Collectible Rubber Ducks - too Cute!

Uncle Sam / USA Patriotic / American Flag

Collectors of rubber ducks cross all ages.  When we sell at shows and fairs more times than not adults are adding to their collection.  And who can blame them.  Some of these ducks are the cutest and very clever.  

We have over 160 different ones for sale so here are just a few of the most popular.

Brown Horse

Happy Birthday

Graduate in cap, gown & diploma

Bride

Groom

Super Girl / Woman

Viking on horse

Construction Worker

Bowling Girl / lady

Most of thee ducks have 4 different ones in the set, like both men and women bowlers, super heroes etc.  

There are so very many more, please visit our store to see them all. 

German Beer Steins/ Story Behind the Listings

A man and a woman in traditional German costume.

At one point in my father's life he told us he had everything he wanted and if he didn't, he would go buy it for himself. 

He was born in Germany and was very proud that he came to this country without knowing how to speak English and that during his life became a very successful businessman on Long Island New York.  Many, many people know Dieters -Hagen Inc. 

Left with the dilemma of what gifts to give him we started a collection of these lidded German Beer (Bier) steins. I remember them sitting on the top shelf of the bookcase in the front hall for many years - pretty to look at but never used.  

Time moves on and it now time to share these collectibles with a new family who will enjoy them as much as we did.

Cobalt blue and gray salt glazed.

Tall pitcher to refill those steins!!

Luzern - full color

3 men drinking from Hofbrauhaus mugs.

I am selling these and other mugs. steins and collectibles on eBay. Please stop by and visit.

Christmas 1977

Review - Breakfast on Broadway, Denver CO

One afternoon we were browsing some antique shops on S Broadway in Denver.  We were heading further south to wind ourselves back to I25 to return home to Colorado Springs.  


On one corner was this unimposing restaurant with many cars in the lot (always a good sign!). I really liked the spatula and whisk on the sign!


The day was warmer than normal so we chose to sit on the patio.  The menu is typical breakfast with some enhancements which separates them for the normal breakfast menu. 

Gene chose the Corned Beef Hash and eggs with sourdough toast.  The potatoes were more like potato cakes - smooth inside and crispy on the outside.  Very tasty.

I was very excited to try the Truffle Omelet with asparagus , also with the same potatoes. They used truffle salt and a few shavings of the black truffle.  The truffle flavor was very subtle but still tasty.

Would I recommend this restaurant for a lazy Sat. AM breakfast / brunch?  Yes we would.  Visit their website for more insight into this neighborhood gathering place.

Garden of the Gods, Colorado Springs, CO

The Kissing Camels which is the signature image of the Garden of the Gods.

The park is amazing because the surrounding area is high prairie (above 6000' above sea level)  - grasses, scrub bushes and some trees.  And then all of a sudden there are these rock outcroppings

The entrance with Pikes Peak looming behind it

Looking to the south.  There are lots of hiking trails and horse stables, a trading post (founded in 1900), and all roads have bicycle lanes.

Balancing rock that can be climbed on. 

There is alot of history here too.  This monument commemorates the Plains Indians using the trail to Ute Pass.

The rocks and soil are all different colors.  Most are red and then here is this gray / whitish one.  The colors also change with the time of the day.

Designated as one of Top 10 Great Public Spaces!!!

Olympic Training Complex Colorado Springs CO

Ice Skater at the entrance with Pikes Peak in the background.

Denver brags that it is the mile high city, but Colorado Springs is about 1000 feet above sea level higher.  The air is thinner and the lungs have to work harder,  That is why the training center is here for many of the Olympic Sports.  Athletes who train / live here have better lung capacity and able to have better endurance.  It is also fairly dry - no humidity which makes the weather ideal almost all year long.  

The training center is centrally located in the middle of Colorado Springs

Right in the front yard is the countdown clock to the summer and winter Olympics.  We were there at 2:10 MDT 3/14/12.  

Near the front door is this sculpture.

 

 

The 3 men holding up the Earth depicts Strength of Mind, Body and Spirit.

Scattered around the grounds are depictions of all the Olympic sports.

Gene is going to push that Luge to get it started.  LOL

Just waiting for the flame on top of the building.

I puff up with pride every time we drive past this wall.

How Do We Predict the Weather at Our House?

This is Pikes Peaks - the way it looks almost all winter.

The shortest answer is we look out our front window and watch the weather come to us!!

The house faces directly west and looks at Pikes Peak which is the mountain that inspired the song "America the Beautiful".  It is 14,115 feet above sea level and one of the over 50 mountains in Colorado over 14,000 feet.  

When a storm is coming we can watch the clouds float over the mountain, obscuring the peak.  As the storm gets closer, more of the mountain disappears.  We can usually judge how much time we have before the storm hits.  Actually we play a game to see who can guess the exact time of the first snowflake or rain drop. 

At 8:00 AM the clouds started creeping over the mountain. 

10:00 AM

11:00 AM

12:00 Noon. The storm arrived alittle while ago and we only received about 1" total with this storm. 

3:00 PM. The clouds are still covering the foothills, but our snow has started disappearing already. 

Next morning we are back to normal but the foothills are still dusted.  All that will be gone by noon except for the accumulation at the very top!  And another day with a clear blue sky.

 We are on the east side of the mountain range.  All the ski areas are on the west side and get the brunt of the storms and snow  This side of the range does not get even 1/4th of the amount of snow the west side does. 

So we have the best of many worlds.  Snow occasionally and being 6000+ feet above sea level we have low humidity and cooler summers.  PERFECT!!

St. Patrick's Day in my eBay Store

 Top o' the morning to ya!!

Being 1/8th Irish I always remember St. Patrick's Day with alot of fondness.  My Grandmother was born in County Monaghan and swore she saw a leprechaun when she was a girl.  And every St. Patrick's Day when we had a pot of shamrocks in the house she would tear one off and eat it.  Even when when she was very ill in the hospital she had to have her Shamrock on St. Patrick's Day.


The best part of the day is that it is my youngest son's birthday.  His father would only let me name the baby Bridget Mary or Sean Patrick if the baby was born on March 17th.  Looks like Grandma had her way with his birth because he was a week early!!

Having to find gifts for a St. Patrick's card party, I stumbled on the Irish scarves and as they say the rest is history.  Our real eBay selling started and our store was opened.  

We started selling on eBay seriously with this shamrocks on white.  It is still one of the most popular 

Also popular is this black with green shamrocks 13" x 60" scarf to add to a plain outfit but still celebrate the day. 

A more generic way to wear that green and not get pinched.  LOL

Gonna be outdoors? Perhaps at a parade?  Then this sun visor would be perfect.  Does not pinch because of a spiral band.  Can be fancied up to with iron ons, sequins, beads and jewels.

How about for a desk decoration or to float this rubber duck in a hot tub or bath tub for a party!!

This leprechaun duck would be cute tied to a hostess gift or as a party favor too.

And of course the day would not be complete for a Irish decedent to wear a good old St. Patrick pin in their lapel. 

 Easter is next so please be sure to visit our store for Easter scarves and rubber ducks and other spring and Easter items. 

Thanks for looking and as they say "And the rest of the day to yerself!"