Category Archives: local business

He’ll Never Even Miss the Duck

What I day I’ve had and it’s not over yet!  We got to sleep in, because Steven did not work till 10:30 this morning.  After a fairly leisurely first part of the day, I got to moving and shaking when Steven left for work.

I first buzzed by the post office, where once again I needed post card stamps. I sent some people post cards of Utica, NY, which I purchased at the Oneida County Historical Society last Saturday.

From there I went to the Hot Spot Salon and Spa in Herkimer, where I had scheduled a pedicure.  I haven’t had a pedicure in months!  I was early, so I worked on the character sheets for the murder mystery I’m writing to be presented by Ilion Little Theatre at Morning Star Methodist Church April 1.  The title is He Laughed Himself to Death.  Soon, however, I was soaking my feet and chatting with the stylist.  I got my toes painted red, in honor of my character, Ruby, in Rubbed Out at Ruby’s, to be presented by LiFT Theatre Company at the Overlook Mansion in Little Falls Feb. 25.

With my toes all pretty (and a little cold, since I insisted on wearing my faux-birkenstock sandals (isn’t that a more elegant term for them than Fakenstocks?), I went to Ilion Little Theatre, where I met a couple of cast-mates from Steel Magnolias, to be presented the first two weekends in March, one of whom is also in Ruby’s.  We were going to shop a few thrift stores.

First we went to the Cornerstone Shop on Morgan Street.  We found purses for our characters in Ruby’s, and they found  a few good shirts for Magnolias.  I found a black evening purse with rhinestones on the clasp.  I did not need it for any play, or indeed at all, since I have many evening bags (I kind of collect them).  I bought it anyways.  It was beautiful!

Next we went to the New 2 You Shop in Central Plaza.  My friends had never been there, a scandalous omission.  We spent a lot of time looking at all kinds of things.  I found two pair of earrings, one for Ruby, one for me.  I tried not to look at the books but failed.  I actually refrained from buying any; aren’t you proud of me?  I found a jacket that will work for Claree, if I can put the right skirt with it. It was only a buck!

Then I saw a little duck that was only a dollar.  Wouldn’t Steven like a little duck?  However, we have many, many stuffed toys and are constantly giving each other more.  I refrained.  My friend Kim thought Steven might be disappointed.

“I will fix him something wonderful for dinner,” I said.  “He’ll never even miss the duck.”

“He never even has to know about it,” Kim suggested.

“Well, he will when he reads my blog and the title is, ‘He’ll Never Even Miss the Duck.'”

Kim agreed that was a good title, so I used it.  We had thought to go to the Salvation Army Thrift Store, but I was quite shopped out by that time.  I went home and had something to eat.

Now I have to get my rear in gear again and figure out something wonderful for Steven’s dinner.  Otherwise, I guess I’ll be going back to New 2 You on Monday and buying that duck.

 

Why I’m Fat

In lieu of my usual Middle-aged Musings Monday (or Monday Mental Meanderings, I guess), I would like to give a brief shout-out to a local business.  Yesterday, Steven, our friend Kim and I had a good meal at Asteroga Ale House in Herkimer, NY.

We had just left Little Falls, where we met with other members of LiFT Theatre Company to brainstorm about the interactive murder mystery we are doing at the Overlook Mansion in February.  I’ll write more about that later!  Theatre stuff always makes me work up an appetite.  OK, any little thing, including the mere passage of time, works up an appetite for me.  Be that as it may, I wanted to eat and dragged Steven and Kim along with me.

It was shortly before five p.m. when we walked in and easily found seats at the bar.  I like to sit at the bar.  We ordered drinks and perused the menu.  I got the special of 1/4 pound cheeseburger with curly fries.  Steven got a BLT sandwich with chips.  Kim, who generally eats light, ordered sweet potato fries.  While we waited for the food, we looked at a football game on the television and chatted about our upcoming theatre projects.

The food tasted really good.  I shared my fries with Steven but still chowed down on a lot of them myself.   This is why I have such trouble meeting my weight-loss goals.

The Asteroga Ale house is located at 122 W. Albany Street, Herkimer, New York, phone number (315) 219-5578.  You can Like them on Facebook.

