Nostalgia Part Two

Oh my, Sunday my hubby and I went to church and than stopped by the Wishbone and had chicken dinners! They have been around for a really long time, since 1963. Same phamily owns the place and their food is comfort food, plain and simple. It reminded me of another great chicken place back in the day. Not only did the Denver Drumstick have great chicken they had an electric train that ran around the entire restaurant. It was situated above the dining rooms and you could watch that little train from every angle. Pueblo did not have a Drumstick restaurant but Colorado Springs did and my phamily frequented that one a lot. I loved watching that train. Sigh...the Drumstick restaurants are no longer open. So sad.

Now this restaurant was exciting. The Yum Yum Tree! You walked inside and you could travel to so many different countries, it was often hard to decide where you would dine! There was such an array of choices you could travel to far away lands and never leave the restaurant. Alas, it is gone too. It was a treasure chest filled with glorious foods.

Casa Bonita had to be the most fun filled place when the kids were small. They never wanted to have a birthday party anywhere but there! The huge pink Spanish style building that housed this fun Mexican restaurant with divers and games galore was a Denver icon. Opened in 1974 they have served up some cheesy Mexican meals and brought smiles to the faces of many children. When two of our kids graduated from college they wanted to celebrate here! Although it has changed through the years it is still a fun place to visit and you can even toss a few coins in the fountain outside. You should visit Beverly and see the pinks over at her place too.

May 13, 2012 was Mother's Day! It was the day our first college graduate Jeremy graduated from Metro State College in Denver. we celebrated later on that day at Casa Bonita. It was a fun day and we enjoyed good times as well as great company! That fountain is always so pretty in the summertime.

Dino's is still around. It is located near Casa Bonita in Lakewood, Colorado. They have been serving Italian food since 1961 and it is a great phamily style place to enjoy some fun and food! They have served a lot of pizza ans spaghetti since they opened their doors  54 years ago! When you visit Dino's you will see people there that have grown up with this establishment. Now they bring their own phamilies here to break bread. Dino's is a nostalgic place because they still use the same red tall plastic drinking glasses from a different era. I love the phamily feel here.

I bet lots of you can remember F.W. Woolworth's! I grew up shopping at Woolworth's, Newberry's and Kress. In my home town of Pueblo they are all businesses today in the lovely old buildings on Main Street where Woolworth's was held the best candy counter around and a lunch counter to tickle your taste buds. My oldest daughter Noelle worked at Woolworth's in Northglenn for several years. When they closed she continued her friendship with the staff of ladies she worked with in the restaurant and to this day they all go out to lunch once a month. a few of them have passed away but this tight knit group of gals still have fun together. There was a retired gentleman's club that met for lunch at Woolworth's when Noelle worked there. They were called the ROMEO CLUB. It stood for Retired Old Men Eating Out! My Uncle Louie would always say that there wasn't a thing you could not purchase at Woolworth's. You just don't get the same treatment at Walmart or Target today that you did when you shopped and had lunch at Woolworth's.

Celebrity Fun Center was on Colorado Blvd. and you could go there to bowl, swim, play games or simply hang out with your friends. It had 80 lanes of bowling and three pools including a huge slide that was encased in clear plastic that you would see from the street! I just don't know why places like this no longer exist. It was a great place for teens to hang out and kids were not getting into trouble back then. A bittersweet piece of nostalgia.

Well, I might have to add that when you travel to Trinidad,Colorado which is traveling south on I-25 nearly to the New Mexico state line you will come to Trinidad which has become very famous for those wishing to have a complete transformation and get a sex change operation. If you go to Trinidad the locals will ask you if you would like some green chili with those fries, a shot of tequila and hey, how about a little green chili with your green chili! They love their green chili in Trinidad ! But in Denver you have to find a Chubby's! I would recommend the original one in North Denver but my suggestion would be to go there in the day time. The nigh time is still a little iffy with crime and shootings! I would go to Chubby's on 72nd and Federal Blvd. They have the friendliest staff and those chili cheese fries are for special occasions only. They are loaded with a lot of calories!

Drive in movies have become a thing of the past, until recently. Someone is building a huge drive in movie theater near my home. It will be state of the art, top of the line. Goodness, we use to go to the Cinderella Twin Drive In in Englewood, Colorado when our kids were small. we grew up with drive in movies. As teens we'd flip a coin to see who had to hide in the truck with two other people and we'd pile out and have the time of our lives. Good memories. There is only one drive in theater left and it is not too far from my home in Commerce City. I am unsure if it will survive the opening of this new mega drive in but we spent lots of nights taking the kids there too in the summertime. It was just part of summer and our kids have memories of those drive in movies. Sigh!
I will join Ms. Jenny and the Alphabe Thursday gang again and share this second part of my nostalgia.  I hope you had a good time.

