One of the most perplexing things I’ve seen lately is this Goodwill store with a silo in the middle of it. It’s located on a busy street in Medina, Ohio.
We had just loaded up on breakfast at a nearby Waffle House when I saw the silo and knew I had to stop and browse. It’s a nice enough store but I found nothing to buy except a large framed painting that someone else was already buying.
That’s how it goes sometimes!
The internet is oddly quiet about why this silo has a Goodwill attached or, from a different perspective, why this Goodwill has a silo. There’s a Reddit board where lots of people are reminiscing about the good old days when this was a farmers exchange. Evidently the silo once housed an ice cream shop.
That seems like a reasonable use for a silo, if you ask me!
The day after Christmas I ran away from home to peruse the booths at Antiques Village in Dayton, Ohio. I used to love treasure hunting in antique malls and junk shops but haven’t made the time to do so lately.
The name is sort of misleading because this vendor mall is 80,000 square feet and filled to the brim with vintage pieces, crafts, books and all manner of items beyond the advertised antiques.
I skipped the rows of glass cases mainly because they tend to make my eyes glassy and still managed to spend half of the day there. Honestly, I wrapped it up because I found the one thing I wanted and it was well past lunchtime. Plus, my cart was sort of full.
I’m always intrigued by the things you see in these places.
Like the family photos that have been discarded.
The collections!
The artistry!
And the weird stuff.
Sometimes I like the weird stuff best.
I came home with a few of those photos as well as several small things including a bust of Mark Twain, a side table with a shelf for books, and a silver teapot with nice patina to put flowers in. It was quite the haul of treasures!
If you go, wear your walking shoes and get a cart. It can be inconvenient but anytime I have not gotten a cart, I’ve had to backtrack to retrieve one. The restrooms are clean and there’s a place to sit and rest or to leave your spouse when they get cranky because you’ve been there too long. That day, the rest area looked like time out for middle aged men.
Most of all, go with an open mind and remember if you see something you want, you need to grab it before someone else does!
If you ever find yourself hankering for pancakes in Manitou Springs, Colorado, I have just the place for you. It’s called Uncle Sam’s Pancake House and they know a thing or two about serving up a hot breakfast on a cold day.
Those of you who have been around for a while should already know that I believe food tastes better when enjoyed in interesting places. The outside of Uncle Sam’s has loads of charm with an a-frame design. According to a note on their menu, the building dates to the early forties when it was first a drive-in called Michaelis. It became Uncle Sam’s sometime in the sixties.
Plus, there’s an absolutely fabulous sign.
It’s even cozy on the inside with patriotic decor.
And then there’s the food. I ordered a breakfast that came with eggs, potatoes, and THREE pancakes. This was reminiscent of my inaugural Waffle House experience when I naively believed the waffles wouldn’t be that big. After all, no one gives customers value these days. Right?
Holy Toledo. Look at this. Two big plates of food. Three giant pancakes.
Friends, I am almost permanently unimpressed with restaurant food these days but find the mom and pop shops are the best way to go. Uncle Sam’s supported this theory. These pancakes were fantastic. They have a great variety of flavors including seasonal specials but I went with good old blueberry and they were wonderful.
I’m telling you. Uncle Sam’s in Manitou Springs. Go find it!
I attended a conference in Colorado Springs earlier this month. It was held at the Broadmoor Resort which opened in 1918 as a European style resort that feels a little like stepping back in time.
The words dignified, genteel and stately come to mind.
The Broadmoor has attracted presidents, royalty and celebrities and has a hall of fame filled with pictures of some of those famous folk. Of course, being me, I was more interested in the art, architecture and library.
I was also more interested in the Christmas decorations. They are all dolled up for the season everywhere you look with trees, lights and festive decor to magnify the beauty of this place.
This was the view from my room before the snow. Isn’t it gorgeous?
Since I stayed on Ohio time, I sat here to read and write in the early morning hours. Some hotel staff were around and a few early risers were up and about but it was reasonably peaceful.
One of my favorite things about this place was the quiet of the rooms and guest hallways. From my room, I didn’t hear a hair dryer or people passing by in the hallway. But take the elevator to the ground floor and wait for the doors to swoosh open. The minute you step out of the elevator, there’s Christmas music playing. And none of this modern stuff either. Think Bing Crosby.
All of this combined with an incredible snowfall we received our first night there and the whole experience was absolutely mesmerizing. Here’s my room view in the daytime with all the snow!
You know how I like details so stay tuned for more observations from this place.
One of the things that surprised me most about the Buffalo Bill Center of the West is the vast array of items they have on display. They have so many interesting things that it’s difficult to know where to start but the thing that surprised me most was their collection of pop art.
To be clear, pop art isn’t what I would call my thing but there’s a lot to be said for the talent and creativity that goes into this style and I want to show you some of my favorite pieces from.an exhibit called Pop Goes The West.
First there’s this oil painting called Fall Scene which Robert Seabeck created in 1979. It shows a red Ford truck pulling a blue and white travel trailer in a scene that is absolutely striking. The artist called it a contemporary representation of the covered wagons that early pioneers used to access the American West. It is as fresh and relevant today as it must have been almost fifty years ago.
I also liked this one called Fool’s Gold by Rachel Mosely. The man, in traditional western garb, looks like he could step off the canvas and launch into a story about the stick horse that he’s holding. I don’t know if it was intentional but this 2020 piece reminds me of James Dean’s character Jett Rink in the movie Giant.
Then there was this piece from Jane Deschner’s Silhouette Series that’s a collage of vintage photos. She uses snapshots of strangers to tell stories that explore our shared human experience. I found this one especially interesting because these snapshots remind me of the ones I collect. Old black and white photos are easily found in junk shops and antique stores, long abandoned by descendents of their subjects. She has hand stitched these photos together, a symbolic reminder of how we are all connected by the human experience.
Here’s a closer look.
I perhaps liked this one best of all.
So, the next time you’re about to go marching by something because it’s not your thing, I urge you to stop for a quick look and maybe you’ll see something that makes you want to linger.
