Tag Archives: monsters

Late But Making with the Monsters

Oh dear, it feels as if it has been days since I make a blog post.  Time is so weird.  Part of me is wondering how it got to be December already while another part feels it has been at least three weeks since Thanksgiving.  However, that is half-baked philosophy more suited to Lame Post Friday than a late Monstrous Monday post.  Let’s make with the monsters, shall we? (We shall!)

Creepy, yes?

I thought I would open with a monster seldom used (is that like the road less traveled?  Discuss amongst yourselves).  I have no idea where I got it; I downloaded it back in 2017.  I would like to make my front lawn look like this, although I do not have a similar amount of space, nor as much cool stuff.

Quite the fashionable skeleton.

I thought I should get a little Christmasy, since it is December, as noted earlier.  This, as regular readers know, is Bonita, our skeleton who likes to dress for the season.  She does not have her Christmas togs on yet this year.  I’ll have to work on it.

Now there’s a Christmas monster!

Boris Karloff is the ONLY Grinch for me; I don’t care how many re-makes they do.  I also like to watch movies where Karloff uses his real voice (as opposed to when he is Frankenstein’s Monster, who is fairly inarticulate).  He says all these creepy things, and I hear in my head, “Every Who down in Whoville liked Christmas a lot…”

And now I have babbled on for over 250 words.  Score!  Will I try for a Mohawk Valley Adventure to write about later today or stay home and clean the house?  A little uncertainty adds interest to my morning.

 

Maybe I Should Write About Monsters

Yes, it is a Monstrous Monday post, and I am mostly happy that I am making it on Monday.  I had thought to do a Running Commentary post, and narrated in my head during most of my run this morning.  Then I neglected to make the post until now, Monday evening.  Judge me if you want to be that way.

Poor guy. What if his nose itches?

The first monster picture I found in my Media Library was this shot of Frankenstein’s Monster.  I say “Frankenstein’s Monster” for purists who don’t like to shorten it to just “Frankenstein.”  But if Dr. Frankenstein was his father, wouldn’t the Monster’s name be Frankenstein too?  We could argue this for days, but I am no hand at argument.

Are you calling me a monster?

Thanks a lot, Franz, for the compliment!  In fact, I am writing, if you can count a Monstrous Monday blog post.  I suppose Truman Capote would say, “That’s not writing, that’s typing.”  I did write some notes on a novel earlier, and did some reading on what might turn out to be a play.  Also I wrote a letter.  I like to write snail mail letters.

I’ve been called worse.

To conclude:  there are various kinds of monsters.  Some are created by mad scientists out of spare body parts.  Some we create ourselves by not fulfilling our destiny.  Ooh, didn’t that sound profound?  I should save such half-baked philosophy for Lame Post Friday.  Or is that more of a Monday Middle-aged Musing? Discuss amongst yourselves.

 

One Monster for Good Measure

Hello and welcome to yet another late blog post from me, Mohawk Valley Girl.

Having typed that, I feel myself disinclined to type any more. If I was not ten-finger typing on the Chromebook, I would be tempted to give it up as a bad job.  I know, I know, one must not wait for inspiration.  Sometimes one prefers to at least wait till the coffee kicks in.

Picture to denote passage of time while I get another cup of coffee.

That is one of my favorite pictures.  I have seen some really gruesome rotting pumpkins but have not had anything to take a picture at the time.  The scariest are when the inside starts to mildew and the mouth becomes a black hole!  Not the most sanitary decoration, but I must appreciate beauty where I find it.

I hope to take a drive to Pumpkin Junction in Sauquoit, NY tomorrow (preview of coming attractions).  I can get a pumpkin, maybe some lights for my porch, and at least I can walk around and enjoy looking at everything.  I have a bit too much to do today to contemplate the expedition.

A veritable Halloween Mecca!

I can’t say I have made strides in getting my house decorated for Halloween, but I have taken steps.  Maybe they were baby steps, but one does what one can.

I see I am over 200 words.  I guess I can bill this as a Monstrous Monday post, since it is a lot about Halloween.  I’ll just close with one monster for good measure.

 

 

Don’t know who he is, but I like him!

I’m a Monstrously Bad Blogger

I attempt once again to make a blog post today and then one tomorrow etc.  I do not, unfortunately, attempt to make a blog post about one of those Mohawk Valley adventures I keep promising to report on.  I guess I’m going to play the widow card again.  I am having a hard time getting my act together, but I try every day to do a little something.  Sometimes that something is just to get through the day.  I hope to up my game.

An oldie but a goodie.

I was thinking about this meme today, because I wore a shirt that I usually wear on Friday.  I was, of course, aware all day that it was not Friday.  I was only happy that it was also not Monday. One must count one’s blessings, after all.

“But… you said it wasn’t Monday!”

