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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Late Post, Good Run

Posted on July 2, 2020 by mohawkvalleygirl

I begin my Thursday with  Running Commentary Post.  For one reason, I never posted on Wednesday, and this way there is an off chance I will make two blog posts today.  Additionally, I got back from my run less than an hour ago.  IT! COULD! WORK! (That was a quote of Gene Wilder in Young Frankenstein)

I was ready to get up shortly after five.  Steven was still blissfully asleep, so it was a good day to start with a run.  When I looked out the window at the fog, my mind was made up.  I got ready quietly and off I went.

I have been running for several days in a row.  I really must go back to keeping a Running Journal so I can keep track of these things.  Yesterday I went for a long run up the hill to Herkimer College (previously known as HCCC), so I thought a shorter, easier run would be acceptable.

For most runs, I turn left out of my driveway and head toward German Street.  Today for something different, I turned right, going the way I go when I walk to the post office.  I went through Meyers Park, another familiar route for me.  When we first moved here and I started running again (after several sedentary years and gaining over 30 pounds), I made it a habit to always run through the park.  I went on really short runs in those days, but you have to start somewhere.

After the park, I headed toward Main Street.  I decided to keep going in roughly that direction till I had run for ten minutes then head home.  It would probably take me more than ten minutes to get home, what with following a different route, so that would be a good plan.

The plan worked fine.  I went on a couple of streets I don’t often go on (the village is too small for there to be many I’ve NEVER seen).  I admired several flower beds and envied a few screened porches.  I ran by my beloved Herkimer Historic Four Corners.  I ran for 23 minutes.  To put that in perspective,  I ran 40 minutes yesterday,  33 the day before.

I still don’t have a plan for running my Virtual Boilermaker 15K,  but my training seems to be going  well.  I’m feeling pretty good about it.  Now to work on my writing!

 

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No Brain, Mummers, Mummy… How Monstrous!

Posted on July 1, 2020 by mohawkvalleygirl

I normally do not call it Mid-week till Wednesday,  but I really want to make a Monstrous Post.  Then again, who knows what will catch my eye when I go to my Media Library?  Maybe I should just go for a Tired Tuesday.  How fun to begin a blog post with no idea of where it is going!  I shall try to plan better for tomorrow,  just for a compare/contrast.

How would you like to fit this guy with glasses?

How appropriate for me to find the monster from The Brain That Wouldn’t Die on a day when my brain has definitely died. Oh how I love a cheesy horror movie!

HOW I miss my theatre friends!

I found the first picture in June 2018.  The above is from June 2019.  They are Mummers Along the Mohawk, a group that performed at The Great American Irish Festival.  Only the headgear makes them monstrous.  In the performance they are merely boisterous players, and in real life utterly delightful people.

You could not toss and turn. Just saying.

I put in this sleeping (for now) mummy, because I was feeling a little tired myself (you know, Tired Tuesday).  Personally, I have trouble sleeping on very warm nights, in addition to suffering from insomnia in general.  I can only imagine how difficult it must be for the undead in the dessert.

My favorite side eye.

I close with a more familiar shot from The Brain That Wouldn’t Die.  It is perhaps my favorite cheesy movie.  Then again, I have not seen them all.  So many things gs to add to my To Do List!  No wonder I am tired.

 

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