Author Archives: mohawkvalleygirl

Not Scattered, Shout-Out!

Posted on July 12, 2020 by mohawkvalleygirl

I cannot make a Scattered Saturday Post,  because I have not scattered enough.  I took a long run this morning then pretty much sat around and wished it was not so hot and humid.  YES, I am a wimpy whiner, one must put up with these uncomfortable weather situations, blah blah, woof woof.  Hey, at least I managed a long run up a major hill before wimping out.  I suppose that does not count with some of you ( you know who you are).  Hmph!

Where was I?  Ah yes, trying to make a blog post when I have not indulged in many blogable activities.  My friend Kim picked me up in the afternoon, and we went to the End Zone Pub and Grub in Herkimer for a couple of drinks.  It was a lot of fun, as it usually when Kim and I get together.

No, I did not fall off my barstool to take this picture.

I was just scrolling through my Media Library looking for pictures of the End Zone, and I found this shot of the ceiling, complete with a Herkimer jersey.  Some of these older buildings have the best ceilings!

Always stuff to look at!

I enjoy looking at the sports and beer memorabilia on the wall.  There are also several television screens, usually with different games going on.

So I guess my Scattered Saturday Post has turned into a shout out for a local business.  Regular readers may recall that I have given shout-outs to this business in the recent past.  So sorry to repeat myself.  I also apologize for making my Saturday Post early Sunday morning (by my clock, anyways).  I can only hope to do better on Wrist to Forehead Sunday!

 

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No Sweat: It’s Lame Post Friday!

Posted on July 11, 2020 by mohawkvalleygirl

And yet, I am gaining weight. Go figure.

I will try not to spend this entire post whining about the heat and humidity, but no promises.  Sharing the above picture reminded me of a high school friend who used to quote Shakespeare referring to her midsection: “Oh that this too, too solid flesh would melt, thaw and resolve itself to dew.”  Is there a problem with spending an entire post lamenting my weight gain worries?

The beauty part is that today is Lame Post Friday,  so I am going to call whatever I come up with OK, as long as it runs to 200 words.  Maybe another picture would pep things up.

I think they are pretty.

I have been watering my Johnny Jump-ups and my container garden almost every day.  The forecast keeps promising rain and even thunder storms, but they seem to bypass me.  I keep thinking I should take an updated picture but have not done it yet.  And no, I can’t run out and do it now, because it is dark out.

Speaking of dark, I will be glad when we start to get a little more of it.  I’m sure that is an unpopular opinion, but I usually am out of step with the rest of the world (you may have noticed).  Mostly I am looking forward to a later sunrise.  That way, when I go running in the morning, I can begin my run in the dark and end it in the light.  I love that.

Ooh, look, I am over 250 words.  I think I will just close with a picture.  Happy Friday, everyone!

A shot of my neighborhood being rained on, because I hear it starting to rain as I type this.

 

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Non Sequitur Movies and Post

Posted on July 10, 2020 by mohawkvalleygirl

I was going to call this a Throwback Thursday Post to when I decided to watch old movies on my day off.  The only question is whether I will have sufficient pictures to make it interesting.

She is SO fabulous!

The first picture I see is of our second feature, Being Julia starring the wonderful Annette Bening.

Here is a revolting development:  I cannot find illustrations for Rear Window,  which we watched before, or Gosford Park, which we are watching now.

Point that portable keyhole!

I’ve loved Rear Window for years and often remember the first time I saw it, on a small black and white television in a crappy apartment in Potsdam, NY.  Yes, the good old days, when we were neither good nor old nor were they days, they were nights.

Love the 1920’s styles!

That took me a long time, to find appropriate  illustrations. The above is from Gosford Park, a rather delightful murder mystery set in the 1920’s,  one of my favorite eras.  I have written a couple of murder mysteries that take place in the 1920’s.  I do not rule out writing a few more.  People love the 1920’s.  Is it the beads?  Is it the booze?  Is it the fringey dresses?  Or is it the jazz music?   So much to love!

It is also very enjoyable to write a blog post about watching movies on a hot and sticky night.  Some people love summer.  I do not.  To each his own, as the old lady said when she kissed the cow.

 

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Maybe Not Balanced, But a Good Lunch

Posted on July 9, 2020 by mohawkvalleygirl

Steven and I just had a delightful lunch with our friends, Phyllis and Jim.  Was wine involved?  Could be!

