Category Archives: personal

Not the Hole Story

Posted on June 27, 2024 by mohawkvalleygirl

Sooo… by making my Tuesday blog post on time, I broke my streak, because I did not post anything yesterday, Wednesday.  I can’t get too exercised over it, though, because by my rules for me, this will count as my Wuss-out Wednesday post, and my streak will only be broken if I fail to post anything for Thursday, whether I post it today or early Friday morning (ooh, yes, tomorrow is Friday) (with apologies to all those who work Saturday).

What could this be?

This may look like a random photo for Waste Not Want Not Wednesday, but it is much more than that, at least in my twisted mind.  It is a well outside the Herkimer County Historical Society.  They dug in this well for artifacts some years ago and found some interesting things.  Now, as you see it is overgrown.  But could it have future relevance and interest?  At least fictionally, it could!

I took this picture after walking to the Society to purchase some post cards (regular readers know I like to send post cards to people).  I thought it would inspire me.  You see, I began writing a murder mystery for the Historical Society centering around this very hole in the ground (ooh, I just thought of a good title for this post!).  Full disclosure:  I began to write it last year for our fall show but felt it was too complicated a plot for my brain at the time.  I wrote Lights, Camera, Murder! instead, which I think worked out pretty well.  More recently I came across the notes for the other and was surprised by how much I had written on it.  I said, “Heeyyyy!”  or some such expression.

Many accept the rule that writing about not writing is still writing.  I will add that writing about what one is going to write is also still writing.  Now I just have to write it.

(That last sentence would have made a good title too.)

 

2 Comments

Posted in humor, personal, Uncategorized and tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , . Bookmark the permalink.

Tired But On Time!

Posted on June 26, 2024 by mohawkvalleygirl

At least it is the end of the day Tuesday.

I promised myself I could use this picture if I made my Tired Tuesday post on Tuesday.  Bribery often works with me.  Unfortunately, just because I log onto WordPress and start typing does not mean I have anything to say.  I know, when has that ever stopped me?

I typed that in (I once again quote Truman Capote: “That’s not writing that’s typing”) then could not think of another word to type.  Perhaps I should not have put both the play and dinner in the same blog post for Sunday.  Perhaps I should be having more Mohawk Valley adventures to write (type) about.

They were pretty.

I threw in a picture before I got any more bogged down in “shoulds.”   This is a shot of my Black-Eyed Susans from August 2018.  The patch has since overgrown with weeds and stuff.  Not a yellow bloom to be seen. I plan to cut the whole thing down and start over again.  Not today, of course, but possibly by the weekend.  Then I can have another Lawn Order post.

 

Where will the road lead me?

Another kind of post I have not made lately is a Running Commentary.  For one reason, I have not been running.  I hope to begin again soon.  In the meantime I have been walking every morning.  Perhaps a Pedestrian Post is in order.

For today, however, I am over 200 words.  It will have to do.  Full disclosure:  I have been fighting a vague headache most of the day, and I think it is winning.  However, it is the end of the day.  We shall see what tomorrow will bring.  I hope you will stay tuned.

 

Leave a comment

Posted in humor, personal, Tired Tuesday and tagged , , , , , , , , , , , . Bookmark the permalink.

Monsters I Have Known

Posted on June 25, 2024 by mohawkvalleygirl

The late posts continue as I sit here Tuesday morning hoping to at least do a Monstrous Monday post.  I am sipping re-heated coffee from yesterday (waste not, want not), which is never as good but will surely do (there I go again, calling myself Shirley).  I almost felt like putting on a sweatshirt this morning, as we got a break from the excessive (to me) heat but said to myself, “Don’t worry; as soon as you start drinking the coffee you will get a hot flash.”  Sure enough…

Never mind all that, on with the monsters!

He looks like a friendly fellow.

I open with an unknown monster I found somewhere on the internet back in 2017.  It is a pretty cool scene.  I wonder if it is somebody’s house or an attraction one can visit.  I may never know but enjoy speculating.

He is scary, yes!

I move on to a better known monster, my favorite guy Nosferatu, from the eponymous 1922 silent movie, arguably the scariest movie ever (although I do not argue it myself, because I almost always lose arguments).

Here’s a creepy one!

Perhaps a lesser known monster, here is the unnamed menace from Carnival of Souls.  Is he death?  Is he the devil? I got the picture from the Carnival of Souls Facebook page.

Another low-budget delight.