Having missed Monstrous Monday (as well as Saturday and Sunday), I thought to share a couple more monster pictures.  Of course I include my favorite, Nosferatu from the eponymous 1922 silent movie. I think he looks a little bit surprised in this shot.

See? I’m not the only one.

Jumping around, I found this profound caption with Elsa Lanchester as The Bride of Frankenstein.  It is true I have many good intentions:  to blog every day about the Mohawk Valley, to clean my house, to write a novel, to get my act together.  Will I fulfill any of these intentions?  A little uncertainty adds interest to my week.

 

A Few Vampires Never Hurt

Once again, I eschew writing about Mohawk Valley adventures for a Monstrous Monday post.  Full disclosure:  It has not been a particularly monstrous day.  For one reason I took off work for a couple of VA appointments.  I will not elaborate on that, because, you know, HIPAA (if I have that acronym right).

The Shadow of the Vampire?

Why not start right out with my favorite, Nosferatu (1922), that silent horror masterpiece.  I love the use of shadows.

For many the quintessential vampire.

Here is a busier illustration, the 1931 Tod Browning produced film.  My late, dearly missed husband,  Steve, was not especially enamored of this movie, but he occasionally consented to watch it with me.

Another favorite of many.

One might argue that Christopher Lee revitalized the role in the Hammer Films Dracula movies. I am not sure which film this picture is from, but I enjoy watching all of them.  Christopher Lee did not confine himself to Dracula, of course.  He memorably portrayed Frankenstein’s monster and other horror parts, both villainous and heroic.

Very atmospheric. I loved it.

To include one more vampire and get to at least 200 words, I share the poster of Dracula’s Daughter, a worthy addition to the pantheon.  Is pantheon the word I want?  Perhaps I should look it up.

Random vampire picture while I grab my dictionary.

Hmmm… doesn’t seem quite right by the definition, but it is used this way in the example.  On that note of grammar, I see I am over 200 words, so I sign off.  I hope you enjoyed another vampire post.  I will try not to let Tired Tuesday get the best of me.

 

Late Monsters, Love Coffee

A late post is better than no post at all.  This week I am either back to late posts or no posts and I choose late posts.  Hello and welcome to a Monstrous Monday post made early Tuesday morning.

Random monster to denote passage of time while I go get coffee.

Everything is less monstrous with coffee.  Coffee drinkers will agree; non-coffee drinkers may substitute the beverage, comfort, or wake-up aid of their choice.  I am feeling a bit monstrous this morning for no particular reason.  At least, there may be reasons, but it would be dull to get into them.  Could I be getting old?  SAY IT AIN’T SO!!!

At least I am not toothless. Yet.

Yesterday I heard music wafting up from Meyers Park, where the Herkimer Downtown Chowdown was taking place, just to give a shout-out to a local attraction.  The Chowdown is the food truck event that runs Mondays in Meyers Park in Herkimer, NY.  They have some great musical entertainment.  I did not walk down yesterday, though.  I may stay home all week.  Judge me if you are so inclined.

He is watching you.

However, I do plan to go for walks this week.  I went for one yesterday morning.  Unfortunately (or fortunately, because I am feeling tired and lazy), it is raining this morning.  I hope it will not be too hot or raining this afternoon when I get home from work. If I do walk, there is a good chance I will walk by my beloved Herkimer Historic Four Corners.  One of the corners is the 1834 Jail, seen in the picture above.  I feel free to include it in Monstrous Monday because of the cut-out of Chester Gillette, a real life monster.  He only committed one murder in his short life, but if he had gotten away with it, I’m thinking he would have done away with other inconveniently pregnant girlfriends.

Ooh, look, I am over 300 words.  Score!  Let’s see if I can do my Tired Tuesday post later on ON Tuesday.  I am pretty sure I will be tired, but thank you for tuning in.

 

Monsters I Have Known

The late posts continue as I sit here Tuesday morning hoping to at least do a Monstrous Monday post.  I am sipping re-heated coffee from yesterday (waste not, want not), which is never as good but will surely do (there I go again, calling myself Shirley).  I almost felt like putting on a sweatshirt this morning, as we got a break from the excessive (to me) heat but said to myself, “Don’t worry; as soon as you start drinking the coffee you will get a hot flash.”  Sure enough…

Never mind all that, on with the monsters!

He looks like a friendly fellow.

I open with an unknown monster I found somewhere on the internet back in 2017.  It is a pretty cool scene.  I wonder if it is somebody’s house or an attraction one can visit.  I may never know but enjoy speculating.

He is scary, yes!

I move on to a better known monster, my favorite guy Nosferatu, from the eponymous 1922 silent movie, arguably the scariest movie ever (although I do not argue it myself, because I almost always lose arguments).

Here’s a creepy one!

Perhaps a lesser known monster, here is the unnamed menace from Carnival of Souls.  Is he death?  Is he the devil? I got the picture from the Carnival of Souls Facebook page.

Another low-budget delight.

