Tag Archives: writing

Wanted: Inspiration. Or Garlic

Posted on February 23, 2022 by mohawkvalleygirl

I had it all planned out yesterday. I was going to go for a walk and make a Pedestrian Post, or maybe call it a Tuesday Trudge. Then it poured rain, so I went to Plan B. Only I didn’t have a Plan B. So I am sitting here with my Tablet on Wednesday morning, hoping inspiration will strike.

Some will argue that inspiration is a myth. Just write, they will say, quoting Edison and his 1% inspiration, 99% perspiration. To that I reply, you still need that 1%. After all, without one little clove of garlic, all you have is bland tomato sauce (oh yeah, like I ever use only one measly clove of garlic!) (and I suppose some people like bland tomato sauce).

Where was I? Oh yes, trying to write. I did write a bit yesterday, a couple of paragraphs in the TV Journal and a character page on a new murder mystery.

That’s right! Another murder mystery may be in my future! That will give me something else to blog about. I will have to upgrade my WordPress account so I can include pictures.

In the meantime, I am not quite at 200 words (why does autocorrect keep thinking I want to say 00 instead of 200? Is it saying my 200 words are worth nothing? Everybody’s a critic!). Does it count if I get up to 200 words by discussing that I am not at 200 words? Discuss amongst yourselves.

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Is Anybody Still Tuned In?

Posted on February 14, 2022 by mohawkvalleygirl

OK, this is it: I have got to start blogging again. My problem is, all I really want to talk about is how crappy I feel. How tiresome is that! I do feel better than I felt when I first fell ill. However, I do not feel capable of doing anything useful or creative. I am rather in dread that this is my new normal.

One consolation: this is excellent as a Wrist to Forehead Sunday post. I have never felt more like swooning in despair, dramatically posed with the back of one wrist to my forehead. Why, oh why, have I never provided myself with a chaise lounge? It is clearly a necessary piece of equipment.

Now I feel a little better, because I am laughing at myself and my own self-dramatization. It is not easy being me, but it is reasonably entertaining.

For the record, I did try to return to work last Thursday. I had been off since Monday of the previous week (that is, Jan. 31 to Feb. 9) (Yikes! That’s a long time!). I made it through four miseeable hours and went home. I did not try again on Friday. I hope to try again on Monday. Eventually I hope to feel better enough to do a few things worth blogging about. I hope I have readers left by then!

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Another Not Really a Post

Posted on February 2, 2022 by mohawkvalleygirl

Mohawk Valley Girl feels like shit. And autocorrect is determined to clean up my garbage mouth. I really feel too awful to post at all. However, I logged into WordPress to catch up on my favorite blogger, Rachel Mankewicz. She posts every Saturday with insightful essays punctuated by pictures of her adorable dogs. I found myself typing in a comment. Then I was reading and commenting on other blogs, and I said, Hey, maybe I can do this.

But I can’t, really. I need to put this aside and lie quietly. When I log in again, I will try to add a link to The Cricket Pages, and maybe plug a couple other of my favorites.

In the meantime, please excuse Mohawk Valley Girl etc. etc….

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Rats!

Posted on January 9, 2022 by mohawkvalleygirl

I was doing so well posting every day, then last night I just fell asleep on the couch without posting. Now I have a dreadful headache from sleeping with my neck bent the wrong way. I shall try the effects of a hot shower in a bit, but I first thought I would post a quick little apology for missing a day.

Hmm…. I hope nobody reads my headline and thinks my house has rats. I do like to indulge in plays on words. Anyways, that gives me something to be thankful for: we don’t have rats and haven’t even seen any mice for a long time (hope I haven’t just jinxed myself).

So I guess yesterday was a Blogger’s Sick Day, even though I wasn’t exactly sick. I’ll try for a better blog post later. We did have a couple of Mohawk Valley Adventures yesterday.

