Back to square one, thanks to Mesa Nails

So I had told Tracy I would drop her off some cookies.  That was two weeks ago.  Well, guess she did not want them very bad, because when I stopped a couple days ago I was greeted with a locked door and a note that gift certificates would be redeemed for cash by mail and thank you for supporting us all these years.  Damn!

So, all you people out there, I am in dire need of a pedicure and a manicure.  I want some one who is fast, gentle, listens to me babble and makes my hands and feet look good.  Click on the comments and leave me a name and number and I will tell them you sent me.

Until then, it is back to the broken finger nails, the phenomenally long toe nails and I am talking to myself.  Oh, and Tracey if you are out there, Bret ate your cookies!

Sister's Courtyard Tea House (of the August moon?)

Our friend Tere had taken a position way back in Tennessee, turned in her resignation at PCC, and notified all her friends that she was leaving in 2 weeks.  So Ross thought it best we have a small going away celebration (?).  Guess we had to call it something.  Our loss is her gain as she has family back there.  In life we are often called on to make changes that, while we may not like them, are necessary.  This was one of those things.  So Ross, in typical Ross fashion, pulled together a very elite group of her friends and , believe it or not, I made the cut! 

He chose a very intimate setting and we had our "party" after hours so we were there all alone, except for the owner and the chef.  I had never been to this place, but had heard nothing but rave reviews.  Our Pueblo Handweavers Guild had their Christmas party there, but I did not go because they told me I had to dress up and I have not played "dress up" since God only knows when.  So the evening of the soiree I pulled on one of my better pairs of jeans, picked up Ross's mom, Nancy, and off we went to Sister's Courtyard which is located in a corner of a small strip mall at 517 W. 5th St.  This was a good omen since I owned and lived in a house in Hutchinson, Kansas for many years which was located at 217 W. 5th St.  Omens are omens you know.

The entry way looks pleasant enough.

 

The owner greeted us and made us feel right at home, despite my tacky attire!  There is Ross in the background spinning a tale about something or other to some one.  The perfect host for the perfect party.  See that pink ball in the upper left corner?  There are lots of those suspended from the ceiling.  Hey!  I wonder how they got those up there?  Up the stairs is a small loft where they have things for sale and Michelle found a hat and parasol.  I found something to eat right on the table so I never made it up the stairs!

Oh, look!  Glass tea cups and a glass tea pot that sets over a candle so it stays warm!  How cool is that?

That hand pouring the tea into my cup belongs to the fellow who sat beside me through the whole tea and kept me entertained with computer talk and the furious clicking of his new camera.  Did you ever try to drink hot tea with a camera lens in your ear?  I will make a small interjection here; This is Chaz and Chaz has computer mind that would rival Bill Gates, Steve Jobs, or anyone else. He has his own business which I will profile here in a day or seven, but in the meantime, if you need a guru, this is the boy to call.  (I have his number) ((In  more ways than one)).

Nancy and I were having some sort of Blueberry tea which was out of this world.  I could see that since we were having the Full Tea Service that I would no doubt have to make a stop at Burger King on the way home.  Boy, was I surprised!  It is called Full for a reason!  The first thing to hit our table was Cheddar Cheese scones with some sort of garlic or something to spread on it.  On the "tea" deal I figured out that everybody gets one of what ever it is you are getting.  This keeps everyone on a level playing field.  Next came a small serving of quiche along with about an inch of soup in a bowl.  Yummy dabby doo!! 

I was beginning to think I probably would not starve when they brought out a 3 tiered thingy with tiny sandwiches, and little sweet things, along with little bitty servings of like fruit and other stuff!Hell, I was beginning to feel like Alice in Wonderland at the Mad Hatter's Tea Party.  My tummy was full, I was sloshing with all the tea, and they were not done with me yet!

OMG!  Cheese Cake!  Now where am I going to put that?  I am already stuffed.  I have no doubt consumed enough tea to keep me awake for hours or at the very least, well, you know as well as I do what happens when you drink a gallon of liquid right before bed!  Nancy and several others were asking for "to go boxes", but you know me.  I will eat that if it is the last thing I ever do, and to my credit, I did.  It was worth every delicious bite!  The whole tea was.

