Tag Archives: writing

IT Is a Blog Post

The tree of existential angst.

I need to get a better picture of this tree, because it really speaks to me.  Two of its branches are posed in the universal position of “Wha-at?”  I took the picture on a recent long walk.  I had meant to make a Pedestrian Post with Pictures but am really only up to a Monday Mental Meanderings today.  Maybe I should have had coffee instead of tea.

A less evocative tree.

I have kind of a thing for dead trees.  I had walked up into Brookwood Park, which I used to refer to as The Unknown Park till somebody told me what it was called.  It ended up being a very good walk, because I took the path through the woods, and it is no myth that being near nature helps.

And still no Tim Curry!

Before I got up into the park, I saw a sewer and looked for an evil clown.  Full disclosure:  I have neither read the book  IT nor watched any of the movies (how many times has it been dramatized?).  I always associate it with Tim Curry, because I am madly in love with Tim Curry.  I hear he recently celebrated his 80th birthday.

Pretty!

I have been seeing a lot of hyacinths lately.  I must plant some in my yard for next year.  I love the smell.  This particular patch was in a kind of a weird place: on a down-slope into a parking lot.  I wondered if they had been planted or if some critter had moved the bulbs. In either case, I liked to see them.

And now I am over 250 without having said a whole lot.  The second cup of tea was not the miracle I was hoping for, but one must make do.  As always, I thank you for tuning in.

 

Another Brew, Another Book!

This morning I had occasion to go to Little Falls, NY, so naturally I made a stop at Athenix Books and Brews, one of the all time coolest bookstores ever.  Nick, the owner, greeted me by name as I walked in, which is so flattering!  I had a box of books from my parents’ house and asked if he was still taking donations.  He said, “Always!”  This is good news for me, because I haven’t even started cleaning out my own library!

Lots of choices!

I was in need of a treat to ordered a Mocha with whipped cream and a deluxe brownie (it’s true:  I do not have weight-loss goals; I have weight-loss daydreams).  I sat down at a tall table and worked on a letter to a friend while I sipped and nibbled.  I really want to begin some more substantive writing projects than letters and post cards, but one does what one can, and I believe most people like to receive snail mail on occasion.

A very welcoming atmosphere.

Sometime I will have to come in with a friend, so we can sit on the couch to sip and chat.  After I had finished my treat, I naturally looked for a book and found one amongst the used books.  Reduce, reuse, recycle!

No, I did not purchase one of these books!

It has actually been a while since I had stopped into Athenix but I hope to stop in again soon.  As I was leaving, two ladies were entering.  “This is a great place,” I told them, and I could tell they were quite taken with it as they continued into the store.

Athenix Books and Brews is located at 624 E. Main St., Little Falls, NY, and is open daily.

 

I Quickly Type a Blog Post

Oh dear, one little slip and it just snowballs.  Is that mixing metaphors?  Or merely indulging in cliche?  No matter, it is not a good beginning, but it is even worse that I missed posting two days in a row. I woke up Saturday thinking I would do a Lame Post Friday post, as I had very little brain at my disposal.  Somehow the day got away from me.  Sunday, I had rather a taxing morning and ended up spending the rest of the day on the couch feeling ill.  Today (Monday) I find myself with a short time before I need to go off and do Things, and feel sure that if I do not post now, I will never post again (that was indulging in hyperbole).

Random picture in an attempt to pep up the post.

I do not have time to search my Media Library for something appropriate or mildly connected, so I randomly share this azalea from a neighbor’s yard some few years ago.  I do not think it is there still.  The picture was, of course, taken later in the spring than we are now.  I want to look for crocuses in my yard but fear there will be none.  Winter keeps returning to the Mohawk Valley and saying, “And another thing!”

What would Truman Capote say about this?

I randomly picked a month in my Media Library and found this appropriate illustration!  I have often quoted Truman Capote, “That’s not writing, that’s typing.”  At least I have typed some 250 words.  I am a blogger once again.  I’ll work on being a daily blogger tomorrow.  I may even have something good to blog about.

 

What Would Truman Capote Do?

I had the intention to combine my Throwback Thursday and Lame Post Friday posts and thus pretend I am caught up, but of course it is a little Non-Sequitur to be posting on the wrong day, and I do have a feature of Non-Sequitur Thursday.  Then again, it is kind of a sequence to do Monday’s post on Tuesday, Tuesday’s post on Wednesday, etc.  What’s a blogger to do?

As long as I can wear a tiara, I’m good.

I was looking for a more appropriate picture, but then I thought, Why?  Did I not say Non-Sequitur Thursday?  Or Throwback Thursday, although this is only throwing back to a year ago, when I appeared in Four Old Broads on the High Seas with Players of Utica.  The blue hat in the background is another actor trying to photo-bomb.   I feel bad that she did not succeed.  I started to write a similar play.  I mean a silly comedy about a few older ladies.  I must put in more work on that.

