Swooning about the DooDah

Posted on July 20, 2026 by mohawkvalleygirl

Once again I almost neglect to make my blog post. In my defense, it is rather a Wrist to Forehead Sunday, maybe a Wrist to Forehead Weekend. I spent some time yesterday swooning around, dramatically posed with the back of one wrist to my forehead, of course.  My couch had to make do for a chaise lounge.  I am somewhat adaptable in that respect.  Does it take two days to recover from my DooDah doings?  Perhaps.

Only a fraction of the parade!

I stood at the beginning and tried to get a shot that showed the scope of the parade.  Then I walked back down the line, taking a few pictures and wondering if I really wanted to ride on a float.  I was quite tired by that time.  Still, riding on a float was my best bet, since I had left my car at Ilion Elks Lodge and caught a ride to the parade’s beginning (it seemed like a good idea at the time).  I could always jump off said float as it went by the Elks.

Who better to appear in the parade?

This is the float of the class of 1976.  They seemed like a fun bunch of people when I chatted with them before the parade.  They had said if they had room, I could ride with them, but they lacked sufficient space.

They were having fun, yes.

I ended up jumping on a float that had not previously offered but just happened to have an extra chair. It was Emrich Land Surveying.  I know the owner, because he is an Ilion Village Trustee.  I met his mother, sister and nieces.  They were so nice and fun!  I was certainly happy to sit down.

I have been sitting or lounging ever since, except for when I have been swooning.  In fact, I feel another swoon coming on.  This does not bode well for tomorrow’s blog post.  Whatever will I do?  Worry about it tomorrow, I suppose.

 

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The DooDah Did Me In!

Posted on July 19, 2026 by mohawkvalleygirl

I have been lounged on my couch doing not much of anything today and remembered I did not make a blog post yet.  I went to the DooDah Parade in Ilion, NY and had a fine time.  Alas, I lack stamina and resiliency, but let us not dwell on my petty problems, let us talk about the parade.  For anybody just tuning in, it is one of the grand events of a week of Ilion Days Festivities.

Yay! Ilion Little Theatre!

As I walked around talking to people and taking pictures, I was delighted to see some of my friends from Ilion Little Theatre.  I think I mentioned in a previous post that the club had not participated in recent years, so I was happy to see them back.  They even invited me to ride on the float with them.  In fact, I had a few offers.

I loved it!

I foolishly did not make a note of whose this float was, but I complimented the man driving the pick-up truck towing it.  I told him about the yard in Potsdam that has a large number of toilets planted with real flowers.  I saw it once in person, but unfortunately only in passing.  Perhaps a road trip up North is indicated.

He was a friendly guy!

You can’t really see his cape in this picture.  He told me he was a combination of Superman and Wonder Woman.  It just goes to show you, anything goes at the DooDah Parade!

I’m afraid I spent too much time walking up and down, chatting and having a good time.  My back, knee, and hip are not thanking me for it today.  I wonder if I should change the name of my blog to Mohawk Valley Old Lady.  Hmmm… doesn’t have a ring to it.

 

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Do I DooDah?

Posted on July 17, 2026 by mohawkvalleygirl

That title occurred to me as I sat here on my Chromebook contemplating my day and wondering if I would get anything of substance done (spoiler alert: I probably won’t).  One problem is I have to recruit my energies for the DooDah Parade, a highlight of Ilion Days this evening.  I must cover it for the Daily Sentinel.  At least, I never heard back from my editor that she wanted me to cover it, but I covered it last year, so I thought I would submit something.  At least it will make a good blog post and be something for me to do on a Friday other than watch Dateline or Columbo and wish it was not too hot to knit.

I personally am on the Boomer cusp.

This is a picture from last year.  I walked all around the floats and marchers as they waited for the parade to start, chatting up lots of people and looking for Joe White, who is the main mover and shaker behind the parade.  I never found him, but one of the American Legions let me ride along on their float.  It was great fun.

I am back left, with my arm raised, looking a little like the Statue of Liberty.

This is from 2019, when Ilion Little Theatre used to participate in the DooDah.  They had a circus theme that year.  I just draped a few of my lighter shawls around me and put on my tiara, which long-time readers know I wear at any excuse.  I don’t remember what I purported to be, but I feel I looked fabulous.  This year the theme is, not surprisingly, Happy Birthday, America.  I feel I should dress appropriately, although I must remember the weather will be warm, not to say hot.

