Tag Archives: Mohawk Valley Living magazine

Apparently I Can Still Write a Little

You know how I say writing begets writing?  That the more you write, the more you will write.  Well, that is true, I suppose, but, you know what, after you write and you write and you write, sometimes you get tired.  That is where I am at.

Oh, I wrote today.  First I started a letter to my friend, Marsha, whose birthday is coming up. I intended to go to Huckleberry Letterpress in Little Falls to get her a card, which I still have reasonable hopes of sending out in time to arrive not too awfully late.  I also wrote a bit on my novel.  That makes 19 days in a row of working at least a little bit every day on it.

After work, I drove straight to Little Falls and had a lovely visit at Huckleberry Letterpress.  The couple that own it are so nice!  I got a nice card for Marsha and enough material to write my (late) article for Mohawk Valley Living magazine.  After leaving Huckleberry, I walked up Main Street and found The Sandwich Chef.  I thought a cup of tea would taste awfully good, and I was write.

While I sipped my tea, I worked a little more on my letter to Marsha, telling her a little about Huckleberry and the Sandwich Chef.  I took a few notes about the Chef as well.  I told the lady I would probably write a blog post about it (um, hopefully a better post than this one).

I got home, grabbed my laptop and went to work.  I wrote an article about Huckleberry Letterpress.  I wrote a shorter one about The Sandwich Chef.  Steven read both and said they sounded OK.  I emailed them out.  Phew!

Then I thought, “I can’t write any more!  I can’t do a blog post!  IT!  WON’T! WORK!”

But I see now that it did.  Happy Wednesday, everybody.

 

My Sad Deadline Story

Regular readers know that I write for Mohawk Valley Living magazine, a really excellent publication.  Regular readers also know that sometimes I have a real problem writing anything at all.  My magazine articles pose a greater problem, because I can’t just type stuff off the top of my head.  I write about places people can go, things they can enjoy in the Mohawk Valley.  Kind of like I’m supposed to do here, only, you know, here I get away with going off topic.

So my deadline for February’s issue is tomorrow.  This should not have been a problem.  Ideally I would have done some stuff during December that I could write about.  It turns out, December wasn’t so good for me.  So I was determined to do stuff the first weekend in January.  When that turned out to be a cold, nasty weekend, I put things off till this past weekend.  Bad idea.  It was even worse.  That left me with today!

I pored through the ads of Mohawk Valley Living.  This place!  Open Wednesday through Sunday.  Here’s one!  Open Tuesday through Saturday.  Oh, hell, I’ll do a library.  Libraries are always good. BUT, it’s Martin Luther King Day.  Would they be open? When I got home I got on www.midyork.org, looked up a couple of phone numbers and made a couple of calls.  No answer.  Forget the library.

I looked on Facebook, the Herkimer County Chamber of Commerce website, did a couple of Google searches (not that I ever have good luck with that).  I found a bar and grill that looked interesting, and my husband Steven graciously agreed to accompany me.  It was closed.  We drove around past places that were either closed or that I already wrote about.

Now I have a headache again.  I find this not surprising.  But I do not despair.  I still have one more day.  IT!  COULD! WORK!

I’ll keep you posted.

 

It’s Flustered Friday!

Yesterday I said, “Next Up: Portrait of Dorian Gray”  (only I couldn’t italicize in a headline).  However, today being Lame Post Friday, I make bold to be lame enough to NOT have Mr. Gray and his pretty picture be next on Mohawk Valley Girl.  (Is that a contradiction in terms, bold enough to be lame?  Might make a good headline.)

Actually, I think I will begin a new feature today.  A subspecies of Lame Post Friday:  Flustered Friday. In fact, I am pausing in my Flustered Friday gyrations to make this post.  Then I will continue to Flus (yes, I know that is not a word; don’t be so didactic!).

