Tag Archives: husband Steven

Terrified of Tired Tuesday?

I’m afraid this is another Tired Tuesday Post, but since I did not have a Monstrous Monday this Monday or last, I thought a couple beasts might brighten up the blog.

Eeeee! Call the exterminator!

Many people have a fear or at least a squeamishness regarding bugs.  These are fake, of course.  I believe they were props for Donate to Murder, a mystery of mine which featured the memorable character, Renwick Spaulding, lover of bugs.

A little bigger than a bug.

And here is Bruce, the shark from JAWS, a favorite summer flick of mine.  I have not watched it yet this summer.  It was one my husband Steve and I always watched together, often on the Fourth of July, a date which was featured prominently in the movie.

And speaking of going swimming…

Here is a good one:  The Creature from the Black Lagoon with the lovely Julie Adams.  I understand she was as lovely in character as she was in looks.  That is always nice to hear.

I shall just mention that one reason I am so tired is that two days in a row, I fought the lawn, and the lawn won.  I keep telling myself that the lawn may win the battles but I shall win the war.  I hope to share pictures when I do.

In the meantime, I have gotten over 200 words.  That is sufficient, according to my rules for me by me.  Since I included monsters, perhaps I should add a category of Terror Tuesday.  Hmmm.  It may be a little strong, but at least it is alliterative.  Oh wait! I see I already have a category of Terrifying Tuesday.  Shows how much I pay attention.

 

 

Also, I Made My Blog Post On Time

I had a Slacker Saturday today.  In fact, I almost put off making my Saturday blog post till Sunday.  I may yet.  We shall see.

“Well, you see, sir…”

As I type (peck in one letter at a time with the stylus on my Tablet) this, I am looking at an episode of Columbo.  I have been watching other DVDs than Columbo, but I keep going back to my beloved Peter Falk. I have not been watching DVDs all day.  I read an Agatha Christie book and looked at Facebook.  Mostly I had a headache.  It went away eventually but by then it was too hot and humid for me to feel like doing much of anything.

One positive step I took (so to speak).  I went for my first run since the Boilermaker 15K last Sunday.  It was a mere 20 minutes, but it felt pretty good, even with a headache.  I decided I would not worry how short and slow my runs are (OK, they are ALWAYS pretty slow).  I am not currently training for anything.  I may never train for anything again, but it is best not to make these decisions all at once.

I confess that I have had a bit of a bad week.  I think this is normal.  Grief is not a straight course.  You don’t necessarily feel a little bit better each day with no backsliding.  Some days are going to be harder than others.  I merely mention the phenomenon; I do not mean to complain.

He loved to dance!

I close with a picture of Steve busting a move, just to remember him when he was happiest.  I know I was blessed to have him.

 

Tempest, Jail, and Late Blog Post, Doodah! Doodah!

Yesterday I finished making my Wednesday blog post Thursday morning (I had at least started it Wednesday night) and wondered if anyone would notice if I did not mention it.  Today (Friday) I thought I would mention that I am making Thursday’s blog post late (I did not even start it on the day) and try to pass it off as a Non-Sequitur Thursday Post.  So far so good.

“I don’t always make my blog posts late, but when I do I like to be Shakespearean.”

As I often do, I throw in a picture to pep things up.  This is my friend, Tucker, looking like The Most Interesting Man in the World (are they still running those ads?).  This was before a performance of The Tempest by LiFT, Little Falls Theatre Company.  Now I have a Throwback Thursday Post.  Cool.

Is that mistletoe he’s standing under?

Rather than make it a pure theatre throw back, I add a picture of my late, dearly missed husband Steve posing at Herkimer’s Historic 1834 Jail.  We often walked by Herkimer’s Historic Four Corners.  They say it is haunted, but we never saw a ghost.  That would have been cool.

Who me? Be silly?

I thought I would end with a picture of me.  Here I am about to participate in the Ilion Days Doodah Parade with Ilion Little Theatre.  This year’s Ilion Days begin this weekend, but ILT is not participating in the Doodah Parade.

So this nonsense has me approaching 250 words.  Score!  If only I could think of a catchy headline.

 

Boiling or Boilermaker?

Wuss-out Wednesday follows Tired Tuesday, we all know that.  If you didn’t know, you do now.  I’m going to blame the weather.

I think I am!

I took a walk this morning but did not run after work.  I ran yesterday for three miles, thinking it would be my last long run before the Boilermaker 15K.  I hope to walk every day and have one or two short runs in the next three days.  Only three day?  Yikes!

Now is about the time I ask myself why I signed up for this silly race anyways. I should perhaps mention that this has happened to me every time I have run the Boilermaker (can’t remember how many times that is;  I would have to count my Boilermaker glasses).  This year, of course, everything is different.

