Tag Archives: house cleaning

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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Walk Before Work

Posted on May 10, 2025 by mohawkvalleygirl

I went for a walk first thing this morning and took a few pictures, thinking I could make a quick Pedestrian Post before tackling my Saturday.  A little rain was misting down, but I did not let that discourage me.  At first I did not see anything photo-worthy, but crossing the new bridge on German Street, I looked down at the water and said, “Hey.”

It was moving fast.

I realized I had never looked over that side of the bridge, because the old one was blocked off on that side.  I like all the stones.  I continued on German and crossed over to walk by the high school.  I was disappointed to see a couple “No Pets Allowed” signs.  What, if I get a dog, I can’t walk him or her by the high school?  Bummer!

I should have moved a little closer.

On the other side of the school, over the footbridge, is a path into the woods.  I have run or walked on that but feared today it would be too muddy.

I missed it when it was all flowers.

I took a picture of this tree recently.  I wonder if I could find it in my Media Library.

I found it!

I was all excited about the buds, although this is not the best picture of them.  Heck, I am nobody’s photographer, although I call myself a writer with at least some truth (or do I flatter myself?).

Alas, I was not close enough to smell them!

The last picture I took was of some lilacs.  I love lilacs!  I want to get some shoots from my sister Cheryl or my mother and plant some in my yard.  Perhaps it will happen this year.

In the meantime, I have a house to clean and donations to bring to the Elks Lodge for the Veterans.  Do you suppose it would be all right if I had another cup of coffee first?

 

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With a Little Help from Columbo

Posted on August 19, 2024 by mohawkvalleygirl

I think all I can manage right now is a Wrist to Forehead Sunday post.  It has been a kind of Scattered Sunday in which I have accidentally gotten a few things done:  a little yard work, a little kitchen cleaning, a little grocery shopping… and a few more chores.  Now I am sitting on my couch, Chromebook on lap, kind of sort of watching, you guessed it, another episode of Columbo on DVD.  Sundays used to be for Snapped, now they are for Columbo.  In the future they may be for something else.

I did just drink some coffee.

Today I told my mother about the Columbo method of cleaning:  I clean for a certain length of time, then I say, “One more thing!”  Sometimes I say it a few times.  I get more done that way.

I paused in typing to watch the end of the episode, when Columbo brings the killer to justice.  I’ll tell you what, I will strive never to commit a crime, because I would hate to be arrested.  They cuff you with your hands behind your back.  With my sinuses?  My nose would be running in an instant (it always runs the most when my hands are full and/or I don’t have a handkerchief).  It would be disgusting.

Now I see I have gone over 200 words with this nonsense.  Perhaps I could get a little more cleaning done, using the Columbo method, of course.

 

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Does This Blog Count as a Journal?

Posted on March 29, 2023 by mohawkvalleygirl

I was too tired to do my Tired Tuesday post on Tuesday.  For one reason, I went running.  I also did a load of laundry (one of my few instances of multi-tasking: I put in the laundry and run while it washes) and the dishes (I know some of you are judging me that the dishes were not washed as soon as they were dirty, but I am reconciled to that), and I worked a very little bit on the murder mystery I am a little sorry I committed myself to do.  And I made a few journal entries.

I have been keeping multiple journals lately.  Regular readers may recall the TV Journal, which I believe I wrote a blog post about (I wonder if I will be able to find it and share the link).  This has come to encompass more than just television viewing, so I guess I could drop the “TV,” call it a “Journal” and use my other notebooks for something else.

However, I also have a Running Journal.  This was a good idea, because it is helpful to look back and see where I am at fitness-wise, especially when I am training for, say, the Boilermaker 15K (preview of upcoming attractions).  It would be cumbersome to keep track of these things if I put them in the TV Journal with everything else.  Full disclosure:  I had one a while ago that I cannot find and finally broke down and started a new one in a fresh notebook recently.