Old Dogs and Children and Watermelon Wine by Tom T. Hall

"How old do you think I am?" he said
I said, Well, I didn't know
He said, "I turned 65 about 11 months ago"

I was sittin' in Miami pourin' blended whiskey down
When this old gray black gentleman was cleanin' up the lounge

There wasn't anyone around 'cept this old man and me
The guy who ran the bar was watchin' 'Ironsides' on TV
Uninvited, he sat down and opened up his mind
On old dogs and children and watermelon wine

"Ever had a drink of watermelon wine?" he asked
He told me all about it, though I didn't answer back
"Ain't but three things in this world that's worth a solitary dime
But old dogs and children and watermelon wine"

He said, "Women think about theyselves, when menfolk ain't around
And friends are hard to find when they discover that you're down"
He said, "I tried it all when I was young and in my natural prime
Now it's old dogs and children and watermelon wine"

Old dogs care about you even when you make mistakes
God bless little children while they're still too young to hate
When he moved away I found my pen and copied down that line
'Bout old dogs and children and watermelon wine

I had to catch a plane up to Atlanta that next day
As I left for my room I saw him pickin' up my change
That night I dreamed in peaceful sleep of shady summertime
Of old dogs and children and watermelon wine

"The Deep Freeze" and Other Random Blog Thoughts for Alphabe Thursday and Such

Now we don't have this massive amount of snow Y E T ! But.....the sentiment is perfect. When you live fifteen minutes away from your job and the traffic adds another five minutes to your coming and going routine, it is annoying,  but when you have to crawl home on the ice rink the city calls roads and arrive one hour later, that is unacceptable! Where on God's green earth ( yes, yes, pun is intended) did you miserable drivers live? Fantasyland!? Florida? Southern California? The Bahamas? If you can not drive on the white stuff we call S N O W you should board a bus! You can get to where you need to go without hitting me,  shattering my middle girl's car window and bring the entire city to a standstill! Argh......I dislike bitter cold weather as much as I dislike politicians, let me clarify that, A L L politicians!

 Yesterday I had a job. Today no more. I would think age , not youth would be the closest answer to why I was blind sighted by this. I am finding it difficult to move forward. Zipping by the hours in my day , wondering what is in store for me next. I love this quote, Move forward, today is my gift from God and tomorrow is a surprise. I would like some peace and calm. The past two years had been very difficult, the ten prior were easier All the hard work, my honesty, none of it made a difference. Today someone new takes my place.

So I must move forward. Zip along the road of life and stop only if my journey needs a rest.

I need to repeat this. At my age it is always uncertain how you will perceived. I need to work so we can live. It is difficult not having that stable income any longer, I will ask you to pray and be a prayer warrior for me and for all who need a helping hand from the Lord.

These are powerful words I need to cherish in my heart and use in my daily life. I hope you visit Ms. Jenny and pray for her recovery. She has had the worst year with all these health issues. Yet each week she encourages us to participate in Alphabe Thursday and smile.  I hope you liked my tiny "Y" and "Z" shares today. Participate in Pink Saturday and say hello to a lady who always makes sure pink is sprinkled everywhere in your lives. Thank you Beverly

Off to pick my hubby up at the bus and enjoy a quiet evening with him at home before more snow, more bitter cold temps hold us hostage once more. Please pray and thank you for letting me share with you today.

P's and Q's for Ms. Jenny and Beverly at Pink Saturday

One of these days  I am hoping I will have more leisure time so I can create and post my thoughts in a timely fashion! Today I am combining last week's "P" for Ms. Jenny with this week's "Q".  I am also adding my Pink Saturday post here too. I really admire Jenny and Beverly, for their dedication to these weekly posts. They have done a really amazing job keeping these running for a long time. I hope we continue them for a long time to come.

I have combined my "P" for Princess  for Jenny with pink for Beverly.  I love these buttons I find at Face Book or that people share with me.

Ah, young  ladies today should follow this simple message!

LOL! I Just think this is too funny! I am not sure I know anyone brave enough to go to work, even on casual Friday, dressed in this manner! But I do love the tiara!

Ah.....the tiara! I think most girls dream of having one of these!

I have looked like this many days, laugh out loud, but I truly need to get a haircut! I feel like "Cousin It" from the Addams Family T.V. I just haven't found the time to cut my hair!

