Setting an Example on Scattered Saturday

Posted on December 17, 2017 by mohawkvalleygirl

I pause amidst my Saturday gyrations for a Scattered Saturday post.  It’s going to be a quick one, too, because I am frying sausage and it does not do to neglect these things.

My wonderful husband, Steven, had a rare day off, so we wanted to spend at least some time having a few minor Mohawk Valley adventures.  Accordingly, we got an early start and headed to Utica to the So Sweet Candy Cafe for their open house.  Heading back to Ilion, we went to Honey Brook Hobbies, Ilion Wine and Spirits, and Original Herkimer Cheese.  I can do blog posts about all these things, and I hope to in the coming days.

Before and after our adventures, I wrote out a few more Christmas cards.  Alas, I was not in time to get them to the post office before it closed.  It was, in fact, a little cold to walk to the post office, much less go running.  I daresay I should not have let that stop me had I been on my own for the day.  Perhaps a walk to the post office tomorrow, or even later today and look at other people’s Christmas lights.

And what about a run, you may ask.  Well may you ask! I confess, after the Reindeer Run 5K, I once again fell off the running wagon.  I did not mean to, but, well, these things happen.  Now I begin to repeat to myself the mantra: If you are too busy to exercise, you are too busy.  Substitute “lazy” for “busy,” though. Sorry folks, but there it is.  I set a bad example.

But here I am approaching 300 words.  Doesn’t that set a good example for making a blog post every day?  Oh well, given the general quality of my posts, perhaps not.  Then again, some people find them amusing. For those who do not, there are other blogs to read.  Happy Saturday, everyone.

 

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Is It Friday Already, Finally?

Posted on December 16, 2017 by mohawkvalleygirl

Yes, it is another Late, Lame post.  I wonder if I should make a sub-category to reflect that?  Nah, I’ll just post.  I confess, I had my doubts this week as to whether I would make it to Friday, or indeed, if Friday would ever come.  You’ll have that.

So with Friday came the deadline for Mohawk Valley Living magazine.  If I was a really good writer, like I pretend I am, this would not matter, because I would have already written my article or articles and submitted them.  And here we come to the ugly truth about me. However, I did what I could and submitted something that I feel is not completely contemptible.

Then I had to rush into some nice-looking clothes, because my friend, Kim, was picking me up to go to a wine tasting at Valley Wine and Liquor.  It was Adirondack Winery of Lake George.  I have tasted their stuff before but never been to the winery.  I must get there one day, though, because they have some dry wines that are not carried by the liquor store so were not available for tasting.

From the wine tasting, Kim and I headed to the Herkimer Elks Lodge for Cucina Berto’s Tom & Jerry Night.  Steven joined us already in progress.  We had a couple Tom & Jerry’s, and Steven and I each had a cup of Italian Wedding Soup.  Yummy!

And now we are home.  I’m afraid this post will read like a Flustered Friday, and indeed, parts of it felt flustered to me.  However, it was a fun Friday, and I am looking forward to an equally fun Saturday.  I’ll write a blog post about it.

 

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Moonshine for Me!

Posted on December 15, 2017 by mohawkvalleygirl

Steven and I just got back from Valley Wine and Liquor, where we sampled the wares of DikinDurt Distillery of Herkimer.  I had tried their stuff before, having visited the distillery and written about them for Mohawk Valley Living magazine.  I want to bring Steven out to the distillery, but we have not found a chance yet, so I was happy he could have a chance to try their moonshine.

First we sampled my two favorites from when I tried them before: Toasted Maple and Mohawk Valley Fire.  I described the latter as “cinnamony” in my article.  Perhaps it is not a word, but I stand by it.  I still think the Toasted Maple would taste good in coffee.  However, I will not get to test that theory yet, because we purchased the Mohawk Valley Fire.  I will let you know how that tastes in coffee, as soon as I find out.  As a final sample, we tried the clear stuff, which I had not tried before.  That was good too, but we preferred the flavored stuff.  We must go to the distillery sometime, though, because I have yet to try the berry flavors: raspberry, blueberry, blackberry.

We had a nice chat with Elizabeth Stack, one of the owners of the distillery.  She remembered me from when my friend Kim and I visited the distillery.  She said they had gotten a great response from the article.  That was nice to hear. We agreed that it was a great magazine.

For more information about DikinDurt Distillery, you can visit their website at https://www.dikindurt.com/.

