Category Archives: Herkimer

Giving Away Nieces’ Afghans

Posted on March 9, 2012 by mohawkvalleygirl

I had been noticing a flier posted at work about a Cabin Fever Party and Chinese Auction to benefit the Herkimer County Humane Society. I had recently donated an afghan and some scarves to H.A.L.O., the cat rescue organization, for a similar purpose, and thought to do the same for the Humane Society.

Regular readers know I love to donate my afghans. Anybody who was reading me in December (oh, I know, such a busy month; don’t worry about it) knows I owe three nieces afghans as Christmas presents, because I gave theirs (with their generous permission) to the Folts Home. I’ve been crocheting quite busily attempting to make up the lack but I’m not ahead of the game yet. I have not checked with the nieces, but I felt sure they would not mind waiting a little longer (in my defense, it’s not like I’ve never given them afghans).

So I went to the Humane Society’s Facebook page (I’m quite the Facebook aficionado) and asked would they like such a donation. They would indeed. I said I would drop it by their location soon.

Some years ago it was a thing to print out a circle with “TUIT” inside it. Then you said, “That thing you’re going to do when you get a round to it? Well, here’s a round tuit.” I need one of those. I let a week go by. I knew from somebody else asking on Facebook that the Humane Society was hoping to have all donations by the first week of March. I had a little leeway.

Steven and I rode over on Monday, our rare day off together. I picked out an afghan with Easter colors: turquoise blue and pink (it was the afghan previously destined for my niece Jenna — sorry, Jenna!). I also grabbed a few scarves. I think they are nice scarves.

We brought Tabby. We know they like dogs at the Humane Society. When we walked in, three dogs in cages immediately started barking at her. I think they were boy dogs and wanted her to be their girlfriend. Boy dogs usually do. They continued to bark as I dropped off my donation and wrote down my information. The lady asked me if we were together.

“Yes, we’re all together,” I said. “We like to bring our dog places.”

When we got back home I realized I did not have my purse. Rats! After first checking that I had not left it in the house to begin with (as I have been known to do), I drove back by myself. The three dogs in their cages did not bark. I told you they were barking at Tabby. It was really not too inconvenient; I just felt a little silly. I merely mention the event in case any readers have done something similar; now they can feel better that they’re not the only ones.

The Cabin Fever Party and Chinese Auction is Sunday, March 25 from two to five at the Frankfort VFW, 4274 Acme Rd. Steven and I intend to be there. Maybe I’ll even bid on the afghan. If I win it, I can give it to Jenna for Christmas.

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Posted in Community Events, Herkimer, Humane Society, humor, non-profits, personal. Bookmark the permalink.

Historic Fun

Posted on March 7, 2012 by mohawkvalleygirl

Monday Steven and I celebrated a day off together with a visit to the Herkimer County Historical Society.

While we waited in the gift shop for one of the ladies to let us into the museum, we looked over a cabinet dedicated to Roxalana Druse, the subject of a talk we attended last week. It included such artifacts as a bonnet she wore and part of the rope used to hang her.

I think the museum itself is good for several blog posts. I didn’t even read all the little cards by the various displays. I noted with interest some information on Margaret Tugor. She was principal of the Southside School, which was later renamed after her. On our first visit to the museum, a few years ago, a portrait of Tugor caught my eye. I was fired with ambition to write a biography about her. I have not done so yet, because I really have very little idea of how to research a biography.

Upstairs is a lovely display of doll houses, the collection of Joyce Keller, a Herkimer native and lifelong resident. I picked up a brochure that had biographical information on Keller as well as notes on the doll houses and their contents. I didn’t read through it at the time but just strolled around enjoying the display. The details were wonderful and the craftsmanship impressive. The brochure points out specific furnishings such as a miniature copy of Dolls’ Houses in America signed by Flora Gill Jacobs, the author. I may return to look at the display again and make sure I don’t miss anything.