There’s the photo bomb!

OK, now my two pictures are sequential, so perhaps Non-Sequitur Thursday is out of the question.  I don’t care. It is my blog and I will do what I like.

In a preview of coming attractions, I may go to a fish fry tonight, and I may go to a couple of my favorite fun local businesses during the day.  I may also do something to celebrate Friday the 13th, which always sounds like a holiday to me.  I could walk under a ladder or go into a theatre and mention MacBeth (that is a theatre superstition you may or may not be familiar with:  real theatre geeks must always refer to it as, “The Scottish Play.”

To explain the headline:  Truman Capote once said about some work or other, “That’s not writing, that’s typing.”

 

Pre-Breakfast Post

I wussed out on Wednesday, not making my post till Thursday morning.  I’m thinking nobody is surprised, least of all me.  Now I am typing in haste (ten-finger typing, which is my usual thing these days), because I am meeting my Elks friends at Ann Street Deli in Little Falls, NY for breakfast.  I am hungry!  And I could use some coffee or tea.

Great for breakfast and lunch!

I easily found this picture in my Media Library.  I took it the last time we had breakfast there.  Note the crappy lump of snow in front.  The snow that is left looks crappy and dirty, and I for one am hoping no more falls to whiten it up.  However, Mother Nature rarely takes any of our hopes under advisement.

Yesterday was supposed to be the last warm day for a while, so I took advantage of the bare roads and sidewalks for a run.  I actually managed to stay on the sidewalks for most of the time, which is what I prefer to do.  You can’t count on cars slowing down.  Later on, when I took a walk, it was raining.  I had to walk down State Street, or Route 5 as it is more commonly known.  The sidewalks were muddy, and cars zoomed through the puddles, splashing wherever it landed.  Humph.  Just my little complaint of the day.  Don’t mind me.

My plans for today are to clean my house and perhaps do a Throwback Thursday blog post.  I need to write the conclusion for my murder mystery, which begins rehearsals Sunday (preview of coming attractions).  But I feel pleased I have done a blog post today of over 250 words.  250 entertaining words?  My dear readers are the judge of that.

 

Tune in for a Late Tired Tuesday

Yes, here I am, making my Tired Tuesday post on Wednesday.  Oh dear, at first I typed Thursday.  Am I in a time warp or likely to be really late with my posts?  The fact is, I have not had any Mohawk Valley Adventures since Sunday.  I went for a lovely walk in the warm weather yesterday but did not take any pictures, so a Pedestrian Post with Pictures is out of the question.  At least, I guess I could search my Media Library for pictures of stuff I walked by and took pictures of previously; I could maybe even find some with a similar amount of snow.  It seems unlikely, though.

The road less traveled?

This is from March 2020, when I was walking a lot.  I walked by this path yesterday but did not turn down it (my Chromebook wants me to  change that to “turn it down.”  Is it paying the least bit of attention?).  There was more snow yesterday, but most of the sidewalks I was on were pretty bare.  Score!

One thing I got done was the script for the murder mystery I am doing, tentative title A Revolutionary Murder.  I got it and the character sheets emailed out to my actors and a first read through scheduled (no, Chromebook, scheduled IS a word; I do not mean “schedule”) (Sheesh!).  I hope that will make a good blog post.

Did somebody say murder mystery?

I was looking for a rehearsal shot of a murder mystery, but the best I can do is a shot of a murder mystery in progress, at Salisbury Grange back in 2023.

I am feeling tired, I confess, and for no very good reason. But perhaps today I will do something blogworthy and blog about it.  I hope you’ll stay tuned.

 

Late Wrist, a Little Luck

So I let Sunday slip by without making a Wrist to Forehead Sunday post, and I realized I did not mention one of my activities from Slacker Saturday.  I volunteered for Herkimer Elks Lodge’s Casino Night.  Admittedly, there was not much I could do.  I can’t deal Black Jack, and somebody else was spinning the wheel.  I took over the chip table when the lady manning it went to get something to eat, and I got drinks for people at the Black Jack table.  I lamented that I did not have my Playboy Bunny outfit, but I think everybody was pretty much OK with that.

I gambled some $10 away on the wheel, winning and losing a chip or two at a time and not quitting while I was ahead.  It was fun, and I considered it a donation to the Lodge.

 

I am so maligned.

I just spent a bit of time searching my Media Library for a picture of the Elks Lodge, since I thought a picture would pep things up.  One might call that dilly dallying, but it surely does not constitute lolly gagging (which I always thought was one word when my mother used to accuse me of it) (and I will call you Shirley if I decide to).  Anyways, back to the blog post.

Sunday I did attend the HALO Luck Paws Auction, and won a basket.  I did not stay for the drawings but got a phone call later informing me of my luck.

