Tag Archives: local businesses

Plans for Sunday on Slacker Saturday

A delightful array.

I thought I’d lead with a nice Halloweeny photo.  This is another Slacker Saturday post.  I’m using stuff from my Media Library, but with perhaps a little more method to my madness than previous such posts (has there been more than one?  I’m too lazy to check).

I’m starting this on my Tablet,  because Steven is on the laptop. I just really really want to  get my blog post done and get on to the Halloween movie watching portion of the evening.  The photo above was taken at Pumpkin Junction in Sauquoit last year.  We have not made it back there this year.  However,  Steven is actually off work tomorrow.

Aaaahhh… back on the laptop, typing with all ten fingers, as God intended.  Now I can get this post done!  As I was saying, with Steven off work tomorrow, we actually have a whole day together!  Yay!  Naturally, we think to make some plans.  A visit to Pumpkin Junction, perhaps to purchase a pumpkin?  It’s not too late to make a Jack-o-Lantern for Halloween!  And roast the seeds, of course.  Yum!

I would naturally take another picture of two of Steven.

 

I wonder if these fellows will be there again?

But Pumpkin Junction is not our only possibility for tomorrow.  We could also visit the So Sweet Candy Cafe,  in Utica, which decorates delightfully for the season.

He’s a dapper fellow, is he not?

Full disclosure:  there is every chance that tomorrow we will merely get comfortable and watch Halloween movies.  Whatever we do, I will probably write a blog post about it.  As always, I hope you’ll tune in.

 

Speaking of Blog Posts

I ponder another post before scooting off to rehearsal for A G.R.A.V.E. Murder, the murder mystery we are doing this Saturday for the Herkimer County Historical Society.  I shall not add more information about that, though, because I believe they are sold out (Yay!).  That morning (Oct. 14, by the way), I am registered to run in the East Herkimer Fire Department 5K.  I bet there are spaces available for that fun event, so come join me if you’re into it.

It is what to do in between the two events that concerns me.  I have so many choices!

Earlier this week, I wrote about The Old Barn Marketplace in Little Falls, a very fun place to browse.  Well, this Saturday they are having a Grand Opening and Fall Festival.  There will be food, music, raffles and more, from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m.  Ingham Mills Farm will be onsite with their alpacas.  I love alpacas!  They are so soft and beautiful.

And speaking of Grand Openings, there is also one at Prima Donna’s Boutique, a new business I have yet to write about but mean to soon.  It is a gift shop with jewelry, art, vintage clothing and more.  I stopped in last Saturday and was charmed.  Their Grand Opening starts at 10:30 a.m.  The boutique is located at 411 Canal Place, Little Fall.

And speaking of Canal Place, while I’m in Little Falls, I could stop by Rochette, a curated hive (I got that phrase from their business card) located where The Mustard Seed used to be at 410 Canal Place.  That is another place I need to write more about.  So many blog posts!  So little brain!

So I guess this post is more of a Preview of Coming Attractions than anything else.  However, for Wuss-out Wednesday, we’ll call it a win.

 

Somewhat Skimpy Scattered Saturday

I had meant to re-institute Saturday Running Commentary, but I didn’t get right on it soon after my run.  Then I did a bunch of other stuff, so I think a Scattered Saturday post is in order.  As always, I reserve the right to write about any and all of the activities mentioned at greater length subsequently.

So, the first thing I did was, I drank coffee.  Just in the interests of accuracy.  However, I managed to get into running clothes and out the door shortly after 7 a.m.  I took a long run, an hour and fourteen minutes.  I will OWN that Boilermaker!  At least, I will run it and finish it on my feet.  We’ll call that a win.

Back home and showered (which I am sure everyone who encountered me today appreciated), I wrote post cards.  I also go on the computer but just couldn’t settle down to making my blog post.  I was feeling icky, tired, and not inclined to do anything.  We can’t have that!  I could walk to the post office, which I usually do when I write post cards.  Then I thought how I wanted to write about Moose River Coffee Shop in Ilion, NY, for Mohawk Valley Living magazine.  Writing in cafes is an excellent thing to do.  Also, when one has been having trouble writing, as I have, changing one’s surroundings can help.

