Category Archives: personal

Happy Sunday

Posted on May 12, 2014 by mohawkvalleygirl

What a fun day I have just had. Mohawk Valley adventures galore! But it is getting late in the day, I must hit publish and start winding down my weekend (some of us work for a living, you know). I hope to write at greater length of my adventures as the week wears on. Today I will content myself with a preview of coming attractions.

A whole group of us went to the antique shops in Little Falls, NY. This consists of various vendors in two renovated old factories. It’s a cool setting offering interesting merchandise.

From there we drove to the Fly Creek Cider Mill, another popular destination in our area. We ate, we sampled, we shopped, we fed the ducks. It was great.

In between we drove over winding, hilly country roads. The scenery! The sights! It was awesome! The weather was beautiful, the company was the best. There was just very little lacking for it to be the perfect day.

And now I sit in my lovely Herkimer home (not be confused with Herkimer Home, another destination Mohawk Valley Girl likes to write about), relaxing with my loved ones and enjoying my usual Sunday evening television shows.

Have you guessed that my wrist is not on my forehead? Everything is delightful. I apologize that I cannot write more eloquently about it. I’ll try to do better as the week progresses. Happy Sunday, everybody.

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Sometimes Ya Gotta Clean

Posted on May 11, 2014 by mohawkvalleygirl

Sometimes that little writing voice in your head says, “I don’t want to write this now.” Then you have a choice to make. You listen or you don’t. Today I decided to listen.

Actually I decided to listen the third or fourth time the voice said it. That is why there are two more paragraphs on an unpublished draft I started to write earlier this week. Are they any good? I can’t tell that till later. So anybody who was about to start huffing about how you just have to Not Give In to Writer’s Block, just go huff at somebody else. This is my story and I’m sticking to it.

I truly did not want to have a Wrist to Forehead Saturday. I didn’t even want to do a post about Why I Can’t Write a Post (as usual, the irony is not lost on me). I considered doing a post about cleaning my house, which is mostly what I did today. I was going to include the line, “Step one: Invite people over.” I got a little bogged down in subsequent steps, and that was when I was still writing in my head.

This morning I took a walk to the post office with my schnoodle, Tabby. I tried to pay close attention to things, so I could write about that. Running commentary was out of the question, because I needed my energy to clean. Well, unless these walks are really noteworthy, I need to write about them right away for the post to be any good. I was certainly willing to do that, but… dirty living room called.

I’m sensing a pattern here. As with my diet, so with my writing: there is always an excuse not to do the right thing. Oh, with my running, too. Damn. So today I call myself out on my excuses. But I don’t feel too bad about myself. Because you know what, I didn’t run, but I walked. I haven’t eaten anything too fattening yet, because I was too busy cleaning. And earlier, when I needed a break from cleaning, I did a little work on my novel.

So what I’m saying is, I don’t suck.

And who’s to say that cleaning my house was not the right thing to do?

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Lame: Ain’t it Grand?

Posted on May 10, 2014 by mohawkvalleygirl

It does not matter how many ridiculous posts I may have in a week, I still love my Lame Post Friday, home of random observations and half-baked philosophy.

I took my schnoodle Tabby for a walk this afternoon, hoping to come up with some of the former. Mostly I observed tulips in people’s yards. I love tulips. I think I like the orange and yellow ones best. They are blooming late this year, as are most things. Perhaps I should go into some half-baked philosophy here about being something of a late bloomer myself. Then again, most people probably do not want to hear about my bloomers (sorry, couldn’t resist).

I also observed a young couple on the sidewalk a block or two ahead of me, holding hands. Young love, ain’t it grand? My main observation was of their clothing. It seems to me that gender divisions in clothes are becoming more pronounced. The boys’ are getting baggier while the girls’ are getting tighter. Well, I have not exactly done a study.

The warm weather does seem to have people in a better mood (just to put in some more half-baked philosophy). Warm weather, warm hearts? Well, Tabby and I enjoyed it. For the first time since fall, I walked without any kind of jacket.