A truly delightful couple.

We met at Applebee’s in Herkimer, NY.  In general, Mohawk Valley Girl prefers to stick to locally owned businesses.  On the other hand, local people work at Applebee’s.  Why should I not support them?  Oh well, right or wrong thing to do, we met at Applebee’s.

Jim in a mask.

Naturally we wore masks on our way to the table.  I was intrigued by Phyllis and Jim’s masks.  They told me they  were their granddaughters’  artwork and had come from a website called artsonia.com.  I do not put it in as a link, because I have not yet checked it out myself.  That may have something to do with the second or third glass of Cabernet Sauvopignon, but let us not worry about such things now.

Applebee’ s was concerned with social distancing, with some booths blocked off.  This is always good to see.

We did not sit there,.

We talked about the problems of businesses reopening.  Were our facemasks enough to stop the spread of COVID-19?  We can only so the best we can do.  Phyllis observed that if we cannot have time with the people we love, we do not have anything.  I had to agree.

Other bloggers can make these mirror selfies work! Me, not so much.

When we got back home it was still pretty warm.  I put on a shirt Jim had given me.  I felt the snowman motif was appropriate for our current situation.

It was a thoroughly enjoyable lunch.  I agree with Phyllis: we need time with those we love most!  Let us strive to maintain a balance from our own mental health and the physical health of all!

 

 

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Still Supporting Local

Posted on July 8, 2020 by mohawkvalleygirl

These days I am torn between the desire to stay home, stay safe and keep my germs to myself, and the desire to be out and about, get material for blog posts and support local businesses. Lately I have erred on the side of Support Local.  Isn’t that what one would expect of Mohawk Valley Girl?

Today I went to my beloved Herkimer County Historical Society on Main Street in Herkimer.  For one reason, when I was there before, I missed some post cards.  For another, I wanted to grab a couple more masks.  The masks were donated to the society specifically to be sold to raise funds.  And they have some lovely designs.

Post cards and masks; I’m all set!

Next I went to Renewed and Rescued further down Main Street.  They have expanded!  It’s awesome!  I must make a blog post telling more.

And there is plenty of room for even more merchandise!

I had come in specifically to look for clothes, but first I had to walk all around at the new space and stuff.  Finally I stopped browsing and found myself a dress, a pair of shoes, and a present for Steven (I did not go in looking for the last item, but what’s wrong with an impulse buy?).

Some of the clothes were on sale!

I counted my trip as successful, although I can’t help wondering if the blog post is up to par.  No matter.  We’ll just call it a Tired Tuesday and drive on.

 

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Beer, Wine, and a Real Good Time

Posted on July 6, 2020 by mohawkvalleygirl

Regular readers know I am more of a wine aficionado than a beer drinker.  But I love beer, too, especially locally brewed. I got both yesterday when my friendnd Kim and I went to Heelpath Brewing in Frankfort.

I always admire chalk art.

Mindful of the times, we wore our masks in and sat six feet away from each other and other patrons.  Luckily the music was not loud, so conversation was not a problem.  The proprietor, Jeff, bid us welcome from behind the bar.

They did not have Kim’s favorite, Moscato, so I suggested she would like Sweet Little Blonde from Rustic Ridge Winery in Burlington Flats.  I spent some time dithering between a glass of their Untamed Red or a flight of beers.  I finally settled on a flight of beers, so I could take tasting notes for the blog.

I also took this picture to post on the Utica Beer Geeks Facebook page.

The first one I tried was the Pilsner.  Jeff said it was his first attempt at a pilsner and he may not have nailed it.  I liked it.  It tasted like a beer beer, if you see what I mean.  That is, my father who loves beer but is not a big fan of craft beers would like it.

I was especially interested in trying the Jalapeno Cream Ale.  Jeff said it surprised some people, because there was not a lot of heat to it.  I, personally, do not mind a little heat.  It instantly earned my ultimate accolade of YUMMY!  Not a lot of heat, but a strong jalapeno flavor I found delicious.

The Arctic Red Ale was not as light as the previous two but not heavy by any means.  I put in my tasting notes that it tasted red but not arctic.  I picked it because I had been so uncomfortably warm, and, you know, arctic, cold.  Which was really silly of me, because what did I expect?  It was cold beer.  How could it taste any colder?  This is one reason why I am not a professional beer taster.