I love "Queenisms", I am learning to follow some of these and take care of me. I am always taking care of everyone else and  there is nothing left for me.

I thought Princesses and Queens would be a great combination for Alphabe Thursday!

Please visit Jenny and Beverly soon and lots of their followers too.

New American Standard Bible
Therefore I am well content with weaknesses, with insults, with distresses, with persecutions, with difficulties, for Christ's sake; for when I am weak, then I am strong.

Prayer requests for  my phamily please. Some difficulties that require prayer. Prayers for those who are suffering around the world and being persecuted for their faith.

"N": Noelle and Nick/"O" Orange and Blue/Pink Saturday

How I missed the "N" post for Alphabe Thursday is baffling! I have had a lot going on and I hate missing these fun meme's. Makes my mind sharp and I enjoy the company at Ms. Jenny's. So today I combined my "N" for Noelle and Nick, my oldest daughter and youngest son and added my favorite orange and blue team colors for the Denver Bronco football team! I teamed them both up with a pink post from our Vegas vacation to add to  Beverly and the Pinkies!

Noelle is posing with friend Jodi (bride) and Christina (right) at Jodi's wedding to Lennie! The bridesmaids are pretty in pink!

Nick Christmas 2013 visiting phamily.

Noelle and I look a little sleepy on Christmas 1977.

Nick with eyes closed on Mother's Day 2013 with Jeremy and I.

Vegas fun with Hannah and her brothers, Nick (who turned 21) and Jeremy.

Noelle and Hannah back in Colorado after fun in the sun in sunny Las Vegas.

I thought Noelle and Nick would be a perfect "N" post for Ms. Jenny's Alphabe Thursday class!

When Peyton Manning fired off an "F" bomb at a Houston Texan player who knocked his team mate Wes Welker out of the game, I was proud of Manning! He was fined for the first time in his career for "unsportsman like conduct"! He said that was the best $8,200 he spent! He was, after all, just protecting his team mate. I am amazed in the NFL how many "dirty"  hits are ignored.  Manning is a classy guy, and he tapped the other player on the shoulder and turned away from the camera when he gave the guy a piece of his mind! It was the Texan's player who blasted the words Manning said all over the morning news! Because Peyton has small children, he is very cautious on the field, trying to be a good role model. Then there are days, you just have to say what is on your mind! I am proud of him wearing orange and blue and I wish him a successful year in 2014!

As a Colorado native, I love this bumper sticker. We have had such a large influx of people moving here because of this legalized marijuana. That and the liberal politicians are my least favorite things about the state that I love.

I love the Bronco's logo. My dad was a life long fan and I am too! We watch NFL football every weekend and my phamily has fun! My hubby and I have nicknames for other team players and we really enjoy being silly. I am proud of the orange and blue and will always wear it proudly.

While in Las Vegas we visited Pink's! It is the Vegas version of the famed Hollywood establishment founded in 1939. Although not a budget friendly meal my hubby and I shared an order of fries with their tasty chili dogs. While there we met a young man, named Jeff, who recently came back to his native Las Vegas from the U.S. Navy. It was nice chatting with him while we ate our dinner and I snapped a few "pink" shots from Pink's Las Vegas diner:

The door is bordered in pink and it was a fun visit.

The Las Vegas dry heat is something else and even the cooling fans are touched with pink!

We shared a cold soda but you can have a variety of beverages while visiting Pink's.

I hope you will visit Beverly and thank her for her continued support of Pink Saturday and visit some Pinkies today!

"W" is for Women

Here I am combining some fun tonight! I will share random pinkness here and join Beverly and Ms. Jenny for Pink Saturday and Alphabe Thursday. I hope you stop by and visit all the creative hearts sharing their favorites with us.

I know I can be hard on myself some day's. I like this quote and the pretty sky streaked with pink! I find if I trust God and let go of the negative I feel better!

Did you know that Grandma Moses started painting in her late 70's? She lived to be 101. Her birthday was September 7th, a date she shared with my sister Mary. When Mary was a kid she wrote Grandma Moses a letter along with sending her a birthday card. Grandma Moses sent my sister a letter! What a joy! She was an incredible American folk artist and her paintings are so interesting. She was a native of New York state and she had to abandon a career in embroidery due to arthritis. She said she took up paining tin order to create a Christmas gift for the postman. She thought it was easier to paint a picture rather than bake a cake in a hot oven! She is one of the amazing women I admire. I chose the "W" letter for Women! I will try not to get to lengthy but I share lots of my favorite strong willed women and heroes on my pinterest page.