 

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Wordless? Not So Much. Christmas Decorations? You Got It!

Posted on December 14, 2017 by mohawkvalleygirl

I thought I would try one of them there Wordless Wednesdays.  For one reason, Steven and I have to get our Christmas cards written tonight, so I can’t sit here with the computer on my lap pondering what to say.  Of course, being me, it will not be entirely wordless.  I enjoy words far too much for that.  But I took a few pictures of our Christmas decorations I would like to share.

“Jolly good tree, don’t you think, m’dear?”

My Mom and Dad gave me this fiber optic tree some years ago.  It is our only tree these days, for reason I believe I explained in an earlier post (and if I didn’t, it’s not that interesting anyways).  The cool bears we purchased at Michael’s in August, GA, when I was in the Army, an increasing number of years ago.

Busy, cluttered, a little random… just like my life.

I guess I got kind of a weird angle on this picture, and you can’t really see all our little things very well, but you can get an idea of the fun surrounding our CD player.  On this CD player, each year I attempt to listen to every one of our Christmas CDs, including as well as a wide variety of music, a couple of versions of A Christmas Carol.  I usually miss a few.  We have a large collection (who, us, go overboard?  Say it ain’t so!).

This is not all our DVDs and videos either.

I randomly hung the Christmas trees up, and Steven added the stocking.  The stocking belonged first to Tabby, then to Spunky.  If we ever get another dog, it will be his or hers.  The Christmas trees are an invention of mine, a kind of a granny triangle (regular readers may recall that the only thing I know how to crochet is a granny square).  I’ve been making them for years, sometimes as individual ornaments, sometimes as garlands like this one.

Well will you look at that?  I am over 300 words. Wordless Wednesday indeed!  I can’t do anything right!

 

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I Don’t Feel Abominable, Just Tired

Posted on December 13, 2017 by mohawkvalleygirl

I just can’t get away from Tired Tuesday.  But what do you want from me?  I worked all day, got my boobs squished (see yesterday’s post), then shoveled my drive way.

Yes, winter returned to the Mohawk Valley today, and I guess it could have been worse.  Roads were pretty bad when I drove into work shortly before 6 a.m., although I know the plows had been around.  I enjoyed that weird personality quirk of mine that I laugh at bad weather.  I chuckled all the way from my car to the building, being careful not to slip on the slush. I just kept looking up and marveling at the sheer amount of snow coming down.  It did make me laugh.  Luckily it did not keep up at that great rate all day.

There was not a massive amount of white stuff on the driveway, and it was still coming down, but I got out to at least take off a layer.  I TOLD Steven not to come with me, because his back is bothering him, but he joined me anyways.  I guess most spouses don’t do what the other one tells them to do, do they?  I almost never do myself.

What I am really looking forward to now is that first cup of coffee tomorrow morning (again, see yesterday’s post).  I told all my friends at work that I would probably show up with a BIG smile on my face.  So that will be two days I show up at work smiling: laughing at the snow, then giddy over the coffee. Perhaps the giddiness will carry over and I will write a better blog post.

I think this is one of my co-workers.

I thought I would just throw in the Abominable Snowman for good measure.  I think he is kind of cute.

 

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Mental Meanderings about the Mammary Glands

Posted on December 12, 2017 by mohawkvalleygirl

Today’s Monday Mental Meanderings is in the nature of a Public Service Announcement, with an added attraction for those of you who like to point and laugh at others’ discomfort (you know who you are).  Tomorrow, I go for a mammogram.

NO, I do not expect any of you are crass enough to be amused at the thought of my mammary glands being squished and photographed.  At least, I hope not.  The discomfort I was going to share for your amusement is that I have now gone over a week without coffee.  I cry a little even as I type it.

I don’t suppose non-coffee drinkers will understand, but I know some of you are raising your hands in horror at the thought.  In fact, a number of females have told me they were never advised to stay off caffeine.   When I made the appointment, the nurse told me I could drink decaf, and the reason for it is that the caffeine makes one’s breasts more sensitive.  I don’t remember a mammogram hurting that much to begin with, but it has been at least seven years since I’ve had one.

Ah, here is the Public Service Announcement part:  DON’T BE LIKE ME!  Get your cancer screening tests at the recommended intervals.

