Hello all! Today I am doing something a bit different. I was tagged by Elizabeth at Lize in Disneyland to write a list of 50 things that make me happy, and then to tag five other blogging buddies. Of course, I never do things quite like …
Just another sleepless night.. What you are about to read are the words that I actually wrote down on paper when I woke up in the middle of the night a few days ago. I wake up like this almost every night..or I can’t get …
My sister Jan, aka the Wrinkled Wanderer, has been traveling again! Last time she headed northeast, and this time she headed off in the opposite direction. In case you missed her first post, you can find it here. https://cookiesandcursewords.com/adventures-of-a-wrinkled-wanderer-retirement-fun-by-Jan-Milbradt Enjoy your travels!
Hello everyone. The wanderlust hit me, and I took to the road once more. For this adventure, I headed west, waaaaay west!
After my 9:30 a.m. art class, I hit the road, traveling to the beautiful state of Colorado, where I visited my cousin Rosella at her home in Colorado Springs. I headed north to I-70, choosing a quicker route than a more southern one. After several hours I stopped at “the biggest Van Gough in the world”. This is located in Goodland, Kansas, and is definitely worth stopping to view. The easel looms over the little town as if it is guarding it against possible invaders. I have no idea who really painted the picture of the sunflowers, but it is a passable imitation. The easel and picture are so large that they are visible from I-70.
Epiphany #1 Even the smallest of towns have something interesting to offer. You just have to look in the right places.
I arrived at Rosella’s just in time to go out to dinner. We opted for Olive Garden, and afterwards visited for awhile and then went to bed. We tried making sugar cookie witches fingers, but these were another of my famous cooking fails.
This is the view from Rosella’s deck.
Gallup, New Mexico here I come! Heading south on the very busy I-25, I followed the magnificent Rockies through the Raton Pass to Santa Fe. This is the last part of the Santa Fe Trail. The scenery was stunning, and since I was in the the pass for most of the way, the driving wasn’t too frightening. This more information concerning the pass. https://www.nps.gov/nr/travel/american_latino_heritage/Raton_Pass.html At Albuquerque, I hopped on I-40. Part of I-40 travels along the iconic Route 66. If you are not afraid to hop off of the interstate you can see some pretty interesting sites. Desert, desert, desert. Nothing but desert (with a few mountains in the distance) for miles and miles. Soon, I had to make a pit stop, and where else would I go but a handy dandy casino right along the interstate.
My luck wasn’t as good as it was on my trip to Wisconsin, so this stop was VERY brief! Soon, I arrived at Winslow, AZ, and yes, I experienced “standing on the corner in Winslow, Arizona” once again.
Winslow also hosts one of my favorite places, La Posada Hotel, which I plan to visit on my return trip. Shortly, I arrived at my hotel in Gallup, NM.
Epiphany # 2 There is nothing better tasting than pizza delivered to a hotel room, except maybe eating it in bed while watching tv.
I disobeyed my IPhone’s directions and opted to go a different route to my sister in law’s house in Prescott, AZ. Instead of turning south at Flagstaff on I-17, I stayed on I-40 until I reached highway 89 that went into Prescott. In Williams, AZ (known as the gateway to Grand Canyon National Park) I stopped at McDonalds for a bite to eat. While at the McDonalds I met a new friend. It was perched atop the McDonalds sign as I left the restaurant. I stopped to take a picture and someone came out and threw a piece of bread on the ground for it to eat. As it flew down to eat it I snapped a picture and went to my car, which was very close. The crow (Raven? What’s the difference?) kind of followed me, and landed on on a yellow pole next to my car. Then it flew to the trash can directly in front of my car. Amazingly, it’s next stop was TO THE MIRROR ON THE PASSENGER SIDE OF MY CAR! I opened my car window and threw a piece of bread out for it to eat. I have name the bird Beggy McBeggerson. Obviously, it’s done this many times before!
I must say that this little episode made my day and I periodically grinned until I pulled into Linda’s driveway in Prescott, in the late afternoon.
Epiphany #3 The random simple things in life can bring everyone so much joy, if we just recognize and appreciate them.
Prescott AZ is one of my favorite places to visit. There is always something to do in Prescott, and what could be better than doing it in a quirky mountain town? But on this day, we left Prescott to it’s own devices while we drove 1½ hours to the beautiful town of Sedona. We met Linda’s son Grey, who lives in Flagstaff, and his girlfriend for lunch. After lunch, Linda and I drove around, admiring the scenery. If you ever have the opportunity to visit Sedona, I recommend it. Sedona is popular among spiritual healers because it contains several vortexes. Vortexes are locations where the geomagnetic lines of the earth cross each other and form whirling pools of energy. They are “power spots” of energy and healers use them much like acupuncture. If you are into such things you can take a Red Rock Tour to experience the effects of the vortexes. If experiencing the vortexes is your thing, that’s great, but for me the stunning views of jutting stone that is a deep red hue was enough for me.
