Not a Useful Blog Post

Posted on February 22, 2026 by mohawkvalleygirl

It has long been a contention of mine that there is no point in trying to get anything done on a Sunday.  My brain and body rebel against all useful activity and most not so useful activity that still requires effort.  One thing that requires very little effort is a Wrist to Forehead Sunday blog post.  So here I am.

The crooked path I follow towards my ill-defined goals.

I throw in a picture to pep things up.  There are actually very few paths through the snow just now.  I tend to walk in the road, especially if I am not wearing boots.  What I would really like to find is a pair of fake leather high top sneakers.  I wore a pair of those through two Potsdam winters and my feet were dry and comfy!  One sole finally parted with the upper when I was pushing it off using the other foot.  These were the days before I had multiple pairs of footwear, so it was a little bit of a problem.  But I digress.

Did somebody say footwear?

Looking for another picture, I came across this one of Melfe’s Shoes at their old location in Ilion, NY.  That is my late, dearly missed husband Steve.  I insisted he get a really good pair of shoes to help his aching feet.  I myself purchased several pairs of running shoes and one pair of nurse’s shoes there.  Additionally, I got a free pair (or two) of safety-toe work shoes every January when I worked at Remington Arms.  It was a perk of employment. I still have the free t-shirts they give out in January.

What a scattered post.  Kind of stream of consciousness.  I see I am approaching 300 words.  I do like to keep these silly posts short.  I hope you are all having a delightful Sunday.

Melfe’s Shoes is now located at 101 W. Main St., Mohawk, NY, phone number 315-894-4049.

 

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I Get my Wish for Fish!

Posted on February 21, 2026 by mohawkvalleygirl

All week I looked forward to going to Fish Fry at Herkimer Elks Lodge.  I got the fish to go several times last year and, YUM!  This year, I planned to dine in and sit with friends.  My parents may join me later in the season.  I encourage anybody who likes fish to check it out!

Who doesn’t love fish fry? I guess somebody somewhere, but I love it!

Being an Elk Lodge member, I showed up early and had a glass of wine at the bar before eating.  When we sat down, I was hungry!  In fact, I did not get fried fish but, with calories and my finicky stomach in mind, asked for the baked. Dinner included fish, cole slaw, fries or baked potato, and a roll with butter.  I opted for the baked potato.  Mmmm… sour cream!

Such a good meal!

I hope to get the fish fried another Friday, if my stomach is feeling good, but I will probably stick with the baked potato.  Dinner is $17.  For an additional $4, you can get clam chowder.  Cash bar is available.

Herkimer Elks Lodge is located at 124 Mary St., Herkimer, NY.  Fish Fry runs Fridays from 5 to 7 p.m. during Lent.  You can eat in or take out!  Call 315-866-1439.

 

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I Can’t Give You Anything But Lame

Posted on February 21, 2026 by mohawkvalleygirl

I am not only having a Lame Post Friday blog post, my entire Friday is lame.  However, it did not start out that way.  It started out with a not too bad run, and I had thought to make a Friday Running Commentary.

The weather people forecast all kinds of bad stuff for today, but it did not seem to have started yet, so I got on my running stuff and got going. I was a little nervous, because the roads looked wet and the temperature was not very much above freezing, according to my thermostat, which often gives a higher temperature than what is actually out there.  But I had not run since Monday.  I may still register for the Boilermaker 15K.  And I am not losing any weight!

Right away I felt some cold raindrops on my face.  Oh swell.  Was it freezing rain, the beginning of the wintry mix we had been promised?  Never mind.  I was out there, I would give it a shot.  I kept to the roads, which had been sanded.  As long as I felt something crunching under my sneakers, I felt all right.  When I turned onto German Street and moved to the side of the road due to traffic, I felt one foot slide.  Oh dear!  But my old lady shuffling pace saved me. I stuck to the side streets after that.

Picture taken during my cool-down walk.

Early on in my run, I felt a kind of time warp as I saw somebody’s Christmas tree at the curb. It didn’t look dried out or anything!  Had these people kept watering it throughout January and most of February?  Sometimes after a run I feel like collapsing on the curb and waiting for somebody to haul me away, but that was not the case today.  The run felt pretty good, and I felt pretty good.

