Tag Archives: writing

Fat Finger on Slacker Saturday

I had a bad bout of vertigo today and did not get much done.  I am feeling a little better now and want to make my blog post.  Unfortunately I am too lazy to sit up at the laptop and ten-finger type, and I cannot find a stylus.  Hence, my headline.

And halfway through typing that paragraph, my darling husband Steven found a pen with a stylus on his coffee table.  This is still typing not writing, as Truman Capote once said, but at least I might have fewer typos.

Regular readers will understand that I want to make a post every day, even when I do not have much of substance to say.  I started to say “feel compelled to” instead of “want to” but decided to for once be less dramatic.

I guess I am still feeling a bit lightheaded, but at least I feel better than I did earlier.  The one good thing was, I went running as soon as I got out of bed.  My first run in almost a week, and it went pretty well.  I wrote two note cards (I am just about out of post cards), which I put put on the mail box. Steven and I had a pleasant interlude sitting on the front porch, and I watched a DVR’d episode of Mystery Science Theatre 3000 which had me laughing out loud.

And that was my day.  Ah, one thing I did not mention was that I worked for a while on my new novel, which is still in the organizational stages.  I kind of hate to mention it, because I am afraid of jinxing myself. But I thought some people might like to know.

As usual, I apologize for the dull post.  Also as usual, I will try to do better tomorrow.  I am hoping the room will stop spinning.

 

Not Running, Not Writing, I’m Tired

I did not think for one minute that today was Friday.

I did not work on a blog post before work today.  I started a letter to my sister, then I worked on an anacrostic puzzle.  I love anacrostic puzzles.  I thought, this will be fine.  I’ll go running and do a Running Commentary post.  I should have known better than to think that. So here we are in the middle of a Tired Tuesday post.

I don’t have a mug like this, but I wish I did.

As I type this (back to one letter at a time with the stylus), I am listening to Deadly Women on ID.  I love that Candice DeLong.  Oh dear, one of the women is perpetuating a rather horrific crime.  Sometimes I question my viewing preferences.

As I worked today, I tried to bestir my brain to work on a writing project (yes, computer, I meant “bestir” not “bestie”!  It is so a word, I just looked it up!).  No luck, but regarding that parenthetical comment, how is “bestie” more of a word than “bestir”?  I thought “bestie” was a slang term 9f fairly recent coinage.

There.  I just looked in my Webster’s College Dictionary, copyright 1991, and “bestie” is NOT there, but “bestir” is.  I feel vindicated.

I also feel this is rather a silly blog post, almost a Non-Sequitur Tuesday, but I like it.  I hope my readers will, too.

 

Merely Monday

Hi Ho! Hi Ho!  It’s off to work we go!

That song started playing in my head this morning, and I thought, “Don’t call me a ho!”  Then I thought I would open my blog post with that little exchange.

Yes, I am once again working for a living, wearing a mask and keeping a 6 ft. distance from my co-workers.   Actually,  the mask will reside around my neck for most of the day, since my co-workers are at least that distant most of the time.  Phew!  I feel so sorry for folks that have to keep their masks on constantly.

Really, when you look at all my advantages, I ought to have no complaints about returning to the beastly grind.  In fact, when I got the call to come back, I experienced a good half hour of pure happiness.  I had not realized how worried I was that furlough would turn into lay off.

You may have guessed by now that today’s post will be a Middle-aged Musings Monday.  Hmmm… considering how incoherently I have rambled so far, perhaps a Monday Mental Meanderings or even a Muddled Monday would be more appropriate.  So much alliteration.  So little substance to the blog post.

The important thing here is that I sat at work before my shift and WROTE.   It felt pretty good.  I think I’ll try it again tomorrow.  Maybe I can come up with something better than  Tired Tuesday Post.  As always, I hope you’ll stay tuned.

 

Throwback Thursday about Future Flowers

I have a dreadful case of Writer’s Blank, complicated by the type-it-in-backspace-it-out syndrome.  However, I think I can just about manage a Throwback Thursday Post.

Pretty!

This is discouraging.  The above picture is from May 2017.  In May 2020, my rhododendron has not a bloom to be seen.

I like these too!

Another flower I have not seen yet this year are my irises.  However, since this picture is from June 2017, I do not despair.

Please don’t eat the daisies.