We took a different route back to Prescott and went through the little town of Jerome, which is a former mining town. We didn’t stop in Jerome, but we did stop so that I could take this picture of a disobedient tourist.
The next four days were spent visiting, going to movies, and going out to eat. One of my favorite places to eat in Prescott is the Liquor Store Deli.
You can have your lunch and then buy a six pack to take home. How cool is that?! On Friday morning I loaded my car and headed home.
Although I had every intention of visiting La Posada in Winslow, AZ, I became embroiled in the podcast I was listening to, and drove right by it. For those of you who listen to podcasts, Alice Isn’t Dead is a great one. Since I have been to La Posada many times, I have a lot of pictures, some of which I have included here. La Posada used to be a Harvey Hotel and is now owned by an artist who displays her work at the hotel. It houses a Top 3 restaurant called the Turquoise Room. Hotel rooms are very reasonably priced (around 140 dollars). If you are ever traveling on I-40 this is a stop worth taking. http://laposada.org/
I finished the day’s driving at the town of Santa Rosa, NM. One more day until home!
What could be a more fitting end to my trip than a stop to Dorothy’s house in Liberal, KS. I followed the yellow brick road to her house and even saw the tornado shelter that saved her family’s life. Toto I have a feeling we Are in Kansas again.
After the stop in Liberal I arrived home a mere four and a half hours later. I’m through traveling for awhile.
Epiphany #4 Although I love to travel, I love sleeping in my own bed even more.
What a fun month we had, trying out recipes for spooky Halloween fun. Unfortunately (or maybe fortunately for the sake of laughter), not EVERYTHING turned out quite as planned! Some of our attempts had to be re-made, and some…well…all I can say is that I …
What would a series on spooky, creepy Halloween recipes be without Mummy Dogs and Bloody Fingers? Easy to make and fun for the kids, a package of hot dogs can bring a lot of fun to your October meals or Halloween parties.
I’d also like to refer back to a super fun recipe from earlier this month featuring Feet Loaf. You can find the recipe for Feet Loaf here:
https://cookiesandcursewords.com/spooky-halloween-recipes-feet-loaf
Check out our other spooky recipes that we have posted this month, including Boo Brownies, and Spooky Chocolate Pie…AND be on the lookout next week for our SPOOKY HALLOWEEN TREAT FAILS ! Yes, we had a few “oops” moments while trying out these and other recipes..and they are hilarious!
IT IS IMPOSSIBLE! I’m sorry, but if you thought I had some wise words of wisdom about how to avoid embarrassing your teenager…I do not. I think it is impossible. I remember being embarrassed by my parents when I was a teenager. My parents were …
This fun recipe comes to us from Jennifer Davis. Jennifer and her daughters Adrienne and Lydia enjoy making a spooky Chocolate Pie every year. Use your imagination to make whatever spooky scene you wish on top of the pie!
I’ve been a fan of the Kansas City Chiefs team for thirty years. Steve DeBerg was the quarterback when I first began following them steadily in 1988. I was only twenty one years old when I became a fan for life. My (then) husband and I used to have our own little “tailgate parties” when we attended the games at Arrowhead Stadium. I recall that this usually consisted of a little disposable charcoal grill, some hot dogs, chips, and a six pack of beer. The last Chiefs game that I attended was in 1994, and Joe Montana was the quarterback. My biggest memory of that game was the fact that it was so cold I couldn’t feel my feet for a week. Oh, yes, also..my friend Brenda’s nachos. She ordered nachos, and by the time we got back to our seats, the cheese was frozen. It wasn’t just a little crusty on top, it was frozen solid!
Joe Montana is no longer the quarterback, and I am no longer in my twenties. I am now fifty one years old, overweight, with some nifty new back problems. My days of drinking and hanging out in large crowds of people are long gone. These days, I’d rather hang out in my pajamas and watch the game on television. Large crowds give me anxiety. Wanna know what else gives me anxiety? HEIGHTS. I am so bothered by heights that I will only purchase seats in the lower level when attending concerts at our local arena. I made the mistake of purchasing upper bowl seats for a Garth Brooks concert a couple of years ago. When I got to my seat, I thought I was going to die. My heart was pounding out of my chest, I was dizzy, I couldn’t concentrate. I had to get out of there, and I did. I found an attendant and told them I would be glad to pay more, but there was no way I could sit in that seat. My son and I got moved to some great seats (thankfully), and I learned a lot about myself..
When my brother kindly extended an offer for my teenage son and I to attend a Chiefs game with them, I couldn’t resist. I knew that his season ticket seats were located in the upper level. I thought long and hard about it, and decided it was time for me to stop acting like an old lady and have some fun! Besides, my son REALLY wanted to go!
Continue reading Stepping out of my Comfort Zone: Tailgating at Arrowhead Stadium
Continuing our spooky recipes during the month of October, these brownies might look scary, but they taste delicious! Your little ones (and big ones as well) will love these Boo Brownies! Print Boo Brownies These ghostly brownies are a fun and easy treat for the …