On other occasions, I have tried to keep journals of my headaches or my eating habits, but I have never stuck with either of these tools long enough for them to become useful.  I fear that is the fate of my latest attempt at a journal: a Cleaning Journal.

Regular readers as well as my family and friends may be aware that my house is a hideous mess.  I am embarrassed to have anybody over and fear I will soon qualify for one of those TV shows like Hoarders (although that would make an interesting entry in the TV Journal).   I have been trying to embrace the Little Bit At A Time method, with only sporadic success and much backsliding. One Sunday I thought, “I’ll keep a journal!  I will write down what I do as I do it, what I find successful, how I feel, how I progress…”  I got all enthusiastic about it and even spent a good half hour actually cleaning.  This was pretty huge, quite frankly, because I almost never get anything done on a Sunday (it’s kind of a thing with me).

Nobody was less surprised than me when the Cleaning Journal did not turn out to be an ongoing source of inspiration.

However, one must persevere.  One bright side: I see I am over 400 words, a rather large word count for me.  Not bad for a late Tired Tuesday post, I think.

 

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Decorations Past, Future Plans?

Posted on December 30, 2022 by mohawkvalleygirl

I am not waiting for my dining-room-table-top to boot up and get to WordPress, I am pecking in one letter at a time with the stylus on my Tablet as I sit lounged on my comfy couch.  Full disclosure: I am not as comfy as I might be, because I keep doing crap to irritate my back.  I know, I know:  lift with my legs, not my back!

Anyways, it is Friday morning, and I thought I would try for some semblance of a blog post.  A comment yesterday complimented me on my Christmas decorations.  I confess, they are not great this year, but I can share some pictures of previous years and call it a Throwback Thursday Post.

Look at all our toys!

2017 was a good decorating year, it seems.

A less cluttered arrangement.

It is nice to look at these pictures and think, “Maybe next year…”  Then again, I think I thought that last year.

Backing up from the previous shot.

I have long had it in my head to get my house thoroughly cleaned and organized.  I make a little progress, then get discouraged and slack off.  I suddenly have the thought that it is time for New Year’s Resolutions. Could I use this sort of motivation to jump start my efforts?

Hmmm… This could start me off on a whole big thing on New Year’s Resolutions, which have become a kind of a controversial topic.  Sounds like a good idea for Lame Post Friday, a post I hope to make later.  We shall see.

 

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Do I Do the Weekend?

Posted on May 1, 2021 by mohawkvalleygirl

I feel it is unbecoming when I do not have the mental wherewithal for even a Lame Post Friday Post on Friday. Additionally, I am out of bed prior to 5 a.m. on Saturday after five days of strenuously wishing I could sleep in. In other words, I am not doing this weekend thing right.

However, self-recrimination is tiresome. I watched a couple good episodes of Dateline, finished knitting a scarf and started another, and generally relaxed myself.

Oh, and I did a load of laundry and spent a very little time tidying my living room. Every week I have a plan to do at least a little cleaning every day, thinking I will eventually attain a clean house. Then I do a very little not every day and feel stupid. Still, I continue to hold the hope that this week will be different.

So maybe this week my week begins on Friday. I did a little yesterdaym I can do a little more today. It! Could! Work! (That is Gene Wilder in Mel Brooks’ Young Frankenstein, one of my favorite movies.)

I see I am approaching 200 words. I believe this post is sufficiently lame to qualify for a late Lame Post Friday Post. I’ll try to make Saturday’s post on Saturday, but no promises.

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I Need More Effort On My Blog Posts

Posted on August 5, 2020 by mohawkvalleygirl

Regulat readers know, Tired Tuesday often follows Monstrous Monday.  The reason I am tired today is that I expended great effort cleaning my living room.  It may perhaps have called for less effort had I not waited so long to do a real cleaning.  What can I say?  I can cry that I waited too long, or smile because I finally did it.

Oh, look at me, trying to avoid judgement for my laziness!  All right, I accept judgement and hang my head in shame.  For one reason, I am too tired to defend myself.