They may look human, but they are witches, thousands of years old in Haunted Hotel, also known as City of the Damned,  although both are misnomers, as I believe I have pointed out before, because it involves an inn in a village.  Speaking of known and unknown, the guy in the middle is a young Christopher Lee.  I did not recognize him the first time I saw this movie (I have it in one of my DVD horror collections), but it was before I became acquainted with Hammer Horror films.

I see I have rattled on for over 300 words.  Additionally, my coffee has gotten tepid.  I do enjoy making a Monstrous Monday post and hope my readers do as well.  As always, I thank you for tuning in.

 

Leave a comment

Posted in humor, Monstrous Monday, personal and tagged , , , , , , , , , . Bookmark the permalink.

Remember the Alamo?

Posted on June 24, 2024 by mohawkvalleygirl

Late posts lead to more late posts.  This is how bad habits start, or return as in this case.  I had two genuine Mohawk Valley Adventures yesterday, which is why I was too tired to post.  Yes, I need more vitamins, vegetables, or exercise. Or maybe a vacation.  AAaaahhhh… (pause for fantasy of sleeping in and doing nothing for days).

Be that as it may, yesterday afternoon I went with my friends Kelly and Jim to the matinee of The Savage Dilemma at Ilion Little Theatre.  It was really funny.  I not only laughed out loud at parts of it, I laughed out loud when I could tell a funny line was coming up.  Alas, I did not get any pictures.  Of course, we are forbidden to take pictures during performances by copyright laws and consideration for the actors.  Still I could have gotten a couple pictures of them still in costume after the performance.  Only I liked some of the Act I costumes best.

After the show, we went to The Alamo Bar and Grill in Poland, NY.  They wanted to take me someplace I hadn’t been, or at least hadn’t been often.  In fact, I had been there once for lunch a long time ago, so I was delighted to return.  We enjoyed the decor, and the food even more.  We shared loaded fries, which could have made us too full for our sandwiches.  Kelly had Brisket, while I had a Classic Burger.  Jim had a Slider Train, which included burgers with different stuffings.

None of my picture turned out very well.

All over were past-used tap tops (is there a better name for those things?).  We speculated that some of them might be valuable antiques.  We also liked the fake fish.  At least, I’m sure some of them were fake.  Some may have been real.

You can see more tap tops behind it.

I noticed a picture of an old stone fort. “What is that?” I asked, pointing, then immediately realized.  “Oh, it’s the Alamo.  Remember the Alamo?”  I said it in a conversational tone, not like a war cry.

It was a very enjoyable afternoon and evening.  The Savage Dilemma will be presented again next weekend at Ilion Little Theatre.. For more information, you can visit their website or Facebook page.

The Alamo Bar and Grill is located at 8773 S. Main St., Poland NY. You can also visit their Facebook page.

 

Leave a comment

Posted in humor, local business, personal and tagged , , , , , , , , , , , . Bookmark the permalink.

Would Shirley Mind a Slacker Saturday?

Posted on June 23, 2024 by mohawkvalleygirl

AAaaand we’re back to late blog posts.  Yesterday was indeed a Slacker Saturday.  The heat wave is technically over, but my house was not a comfortable place to be.  Additionally, I had a terrible headache.  It came to me during the night, when I tried to fight it with acetaminophen  (I had to look up the spelling, but at least I did not call it acetaphetamine, as I used to).  Surely coffee on rising (I slept later than usual for a Saturday) would help (I call myself Shirley in times of stress).  Then a long walk.  All the while drinking water, because, hydration.

I started with a full bottle of water, then refilled it at the spring.

At last I ate a few crackers, took some Migraine Relief, and laid back down.  It was starting to storm by now, so I told myself to just listen to the thunder (I had stopped calling myself Shirley by then).  When I woke up an hour or so later, my headache was better, but I was dreadfully sick to my stomach.  I did not mention earlier that the nausea had come and gone a couple times during my walk.

Would you believe washing the dishes helped my stomach?  The dishes have been looking at me resentfully for the last few days (don’t judge me) when with one thing and another, I just did not do them (oh, go ahead and judge me).  I thought to myself I would do a few dishes, till the nausea was too much, then sit or lie down for a while, then try a few more dishes.  It was one way of passing the time.  Well, I managed to do all the dishes and felt much better.  A cold shower, and I felt ready to enjoy the rest of my Saturday.

Which I did, without doing anything particularly blogworthy.  But I see I am approaching 300 words with this nonsense.  What will Sunday bring?  A trip to Brookwood Market?  A show at Ilion Little Theatre?  Or just more coffee and delight at NOT having a headache?

I’m already anticipating Monstrous Monday.

 

Leave a comment

Posted in humor, personal, Slacker Saturday and tagged , , , , , , , , . Bookmark the permalink.