The better day to run would have been yesterday, when the roads were bare.  However, I went over to my sister Cheryl’s, and played in the snow with her two grandkids.  She and her son-in-law were chipping ice out of the gutter.  The snow was the crunchy kind, crusted on top, soft underneath.  It is an effort to walk around in such snow but so fun to make the crunch.  The kids got the idea to make a snow fort using some of the ice-ish layer, you know, the part you crunch through.  I helped them carry chunks of ice.  It must have been good exercise, because I got quite out of breath.

It is hard to see the edifice, because of white on white.

I also helped find a couple of the sticks we decorated it with.  Anyways, running on the sanded ice, crunching though the icy snow, I had two days of exercise.  Will I manage to leave the house tomorrow?  It will depend on what Mother Nature piles on us overnight!

 

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Another Good Breakfast

Posted on February 19, 2026 by mohawkvalleygirl

Thursdays I usually meet a few of my friends from the Elks Club for breakfast.  Looking back at the last couple of blog posts, I see I eat out a lot.  Well, one must eat after all, and why not put some money into the local economy as well?  So I was happy to drive to Little Falls to Ann Street Restaurant and Deli.

It looks like they still have their Christmas decorations outside.

The sign says, “Restaurant and Deli,” but their Facebook page is “Ann Street Deli,” and I usually hear it referred to as Ann Street Deli.  I add this purely for information’s sake. I remembered to take a picture before going in, so I would have an illustration for my blog post.  I have eaten at Ann Street many times, for breakfast or lunch.  It is a very popular spot, for good reason.

I had one of my favorites: a sandwich with egg, ham and cheese on a grilled hard roll.  One of my companions asked for mayonnaise on his sandwich (I forget which kind he got), and I said, “Oh yeah, put mayonnaise on my sandwich, too!”  I got into putting mayonnaise on my breakfast sandwiches in the army.  A friend who was from Alabama used to do it, and when I was in Georgia, the Waffle House automatically brought a packet of mayo with your sandwich.   I thought it was a southern thing.

Of course I had coffee and a glass of water.  And I enjoyed some good conversation.  Looking around, I saw that Ann Street is a gathering place as well as a restaurant.  There were a lot of groups of various sizes enjoying each other’s company as well as a good breakfast.

Ann Street Deli is located at Canal Place, Little Falls, NY, phone number 315-823-3290.

 

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Good Tuesday Dinner

Posted on February 19, 2026 by mohawkvalleygirl

Yesterday was Mardi Gras, or Fat Tuesday as I like to call it.  I know, for me every Tuesday is Fat Tuesday, and every other day as well.  Leave me alone, I’m working on it (was it a Freudian typo that I first put “forking on it”?).  Anyways, the day was wearing on, and I thought I would like to do something fat.  Like go out to eat.  After considering every possible place I could get to, I decided on the Paradise Eatery.

As soon as I walked in, I knew I had made the right decision, as the waitress gave me a big smile and welcomed me.  Soon I was sitting down and looking at a menu.  My eye immediately fell on Cheeseburger, and my body said, “Yes!”  It was a rare moment of decisiveness for me.  I had asked for a glass of water to start with but later requested a cup of coffee as well.  It was very good coffee.

The Cheeseburger was everything I had hoped for, and it came with fries which were perfectly done.  I chatted a little with the waitress, who has helped me before when I have eaten there.  I told her how her big smile had made my day.

Picture taken at a different time.

When looking for a picture, I remembered my original post about Paradise Eatery was “Bad Pictures, Good Eatery.”  I guess I need to get some better pictures.  An excellent excuse for another meal at Paradise Eatery!

Paradise Eatery is located at 122 W. Albany St., Herkimer, NY, phone number 315-219-5149.

 

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That Little Breakfast

Posted on February 18, 2026 by mohawkvalleygirl

I found myself in Little Falls, NY and hungry this morning, so I made my way down Main Street and enjoyed a good breakfast at That Little Place on Main Street.

That is exactly what it is.