Back down in the gift ship, I picked up two brochures about Herkimer County (always looking for more Mohawk Valley adventures), then selected some postcards. I also found a notepad bearing a logo of Herkimer’s Historic Four Corners (my favorite!). I pointed out to Steven a DVD and a couple of books for him to keep in mind when my birthday rolls around again. (some women my age ignore birthdays, but I like to give my husband every opportunity to buy me presents).

We had a nice conversation with one of the ladies there. We talked about the recent program given by James Greiner about Roxalana Druse, the Last Woman Hanged. I mentioned my blog and how I had written about Homefries with the Historical Society (my, that was a long time ago). I greatly enjoyed our visit and hope to return soon. The society is located at the Historic Four Corners (of course), 400 N. Main St., Herkimer, NY 13350. For more information call 315-866-6413.

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Yummy End to the Evening

Posted on March 2, 2012 by mohawkvalleygirl

As Steven and I left the cultural, intellectual lecture (see previous post), I mentioned that there was very little to eat in the house.

“I saved you the last of the pastrami and provolone,” I offered. He knew as well as I did it would make a fairly small sandwich.

“I could always have a bowl of cereal,” he said.

“Of course, Carney’s Corners is right over there,” I mentioned casually.

I’ve blogged about Carney’s corners before. They are a convenience store and deli, offering subs, pizza, wings, and more. We usually order delivery, but they are quite handily located, especially if you are coming from the court house (um, not that we are frequently at the court house).

We ordered a chicken bacon ranch sub. I know, turkey breast or even roast beef might have been more conducive to my weight loss goals, but I can’t always do the sensible thing. While our sub was being made, Steven found an Oreo brownie he wanted for dessert. I looked longingly at some puddings and cheesecakes in a cooler but ultimately decided the sub was decadence enough for one night.

“I’ll only eat half of my half and save the rest for breakfast,” I said.

“After all, it has bacon on it,” Steven said.

Once I started eating it, I knew I would do know such thing. It was yummy! And, really, a hot sub is better when eaten hot. I had something sensible for breakfast.

The sub was the perfect ending to our evening. I highly recommend Carney’s Corners for those evenings when you’re headed for home and realize there’s nothing good to eat in the house. They are located at 222 N. Washington St., Herkimer, NY, phone number 315-866-7191. They are open Sunday through Thursday till 10 p.m. with orders taken till 9:30 p.m., Friday and Saturday till 11 p.m. with orders taken till 10:30 p.m. Delivery is available Sunday through Thursday from 11 a.m. to 9:30 p.m., Friday and Saturday 11 a.m. to 10 p.m.

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Last Woman Hanged

Posted on March 1, 2012 by mohawkvalleygirl

Tuesday I attended a lecture sponsored by the Herkimer County Historical Society. Does that sound cultured and intellectual? It may have been. It was also a great deal of fun.

James M. Greiner, author of Last Woman Hanged: Roxalana Druse, was talking about the famous case. I have many times noticed the historic marker outside the 1834 Jail and wanted to learn more about the local murderess. Last December, Greiner was at the Historical Society signing his book, but I missed it, which was too bad, because I had previously told my entire family NOT to buy me Christmas presents, because I was buying myself the book (they got me presents anyways, but that’s a whole other blog post).

Tuesday’s talk took place at the Herkimer County Courthouse, at Herkimer’s Historic Four Corners, a favorite walking place of mine and Tabby’s. I walked over, because Steven planned to drive straight from work (always fun to have a rendezvous). The event drew a large crowd. I could have gotten there much earlier and saved us seats closer to the front. Then again, with such a large crowd, some people may have taken exception to my saving a really good seat for somebody who may not arrive on time. Our seats in the back turned out to be fine, however; we had no problems hearing.

Greiner’s book is all about the facts of the case. Apparently everybody who grew up around here “knows” that Roxalana Druse fed her husband’s dead body to the pigs and was hanged on the hook in back of the jail, neither of which, it turns out, was the case. I have to confess, I didn’t know (or “know”) any of that. You see how much I missed out on, growing up in Rome.

