Happy Independence Day to my US readers! Last Sunday I hit up the annual garden tour with my friend JB. Most of the stops this year were in my brother's neighborhood, actually. I didn't take a ton of pictures, although as usual all the gardens were very nice indeed. More to come.
Back to Viva Las Vegas Rockabilly Weekend for today's post. Lots of bodacious Betties and cool cats to be found at the car show. Next Sunday I'll wind up my VLV series with just a few more snaps of vintage style captured over the course of the event.
Pat and I drove to Alamosa yesterday, about 165 miles away, and although it was a beautiful day for a road trip our mission was a little depressing, to be perfectly honest. To briefly explain, for several years one of Pat's three brothers lived in or around Alamosa. (Matt had always been a bit transient by nature, so for a time he lived nearby in tiny Blanca as well.) In February of 2025 he died quite unexpectedly, and ever since then, Pat has been paying rent on the storage unit in Alamosa that Matt rented. The time has come to finally see what was in there and figure out what to do with his things. I won't go into that here, though. Suffice it to say that although it was not exactly a joyful excursion, I decided to make the best of it and document the things that I saw in Alamosa and the surrounding area. I suppose the photos reflect my mood. Here's the building where Matt rented his storage unit.
Every first of the month, City Daily Photo bloggers participate in Theme Day, and this time the theme is entertainment. Sewing may not seem like a good time to you, but honestly it's probably my favorite hobby at the moment. This is my beloved sewing machine. It's well over 20 years old, but I refuse to replace it even though Pat periodically threatens to buy me a fancy new one.
This year I have decided to really lean into the things that bring me joy, and I've identified them specifically: gardening, reading and sewing. The reason for this is the current administration and the daily chaos that it brings. I need to actively envelop myself in happiness! I don't know about you, but personally speaking the last time this creep was president it was just perpetual, 24 hour stress for four straight years, alarm bells constantly clanging in my head. Doing the things that I love, and spending time with the people that I love -- that's what's keeping me sane right now. The photo below shows my current work in progress: a vintage looking Hawaiian shirt for my beloved Pat. I can't wait to see it on him.
For more interpretations of entertainment by CDP bloggers all over the globe, click HERE. Enjoy!
My friend Jenn looked extra extra magnificent in a lavender gown last weekend at my mom's 90th birthday tea party. She even wore matching lavender Doc Martens. Love it!
The man in question being our city's founder, General William Jackson Palmer, and the home being quite literally a castle. This is where my mom's birthday party took place over the weekend. They do a high tea thing on the weekends. I am a big Colorado Springs history nerd as you know, so naturally a visit to Glen Eyrie Castle is always a treat.
Saturday was my mom's 90th birthday, and we celebrated this landmark achievement with a tea party at Glen Eyrie Castle attended by many friends and family. Glen Eyrie was built in the early 1870s by our city's founder, General William Jackson Palmer, who was quite the anglophile and fancied a proper English castle for his beloved wife, Queen. (Yes, that was really her name. Okay technically it was Mary, but everyone called her Queen.) If you step out the front door and walk around to the patio, you're treated to quite a lovely view indeed! More to come.
I took my mom to lunch at the Patty Jewett clubhouse on New Years day, and our table afforded me a great view of the golf course and the entry road. This elegant Ford Coupe was hard to miss on its approach! I pointed it out to my mom, and as we left I decided to try and find it in the parking lot and grab a shot of it. By then most of the golfers had gone home so it was easy to spot. After I got home I showed the picture to Pat, and we agreed that it looks a lot like the famous "ZZ Top car" (a.k.a. the Eliminator), minus the snazzy paint job. It appears to be a 1935 five window Ford Coupe, and it sure is gorgeous. Someone has put a ton of money and love into this automobile.
I know I've been sharing chic Londoners with you these last few Sundays, but we interrupt this programming to bring you my 89 year-old mom, Aurora, who took me to lunch on Friday dressed quite festively in Christmas green, including her jewelry. My mom always looks great!
It's already Theme Day again! Every month on the 1st, City Daily Photo bloggers participate in a different theme, and this time it's breakfast. This rather uninspired photo was taken on Thursday as I was lunching with my mom at Bon Ton's. Both of us ordered breakfast food for some reason, even though it was past noon. Bon Ton's is just one of the many restaurants that Pat and I frequent for breakfast or brunch on the weekends when we have time for it. Others include the Omelette Parlor, Mo's Diner, the Patty Jewett Clubhouse, Sheldon's Luncheonette, and the East Coast Deli (my personal favorite). I love breakfast, although weirdly I don't really like eggs! But I'll eat 'em if they're in a burrito, an omelet, or a skillet like this. With lots of cheese, ketchup or salsa. Breakfast is my favorite meal of the day. How about you?