What’s Not to Lame?

Posted on June 22, 2024 by mohawkvalleygirl

I thought of that title last week when I saw a sign asking, “What’s not to like?”  I kept repeating it to myself so I would not forget it.  I don’t know why I did not write it down at some point, as I usually do things I want to remember.  Now I am not even sure it is all that good of a title.  Still, how good of a title to I need for Lame Post Friday?

As I type this I am looking at a Columbo episode titled “Undercover.”  I had thought it was not all that good of an episode (I saw it before years ago), but it seems I am wrong, because it has definitely caught my interest.  I guess I do not need to be glued to it though, since I have it on DVD. I can watch it again at any time.

He’s dressed differently in this episode.

 

I thought I had heard the heat would be over today, but it has not been the relief I was hoping for.  I suppose I should not have expected miracles. At least it was Friday. And still is.  Woohoo!  Will I have another on-time blog post? Could be!

I am not dressed like this right now..

I am enjoying a libation this Friday evening.  That picture is from some time ago, but I believe I have the same smile on my face.  I do enjoy my Fridays.

This has not been much of a post, but at least it is over 250 words.  Other writers try for quality over quantity, and many would say 250 is not all that much quantity.  I can’t worry about these judgement calls.  But perhaps I can find a fun picture to sign off with.

We should always be excellent to each other.

Bill and Ted.  There could be no possible objection.

 

Leave a comment

Posted in humor, Lame Post Friday, personal and tagged , , , , , , , . Bookmark the permalink.

A Blooming Throwback Thursday

Posted on June 21, 2024 by mohawkvalleygirl

After another hot, steamy day, I settle down on my couch in front of a fan and hope to make my Thursday blog post.  I think a Throwback Thursday might be fun.  Only I fear I may repeat myself.  Then again, perhaps some readers did not see these pictures the first time or any of the times I threw back to them.  Or they may not mind a re-run.  I can only hope for the best.

Wow! Look at all the grass!

This picture is from June 2017.  Look how subdued the daisies are!  They are not marauders squeezing out the peonies and forget-me-nots.  And Frankentree looks quite small and manageable.

Don’t they look ruthless?

This is a picture from this year, a couple weeks ago when they were still blooming.  It is definitely time to cut down what is left.  I hope to have at it with the clippers this weekend.

Where or where did my irises go?

This is from June 2018.  Did I really have that many irises?  Apparently so.  I had none this year.  Perhaps my mother will thin hers out in the fall and I can get some more bulbs.  I do love irises.

Some more blooms that looked better in years past.

And here is my rhododendron in June 2019.  I had some blooms this year but not as many.  Branches from the pine tree behind it encroached on its space.  Something else to have at with the clippers or perhaps a hack saw.  Nothing like being a little bloodthirsty in my yard work.  There are some wild grapevines and pricker bushes that also need slaying.  It might make a good blog post.  As always, I hope you’ll stay tuned.

 

Leave a comment

Posted in humor, personal, Throwback Thursday and tagged , , , , , , , . Bookmark the permalink.

Another Posers Post!

Posted on June 20, 2024 by mohawkvalleygirl

Monday I braved the heat to walk down to Meyers Park for the Herkimer Downtown Chowdown.  My favorite band, The Posers, were playing.  How could I not go?  As it happened, I had not been feeling well all day.  No specific symptoms, just very run down, tired, and blah.  Could I have partied too heartily on the weekend?  SAY IT AIN’T SO!!!  I walked to the post office first, to mail a few postcards, then wandered around the park, deciding what to eat.

I finally decided on a hot dog from K Dogs BBQ.  It was big!  It was yummy!  I sat down at a picnic table in the shade and did not have long to wait till the band started.

They rock!

It was difficult to get a good shot, because of the posts on the pavilion and the setting sun.  Then again, I am an amateur with a cell phone.  A professional photographer was there and a friend shared some beautiful shots from him on Facebook.  Minter Photography was the guy (for once I was not too lazy to go looking for it).  You can check out his Facebook page.

It’s too bad I was not in the mood to dance.

I did boogey a little while I took the pictures but was not my usual Dancing Queen self  (I did not dub myself that; a fellow at work did) (yes, I dance at work.  If they don’t want me to dance, they should not play music).

Bass players rule!

Of course I had to zoom in on my friend Rick, the bass player. I also tried to get a good shot of Becky, the drummer.

You just can’t beat a good drummer. Sorry, I couldn’t resist.

Probably I should have tried for a few shots.  I must clean out the storage on my Tablet, which takes better pictures.