It is indeed a little place, but I found a booth with no problem, and the waitress brought me a menu.  By the time she brought my coffee and water (I almost always ask for water), I knew what I wanted: a breakfast sandwich on a hard roll with egg and cheese.  I had been smelling bacon from the sidewalk, but decided to be calorically conservative.

As I waited for my food, sipping coffee and working on a letter to my sister Diane, a regular sitting at the bar was giving the waitress a hard time, as regular customers like to do.  I came to her defense.  He said a few other things, and I did not hesitate to join in the conversation.  You can do those things when you’re a crazy old lady.  At one point, he said his wife said he looked like a homeless person.  I told him to tell her it was Boho Chic.  He did not think he would remember that expression.

My sandwich was delicious!  The eggs were so fluffy!  I asked if there was hot sauce.  The guy who brought my food says, “We’ve got Tabasco, Red Hot, and some that’ll make you sorry you walked in.”  I opted for the Red Hot.  I was very happy with my breakfast and felt fortified for further Mohawk Valley Adventures.

That Little Place on Main is located at 28 W. Main St., Little Falls, NY.

 

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Once Again, I Run Again!

Posted on February 16, 2026 by mohawkvalleygirl

It has been almost two months since I ran.  I blame the weather but confess there have been a few days I could have gotten out there and did not.  Today, after hearing the WKTV News people talk about how they were not going to wear jackets today, I said, hey!  Let’s do it!  Accordingly, I put on running gear and set off.

And right away, it was great!  I felt terrific!  The only problem was, I forgot to stick a tissue or two up my sleeve.  Well, I can’t remember everything.  I am out of the habit of running, after all.  I stuck to un-busy streets, because I could not stay close to the curb.  Or at least, where I think the curb is, because it is covered with snow banks.  The sides of the road had frozen-over puddles, slush, and other obstacles.  However, most roads had plenty of bare pavement for me to enjoy.

Must include a picture, after all.

I just searched my Media Library for a picture of something I ran by that included snow.  There is actually a bit more snow in Meyer’s Park now, but you get the idea. I petted one dog.  At first I saw a pedestrian on the sidewalk, then a leash and a tail sticking up.

“A nice dog!” I said, assuming that it was (I always assume dogs to be nice until proven otherwise).  “If I come up on the sidewalk, can I pet that dog?”

Permission received, I went and petted the dog, which looked like a scotch terrier, but I did not ask.  It was a very sweet dog.  I love dogs.

I had thought to run for 20 minutes.  That is usually what I ask of myself when I have not been running for a while.  I actually made it 21 minutes, because when I got home I was so close to 1.5 miles, I kept running till I got it.  Yay, me!  I think if I continue running, I can be in sufficiently good shape to do the Boilermaker 15K in July, as I have been threatening to do.  I wonder if registration is still open.

 

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My Valentines

Posted on February 16, 2026 by mohawkvalleygirl

I thought it might be fun to do something unexpected for somebody else on Valentine’s Day.  Accordingly, I went to Flowers by Suzanne in Herkimer, NY, and purchased some carnations.

I love flowers.

Mindful of my mental and physical health, I walked.  I am SO looking forward to bare roads and sidewalks!  The lady at Suzanne’s was very helpful.  I got pink and white carnations, which she nicely wrapped in some pink paper.  She told me they did not need to be put in the little water holders; they would be fine.  I walked back down Mohawk Street till I came to To Niche Their Own, a delightful little shop I have written about before.

It’s a cool place.

Ashley, the owner was behind the counter, and a lady (whose name I stupidly did not ask) was working at the sewing machine in the window.  I presented each of them with a carnation.  They were very happy.  Ashley insisted on giving me a beautiful artificial flower.  I may purchase some of them for other people! Ashley also pointed out to me some new earrings that had come in, handmade and each pair unique.  I returned later and purchased a pair.

My next stop was A Little Touch of Country on South Washington Street.  The owner was very touched, saying I made her day.  She gave me a hug, which made my day!

I don’t have a picture of the outside of the shop, but here is some of the merchandise.