We are also waiting for our daisies.  I’m seeing a lot of greenery for them, so I live in hope.

I LOVE my peonies!

Last year I did not get any peonies at all. I think something came along and ate the whole bush.  How greedy!  However, since I am known to hog down a lot of goodies myself, I suppose I should not criticize.

Pretty little blooms!

Here are my forget-me-nots, which look about like this now.  I previously said they were only out front this year, having inexplicably moved from the back yard.  However, today I noticed that they are also out back.  I am delighted to have these flowers spreading out and taking over my lawn.  I even dare to hope that they will obviate my need to mow, but that may take a few more years.

It is nice to look back on flowers past.  I look forward to more in the future.  I hope to visit the Flower Barn in Ilion to purchase some to plant.  I will certainly make a blog post about it when I so.

 

Am I Write?

I am wondering if today’s post will be Mid-week Middle-aged Musings or Wuss-out Wednesday.   I guess I’ll start typing and see what happens (and by “typing,” of course I mean tapping one letter at a time with the stylus on my Tablet).

Who me? A monster? I suppose it could be.

This is not the illustration I was looking for, but I think it is fitting for a post about not writing.  Today was a particularly dreadful day in that respect.  I could not convince myself to write any post cards or letters (I am running out of post cards in any case).  I did not even make any notes in the TV Journal.  That novel?  I couldn’t even think about it!

Some would say that this is the moment to take myself firmly in hand and Just Write.  What am I stalling for, these people will ask.  Stop being so lazy, they will exhort.  Put pen to paper and get on with it!

My sister Cheryl gave me this, and many agree to its appropriateness.

I think “Oh, stop dilly dallying” is  kinder exhortation than “Stop being so lazy!”  The question is how I will respond to any exhortations.

OK.  I just typed in about five sentences after the word “exhortations” and backspaced them out.  I guess trying to make a blog post has not cured my malaise.  No matter.  I am over 200 words.  Perhaps after I hit Publish I will take up a pen and try again.

THIS is the illustration I was looking for!

 

William Castle, Can You Help Me Now?

Hello and welcome to another Monstrous Monday Post.  Once again I intend to pull monster pictures from my Media Library and hope to find something new to say about them. We shall see how successful I can be.

Who will win?

Full disclosure: I have never seen this movie.  I can’t help wondering if they are running out of ideas when they have to combine monsters.  Then again, I can’t judge, as I am suffering from a dearth of ideas myself.

A director who truly loved his work.

Here is a fellow who never seemed to run out of ideas, William Castle on the set of House on Haunted Hill.  Perhaps I can find some inspiration from a man who lived to entertain.

Scream! Scream for your lives!

In my search for inspiration,  I find a shot of Vincent Price in The Tingler, another Castle masterpiece.

Mine is not this big.

Not a Castle film, but one of my favorite pictures to share when I am feeling brain dead: The Brain From Planet Arous.

Great side eye, and totally deserved.

For my final picture,  I show the opposite of brain dead: The Brain That Wouldn’t Die, one of my all time favorite cheesy movies.

Yes, this is what I do when I feel unable to write: share pictures and spew nonsense.  Perhaps tomorrow I will be able to write something better, even without a brain or inspiration.  As always, I hope you will stay tuned.

 

In My Defense, Here’s a Blog Post

What is it with me and missed blog posts these days?  It is most embarrassing. I’m on furlough, for heaven’s sake; what else do I have to do but write blog posts?  In my defense, we are all on quarantine, rendering many Mohawk Valley Adventures impossible. In my prosecution (I truly cannot think of a good opposite for “in my defense” and would welcome suggestions), do I not have a vivid imagination?  Should I not be able to think of things?

That inner dialogue could go on all day.

I am afraid I am not making good use of my time at home.  There, I have admitted it.  It is a source of some mortification to me.  Additionally,  I am afraid I have written about that in this space before.  Can I think of anything new to say?  Maybe I could just add a picture to pep things up.

Full disclosure: I did not step on each of those colored spots.

Here is a sight I see a lot these days.  It is the path over what used to be a hydraulic canal.  I have been running and walking most days.  That is one thing I can feel pleased with myself about, although one could argue that I am not running as far nor as fast as might be expected.  I think I will not indulge in another self argument.