For more takes on breakfast from City Daily Photo bloggers all over the world, click HERE. Enjoy!
As I mentioned in yesterday's post, my mom turned 89 last week and I took her to brunch at Patty Jewett Golf Course on Sunday to celebrate. It was pretty crowded but every seat there has a view, no matter what table you end up with. Check it out! Oh and everyone in the whole restaurant sang happy birthday to my mom, which was awesome, too. It made her day. 😊
Sunday again brought out the classic cars as it was yet another beautiful, balmy day. My mom turned 89 last week and I treated her to brunch at the Patty Jewett Clubhouse. I couldn't resist taking a picture of this awesome Buick Riviera on the way in. I'm going to go out on a limb and guess it's a 1970, and it looks all original (except for the paint color). Nice!
Hope you're having a great day today! Here's a house near my parents' neighborhood that really gets into the Christmas spirit. I took a picture of it during daytime (below), but decided to return with Pat later that night so we could see it in all its glory. Too fun. Have a great Christmas and start to Hanukkah!
There are a couple of new Filipino restaurants in town, and on Saturday my mom and I sampled one of them. Sarap (which means delicious and is pronounced sah-RAHP) was preceded in the same location by two other Filipino restaurants: the short lived Bayanihan Café, and before that the You-Ka Café for a few years. My mom and I were big fans of the You-Ka so we thought we'd try Sarap. It was great! I'm a vegetarian, and the You-Ka always had vegetarian pancit on offer, but unfortunately Sarap does not, only pancit with meat in it. Apparently they do usually serve a vegetarian curry but they were out, so that left me a little stumped. The chef was kind enough to whip up some stir fried veggies for me in a curry sauce (I don't know if it's the same as their vegetarian curry) and it was absolutely sarap! Photo below. It was so good! Two thumbs up for sure, but since there was literally nothing else on the menu that I could eat except for desserts, I think I'll try the other Filipino restaurant that just opened, the Kamayan Hideaway. It's much closer to my house and it sounds like they serve vegetarian lumpia, hooray! That just warms the cockles of my half Filipino heart!
Today was Christmas Eve, so here's a festive sweater that caught my eye yesterday while I was shopping downtown with my mom.
My brother's birthday is at the end of October, and this year I asked him if he'd rather have an experience than a physical gift. He chose a day at Wings Over the Rockies in Denver. We made the trip last Saturday along with our friend Jenn, and spent the afternoon admiring many, many aircraft. Here are a few. More tomorrow.
I spent the afternoon at Wings Over the Rockies Air and Space Museum in Denver, along with my brother Chuck and my friend Jennifer. It's been ages since I visited and they have clearly expanded and added even more historic aircraft to their collection. It was very interesting and I took lots of pictures, which I'll share with you next week.
Colorado Springs experienced a growth spurt in the 1950s and '60s. I think it must have had something to do with the Air Force Academy being built here in 1955-ish. There are quite a few examples of outstanding atomic architecture here, like my brother's house (built in 1960), which is very atomic indeed. There's a subdivision quite close to mine called Valli Hi, adjacent to the municipal golf course by the same name, and it's got some awesome midcentury homes! Take a look at this beauty. Don't you just love it? It would be right at home in Palm Springs, but it's a five minute drive from my own 1958 rancher. I actually took this picture on August 18, 2017 but for some reason never blogged it. I think I was trying to work up a post featuring lots of mid-mod architecture, but didn't ever finish taking pictures of all my favorites around town. This one sure deserves to be seen!
And now, for your listening pleasure...
Pat and I made the drive to Denver yesterday to run an errand, but also to drop by the Forney Museum of Transportation because my brother had told me that Amelia Earhart's car is part of their collection. I'm a huge Amelia Earhart fan, so this was exciting for me! We did have to go to Pueblo first (another errand), which is the opposite direction down I-25 from Denver, so we definitely logged a lot of miles yesterday. After cruising 35+/- miles south to Pueblo, back northward on I-25 to Denver, then battling our way up I-225 and I-70 in dense Friday afternoon rush hour traffic, we made it to the museum exactly fifteen minutes before their 5:00 PM closing time and immediately made a beeline for her 1923 Kissel Gold Bug. Once we'd finished admiring it we had just enough time to make a quick circuit around the two main rooms, and I got some snaps of a few interesting automobiles before the museum closed. In addition to cars, there is a large and impressive collection of classic motorcycles, bicycles, some train cars, at least one helicopter and a light plane (no watercraft though, at least not what I saw). Obviously we will have to go back there another day when we have more time to spend.
Tomorrow is Sunday Style, but on Monday I'll share my pictures of Amelia Earhart's very cool car.