My least favorite of the four was the American Ale.  I am not sure how else to describe it, which is another reason I am not a professional beer taster.

Kim enjoyed wine while I had my beer.

After my tasting, Kim and I went for a short walk by the water.  It was really too warm for me to enjoy the great outdoors.  Additionally,  the water levels were quite low. We decided to go back in for more wine.

I thought the big dead branch was cool.

This time I had the Untamed Red.  I love it, and the only place I can get it is at Heelpath or at the winery itself.  I told Kim we must plan a road trip to Burlington Flats.

Enjoying a glass of wine with the proprietor.

For more information on Rustic Ridge Winery, you can visit their Facebook page or their website http://www.rusticridgewinery.com.  Heelpath Brewing Company’s website is http://www.heelpathbrewingco.com.  They are also on Facebook.

 

 

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A Gem of a Store

Posted on July 6, 2020 by mohawkvalleygirl

Yesterday I noticed on Facebook that The Rose Quartz Stand was open from eleven to three.  I had been meaning to stop down there since retail started to re-open, so I decided to celebrate my Fourth of July by helping support a local business.

Lots of merchandise in a relatively small space.

The Rose Quartz Stand is a gem and mineral shop.  They have a lovely little retail space on Main Street in Herkimer,  but they do most of their business at shows and festivals.  Unfortunately, these have all been cancelled due to COVID.  I thought I would do what I could, with a purchase and a blog post.  Additionally, I love the little stone animals you can buy there!

As I browsed the aisles, I chatted with the owner.  He admitted they were taking a hit with all the cancellations but agreed that people’s health (including his own!) was more important.  We both kept our masks on and kept our distance.

I could look at them all day!

I love looking at all the different stones.  Some are supposed to have certain qualities, but I am not very knowledgeable about these things.  I admired some beautiful Herkimer Diamonds.   I could seriously consider taking up jewelry making, just to use such fabulous raw materials.

There are even more skulls and animals than these.

I hesitated over some skulls but eventually purchased a small animal (full disclosure: I don’t know what it is) (hell, I’m no zoologist), a frog for Steven, and a plastic dinosaur just because.

Aren’t they nice?

The Rose Quartz Stand is located at   105 South Main St., Herkimer, NY, phone number 315-868-5199.  They are open 11 a.m. to 5 p.m. Tuesday through Saturday.  For more information,  you can visit their website,  www.therosequartzstand.com.  You can also Like them on Facebook.  I did!

 

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Independence Day Run

Posted on July 4, 2020 by mohawkvalleygirl

When I noticed my Army t-shirt in a drawer yesterday, I made up my mind to have an Independence Day Run this morning.  I would wear the Army shirt and run up the hill to the Veterans Memorial at Herkimer College.  It was time to run up that hill again anyways, and it was the day to increase my run time to 44 minutes.  This was going to be great!

I was a little worried about how warm it was when I first got up.  We are having another muggy streak these days.  Oh well, what’s a little extra sweat compared to celebrating our country’s birthday?  I put on a wide headband in hopes of absorbing some of the sweat before it ran into my eyes and made a note to myself to look for some extra-absorbent, exercise-grade headbands for the future.

As I reached German Street, I met a lady taking a walk.  We exchanged good mornings.

“We gotta get out before the heat of the day,” I said.

“That’s what I’m doing,” she said. “It’s beautiful out!”

“Oh, it sure is!”

A short time later I was making a note to myself that I must run more hills.  I ran this one earlier this week (I don’t know when; remember that note to myself to go back to keeping a running journal?  I didn’t do it).  Today it felt as if I hadn’t run it in years!  Crap!  I was gasping for breath. But I persevered and at last I made it to the top.

It feels steeper when you’re on it, and it gets steeper after the curve.

And realized that it continued to slope upwards.  It is amazing to me how my body can detect the most subtle angles when running.  I took my mind off my troubles by continuing to ponder my plans for the Boilermaker Virtual 15K.  I hope to recruit a few friends to meet me along the way with water.  Once I figure out a route.  Various possibilities ran through my mind.

Soon I realized a slight problem.  It was taking a long time to get to the Memorial.  Would I be able to get back home in 44 minutes?  Should I run only for 44 minutes and let part of my cool-down walk take me the rest of the way home?  I would have water; I was carrying a 16 oz. bottle which I intended to refill at the spring.