We heard a lot about the true case and about the research Greiner undertook to find out about it. He is an excellent speaker, very organized and articulate, and obviously passionately interested in his subject. He says he follows the rule “Write what you love.” I wrote that one down.

He had previously published two books on the Civil War and wanted to do something different. He said he called up the Historical Society and said, “I want to do a murder.” (I wrote that one down, too.) He said the historical society lady’s response was to the effect of, “Not Gillette, he’s been done to death!” I must confess that made me feel a little vulgar, because I can’t get enough of the Gillette case. I don’t think any disparagement was meant, only that Greiner wanted to explore uncharted territory. As pointed out on the back of Greiner’s book, the Gillette case has overshadowed the Druse case. This book helps to even up the score.

I was able to purchase the book Tuesday. Several people attending had already read it and told me it was an excellent read, impossible to put down. After the talk, I went to the front of the room to get the author to sign it.

“Oh, I signed all of them.” He showed me where he did.

“Oh, I’m silly.” I did feel silly, especially as I was debating in my head whether to say Cindy or Cynthia when he asked me who to make it out to. That’s what author’s at book signings in movies always do.

I was really happy I was able to attend the talk and to buy the book. I look forward to reading it. Copies are available at the Herkimer County Historical Society, 406 N. Main St., Herkimer, NY. For more information call 315-866-6413.

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Posted in books, Community Events, crime, Herkimer, history, humor. Bookmark the permalink.

True Crime at the Library

Posted on February 19, 2012 by mohawkvalleygirl

Thursday I made my way to Basloe Library in Herkimer, NY, to pick up a true crime book by M. William Phelps.

This was kind of a big deal for me, because I had requested the book through http://www.midyork.org. I am not very computer savvy (although a past master of understatement), but I am just about able to find something through midyork.org if I know title and/or author (I used to use the card catalog with all those drawers, remember that? I was pretty good at that).

I had in fact been meaning to look for books by Phelps for some time now, ever since I first saw him on Snapped, giving background on a case he had written a book about. I have a lot more to say about him, but I think I’ll wait till I’ve read the book and do a whole blog post. In the meantime, suffice it to say, I typed his name into the box at midyork.org and selected one of the titles that popped up, Too Young to Kill.

In due course, the library left a message on my answering machine that the book was there, and in due course, my husband remembered to tell me about the message (just kidding, he told me about it that same day). Thursday I stopped at the library on my way home from work. I felt a little clunky in my steel-toed work shoes, but even so it was difficult to resist the temptation to wander the shelves looking for more books I might like. I resisted that temptation, but not the temptation to look over the book sale. For one thing, I thought I might find something Steven would like. After all, I owe him a Valentine present (and a full Valentine dinner; see earlier post).

Of course I found things I would like. It would be germane to the title I gave this post to say I found several true crime books, but alas I did not. I did find a book about The Last Plantagenets by Thomas B. Costain. That will no doubt include Richard III, who any Shakespeare buff can tell you murdered his young nephews in his quest for the throne. Historical crime, what’s not to like? I finally selected Duane’s Depressed by Larry McMurtry for Steven. It is the third book in the trilogy that includes The Last Picture Show, a book which Steven owns. I also got a collection of Dorothy Parker. Who doesn’t like Dorothy Parker?

The three books came to $1.75. They were hard pressed to make change for a ten, which is what I had.

“Oh wait, maybe I have correct change.” I dug in my pocket for my coffee out of the vending machine money. “Here’s a ripped one. Maybe you can tape it.” I counted out three quarters while the librarian got out the tape.

I was so pleased to be in a library again and wondered why I’m not there on a regular basis, looking for books or just sitting at a table writing. I could have written this whole blog post there and saved myself some time in front of the computer. Have to keep that in mind for next time. In the meantime, I’m busily reading the book by Phelps and will report back.

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Valentine Wine

Posted on February 14, 2012 by mohawkvalleygirl

I was delighted to attend the Valentine Wine Tasting at Vintage Spirits in Herkimer, NY last Friday.

