Category Archives: local business

The Post I Should Have Made Friday

Posted on February 2, 2015 by mohawkvalleygirl

I am in full wrist-to-forehead mode. I have a headache, I keep forgetting what time I have to be at the theatre, I have to clean my upstairs and organize laundry, and I can’t think of what to write for a blog post.

I do have one shout-out to a local business. Friday, regular readers will recall, was opening night of Busybody, the play I am in with Ilion Little Theatre. I had rehearsal the night before but had gotten up at 3:30 that morning to work overtime. I got home from work before four, planning to nap till 5:30 or so. I found a note from my husband: “Honey- If at all possible, please don’t take a nap or your shower before 4:30. You will find out why. Love, Steve”

At first I was not best pleased. I had my schedule planned! Why was he messing with a nervous leading lady on opening night? Then I realized: it’s got to be something good. What sweet thing had my husband planned? And how could I modify my schedule to accommodate?

I ate some food. This was actually better. Obviously I had to have fuel in my body for the show, but it is a mistake to eat too much too close to curtain. This would work. And it didn’t take long. What else could I do? I turned on the computer, checked my Facebook notifications and email, then logged onto WordPress. And realized I was much too flustered to come up with a post.

Around twenty after four the phone rang. The caller ID said “Flowers by Suzanne.” So that was it! The nice lady on the phone asked said she had some flowers to deliver but wanted to make sure I was there, because it was much too cold to leave flowers outside.

Soon I was opening the door to the nice lady and a lovely basket of flowers. My schnoodle Tabby ran out to greet her, too. She may have gotten a little too friendly while I was admiring the flowers, but I got her back into the house eventually. The flowers smelled wonderful. I was delighted.

I still had time for nap, shower, and more butterflies before opening night, which I have already told you went well. And making this blog post has alleviated just a few of my butterflies for today. Once again, Busybody is at Ilion Little Theatre, 13 Remington Ave., Ilion, NY, today and Feb. 8 at 2 p.m., Feb. 6 and 7 at 8 p.m.

Flowers by Suzanne is located at 433 Mohawk St., Herkimer, NY, phone number 315-866-0206. Their website is www.flowersbysuzanne.net.

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Not Exactly Armani

Posted on January 21, 2015 by mohawkvalleygirl

One of my first stops on my busy day Saturday was the Salvation Army Thrift Store in Ilion or, as I like to call it, Salvation Armani (full disclosure: I did not think of that myself; I stole it from a lady who wears thrift store finds with as much panache as if they were Armani). I wanted two more skirts and possibly a blouse for my character (I believe I’ve mentioned I’m in a play).

I play a crazy old lady. I wore one of my own skirts for rehearsal and some people in the cast declared it perfect for my character. Cue jokes about my wardrobe and crazy old ladies, but you won’t make me laugh. I know it was type casting. The skirt is a colorful, voluminous affair. I hoped to find a couple more that were similar. I had flowers in mind, but anything big and bright would do.

I walked down the skirt aisle, at first seeing nothing then throwing several possibilities over my arm. The first one was black and white checks. I wasn’t in love with it but thought at least the shape looked OK. Guess which was the only one that fit me.

Actually, that’s not true. A few of them fit OK but seemed wrong for one reason or another. Additionally, I wanted to purchase something I would be likely to wear myself, in case it didn’t work out for the play. The black and white checks were growing on me. And the skirt had pockets, one of my favorite features.

I also went through the jumpers and dresses. One dress I tried on might have worked, but no way on earth would I have worn it in real life. I put it back on the rack. I thought, two skirts would be all right. I could wear the same thing in Acts I and III. People often repeat outfits in real life. Hell, I wear the same skanky BDU pants to work every day (and you needn’t say TMI; how can it be too much information when EVERYBODY already knows).

A search for props was fruitless, but I quite by accident found a book about Queen Elizabeth I. Score! I love that period of history. I quickly glanced through the other books but with no further luck.

At the checkout I paid with my bank card, chattily telling the clerk I needed my cash for the laundromat. This led to a conversation about laundry in which another customer told me that bleaching my whites would eventually cause them to yellow.

“Use Oxyclean,” she advised. “Or baking soda.”

“Baking soda is a miracle drug,” I said.

“I clean everything with it,” the clerk volunteered.

“I brush my teeth with it,” I shared.

“That’s right! You can brush your teeth with it.”

We parted friends. This is how I like to shop.

The Salvation Army Thrift Store is located at 164 W. Main St., Ilion, NY. Phone number is 315-894-9028.