Back to the laughing at Cindy portion of the post.  I eased into things by having one small cup of coffee in the morning for two days. Then I had tea for two mornings.  I had some decaf filter bags a co-worker had given me.  Yes, there is still caffeine in decaf.  The lady told me I could drink decaf, so that was what I had for my usual mid-morning cuppa.  On the fourth day, I started having decaf from a filter bag for my first cup as well.  Oh, it does not taste as good.  It does not make me feel content to be out of bed and ready to face the day.  I suffer.

Almost every day, I have been tempted to just have a damn cup of joe.  All these other women have had mammograms and never been told to stay off coffee.  I don’t remember a mammogram hurting and even if it’s awful, it can’t last that long, can it?  I’m a tough girl!  I can take it!

Well, I can be tough enough to stay off coffee, too.  For one reason, I can be pretty stubborn once I have made up my mind to do something.  For another reason, once you have gone so far with something, you might just as well go all the way.

So now I am really, Really, REALLY looking forward to that first cup of coffee.  Alas, my appointment is at three tomorrow afternoon.  I fear if I immediately indulge, it will keep me up all night.  However, Wednesday morning will be a wonderful time for me.

And once again, to all my female readers:  Get your mammograms!

 

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Wrist to Christmas Monsters

Posted on December 11, 2017 by mohawkvalleygirl

I pause in my Sunday activities for my usual Wrist to Forehead Sunday post.  Full disclosure:  my Sunday activities right now consist of sitting on the couch, knitting, and watching television.  Right now I’m looking at Snapped, because I enjoy what my husband, Steven, calls murder and mayhem.  Earlier we watched Stalking Santa, which we just happened to purchase when the local DVD rental place went out of business.  It is a very funny movie.  I like mockumentaries.

As I have often observed, there is no point in trying to get anything useful done on a Sunday.  It has ever been thus with me.   I did manage to go to the grocery store and pick up a couple of things.  I made a yummy dinner and even put the leftovers away myself.  And now I am making my blog post.  That, I am afraid, will be it for me.  Hmmm, you would think I would do a better blog post under those circumstances.

OK, I just went looking for a few pictures to jazz things up but got distracted by Facebook, what a surprise.  Now I’m missing the next episode of Snapped and this blog post is no snappier.  How about a couple of pictures from my Media Library?  Maybe some Nosferatu.  What’s Christmas-time without a few monsters?

“What do you mean only 14 Shopping Days till Christmas?”

 

It’s not easy to carve roast beast with your pinkies in the air.

Here’s a Christmas monster for you!  Who doesn’t love the Grinch?  Oh well, I suppose some people don’t. Their loss.  I did not take this pic from my Media Library.  I went back to Facebook and downloaded my current profile picture.  I almost never use my own face for my profile picture.  I’ve been Nosferatu, Joan Crawford, Bette Davis, and most recently a air of pale green pants with nobody inside ’em (that is from the Dr. Seuss story “What Was I Scared Of?”).

I see I am over 300 words into this nonsense, so I will sign off.  Happy Sunday, everyone.

 

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I Jingle All the Way

Posted on December 10, 2017 by mohawkvalleygirl

So I ran the Reindeer Run 5K in Little Falls this morning.  Slowly, of course.  At least I didn’t walk, and I was out there doing it.  And I retained enough breath to shout out silly remarks to fellow runners, volunteers, and people along the course watching.  I like to think I amused a few people.  Steven took a picture of me before I left, because we both rather liked my outfit.

Ready to rock and roll!

Yes, the jingle bells on my reindeer antlers chimed the whole way.  At one place in the course, we ran out a road to a truck, then turned around and ran back.  I shouted encouragement to all the runners ahead of me (which was most of them) as they ran by me after they turned around.  I said things like, “Looking good!”  “You got this!”  “Good job!”  “See you at the party!”  and, my own personal favorite, “Jingle all the way!”

The party afterwards was at Ed and Bud’s Bar and Grill on Main Street in Little Falls. I had been by Ed and Bud’s many times but never stopped in.  I must make that a priority now.  For one reason, the race director and volunteers were drinking Tom and Jerry’s, a traditional Christmas drink.  It looked so good, but of course I did not have my wallet on me.

After the race, I walked back to the YMCA, where the race had started.  I was feeling the cold by now, but walking up a couple of hills stretched my leg muscles out pretty good.

A highlight of the race was the Moose on the Loose.  The Moose was at many events associated with Christmas in Little Falls, and people were encouraged to take selfies with her and post them on social media.  Those who did so could win prizes.  When I confessed to the Moose that I could not do so, she whipped out her phone and took one.