I started my sampling with a Charles de Fere Blanc de Blanc Brut. I knew that blanc de blanc was a sparkling wine — having also been made aware that the correct term is “sparkling wine,” because champagne only comes from a specific region in France. I’ve probably noted that before, but I must trot out my sophisticated wine knowledge whenever possible (and by “sophisticated” I mean I say it with a little sashay). Friday I learned that blanc de blanc is made from the Chardonnay grape. This gave me a chance to air the one other thing I know about wine.

“Is it aged in stainless steel or in oak?” I’ve discovered that I only like Chardonnay aged in stainless steel.

Bronson explained to me that the champagne method entails aging in the bottle. Boy did I feel silly with my stainless and oak sashay. I explained to a couple of other tasters about my little bit of Chardonnay knowledge and how foolishly proud I am of it.

“I was at a gathering once where they had Chardonnay in a box and I was all, ‘Is it aged in stainless or in oak?'” I gave myself a snooty tone of voice, making fun of my own pretensions. “Somebody said, ‘It’s aged in cardboard! Drink it!’ So I did.”

They were amused. It’s my favorite Chardonnay story.

A lady that started tasting after me asked how long you could keep champagne — uh, sparkling wine. Bronson said indefinitely, as long as it was not opened. I said that was good, since I’d had a bottle in the fridge for a while now. Bronson said that wasn’t so good; the vibrations could make it lose its bubbles. I asked if it would get skunked like beer if I un-chilled then re-chilled it. Bronson thought not, but I think I’ll go ahead and just drink that champagne soon. No point in taking chances.

The lady also told us about an old bottle she had acquired. She hadn’t known to store it on its side at first, so she was not sure if it had kept well. She also couldn’t quite make up her mind on an occasion to open it. I told her about Open That Bottle of Wine Day, which I heard about on NPR one time. A couple of wine aficionados had so declared a certain Saturday for just such a situation.

“What day is that?” she asked.

“I don’t remember,” I confessed. It had been a long time ago, and I had not had such a bottle at the time. However, we agreed that it would be acceptable to declare one’s own Open That Bottle Day.

I tasted a number of wines that earned my favorite accolade of “yummy.” I purchased a Chateau Blouin 2009 Bordeau. I learned that all Bordeaux are blends, and I tend to like blends (this could be dangerous: me acquiring more wine knowledge). I went home and declared it Open the Bottle I Just Bought Day.

Vintage Spirits is located at 246 Mohawk St., Herkimer, NY. Phone number is 315-866-6800. You can get on a list to receive emails about upcoming tastings. Maybe I’ll see you there!

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Pre-Superbowl Errands

Posted on February 8, 2012 by mohawkvalleygirl

Superbowl Sunday, I perceive, is a good day to avoid certain retail establishments. Accordingly, I made sure I had all the foodstuffs I wanted ahead of time (Hannaford), and, well, I just decided I could wait to purchase more yarn (Wal-Mart). Still, I had a couple of errands to run, and that forms the subject of today’s post.

My first stop was Hummel’s Office Plus in Herkimer, NY (of course NY, I’ve pondered the necessity of including that and still have not decided) to purchase a sympathy card. Of course I like to walk to Hummel’s with my dog, but that’s more for a short stop to say hello, not standing for any length of time pondering sympathy cards (does everybody have as hard a time deciding as I do?).

I had a nice conversation with the girl working upstairs. My blog came up in the conversation (OK, I bring it up whenever possible; you never know who might like to read a blog). She offered to show me how to download pictures from a smart phone. If I ever get a smart phone.

I wanted to use a card rather than cash, so I went downstairs to add some office supplies to my purchase. Much more fun to look at. I have a definite thing for office supplies. I found a clip board such as I have been wanting and a black gel pen with a comfort grip.

Next I went to Ilion to gas up my truck. I’d heard that gas in Ilion was eight cents cheaper than in Herkimer, although I confess I did not look particularly to make sure that was true. I thought I might go out to breakfast in Ilion or Mohawk to write the day’s blog post. I love writing in restaurants.

