Winter Waste Not Want Not

Posted on January 7, 2026 by mohawkvalleygirl

Under the heading Nobody’s Perfect, I missed making my Monday blog post.  Rather than resort to a late Monstrous Monday or an on-time Tired Tuesday (I am a little tired, but never mind), I shall skip ahead and make a Waste Not Want Not Wednesday post.  For one reason, I found three pictures in my phone I have not used.

I have been walking a lot lately.  I find it safer than running, since you never know when ice is lurking beneath the snow.  The beauty part of snow is, it gives you more traction than ice while slowing you down, so you burn more calories with every step.  At least, that is the thought with which I comfort myself when it seems to be taking me forever to get anywhere.  The beauty part about walking is that I can pause to take a picture when something catches my eye.

I did not try to go ice fishing.

I don’t know if this is an actual brook or just a kind of a drainage ditch.  Drainage ditch sounds awfully dirty, and this does not seem unsanitary to me.  I always like to see running water as I walk along.

I would find that cold.

On one walk, I saw this beautiful dog not on a leash.  I took a picture, thinking I should post it on Facebook or something.  However, the pooch did not seem to be wandering, so I knocked on a door and asked the lady who answered if she knew whose dog it was.  She pointed out the house, and I knocked on that door and warned them their dog was loose.  It was my good deed for the day, I guess.

One of my favorite views.

Relaxing after a walk, I enjoy two of my lovely Christmas presents from my parents:  fuzzy socks and soft slippers.  What a delightful thing on a cold winter’s day.

Ooh, look, I am over 300 words and have not once whined over having nothing to blog about.  It can be difficult getting out and about in the winter, but I shall manage something.  As always, I thank you for tuning in.

 

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Return to Athenix

Posted on January 5, 2026 by mohawkvalleygirl

I got to thinking about Athenix Books and Brews and The Keep and decided I wanted to join.  Also, I had not purchased anything on Jan 2 , and that is no way to support a business.  I am not extravagantly well off, but I can afford a purchase or two.  Accordingly, I drove to Little Falls, NY.

Cool sign!

This time I remembered to take a couple of outside pictures.  I went in and greeted the owner.  He pointed out his two daughters, after whom the store is named, he was holding one and the other was relaxing on a nearby couch.  I looked around to decide what to purchase.  A number of people were browsing, so it was difficult to see everything.  What a good problem for a store to have!  Alas, no books caught my eye.

My purchases.

I had said yesterday that I did NOT need another coffee mug.  Unfortunately, when I was doing dishes the morning, my Dyn’s Cider Mill mug broke.  I don’t know when I will get to Dyn’s again (they are probably closed for the season).  In the meantime, another Little Falls mug can fill in the gap.  Um, yes, I did already have a Little Falls coffee mug.  But this one is purple!  When I went to pay for it, I fell in love with an adorable ghost pen holder (full disclosure:  at first I thought it was just a ghost and had to be told it was a pen holder).

It took a little while, since I was joining The Keep and because, well, I always talk too much.  I apologized to the woman behind me.  She said that was fine, she was enjoying looking around.  She asked the owner what if somebody wanted to buy one of the books hanging from the ceiling.  He said there would be a $100 surcharge for hauling out the ladder.

The outside is decorated with books, too.

We are all looking forward to the opening of the cafe.  I want to sit there and sip coffee and write.  Maybe I can finally finish that novel.

 

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No Brews Yet But Books!

Posted on January 4, 2026 by mohawkvalleygirl

Athenix Books and Brews in Little Falls is a great addition to the Mohawk Valley.  I went to their soft opening yesterday and was enchanted.  Alas, I did not get any pictures of the outside of the store or the logo.  That is another reason I must return.

Brews refers to brewed coffee, not beer, and they intend to open a whole cafe.  I have been following Athenix on Facebook, as they chronicle their progress, fixing up the space and getting ready. Only the book section opened Jan. 2, but for book lovers and lovers of local like me (oh, how alliterative, “lovers of local like me), that is enough.

SO going to buy a shirt!

In addition to new and used books, local jewelry, candles and other merchandise is available.  When I was there, a lot of people were browsing the stacks and making purchases.

