WHICH WICH - Superior Sandwiches - Colorado Springs CO

A new sandwich shop in Colorado Springs.

Interesting concept - you pick the category of sandwich and the corresponding bag.  With a marker you mark what dressing, veggies, cheese, type bread, toasted? etc.

Take it to the counter pay for it and the day we were there 8 folks were working the 'line'.

There was an error on what we were charged, but this manager took care of it immediately and gave us a card all punched out for a free sandwich  Fantastic customer service!!

  We were so impressed we went back the next week with out of town grandaughter and her friend. 

 Which Wich

6 Hocking Glass Canisters 1940's

6 Hocking Canisters mid Century Like New

 So I guess I should start at the beginning.  After my Mom passed away in NY we inherited the house and all the contents.  By the time we were done sorting stuff we found over 500 drinking glasses. So to say there was alot of stuff is an understatement. 

We were lucky enough to know an appraiser who came and spent a whole day going through all the stuff, while he talked and gave values, his wife was going through drawers and cabinets!  There were no big treasures but we wanted to know the values so we could yard sale alot of it before we moved back out west.


Our garage here was jammed packed and are determined that this is the year we really make decisions about it all.  We had taken these canisters out and they were waiting to be photoed for eBay.  Our good friend Danna Crawford was here, saw them and said I really needed to get them listed 

I had no idea what they were until one day I was on Pinterest and saw a jar like mine that said Jadeite / Jadite.  That day became one of research and alot of discussion on a Facebook group. One gal has a friend who is an expert on Jadite and gave me alot of very helpful information.  The Green Color is flash on or fired on over clear glass.

 

 

Flour Shaker

There was some discussion that they may be reproductions because they are in such good condition.  I wrote in the description that I really think they were a wedding gift to my parents who married in 1941.  Mom's kitchen was always blue and Grandma (who lived in the same house as us) - was red.  There was no way either of them would have put anything green in either of their kitchen. 

See more photos

BTW - Prior to the early 1940's Hocking was the Glass company. Anchor was the company who did the lids and after they merged they added the Anchor logo. My canisters do not have the anchor logo!!!

Our Hail Storm Colorado Springs CO June 6, 2012

Our back yard.

We were at a little League game.  Weather prediction was 10% chance of rain.  The games were put on hold because of lightening.  At the very same time I received a weather alert that there was a severe thunderstorm for the whole county, it started hailing.  


We had to drive the 7 miles home in the rain in hail after pausing a few minutes under an overpass.  


It hailed the whole way home and the water  was running hard, fast and wide.  Had we delayed any longer we may have been stuck in  the fast moving water.  News said it was a 100 year storm and 4" fell in 2 hours with some baseball sized hail (thank goodness we didn't see any of that!!)

Here are some photos I took last night and this morning

The yard is blanketed with shredded maple leaves

Our pot of pansies devastated

Parsley and Chives without leaves and blooms and hail still there at 10AM this morning.

Yarrow crushed and a hole in St. Francis' bird bath

Water rushing in our gutter, sidewalk and driveway. The street is 5 lanes and the water was from curb to curb.

The mall near us.  These piles are the way there were, not plowed.

The drainage is so bad the hail piled up.  The roadway was cleared but it was solid last night. 12 cars had to be pulled out.

See the 2 workers on top of the pile.  An opening was plowed so cars could pass through.

Our grass and swing.  It will be amazing if our garden survives.

We are very lucky, little damage and a few dents in the car but our neighbors and many people have water in their basement. Heard on the police radio a blind woman called 911 because she felt water on her feet and thought her house may be flooding.  Can you imagine that fear? 

Father"s Day and Gift Ideas for Men

Father's Day in the USA is always the 3rd Sunday in June.  This year it is June 17th.  Here are a few  things that a Dad may like.

Christian Dior Vintage Silk Neck Tie

Brushed Silvertone Cufflinks

Goldtone & Faux Pearl Cufflinks

And when did tie tacks go out of style.  And Why?  Ties should not flop around  Jade look tie tack

Neck Tie Lions - Dynamic Duo

Cool Scarf - Soak in water a few minutes and it stays cools for hours  Use for work, BBQ's & sports. 

And cutest of all and sure to bring a smile lots of rubber ducks

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.