Too Lame for a Running Commentary

Posted on April 11, 2026 by mohawkvalleygirl

I had meant to make a Running Commentary Post today, but these are best made soon after the run.  It was some hours ago that I ran (by a very generous definition of the word) up the hill to Herkimer College (affectionately known as HCCC or H-trip-C).  It is a pretty good hill.  I would like to say I ran it triumphantly, but feelings of triumph were to follow.  At the time I felt pretty damn miserable.  But here I am runningly commenting when I decided to do a Lame Post Friday post after all.

Non-sequitur illustration.

I took this picture yesterday, I think.  I was delighted to see buds on the tree, and it looked so pretty against the blue sky.  I have not been running enough, but I manage to get in at least a short to medium walk almost every day.

Pretty!

I paused on my cool-down walk to take a picture of these crocuses.  Some people may roll their eyes and say, “We KNOW what a crocus looks like!”  I explain to them, “Shut up.”  (That is a line from S.J. Perelman, ” ‘Shut up,’ the policeman explained.”)

I zoomed in a little closer.

I confess I stepped a few feet onto these people’s front yard.  Nobody came out and yelled at me nor fired a shotgun.  You never know around here.

One white crocus to make me happy.

I was across the street from my house at the end of my cool down when I saw a couple patches of white.  A crocus?  Don’t get your hopes up, I told myself;  it is probably garbage.  Well, one of the white spots was, but the other was a crocus.  Yay!

So this is my blog post today.  Not quite a Running Commentary, and a little bit of spring.  I hope you are all having a lovely Friday.

 

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Murder Remembered

Posted on April 10, 2026 by mohawkvalleygirl

Alas, I have once again fallen down on the job as a daily blogger by failing to make even a Wuss-out Wednesday post.  A quick check of my phone tells me a Waste Not Want Not Wednesday is also ineligible.  As I sit here on my couch feeling rather tired, I fear a Throwback Thursday is my best bet.  For one reason, I am pondering the latest murder mystery and throwing back to past triumphs may inspire me.

You knew I would include a picture of Steven if possible.

This was indeed a fun one, Fabulous and Fatal in the fall of 2019.  My late, dearly missed husband Steven made quite the hit as Ophelia Upp, a member of Drag Queens Along the Mohawk.  I played the glamorous Roxanne Rolls.

Nothing suspicious about him!

And here is my friend Tucker as Renwick Spaulding, a great lover of all things insect in Donate to Murder.  He was pretty awesome.  I feel proud of myself for writing these murder mysteries, but really, it is the actors who make the stories come to life.  Which may seem like a funny thing to say about a murder mystery.

How could somebody that fabulous kill anybody?

Here is a less than candid shot of one of our suspects for Shooting at the Grange, which we performed at Salisbury Grange in the spring in 2023.  It was a pretty fun script in a nice setting.

I don’t know that I feel particularly inspired now to work on the mystery we are rehearsing tonight, but at least I have my blog post done.  I hope you’ll stay tuned for future Mohawk Valley Adventures.

 

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Last Wintry Run?

Posted on April 8, 2026 by mohawkvalleygirl

I thought of this title as I was walking my cool-down and watching the snow return.  I woke up with my usual case of I Just Can’t Even, thinking tomorrow would be just as good to re-start my Boilermaker 15K training program.  Ha-ha, like I have a program!  I just try to run a little further each week and not miss a bunch of days in a row like I recently did.  The weather gurus at WKTV News assure us that today is the last day of winter like weather.  Will they be accurate?  A little uncertainty adds interest to my week.

The flowers say it’s spring!

I ran near this patch of purple flowers which I took a picture of last week and thought, oh good, at least I will have one appropriate picture.  I was pretty pleased with myself for getting out there and moving, the more so since I had washed the dishes first.  Full disclosure:  I only washed the dishes first because I had neglected to charge my Garmin so needed to give it some time to come back from the dead.  Now I am happy the dishes are done.  If I can do a little laundry, I will really feel like the happy homemaker.

Some eye-rolling at myself ensued when I was getting ready to leave.  I picked up the arm band I put my cell phone in (I use Garmin and Map My Run, which should surprise no one who is acquainted with me), then thought I needed a hat and gloves.  After I found gloves and thought a headband might do instead of a hat, I said, “Where did I put that armband?”  Of course I could not find it.  I retraced my steps about eight times, finding a hat in the process but no arm band.  Finally I said to hell with it, I will hold my phone in my hand!  I got everything else together: tissues tucked in sleeves, sweatshirt to wear on cool-down walk, bottle of water (I had to fill a second one, because I misplaced the first), Garmin on, cellphone in hand, go to the door…

There was the armband!  I had sensibly put it near the door before looking for the hat and gloves!  Who knew I would ever do the sensible thing!

I contemplate my experience.

I did not take a selfie after the run, but here is one from April 2020, on a similarly cold day.  My hair is about as wild, and perhaps a little longer.  I guess I haven’t really talked much about the run itself, but I see I am over 400 words.  I must get on with the rest of my day.  Once again, I thank you for tuning in.