I love the ceiling of the pavilion.

I guess I don’t have a whole lot more to say than they were great, here are some pictures.

One more shot.

I was sorry I did not feel up to staying to hear more, but I was happy I had been there to support a community event as well as some of my favorite local musicians.  The Herkimer Downtown Chowdown runs every Monday in Meyers Park.  You can get some good food and hear some great music!

 

2 Comments

Posted in Community Events, humor, local music, music, personal and tagged , , , , , , , , , , . Bookmark the permalink.

Is It a Hot Blog Post?

Posted on June 19, 2024 by mohawkvalleygirl

It probably comes as no surprise that I am doing a Tired Tuesday post, especially to local readers who are also experiencing the heat wave currently visiting the Mohawk Valley.  Perhaps some are surprised that I am making the post on Tuesday rather than early Wednesday morning.  As for anybody who feels I am being a big baby to be melting in the heat, either because they LOVE hot weather or because other places have MUCH hotter weather, I can only suggest you find another blog to read (you know who you are).  There are many available.  Of course you are welcome to continue reading this one, but a baby I am and a baby I will remain.  A big fat baby brat.

It was a hot scene.

I was looking for a non-baby, non-bratty picture to counteract the whining and defensiveness in the first paragraph.  In fact I have been trying to complain less.  I spent most of the day at work telling myself, “We all feel the heat; we all know it is hot.  I do not have to remark on how hot it is.”  A co-worker tried the opposite approach by saying how cold it was.  I had no clever comeback.  My brains, such as they are, were pretty much boiled, broiled, and steamed.

The picture, by the way, is from Love’s Labour’s Lost, as presented by LiFT, Little Falls Theatre Company two summers ago (or was it three?  How the time flies!). It was quite warm rehearsing and performing outdoors, especially in costume, but a lot of fun.

Here’s some cold weather, if you like.

My late, dearly missed husband Steve used to say, “You don’t have to shovel humidity.”  That is true.  However, in the winter time it may not snow, and then you will not have to shovel, while in the summertime, the grass is definitely going to grow, and you will have to mow.  Well, I can’t complain about that right now.  My father mowed my back lawn and my sister Cheryl mowed the front.  Did I mention I have a very nice family?

Sometimes it is nice to just lounge around in the heat.

To end on a more positive note, here is me, or part of me, enjoying summer in sandals and painted toenails.  Pedicure is from Hot Spot Salon and Spa in Herkimer, NY, just to give a quick shout-out to a local business.  I have since broken those sandals, alas, but my toes are currently a very similar color.

I see I have rattled on for more than 400 words.  Not bad for a Tired Tuesday.  I wonder what I can come up with for Wuss-out Wednesday.  As always, I hope you’ll stay tuned.

 

Leave a comment

Posted in humor, personal, Tired Tuesday and tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , . Bookmark the permalink.

Maybe I Should Have Remade the Blog Post

Posted on June 18, 2024 by mohawkvalleygirl

I am just about up to a Monstrous Monday post.  It has not been a particularly monstrous day, but I am just not feeling like myself.  I think I need some monster to re-center me.  It couldn’t hurt.

Yeah, I feel like this, and I kind of look that way, too.

Here is a depiction of me, only I cause much less havoc and destruction.  Steve McQueen would find no reason to fight me.  I hope.

In case anybody was wondering what movie that was from.

I haven’t seen The Blob in a while.  It is a fun flick.  I never saw the remake.  Remakes are often disappointing, although not always.

He is smoking hot!

For example, Blacula as an update of Dracula is quite entertaining.  I understand the sequel, Scream, Blacula, Scream, is at least equally as good.  I must check it out sometime.  I hear Pam Grier is in it.  Love Pam Grier!

Quite the mash-up, no?

I don’t believe I have ever seen Dracula vs. Frankenstein, another sort of sequel or remake, but this picture was in my Media Library.  I suppose I just grabbed it because it looked cool.

I’m afraid that is exactly what they think, but of course I do not know for sure.

And here is one they never remade.  Wait a minute, I did once, a long time ago, see a movie called They Saved Hitler’s Brain.  His head was in a kind of a glass case, like you might put a cake in.  That might have been a sort of a re-boot, or this one was a re-boot of that one.  I wonder why Hitler’s Brain never made it into one of my DVD collections of movies.  Something to hope for in the future.

In the meantime, I am approaching 300 words.  Score!  Time to see if a good night’s sleep can save my brain.

 

Leave a comment

Posted in humor, Monstrous Monday, personal and tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , . Bookmark the permalink.
← Older Posts
Newer Posts →