Author Archives: mohawkvalleygirl

Just a Few Mid-Week Monsters

Posted on September 29, 2022 by mohawkvalleygirl

Once again I wussed out on Wednesday.  Once again I have no good excuse so will not attempt to offer one.  However, since I did not make a Monstrous Monday post, I will indulge in some Mid-Week Monsters.  I do like monsters.

“You’re late with your blog post? I’ll get you for that!”

Here is the creepy guy from Carnival of Souls, one of my favorites.  So unsettling with a minimum of special effects, so scary with no blood and gore.  I know, most horror fans love the blood and gore.  I confess to being squeamish.

If it’s blood and gore you want…

 

Some bloody, gory movies I enjoy were made by Hammer Films in the 1960’s and ’70’s.  I just loves me some Christopher Lee and Peter Cushing.

Not monsters, but monstrously talented.

I was looking for a picture of Peter Cushing and found this one, including Vincent Price.  Price was not in any of the Hammer horrors, but he gave delightful performances in several produced by William Castle and Roger Corman, two more of my favorites.

Ah, there’s Cushing in action.

There! I found one with Lee and Cushing!  I guess I can use a picture of a mummy to wrap things up (couldn’t resist a pun; I rarely can).

 

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Sad Shout-Out, Sweet Shop

Posted on September 28, 2022 by mohawkvalleygirl

Well, this is sad.  I was about to give a long overdue shout-out to A Little Touch of Country, a lovely gift shop in Herkimer, NY.  Accordingly, I logged onto Facebook and went to their page for phone number, hours, etc.  And I saw a post saying the store will be closed for the rest of the week due to a loved one losing his battle with cancer.  Very sad!

However, the shop will re-open next week with new hours, so I will share the pictures I took the last time I was there and post about them again next week when I learn the new hours.

Pig, sheep, and Betty White, what’s not to like?

A Little Touch of Country has been in business a little over a year.  I know this, because the last time I was there was when I saw on Facebook they were celebrating an anniversary.  I stopped in and took these pictures. I also purchased a present for a friend who needed a little pick-me-up. I admit with some shame that this was probably a couple of months ago.  Well, regular readers know I have been a bad blogger lately. I am trying to do better, hence this post about a local business.

Yes, thankful and blessed is how I ought to feel.

I first discovered the shop even longer ago, when I was in a rare run on that side of town.  I usually stay on the north side of State Street, also known as Route 5, not from any feeling that it is the “right” side of town but because it is a large, busy street, not easy to cross.  In this case, I was glad I did and soon made my way back to shop.

Dolly knows it’s a good place to shop.

I do not go to Touch of Country very often, only because I do not shop for this sort of thing very much.  Quite frankly, I have too much stuff in my house and need rather to get rid of things.  On the other hand, perhaps I will get rid of some stuff so I can go back to A Little Touch of Country and purchase more!

A Little Touch of Country is located on South Washington Street in Herkimer, NY.  Oddly, their Facebook page does not mention a number, but you can’t miss it.  Their phone number is 315-219-5650.  I’ll share their new hours as soon as I know them!

 

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The Blog Post at the End of the Rainbow?

Posted on September 27, 2022 by mohawkvalleygirl

Yesterday (Monday) while at work, I started to compose a blog post in my head.  It started, “In the interests of building a better blog post…”  Well, obviously I did not build a better blog post.  I did not even build a worser blog post or my usual Monstrous Monday post.  I do not have a good reason.  Perhaps my Tired Tuesday started a day early.  Never mind.  Let me see what I can come up with early Tuesday morning, post-coffee but pre-breakfast.

You can just about see the second one.

One thing I do have is a couple of pictures to share.  Shortly after I got home last night, my husband, Steven called from the porch, “Look, a rainbow!”  I had not even realized it was raining.  These days the Mohawk Valley is really embodying the saying, “If you don’t like the weather, wait five minutes.”  It was not only raining, the sun was still shining.  Score!  When I saw there was a double rainbow, I got the Tablet and tried to capture the moment.

Darn wires!

I tried to get a good shot of the main rainbow as well.  I need to work on my photography skills.

We have been getting more rainbows lately than I recall seeing in previous years.  Of course I have not made a study of these things.  However, my pictures made something cheery to share.  I can take a break from whining to admire nature’s beauty.  And later today I hope to try once again to build a better blog post.

 

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Should I Even Use This Post?

Posted on September 26, 2022 by mohawkvalleygirl

I guess it was a Slacker Sunday even more so than it was a Slacker Saturday yesterday.  I have long considered it a useless exercise to try to get anything done on a Sunday.  Of course, in those days I used to get a few things accomplished during the rest of the week.  What is it with me and the inability to get anything accomplished?

I did get a run in, but it was not nearly as long as yesterday’s.  I said to myself, “Why do I always have to try to be so tough? What do I think you are, a Ukranian?”  Still, it was a run and I did it.  I made it to the store, purchasing groceries and a few other necessities.  I did a load of laundry.  I list these things in the forlorn hope of convincing myself that I am not completely useless.