I keep saying I’m going to join them.

I thought I’d close with another shot from last year.  These are the Happy Hags, a delightful dance troupe that makes many local appearances.  I think they are wonderful.  If my arthritis or whatever it is permits, I may yet join them.  They are very nice.

So I guess I have talked myself into going to the DooDah Parade.  I must figure out what to wear (my Uncle Sam or George Washington costume?), where to park (I know a good spot close to the end but not too far to walk to the beginning), where to go afterwards (there is a good band playing at Ilion Elks Lodge) (preview of coming attractions) etc.  I said in my email to my editor that she might prefer to send a more talented photographer, so I see someone else there from the Sentinel, that will be fine.  I will use my photos for the blog.  As always, I hope you will stay tuned.

 

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Tip Top Breakfast at Top of the Morning

Posted on July 17, 2026 by mohawkvalleygirl

I met my Elks friends for breakfast this morning at Top of the Morning Cafe in North Utica, NY.  We had eaten there before, so I was able to refrain from annoying the car behind me by slowing down at every turn looking for Coventry Avenue.  I may have annoyed other cars with other driving behavior; I make no promises when it comes to annoying people.

I remembered to take a picture on the way in.

There were many good menu choices as well as some tempting specials.  I dithered and debated.  Then I went ahead and ordered two eggs over medium with Italian toast.

“That’s it?” Michele said.  I had been looking at some pretty elaborate meals.

“I’ll eat it, and I’ll like it,” I said.  Actually, the eggs were exactly the way I like them, and the toast had plenty of butter, also the way I like it.

I enjoy a simple breakfast sometimes.

I also liked the coffee mugs: what I call a four-finger mug, because the handle is nice and big.  I put pepper on my eggs but no salt.  Lately I have been eating eggs without salt and find I like them just as well.  Who knew?

Bonnie got one of the more elaborate breakfasts. I think it was a meat lovers scramble.  I took a picture for blogging purposes.

It did look tempting!

I may get one of the bigger breakfasts another time and take some home.  For today, I enjoyed what I got.

Top of the Morning Cafe is located at 414 Trenton Rd., Utica, NY.

 

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I’m Idle on the Ides

Posted on July 16, 2026 by mohawkvalleygirl

Beware the Ides of July!  Perhaps you thought the Ides were only in March.  A doctor I used to work with said it was the Ides the 15th of every month.  This was the same doctor that once made a smarter-than-thou remark and I told him not to be didactic.  He said he didn’t know what that meant.  I told him it meant the same thing as pedantic, and he got mad.  I like to tell that story.  But I digress.

Today on Facebook, I posted that it was the Ides of July, which must be why I was having a bad day already.  It is a weird day, because the wildfires in Canada are affecting the air quality here.  It is as dark as a very cloudy day in my house, but when I look outside, everything looks yellow.  I find it creepy.  I KNOW, Canada has it much worse, I feel terrible for them!  Anyways, a couple of friends commented that they hoped my day got better and I realized I was probably the only one who could make my day better for me (a fairly daunting thought).

Accordingly, I took a soapy shower (I found some moisturizing body wash and one of those plastic spongy things). I put on one of my fancy caftans and the fancy shoes I later found to go with it.  Naturally I took a picture.

Don’t you just love the pompoms?

I might have looked more elegant with my ankles crossed, but with my left foot perpetually asleep, I felt it better not to.  Long-time readers may remember those shoes as the ones I wore to get strangled in in Prescription: Murder at Ilion Little Theatre about a year and a half ago.  Everybody loved those shoes then.

He looks upset, but he was really glad I was dead.

Maybe I can also bill this post as a Wayback Wednesday now.  Anyways, I also took a selfie, so readers could see my fancy caftan.  Maybe I should get one of them there selfie sticks, so I can really give the picture.

I try to look cute.

I guess I have cheered myself up some.  I feel cool and elegant in my caftan.  Maybe I’ll pour some ice water into a fancy glass and sip it slowly.  At any rate, at least I’ve made a blog post.  I hope the air outside is better, so I can have some Mohawk Valley Adventures tomorrow.

 

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Not Typical on Tired Tuesday

Posted on July 14, 2026 by mohawkvalleygirl

I am having a rather rough time these days.  I put my crutches aside on Saturday.  It went fairly well, but I clearly need my appointments with orthopedics next week and month.  And a few other appointments as well, but I must not go on about my physical ailments.  It is so tiresome, although I understand it can be typical of women my age.  Oh, how I hate to be typical!