 

I Brought the Donuts!

How about a brief shout-out to a local business instead of my usual Scattered Saturday post?  For one reason, I get to talk about donuts.  Mmmmm… donuts.

The director and a few others were going to begin building the set for Steel Magnolias at Ilion Little Theatre  (ILT) this morning.  I sometimes show up for these sessions in hopes that I can be useful, but I rarely am.  I know how to use a few tools, but I am no hand at carpentry.  However, we all offer our contributions according to our talent.  I thought I would offer moral support by bringing donuts.

Being, as I am, Mohawk Valley Girl, I naturally wanted to go to one of those unique local businesses I treasure.  For set-building donuts, I like the Friendly Bake Shop in Frankfort, NY.  I have several times stopped there for donuts before heading out to ILT.

The first thing I grabbed before the lady waited on me was a loaf of their good Italian bread.  Yum!  I looked at the donuts in the display case while I waited my turn, pondering.   Some might call the decision I reached radical.

“I’m going to make this easy,” I said.  “I’ll take a dozen plain.”  They just looked really good, and they can be less messy than the powdered or filled ones (not to mention the ones that are powdered AND filled) (the frosted ones can get a little messy, too).

The donuts were a big hit at the set-building.  I ate two myself.  The guys appreciated the old-fashioned, crisp on the outside, fluffy on the inside cakes.  I brought three home for Steven.

The Friendly Bake Shop is located at  122 E Main St., Frankfort, New York, phone number (315) 894-8861.  they are open 7 a.m. to 5 p.m. Tuesday through Friday, 7 a.m. to 3 p.m. on Saturday, 7 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. on Sunday, closed Monday.  You can Like them on Facebook.

 

Winery Wordless Wednesday

I’m really liking the idea of Wordless Wednesday, although I am probably one of the least wordless people on the planet.  I mean, I’ll be honest, I LOVE words!  I love to talk!  I love to write!  But today, I just want to post something quickly and and go to bed early.  So this is kind of a Preview of Coming Attractions about the blog post I intend to write about Prospect Falls Winery.  I’ll post the pictures today and the words… subsequently (I can’t promise tomorrow; I have the read-through for Steel Magnolias!)

 

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It was easy to get a space at the tasting bar the day we were there.

Oh, I can’t just put the pictures, can I?  I have to have some words.  Anyways, Steven and I were at Prospect Falls Winery last Wednesday with my sister Cheryl and our friend Penny.  Steven and I tasted a few wines, and we spent some time walking around looking at the wines and other things for sale.

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I wish I had gotten a better shot of the wall hanging.

 

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Love the Adirondack lamps!

 

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The bundles are vintage Readers Digests.

Prospect Falls Winery is located at 400 Academy St., Prospect Falls, NY,  (315) 205-4045.  They are open Wednesday through Saturday 10 a.m.to 6 p.m., Sunday from noon to six.  For more information, you can visit their website at http://www.prospectfallswinery.com/.  You can also Like them on Facebook.

 

 

I Got My Drugs

Wednesday I did some Christmas shopping after work .  Only I don’t want to write about it, because I don’t want anybody guessing what I got them for Christmas or — even worse — getting their hopes up for something I didn’t get them.  However, I can mention one stop I made:  the Medicine Shoppe in Ilion, NY.

I had two prescriptions to pick up.  My doctor had sent one over after a telephone consultation.  The other was a refill I had called in this morning, using their handy automated service.  I shan’t say anything more about them, though, because, you know, HIPPA.

Since the new prescription had been the result of a phone thing, I still had a couple of questions (even when it’s not over the phone, I still don’t think of all my questions at the time).  When the lady checking me out asked if I had questions for the pharmacist, I said yes.  The pharmacist was extremely helpful and very nice.  They have a discreet little area to sit for consultations, so I did not have to worry about anybody hearing my business (they are probably not interested anyways, but you never know).

I was, as always, pleased with my transaction.  I heartily recommend the Medicine Shoppe in Ilion to anyone in the area in need of a pharmacist’s services.  I don’t think I am losing my Mohawk Valley Girl cred to say so, either, because Medicine Shoppe is a franchise. This one is locally owned and operated.  They are located at 10 Central Ave., Ilion, phone number 315-894-7283.

