Tag Archives: blogging

Monday Mug Memories

Posted on April 27, 2021 by mohawkvalleygirl

Lately I have been pouring myself a travel mug of coffee to sip on my 20 minute commute to work. I like to drive up through Ilion Gorge, admire the scenery, enjoy whichever CD I am listening to, and have a sip or two. Usually there is enough left over for me to bring in to my place of employment for a few more sips while I wait for my shift to start and, for example, start to write a blog post (see what I did there?).

Today I am using my favorite travel mug. I do not remember where I got it. It was probably acquired from a long-ago roommate. The logo of the business it came from is not quite peeled off, but I am pretty sure I did not get it directly from there. These are the mysteries I ponder on a Monday morning.

I do have one story about the mug that I can share. The mug came up missing at one point. This did not worry me unduly, because I have many travel mugs. I could always pick another favorite.

Then one Thanksgiving at my parents’ house in Rome, NY, I spotted it. My Uncle Tom, who had also been a guest at dinner, was filling it with coffee for his trip back to North Syracuse, as my parents had invited him to do.

“THERE’S my coffee mug!” I exclaimed.

Uncle Tom was immediately sorry he had selected that mug from the ones in my parents’ cupboard, but I hastened to reassure him. I was, in fact, delighted to have him use my mug to make his drive more enjoyable. It was also very fitting that he should take my mug, as I pointed out to him, because my husband, Steven, and I had acquired not one but two travel mugs from his daughter, our cousin Mary Beth, when in a similar situation.

Eventually I got my favorite travel mug back, so I was not forced to pick a new favorite. It would be OK if I did, and also if another relative or friend ended up taking it away with them. I feel travel mugs, like coffee, should be shared.

And that is my coffee in a travel mug story for the day. I am making the post late for a Monday blog post, but I am calling it a Monday Memories post anyways, just to be alliterative.

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Two Walks, a Few Pictures

Posted on April 26, 2021 by mohawkvalleygirl

I just took a short walk to the post office, to mail a letter to a friend but also to wake myself up. I had my phone with me and took a couple of pictures. I did a similar thing yesterday, so how about a Sunday Snapshot Post. I just made that category up. Do you like it?

I gotta plant a flowering tree in my yard.

I hadn’t meant to take pictures, but then I thought, blog post. Then I saw the flowering tree. I also tried to get a shot of the delicate green tree behind it.

I love trees.

It was on my way home that I went for a shot of a downed branch.

We have had a few windy days.

Further down the street I admired a magnolia tree.

I want one of these, too.

My other two pics are from yesterday’s walk. Again, I had not meant to take pictures, but the lone dandelion among the growing cultivated flowers caught my eye.

This guy has more peonies than I do.

Another flowering tree caught my eye too.

It’s pretty!

I like making these Pedestrian Posts with pictures. And I L9VE going for a walk. It certainly brightens my day.

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Striving for Words on Lame Post Friday

Posted on April 24, 2021 by mohawkvalleygirl

Can I make a Lame Post Friday post or should I try again in the morning? A little suspense adds interest to my Friday.

Full disclosure: I do not have much to say. I am sitting on my couch, pecking one letter at a time with the stylus on my Tablet. Mostly I want to call it a night and go to sleep. Partly, I want to keep looking at Dateline: Secrets Uncovered on Oxygen. It is a pretty good episode.

I have had quite the uneventful Friday evening, That really is OK. I have found that there worse things than boredom. Additionally, I have found that sometimes you can choose not to be bored. I have never had much success with choosing happiness, as the Facebook memes say you are entitled to do. But for some reason, I seem to be able to choose interest.

Now that would be a useful faculty when it comes to loans. Choosing low or no interest, I mean. Credit cards, too. But perhaps I am becoming silly. These things happen, of course.

I am approaching, but have not yet achieved , 200 words. I think I will make do with a partial post. After all, it is Lame Post Friday. Happy Friday, everyone!

PS that last paragraph got me over 200 words.

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I Ran In the Wind, Not Like the Wind

Posted on April 23, 2021 by mohawkvalleygirl

Here is the thing about running on a windy day: no matter which way I turn, the wind is never at my back. It is kind of a metaphor for life, but let us not wax philosophical. My purpose right now is to make a Running Commentary Post.

