Tag Archives: blogging

A Little More Stone Soup, Please

Posted on June 22, 2025 by mohawkvalleygirl

Recently I went for another meal at Stone Soup in Herkimer, NY, so I could sit inside instead of in the beer garden.  I took a few pictures to use in a blog post.

Elegant dining surroundings.

I am well used to dining alone; I’ve done it for years, even before I was a widow, but looking at the dining room, I thought it would be very nice to sit at a table with a few friends.  I’ll have to arrange that sometime.

I do love a tall table.

Or I could sit with one friend at a tall table.  I SO miss my bestie, Kim, who moved to Colorado!

Where I sat.

Instead I sat at the bar, which I also like to do.  I ordered the Alex Smash Burger, which is what I had before.  I feel I should branch out and try other menu options, but that smash burger is just so good!  I love the homemade chips that come with it, too.

My view from where I sat.

It might be a good idea if I stopped eating out so much, so I can cut down on calories and save a little money.  But then again, it makes for such good blog posts, and I do love to support a local business!

Stone Soup American Bistro and Beer Garden is located at 148 N. Main St., Herkimer, NY, phone number 315-219-5045.  You can find them on Facebook.

 

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Silly, Cheesy, Late and Lame!

Posted on June 21, 2025 by mohawkvalleygirl

Thursday I brought up a bit of half-baked philosophy I deemed suited to Lame Post Friday, and I would like to address it further now.  The question was what difference does it make if a self-declared daily blogger misses a day here and there?  Appropriately (or embarrassingly) enough, it is Saturday morning as I make my Lame Post Friday blog post.  I feel I should throw in a silly picture here.

I think she is cute.

Is it early or late for Halloween decorations?  I don’t feel like looking at a calendar or doing the math.  Anyways, when I started this blog in 2011 (how the time flies!), I made up my mind to post every day for one year and see what happened.  I suppose I thought something magical, but I have gone over this before.  In fact, I believe I have even addressed it as a bit of half-baked philosophy on Lame Post Friday.  Oh dear, I am repeating myself in my old age!  Quick throw in another picture to distract ourselves!

I guess this blog is pretty cheesy.

This is from the sadly closed Herkimer Original Cheese.  I believe another cheese maker is putting out their product so I may still be able to get my beloved Chutter (tastes like cheddar, spreads like butter!).

I always come back to the fact that I love writing a blog.  It is fun for me, and I like the idea that I am entertaining people.  My ambition is to make a Saturday blog post TODAY, on Saturday in which I recount a Mohawk Valley Adventure.  Will I attain my ambition?  A little uncertainty adds interest to my weekend.

 

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A Little Music is Always Nice

Posted on June 20, 2025 by mohawkvalleygirl

Fratello’s Pizzeria in Frankfort, NY used to be a regular stop for me, but not so much lately.  However, tonight, after attending the Frankfort Town Board Meeting to cover it for Sentinel Media, it was right on my way to stop as I drove home.  I did not know if there would be music, but I thought I could use a little food.  I decided if there was a parking space readily available, I would stop.  There was!  And there was music!

He is very talented.

Ryan Quinn was playing a James Taylor song as I walked in, “Fire and Rain.”  It is kind of an emotional song for me, because of the line, “But I always thought that I’d see you again.”  It makes me think of Steve, my late beloved husband.  I’m not the only one.  At the time of Steve’s passing, at least one friend referenced the song, talking about how hard Steve’s death hit him.  But I don’t mean to bring everybody down.  It is a beautiful song, and Ryan did a great job with it.  However, I was happy when he went on to “Benny and the Jets.”

I ordered a mixed sub as a wrap and a glass of wine.  It was delicious.  I chatted up Tony, who was my favorite Wednesday bartender a few years ago. She was waitressing tonight.  She still has the alpaca pen Steve and I got her at Paca Gardens.  How fun is that?

No keyboard pictures tonight, but he did play it.

Before I left I danced my way into the room where Ryan was playing to take a picture and leave a tip.  “Thank you,” he said, “for your interpretive dance and your tip.”  I thanked him instead for the music.

Fratello’s Pizzeria is located at 158 E. Main St., Frankfort, NY, phone number 315-894-8484.  You can follow them on Facebook to keep updated on their musical entertainment.

 

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But Is It a Frankeny Blog Post?

Posted on June 19, 2025 by mohawkvalleygirl

Sh!  Don’t tell anybody, but it is Thursday morning as I do a Waste Not Want Not Wednesday post.  Once again, I question why I have to call attention to my sins of omission.  Then I laugh at myself for saying, “Sh! Don’t tell anybody” when I am blaring it over the blogosphere.  Anyways, who are you going to tell?  What difference can it make to anyone if one person who calls herself a daily blogger misses a day here and there?  But this is getting into half-baked philosophy more suited to Lame Post Friday.  Quick, throw in a picture, before I got too bogged down.