Wow, this is a really boring post (my next stunning observation). However, my gentle readers will suffer no longer. I’m over 200 words. Happy Friday, everybody.

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Murder on the Blog Post

Posted on May 9, 2014 by mohawkvalleygirl

Is anybody keeping score as to how many posts I write about Why I Can’t Write a Post? I hope not. In fact, why should I flatter myself that people are paying that much attention to me in the first place? At least I was working on something different this time. I was trying to kill someone.

I just said that to be dramatic. I was writing a murder mystery. You see, a long time ago in a galaxy far, far away… oh wait, that’s something else. It was in the North Country, as that area of northern New York State likes to call itself. And it was the 1990s, so, you know, not yesterday. My husband and I and some friends used to have a company called Murder For Hire. We put on interactive murder mystery dinner theatre.

I used to write most of them, and I like to think I was pretty good at it. We never made a lot of money, but we had a lot of fun. I really miss doing them. When I get a real intense bout of writer’s blank, sometimes I start one, just to get my creative juices flowing.

Regular readers may recall my saying that my novel is at a standstill. I keep thinking about it while at work (a good time for working out plot points), but nothing much is coming. So I started to think about something else. I thought about a possible venue for a murder mystery. I thought of an organization that might like to do one as a fundraiser. Then I thought about what kind of murder mystery they would like. Then next thing I knew, I was making notes.

I started that yesterday after I had written the day’s post, so I’ve been at it for two days now. I am enjoying it quite a bit. Will I feel confident enough to actually approach the organization I thought might like it? We shall see. And probably write a blog post about it.

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I Play the Ponies

Posted on May 8, 2014 by mohawkvalleygirl

There was a horse race last Saturday that I guess was kind of a big deal. Just kidding; I know what the Kentucky Derby is. Fancy hats and mint juleps. And people who never bet on races sometimes venture a small wager.

Steven usually takes care of these things (it’s not gender-based; he’s just more of a gambler than I am). However, he had to work, and he really wanted to have a bet down, so I offered to go to OTB for him.

At first I thought I would pop in before going to Little Falls (I was going to an exhibit opening at Mohawk Valley Center for the Arts, which may form the topic of another blog post) (preview of coming attractions). What a line! I would do it later. As I drove away I cursed myself for being silly. Obviously the line would only get longer as post time got closer.

It actually wasn’t too bad. I had taken the precaution of stopping on my way back from Little Falls to use the Ladies Room, so I was not worried.

“Is this the end of the line?” I asked. “Was I supposed to fill anything out? I’m new at this.”

The lady in front of me in line was very nice and explained things to me. The two ladies who got in line behind me were nice too, so we all had a pleasant time chatting as we waited in line. Really, waiting in line is not the worst thing that could happen.

Steven had selected his horse based on the name he liked best. He had told me to put down $5 to show. that way if the horse finished first, second or third we would win something. After talking to my new friends, I decided instead to put $6 across the board. That is, $2 to win, $2 to place, $2 to show. I felt pleased to learn something new.

Steven arrived home from work just in time to see the horses run. Our horse was unplaced. A fellow at work who gambles all the time said he could have told me that horse wouldn’t win, citing several reasons. I suppose he would know. On the other hand, I don’t see him showing up for work in a limo, so I’m thinking the races are not really that predictable.

It was fun and something different to place a bet and watch a horse race. I don’t imagine I will fall prey to a gambling addiction, but naturally I will watch out for such a thing. I think I would enjoy more to see a horse race live, although I am more likely to venture to Vernon Downs or Saratoga before going all the way to Kentucky. If I watch the Kentucky Derby next year, I’ll have a few friends over. I’ll serve mint juleps and wear a fancy hat.

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I Should Have Run in my Head

Posted on May 7, 2014 by mohawkvalleygirl

Holy Crap, it’s only Tuesday.

That isn’t what I had been going to lead with, but it popped into my head and I thought it was so catchy I wanted to use it. This is, in fact, running commentary. I came home from work and ran. Now I’m going to write about it.