I spoke to the owner, who my sister Diane Young had previously contacted.  A couple of stores in Liverpool carry her books, and she would love to expand her reach to Little Falls.  She had meant to come to the opening with me but was not feeling well (these colds that hang on and on, ugh!).  He said she should come see him when she is in town, and bring copies of her books.  My sister the author.  I really must up my writing game.

Who me? Buy another coffee mug?

For a monthly fee, you can join The Keep.  You get 10% off most purchases plus additional member sales, and you get a free monthly t-shirt.  Wow!  I want in!  I stupidly did not join yesterday.  However, since I plan to make it a regular stop, I’m sure I will have the chance.

Athenix Books and Brews is located at 624 E. Main St., Little Falls, NY.  They are open daily from 9 to 6.  I encourage you to follow them on Facebook.

 

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New Years Lame

Posted on January 2, 2026 by mohawkvalleygirl

New Year’s Day always feels like a Sunday to me, and not a holiday Sunday, just a run of the mill Sunday.  Imagine my delight when I realized it would be followed by a Friday!  Thank you, calendar.  Now I can make a Lame Post Friday Post.  This post will be heavy on the half-baked philosophy, so buckle up, butter cup (I don’t know why I said that).

 

I thought I should put a picture in.

I wanted to use the picture of Bette Davis in All About Eve, where she says, “Fasten your seat belts, It’s going to be a bumpy night,” but I couldn’t find it in my Media Library and I don’t know how to download a photo from the internet on my Chromebook.  But I digress.

 

A friend posted a meme on Facebook saying that the new year really begins in spring, when the earth reawakens from its winter slumber. My friend saw the point but preferred having the new year begin as it does now.  Given that the calendar is an entirely human construct and that Facebook is a specious source of rules for life, I think both the meme and my friend are right.

There are many points in the year when we can feel a new beginning. For example, fall and the start of school feels like New Year to many. Spring is indeed an awakening that can refresh us. And personally, as we meet goals and challenges, we often feel a rush of relief and renewal. For example, after I complete a 5K or a murder mystery, I feel like, “Ah! Now I can concentrate on other things.”

The above paragraph was what I put as a comment on the post.  I followed it by, “Oh dear, this is sounding like a blog post.”  So I copy and pasted it to WordPress and saved it. I thought I might expand upon the idea, but I see I am over 322 words.  I think that is sufficient for a Lame Post Friday post.  Now I must get on with 2026.

 

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Running into 2026!

Posted on January 2, 2026 by mohawkvalleygirl

This morning I ran for the first time since the Reindeer Run 5K in Little Falls, NY on Dec. 13.  People like to say, “Sometimes you just have to force yourself.”  Well, I did not force myself.  I decided to run today, and I did.  And it was great! It was quite cold, and the roads were far from bare, but I felt damn good and ran for over a mile and a half.

The sky was not that blue, for one thing.

I cannot find a winter picture of Herkimer’s Historical Four Corners in my Media Library, but that is the first place I ran.  I wanted to do a Running Commentary Post so purposefully ran by places I knew I had pictures of.  Just imagine a lot of snow.  I ran in the road for the most part, sticking to new fallen snow when possible, because snow gives you a little traction.  I did not trust the slush but did not run into any problems.

Right away I was amazed at how good the run felt, and how my body did not seem to have any problems with it.  It wasn’t even too difficult breathing in the cold.  At first there was little breeze, which was great.  Later when the wind picked up, I said, “Rats!”  But I kept going.

I do not do everything I am told to do.

I went by a couple of Do Not Enter signs, entering of course.  I KNOW they are talking about vehicular traffic not crazy old ladies.  Just let me enjoy my rebel cred.

I’ll go here later to celebrate the new year a little more.

After one Do Not Enter sign, I ran by the Elks Lodge.  Joining the Elks was one of the highlights of my 2025.  Lots of nice people there, and they do a lot of good for the community.

I kept it up for almost 26 minutes, 1.71 miles.  I was just happy my first mile was under 16 minutes.  Real runners know that is a very slow mile, but I do not apologize.  I was out there improving myself.  Never mind how much room there is for improvement!

 

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2025 Was a Dramatic Year!