Accordingly, I decided to get drive to Ilion, stopping first at Herkimer Post office.  It took some dithering to come to this decision (I’ve been in that sort of mood lately), but at last I had made my plan.  Then I could not find my notebook.  What the hell?!  Finally I said to myself, “Just pick up a notebook.  Any notebook, as long as there are blank pages in it.”  Avoiding the TV Journal and my Running Journal, I found a notebook.  Fine.

When I walked into the coffee shop, I was immediately greeted.  One of my favorite families was there, enjoying coffee and each other’s company.  They invited me to join them.  I got my coffee and did, mentioning that I had originally come in there to write.

“We’ll be quiet and let you write,” one of the daughters said.  I said I would rather visit.  We had a lovely visit, and I got a little writing done after they left.  Not a lot, I confess.  I started a letter to a friend.  However, since I described my surroundings in the letter, I felt it was a rehearsal for my magazine article.  Incidentally, that is REALLY good coffee at Moose River.

Next I headed to the Ilion Farmer’s Market at Clapsaddle Farm.  I purchased tomatoes and Gouda cheese, and chatted with folk artist Jim Parker and the lady that sells eggs (I don’t know her name; how remiss of me not to ask).  Then I went home and did laundry.

My other activities today included a trip to T & J’s Fruits and Vegetables, a wine tasting at Valley Wine and Liquors, and sitting on my deck with a friend.  Now I am trying to get my blog post done so I can relax myself some more and wait for my loving husband, Steven, to return from work.  I guess I’ve kind of skimped on my latter activities today, but you’ll have that on Scattered Saturday.  I hope to give proper shout-outs to the businesses mentioned, and a couple others I’ve patronized in recent days, in upcoming blog posts.  As always, I hope you’ll stay tuned.

 

Lame Me! I Guess.

I have mentioned this before but I repeat it now for reasons which will become obvious:  in one of the Georgette Heyer Regency Romances I adore, the heroine, during a time of great stress and exertion, has a glass of wine with dinner and feels “fresh as a nosegay.”  I feel sure it will be obvious to even new readers that I am currently sipping a glass of wine in hopes of experiencing a similar rejuvenation.  It seems to be working, which I can only suppose is placebo effect, which I do not scorn.

I got the bottle at Ilion Wine and Spirits.  I had stopped in to The Medicine Shoppe to pick up a prescription, and the two businesses are located very close to each other.  Additionally, I wanted to support Ilion Wine and Spirits, because they are a supporter of Ilion Little Theatre AND they are a sponsor of Who Shot JS? the murder mystery benefit for Herkimer County Historical Society.

This was not my only stop before going home.  I also had to go get certain feminine supplies, a couple of props for the murder mystery, and milk.  I thought with all this running around, it would be OK to not go running.

And then I went running.  Yay, me!  I guess.  It was not a great run or even a particularly good run, but it was a run.  On my cool-down walk, I met up with the doggy Mama of a couple of neighborhood dogs, and we walked a block or so together.  I had not talked to her in a while, so I told her about the sad passing of Spunky.  She shared with me the equally sad news that Nicky, another of my doggy friends, had died over the winter.  I was devastated.  I love Nicky!  I pretty sure I have mentioned stopping to pet him while running.

So now I am trying to finish my Friday Lame Post before Steven gets home.  Thank goodness for Lame Post Friday when I am so tired!  The nosegay effect only lasted for the first couple of paragraphs.  No matter.  I am over 350 words and my self-imposed word-count for a respectable post is 200.  Once again, Yay me!  I guess.

 

Let’s Just Say I Drove a Lot

It is quite late to make my Scattered Saturday post.  In fact, it is Sunday morning.  Don’t judge.  Oh, no, I guess I don’t want to tell people what to do.  Judge me if you must, but I’m not doing prison time for it.  Where was I?  Ah yes, Scattered Saturday.

I’m still so tired from it, I don’t think I can give a coherent blow-by-blow of all where I went and what I did.  Mostly where I went, actually, because I spent a lot of time driving around the greater Utica area.  I went through Whitestown, Whitesboro, New York Mills, New Hartford and Yorkville.  I saw the sign for Clinton but did not venture that far.  I also think I missed Washington Mills.  Note to self:  find out exactly where Washington Mills is.

