters; salt & pepper in little dishes; onions & shallots under shelf.

Rounding the corner - Measuring cups & spoons hanging; bottles of vegetable & olive oil; cup with smaller utensils.

Hand made cutting board with a plastic place mat to prevent slipping; small appliances behind it

L to R - All electric - Juicer with 2 sizes; Salad Shooter for grating cheese, making bread crumbs, grinding meat for croquettes etc.; Stick / immersion blender and electric water kettle.

Cutting board behind was my grandmothers - over 100 years old; mini food processor for nuts and a whole head of garlic; knife block.

Living behind the knife block is the box grater and the scraper to help with kneading yeast bread or moving chopped things from the cutting board.

And to the left of the sink and partly under the window are the canisters with the clear one storing browned flour for red chile and gravy.

I really like to cook and try new things.  With everything so handy in this work space daily chores become delightful.

Floating charms

We first bought these charms when we had a brick and mortar shop and we were doing large State fairs and gift shows.  Our direction had changed in the last 6 months and we will no longer have those outlets for these very cute and personal charms. 

The concept is that several can fit into a locket with glass on both sides that has a very strong magnetic closure.  Selections are made from a large variety of charms to make it very individualized.  

We are selling all the charms we have collected at a deeply reduced price.

The picture charms are enameled on silver or gold and all the letter have CZ's.

There are over 240 items in many designs, CZ hearts and letters. The list of what is available is in the listing along with many more photos.  

American Patriotic Holidays are Coming USA!

It is never too early to prepare for all the patriotic events we have during the year and especially an election year.  Memorial day - May 30; July 4th; Labor Day 1st Mon. in Sept.; and election day with all the events, rally's and parades leading up to all of them.

 All these items are available in our eBay store in limited quantities.

13" x 60 long, light weight scarf. Perfect for under the collar, in the hair or tied to a purse. 

Adorable 2" rubber duck

Empty glass vial for mementos, rice, jewels, ashes or ??

Small American flags on wooden sticks.  NEW

US Army  soldier Duck

Larger print American flag scarf.

 

 

 

We are proud to help celebrate these American holidays.  Please check out our eBay store for hundreds more great items. 

Tucano's Brazilian Grill, Colorado Springs, CO

 
On Thursday April 5, 2012 Tucano's opened their 5th restaurant.  The others are in ID, 2 in UT and 1 in Albuquerque, NM.  A few days before there was a blurb on the morning news and I was excited to have a new and different restaurant that is not like the normal chain eaterys here. 

I didn't know what to expect when we entered but was pleasantly surprised.  The concept is a huge salad / pasta etc bar and meats / fish / veggies & pineapple served at the table, some carved from the spit it was roasted on.   

3 sided salad bar with the freshest, well stocked bowls.  Everything has elegant, printed labels which is some cases are very important identifying each goodie, like the Edamame salad!

Hard to see - sorry but the meat rods are on the bottom and the pineapple on the top right. 

Top sirloin hunks.  I had an outside piece and it was fantastic.  

Each place setting has a pair of tongs that helps the server remove the items from the skewers

Chicken hearts!!

There are probably about 12 different things served tableside including turkey wrapped in bacon, skirt steak, glazed ham, spicy chicken thighs, white fish with mango glaze (our favorite), brisket plus a few things we were not served.


The meal is sorta pricey for just a lunch - almost $14.00 per person so with ice tea and coffee and tip it was about $43.00.  For us that is alot for lunch for no special occasion.  

Ski Keystone, Colorado

At the top of the 1st ski lift, looking west.

For spring break we met my son and grandson at Keystone Ski area, just east of SIlverthorne and Dillon, CO.  It took us about 2 hours and 15 minutes to get there from our house.  The views when we got to the other side of the continental divide never stopped. 

The Rockies!  Most snow was melted but there was still some piled along the road.

Lots of twists and turns on those mountain roads.

View from our 3rd floor Quality In room looking SW.

2 gondolas passing each other over the road

On the way to the ski area, passing Dillon Reservoir

Snow fort at the top of the top.

Only 3 of the many, many trails.

We took another gondola up to another level. Elevation is over 11,000 feet above sea level

We were waiting for the boys to finish a run and these people were next to us.  It was her birthday and they buried the champagne in the snow to have it with lunch. What a neat idea.

We ate at the Summit House.  This lunch cost $49.00.  $8.50 for each slice and $4.80 for each soda.

Across the way to the SW is Breckenridge.  I counted over 30 trails. 

View from the gondola on the way down.

I said to Sean that looks like a paint brush smeared the snow and he said no it was the results of 2 avalanches. 

And the precious boy in all his gear after a full day of clear mountain air, snow, family & skiing!!!!