 

So after 2 hours of non stop eating and drinking, Nancy and I waddled out to the car, loaded up and headed east.  We did not stop at Burger King, but rather hurried home to our nice warm beds in our nice warm houses.  When I got home I jumped in my jammies and hurried off to bed with visions of Sister' Courtyard dancing through my head.

 

Now, have I ever given you a bum steer?  I think not.  If you are in need of a place to go with someone and kill a couple hours in an unhurried, casual  atmosphere, I highly recommend you call and make a reservation for 2 or 3 or more and have yourself a little tea party.  Prices range from $20 for the Full Tea Service down to $7 for the Crème Tea Service which is scones and tea.  The also have a lunch menu and that is out of this world!.

Reservations are recommended for lunch and required for Tea Service.  719-543-1947

or visit on the web at Sister's Courtyard 

and, as always, tell them Lou Mercer sent you!

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Milberger Farms are now offering Gluten Free products!

Met my friend Tim in there for lunch to other day.  Course I took one of my gluten free buns for his sandwich since not many places can accommodate that need. Was I surprised to learn that they have their own gluten free bread in the kitchen!  Welcome to our world, Milberger Farms! 
You all know that I love to go their and eat the BLT with my friend Nancy, and I had told Tim, who is another bacon aficionado and so the Friday lunch hour found us there.  They also have the best salad bar on the front range.  Love that salad and sometimes just grab some for the house if I am expecting company.  It is much easier to grab a plate over there and pile it up with lettuce, onions, beets, tomato, olives, blue cheese, eggs, nuts and whatever else grabs my fancy.  Also a whole lot cheaper.  Usually make my own dressing.
Lordie, I can ramble!  Just wanted to pass the good word about the gluten free lunch choices on to  my friends with the problem.  I choose it some times just for the digestive factor and the fact that I tend to be a bit on the "fluffy side"  if I am not real comfortable. They also have gluten free choices in their bakery case.  Just trust me on this.
Sorry this is short but PFLAG is having the annual book sale at PCC and being a good little girl I am working there yesterday and today. 
Wanna' meet me out at Milbergers later?

C & J Drain Cleaning and Plumbing or "My Heroes!"

This is the neighbors horse.  He is waiting for me to bring him a carrot, but I am waiting for the plumber who is coming to unplug my drain!  Something about the first of a new year, freezing cold temperatures and my drain not doing the draining thing that seems to go hand in hand.  So I had spent about a week trying to get the silly sink to drain and convincing myself that the sink taking 3 hours to empty out was normal.  Right up until Monday morning when I finally called the guy who pumps my septic tank  and asked him for the number of the guy who unplugged my line last time.  I knew the septic tank did not need pumped and he agreed.  So I bit the bullet and made the call.

And here  is a look inside the plumbers truck.  Some how I got a feeling that this was going to be alright.  The man who owns the company is named Clarence.  His helper was Jerry.  They were both very nice and so polite!

First thing that has to happen when you have a septic tank is the removal of the concrete lid.  That was a little tricky since it was frozen in place, but Jerry got that done with the help of his trusty pry bar.

And here is the birds eye view of my septic tank.

See the steam?  You know it was really cold out there!  So Jerry got his trusty roto rooter out and began grinding away.  

When  American Septic and Sewer Pumped my tank last year he said I had roots in my line and that my septic tank was in good shape.  He told me then that I would only need to have it pumped every four years.  That made me happy.  I had the lines roto rooted  then so I was pretty sure that was the problem now.  And I was right. These two guys went right to work and in less then 20 minutes I was good to go.    Jerry came in and cleaned out under the kitchen sink and ran the snake through there.  Then he put everything right back where he found it.  

I would recommend these guys highly for any plumbing you may need done at your house.  And since I have a septic tank and expect high bills when work needs to be done I was very, very pleased with his rates.  Going to put his number somewhere that I can find it when I need it and not going to bother with those silly yellow pages.