My precious mother (with the baby in her arms) and her sister Ann (head down) and my grandmother BFF Cecilia. Beautiful incredible strong willed women. My grandmother survived the death of her husband early on and her teenage son. She raised her phamily with   perseverance and never complained. She died too soon from stomach cancer. My mother was a hands on mom who took care of her phamily while my father worked long hours at the steel mill. She baked the most amazing bread as light as a feather and the best cream puffs you would ever taste. My aunt Ann lost her battle with Lou Gehrig's disease too young but she could bake a cottage cheese potica to make your mouth water as well as apple strudel! Beautiful women who influenced my life tremendously.

Cleo Parker Robinson is a Denver native. She was born in 1948 and nearly died at the age of ten.when her kidneys shut down and a segregated hospital in Dallas did not admit her quickly enough to prevent heart failure. She was told she would be bedridden her entire life so she threw herself into dancing to ease the pain in her body and to overcome racism.  Her life is very interesting and she eventually formed her own dance company. I am always stunned at racism and wonder what gets into a persons mind to hate one of a different skin color. I have always admired Cleo Parker Robinson and wish I had the fluidness to dance like she danced. 

Hawaii's Princess Ka'iulani in London, 1895 She was born October 16, 1875 in Honolulu, she was named (in part) after Queen Victoria, she spoke several languages fluently, and her name means “the royal sacred one” in Hawaiian. Princess Victoria Ka’iulani, a boldly professing Christian, was the last crown princess of the Kingdom of Hawaii. Wow! She is a true Christian hero!

No one other words are needed.

Auntie Ang and Jeremy (with Uncle's hat). She was a great influence in my life and I hate cancer because it stole her from me! She was my mentor, a shopping buddy, a good lunch pal and she taught me to stick up for myself and never take anything from anyone trying to undermine me! I miss her along with my mother and grandmother too.

Mother Teresa was just awesome. People wear ribbons to support various causes. She got down to the nitty gritty and cared for the dying, the unloved in India.

Oh Dolly! Another influential woman I admire. She rose up from absolute poverty to make a career in music and she can write a song like no other. I love Dolly and she is pretty in pink! Please visit Jenny and the Alphabe Thursday kids and stop by and give Beverly a shout too!

Joshua 1:9
"Have I not commanded you? Be strong and courageous! Do not tremble or be dismayed, for the LORD your God is with you wherever you go."

I want to add a few prayer requests, please.

William, struggling with old age, alcoholism and serious health issues

Leena, a little girl hospitalized with huge intestinal problems

Tony struggling with alcoholism and lonliness

"R"andom Thoughts

I am late for Ms. Jenny and the "R" gang this week but I am here and spreading random thoughts. Here is my offering for Think Spring! We are dropping twenty degrees to start our Springtime weather in Colorado. If you have lived here your entire life like I have you would not even flinch. Snow in May!? Why not, we wait and wait and wait to plant. Then we get some fun filled with wonderful color all summer long even in the dreaded 100 plus temps! So now that Spring is officially here enjoy it everywhere you are!

Not very colorful but a favorite running quote. Billy Mills was the only American to ever win the 10,000 meter event in the 1964 Tokyo Olympics! In case you missed it, running is related to the R words and posts we are sharing this week.

Easter will be here before we know it! Although I was raised to celebrate the traditional reason of Christ's resurrection I like some color and fun too! This faux chocolate rabbit is calorie free!

I love Audrey Hepburn! She was a classic, a true celebrity and wonderful actress. They don't make 'em like her anymore and I was going to mention I am incorporating my  Beverly Pink's here today. I know you will see more than just this pink here!

I am stuck on running! The popular song "Call Me Maybe" by Carly Rae Jepsen is used in an awesome and hot pink running quote!

Reading the Scriptures daily are very important to me. I like this verse in the pink heart.  It is a sweet crafty heart with words to live by.

A random thought about reading. Plus it is pink! I love reading and I read about 80 to 100 books a year. Recently "Fred the Floater" and I have became good friends. I have one of those annoying floaties in my left eye. Of course, my left eye is the weakest of my eyes and I hate not seeing as clearly as I once did. But age does funny things to you so you have to take care of those peppers and keep reading! I am not a big fan of someone reading to me because my whole life I have read and when I stumble across an unfamiliar word I stop and research it! Not such an easy task when someone reads the words to you.

Now please visit both Ms. Jenny and Beverly and share your R's and pinks today! Enjoy a restful weekend!