That brings up a kind of a silly story.  My friend, Diane, and I were in the late, greatly missed Albany Street Cafe (Asteroga Ale House is there now, a perfectly nice place, but I really enjoyed Albany Street Cafe).  We were sitting at the bar, chatting with the bartender.  He told us his name was Clinton.  The next time we were there, Diane called him Kirkland.  He corrected her. I said, “I knew you had the same name as a town around here, but all I could think of was Washington Mills.”   As we all know, that is the kind of foolish joke I make.

Anyways, my travels Saturday were in search of costume pieces for Rubbed Out at Ruby’s, which I believe I have mentioned before. I had the best luck at Party City.  I don’t usually plug chain stores, but what a fun place!  I found a feather boa, a garter, fake cigarettes and a holder!  I’m going to look cool!  I had a nice time looking around Queen’s Closet in Yorkville, as well as a nice conversation with the lady there, but I ultimately did not purchase anything.  The highlight of my morning was breakfast at Raspberry’s in New Hartford.  Oh, and back in Herkimer, I hit the Indoor Garage Sale at Trinity Lutheran Church on the corner of Henry and German streets, where I got Steve a small token for Valentine’s Day.

I will not offer any excuse for making my Saturday post on Sunday, because excuses are tiresome.  However, I hope my readers will forgive me and join me later today, when I expect it will be a true Wrist to Forehead Sunday.  As for me, I shall have some coffee now.  Can you believe I got out of bed and made a blog post without it?  Doesn’t that make this practically the same thing as posting it on Saturday?  Discuss amongst yourselves.

 

Some Saturday Stuff

We can call this a Scattered Saturday or a Slacker Saturday, but I am composing this at the keyboard while I sip red wine, half look at a Vincent Price movie I DVR’d last month, and wait for Steven to get home.

I am paying very slack attention to this movie, because it is not one of his best.  It was made in the ’70s, when horror movies were becoming more gross, nasty and, well, mean.  They were more about dispatching as many victims as possible in the most disgusting fashions that could be devised.  Soon after came the slasher flicks, with more blood and less imagination. Oh, I know, many people adore such things. I live for the cheese factor and try to avoid anything that will turn my stomach.  I may watch this one again sometime and write about it, though, so I shall say no more at present.

In my quest to return to normalcy  (as normal as I can get, at any rate), I wanted to go running this morning.  It was some 30 degrees out, so I ran in place on the mini-tramp, while watching Phantom of the Opera,  the original, silent version.  For me, this is the best way to watch a silent movie.  When I’m sitting crocheting or knitting, I take my eyes off the screen too often.  I did not get through the entire movie, but I hope to run again tomorrow.

Later in the morning, I took a drive to Little Falls.  I went to the Winter Farmer’s Market, which is not yet in full swing.  Still, I chatted up the vendors that were there and took a few pictures, so perhaps I can do a full post on that tomorrow, in lieu of Wrist to Forehead Sunday.  I also walked through Paca Gardens. I would really like to purchase some of their socks, among other things.  I wanted to stop at Fall Hill Bead and Gems, but they were not yet open.

Coming back to Herkimer, I hung out at my house till Steven came home from lunch.  I like to have even a short visit with my honey.  I did not mention that I had taken Spunky for a walk before heading to Little Falls. Well, I did, and I took him out again shortly after Steven returned.  Then I drove to Ilion.  Before leaving Herkimer, I stopped in at Valley Wine and Liquors, because I thought they were having a wine tasting.  After sampling three red wines, I bought a dry blend.

In Ilion, I visited Earthly Matters, where I bought myself a pair of earrings.  I just couldn’t resist them.  Then I went to Cornerstone Consignments, where I chatted with the clerk about how some of the books were categorized “Male.”  From there, I stopped in at New 2 You Consignments, where I found two Taylor Caldwell paperbacks.  Score!  At least, I think it’s a score.  I know my mom used to read Taylor Caldwell.  I can’t remember if I read anything by her or if I liked it if I did.  I’ll soon find out.