And just in case you are in need of guys that work reasonably and are honest, down to earth fellows that clean up after themselves, here is thier contact info

C & J Drain Cleaning and plumbing:

719-947-2521  (NORTH)

719-568-7660  (SOUTH)  I use the South one.

Mesa Nails and all the pretty little toes and fingers!

You should know that I have spent the last 4 years whacking at my toe nails with a machete just to save my socks and not have to buy a size bigger shoes!  I recall a time when I could put my feet behind my neck, but now I need glasses to even see my feet and my feet are firmly planted on the ground and my arms are not nearly as long as they used to be!

Patty Lynn decided it was time for a pedicure the other day, so we popped in to a little shop in the Aspen Square Shopping Center out here in Blende.  The name of the place is Mesa Nails and that is what they do.  We picked up a card and since Marlene moved to Las Vegas and Patty had never been privvy to the experience, we decided that sooner was lots better then later.  So off we went to Mesa Nails that is located at 1714 Santa Fe Drive out here on the Mesa. in the Aspen Square Shopping Center.

 We were greeted by a lady named Tina.  The shop is run by her and her daughter Tracy.  They are both a little camera shy, but then aren't we all?  This is the first stop.  I did not have my camera with me that day so there are no feet in this water, but I can tell you, this is an experience in itself!  The water is very warm and the jets shoot the water right onto all the achy places on your feet giving you a foot massage to die for!

 

 

Then the little gal pulls the plug and away goes the water.  The next thing is the clipping and filing of the toe nails.  Next comes the removal of all the callous stuff that manages to catch on the sheets at night.  A very fine grit is massaged in and then rubbed off, cuticles pushed back and  next comes the foot massage followed by the nail polish.  And this is the end result:

 

This is up closer.

 

 

Now isn't that pretty?  I don't know why I never checked this place out sooner!  I can not wait for my friend, Kay to get back up here from her winter place in Texas.  She is going to be amazed!  Patty got very dark red on her toe nails.  I opted for the soft red, but next time I am going to go wild!  It makes me happy to see my little toes and honey, at my age, if it makes me happy, I am all for it!

 

I want you to know that this place is spotless.  To say it is clean is an understatement.  That is always important to me when I go in a place and take off an item of clothing!  (Not that I do that very often, but...)   And the two ladies that I encountered are so friendly and nice that I at once felt comfortable with them (again something that is important when exposing a body part).  They are experienced in all aspects of the art of making a person feel pretty even if your toenails happen to be 3 inches long!

 

Now, I am a nail biter, but only because I am constantly snagging them on something, so yesterday afternoon I decided to go get the pictures I needed and as long as I was there and they were not busy, I asked for a manicure.  Well, I asked for acrylic nails and Tracy went to work!

 

Before

 

During

 

And after!

 

Almost wish I had gotten red so you could see how nice they look.  Tracy dug out my keys and home again, home again, well almost.  One block from the shop I spotted Mr. Tumbleweed, reminding me that I had chores waiting at home and that I do live in the wilds of Colorado even if I did  have pretty toes and fingernails!

 

Hell!  I may turn out to look like a woman someday!  Mesa Nails is open Monday-Saturday from 10:00 am - 6:30 pm.. Walkins are welcome, but an appointment is suggested to avoid a wait.  They accept VISA  and Mastercard.  Thier phone # is 719-543-1783  and be sure you tell them Lou sent you!

 

Kneading and Wanting or was the Wanting and Kneading?

http://kneadingandwanting.com/menu.html

And just in time to miss the holiday season completely...my step daughter's website for homemade goodies.  The following is only a partial menu, but click on the link and away you go.  Her website is still under construction and the holiday is about over, but we all still need that little bit of home taste that we do not seem to get from the shelves of King Soopers, Safeway, or the markdown shelf at Walmart.

Something about the taste imparted by real butter and stirred in with love in momma's (well, somebody's momma, anyway!) kitchen.

This is what is left of a cinnamon roll.