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Yearly Shout-Out to Melfe’s

Posted on January 20, 2015 by mohawkvalleygirl

Last Friday I made my annual shopping trip to Melfe’s in Ilion for my work shoes. My employer has a deal with them where I get a free pair every year, sometimes two depending on what I pick. Some of my co-workers do not take full advantage of the benefit, feeling their shoes can last more than a year. I like to pamper my feet. They have enough trouble holding up my weight all day.

I like wearing steel-toed work shoes. I enjoy knowing if I kicked anybody in the ass they would feel it. Full disclosure: I have never literally kicked anybody in the ass (note correct use of “literally”). But I have the option.

Only one other person was shopping at the time. Vicki greeted me right away and we went over to the women’s work shoes. I like the ones that look like sneakers. Right away I saw the same pair of Sketchers I have had three times.

“Seven and a half wide,” I said. They were in stock and they fit. Vicki told me they were included in the two-for deal, so I pointed to a Reebok and a Converse I liked. Only the Reeboks were available in my size. They felt pretty good, so I took them. It was an unusually decisive day for me.

As always I complimented Vicki on the good service.

“I’ll write a blog post about it,” I said. “Not that I think a lot of people read my blog.” (I did not mention to her my 500+ followers, because I don’t really know how many of them are local.) (Oh dear, did that just sound like I was bragging about all my followers to you? I’m not! I’m grateful for all my readers!)

Vicki said she had read my blog posts, remembering that I had written one about her and one about Mike, the other clerk. I was so pleased.

Melfe’s is located at 64 Central Ave., Ilion, NY. Phone number is 315-894-4094. In addition to work shoes, they carry sneakers and dress shoes. They also offer shoe repair.

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Historical Presents

Posted on January 6, 2015 by mohawkvalleygirl

Now that it’s after Christmas I can write about purchasing some of the few Christmas presents I bought this year.

Regular readers know I love the Herkimer County Historical Society. I knew they were open Saturdays between Thanksgiving and Christmas, but it was not until the Saturday before Christmas I got a chance to stop by. I did not go into the museum part this time but confined my visit to the gift shop.

I saw a number of books I’d like to get for myself sometime, but of course that was not the purpose of the shopping trip. I did purchase a number of postcards for myself. I thought that was OK since I will ultimately send them to other people. I found a jigsaw puzzle of local historical places for my mother. She usually does puzzles of way more than 200 pieces, but I thought the local interest would outweigh that factor. I also got her a deck of Erie Canal playing cards. She likes playing cards from different places, as do I.

I got a coloring book about local history for my youngest niece. I think it would be fun if when she comes to visit, we go see some of the places she has colored. She has already seen Herkimer’s Historic Four Corners, but when she visits there is every chance we’ll walk our dogs that way again.

After I had completed that transaction I saw some postcards I had missed. After selecting some of those, I impulse bought a Herkimer Trivia game to put in Steven’s stocking.

The coloring book, puzzle and playing cards were successful gifts. Imagine my delight when I opened my own stocking and found that Steven had gotten me the very same deck of cards. He had also gotten me two books: Margaret Tugor: The Extraordinary Teacher, Principal, and Community Leader of Herkimer, New York by William Rosenfeld, which I had wanted, and Hidden History of the Mohawk Valley by Bob Cudmore. Steven told me he had taken the precaution of writing down the local history books I already own before making his own shopping expedition.

I’m very happy now. I can read my books and play solitaire with my cards till the next time I visit the historical society. To learn more about the Herkimer County Historical Society, you can visit their website at http://www.rootsweb.ancestry.com/~nyhchs/ and you can Like them on Facebook.

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Post-Christmas Breakfast

Posted on January 2, 2015 by mohawkvalleygirl

One factor which helped keep my post-Christmas letdown from kicking in last week was a good breakfast my husband Steven and I enjoyed at The Knight Spot in Frankfort, NY. Steven had the day after Christmas off, and we were determined to have several adventures, beginning with breakfast out. The Knight Spot is one of our favorite places.

It is a casual, family type restaurant. We go there for breakfast, lunch, dinner and mid-afternoon ice cream. Usually not all in the same day, but wouldn’t that be a fun way to go way off my diet? We found a seat in a booth and ordered coffee and water while we perused the menus.

I didn’t really need much time to decide. I had started thinking about an egg sandwich on a hard roll with sausage, egg and cheese as soon as Steven had suggested The Knight Spot. I love egg sandwiches anyways, and The Knight Spot makes a really good one. Steven got eggs over medium with bacon and toast.

The food was delicious, the service was good, and the atmosphere was pleasant. What more could we ask? I guess I could ask that something funny happen to include in my blog post, but what can I say? Sometimes my life is just ordinary.

The Knight Spot is located at 264 E. Main St., Frankfort, NY, phone number 315-894-4054. Their website is www.theknightspot.com, and they are on Facebook.