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New Year, Same Old Blog

Posted on January 2, 2022 by mohawkvalleygirl

So I partied a little too heartily on New Year’s Eve. I don’t imagine I as the only one to do so. And at least I didn’t drink and drive. It is not nearly so dangerous to drink and blog. Today, however, I am feeling tired, drained, and fairly wordless. Well, obviously not entirely wordless.

Do you suppose those are his New Year’s Resolutions?

When in doubt, throw in a picture. This is Nosferatu, one of my favorite monsters (why is “monsters” underlined? That’s how you spell it! I should know). I know, it is not Monstrous Monday nor yet time for Mid-week Monsters. What can I say? Sometimes I need a little monster.

I get Fay Wray and Glenda Farrell mixed up.

Mystery of the Wax Museum is a New Year’s movie for me, because it opens on New Year’s Eve. However, we did not watch it this year.

The real monster?

I was searching my Media Library for one more picture and decided to use one of me. I don’t think I am any more monstrous when I drink than otherwise, but in general I am kind of a stinker.

Right now I am a stinker approaching 200 words on my first blog post of 2022, although my WordPress timestamp may have declared yesterday’s bit of foolishness to be that. Will I post every day in 2022? We shall see.

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But Dracula Said, “I Never Drink Wine”

Posted on December 28, 2021 by mohawkvalleygirl

This is a — wait for it– monstrous situation. I made a post about being depressed and then did not post again for an entire week! What the hell, me? And when will autocorrect internalize the fact that I do so want to say “hell” not “he’ll”? These are points to ponder. In the meantime, I will attempt to ease back into blogging with a Monstrous Monday Post.

He looks a little stunned.

The beauty part about not posting for a while is that I have not used any photos from my Media Library recently. No, I have not yet completed the upgrade which will allow me to post new images. One step at a time; I’m still trying to get myself to post at all these days!

Anyways, here is my favorite guy, Nosferatu. Oh it HAS been a long time; instead of offering “Nosferatu” on predictive text, autocorrect changed it to “Nowhere to.” SAY IT AIN’T SO!!!

Quite a different style of vampire.

This delightful blood-sucker has resided on our wall since my husband gave him to me one Christmas some years ago. You may notice the stocking hanging from his neck. He also carries a green bell, but that is less noticeable.

Full disclosure: I already had the wine.

I would have liked to close with another vampire, but I find my Media Library increasingly difficult to navigate. Operator error, the story of my life. On the brighter side, I am approaching 250 words. I say not bad for a Monday after a week off.

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Was This Blog Post a Good Idea?

Posted on December 15, 2021 by mohawkvalleygirl

This will be a Tired Tuesday Post. I had thought to make a Running Commentary Post, especially since I ran against all inclination to do any such thing. Then I thought I would not make any post at all, which has become a bad habit with me. However, as I reminded myself that it would be a good idea to run, I have convinced myself that it would be a good idea to blog. So here we are.

This is something I’m sure I have talked about before, but it bears repeating. Whenever I tell myself I “should” do something or “ought to” or “must,” the chances of me doing whatever it is are considerably diminished. However, when I use the gentler persuasion, “it would be a good idea to,” I get much better results.

I don’t know why that should surprise me. The “good idea” line makes it a choice, not an obligation. Suddenly I am an adult (despite appearances to the contrary), making sound decisions based on compelling reasons, not a recalcitrant baby who must be beaten upon to produce worthy results.

Something else that is sadly unsurprising: I am still telling myself that I should clean my house, I ought to get organized, and I MUST write more. I think we all know the results this has produced.

So in addition to being a Tired Tuesday Post, I guess this has been a kind of a pep talk to myself. If I utilize the gentle persuasion, perhaps I will get better results. Now I just have to remember not to tell myself that I MUST stop saying “should.”

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After All, Alliteration Isn’t Everything

Posted on November 20, 2021 by mohawkvalleygirl

Stand by for a really lame post.

I pause, as no words come to mind.