It was perfect running temperature, not too warm not too cold. Spandex shorts and a loose t-shirt, my favorite running outfit. I put on a headband but did not feel I really needed it to cover my ears. Still, the wind could pick up. I was on my way.

And right away it wasn’t much fun. I wasn’t too worried. I probably just needed to warm up. I ran toward German Street and debated right or left. Right the sun would be in my eyes. Left often has more traffic. Right I could go to Caroline, then down Caroline, up Margaret, down Henry. Very straightforward. That suited me.

The sun wasn’t too bad; it was high enough in the sky to not be right in my eyes. I sure do love May and June. As I ran, I contemplated the names of the streets. I may write a book and name the main characters Caroline, Margaret and Henry. I had previously thought of using town names for a book. Vernon and Hamilton have always been favorites of mine. As I ran, I thought I would amuse myself by thinking of what other towns to use.

Of course I couldn’t think of any. Silly me. I kept running and waited for it to get easier. When I was at work, I had thought about the evening’s run, psyching myself up so I wouldn’t talk myself out of it. I thought about how in my head I am loping along like a gazelle while in reality I am shuffling along like a middle-aged fat lady. I realized that was not happening today. In my head, I was shuffling along like a middle-aged fat lady. I thought, oh no! If I look that bad in my head, how ridiculous I must look to other people! I comforted myself with the thought that people are notoriously unobservant. They have problems of their own to think about. I ran on.

And it continued to suck. I persevered as best I could and managed 22 minutes. Less than my previous times, but still over 20 minutes. With a walk around the block for a cool down, I got in over a half hour of exercise. My weight loss goals may be within reach.

Incidentally, toward the end of my run, I suddenly thought, Kirkland! You know, a town that could be used as a name? I actually met a Kirkland once. Then the next time I saw him, I could only remember that his name was the name of a town near Utica. He wasn’t best pleased when I called him Washington Mills.

Ooh, and I just now remembered Clinton.

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I Feel Confident to Hit Publish

Posted on May 6, 2014 by mohawkvalleygirl

I’m afraid this is going to be a Monday Middle-aged Musing. I tried to write a “real” post (I put it in quotes, because what is this, an optical illusion?), but I am having a failure of confidence. Then I thought, there’s a ripe topic to muse about: confidence.

OK, I just started twice to write a sentence about needing confidence, but erased it because, you guessed it, I had no confidence in it. This happens to writers sometimes. We start to write something and think, “Oh, that’s dumb, nobody wants to read that.” Or, more nicely, “That isn’t quite what we want to say, is it?”

A trick I often employ is to grit my teeth, write it anyways, and don’t show it to anybody (including myself) till later. At that point, sometimes I look at it and say, “What was my problem? This is fine, send it out!” Sometimes I immediately see ways to revise it into something not contemptible. Or a judicious mix of those two responses. And yes, there is the case where I say, “Yikes! What was I thinking? Burn that!” (Of course I don’t actually burn it; safety first.) Surprisingly, that does not happen very often.

With a blog, however, especially a daily blog such as I aspire to, I’m on a constant deadline. Oh, I know, I know, write ahead, then I won’t have that problem. I’m working on it.

For some reason, I write something silly like this, and I don’t mind giving it a quick proof, sometimes reading it to my husband, and sending it out into the world. Why should this be? Ah, that calls for some half-baked philosophy, more suitable for Lame Post Friday (which seems a discouragingly long ways away, incidentally). For now, I simply observe the fact and hit “Publish.”

And I saved the draft of the post I started. I hope to share that with you later in the week.

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At Least I’m Over 200 Words

Posted on May 5, 2014 by mohawkvalleygirl

Other bloggers would just stop posting on Sunday at all. But what fun is that?

I have had a real Wrist to Forehead Sunday today. I got one thing accomplished: I went to the supermarket. Then I didn’t put the groceries away for at least an hour, because I forgot. Luckily it was not warm enough for the milk to spoil. So this unseasonably cold spring is not completely bad, I suppose. I finished reading the book my friend at work loaned me (which may form the subject of a future blog post) (Preview of Coming Attractions). I must say, a very well-written, absorbing book, but not exactly a feel-good book. I could have used a feel-good book.