I had not gone running since Sunday. I usually let myself off the hook on Monday, I was auguring my toilet on Tuesday, and I have no excuse for Wednesday. I had not planned on running today. Then when I was driving home and saw it was not raining, I thought maybe I ought to. This, of course, is my usual cue to come up with all kinds of good reason not to.

After pretty much deciding not to, I got dressed in running gear and went. It was colder than I had thought, so in addition to leggings and long sleeves, I put on a hat. As I started out, I realized the wind was the real culprit. No matter. Once I get those sports bras on, I’m going.

And it was rough going. My body did not want to move. Even without the wind dead against me (and sometimes it was at an angle), I was moving slowly. I felt sluggish and thunky (yes, thunky, not thinly, autocorrect, sheesh!). But that is to be expected. The important thing is to do it.

It did get a little easier. At least it got a little less onerous. One thing I have learned is how to persevere. I ran for just over 20 minutes, which I felt was OK for a mid-week run. I saw some lovely daffodils in various yards. I petted one sweet dog on my cool-down walk.

The beauty part is, here is a Thursday blog post ON Thursday and NOT whining about how I can’t make a blog post. OK, maybe I whined a little about the run. Judge me if you feel you must.

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A Truly Crappy Day

Posted on April 21, 2021 by mohawkvalleygirl

On the brighter side, I learned how to use an augur.

Yesterday went right down the toilet, figuratively and literally. Steven and I began the day with a clogged toilet. I was plunged into despair.

My new job has been aggravating the tennis elbow in my right arm and creating one in my left. I have been icing and ibuprofening, which seems to help. Yesterday I woke up wanting to ice but first spent some time plunging, which did not help the muscles. I iced and plunged, iced and plunged, to no avail.

Steven had no better luck during the day. I stopped at Ilion True Value Hardware Store (I drive through Ilion on my way to and from work). I studied the stuff you pour into toilets and looked at augurs and snakes. Most of the pour-in stuff say to not use them in toilets. Rats! I found some that did not say that and brought that and the augur I liked best to the cash register.

The nice lady there told me it is really not recommended to pour stuff into toilets, except for this certain stuff which she showed me. I realized I probably did not need to aug and pour, so decided to only get the augur, a decision the lady agreed with.

So I went home and auged (yes, autocorrect, I realize “aug” and “auged” are not words, but what else do you do with an augur?). It took a couple of tries, but at last I met with success.

After that disgusting experience, I was too tired to make a blog post. So here is my Tired Tuesday, prior to six on Wednesday morning. Judge me if you are so inclined.

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No Lame Apologies

Posted on April 17, 2021 by mohawkvalleygirl

Last night I made a conscious decision not to make a blog post. I will not iterate my reasons, because that would smack of an apology, and I do not want to make a lie out of my headline. However, I feel bad to entirely miss a day, so here I am, pre-dawn (my usual rising time, even on a weekend), pecking away at my Tablet with the stylus.

I feel very comfy, lounged on the couch. I managed to find a position where my lower back doesn’t hurt. I tell you truth: getting old isn’t for sissies. But never mind my aches and pains, on with the blog post.

Today I have an authentic Mohawk Valley Adventure planned with my friend, Kim. We are going to the H.A.L.O. Indoor Flea Market at the Ilion-Frankfort VFW. There will be basket raffles, a 50/50, and a bake sale. It runs from 10 to 4.

Kim wants to get there right when it starts. That would be nice, because the parking lot at the VFW fills up fast at these events. However, I personally am skeptical of her ability to get moving that early; Kim likes to sleep in on a Saturday. No matter. Whatever time we go, we will have a good time.

Well, I guess this was not a traditional Lame Post Friday Post, since I plugged a local event. But if I change my headline, my first paragraph will make no sense. Oh the tribulations of a silly blogger! I need more coffee.

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Ah Yes, Adventures!

Posted on April 15, 2021 by mohawkvalleygirl

How about a Way Back Wednesday Post? The only question is, how way back of a picture can I find? We shall see.

Cheers!

This is my husband Steve at The Miner’s Table at the Herkimer Diamond Mines, I forget how long ago, but a few years anyways. When I wrote about The Miner’s Table for Mohawk Valley Living magazine, they used this picture with the caption, “Steve toasts Cindy, pricker bush slayer.” In the article, I mentioned we were out celebrating, because I had taken out a pricker bush in our yard that had gotten out of hand.

A quick check of Facebook tells me they open for the season April 15. I’ll have to go there again. I may not slay another pricker bush.