It seems I had some good reasons when I signed up.  I do not currently remember them.   I registered pretty much the minute registration opened.  A short time later the palliative care nurse called me and said we had to talk.  I know what palliative care is (my sisters had to look it up).  Thus started a very bad time in my life.

So this year my running the 15K feels all tied up in my grief and depression over my husband’s death.  I don’t know that I think something magical is going to happen as I cross the finish line.  I think mostly I feel grateful that the race gave me motivation to keep running.  Exercise has helped me a lot.

I guess I have not entirely wussed out today, as I see I am over 250 words.  Perhaps tomorrow I will take one of those shorter runs I mentioned and attempt a Running Commentary Post.  It is All Boilermaker All The Time Week after all.

 

Music, Wine, and Scenery, Yes!

Yes, it is another late Saturday blog post, but at least it is prior to whatever time I was posting last Sunday (don’t remember, but it was later than this).  I had a wonderful time yesterday, but it was such a lot of car time to get to it!  Worth every mile, but it wore me out.

Not the best lighting, but you can read it, I think.

My parents, sister Cheryl, and I went to Geneva, NY, to the Inspire Moore Winery, to hear Big Blue House.  What a great band!  What a beautiful setting!

My pictures of the band didn’t come out so great, either.

When we arrived, a guest artist had joined them for a couple of numbers.  I stupidly did not write down his name, but I loved his harmonica and vocals.

At one point, a guy in the band reminded us that the open space in front of the band was there for a reason.  He didn’t have to tell me twice!  I got up and started dancing.  If Steven had been there, he would have gotten up, too, so I guess I was dancing for the both of us.  I was soon joined by three other ladies, and we all four loved it.

After they sat down, another song I couldn’t resist played and I was dancing by myself again.  An older man started crossing the area, and I danced around him, thanking him for dancing with me.  He said he was looking for his wife and did not bust a move, but I think he was amused.  Later I saw him slow dancing with his wife.  When they finished, I went over and said, “Sure, you wouldn’t dance with me!”  We had a nice conversation.

Just to share another picture of the winery.

I had other conversations with other people, including a couple cousins and my sister Vicki, who had driven up from Pennsylvania with her husband.  I also tasted some wine and enjoyed a glass of dry Rose (how embarrassing that I do not know how to put the accent on the e).

Lots of gorgeous scenery.

The afternoon came to an abrupt end with a loud rumble of thunder.  The musicians quickly unplugged their instruments.  The downpour started almost immediately.   One aspect of my personality which I particularly enjoy is that I laugh at bad weather.  When I am getting rained or snowed on, I find myself laughing.  I laughed as Dad and I walked to the car.  We drove back to pick up Cheryl and Mom,

I was happy to finally make it back to Herkimer, although I felt too tired to articulate a blog post.  However, I think I did OK with it this morning.  Or do I flatter myself?

 

Maybe The Blog Post Should Have Stayed Absent

Yesterday was a true Blogger’s Sick Day.  I even called in sick to work, which I rarely do.  It was a migraine.  You know, one of those headaches where the only thing you can do is Have a Headache. It makes for a long, singularly unproductive day.

Now it is Friday morning, I am sipping coffee, and feeling tremuluosly happy NOT to have a headache.  Who knew the absence of something could feel so good?  Oh wait, I knew it, from previous migraine-free days.

Steve had a Get Out of Jail Free Card.

I threw in a picture to pep things up.  Here is my late husband Steven outside the 1834 Jail on Herkimer’s Historic Four Corners,  which regular readers know is one of my favorite places to walk or run by.

One of my all-time favorite couples.

Since I am apparently doing a Throwback Thursday Post,  here is a shot from July 2017 of our friends Jim and Phyllis at Gerber’s 1933 Tavern.  Phyllis sadly passed away in 2021.  I will never be done missing her, either.  One must treasure the memories.

And here’s all four of us.

What a weird post this is turning into.  I begin being happy my headache is gone and move on to being sad Steve and Phyllis are gone. There is a lesson or profound point in there somewhere, but I have had insufficient coffee to articulate it.  I guess I’ll bill this as a Non-Sequitur Thursday Post and drive on.  I hope to see you all later when I attempt a Lame Post Friday post.

 

Dracula, Joan, It’s Lame Post Friday!

I was thinking about making my Lame Post Friday post late once again, but I decided not to be so lame as all that. Earlier  I thought I would have a lazy, relaxed Friday night, so I am lounged on the couch in pajama pants, sipping Sauvignon Blanc and looking at movies.  I just watched Taste the Blood of Dracula then put in Sudden Fear.  Christopher Lee to Joan Crawford.  Why not?

Dracula likes Friday.