I could see from Citgo that the OPEN sign at Farm House Restaurant was not lit, so I drove past Remington Arms and on into Mohawk. Mohawk Diner did not look open. The Family Fun Center was open, but I was well beyond it before I saw a parking space. On into Herkimer and my old stand by, Philly’s Breakfast House.

Philly’s was crowded, as usual for a Sunday morning. I sat at a wobbly table by the window. It shook quite a bit when I cut my Eggs Benedict, but I managed not to spill my coffee. I warned the fellow that cashed me out that the table needed a screwdriver or something. He promised to take care of it.

I headed for home to look for something more useful to do before it was time for the Superbowl. Like take my dog for another walk or watch more crime shows on cable television. And of course prepare some Superbowl-worthy snacks. Could that be the subject of the next blog post? Stay tuned.

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Walking with a Nefarious Purpose

Posted on February 5, 2012 by mohawkvalleygirl

I spent a good portion of my time at work on Friday pondering my movements for the evening (while still working; I have that kind of a job). I wanted to go to Hannaford, I wanted to go to the liquor store, I definitely wanted to walk my dog. Then the title “Walking with a Nefarious Purpose” came to me, and there was no looking back. Tabby and I were walking to the liquor store (see, I have a hard time with titles; when I think of one I like, I go with it).

Longtime readers may recall some months ago I wrote a post titled “Walking with a Purpose,” in which Steven and I walked our dog Tabby to Hannaford. Steven and Tabby waited outside while I went in and made our purchases. Steven was still at work, so he could not aid me in my purposes, nefarious or otherwise. However, I thought I could get away with taking my dog into the liquor store briefly.

I feel I am being a little silly even calling it a nefarious purpose. I was not purchasing alcohol for minors in order to corrupt their morals. I just wanted to enjoy a glass of white wine and maybe cook with it. I actually had it in my head to purchase a box o’ wine (the crowd I used to run with always referred to it as “box o’ wine,” studiously leaving off the “f”). For one thing, box o’ preserves the wine better if you don’t intend to drink it all in a short time. For another, I had discovered a flavor I liked.

Off we went. It was a lovely afternoon for a walk, not too cold, no precipitation. Ramar’s Liquors, where I intended to go, is a fairly short walk from my house. We were two blocks away from it when Tabby tried to make a left and head in another direction. I convinced her otherwise, but she tried again at the next corner. I hoped she would not insist. I can usually win an argument of this sort with a 17 pound dog, but I am not here to torture my poocher. I want us both to enjoy the stroll.

The box I wanted was right inside the door. Excellent! The lady at the register did not seem to mind my pooch being there. I had brought a reusable bag to carry my purchase. For one thing it had longer straps I thought I could put on one shoulder.

Tabby was happy to head in the direction of home. So was I, although it did seem to take a longer time. Maybe a small bottle would have been better. Or I could have taken Tabby for a walk and driven to the liquor store later. As the ever-heavier box bumped against my hip, I was only thankful it was not beer. I pictured opening a can of beer that had bounced on my hip for ten minutes and wondered if that would be a fun thing to do at my next party. I was just kidding, of course; I don’t have college-flavored parties any more.

The walk home was not really bad, but I thought it would make a better blog post if I suffered a little. For those of you with nefarious purposes of your own, Ramar’s is located at 104 N. Caroline St., Herkimer, NY, 315-866-9897,

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The Awful Tooth

Posted on February 4, 2012 by mohawkvalleygirl

Like many people, I hate going to the dentist. In my defense, I have a hair-trigger gag reflex and a super-sensitivity to oral pain. Still, one must look after one’s dental health, and a few years ago we found a dentist we liked, Dr. David Zilka, 301 Mohawk St., Herkimer, NY.