I see I am over 250 words.  Score!  Will I make a Monstrous Monday post later?  A little uncertainty adds interest to my day.

 

Late Slacker Saturday, but Shout-Out for the Cats!

This will be a late Slacker Saturday post and no promises about a Sunday blog post.  I am on my second cup of coffee, which should help matters, but as the late great Fats Waller said, One never knows, do one?

Drink coffee, write. Only two of my goals for today.

I thought I would throw in a coffee cup as an illustration.  I purchased this one at Athenix Books and Brews, just to throw in another shout-out to one of my favorite local businesses.  I got the ghostie pen holder there too (should it be “ghosty” or “ghostie”?  My computer thinks both are wrong.  I suppose I could say “ghostly,” but I think my little guy is too cute for that) (But I digress).

Yesterday I did a few things and reminded myself to make a blog post, even if it was a Slacker Saturday post.  Alas, I did not get to it.  I wrote my weekly post cards and walked them to the post office (that makes it sound like they walked along with me, perhaps on little post card leashes) (why did auto-correct capitalize “Little”?).  A little later (left it lowercase that time) I went to a wine tasting at Valley Wine and Liquor (another shout-out!), then brought an afghan to Mohawk American Legion, where I donated it to the HALO Lucky Paws Auction for Sunday (today!).

HALO (and here we come to the real shout-out of the post) is the Helping Animals Live Organization.  This is the 17th Lucky Paws Auction.  I have attended many in years past and won great stuff.  They get tons of great donations: baskets for any interest, gift cards from area businesses, and an afghan from me!  It takes place today, Sunday March 8 at the Mohawk American Legion, 45 West Main St., Mohawk, NY, with viewing beginning at 11 a.m. and drawings beginning at 2 p.m.  If any local readers read this in time, I encourage you to attend!

 

Another Coffee Adventure!

I thought of this title yesterday, as I was writing my blog post, because I remembered that Athenix Books and Brews in Little Falls, NY, was opening the Brews component on Feb. 26.  I needed to get there soon and make a blog post about it!  I drank tea for my first cuppa at home this morning, then after completing a couple of other chores and errands, I headed to Little Falls.

Lots of choices!

I opted for a regular dark roast coffee with whole milk.  I couldn’t resist also getting an Oreo brownie.  I sat at a tall table wrote a few more lines on my murder mystery (preview of coming attractions)  while I enjoyed my treat.  As I sat there I noticed that it looked as if there were letters on the wood floor.  I could not make out what they were supposed to be until I got up and realized I had been looking at them upside down.  Normally I can read upside down, but I failed this morning.

It says Athenix!

I was very impressed with the craftsmanship.  The whole place looks wonderful to me.  Nick mentioned he had gotten a one star review that called the floors unfinished and not modern.  Another customer and I asserted that we love them.  They have character and add to the ambiance.

Cozy!

I sat at a tall table, but there are also some soft chairs and sofas to lounge on while you enjoy your beverage.  I plan to make this a regular stop.  I will sit at a table or one of the cushy chairs, sip my coffee or tea and write!

Athenix Books and Brews is located at 624 E. Main St., Little Falls, NY.  You can follow them on Facebook.

 

A Little Help with Self Help

On a recent visit to Athenix Books and Brews (the Brews are coming soon!), I saw a book I had read before and liked, Atomic Habits by James Clear.  It is about making small changes to have a large impact on your life.  It was recommended to me by one of my VA doctors, and I found it had a lot of helpful advice.  I decided I would like a copy of my very own.

No, it wasn’t nailed to the door.

 

Nick Bennett, the proprietor, praised my choice.  It turns out he read the book and loved it.  I am not surprised, because that young man definitely has his act together.  He said he loves self help books.  I do, too, but usually I read them and mess up on the follow-through.  Well, we can only do what we can do.

Speaking of not following through, I love to read books about writing.  Another VA doctor had recommended one about not just writing but any creative endeavor, The Artist’s Way by Julia Cameron.  I got it on inter-library loan through midyork.org.  I was partway through it when it came due, but I was able to renew it.  I soon decided this was another book I should have for my very own.  Accordingly, I went to Athenix, and Nick nicely ordered it for me.  Full disclosure:  I also found two books to purchase while I was there.  Can you blame me?

Will they help? One can hope!

I took a picture of the two books for blogging purposes, including the pen-holding ghost and coffee mug I purchased on my first visit to Athenix.  The books in the background were purchased at some used book sale; I read them and am passing them on to my parents, who will perhaps pass them on to my sisters.  We are big readers in my family.

Athenix Books and Brews is located at 624 E. Main St., Little Falls, NY, open daily from 9 a.m. to 6 p.m.  You can follow him on Facebook to stay updated on when the Brews will be available!