I prefer to be colorful.

I quickly throw in an unexpected photograph.  Who could be uncheered by a drag queen?  Not me, I feel better already. I really do not have much to blog about currently.  Last night I covered the Ilion Village Board meeting.  While there, a trustee asked me was I going to cover the DooDah Parade on Friday.  I emailed my editor at the Daily Sentinel and asked if she wanted me to.  I did last year.

A shot from last year’s DooDah Parade.

I hitched a ride on a float of one of the American Legions.  This is a picture I took from it as the parade started.  It was a lot of fun.

And who doesn’t love a classic car?

Last year’s parade was notable because the Grand Marshal was an exchange student who returned for the 50th Class Reunion.  I got a picture of him in the fancy car loaned for the occasion.  I do not even know what this year’s DooDah theme is.  Ilion Days had completely dropped off my radar, due to my health problems (oh dear, I mustn’t get back on those again!).

At any rate, I am over 250 words. I can bill this as a Tired Tuesday post and drive on.  We shall see what the rest of the week will bring!

 

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I Didn’t Get To

Posted on July 13, 2026 by mohawkvalleygirl

I neglected to make my Wrist to Forehead Sunday blog post, but that isn’t really what I Didn’t Get To, as referenced in the title.  The title refers to the Utica Boilermaker 15K, which longtime readers know I have run in the past and I meant to run this year but was sidelined by my treacherous body.  Then again, perhaps it was me who betrayed my body by not training properly, not stretching enough, eating the wrong things, blah blah blah.  In other words, once again, Operator Error.  In either case, yesterday I swooned, dramatically posed with the back of one wrist to my forehead, because I could not join the other runners.

What I might have looked like after the race.

That is a picture from April of 2020, after I had just run a Virtual 5K to benefit, I think, a food pantry in Little Falls, NY.  These were my pre-Garmin, pre-Map My Run days, so I ran what I thought I remembered was the DARE 5K route, up the hill to Herkimer College (a formidable hill, in case you didn’t know).  Some people were impressed.

So I got on Facebook yesterday and saw all the good wishes for Boilermaker runners and video from WKTV, and I was, I admit it, a little down. So I said to myself, “You don’t get to.”  And isn’t that the truth?  Sometimes you just don’t get to.  I didn’t get to see my husband turn 70.  I didn’t get to win the Lottery.  I didn’t get to plant a vegetable garden this year.

I do not know why that little phrase should make me feel better, but somehow it does.  I did not get to run the Boilermaker.  Maybe next year I will.  Or maybe not.  A little uncertainty adds interest to 2027, does it not?

 

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We’ll Call This a Scattered Saturday Post

Posted on July 11, 2026 by mohawkvalleygirl

Oh dear, look at the time!  I was about to begin this post with “That was exhausting!”  I got a new phone yesterday.  I got it for free for being a loyal TracFone customer (don’t know how to spell it, so you see how loyal I really am; I am just to lazy to change these things once I have them).  I think I got my stuff switched over OK, all except for WordPress.  Well, I wanted to download (or is it upload?) two pictures I took yesterday to make a fast post today.  Full disclosure:  I only took the pictures to see if I could email them, because I am off to cover an event for the Daily Sentinel and it is of prime importance that I be able to include pictures.

I do babble on, don’t I?  Quick, throw in one of those pictures!

I do love purple!

These are the purple flowers that I am letting live in my front lawn after the daisies and peonies died.  Alas, they are not as plentiful, but they have the advantage that I can see them.  I was trapped on my couch or transporting to various medical facilities when the daisies and peonies were spreading their joy.  I hope other passers-by enjoyed them.

Can you count them? I can’t, so there will be no contest for guessing the correct amount.

These are the little pine cones that grow in profusion on the former Frankentree.  I took the picture, because my sister Diane was quite taken with them when she last visited, and I meant to email the pictures to her, since I knew I had her email address on file and was pretty sure she would email back.  I wonder if I could do some artsy-craftsy thing with a lot of little pine cones.  Additionally, I thought pincecones was one word, but my computer is underlining it, so I guess not.

I must get off my Chromebook and get ready to go to the Annual Wellness Fair at the Town of Herkimer Park.  It starts at 9 a.m. and runs till 1 p.m. will lots of vendors, information and activities, for any local readers who would like to check it out!

