Tag Archives: blog post

At Least I Used Pictures

Posted on March 7, 2017 by mohawkvalleygirl

So here I am on the last day of my fabulous four-day weekend, watching a movie I have seen many times before and thinking I had better make my blog post now, so I can get back to enjoying my day.  We did a few household chores, ran the necessary errands, and are on to the hanging out, movie watching portion of the day.

The first thing we watched was The Feud, Bette and Joan, which we DVR’d from… some cable channel.  I forget which (Steven is smoking in the basement, so I can’t ask him).  Susan Sarandon is Bette and Jessica Lange is Joan.  They are excellent!

Can you find “Nina”?

I love Hirschfeld, too.

I’ve been wanting to use this picture in a blog post.

Full disclosure:  I don’t know where this picture came from or who made these dolls.  My husband must have found it somewhere, because it was in our downloads.  He finds the best stuff of the internet!  I can never find a thing.

Guess which one looks like me before coffee.

After we saw The Feud, I wanted to see an old move, so we put in one of our all-time favorites The House on Haunted Hill, the original Vincent Price version from 1958, not the rather hideous remake, which we say but about which I do not much recall.

So here is my Monday post.  I don’t know that you could call it a Mental Meanderings, and I feel it is not a Middle-aged Musings, but I hope it is acceptable. And I hope to see you all tomorrow on Tired Tuesday (you think I won’t be tired after a four-day weekend?  I’m afraid you overestimate me).

 

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Late Post on a Busy Sunday

Posted on March 6, 2017 by mohawkvalleygirl

Oh, I just knew this would happen. I waited till the last minute to post and now I don’t want to write a good post and I’m not even convinced of my ability to do so.  Then again, is that not appropriate on Wrist to Forehead Sunday?

I had a matinee of Steel Magnolias at Ilion Little Theatre.  Before that my husband Steven and I went to the HALO Chinese Auction at the Herkimer VFW and to Rose Quartz Stand, a gem store located nearby.  HALO, for anybody that does not know, is the Helping Animals Live Organization, based in Little Falls, NY, a no-cage, no-kill cat shelter.  The Chinese Auction, in addition to being their major fundraiser of the year, is one of the hottest tickets in the area.  There were a LOT of people walking around,  putting in their chances to win a wide variety of marvelous prizes (I donated an afghan myself).  We did not win anything, by the way.

Rose Quartz Stand is a business I visited back at Christmas time and intend to go to again.  We bought a frog carved from stone for Steven for his birthday (which was Friday) and a dinosaur to keep the frog company (I am a big anthropomorphizer).  I intend to write more about the store later, perhaps even doing an article for submission to Mohawk Valley Living, my favorite magazine.

After a well-received matinee of Steel Magnolias, Steven joined me and  several other cast and crew members for Applebee’s in Herkimer for drinks and dinner.  It was a great time.

Now I am dying to get back to watching a DVR’d Columbo and crocheting yet another afghan to donate… somewhere.  Happy Sunday, everyone.

 

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Macaroni Salad on Scattered Saturday

Posted on March 5, 2017 by mohawkvalleygirl

It’s that moment in an every day blogger’s life, when you’re waiting for the macaroni salad to chill and you want to get your blog post published and you realize your brain is working no better than it was earlier today (that is, not at all).  I’ve done a few things, so perhaps I could manage a Scattered Saturday post.  We’ll see.

We slept in till almost 6:30.  It was a late night (for us), opening night of Steel Magnolias at Ilion Little Theatre.  So we got a slow start.  Eventually we made our way to Mona’s Diner in Mohawk, NY for breakfast.  The last time we ate there it was called The Family Fun Center.  It’s still a pretty good place to eat.  We don’t get to eat breakfast out together as often as we used to, so we enjoyed it.

Next we went to Basloe Library in Herkimer.  Ah, libraries, how they can save your life.  I had the character sheets from He Laughed Himself to Death I wanted to print out.  That is the murder mystery Ilion Little Theatre is putting on as a dinner theatre at Morning Star Methodist Church in Ilion on April 1.   It may be a scramble to put it together, but I think it will be highly entertaining.