I made a quick stop at Ilion Wine & Spirits before heading home.  After some indecision I got a bottle of champagne.  It is an inexpensive but tasty brand I have had before.  I put it in the refrigerator to chill when I got home.

And now I am sipping a glass of the red I got at Valley and have only a vague idea of what is happening in this movie.  I think it is the dramatic conclusion. Ooh, yeah, that was pretty dramatic.  I won’t tell you about it, though, because I did not include a spoiler alert.  I hope you are all having a grand Saturday.

 

 

At Least My Toes Look Good!

So I’m still not writing at work.  I just can’t seem to settle into it.  I really need to write, too.  I need a project in hand to think about while I’m working.  Otherwise my brain just dwells on stupid, useless stuff.

After work, I had to hustle.  I got in the shower (did that ever feel good in this heat!), threw on some pretty OK clothes (full disclosure: it was the same outfit I wore to rehearsal last night; it didn’t get smelly and I think it looks good), and drove to the Hot Spot Salon and Spa for a much needed pedicure.

I had the trauma of having to un-paint my toenails and leave them thus plain for most of the summer, because of playing the Friar in Much Ado About Nothing (which you may have noticed a few blog posts about).  I was supposed to get the pedicure and a haircut on Saturday.  Well, I had a whale of a headache Saturday.  I made it to the Hot Spot and sat still for the cut, but when my stylist Clair offered to reschedule the pedicure, I was quite grateful to do so.  Today was the day we rescheduled it for.

I got a lovely deep shade of purple, like a shiny eggplant.  Once my toes were looking good, I picked my husband up and we headed to the Belly Up Pub for some food.  OK we had food at home, but I wanted to show off my toenails.

So I obviously have two things I could make good blog posts about, but it seems all I can manage right now is a brief shout-out to each.  This is what happens on Wuss-out Wednesday, even on a four-day week.  The Hot Spot Salon and Spa is located at 121 E. Albany St., Herkimer.  The Belly Up Pub is at 122 W. Albany St.  Both are well worthy of a post.  I’ll work on it.

 

Waitin’ on a Friend

That is a really good song by the Rolling Stones, and I have been thinking about it since I got home from work because, well, we are.  Waiting on a friend, that is.  Our friend Tracy is coming to spend the night before going on to further adventures that do not include us (said with just a little bit of miff).  We hope she gets here soon.

So right off the bat I have blown Non-Sequitur Thursday, because my headline and lead paragraph totally agree.  Also, the rest of the post will probably be about waiting for Tracy, because, quite frankly, I got nuthin’ else.  If I was the intellectual powerhouse I like to imagine myself, I could write a real literary masterpiece invoking Waiting for Godot.  Oh, who am I kidding?  I don’t even imagine myself an intellectual powerhouse.  Most of the time.

We were hoping Tracy would make it here a little earlier, so we could go out for dinner.  We had several choices in mind.  In Herkimer we could have gone to PK’s Pub, which Tracy has enjoyed with us before.  She has never been to Jamo’s, another favorite destination of ours.  She went to Crazy Otto’s Empire Diner when it was just the Empire Diner, under different management.  If she felt like taking a ride to Little Falls, we could have gone to the Copper Moose Ale House or the Happen Inn Sports Bar.  If she had been here earlier yet, we could have stopped at Fall Hill Bead and Gems, which I am sure Tracy would love.

Now I see I am over 250 words.  A reference to a Stones song, brief update on me (one of my favorite things to write about),  and a shout-out to a few local businesses.  If Tracy gets here soon and we do something fun, perhaps I can write about it for tomorrow’s post.  If not, I’ll have to have Lame Post Friday.  As always, I hope you’ll stay tuned.

 

It’s Wine O’clock on a Saturday…

You know, to the tune of “The Piano Man.”  I thought I was fairly clever for thinking of that, but not too clever, because, well, that’s all I got.  In my defense, I been busy (apparently too busy to worry about proper grammar, but regular readers know I only do that for effect).