When I got home from work, I went running, feeling pretty damn virtuous for running two days in a row.  I thought about it all day at work, hoping to instill it in my mind so I would not have to talk myself into it.  It worked.  I had meant to run on the mini-tramp again, watching more of Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde with my beloved John Barrymore.  However, the weather seemed so fall-like that I decided to run outdoors.

After a good run, cool-down walk, stretching and shower, I put on my short terry robe, got myself a glass of chocolate milk (my recovery beverage of choice) and sat down with the laptop. I was going to make a Running Commentary post.  First I checked my Facebook notifications and emails (I have four but only check three on a regular basis).  Soon I started to feel tired and brain dead.  This would never do.  I had plans with my friend Kim for 5:30.  I wanted to get my blog post done first so I would not have to worry about it.  I ate a small snack and tried again.

Eventually I went to the message string with Kim to double check the time for tonight’s adventure.  Not 5:30, but 5:00!!!  It was 4:36 by my computer’s clock when I made this discovery.  It was actually better to go at five, because Steven worked till six so I had a good shot at being home at least not too long after he got there.  I had time.  It! Could! Work!  (You remember that line from Young Frankenstein, don’t you?) (If you don’t, go watch Young Frankenstein! It’s a great movie!)

First I had to get dressed.  What to wear, what to wear, what to wear?  I need to do some serious work on my wardrobe.  Then I saw one of Steven’s Hawaiian shirts that would go awesome with my yellow capri pants.  I put it on.  Ooh, wrinkly.  I knew I had not put my iron away the last time I used it.  Did I have time? YES!  I scrambled around finding a notebook, pen, Tablet and purse.  I was ready in time, yes!

Our adventure was to DikinDurt Distillery on Smith Road in Herkimer.  I intend to write an article about them to submit to Mohawk Valley Living magazine.  I’ll probably write a blog post as well (preview of coming attractions).  It was a fun visit.  We must go there again.  For one reason, you can only try three moonshines at a time.  For another, Steven will like to join us.

After leaving DikinDurt, we thought to go to Valley Wine and Liquor in Herkimer, where they often have Friday tastings.  We stopped by my house first to pick up a couple of school supplies.  You see, Valley is having a promotion that if you donate a school supply, you get 10 percent off your purchase.

We tasted some flavored vodka.  We liked it but did not buy any.  Then we walked all around the wines deciding what too purchase.  Having enjoyed some blueberry moonshine at DikinDurt, Kim was looking for blueberry wine.  We found several choices as well as some other fruits.  I decided on some Faustino Tempranillo and Great Western Champagne.

As we left the liquor store, I mentioned to Kim that I was supposed to cook supper but really should have started cooking at five.  Oops!  When we got to my house, Steven was not there yet.

“Get cooking!” Kim said.

“I think I’ll get fixing myself a drink,” I said. Kim approved that modification of plans.

I got to pouring myself a glass of wine.  I’m still drinking it.  Steven came home while I was typing just now.  We still have to figure out what to do for supper.  I know it will not involve going out, because Steven is already in his sweatpants (that man is FAST when he gets home from work).  At least my ironed Hawaiian shirt made it to the distillery and the liquor store!

 

Steven and Me

There is nothing like not having a damn thing to post about to make one less self-conscious about the thing she did NOT want to post about yesterday (one and she being, of course, me).  Additionally, when I asked Steven what I could make my blog post about, he said, “ME!”  Well, it will be about him and me, as I share a few photos and memories (yes, I’m still relying on the find a few pics method of blog posting.  I kind of like it).

The first photo is from our wedding day, back in 1990.  Check out my ugly big glasses!  Big ugly glasses are coming back into style, but I don’t think we’ll see these again.

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How handsome Steve looks! He still is pretty cute.

We are drinking the toast offered by his best man.  I have no memory about what was said.  I don’t even remember if it was a good champagne.  I like dry champagne now, and I prefer to drink it out of a flute.

This next picture was taken at the HALO Luau Fundraiser, a few years ago.  I think I wrote a blog post about it.  I wonder if I can find it and make a link.

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Us get silly for a photo op? Say it ain’t so!