I miss that moose!

Here is a sad Way Back. Copper Moose Alehouse in Little Falls has sadly closed. We had some fine dinners and fun times there!

I wish I was there!

To end on a happier note, here is a place I hope to visit again soon: Prospect Falls Winery. In addition to visiting the winery, we have seen these guys at various events in the region. We usually buy a bottle whenever we have the opportunity. It is really good wine!

I like posts like this, when I have been having a lot of days where all I do is work and go home. There is more to life than work! There are Mohawk Valley Adventures!

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Short Run, Tired Post

Posted on April 14, 2021 by mohawkvalleygirl

My plan was to go for a run so I could make a Running Commentary Post. I accomplished the first part of my plan. Can I manage the second?

My back was feeling pretty sore at work, and my attitude was not in very good shape either. I wondered about taking a walk instead, possibly with my Tablet to get more spring pictures. For one reason, it might improve my disposition. However, I opted for the run.

I put in a load of laundry, my favorite multi-task. Really my only multi-task, since most of the time I can barely task. It was a beautiful warm, sunny day. No question I could run in shorts and short sleeves. This would be great!

It was not great. My body did not want to run. I did my usual trick of telling myself I only had to keep it up for a short time. Twenty minutes, I thought. Fifteen in a pinch. One mile. At the rate I was running, I figured a mile would take me fifteen minutes.

As it happened, I did a mile in barely under 14 minutes. I continued to run till I reached 20 minutes. It never got fun, but it always feels somewhat good to persevere.

I’m afraid I have not persevered to the extent of writing a good blog post. You should hear some of the narration in my head as I go! Unfortunately I cannot remember any if it now. Of course, with that being the case, we’ll never know if it was really good narration. It could have been utter nonsense and I am flattering myself. I shall not waste any energy wondering.

In the meantime, I am over 250 words. I call that more than respectable for a Tired Tuesday Post. I hope to see you all again on Wuss-out Wednesday.

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I Accomplish a Monstrous Monday Post

Posted on April 13, 2021 by mohawkvalleygirl

Before starting work this morning and again on break, I worked on a blog post. In addition to not having completed it (I think the last thing I wrote was, “Where was I going with this?”), I do not feel like sitting up at the laptop and typing it in. I really must get a new laptop, so I can lounge on the couch and ten-finger type in comfort. At my age, posture is a lost cause.

All this by way of introduction to another Monstrous Monday.

Is this how Monday snuck up on you?

Every Monday is the start of another chance to get my act together and work towards accomplishing my goals. I seem to remember reading somewhere that accomplishments are overrated, but I think I would like to accomplish a few things and see. One likes to have a basis for comparison.

Or one could just sleep the day away.

Most Mondays, I let myself off the hook (for example, by making Monstrous Monday Blog Post). I figure just getting through the day is enough. However today I made my lunch for tomorrow, did the dishes, and spent some time folding laundry, including putting out clothes for Tuesday and Wednesday. It is not a lot, but let us not expect miracles.

Additionally, I am over 200 words with very little effort. If I can find one more monster picture, I will be reasonably content.

I love a cloudy day.

OK, I could not find a monster I like. How about a threatening cloudy sky? Sufficiently spooky, I hope.

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Accomplishments Are Overrated

Posted on April 12, 2021 by mohawkvalleygirl

It is Wrist to Forehead Sunday, the day when all I want to do is swoon onto a handy chaise lounge, dramatically posed with the back of one wrist to my forehead. Note to self: get a chaise lounge.

I went for a long, slow run this morning, up a couple of pretty good hills. I did some grocery shopping and a load of laundry. I worked out in my back yard for a spell. I fixed dinner, did the dishes, then dirtied more making a salad for my week’s lunches. No wonder I’m tired!

All of this activity is by no means usual for me on a Sunday. For years I have maintained that it is useless to try to get anything done on a Sunday. Sundays are for watching movies, or episode after episode of Snapped. A glass of wine is optional.

I think the highlight of my day was the nap I took around 9:30 this morning, between grocery shopping and laundry. I was on the phone with my mother (I needed cheering up) and suddenly felt very tired. Mom thought a nap was a good idea. Always listen to your mother.

As I type this post, I contemplate the week ahead. Will I get things done? More yard work? Real writing? Mohawk Valley Adventures? Better blog posts? A little suspense adds interest to my Sunday.

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