I was up at three this morning, ready for some Saturday overtime at 4:30.  I even got on Facebook, which I rarely do before work.  In this case, I wanted to check for a message from a friend whose business I intended to visit.  While there, I made a post purely for the pleasure of having something to look at on my “On This Day” one year hence (in case you’re curious and not my Facebook friend, the post read, “Yes, I’m on Facebook at 3:25 in the morning. Nothing further to report; I just wanted to make a post so I’ll have something other than my blog to look at on “On This Day” next year.”).  I don’t always plan that far ahead.

After work, I went adventuring with my sister Cheryl and our friend Penny.  The first stop was the So Sweet Candy Cafe in Utica, NY. I’m going to write a whole post about that and perhaps an article to submit to Mohawk Valley Living magazine.  We also went back to Ilion (well, “back” for me, because I work in Ilion, I guess “there” for Cheryl and Penny) to Earthly Matters Crystals and Stones, which I have written about before (for the blog and for the magazine).  We had lunch at The Soda Fountain Restuarant in Remson, then went to Prospect Falls Winery in Prospect.  On the way home, we made a quick stop at the Adirondack Cheese Company (which I thought was in Barneveld, but the computer is telling me Clinton and the labels on the stuff I bought say Clinton).

I got home tired and poured myself a glass of wine.

So this is my Scattered Saturday post.  At least I managed to make links to some of the places I visited.  More detailed blog posts to follow, I hope.  Happy Saturday, everyone.

 

Monday Running Commentary

I almost never run on a Monday.  Additionally, I have not be running at all in… weeks?  Surely not months.  Hm…..

Oh dear. I just looked in my Running Journal (YES, I keep multiple journals; don’t you?), and my last entry was March 17.  That does make it months!  I may have run since March 17 and not written it in the Running Journal.  That is quite possible.  It is equally possible, though, that I did not.

No matter.  The fact is, I ran today and I am going to write about it.

I had thought about running while I was at work.  I had also thought about going to the Herkimer County Humane Society and see if I could walk a dog.  An even more tempting thought was a hot shower and a glass of wine.  However, I knew the first two choices could potentially yield a blog post, so I confined my decision to those two.

Until I left work and felt too tired to do anything.  I went to The Medicine Shoppe in Ilion to pick up a prescription and took the opportunity to go into Ilion Wine and Spirits for a bottle of vino (just to add a brief shout-out to two local businesses).  As I drove out of Ilion I realized I was headed for my house, not the Humane Society.  So I’ll run, I told myself.  I don’t want to, I answered.  Look at this beautiful day,  I told myself.  You can’t waste it.

When I went in the house all I wanted to do was lie down.  I actually did lie down very briefly.  While in a prone position, I realized that I would never feel like running.  That got me on my feet and headed towards my running clothes.  No, it was not grim determination and discipline.  Merely, I acknowledged that I felt like crap and remembered that I could still go running under those conditions.

First I put in a load of laundry.  You see I can multi-task to a limited degree.

It was not as warm out as one would expect halfway through May, but it was sunny and, as I observed earlier, beautiful.  Sunshine does make everything look good.  My legs were immediately unhappy with me.  I told myself that it would probably suck worse before it felt better, and that made me feel a little bad-ass.  It helps to feel bad-ass during a run.  I only planned to run for twenty minutes.  I set a slow, shuffling pace, as I usually do.  I couldn’t even pretend in my head I ran like a gazelle.  No matter, I told myself.  Just keep going.

Soon I realized I was at the pace I could keep up for as long as I decide to.  Mind you, I’ve never tested this theory.  That is, I have never decided to keep going until I felt I could not keep going.  In my army life, I was often called upon to keep going further than I felt I could.  That was when I learned you can usually keep going further than you think you can.  I never collapsed, passed out or had anything dramatic happen on a run.  I often made horrible noises trying to breathe, but we needn’t get into that.  I’m talking about now not then.

Where was I?  Ah yes, shuffling along the sidewalks of Herkimer and having a not bad time about it.  My legs complained but not too much.  My breathing felt… not good but not actually labored.  I didn’t make any bad noises.  I ran for twenty-one minutes and felt pleased with myself. As I walked my cool-down, my legs seemed to have that soreness that means developing muscles. Score!  Maybe I can run again tomorrow.