 

I Did NOT Get a Christmas Present!

Today after leaving work, I stopped by the Ilion Farmer’s Market at Clapsaddle Farm on Otsego Street, in Ilion, NY.   I was looking for… well, never mind what I was looking for.  It was NOT a Christmas present.  All I purchased was… never mind.  It’s not important.  It was NOT a Christmas present.

Folk artist Jim Parker, who owns Clapsaddle Farm and runs the farmers’ market, was the only one there.  He said he sent the vendors home, because it was too cold for them.  He was sticking close to the wood stove himself.  I did not take too look with my shopping.

I looked over the display of prints from postcards made by Ellen Clapsaddle many years ago.  I also looked over the Jim Parker prints.  I discovered a new one, of the back of a couple of buildings overlooking the canal.  I know exactly where that building is.  I love it!  I complimented Jim on it.

He said he had enjoyed painting it and there was a story behind it.  He painted the buildings in hopes that somebody would see the picture, get inspired, and restore the buildings.  Both buildings have been purchased and are being fully restored.  Jim confessed that he didn’t know if it was the painting that had inspired it, but…

“It didn’t hurt,” I said.

I love that little farmers’ market, and I love Jim Parkers’ art.  They are open Fridays and Saturdays year round at 437 Otsego St., Rt. 51 South, in Ilion.  For more information, you can visit their Facebook page, Parker’s Historic Cider Mill and Farmers Market.

 

Hurry In Fast!

You know what’s a real bummer?  Finding a fun new shop, then finding out they are closing soon!  I guess to write a blog post about this is not totally fun, as my subhead promises, but since local readers still have a chance to check out The Rose Quartz Stand, I thought I would go ahead and write it.

The Rose Quartz Stand is a gem and mineral store located at 105 Mohawk St. in Herkimer, NY.  I only recently stopped by, and I liked it a lot.  They have all kinds of stones, rocks and gems.  Some are polished, some are carved, some are just there, all kinds of colors, shapes and sizes.  There is also a nice selection of jewelry, stuffed toys and other items.

I was particularly fascinated by some fossils.  I asked if they were real fossils or if somebody had carved the fish skeletons on the rocks.  I thought it was marvelous that they were real fossils, although I guess it would have been some highly skilled carving if they were fakes.

The proprietors, George and Sandra Drobot, also go around to gem and mineral shows.  I said I preferred a store, because I can’t always make up my mind what to purchase right way.

I wanted to write an article about the place for Mohawk Valley Living magazine.  With that in mind, I stopped back this afternoon.  As I was chatting with Mrs. Drobot, she mentioned they were closing soon.  I felt so bad!  They will continue to do shows, and they have a website and Facebook page.  I encourage any local readers who likes this sort of thing to check out the Rose Quartz Stand while they are still here.  They should be around till Christmas Eve, so you can get a Christmas present for the gem-loving person on your list.

Their website is www.therosequartzstand.com. You can also Like them on Facebook.

 

My Cheesy Saturday Stop

One of my favorite stops on Shop Small Saturday was Original Herkimer Cheese in Ilion, NY.  I had first tried Herkimer Cheese at a wine tasting at Ilion Wine and Spirits (just to plug another local business).  I was delighted to discover another local cheese maker.  I went home and Liked them on Facebook.  Fast forward to November 2016, when I learned they were having a Holiday Open House.

It was not hard to find the place, out Otsego Street a little beyond Ilion Farmer’s Market (another favorite destination).  I walked in to find several people enjoying free samples and chatting.  I happily tried some Chutter and Cheddar as well as two kinds of cheese dip.

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Everybody enjoyed the samples.

One of the ladies working (I foolishly did not ask their names) said she would be happy to open anything else people wanted to try.  After looking in the cooler, I asked to sample the Asiago Bacon Horseradish dip.  Yummy!  I got some of that and some Buffalo Bleu Cheese dip. Just before turning away from the cooler, I noticed some garlic and herb cheese and grabbed that too.  I was sure I would like something called “garlic and herb” without sampling it first.

I looked around the room at some of the other wares for sale, especially noticing some mustard and crackers that looked good.

