Things That Are Mainly Making Me Happy This Week (and a question for Colorado visitors and residents)

Hello everyone!  For friends living in Colorado, or who have traveled for any period of time, I have a question:  I plan on celebrating my September birthday sometime around Halloween by having a solo spa trip or hot springs vacation.  I'm torn between Pagosa Springs, Glenwood Springs or just heading to the Broadmoore and taking advantage of everything from the spa to their memorable brunch.  Thoughts?  Comments?

Meanwhile, a few things that are (mainly) making me happy today.

1. Visiting One of My Top 5 Quilt Shops.  One of the reasons I block out time to shop when I travel is because quilt stores and yarn shops, just like other small boutiques are all individual and reflect the taste, style and interests of the owner. Some quilt stores may all have those old timey fabrics, some may have mainly moderns.  In truth, when I head to the Republic of Texas to see my DD, I have often been known to hit the store Quilt country even before pulling up to her front door.  This store has nary a reproduction fabric, the owner considers that lime green is the new neutral and the store is filled with bright, bright fabrics.  I generally visit this store on the way into town and on the way out.  They have the best fabrics, and the best service and two of the very bright quilts on my ladder waiting to be quilted started out in this store last summer!! My first visit got me this pattern and some fabric. We'll see on the way out of town!  
   
2. Today's Pedicure. I said elsewhere that my pedicure costs have moved from the personal care/extras category to the health care category.  That knee has gotten just a tad worse in the past year. Just enough to mean that until I find a nice guy who likes nail trimming and painting, I need to involve a third party.  My peds are not fancy. This one included a soak, sugar scrub on feet and legs, leg and foot massage and new polish and trim. Even at a half an hour, this is a pampering thing I am loathe to give up.
3. The Handmaid's Tale.  This, my friends, is where the mainly comes in.  Is it well done? Beyond well done. Elizabeth Moss has become one of my favorite actresses after Top of the Lake and this show. I remember when she was a teen on The West Wing. But it is not a happy show, not happy at all.  Written pretty much thirty years ago, this is as relevant today (and as scary if not more so). No matter where you are on the political spectrum.
4. Visiting my sister in law (and father in law).  Tomorrow we drive three hours to see my sister in law. She recently had hand surgery and is in a cast, but still talking about cooking steak one night and a roast another. Her husband is a picky eater and there are things she doesn't get to eat or cook unless we come, but I also don't want her to overdo. On the first night, Jim will be there.  In truth, he may not recognize my son (or I) part of the time. But since he is ninety, still mainly physically healthy and still has that crazy sense of humor he always has had, this is a happy journey. If we are having a good day, we may even discuss some family history.
5. Passengering in my son's car.  To appreciate this one, you need to understand that I have been in two accidents in the front passenger seat. One of those times the air bag made me look like my husband had taken a crowbar to me and then thrown tennis balls at close range (yes, it is better to be alive, but having bruised arms in 105 degree heat with no sleeves was interesting for awhile. And don't even ask about my sternum area). While we had planned to take turns driving his car down, he wanted to do the whole trip himself just one time to see how much driving there was.  This won't happen again, as he has found he does not particularly enjoy driving distances and I do.  But it was nice to be the checking the dog in the back, checking out the scenery, and reading in the car. 

   

   LIghthouse Peak, anyone

Tomorrow, we head south for two nights and two and a half days -a quick trip. Then we return to spend the long weekend with DD and DSIL.  We'll then head north again, taking a different route (one that goes atop of Palo duro Canyon.).  Back in Denver, my son will take a few days to rest and relax at home and then jump into business school and working full time.  I'll take the rest of August to relax before I also end by "summer vacation" by returning to senior college, returning to my two volunteer gigs and gearing up for holiday sewing!