 

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The Boilermaker Blues

Posted on July 10, 2026 by mohawkvalleygirl

Hello and welcome to another Lame Post Friday post!  I am waiting for my new smarter-than-me phone to charge a little more before I head out to the Health and Wellness Expo for the Utica Boilermaker 2026.  Normally this blog would be All Boilermaker All The Time at this point, as I dealt with last minute training and carbing up, Boilermaker Butterflies, decisions about what to wear, where to park, and anything else I could come up with to dither about.  Regular readers know, that will not happen this year.

My feet failed me now.

Those are my sneakers in 2020, a virtual Boilermaker year.  Running was a great solace to me during COVID shut-down.  I have long relied on walking and running to supplement my anti-depressant drugs, counseling, etc.  These days I keep giving myself a good talking-to when I start to feel sorry for myself over the way my body has betrayed me this year, because for heavens’ sake, it could be much worse.

I waited till way too late in the game to transfer my bib or get a medical deferral. Partly because I was spending time immobile and incommunicado, partly because I kept hoping there would be some miracle.  That was silly of me, but then, you know me.  Silly.  I emailed the race director on Wednesday and told him my tentative plan to pick up my bib and glass, then go to the race after-party on my crutches and drink beer with the finishers.  He emailed back that he thought it was a great idea.  How sweet was that, that he took time to email me back!

Not the best picture.

The Boilermaker gives you a glass instead of a t-shirt.  This is from the first time I ran the Boilermaker in 2010.  I have not run it  every year, but I have run it several times (please don’t ask me to do the math!).  Sorry the picture is so dark.  I first had to wander around my messy house looking for a place to take the picture at all; I couldn’t be bothered to worry about the lighting as well.

I see I am over 350 words with neither a random observation nor a bit of half-baked philosophy to show for it.  What is Lame Post Friday coming to?  On the brighter side, it is just about time to take off for the Expo.  Another glass to drink my chocolate milk recovery beverage out of, if I am ever able to run again!

 

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Blanche DuBois, Can You Help Me Now?

Posted on July 10, 2026 by mohawkvalleygirl

Hello, and welcome to a Non-Sequitur Thursday Post.  I only hope I can come up with a headline sufficiently intriguing to entice people to read what I can come up with.  To put things out of order, I lead with my best picture, which I took late in the day, when I gimped on my crutches to the Elks Lodge to see whichever of my friends might happen to be there.

Baby Firefighter?

Logically, I suppose a child dropped the doll and a later by-passer placed it on the fire hydrant so it would be obvious to anybody returning hoping to retrieve said toy.  I just thought it looked cool.

When I returned home, I took a couple pictures I perhaps should have taken this morning.

Can you even tell I mowed?

This is usually the day I meet up with some of my Elks friends for breakfast.  Unfortunately, I had neglected to find out where they had decided to meet. I could have reached out to one of them to find out, but instead I thought I ought to mow my back lawn before the heat of the day, which promised to come early.  Accordingly I went out and checked my gas container, which I had thought was empty and I would have to fill it.  It had gas in it!  I excitedly filled my power mower.

I was a little worried that it was only about 7:23.  I walked out front and saw some guys in a pick-up truck turning around in the apartment building at the end of my street.  I flagged them down and asked how early one could get away with mowing with a power mower.  They thought 7 a.m. was a good time.

“I just don’t want anybody cursing me,” I said.  Two guys in the pick-up thought I was all right.  Encouraged, I went back to my mower.

Only to find out I could not start it.  I primed it.  I checked the oil.  I waited and primed it again.  I walked out front again and saw a young man who looked fairly muscular.  I did not know him but made bold to approach him.  Like Blanche DuBois, I have always relied upon the kindness of strangers.  He nicely agreed to try.  After a couple of tries, he got it started!  Unfortunately, his keys were stuck in the safety doodah.  Luckily, I was able to ease them out without stopping the mower.

 

 

Another view of my efforts. Please ignore the Halloween decorations behind the plywood.

Thanking my benefactor, I went at that back yard!  I confess, there is quite a bit yet to be done with clippers, etc.  However, when I finished what I could do I was tired!

Oh dear, look at this, I am over 450 words!  That is a long blog post for me, and I have no ideas for a headline or a conclusion.  Never mind.  It is Thursday.  I have made a blog post.  As my mantra says: We do what we can do, and if it’s not enough: tough!

 

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