 

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Vincent Price Helps Me Out Today

Posted on April 7, 2026 by mohawkvalleygirl

It is late in the day (for me) and the only thing I can manage is a Monstrous Monday Post. After a lovely Easter holiday, I had rather a blah day today.  I guess I partied too heartily.  You’ll have that.

This is kind of how I feel right now.

Here is a guy whose name escapes me from House on Haunted Hill.  The original, Vincent Price version, directed by William Castle.  I love that movie.  I guess he’s not a monster, but he is in a monster movie.  It will have to do.

You’d scream, too!

Here is a monster from that same movie.  He is terrorizing Vincent Price’s wife.  She has the line, “Darling, the only ghoul in this house is you,” but I think she is a little monstrous herself.  Watch the movie for yourself and see if you agree.

Talk about don’t let the bed bugs bite!

And here is Vincent Price himself, in The Tingler, another William Castle thriller.  I think I have a picture of Vincent in House on Haunted Hill, but I feel too tired to look for it.  Or perhaps I am too lazy.

I confess to feeling down today.  Post holiday letdown?  Still disappointed because I did not get cast in the play I auditioned for?  Just sad because the weather turned cold again?  I don’t suppose it matters.  On the brighter side, I made a blog post of at least 200 words.  I’ll hope for a better day (and blog post) tomorrow.

 

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Where’s Vincent Price When You Need Him?

Posted on April 5, 2026 by mohawkvalleygirl

I’m afraid this is going to be something of a Slacker Sunday blog post. I will soon be celebrating Easter Sunday with some of my family and want to get the blog post made before I forget to do so, as is apt to happen on a Sunday.  Or any other day.

Preview of Coming Attractions?

I was actually looking for the picture of Vincent Price as Egghead from the Batman TV series, only the egg he is holding is painted Easter colors.  I know it is in my Media Library somewhere, but I cannot spend all day looking for it.  Instead I share this “before” picture of plants purchased for my container garden on my deck one year.  I have not had a good container garden in years.  Will 2026 be the year it returns?  I can hope.

Oh, just shoot me!

I could not find another picture at all appropriate, but there could be no possible objection to Bette Davis.  After we saw this movie for the first time, when we lived in Georgia, I wrote my mother a letter where I was talking about it. How Bette Davis killed this guy and it was self defense, only she had written this letter to him that proved it was not and she had to buy back the letter, etc., but I could not remember the name of the film.  My husband Steven wrote in the margin, “It was The Letter.”  We were both pretty amused.

There he is!

Here’s Vincent Price!  I think I have another picture of him somewhere, but this one will totally do.  I hope you are all having a lovely Easter if you celebrate, and a lovely Sunday if you do not.

 

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Comfort from Crocuses on Slacker Saturday

Posted on April 5, 2026 by mohawkvalleygirl

Oh dear, here I am late in the day (for me) on a Saturday, wondering if I can Scatter or Slack.  On the whole, I say Slack, and perhaps share a few flower pictures I still have on my phone.

Yay, crocuses!

It was Tuesday afternoon when I was delighted to notice some crocuses in my backyard.  Naturally I took some pictures.  I put down crocus bulbs the first fall after my late, dearly missed husband Steve and I bought the house, in 2005.  I truly must put down more. Will 2026 be the year?  We can hope.

This one was wide open.

I suppose one could derive some lesson for my life, that I have gone over 20 years without doing a fairly easy improvement on my property, namely putting down crocus bulbs.  I do not believe it would be anything particularly flattering to me.  Instead, I think I will merely rejoice that some crocuses yet appear in my yard, and it will always be possible for me to put down more bulbs.

It’s so pretty!

I truly hope to do more work in my yard this year.  It will definitely make for a few good blog posts.  In the meantime, why now cut myself a break?  As I said, I enjoy what I can see.  And I look forward to seeing more as spring wears on.

 

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Not Too Lame to Walk

Posted on April 4, 2026 by mohawkvalleygirl

Well, I made it to Lame Post Friday and, yes, I am feeling lame.  I’m still waste-not-want-notting with a few pictures I took on a recent walk.  I’m sure I mentioned that I try to walk almost every day.  I actually went for a run this morning, and it was pretty great.  I was thinking of doing a Running Commentary post, but the day kind of got away from me.  Let us see what I can come up with before heading to Valley Wine and Liquor for a wine tasting and perhaps to Herkimer Elks Lodge for Fish Fry (preview of coming attractions).

Look how many purple flowers!

I still have not found out what these little purple flowers are called, but I love them.  When I find out, I will get some seeds and scatter them all over my yard.  I love looking around for growth as I walk.  As I type this, I am a little sorry I do not intend to walk to the liquid store (as a four-year-old niece once called it).  However, I plan to purchase some wine, and those bottle get heavy!

I love fire fighters!