Looks kind of like Janus.

Amongst the daisies which run wild in my front yard, I found a double one so had to take a picture.  I clipped it and brought it in the house, using a champagne flute for a vase.  Ooh, that makes me have a craving for champagne.  I haven’t had any in a while.

Not my tree, unfortunately.

I saw a tree like my beloved Frankentree while out on a walk and had to take a picture.  My own tree is not so Frankeny anymore since my sister Cheryl took a chainsaw to it.  In her (and my) defense, the branches she cut off were mostly brown.  I’d like to take the rest of the tree down and maybe plant one of those flowery ones in its place, but that’s for the future.

My tree now. Note the wild daisies in the foreground.

He was not a Frankenhusband.

And here is what my tree used to look like, shown with my late, dearly missed husband Steve.  But these are two pictures from the past, so I will end with one more new one.

That reminds me, I need to go for a walk.

Here is another shot of the walking trail at Town of Herkimer Park, the subject of yesterday’s post.  I have a few more pictures I didn’t share yet, so I may write more about that attractive setting.  And I will definitely go back and walk the trail.

 

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Just a Walk in the Park

Posted on June 18, 2025 by mohawkvalleygirl

Today I checked out the Town of Herkimer Park.  Full disclosure:  I went to get a couple of pictures to submit with my article about the Herkimer Town Board Meeting (regular readers may remember I freelance for Sentinel Media), but I have been interested in seeing what is there.  I sadly missed the Wellness Fair June 14, but I heard it went really well with vendors, food, activities, and demonstrations.  They intend to make it a yearly event, so I hope to attend it next year at least.

They looked like they were having a lot of fun.

 

Some gentlemen were playing pickleball.  I had heard jokes about how rough and tough those pickleball players were, so I asked them if they were the infamous pickleball players.  They admitted it, and graciously allowed me to take their pictures for my blog.  I brought up the Superbowl commercials with Willem Dafoe and Catherine O’Hara playing bad-ass pickleball.  They liked the commercial, too.

Maybe not as bad-ass as O’Hara and Dafoe.

I walked around the park, checking out the other facilities.

I could use a little more fitness in my life.

I didn’t look too closely at the Fitness Court, but if I go sometimes wearing more athletic clothing, I would like to.

I do like a nice trail.

I did not walk very far on the fitness trail either, because I wasn’t even wearing good sneakers.

Nicely marked basketball court.

Of course basketball is out of the question.  I have neither a basketball nor teammates.

I don’t have an electric vehicle, either.

Another good feature is electric charging stations.

The next event the Town Park Committee is planning is a car show on July 26.  I plan to put that on my calendar! The Town of Herkimer Park is located at 154 Pine Grove Rd., East Herkimer.

 

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I Make it Through Monday

Posted on June 17, 2025 by mohawkvalleygirl

It is late in the day on Monday (for me), and I think all I can manage is a Monstrous Monday post.  Has it been a Monstrous Monday?  In some senses, yes.  I had great ambitions for cleaning my house which did not come to fruition.  I mowed the lawn, actually starting the power mower myself, which regular readers may recall is not easy for me.  I did a little more yard work late in the day, but SO MUCH is still to be done!  I hang my head in shame.

This is a good boy!

If only I had Gene Wilder to comfort me thus!  This, of course, is a shot from Mel Brooks’ Young Frankenstein, one of a very few perfect movies, in my not so humble opinion.

Maybe it’s Maybelline.

Why is my computer underlining “Maybelline”?  I looked it up!  Anyways, this is a shot from a less than perfect movie, but a perfectly cheesy movie which I love to watch, The Brain That Wouldn’t Die.

In fact I did.

OK, this is not a monster but some find it good advice for a Monday.  I am not advocating alcoholism.  To me, the sitting down, pouring yourself a beverage, and relaxing is the point. Sometimes my beverage is seltzer and lemon.  Sometimes it is coffee or tea.  Full disclosure:  right now it is Chardonnay.  Happy Monday, everyone.

 

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I Raise a Glass of Farewell!

Posted on June 15, 2025 by mohawkvalleygirl

I like to use my blog to highlight businesses and attractions local readers can decide to go to themselves.  Today, however, I am going to talk about a business we can no longer visit, as I bid a sad farewell to a Prospect Falls Winery and wish its owners a happy, enjoyable retirement, which I am sure they richly deserve.

There’s a classy place to put a bottle of wine!

I first went to Prospect Falls Winery in 2016 and thought it was pretty awesome.  I went back numerous times as well as seeing them at events such as the Cheese Festival in Little Falls, NY.  More recently, I found their wine available at the Raindrops on Roses Wine Tasting Room in Herkimer, NY.

I was very sad to hear that Nick and Margaret Keblish were retiring and closing the winery.  Of course I wish them well; I could hardly expect them to continue to make wine till they dropped dead.  I was happy I made one last trip to see them before they closed shop for good.