Posted on January 1, 2026 by mohawkvalleygirl

I thought for a New Year’s Eve post I would do a review of my year in blogging.  I just looked back over my posts from January to now, and I realized: I will probably leave a lot out.  I also realized I had a pretty good theatre year, so I will concentrate on 2025 theatrical triumphs.  I should have started this days ago and written about my year in running, business shout-outs, family fun, etc.  Never mind. On with the post.

A great cast! I hope to work with them again (Preview of Coming Attractions).

January saw me reviving Curtains for Frangelica, the murder mystery we did in October 2024 to benefit the Herkimer County Historical Society.  I am currently writing a new murder mystery for this spring.  We did two performances, set up by a cast member.  It made for some interesting blog posts.

Everybody was pretty glad when I got bumped off.

In February I auditioned for a real play: Prescription: Murder at Ilion Little Theatre (ILT).  I got the part I wanted:  the overbearing wife who gets murdered.  It was a wonderful experience, with a great cast and crew.  I hope to audition at ILT again in 2026.

A suspicious-looking bunch indeed.

We did two performances of Recipe for Murder Royale, which was inspired by the cookbook published by Herkimer County Historical Society.  We performed it first at Salisbury Grange, then again the Herkimer Elks Lodge to benefit the Historical Society.  As you may notice, there were a couple of the same actors who helped off Frangelica as well as a couple of newcomers.  They were all delightful.

One of my more dramatic moments.

It was hard to pick a shot of Four Old Broads on the High Seas to share, but I finally settled on one showing all four broads, with me diva-ing it up in front.  This was my first play with Players of Utica, although a few of my ILT buddies were also involved.  This was in July.  Since I have done little theatre since, I see why I was thinking I hadn’t done anything in a while.

However, looking back, I see that I have been lucky enough to do quite a bit of theatre in the past year.  Community theatre is one of my passions.  As I mentioned, I hope to do more in 2026.  I’ll be sure to blog about it when I do!

 

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I Can’t Be Tired of Winter Already!

Posted on December 31, 2025 by mohawkvalleygirl

I’m afraid I’ll have to make a Tired Tuesday post.  I left the house twice today, both times to shovel the driveway.  I didn’t mind that, only I inadvisedly watched a video on Facebook of a doctor explaining, with illustrations, exactly why shoveling snow can give you a heart attack.  This was not happy viewing for my over 60, overweight self.  Yes, yes, I am trying to do something about the overweight part, it is not helpful of you to remind me (you know who you are).

My favorite Tuesday meme.

Some may feel this is not an appropriate meme for me to share, since I no longer have a Monday through Friday job.  And yet the days of the week retain meaning for me.  For a lot of people, this week is chaos anyways, with the holidays, especially for those lucky enough to be off work.  Anyways, I just wanted to throw in a picture to pep things up.

I was supposed to be covering a town board meeting tonight, but after all my efforts on the driveway and car, it was cancelled.  That goodness the town clerk was nice enough to email me and let me know!

It looked a little like this.

I did not take Before and After pictures, but here is a Before picture from a previous winter.  The roads are a little more covered today.  I would take an After picture now, but it is getting dark.

Quite frankly, I was all geared up to go someplace.  While I am relieved not to have to drive on what I understand are terrible roads, I would kind of like to be out and around people.  Oh well, common sense will rule tonight.  I’ll put on some comfy clothes and tune in to Dateline.  And hope for a bloggable Mohawk Valley Adventure tomorrow.

I might as well use it, since it’s in the Media Library.

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Spoiler Alert! I Give Away the Ending of One Monster

Posted on December 30, 2025 by mohawkvalleygirl

I am resorting to a Monstrous Monday post, because I fear if I wait till I leave my house and do something blogworthy (and there is no guarantee of either of those things happening), I will not post at all.  We can’t have that.

“Why can’t we?”

Regular readers may remember my favorite guy, Nosferatu, of the eponymous 1922 silent film.  It’s scary!  I love it!  I also love the song by Blue Oyster Cult, which I only recently discovered.  I think my vampire friend looks startled in this picture, or perhaps he is just trying to remember how to say grace.

She looks like I feel.

And here is the beautiful Candace Hilligoss in Carnival of Souls (1962).  I guess she is not looking her best in this shot.  Carnival of Souls is a great example of how you can make a very unsettling movie on a low budget.   One might argue that Candace is not exactly a monster, but I usually try to avoid arguments as I often lose them.