I have been watching too many DVDs since I got rid of cable.  Of course I have a somewhat extensive collection, mostly curated by my late, beloved husband Steve.  My problem is, I have to be in the mood for a particular movie, and I seem to have watched all the movies I am currently in the mood for.  I wish I could change moods as easily as I change DVDs.

There’s the right picture for the movie I watched.

Maybe I should stop being in the mood to watch a movie and try to get in the mood to clean this house.  I know, I need to clean my house regardless of mood.  I’ll work on that tomorrow.

Two of the people in this picture are up to no good.

I like this movie, Sudden Fear, but it starts so slowly.  I figured that was all right, because I intended to make my blog post while I watched.  Unfortunately it took me so long to find the pictures I wanted, the movie has started to heat up.  No matter.  I’ve seen it before.

So this is my Friday night.  I am enjoying it and hope you are enjoying yours.

 

I’m a Monster Before Coffee

I guess late posts are still a thing, because here I am on Tuesday morning, lounged on my couch, pecking in one letter at a time with the stylus on my Tablet.  When I went to bed last night, I had pictured myself sitting at the dining-room-table-top (previously a laptop, as regular readers may recall), ten-finger typing.  I felt too tired for such effort, and my coffeemaker was taking forever.  Now, however, I have had a few sips, so phew! I am a slave to the brew!

“It’s my coffee!” “No, it’s mine!”

It never fails.  I go searching Facebook for an image I have seen many times, and it is not to be found.  I am not adept at these things. I finally went to my Media Library and settled for Bela Lugosi fighting a beast in The Ape Man.  I believe I have seen that movie but cannot remember who wins the tussle.

On the cuter side…

I would like to say this is me after coffee, but no such luck.  I have my cute moments, but…

One of my favorites.

I am not currently drinking out of this mug, but wouldn’t it be cool if I was?   The mug was given to me by my late, much beloved husband, Steve.  We loved The Princess Bride.

And now I am over 200 words.  Score!  Time for another cup of coffee before work.

 

I Walk, I Blog, It’s Sunday

I took a walk earlier in hopes of making a Pedestrian Post with Pictures in lieu of my usual Wrist to Forehead Sunday Post.  I do not know how well it went.

Gotta get me some of these.

I paused to take a picture of a snowball bush shortly after I left my house.  It was a bit of a challenge to do, since the sun was shining brightly on my Tablet and I could not see to unlock it and get to Camera.  At last I managed it by peeking underneath my prescription sunglasses.

 

Don’t know what it is; must find out.

I paused to take another picture, this time of a plant I might like to get for my yard.  I had realized by this time that it was warmer than I liked for a walk.  However, I persevered, for exercising and blogging purposes.

 

I am still hoping somebody does something with this building.

Having walked down Bellinger Street to Meyers Park, I decided to walk up Prospect Street to home.  I paused to take a picture of the former Quackenbush building, now taken over by Herkimer 9.  I must find out what the current status is.

I gotta love daisies.

I walked all the way up Prospect Street to German then back to my house.  I walked past the house and back then up and down the driveway to make it a full mile.  I took a picture of the daisies in my front yard then picked a few of the lilies of the valley which the daisies obscure.

A nice display, or do I flatter myself?

I put the lilies of the valley in a champagne flute which I put next to my husband Steve’s ashes.  One does like to put flowers near one’s loved ones.

I guess it makes an OK Pedestrian Post. Or, once again, do I flatter myself?

 

A Little Seltzer and Lame?

I feel a definite desire to make my Lame Post Friday post on Friday, that is, today.  As I lounge on my couch, pecking in one letter at a time with the stylus on my Tablet, a neighbor is doing something loud with some sort of machinery.  I find the noise very annoying.

I came upstairs to my bedroom in hopes it would be a little further from the noise.  This necessitated turning off the movie I had just started, The Screaming Skull, one of my favorites.

Sometimes I feel like screaming too, Skull.

I did not feel too bad about stopping the movie, because I was not paying much attention to it anyways.  I feel worse about not having anything good to make a blog post about.

I guess I do too.

I do feel kind of good that it is Friday.  Unfortunately I let the week get away from me without getting done everything I had intended to.  So I am feeling a little pressure to get at least some essentials done (Oh CRAP! I just remembered another one!).  Yes, I KNOW it is my own fault.  This knowledge brings me no comfort nor any insight on how to improve matters.

Cheers!

Friday is a good day for a libation, if one is so inclined, so I will close with a picture of my late dearly missed husband, Steve, at the Waterfront Grille in Herkimer, NY.  I was just there last Saturday.  Full disclosure:  I only toasted this Friday with seltzer and lemon.  It worked perfectly well.

No promises about Saturday.