The sad thing is, my living room does not lend itself to pictures as readily as my yard.  I could not work in my yard today, because it rained ALL DAY.  I think it just now stopped.

Obviously prior to cleaning.

This isn’t the picture I thought it was!  But it does show a portion of my living room.  Most of the stuff you see has been moved, so this area is not nearly as cluttered.  Hmmm… I think it is a little boring.  I will share another picture after I make some improvements.

This is obviously prior to said improvements.

Here is the picture I was looking for!  I believe this shows the normal eclectic nature of my life.  Yes, I am a mess.  But I am an interesting mess.  I hope.

In any case, I am over 200 words.  Happy Tuesday!

 

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My Date(line) with Keith Morrison

Posted on November 13, 2018 by mohawkvalleygirl

I think he is fine, yes.

This is going to be a fast post so I can get back to watching Dateline with Keith Morrison.  Every Monday I have at least one good moment when I remember it is Dateline day on OWN.  For a few sad weeks I had rehearsal for a murder mystery on Mondays.  Now I am free and feel I should be happier about it than in fact I am.  Then again, life is never perfect.  We must do the best we can with the ingredients at hand.

Apparently woman cannot live by Dateline alone.

Yesterday I made up my mind that starting today I would up my game:  my writing game, my running game, and my house cleaning game.  Those were the ones I mentioned, but I daresay I have a few more games that could use work.  Do you suppose I upped anything today?  Of course not!  And I am clearly not upping my blogging game. I haven’t even put in any pictures of monsters.  What’s that all about, me?

I could use a haircut myself.

I am completely losing track of this Dateline episode while I type this foolishness  (as Truman Capote famously said, this isn’t writing, it’s typing).  I can only hope my man Keith narrates the next episode. Oh well, I like that Josh Mankiewicz too.

In the meantime, sorry to publish yet another foolish post.  I’ll try to up my game tomorrow.  As always, I hope you’ll stay tuned.

PS.  It’s Dennis Murphy.  He’s OK, too.

 

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Muddled Monday with Murder

Posted on November 28, 2017 by mohawkvalleygirl

Just for the record, I have not reached my breaking point yet.

I decided to continue with the theme of murder largely for the sake of alliteration.  As regular readers know, I adore alliteration.  I am typing this post while giving the occasional glance at an episode of Snapped that I believe I have seen before, although I do not remember much of it.

So this is Day One of my New Leaf.  Did I mention the new leaf in yesterday’s post?  Ah yes, I said I was going to write more and make better blog posts.  This morning, as I put a new notebook and pen into the bag I carry to work, I felt I should actually renovate my entire life:  clean house, lose weight, get organized, learn things, do things, make things, be a whole new person!  I can just hear my readers asking in varying tones of sarcasm, depending on who it is, “How’s that working out for you?”  For heavens’ sake, it’s only the first day!

I started writing a letter to a friend (I thought I would keep the rule of “any writing counts”).  I made an appointment to have a mammogram, something I have not done in at least seven years.  I started a list of Things to Get Done This Week.  When I got home, I called the neurologist about the headaches I have been having.  One reason for that was that I had one.  Oh dear, was I coming down with a cold?  I checked my Facebook and email and thought about how I usually let myself off the hook on Mondays.

Then I bestirred myself and spent some time getting a few things done.  I cleaned the house a little.  I folded the laundry and hand-washed one of my better pair of leggings.  I got a start on the onerous task of organizing my yarn and craft supplies.  I’m hoping to make a few Christmas presents.  I have a hot glue gun and I’m not afraid to use it!  I took a shower and said to myself, “See?  You CAN get stuff done when you have a headache!”

Hey, I know I did not get a lot of stuff done.  The fact is, I can’t just be a whole new person.  I have to start with the person I am and try to make improvements.  So far my improvements today have not extended to my blog posts, as you see.  I’m wondering if I should leave the Snapped logo at the top and “murder” in the headline.  Oh what the heck.  It’s Muddled Monday.  I’ll go with it.

 

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