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I was very interested in the t-shirts that read “Keepin’ it Cheesy since 1949.”  I mentioned that I like to eat cheese and watch cheesy movies.  Everybody appreciated the double meaning.

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Maybe Steven will get me one for Christmas!

I was happy with my purchases and happy I discovered another good place to buy cheese. Original Herkimer Cheese is located at 2745 State Route 51, Ilion, NY 13357, phone number 315-895-7428.  For more information you can visit their website at www.OriginalHerkimerCheese.com.  Or you can stop by.  I saw on Facebook that they are hosting another open house on Saturday Dec. 3 from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m.  I might go there again myself!

Short Post on Shop Small Saturday

I pause in my Saturday festivities to make a blog post on Small Business Saturday, which follows the more flashy Black Friday.  Quite frankly, I am not inclined to shop on any Big Day, because I prefer to avoid crowds.  However, being Mohawk Valley Girl, as I am, I felt it would behoove me to get out and support a few of our wonderful Mohawk Valley entrepreneurs.

The sticky wicket was that I had a headache and was in kind of a poopy mood (not literally; don’t go yelling TMI at me).  Additionally, it was pouring rain.  I usually try not to let the weather bother me, but today I felt… dampened.   However, I got myself out the door shortly after 10 a.m. and headed to Little Falls.  There was a lot going on in Little Falls, because Little Falls is really good at these things, in addition to having many excellent local businesses.  My ambition to shop took a nosedive when as I got to Little Falls I remembered I had not taken the postcards and letter I wrote to the post office before I left Herkimer.  Damn!

I hate to admit it, but I only made it to the Community Co-op in Little Falls.   Sorry, Little Falls!  I’ll make it back one day soon, shop at lots of places and write a better blog post.

Driving back through Herkimer, I remembered that Original Herkimer Cheese in Ilion was having a Holiday Open House.  I managed to find it.  I sampled and purchased some cheese.  I must write a fuller blog post about that place.  Next I went to one of my all-time favorite places, Ilion Farmer’s Market at Clapsaddle Farm.  I had a great conversation with folk artist Jim Parker and bought some pickles and tomatoes.

By now I was in kind of a better mood, and it had stopped raining.  Driving back through Ilion I checked out Honey Brook Hobbies and Sweet Temptations, another place I must make a complete blog post about.  Then I made a stop at Ilion Wine & Spirits, another of my favorite places.  Heading back to Herkimer, I made one more stop at T & J’s Fruits and Vegetables.

So I did a lot, but I guess I’m not up for writing a lot about it.  In my defense, I spent some time working on the murder mystery I’m writing for Herkimer County Historical Society, so I’m not a complete bum.  Call me a partial bum, and have a nice Saturday.

Thankful No One Was Hurt

Oh dear!  Well, I had meant to write something quite different for a blog post, in fact had started something earlier.  However, I came home to find that something terribly upsetting had happened.  A local business burned down.

Ramar Liquor, which we have patronized numerous times, caught fire this afternoon.  Steven found out about it while it was happening, because he works at a nearby business.  Their parking lot was filled with smoke; you could even smell it in the store.  Customers told him they could see flames shooting up into the air.

Ramar was the first liquor store we knew about in Herkimer.  When we moved into the village, we realized our house was a comfortable walking distance from the store.  I believe I wrote a blog post about Walking with a Nefarious Purpose.  As recently as last month we took a stroll there on a Sunday afternoon.  It was a nice little family-run business.  I do spread my liquor dollar around (and try to give shout-outs to other stores as well), but Ramar’s was one I was always glad to patronize.

It was a great shock, therefore, when I arrived home this evening after a lovely Thanksgiving with family, and Steven asked had I heard about it. I had not.  I was surprised I had not, because I had looked at Facebook and I would expect people to post about such a thing.  After some looking, I found the WKTV video.

So I guess this is an odd post to make on Thanksgiving Day.  Then again, I did threaten a Non-Sequitur Thursday.  However, in the spirit of the day (Thanksgiving, I mean, not Non-Sequitur Thursday), I can think of one thing to be thankful for.  Hence, the headline.  Happy Thanksgiving, folks.