I gave flowers to others, but those were the most memorable, and the best shout-outs.  It wasn’t a bad Valentine’s Day.

Flowers by Suzanne is located at 433 Mohawk St., Herkimer, NY, phone number 315-866-0206. To Niche Their Own is at 127 Mohawk St., A Little Touch of Country on South Washington Street.

 

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I Didn’t Can It

Posted on February 15, 2026 by mohawkvalleygirl

I did not mean to go to the tasting at Valley Wine and Liquor in Herkimer, NY on Friday (yesterday). However, I was taking a walk for my mental and physical health, remembered I was short on cash so stopped by the ATM, realized the ATM was right across the street from the liquid store (OK, that is why I chose that ATM), and decided to stop in.

He was a cool guy.

They were sampling Cutwater canned cocktails.  I am not a huge cocktail drinker myself, but I thought it was worth a taste.  I said they would be good for parties, especially outdoor parties in the summer.  I’m sure many people would like to sip out of a can poolside.  I guess that is looking a few months ahead.  Eddie, the young man pouring, said they would also be good for bars.  I agreed, noting how bartenders maybe be too busy to make fancy drinks, and two bartenders may make the same drink differently.

There were three martinis: Espresso, Chocolate Espresso, and Lemon Drop.  Oh, were they yummy!  And dangerous!  The Lemon Drop tasted just like lemonade, and I could see myself sucking down the Chocolate Espresso as if it was chocolate milk (my recovery beverage after a work-out).  Personally, I prefer my booze to taste like booze, and I sip it slowly.  Still, to have one at a party…

I also liked the Lime Margarita.  It was as good as any blender Margarita I have had.  The Spicy Bloody Mary was also good.  I actually liked it better than the ones I make myself, because it was not too thick, which is the effect the tomato juice sometimes has (you may suggest I add more vodka, but I will refrain from doing so).

Last was the Long Island Iced Tea.  Of course I told the story of how that was one of the first cocktails I ever had, at JJ’s in Rome, NY, age 18 (which was the drinking age at the time).  It tasted just like iced tea, and I got into a little bit of trouble that way.  I never had an iced tea that tasted as good since, even in Long Island.  This one tasted just like iced tea. I was not really surprised, after the Lemon Drop Martini that tasted like lemonade.

I had a nice time sampling, and made tasting notes.  I will keep Cutwater in mind if I have any parties this summer.  I will inquire of my guests what they might like.  I personally will probably stick with wine.  Well, maybe one Cutwater can.  But not of each!

 

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A Little Help with Self Help

Posted on February 13, 2026 by mohawkvalleygirl

On a recent visit to Athenix Books and Brews (the Brews are coming soon!), I saw a book I had read before and liked, Atomic Habits by James Clear.  It is about making small changes to have a large impact on your life.  It was recommended to me by one of my VA doctors, and I found it had a lot of helpful advice.  I decided I would like a copy of my very own.

No, it wasn’t nailed to the door.

 

Nick Bennett, the proprietor, praised my choice.  It turns out he read the book and loved it.  I am not surprised, because that young man definitely has his act together.  He said he loves self help books.  I do, too, but usually I read them and mess up on the follow-through.  Well, we can only do what we can do.

Speaking of not following through, I love to read books about writing.  Another VA doctor had recommended one about not just writing but any creative endeavor, The Artist’s Way by Julia Cameron.  I got it on inter-library loan through midyork.org.  I was partway through it when it came due, but I was able to renew it.  I soon decided this was another book I should have for my very own.  Accordingly, I went to Athenix, and Nick nicely ordered it for me.  Full disclosure:  I also found two books to purchase while I was there.  Can you blame me?

Will they help? One can hope!

I took a picture of the two books for blogging purposes, including the pen-holding ghost and coffee mug I purchased on my first visit to Athenix.  The books in the background were purchased at some used book sale; I read them and am passing them on to my parents, who will perhaps pass them on to my sisters.  We are big readers in my family.

Athenix Books and Brews is located at 624 E. Main St., Little Falls, NY, open daily from 9 a.m. to 6 p.m.  You can follow him on Facebook to stay updated on when the Brews will be available!

 

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