A present to the winery from another fan.

Of course I tasted wine while I was there, and chatted with the owners and a few others who were there tasting or drinking.  I took my last opportunity to purchase a few bottles.

Isn’t that beautiful?

In addition to wine I purchased two wine glasses and a t-shirt.  Silly me, why am I not wearing the t-shirt today?

May they have a lovely retirement!

And so, farewell, Prospect Falls Winery!

 

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Post Pride Stride Post

Posted on June 14, 2025 by mohawkvalleygirl

Well I am home from running the Pride Stride 5K in Little Falls, NY. In all, I feel I did not acquit myself too badly.  Of course, as regular readers know, what I do is called running only by the most generous definition of the term. Then again, I think it is good to be generous.

Who couldn’t be proud of this outfit?

As usual the most stressful part was getting there.  I got out of bed betimes, had coffee, made sure I ate with plenty of time for my nutritious breakfast to digest.  The second most stressful part was waiting for the race to start, especially when my carefully planned nutritious breakfast began to unsettle my stomach.  Luckily that passed.  I had some delightful conversations with the other runners prior to starting.  I was only disappointed there were not more of them.  I commiserated with one of the organizers about this.

Once we got started, the stressful part was worrying if I would get lost, especially when almost everybody went WAY ahead of me.  I managed to keep two runners in sight: a guy in a pink unicorn outfit (wish I had a picture of that!) and a lady with a better rainbow skirt than mine. I was a little worried about losing them till after the half-way point.  I managed to catch up and, miracle of miracles passed them!  I think the fellow in the unicorn outfit was finding it awkward to run.  It was one of those blow-up kind of suits.

I had to turn around a few times and ask them, “Which way?”  Then the pace car came back and led me to the finish line.  I finished strong! At least for me.  I cheered for everyone coming in behind me.  I couldn’t believe there WERE people behind me!  Unfortunately, race endorphins do not last long.  I drove home subject to a case of Post Race Letdown.

This is actually a photo I was saving for Waste Not Want Not Wednesday.

Who me, drown my sorrows?  Actually, I may have a glass of wine with friends later, but I do not plan to tie one on.  I took the above picture, because I liked the Art Deco bottle.  I share it now, because I have not found another opportunity to use it.  Incidentally, my post race letdown is passing and I am wondering with what I should challenge myself next.  Will it make a good blog post?  If so, I hope you’ll stay tuned.

 

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Bad Pictures, Good Eatery

Posted on June 13, 2025 by mohawkvalleygirl

The other day I checked out the other new restaurant in Herkimer, NY, Paradise Eatery.

Must get a shot of the window without all the reflections!

I had been intrigued for some time by “This must be the place” on the front window.  I heard they had opened and stopped by one afternoon.  At the time I stopped they were only serving smoothies, smoothie bowls, or appetizers.  Appetizers are my favorite, so I looked at them first.  I chose Crab Rangoon.  Ooh, were they good!  They came with soy and boom-boom sauces for dipping.

Oh dear, this isn’t the best picture either.

I could have sat out on the patio but opted for the dining room, which was almost empty at the time.  It was just before the dinner rush.  I appreciate beating the rush.

And this one’s blurry! Damn!

I took a picture of the ceiling on purpose, because it is one of the cool ones you often see around here.  As you see, it is not such a good picture.  I am nobody’s photographer.  However, even with lousy pictures, I can recommend Paradise Eatery.  If the other menu items are as good as the Crab Rangoon, you will be in for a treat!

 

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I Love Flowers

Posted on June 12, 2025 by mohawkvalleygirl

Hello and welcome to another Waste Not Want Not Wednesday.  I know I threatened to make this blog All Pride Stride 5K All The Time, and I did go for a long (for me) run this morning, but it was not very eventful.  Besides, I have some flower pictures!  I love flowers.

I forget who this guy is.

I pass by this statue many times per week on walks and runs.  It is Meyers Park, which is fairly close to my house.  Somebody takes very good care of the plants around the statues.  Next time I’ll get a shot of General Herkimer, who stands on the other side of the park.

Yay! They bloomed!

And here is my house, made extra cheerful by peonies and daisies!  I think the daisies may have gone a little too far this year.  I may need to get rid of them entirely and plant something else.  I also need to get around to planting something anything elsewhere in my front and back yards.

Ignore the mess, enjoy the daisies.

I cut a bunch of the daisies to make a cheerful bouquet for my living room.  I would like to cut a couple of the peonies and bring them in, because they smell so nice, but I am afraid of bringing in ants with them.  Ants help peonies open by crawling inside the buds and eating something.  That is about the only good thing I have ever heard about ants.

I still have not done much about making my own garden grow; regular readers may recall that the daisies and peonies come up with no effort on my part.  But the second week of June isn’t too late?  Is it?  Discuss amongst yourselves.

 

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