If you ever find yourself in the Denver area looking for somewhere unusual to explore, consider stopping at the Plains Conservation Center. I wrote about it another day but for today I just wanted to share some pictures.
It was a gorgeous blue sky day but there’s something incredibly emotional about this place in black a white.
It’s lonesome and a little sad. You can’t help but wonder who lived on this land, what their lives were like. Did they die here or move on to another place?
Here’s one more photo.
If you get a chance, stop by for a look around. There are a few farm animals plus an array of birds and creatures on the ground. The nature center is worth a stop too. Be sure to check out the drawers filled with artifacts from the property including broken china pieces and some other things you might find intriguing.
The Smithsonian had an exhibit about the Presidents and First Ladies when I visited a couple of years ago. It featured many artifacts including dresses, a car, campaign materials and even some promotional products that were downright mean.
My approach to museum appreciation is scattered. Sometimes I read all the signs and study all the things. However, on this trip, I found myself simply marveling at some of the items and what they represent. For example, I used to play the saxophone so I have seen a few but seeing Bill Clinton’s saxophone was an entirely different experience.
Pictured here is the state china service chosen by First Lady Julia Dent Grant. Imagine the important people who dined from this gorgeous floral pattern. It’s still so vibrant!
This armchair sat in George Washington’s bedroom at Mount Vernon. In that same case, you’ll find a surveyor’s compass that was gifted to Washington in 1782.
The real show stopper for me was this top hat that was worn by Abraham Lincoln the night he was assassinated. The hat was handmade by a Washington hat maker. Notice the silk mourning band that was added in remembrance of his son Willie. It is hard to see in this case but simply standing before it was an incredibly moving experience.
Another important piece that truly meant something to me was this CBS radio microphone used by FDR to broadcast his fireside chats. From 1933 to 1944, he broadcast more than 30 chats, offering a reassuring tone and helping the American people to develop a rapport with their President.
Young people today are so accustomed to political leaders Tweeting all the time and monopolizing the 24/7 news cycle they don’t know what it was like to not have some intimate familiarly with their president. I imagine it was a true gift for our citizens to hear from him as we struggled through the frightening days of the Great Depression and the Second World War.
Have you ever seen something in a museum that stopped you in your tracks? This has happened to me so many times but it never ever gets old. Tell me your stories!
My parents always host Easter dinner which means they have been busy this week cleaning, cooking and getting things ready for extended family.
I thought they deserved a little treat so I picked up some lunch to enjoy with them yesterday. Then I took advantage of a few minutes where my parents were distracted to hide a handful of Easter eggs.
These cute animal eggs had caught my eye at the dollar store a few weeks ago and I thought they might enjoy some good old fashioned childish fun.
Little did I know the delight it would inspire. It also brought out my dad’s competitive nature as he raced around trying to beat my mom to the punch. Did I mention that they are 72 and 71?
They each found five candy-filled eggs and I’m still surprised at how much they enjoyed the festive fun.
It goes to show that the holidays aren’t just for kids. They’re for the kid in us all. So make an Easter basket for your teenagers, color eggs with an older person and bite the ears off that chocolate rabbit. We are all kids at heart!
Happiness is a place of your own in the sunshine. At least, that’s Scout’s theory. I don’t know how much sunshine we will see today but I hope you will find a place of your own where you can be as happy as a house cat in a sunshiney spot.
You know that moment when you realize you should have just stayed in bed? This was that moment for me yesterday.
At approximately 7:35 a.m., a terracotta flower pot flew off the bookshelf, taking with it the African Violet and crashing onto the window sill where it smashed into several pieces. Soil and plant, no longer contained, ran everywhere.
That plant was a gift from a coworker when she retired last year. It has done ok but hasn’t had a great life with me. Evidently, it believed life wasn’t worth living and decided to jump. Either that or the books conspired to force it off their shelf. Maybe it was an assisted suicide?
Dirt permeated the carpet, the crevices in the windows and the books nearby. You know I salvaged the books first. Luckily, I had killed another plant about a month ago and already had a replacement flower pot handy. So repotting this sorry little guy was easy.
In case you’re keeping track, I HAD five plants. One I evidently murdered through neglect and one decided to off himself. Now the violet that got such a hard start in life with me (see the link below) is nursing an injury. Meanwhile, the Christmas cactus, gifted to me by well meaning but misguided friends, is just trying not to call attention to itself.
I’m happy to report that Scout’s catnip plant is thriving but have no idea how this is possible given the abuse it takes from him every day.
Read about the African Violet’s sad introduction to life with me here.
Some days you’re better off just staying in bed. I fear the plants are wishing I would stay away and send them someone competent to tend their needs. Honestly, it’s hard to blame them.
Aztec, New Mexico is a cute town with some interesting storefronts. There are some especially nice signs outside several shops. It may not be Heaven On Earth as the sign pictured above suggests but it did feel like a welcoming place.
I was especially charmed by this optometrist’s sign. Optik Icare Iwear is the kind of business name I would typically despise but it works well with this sign so I’ll forgive them. In case you are wondering I also hate it when businesses get cute by purposefully misspelling words like Kay’s Kountry Korner. My English major heart withers at the thought. But I digress…..
The star of the show is this old Aztec Theater sign. It opened in 1927 under the name Mayan Theater. By the forties it had been renamed Aztec. Now the theater operates as a concert hall under a different name. I imagine this place has been an important source of entertainment and community for this small town.
The marketing nerd in me absolutely adores interesting signs. Towns that have great signage tend to have more character and businesses that employ some fun and imagination in their signs get bonus points from me.
Do you notice signs? Do they matter to you or are they just clutter?