Oh, I am not indulging in self pity over here.  I know my life is not wasted.  Remember,  no life is wasted.  One can always stand as a bad example to others.

That was as much as I typed in last night (Sunday).  That is, pecked in one letter at a time with the stylus on my Tablet, in my bed, before going to sleep (who, me? sleep?  well, at least I tried).  I felt it was repetitive, boring and whiny.  In the spirit of Waste Not, Want Not, I saved it as a draft, appending the headline you see.  Now it is Monday morning and I am ten-fingered typing on the dining-room-table-top, and I think that I will use this post.  For one reason, I got nuthin’ else.

My thought here is, a bad post is better than no post at all.  I shall bill this as a Wrist to Forehead Sunday and hope my readers will bear with me until I can come up with something better.

 

 

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Slacker Saturday with Some Cinema

Posted on September 25, 2022 by mohawkvalleygirl

This is going to be a Slacker Saturday Post, but at least I will be making it on Saturday.  I hope.  It has not been a very good day for me, although it has had its moments.  Never mind the bad stuff; that is not my story to tell anyways.  Oh dear, did I just make a mysterious, cryptic statement?  Nah, that is just flattering myself, to feel I would be mysterious and cryptic.  Let me get on with the post.

The most productive thing I did today was to go for a run, which I believe I alluded to in this morning’s late Lame Post Friday post.  I later went for a walk, mailing my weekly post cards and stopping by Basloe Library to check out a couple books.

One of my favorite places.

Wow, that took a long time to find that picture in my Media Library.  It took a shorter time to find two books!

Well, that didn’t turn out very big.

Back home, my husband, Steven, and I decided to watch movies on out DVR.  For one reason, we have a lot of them.  We can get that frisson of virtue from cleaning out our DVR.  We started out with Phantom Lady, a stylish noir.  I found the pre-  and post-movie commentary as interesting as the movie.

I did not realize it was 1981 till I looked for this image on Facebook.

Next we watched The Howling.  This is not from my preferred era of horror movies, but I found it surprisingly entertaining.  Steven missed part of it by falling asleep on the love seat, but these things happen.

We started watching another movie but did not get very far with it.  However, I see I am over 250 words, so I say, Score!  I hope you are all having a lovely Saturday.

 

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Oh Yeah, My Friday Post

Posted on September 24, 2022 by mohawkvalleygirl

Yes, once again I am late as well as lame.  I was tired, what a surprise.  I made it through the day at work despite a headache (migraine? sinus? tension? I can’t say my headaches lack variety).  In fact the headache was pretty much gone by the end of the day, so I had that going for me.

Back home I couldn’t muster the oomph to cook, but did manage to watch television and knit.  I need to find a place to donate a bunch of scarves and afghans. Then I need to learn how to knit and crochet things other than scarves and afghans.

Sven brightens any day for me!

One of the things I watched on TV was a DVR’d episode of Svengoolie.  He was screening Frogs, a truly cheesy flick from 1972.  I had seen it before but did not remember a lot of it.  I hope I remember not to watch it again.

An impressive structure.

I wanted to throw in another picture and found this one of Herkimer County Courthouse.  I ran by it on this morning’s run (my excuse for being even later with Friday’s post).  Regular readers know how much I love Herkimer’s Historic Four Corners.

Another of the Four Corners.

I suppose I could do a Saturday Running Commentary Post, but not right now.  I can only hope I will manage to make my Saturday blog post on Saturday.  We shall see.

 

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Speaking of Murder Mysteries…

Posted on September 23, 2022 by mohawkvalleygirl

Here I am early Friday morning, trying to make my Thursday post.  In my defense, I have no defense.  Never mind that.  I am ten-fingered typing on the dining-room-table-top, as I was yesterday.  And, also as yesterday, I will look in this computer’s downloads for some older pictures for a post.  A Throwback Thursday immediately following a Wayback Wednesday?  Why not?

“J’accuse!”

I don’t know if  I spelled that caption correctly.  It took me a minute to find something I had not already used.  As is often the case, I throw back to theatre.  Well, drama is my life, after all.  This is my husband, Steven, and our friends Kim and Cindy.  It was actually a staged picture (well, duh, a threatre picture would usually be staged, wouldn’t it?  And there it is on a stage, but you see what I mean, I hope).  I had written an article for Mohawk Valley Living magazine about my murder mysteries (which you have perhaps read about in this blog).  I had no pictures readily available from actual performances, so I got a few friends to make some dramatic poses.  I encouraged Kim to take the opportunity to wear one of her fabulous dresses.

“You shan’t touch her!”

I got into the act, too.  I cancelled the last murder mystery we were supposed to do, but now I am thinking we need to reschedule.  As I said, drama is my life!