Yes, it is Lame Post Friday, although not a true Friday since I work tomorrow. But whatever the day of the week, my mind is blank. What the hell, me? Will this be yet another post concerning my inability to make a decent blog post? SAY IT AIN’T SO!!! Quick, throw in a picture.

Is that the secret formula for a good blog post?

I downloaded the above picture of Nosferatu last week, thinking I could use it for a Monstrous Monday Post. Then I didn’t have a Monstrous Monday. What kind of a Monday did I have? I forget.

The week has been a kind of a blur. I seem to remember thinking this might be the week I get my act together. It should surprise no one that that did not happen. Any suggestions on how I might proceed in the future?

THAT’S the problem! Somebody ate my brain!

I thought adding another picture might help. Could this be a Monstrous Friday Post? That’s not alliterative. Of course, neither is Lame Post Friday. Now I am getting silly. Oh wait, I started out that way. Happy Friday, everyone!

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No, You Shut Up!

Posted on November 15, 2021 by mohawkvalleygirl

Every week I say to myself, “This is the week! This is the week I start to get my act together! I will write more. I will work a little every day to get my house cleaned and organized. I will run. I will do those exercises for my back…” The list goes on. Oh, I do not expect to magically be the neat, organized, healthy, non-back-hurting, writing five pages a day paragon of my dreams (why five pages? why not ten? Oh yes, I am setting realistic goals). I expect myself to do a little every day. Ten minutes, just ten minutes. You can do a lot of cleaning in ten minutes. IT! COULD! WORK! (That is from Young Frankenstein, by the way.)

And then I don’t do much. Ten minutes of cleaning is apparently too much to ask. I hold tight to what little I manage to do: a few loads of laundry, at least three days of running (including Saturday and Sunday), a few blog posts (why is it so hard to be a daily blogger? I used to post every day! What the hell, me?). I put together a murder mystery, with lots of help from my friends. Doesn’t that count for something? I think it does.

One other thing: I was keeping this on the down low, because I was afraid it would not work out, and in fact it hasn’t. But week before last I wrote several pages of notes on a Victoria Holt-type romance novel, influenced also by Jane Eyre, with a little Georgette Heyer thrown in. It was a lot of fun writing the notes. I had a little trouble with character names. Unfortunately, I was unable to begin actually writing said novel. Still, I wrote a LOT of notes. Ideas just poured out of me! Surely that counts for something (and I will call you Shirley if I want to).

All this by way of trying not to beat myself up for not posting either Saturday or Sunday. Here I sit Monday morning, ten finger typing on the laptop (dining-room-tabletop, really) (I must buy myself a new laptop), and viewing the upcoming week with trepidation. Will this be the week I finally do it? That I finally do something?

At least I have written a blog post of over 400 words. I think some bloggers like to read that others have trouble writing. I personally do not find tough love helpful. You know, when they say, “There is no such thing as Writer’s Block! Just shut up and write!” But perhaps this week I will try to do just that. Only without the shut up part, because, you know, I like to make a blog post.

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Is a Lame Post Better than No Post At All?

Posted on November 13, 2021 by mohawkvalleygirl

I am not sure if I am even up to a Lame Post Friday post. I am feeling fairly brain dead. However, I am equally disinclined to get up early enough in the morning to make my post and get to work by 5 a.m. Likewise, I do not want to miss a day. I have done that too many times already.

Let’s see, Lame Post Friday. I’ve always said this is the day for random observations and half-baked philosophy. Do I have either of those?

One observation I have made is that sometimes I can write and sometimes I cannot. I know some people will say you can ALWAYS write something, just quit whining and do it. Perhaps I was trying to write the wrong thing. Perhaps if I had gritted my teeth a little harder, clutched the pen a little more tightly, had just a smidgen more discipline…

But I did not.

As you have no doubt gathered, I have not been writing much. Fine observation. Can I explain why not with some half-baked philosophy? I’m afraid not, unfortunately, because it would nicely round out my Lame Post Friday post.

On the brighter side, I am approaching 200 words. As blog posts go, this one will have to do.

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