This next one is more recent.  We visited Woodland Hops Farm.  I don’t think I made a blog post about it, but I wrote an article for Mohawk Valley Living magazine.  My sister Cheryl took the picture.

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Cheers!

It’s kind of too bad that we are toasting in two but not three of the pictures.  It would have been nice to have, you know, kind of a theme. On the other hand, they are all pictures of a happy couple enjoying themselves.

 

Typing on Tired Tuesday

I felt so tired yesterday, I was sure I would be less tired today, obviating the need for a Tired Tuesday post today.  I did write today.  I spent my breaks at work and some time after work composing my article for Mohawk Valley Living magazine.  It will be a good article.  I hope.  I’m letting it cool off before I re-read it.  At least, I guess it’s my brain that needs to cool off.  The actual article won’t change as it sits.

It is so interesting to me about my articles.  First I have to sit there thinking, “I can’t write this.  I am not able to write this.  Maybe I can write this later.  I can’t write this now.  Whatever will I do if I can’t write this?”  Then I put pen to paper and write it.  Sometimes I get to the second part fairly quickly.  This time I didn’t do too badly.

What I need to do now is apply the “put pen to paper and write” step to my other writing projects:  the banana play, my novel (which novel?  ANY novel!  Pick one I’ve started any time these last forty-odd years!) (um, yes, very odd years).  I keep thinking I am about to do just that, and something seems to stop me.  I’m afraid it is me.  That is rather an embarrassing admission, but it is empowering as well.  The problem is me?  Well, who controls me but ME?  Who can change me?  ME!

Only right now I’m too tired.

Ah, there is something to work on.  I feel sure I am able to write when I am tired.  It is just a matter of doing it.  Like, for example, right now. I am WRITING (actually typing) a foolish blog post (yes, as Truman Capote said, “that’s not writing, that’s typing;” insult me if you like, but acknowledge where you got the quote).  If I can write a foolish blog post when I am tired, no doubt I can write something else.  Maybe a non-foolish blog post?  Let’s not ask for miracles.  Especially on Tired Tuesday.

 

Writing about Writing and Not Writing

How long has it been since I’ve had a real Tired Tuesday post?  Has it been a whole week already?  (Um, that was a joke.)  I have no real reason to be so tired.  I went to bed in a timely fashion last night.  I worked a normal eight hour day.  We’ll blame it on the weather.  Some people thrive in the heat and humidity.  Some of us, not so much.

I did write today.  Before my shift at work began I wrote diligently on an article to submit to Mohawk Valley Living magazine.  I concluded it on a break and felt pleased.  That was when I realized something about myself.  When I finish a piece of writing, my impulse is to stop.  I think, “Ah, done,” and I want to close the notebook and move on to something else not writing.  I don’t think this always happens, but it certainly happened to me today.

However, I did not want it to happen today.  I couldn’t think what to write a blog post about, but I had another topic for the magazine. I looked in my notebook,  to see if I had started anything on it.  I had not but found a letter I had started to a friend two weeks ago.  I worked on that.  I consider that all writing counts.  Full disclosure:  I spent one break working on a crossword puzzle with a co-worker.  I do like that mental stimulation.

I felt dreadfully tired for most of the day.  That is why I believe the weather is to blame.  Back home from work, I ran in place on the mini-tramp for 22 minutes.  It was not easy.  I think I run faster on the mini-tramp than I do on the sidewalk.  It is definitely bouncier.  When I finished that I felt so tired I didn’t want to continue standing long enough to take a shower.  However, with the amount of sweat and stink I had accumulated by then, the shower was the best place for me.

I managed to type my article into the computer, looking a couple of things up, adding and editing.  I like to think I’m a good writer.  I emailed the article to my husband Steven, so he can offer his opinion.

But my blog post, my blog post, I MUST publish a blog post!  So as you see, I sat at the laptop and just typed.  I hope my readers will find some entertainment in my words.  Happy Tuesday, everyone.