Preview of Coming Attractions

To further cheer myself up, I will remind myself of things I will be able to do again someday.  Meeples Mug House in Little Falls, NY, a board game cafe, was one of the first businesses to responsibly close for the pandemic.  It is one of the first places I want to go when quarantine is lifted.

So we have an apology, a self argument, a couple of pictures, and a plug for a local business. I’ll call that good enough for a late Tired Tuesday post.

 

Perhaps a Disappointing Post

Oh crap!  I waited too long in the day to make my Wrist to Forehead Sunday post, and I got nuthin’.

I could have done  Sunday Running Commentary,  although my run was neither long nor noteworthy.  I could perhaps do a Sunday Cinema post, but I have not illustrations for the movies seen, and I lack the ambition to find them.

I worked on our back yard for a while.  I did not take any pictures,  because, quite frankly, the yard is still not looking very good.

So we are left with yet another post lamenting my ability to make a decent blog post.  Can I at least share a silly picture for your amusement?

Am I pretty? Don’t answer that question.

I got myself a new headband at the dollar store while purchasing more essential supplies.  It broke today.  That was rather a disappointing development.

It has not on the whole been a disappointing day, however.  After working in the yard, my husband Steven and I sat on the front porch for a while. I have been wanting to do some porch sitting, but the weather has not cooperated.  I relished our outdoor time today.

So this how my days go: some disappointment,  something to relish, not a whole lot to blog about. What can I say?  We do what we can. Happy Sunday, folks.

 

Attempt at a Pedestrian Post

I saw a couple of things on my run this morning I wanted to take pictures of.  Since people tend to like my Pedestrian Posts with pictures,  I set out this afternoon with my Tablet.  I wore my crazy old lady hat, which has a wide brim, and my prescription sunglasses.  It was one of those walks where the bright sun made it hard to tell if pictures were any good.  Luckily, I think I have enough for a good post.

I hope you can see the buds.

The first thing I saw was a magnolia tree with buds that looked close to blooming.  I do love a magnolia tree.

The picture doesn’t do them justice.

Next I saw some daffodils.  My own daffodils have yet to make an appearance, but once I got my crocuses, I feel hopeful for everything.

These were right near the daffodils.

I continued down German Street towards Valley Health, where some miniature daffodils had caught my eye.

Aren’t they pretty?

What fascinated me about these blooms was that they were surrounded by dried crap from last fall.  Nobody had bothered to cultivate them, so it seemed, yet they were determined to spread beauty and happiness.  Or do I credit flowers with more thought processes than they actually posses?  I don’t really know about these things.

A longer view.

I tried to get a shot of the tiered beds that held the daffodils, but I don’t know how successful I was.  But you can see all the brown competing with them.

And now a note about writing:  a common piece of advice is do not worry about mood; start writing and the mood will follow.  It is not always true.  As I write this, each word is getting just a little bit harder.  I feel I should not share that, because, well why bother you with my petty problems?  And yet, other writers may find it comforting.

Or not.  In any case, I am over 300 words, and I still have enough pictures for tomorrow’s post.  I’m going to call this a Tired Tuesday post and drive on.

 

A Change from Counting Sheep

Here is a new thing for me.  I am out of bed at 1:38 on Monday morning making Sunday’s post.  I guess this doesn’t seem a whole lot different from when I am up at four doing same, but when I’m up at four I am usually up for the day.  Incidentally,  that old saw about “Early to bed, early to rise” is full of beans.

Where was I?  Ah yes, a late Wrist to Forehead Sunday post.  As happened one other day last week, a few times I got out my Tablet, logged into WordPress, and drew a complete blank. I am not exactly un-blank now, but I see I am managing to pick out a few words.

I have probably mentioned that I have suffered from insomnia from when I was quite a small child.  I have never been the sort to get out of bed, wander around the house, get a snack, do something useful, etc.  The most I’ve done is read, sometimes with a flashlight so as not to disturb Steven (that’s if I have the flashlight, otherwise he takes his chances, I’m not a perfect wife, after all).

Today, as I lay in bed, wide awake, I remembered my blog post was not done and thought, “Let’s try this.”  Hmmm… I cannot say it has been entirely successful, but I am over 200 words.  And still wide awake.  Oh well, I’ll try for a nap and a better blog post later.