 

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Wussed Out and Not Very Way Back

Posted on September 22, 2022 by mohawkvalleygirl

Yikes, look at the time!  As usual, I wussed out on Wednesday and did not make my blog post till now, early Thursday morning.  But not as early as I usually make my blog posts.  Never mind why; explanations are tiresome.  I feel I must confess, moreover, that I do not have my usual excuse for not posting yesterday.  We did not indulge in our usual treat of music and food at Fratello’s in Frankfort, NY.  I was just tired.

One reason I was tired was that I went on a run.  I ran faster than I usually do, especially on a week day.  This, of course, is not nearly as fast as others run, but one does what one can.  Still, since I had just about talked myself out of running at all, I thought I done good.  Unfortunately, it was not a particularly memorable run, making a Running Commentary Post ineligible.

How about a Way-Back Wednesday post instead?  I wonder if I can find something old in my computer downloads, just as something different from my Media Library.

Aren’t they cute?

Here is an oldish picture of our dear friends, Phyllis and Jim, dressed for Halloween.   We lost Phyllis in 2021, and I miss her dearly.   I treasure my memories.

Another great memory.

Here are Phyllis and Jim plus Steve, at Salvatore’s Pizzeria in Herkimer, NY.  Three of my favorite people at one of my favorite places!

So I guess it is not a very far back Wednesday.  A Little Ways Back Wednesday?  However, it does me good to remember my lovely friend Phyllis.  We’ll have to get together with Jim again soon (preview of coming attractions).

In the meantime, I have gotten myself up to nearly 300 words.  Score! If I also have time to eat breakfast, it will not be a bad Thursday morning for me.

 

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Tuesday Trudge?

Posted on September 21, 2022 by mohawkvalleygirl

I have long tried, sometimes successfully, to motivate myself with the mantra Just Do One Thing.  I recently encountered a similar thought in a Facebook meme.  It went something like, Can’t do the dishes? Wash one plate.  Can’t take a shower?  Just wash your face.  So this morning when I woke up with my entire body and psyche screaming that they did not want to walk, I thought, Just go around the block.  Take a short walk.

I was doing really well with my early morning walks for a while.  I was up to 30 minutes, drinking water while I walked and making my way to the spring to refill my bottle. Yesterday I did not walk at all. This morning I told myself a ten minutevwalk would be acceptable.

Temperatures have dropped somewhat as fall approaches, but it was no cooler than sweatshirt weather.  That is fine with me as it gives me pockets for tissues and my phone.  I took a bottle of water but did not intend to refill it.  It was kind of nice to walk a different route from to the spring and back.

Down to Church Street and over to my beloved Herkimer Historic Four Corners, I decided.  That would make two blocks.  Further than intended but not as far as previously.  Thus I compromise with myself.

I did not take any pictures with my phone, because pictures taken in the dark so rarely turn out well.  But perhaps I can find something in my Media Library to pep up the post.

It looks more mysterious in the dark.

Here is the graveyard surrounding Herkimer Reformed Church.  I find it fascinating any time of the day or night.

As I approached the church, I saw a bicycle in the parking lot entrance.  It looked for all the world as if it had been left out with the trash.  Tuesday is trash day in Herkimer.  That can’t be, I thought.  Still, there it was, and who knows what the garbage collectors might think.  I took it upon myself to move the bike from the curb.  I leaned it against the railing of the steps leading up to the church’s back door.

That was the only excitement in my walk, which lasted 17 minutes, by the way.  So I got some semblance of exercise today.  And now I have made some semblance of a blog post.  Score!  Not bad for a Tired Tuesday.

 

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Vamping with Vampires

Posted on September 20, 2022 by mohawkvalleygirl

It should come as a surprise to no one that I am ready for bed on a Monday, have not made my blog post (nor in fact accomplished much of anything useful), and, quite frankly, I got nuthin’.  This is the point where I usually start to throw in pictures of monsters and vamp.  One thing I can do is vamp, although I usually call it blathering on.  Why don’t I call it vamping?  It sounds like a much better thing to do, in a blog post or elsewhere.

“I’m kind of in the middle of something here.”

Since I mentioned vamping (no, autocorrect,  not camping, vamping!), I searched my Media Library for a picture of a vampire.  I was hoping for Dracula, but Nosferatu will do just as well.

“Let me shed a little light on the subject.”

There’s my boy Bela!  Bela Lugosi is considered by many to be the definitive Count Dracula.  It is certainly an admirable performance.

I wish I had this book in my collection!

I do not know who the model was for this depiction of the Count, if in fact the artist used a model, but I just love these pulp fiction paperbacks.  I buy them whenever I find them for cheap.  Sometimes I actually read them, although they are often falling apart.

I keep hoping I can segue from these admittedly foolish blog posts into some more better writing (grammatical error intentional), but it hasn’t happened yet.  Still, one continues to hope (one being me).  In the meantime,  I hope at least some of my readers have been entertained, and as always, I thank you for tuning in.

 

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