 

This is what it started out looking like!  I enjoyed this very much.  Just the right amount of cinnamon and sugar.  Moist and not dry.  Baked to perfection. 

Here we have a little loaf of Potato Bread.  Potato Bread has it's own particular taste, which I like very much.

 

 

 

Breads and Rolls-Dozen                        
*Non Dairy   

Potato Rolls                     $ 8.00      

Cinnamon Rolls w/nuts   $18.00   

Cinnamon Rolls plain      $15.00    

 

                                   This is  Peanut Brittle and I am thinking fudge.  Oh, that fudge was some good stuff!  Now you must understand that my daughter was here and there may have been a lot more stuff, but we both wanted to be sure we got our fair share.  Look at the peanut brittle; you can actually see the air bubbles in it as opposed to the store bought stuff.  This tells you there will be a definite crackle when you bite into this.  Not the fudge though.  The fudge was very creamy and not the over powering  sweet that I don't like.     

Item                                     

Creamy Chocolate Fudge                       $18.00/lb

English Toffee                                          $18.00/lb
Cashew Brittle                                         $17.00/lb

Peanut Brittle                                           $9.00/lb

Caramel Corn                                         $9.00/7C

Fruit Loaf                                               $18.00/lb

Now I recall eating some Carmel Corn, but I am not seeing a picture of it.  Maybe Kenna should send me some more Carmel Corn and maybe a little more Cashew Brittle so I could be really sure that I thought it was absolutely to die for, or as someone said, "Killer stuff!" 
All I got to say at this point is click on the link and visit her website.  Leave suggestions.  Ask for what you want.  She lives on the Western Slope, but is in Pueblo on a regular basis, so she may drop it off at your door.  If not, there is always the USPS! 

ENJOY!!!!

Milberger Farms better keep the bacon coming!

Ah!  Milberger Farms!  This is out in the county near my house.  I have a friend in town (Bet you didn't even think I had a friend, did you?) who likes to venture out my way a couple times a month and off we go to Milberger Farms for our "Bacon fix."  And I understand she has taken her daughter from Denver there also.  My God!  The BLT is to die for!
Silly me, did not take a camera either time, but let me describe this place to you.  If you can just close your eyes and still read we are good to go. 
When you step inside the door, depending on which one, you take a deep breathe and get ready for the "Milberger Experience".  There is a big open area with tables and chairs, complete with a waitress or two.  At any time of day you can usually find a few farmers taking a break and visiting other farmers.  It is very casual dining so don't bother with your finery when you pop in here.  And I am pretty sure you do not need a reservation!

 

The hot rod theme is prevalent.  There is a television in the corner  that has been known to have a video of hot rods dancing across the screen.  The eating area has a full menu and also specials.  The salad bar is fresh, fresh, fresh!  Well it ought to be since this is a produce stand!

But keep walking.  There is the deli with all kinds of meats and cheeses.  A gift area.  Lots of jarred up hot sauce, peppers, gourmet spices, pasta, beans, and oils ready to take home.  Then you pop into the fresh produce area.  Asparagus in the spring !Fresh peaches and pears in the Fall!   In the summer it is overflowing with fresh anything you can name and the whole building is permeated with the aroma of roasting Pueblo Chile's!  I could die a happy woman!

But then you stumble on to the Bakery!  When the peppers are not roasting, the bread is baking!  Is there anything that can take you back home like a kitchen where baking is actually taking place?  No!  Cookies, cake, brownies, Baklava, breads, fruit breads, cup cakes, Potica, pizzelles, etc.

 

 

 

Need I say more?  Now if you want a peek at the breakfast menu, here it is !  pick me! Pick me!

Or if you are looking for the BLT coose this one.  Gimme a BLT!

Well, kids, that is it for the day.  Milberger Farms is located at 28570 Highway 50 East.  That is the one that runs out through Blende.  Might give them a call and make sure they are open because winter hours change.  That  number is 719-948-3305.  And tell that little Shane Milberger that Lou Mercer sent you.

Bon Appetite!  (Or however the French say it!)