This is a new sign in front of the fire station.  I do not always walk by  the station, so I am not sure how long it has been there.

Can you read it?

This is the dedication plaque on the rear of the sign.  I did not pause to read it at the time; I just took the picture.

And just like that, I am over 250 words.  Score!  On to the rest of my Friday!  As always, I thank you for tuning in.

 

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It’s Probably My Age

Posted on April 3, 2026 by mohawkvalleygirl

I continue to feel tired and dull.  I could blame yesterday’s colonoscopy (do NOT say Too Much Information!) or my age, but then I thought: perhaps I am still tired from the Elk of the Year Banquet last Saturday. I did dance a portion of my butt off.  This gives me an excellent opportunity to share the rest of the pictures I have from that memorable evening.

Not as good as the other two pictures, perhaps.

Here I am dancing with the man of the hour (and the year, of course), my friend Joe.  It was lovely to see him so honored, and also a thrill to dance to the music of my favorite band, The Posers.

They rock down, yes they do!

At one point, a guest artist joined them on the bandstand (yes, I know, it was just a corner of the room; I was trying to sound impressive).

She was adorable.

A young girl who had been having as much fun as I was dancing took over on the drums for a short time.  She didn’t do too badly.  My great-nephew Sheppy is taking up percussion.  Maybe if he joins me for one of the Posers’ gigs, they will let him sit in for a number.

I guess I do not mind being tired, although I hope if I make a few sensible lifestyle changes I can get some energy back.  Then again, when have I ever done anything sensible?  At any rate, I will try for a few Mohawk Valley Adventures and hope you will tune in to future blog posts.

 

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Spring Makes Me Feel Less Blue

Posted on April 2, 2026 by mohawkvalleygirl

I thought I would do a Waste Not Wednesday post. today.  I actually have a number of pictures I could share but settled on a few for today.  I should mention that I am feeling rather tired and down after my (not very serious) medical procedure today.  Then again, I feel tired and down many days.  I am not a young woman, and I could live a healthier lifestyle than what I do.

Am I blue?

Yesterday as part of my colonoscopy (the aforementioned procedure) prep, I was required to drink GatorAde.  I chose my favorite flavor, blue.  To make things more enjoyable, I chose a fancy glass.  This also gives me a chance to give a shout-out to Woodland Farm Brewery in Marcy, NY.  I went there some years ago with my husband Steven and sister Cheryl.  I think somewhere in my Media Library is a picture of Steven and I toasting, but of course I am too lazy to go look for it now.  I must return to the brewery one day soon.

Ah, the promise of spring!

Yesterday was a nice warm day, warm enough for some porch sitting.  My sister Diane, who came out from Liverpool to drive me to the colonoscopy (I do keep harping that, don’t I?), sat out with me for a while, while I drank the blue stuff.  At one point, I went into the backyard to see if my daffodils had bloomed. They had not, but imagine my delight to see some crocuses.  Every fall I neglect to put down more bulbs, but every year a few come up to brighten up the place.

This was the biggest patch.

As I said, I have more pictures but felt I would only be up to a three-picture post, and so it is.  I really am feeling not too bad, and I have to give a shout-out to Little Falls Hospital, where I had my procedure done.  Everybody was so nice, and things were accomplished must faster than I had imagined (of course I slept through most of it).

Well, I feel a bit better having managed a post of over 350 words.  As always, I thank you for tuning in.

 

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A Really Tiresome Tuesday

Posted on April 1, 2026 by mohawkvalleygirl

I really really want to do a Tired Tuesday post.  That is, I really really want to do a blog post and only feel capable of managing a Tired Tuesday.  At the risk of oversharing (it’s kind of a hobby of mine), tomorrow I am finally having a colonoscopy.  I guess some people start getting them at age 50, but I have always been kind of a late bloomer.  I tried to spend the last few days eating easy to digest food (as much as I could manage at the Elk of the Year Banquet), and today I am eating NOTHING SOLID.  What a struggle for a big fat pig like me!

Wednesday afternoon or Thursday will be OK with me, too.

Of course I have very little to complain about.  I can sit here and do nothing except not eat; I do not have to be at work, I do not have to be getting anything specific done.  Then again,  I always say go with your strengths: complaining is one of mine.

What I will feel like if I go too long without eating.  Or without coffee.

I went to look for a silly picture to cheer the post (and myself) up, and found this one.  How appropriate, yes?  My only hope is that I do all the prep properly, so nothing terrible happens, like having to reschedule or my butt exploding.  I try to keep myself from envisioning possibilities.

The other possibility, if I don’t get food and coffee at some point.

My sense of humor comes to my rescue as usual (what isn’t to laugh at Joan Crawford with an ax?).  I laugh at myself.  I sit here drinking tea, water, broth.  Later on I will have some GatorAde and that stuff they tell you to put in it.  I feel a little better now that I have expressed myself about the matter.  I hope you are all having a delightful Tuesday.

 

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