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No Happy Hour, But Happy Dinner

Posted on December 20, 2014 by mohawkvalleygirl

In lieu of my usual Friday Lame Post, I thought I’d give a shout-out to a local business. We just had a lovely dinner thanks to Salvatore’s Pizzeria and Restaurant.

I had a shout-out to a different local business planned. Steven only worked till 4:30 this afternoon. Since I usually get home by four, I thought, “Perfect! We can meet at the Belly Up Pub for Happy Hour!” In fact, we would have been too early for Happy Hour, which begins at six most Fridays. However, I have a few half price drink coins, which I won in drawings at previous Happy Hours. Additionally, I had some stew beef I could put in the crock pot in the morning, so we could come home to a nice dinner after enjoying a couple of Happy Hour cocktails.

As it happened, I knew this morning I would probably be too tired for Happy Hour. Also, the stew beef had not thawed in the refrigerator. I know you can put frozen meat in the crock pot, but I was too tired and used the beef’s frozen state as an excuse.

“I’ll just cook the beef when I get home,” I told Steven, wondering even then if I would feel inclined to do such a thing.

Of course I did not. I don’t think Steven expected it either, because he almost immediately started talking about sending out for food. He had already decided a garlic pizza with sausage and green peppers sounded good. It sounded good to me, too. I further suggested an antipasto salad, and Steven got on the phone to Salvatore’s.

The meal arrived promptly and was delicious. I said, “I’m going to write my blog post about this!” And I’m sure we’ll make it to the Belly Up Pub for a cocktail one day soon.

Salavatore’s is located at 650 1/2 W. German St., Herkimer, phone 315-866-2600. Their website is www.salvatores-herkimer.com. The Belly Up Pub is at 122 W. Albany St., phone 315-219-5578, website www.bellyuppub.com. Both businesses are also on Facebook.

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A Serendipitous Snack

Posted on December 12, 2014 by mohawkvalleygirl

I first heard of That Little Place on Main in Little Falls, NY some time ago when I visited the Little Falls Historical Society. The intern said her father recently opened it (it came up in a conversation). The Place had already closed that day, and I did not make it back to Little Falls at a compatible time until recently.

Full disclosure: I did not go to Little Falls specifically to go to That Little Place on Main. My friend Phyllis and I were adventuring with no set plan. We thought we would stop somewhere sometime for a cup of coffee and a snack. While driving down Main Street, I saw it! And the Open sign was lit up! I pulled right into a parking space almost directly in front of the Place. How’s that for serendipitous?

Inside was a traditional, homey diner with a long counter and booths. I saw more seating available in a small back room. We sat at a booth and looked at the Specials Board till the waitress brought us menus.

I got a piece of cheesecake while Phyllis ordered French fries. We both had coffee. The cheesecake was delicious. I helped Phyllis finish her fries, because they gave her a heaping mound of them. Yum! The waitress kept our coffee full. I made plans to return soon and bring my husband Steve.

That Little Place on Main is located at 28 W. Main St., Little Falls, NY. Phone number is 315-508-5083. They also have a Facebook page which features photographs of delicious-looking food. I think I’m going to have to make this Place a regular stop.

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An Antique Adventure

Posted on December 10, 2014 by mohawkvalleygirl

One of the best things about discovering a fun place is introducing a friend to it. Saturday I introduced my friend Phyllis to Mohawk Antiques Mall. It is located in an old factory building just before Main Street in Mohawk crosses Route 5S and becomes Mohawk Street in Herkimer.

Phyllis and I were having a whole day of Mohawk Valley adventures, and this was our first stop. Full disclosure: I stopped there mainly because I want to write an article about it to submit to Mohawk Valley Living, my favorite magazine. I have not written the article yet but thought maybe I could warm up to it with a blog post.

It is a bright, airy place. You walk into a large room with an open stairway in the middle. We walked around checking out the different areas. In a hallway to the right I noticed some photographs by Gabe Oram, a Mohawk Valley photographer. Beyond that hung some more vintage prints and paintings. Later I noticed artwork by Vicki Ferrus, a local artist, hanging in the entryway.

Upstairs we looked at old toys, old books, musical instruments and more. Both Phyllis and I looked for things we remembered from our grandmothers’ houses, always a favorite thing to do in an antique shop. I saw some games I remembered from my own childhood. Oh well, I suppose everybody gets old sooner or later.

Back downstairs I showed Phyllis the vintage postcards in an old card catalog. She found a Christmas present for… I’ll never tell! Near the checkout there were a few tables with chairs. One table had signs on it reading, “Come sit for a spell.” CNN was playing on a TV, and one of the tables had newspapers on it.