They may look human, but they are witches, thousands of years old in Haunted Hotel, also known as City of the Damned,  although both are misnomers, as I believe I have pointed out before, because it involves an inn in a village.  Speaking of known and unknown, the guy in the middle is a young Christopher Lee.  I did not recognize him the first time I saw this movie (I have it in one of my DVD horror collections), but it was before I became acquainted with Hammer Horror films.

I see I have rattled on for over 300 words.  Additionally, my coffee has gotten tepid.  I do enjoy making a Monstrous Monday post and hope my readers do as well.  As always, I thank you for tuning in.

 

Maybe I Should Have Remade the Blog Post

I am just about up to a Monstrous Monday post.  It has not been a particularly monstrous day, but I am just not feeling like myself.  I think I need some monster to re-center me.  It couldn’t hurt.

Yeah, I feel like this, and I kind of look that way, too.

Here is a depiction of me, only I cause much less havoc and destruction.  Steve McQueen would find no reason to fight me.  I hope.

In case anybody was wondering what movie that was from.

I haven’t seen The Blob in a while.  It is a fun flick.  I never saw the remake.  Remakes are often disappointing, although not always.

He is smoking hot!

For example, Blacula as an update of Dracula is quite entertaining.  I understand the sequel, Scream, Blacula, Scream, is at least equally as good.  I must check it out sometime.  I hear Pam Grier is in it.  Love Pam Grier!

Quite the mash-up, no?

I don’t believe I have ever seen Dracula vs. Frankenstein, another sort of sequel or remake, but this picture was in my Media Library.  I suppose I just grabbed it because it looked cool.

I’m afraid that is exactly what they think, but of course I do not know for sure.

And here is one they never remade.  Wait a minute, I did once, a long time ago, see a movie called They Saved Hitler’s Brain.  His head was in a kind of a glass case, like you might put a cake in.  That might have been a sort of a re-boot, or this one was a re-boot of that one.  I wonder why Hitler’s Brain never made it into one of my DVD collections of movies.  Something to hope for in the future.

In the meantime, I am approaching 300 words.  Score!  Time to see if a good night’s sleep can save my brain.

 

At Least I Made It On Monday

Hello and welcome to yet another Monstrous Monday post.  I have been staring at the blank screen, hopping over to Facebook as a delaying tactic, and indulging in the type-it-in-back-space-it-out disease (can you indulge in a disease?  I am really groping for words today).   I prefer to make my blog posts on time, not prior to five in the morning the next day.  For one reason, I have to do other things I put off till morning, like make my lunch (make lunch, not war!).

It isn’t only Monday, truth be told.

I was actually looking for the Brain from Planet Arous, my usual illustration for my brain-dead condition, but I thought “No Like Monday!” would also apply.  I don’t know why I get so set on having a Monday through Friday work schedule if it is only going to make me hate Monday so much.  Do I really want to feel miserable for five days and happy for two?  That’s silly!  Anyways, it isn’t true.  I manage to find some happiness in every day, or at least a good laugh  Life is not bad when you can have a good laugh once in a while.

Relaxing with a cup of tea is nice, too.

I thought I would show the Monster in a more relaxed mode as well.  Right now I am relaxing with a glass of wine.

A gift from my late, dearly missed husband.

I was over 200 words but wanted one more picture.  I thought this one was appropriate, because I mentioned earlier that I preferred not to be making my blog posts early in the morning.  In fact, I do not mind making the post with or before my coffee.  It is the pressure of making a late post that bothers me.  Maybe I will try making my Tired Tuesday post tomorrow morning.  But will I make my lunch tonight?  A little uncertainty adds interest to my Monday.

 

In the Mood for Monsters?

In the Mood for Monsters?

Hello and welcome to another Monstrous Monday post.  I can’t say my Monday has been thoroughly monstrous, but I am feeling… well, never mind how I am feeling.  It is tiresome to always listen to someone whine about their feelings.  Anyways, I may very well feel differently after I encounter a few of my favorite monsters.

An evocative shot, yes?

Here is one from my favorite Nosferatu, the 1922 silent film.  They made more use of shadows in the older movies.  I think it is scary.  I like it.

Which is the bad guy?

In the interests of using a picture I haven’t used many times already (yes, I am still going to my Media Library for Monstrous Monday; haven’t learned how to get new pictures on the Chromebook yet), I show this one, which I do not remember using before and have no idea what movie it is from.  It looks like an alien and a fish monster.  Do any of you recognize it? If so, please comment and tell me.

A more homegrown monster.

Tired of looking for more movie monsters, I offer this show of my own Bonita, wearing a doggy devil mask I picked up at a rummage sale.  It is hard to see, but she is holding the bouquet of black tulips my friend Jerry made for a murder mystery.  He presented them to me after the performance, and they have been part of my Halloween decor ever since.

And that brings me over 200 words.  Score!  I thank my monsters, and I thank my readers for tuning in once again.