At last I reached the Memorial!

It’s a lovely little area.

Going down Reservoir Road was a pleasure.  My body appreciates downslopes as much as it suffers on upslopes.  I finished my water shortly before I reached the spring.  A man was there filling a bunch of five gallon buckets, but he let me sneak in to refill my bottle.

One of my favorite spots in Herkimer!

He said he was getting water for his swimming pool.  “I’ve been drinking this water since I was nine years old!”

“I love it,”  I said.  “Thank you!”

I was getting closer to my goal but was further from home.  I ended up running 47 minutes. It is an increase of more than the recommended ten percent, but I think that will be OK.  Boilermaker,  here I come!

 

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Ah, the Holiday Weekend!

Posted on July 4, 2020 by mohawkvalleygirl

I have been on vacation (or shut down as we call it in the factory game) for the whole week, yet, as usual, I will take advantage of Lame Post Friday.  For one reason, it is a holiday weekend and I have had a few libations.  Judge me if you are so inclined.

I am ashamed to admit he has better teeth than I do!

Since it is 4th of July weekend, I suggested we begin the movie watching portion of our day with JAWS.  Even if JAWS was not so admirable as a movie, which it totally is, it would be  noteworthy as the first of the real summer blockbusters.  If I am mistaken about this (Hell, I’m no film scholar;  I just like to watch movies), please let me know about previously released summer blockbusters, because I would love to check them out.

OK, I just spent a goodly amount of time looking for a photo I thought I had of Fatal Attraction.  I had no luck.  Such is my lack of skill on the Tablet.  I suppose I will just have to mention that we saw it without benefit of illustration.

I had batter luck with our next feature, Invasion of the Body Snatchers.  It is playing as I type this (one letter at a time with the stylus, of course).  This is really a depressing movie when I think about it. Spoiler alert:  We’re all doomed.

A dramatic moment!

I don’t know what movie we will watch next, so I will close with an appropriate image I came across in my searches.

To us all!

Alas, I only have one Christopher Lee movie in my collection, and it does not include vampires.

Happy Friday and Happy Holiday Weekend!  And if you are obligated to work the weekend, don’t hate, please.  I’ve been there and may be there again.

 

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Just a Little Local

Posted on July 3, 2020 by mohawkvalleygirl

I saw on Facebook that Monday was Shop Small Day or the whole week was Shop Small Week or some such.  You know I never pay attention to these things.  In any case, for Mohawk Valley Girl, EVERY day is Shop Small Day.  Unfortunately,  I cannot shop every day, and I cannot always go small for what I need.  Well, we none of us can live up to our ideal (and if you are sitting there smirking because YOU always do, all I can say is that you probably need some better ideals) (you know who you are).

Where was I?  Ah yes, attempting to shop small.  One of the pages I follow encouraged us to share on Facebook pictures of our purchases.  I went to T&J’s Fruits and Vegetables in Herkimer earlier this week, but those vegetables are already cut up and in a salad.  Maybe I have one tomato left.

I’ll probably put it in an omelet or sammich tomorrow.

I also went to Valley Wine and Liquor,  also in Herkimer.  I am sipping a little wine as I type this.

Of course I use my Halloween glass year round! What did you expect?

To add a little more local, I got that awesome glass from Pumpkin Junction in Sauquoit.

Today I drove to Little Falls, NY.  I had seen there was to be a new gift shop opening near The Cafe at Stone Mill.  I went to the Cafe first for a cup of coffee.  I cannot convey how much I have longed to sit in a cafe, sip coffee, and write.  I worked on a letter to my sister.

It is yummy coffee!

I thought about getting ice cream instead, since it was so hot out, but the lower calorie count won.  To tell myself it was not really ice cream but frozen yogurt would be mere quibbling.  Additionally, this is coffee by local roaster Joseph Putrello, and it is excellent coffee.

I already have one of those coffee mugs.

I did not purchase anything in the gift shop but intend to return.  After checking it out, I drove to Burke Park for the weekly Fresh Market.

It’s already on my calendar for next Thursday.

I spent more time at the market, and took more pictures. I hope to write more about it later.  In the meantime, I see I am approaching 400 words.  That seems good to me.  I hope to do more local shopping and buy more stuff soon.  And write blog posts about it.  As always, I hope you’ll stay tuned.

 

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