Dr. Zilka is the one who pointed out to me my ultra-sensitivity to pain in the mouth (as opposed to pains in the butt; I have the normal sensitivity to those). Previous to visiting Dr. Zilka, I thought I had a normal threshold but was just a big baby (yes, yes, I probably am a big baby, but you don’t need to emphasize the fact, those of you who were about to) (you know who you are). So when I get fillings from Dr. Zilka, I get a good dose of pain stuff. Dr. Zilka is also the kind of chatty, friendly fellow you can have a conversation with. When your mouth is not full of dental instruments.

Still, going to the dentist for routine checks and cleanings is easy and even pleasant to postpone. And then I started to get a twinge of pain when I chewed certain foods on a certain tooth. Oh dear. I thought I probably just needed a filling so made an appointment for a check and cleaning.

Of course as the day got closer I considered putting it off. It was only a twinge of pain after all. Surely another day would be just as good. As it turned out, calling to reschedule seemed more effort than just going to the damned appointment. Does that ever happen to you?

The lady who checked me in recognized me at once, noticed that I had lost weight (a sure way to win my heart) and welcomed me back. I do like a friendly staff. I was soon in the chair wishing I had brought a book. I amused myself while I waited for the dentist by looking out the window and noticing how many cars ran the red light at the corner of Mohawk and South Bellinger Streets.

When Dr. Zilka asked was I having any symptoms and I described my pain (full disclosure: it had gotten worse from the original small twinge), he put away the equipment for cleaning and said he was changing my appointment type, he needed to check this out at once, he wanted an x-ray, this could be serious. Yikes! I don’t remember what all he said it could be, but I heard the words “root canal” and “bacteria getting into the bloodstream.”

“So it’s good I’m here,” I said.

He said it was.

It turned out to be a cracked tooth. Dr. Zilka will be able to fix it with a filling. He offered to do it that day, but I might have to wait a while since he had another patient. I opted to make an appointment. For one thing I was getting hungry and did not feel like eating with a numb mouth. If I plan ahead, I can eat a large snack before I get the filling. Planning ahead is, of course, not my strong suit, but we do what we can.

As I made the appointment, I chatted with the ladies at the desk about what would be safe to eat till I get my filling. I volunteered to eat nothing but cottage cheese (I seem to remember doing that for a few days once in high school, long story). This suggestion was not highly thought of, but then I thought of mashed potatoes and macaroni and cheese. We discussed recipes. This is the kind of sociable office I like.

For more information about Dr. Zilka’s office visit his website, http://www.doctorzilka.com, or call 315-866-2460.

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Breakfast with Liz and Donna

Posted on February 2, 2012 by mohawkvalleygirl

Steven and I used to go to this fun diner on North Washington Street in Herkimer run by two nice ladies named Liz and Donna. Alas, it closed. However, last week Steven was delighted to report that he had noticed on South Main Street an establishment called Liz’s Country Kitchen.

“We’ll go there Saturday,” I said.

Liz and Donna have actually been at that location for over a year. Which just goes to show how often we are on South Main Street. Let that be a lesson to me.

Liz’s Country Kitchen is a cozy eatery decorated with a rooster theme. Liz loves roosters. Donna told us it caused a misunderstanding one day. Some young guys saw the rooster on the sign and thought it was a place that specialized in fried chicken. She did not say if they stayed and ate anyways, but I hope they did. Liz is a great cook.

Both Liz and Donna were happy to see us again (we were definitely regulars at their other place). They both looked well and happy, and the diner was doing a booming business. We found a table and perused the menu. I got my favorite of an egg sandwich on a hard roll with egg, cheese and bacon. Steven got eggs, pancakes and sausage. It was a delicious breakfast.

The place has a great hometown atmosphere. The customers were making jokes with Liz and Donna and with each other. I got into a whole conversation with a gentleman who, it turns out, retired from the place where I currently work. We left with plans to return for future breakfasts and/or lunches.

Liz’s Country Kitchen is located at 220 S. Main St., Herkimer, NY. They are open 7 days from 7 a.m. to 2 p.m., and for fresh haddock Fridays from 4 to 7 p.m. (Goody! Another Fishy Friday!) For more information call 941-8025

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