Another scary one!

These could be described as monsters of the human sort, but I believe they call themselves witches.  Does anybody recognize a young Christopher Lee?  I think I need to revisit some of these older horror movies I have on DVD.

A reformed monster.

I close with a seasonal monster, the Grinch.  I suppose this gives away the ending of the story.  I know what!  I’ll put in a Spoiler Alert in the headline!

 

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I Lollygagged About Making My Resolution

Posted on December 28, 2025 by mohawkvalleygirl

Some people are making New Year’s Resolutions.  Others are loftily saying they refuse to have self-improvement dictated by a calendar; when they see something that needs fixing, they fix it.  Still others feel they are already perfect (you know who you are).  Of course, everybody must do what works for themselves.  Personally, I believe in making a New Year’s Resolution right around Thanksgiving.  Then you have a perfect excuse to overindulge during the subsequent holidays:  “I can eat these cookies; I’m going on a diet January 1st!”  Alas for me, I neglected to do so and had to overindulge with no excuse.

Random picture to denote passage of time while I get more coffee.

What could be more festive that Joan Crawford with an ax?  At least candy is seasonal.  For accuracy’s sake, I point out that I am nobody’s mommy.  I was Mama Q to the boys in my national guard unit, back in the early ’00s, but that was a long time ago.  But I digress.

I think New Year’s Resolutions can be a useful tool.  New year, new beginnings, new hopes.  They don’t always work, of course, but then nothing works all the time in every case. What a lot of pressure to put on a little bitty resolution, not to mention to our own psyches.   “I WILL improve my life, starting on this arbitrary date, and if I do not, I am clearly dirt!”  To me, that is not a helpful way to do it.  Then again, “I will NOT make a New Year’s Resolution, because they clearly do not work!  I will stay just the way I am, so there!”  Well, that is fine if you are one of those perfect people I mentioned earlier.  A friend once said she had some goals.  I like that.  Words matter, and to some of us, having a goal can seem much more attainable than a Resolution (the song about “A Resolution! On Independency!” from 1776  is playing in my head).

Some people have no perception.

I guess this has been a whole lot of half-baked philosophy, more worthy of Lame Post Friday.  Then again, many people find themselves confused about what day it is this time of year.  As regular readers know, I am no stranger to confusion.    I would like to just mention I have made this entire post with a whanging headache (autocorrect thought I meant “changing.”  I would like it to change!) (and autocorrect seems to think autocorrect is not a word, but does not change it) (again, I digress).  Thus I prove to myself that I can so make a blog post when I have a headache.  There goes another excuse!

My skull is screaming.

I close with a shot from The Screaming Skull, another beloved cheesy horror movie, with or without robot heads.  I see I am over 400 words.  Wow!  That must be some good coffee I made!

 

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With or Without Robot Heads

Posted on December 27, 2025 by mohawkvalleygirl

Hello and welcome to a Post-Christmas Lame Post Friday post.  I have a bit of a headache right now, nothing I should really complain about but when have I ever let that stop me? Quick, throw in a picture to pep things up.

When in doubt, go silly!

I was searching for a local picture of festive cheer, but the only thing in my Media Library that spoke to me was this shot from Santa Claus Conquers the Martians the classic 1964 movie featuring Pia Zadora.  I first caught it on AMC, back when they showed movies, and now have it on DVD as an episode of Mystery Science Theatre 3000.  I confess I like it with or without robot heads.

Voyeur!

The silliness continues with a Christmased-up shot from King Kong (here’s a Freudian typo:  I started to type Kink Kong!).  Look at that lascivious grin!

A better behaved gorilla.

Here is Burt the Birtday Gorilla, a present from me to my late husband Steve some years ago.  We sometimes dress him up for the holiday.  This is from 2024.  I can’t find that necklace, which is a pity, because it would have enhanced some of my holiday wear.  I did wear the hat when I ran the Reindeer Run 5K in Little Falls, NY a couple weeks ago.

I see I am over 200 words.  That is no doubt enough silliness for one blog post.  I must try to get something useful done.  Maybe I could even do something I could blog about tomorrow.

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