We were all in high spirits at the beginning of the run.

The Moose met me near the end and ran in with me.  Alas, I started my sprint too soon, thinking the ending was closer than it was.  Then I panicked.

“I’m not going to make it,” I whined.

“Yes you are!” said the Moose and another runner who was just a little ahead of me.  Of course I did make it.  As usual, I felt terrific once the run was over.  I’m looking forward to the next Little Falls run.  And to the run I intend to take by myself tomorrow.  Or the next day.  But soon.  I like to run.

 

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Ready for the Run? Or Just Lame?

Posted on December 9, 2017 by mohawkvalleygirl

Well, I’m all carbed up for tomorrow’s Reindeer Run 5K, part of Christmas in Little Falls.  I confess to feeling a little nervous about the whole thing.  I’m not even sure of my outfit.  Regular readers know how I obsess over what I’m going to wear, with the final results far from reflecting the efforts involved.  At least I found my “Dashing” t-shirt.  It is a large reg t-shirt with a penguin and the word “Dashing.”  Steven gave it to me for birthday one year when we lived in Georgia (he often gives me Christmas for my birthday).  I think it is a perfect t-shirt for a Christmas run.  Get it?  “Dashing through the snow…”

I have a green long-sleeved running shirt to wear under the t-shirt.  Actually, it’s kind of teal, but I think it is green enough for a Christmas run (which is not the same thing as when the light turns yellow as I reach it and I say, “Ah, it’s green enough”).  I think silver leggings.  Again, they are not really silver, kind of black shot with silver.  OK, they’re grey.  I’m going to call them silver.  I hope I can find a pair of my winter running socks in the clean laundry (no, I have do not fold all my laundry promptly, sue me!).

I carbed up with angle hair pasta with basil pesto, topped with onions, rainbow peppers, and mushrooms, which I roasted in pesto.  I perhaps started them a little too soon, with the result that some of the onions were a little crispy.  I put the onions in first, while I cleaned and sliced the peppers, then I put the peppers in.  I didn’t put the mushrooms in till the last twenty minutes or so. I put grated cheese on mine.  It was a pretty good supper.

So how is this for my Lame Friday Post?  A little about the race, a little bit of cooking.  It will have to do.  Perhaps tomorrow I will have things to report about Christmas in Little Falls.  As always, I hope you’ll stay tuned.

 

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I Can See the Grinch

Posted on December 8, 2017 by mohawkvalleygirl

My sister Cheryl gave me the boxes.  Steven gave me the bear.

When in doubt, lead with a cute bear.  My husband, Steven, did some more indoor decorating today, so I took a few pictures to dress up my blog post, in the perhaps forlorn hope of disguising the fact that I have very little to say these days.  As I sit here typing, I see a number of things I could also have photographed, so I may use the same dodge tomorrow.  Then again, tomorrow is Lame Post Friday, so there will be nothing to apologize for.

The gang’s all here!

This is, in fact, not all of the holiday stuffed toys we have.  The two lounging on the floor in front of the box are recent acquisitions.  Steven won them in a claw machine.  He often has good luck with those machines. Also note the reindeer antlers.  I may wear a pair of those for the Reindeer Run 5K on Saturday.  I won’t run fast, but I’ll look cute!

Regular readers may remember the Santas on the stairs from a previous post.

This is kind of a busy and wide view.  Now that I look at it, I see I should have turned on the stairs’ light and moved my sneakers from the floor.  Then again, sometimes these random mistakes are part of my charm.  Or do I flatter myself?

Everybody loves Santa!

My sister Cheryl gave me the Santa Claus.  We normally put him in the dining room, but I suggested we put him in front of the fireplace this year.  Steven added the crowd of stuffed toys today.  I think it is a delightful arrangement.

She escaped from the Island of Misfit Toys!

This is a close-up of part of our mantel, because  Steven specifically requested a picture of “the doll from Rudolf that doesn’t have anything wrong with her.”  I forgot where we got her, or why we only have her and none of the other figures from Rudolf the Red-Nosed Reindeer.   No matter.  She looks happy now, and it’s Christmas time.  And I am approaching 350 words.  Woo-hoo!  That is quite respectable for a Non-Sequitur Thursday.  If only I could think of a catchy headline, my life would be perfect.

 

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