One of the things that saved me is that I started to page through an older notebook, largely to ascertain if there was a number of blank pages I could utilize. I saw some stuff I wrote in 2010-2011, when I was in the depths of despair. Wow, I thought, I am in a much better place now than I was then.

If I was really self-absorbed, I would type in a couple of those pages for your edification. I gotta say, though, I like my own writing, but this was not particularly entertaining. So I’ll spare you.

I’ll spare you all of it. I’m over 200 words. I say Happy Sunday, carry on with whatever you were doing, and I hope to see you on Middle-aged Musings Monday.

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Running Comments If Not Commentary

Posted on May 4, 2014 by mohawkvalleygirl

As I ran this morning, I thought about the Saturday Running Commentary I would write. And now, sitting at the keyboard, I can’t remember much of what I thought. Serves me right for not making the post right away.

Last weekend, I had a good run and a bad run. Then I didn’t run Monday or Tuesday but put in an unprecedented 31 minutes on the mini-tramp on Wednesday (I was watching a John Garfield movie on DVD at the time) (not a particularly cheesy entry, but I do not despair of writing something about it). I took Tabby for a good long walk on Friday. I honestly cannot remember a damn thing about Thursday.

This morning’s run was not as heinous as last Sundays, but I can’t say it was a good run, either. My legs protested. I ignored them and headed down German Street toward Valley Health, which boasts a not bad little hill. It is the hill I start on when I once again start building myself up for hills.

As I got to the bottom of the hill, one leg said, “Are you KIDDING me?” while the other one said, “Don’t DO it!” Well, I was not kidding and I did it. After that my legs were resigned and beyond suggesting once or twice that a long run was unnecessary did not protest for the rest of the run.

I ended up running for 26 minutes, the same length as last Sundays run, shorter than the mini-tramp work-out. I felt pretty good when I walked my cool-down with my schnoodle, Tabby. I felt even better when we went for a long walk later. During the run itself… well, let’s just say I did it.

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Grandma and the Left-Handed Compliment

Posted on May 3, 2014 by mohawkvalleygirl

For today’s Friday Lame Post, I share a memory that for some unknown reason popped into my head this morning.

My grandmother taught me the meaning of the term left-handed compliment one time when she said I gave her one. The occasion was a cousin’s wedding. We were dressed in our finest, uncomfortably placed in the family station wagon.

I was uncomfortable because I liked to ride in the back end, curled up or sprawled out as the mood struck me (these were the days before seat belt laws), not perched on the back seat in a supposedly lady-like fashion. My brother was uncomfortable because he was forced to ride in the back end, not the front seat in his accustomed spot. Well we, that is my three sisters and I, were in dresses. He was wearing pants.

Additionally, my mother had insisted we wear full pantyhose, not knee-his. Our dresses were long. We thought knee-his would be OK. Mom said it might show when we danced. We didn’t buy it, but she was Mom. She won.

We picked up Grandma at her house. When she got in in the car, the first word out of her mouth was, “Damn.” I can’t even remember what she was damning, but she went on to say something disparaging about her knee-his. Cue reproachful looks at Mom.

I said, “Fancy clothes don’t change you, Grandma. You’re still the same old Grandma.”

She told me it was a left-handed compliment. I never explained to her that I meant it as a sincere, loving statement. When Grandma had walked out her door in a long dress with her hair beautifully styled, I had felt a little intimidated. I remember thinking she looked like a Duchess. I think I was half-expecting her to act differently, too. To hear my “same old Grandma,” apparently just as uncomfortable dressed to the nines as we were, was a profound relief.

Thinking back on it today, I feel really bad that I did not explain that. Having subsequently received more left-handed than right-handed compliments myself (although I confess I haven’t really kept track), I think I know what one is. Grandma, if you’re up there listening, here is what I meant: You looked beautiful that day, but your true beauty was the person that you were.

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