The mall currently houses 47 dealers. A list can be found on their website, www.mohawkantiquesmall.com. You can also find out about upcoming events. 4PetSake, a food pantry for pets, often holds fundraisers there. The mall also has a Facebook page which regularly posts pictures of interesting pieceE. The mall is located at 100 e. Main St., Mohawk, NY. Phone number is 315-219-5044. They are open Mon. and Wed. through Sat. 10 a.m.to 5 p.m., Sunday 11:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m.

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Friday Christmas Adventures

Posted on December 6, 2014 by mohawkvalleygirl

Last night Steven and I got into the Christmas spirit by going to Barnes & Noble in New Hartford, NY to hear a reading of Polar Bear Express by WKTV weatherman Bill Kardas and writer Dave Dellecese. I suppose it would have been nice to provide ourselves with a small child for such an event, but we made do with enjoying the kids that were there.

First we had to negotiate Christmas season rush hour traffic. Yikes! It can get a little hairy around Consumer Square, where Barnes & Noble is located. We first went a little beyond that destination to Olive Garden for dinner. I know, Mohawk Valley Girl likes local, unique restaurants and stores, but Friday I went to two chains. It happens.

After a good dinner with great service, we headed out. We had extra time, so we made a quick stop at Bremer’s Liquor Store, where they were having a wine tasting (ooh, that’s a local, unique place!). Unfortunately I did not have the notebook I like to put tasting notes in, but we did purchase a red blend called RedVolution in a Bota Box. Yum.

For one more stop, we walked around 5 Below, two doors down from the bookstore. Everything there is $5 or less. That was kind of fun to walk around, but nothing tempted us, so we were on to our destination.

Some nice young men were offering gift wrapping for donations as a fundraiser for their school (I foolishly did not make a note of the school; sorry). They gave us a card to give the cashier if we purchased anything, because the store would donate a portion of the sale to the school. I had planned to get Steven Leonard Maltin’s 2015 Movie Guide, which he had asked for. This way he got his present early plus a little frisson of virtue for helping the school. We also got some coffee, which got the school another small donation. Every little bit helps!

We enjoyed the reading of the book. Dave was dressed as the conductor, which was fun. A man had a train whistle, so there were sound effects, too. A number of kids were there, one dressed in pajamas. Everybody seemed to have a good time. A slight disruption occurred when Dave said he was sure everyone present had been good and would get presents from Santa, and a woman in the audience piped up, “Steven was bad!” (I guess I don’t have to tell you who that was).

According to Bill Kardas’ Facebook page, Polar Express has become a tradition for Bill and Dave. It may become a tradition for me and Steven too.

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My New Short ‘Do

Posted on December 2, 2014 by mohawkvalleygirl

I just realized I neglected a chance to give another shout-out to a local business of note: Hot Spot Salon and Spa in Herkimer, NY.

My hair is a never-ending source of angst to me. I like it short. From short it quickly reaches that in-between stage where I feel it looks awful. Of course it doesn’t look awful every day or even all day on the days it does look awful. So I inevitably start to think abut growing it out. Then I can do something with it. Pull it back, put it up, style it. It might be fun. I might be beautiful.

Eventually I remember: I don’t like fussing with my hair. I’m not good at styling it, and it rarely stays styled when I do manage something. So I start to look at my options. Grow it anyways and finally learn to style it? Get it cut but differently? One option that appeals is to do another St. Baldrick’s Day. You know, you get your friends and family to donate money to children’s cancer research then get your head shaved. It’s fun. You don’t have to have long hair to get it shaved. It’s just more dramatic if you do.

One thing I’ve learned but forget every time is that you have to watch whose advice you ask about these things. One work friend does not like my short spiky ‘do. I remembered not to ask her advice this time, but I did mention to her that I was probably getting my hair done the way she didn’t like. She shook her head in disappointment. I asked another co-worker. She said I have a cute little face and can pull off any hairdo. She, of course, is my new best friend.

As usual with me I did not plan ahead. It was Thanksgiving week and I was pretty sure Clair, my stylist at Hot Spot, would be booked. That was OK, though, I decided. I would leave it to fate. If Clair could get me in, I would get a cut. If not, I would let it keep growing. At least till I could get in.

If you believe in fate, my cut was meant to be, because I got in on the Tuesday before Thanksgiving. After some consultation with Clair, I got a similar ‘do to one I’ve had before: clipped on the sides and back, short and spiked on top. We actually went slightly less short, using the number 5 rather than the number 4 clippers. I was delighted.

For more information about the Hot Spot Salon and Spa visit their website at www.hotspotsalonandspa.com. They also have a Facebook page, and so does Clair at Clair does Hair.

Maybe next time I’ll go even a little less short.

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