Around one o’clock, I took a nap.  I will have another late night tonight.  As I type this, I am drinking coffee in anticipation.  I do love coffee.

After getting up from the nap, I made a macaroni salad for dinner (remember, I mentioned that in the first paragraph?).   I enjoyed the therapeutic benefits of chopping vegetables.  I will enjoy even more eating the salad with the kielbasa we got to go with it.  Yum!

Now all I have to do is wait to go to the theatre for tonight’s performance.  I don’t feel as nervous as I did yesterday, but I am far from calm, cool and collected.  That was to be expected.  However, I am glad I have at least composed a blog post.  I hope to see you all on Wrist to Forehead Sunday.

 

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I Should Be a Movie Star

Posted on March 4, 2017 by mohawkvalleygirl

Why would I not have a Lame Post Friday?  It’s opening night of Steel Magnolias!  I have other things on my mind!  Will I remember everything?  I’m not talking about my lines (although it would be good if I remembered all of those too), but what about my costume pieces, props, ooh, and my contact lenses?  Will my hair stay on?

Ah, you think that last one was a joke?  Alas, no.  In the first scene I have to wear some fake hair, so that in the second scene when Truvy calls attention to my new short hair-do, it makes sense.  I meant to write a whole, humorous blog post about my hair troubles, but I’m afraid if I tried to do it now, it would just make me upset (is that a run-on sentence?  I usually know these things, but I am flustered).

Yes,  I have opening night jitters.  The closer it gets to time to go to the theatre, the more jittery I feel.  This is completely natural.  I bet even Tony award winning actors feel this way.  I say Tony not Oscar, because I can’t imagine movies give you the same jitters.  Just do another take! It is really no wonder that many people feel the stage is real acting and movies are not. Now don’t start defending movies to me!  I love movies!  Of course it is real acting (well, some of it is and some of it sucks, we won’t get into that).  But that lots of takes thing really has my envy tonight.

I’m sure everything will go fine.  And if it does not, well, that is the excitement of live theatre. I’m sure enough will go well to entertain our audience (sometime they are entertained by the mistakes, but we prefer to avoid going that route.  I will probably mention it tomorrow, when I make my Scattered Saturday blog post about how I was too tired after Opening Night to do much of anything.  Happy Friday, everyone.

For local, theatre-going readers,  that’s Steel Magnolias at Ilion Little Theatre, Remington Ave., Ilion, NY, March 3, 4, 10 and 11 at 8 pm., 5 and 12 at 2 p.m.  For more information, visit www.ilionlittletheatre.org or go to their Facebook page.

 

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Me, Me, Me, It’s All About ME!

Posted on March 3, 2017 by mohawkvalleygirl

I KNEW this was going to happen!  I did not make my blog post earlier and I don’t damn well feel like doing it now.  I just got home from final dress for Steel Magnolias at Ilion Little Theatre.  Fun times!  It looks like we got us a show!

I’m thinking today is Non-Sequitur Thursday.  Or maybe it could be Lame Post Friday, because it is my Friday.  I am taking a four day weekend to celebrate my delightful husband Steven’s birthday, which is tomorrow.  I have not gotten him enough presents, but perhaps he will not mind.  Maybe I could make him potato soup tomorrow.  Steven loves my potato soup, and I hardly ever make it.

I just paused in my writing to discuss with Steven our plans for tomorrow. He likes the potato soup idea.  Additionally, I got him one of those sampler cheese cakes, the mini kind.  I like cheese cake too.

Now I see that I have started every paragraph with “I” and was about to start this one the same way.  Yes, this is a personal blog, but still.  It seems a bit… excessive, although it does give me an idea for a silly headline.  And as regular readers know, Non-Sequitur Thursday is all about the headline.  Additionally, I see that I am over 200 words, which regular readers may recall is all I require of myself for a post.  I hope to see all you lovely people on Lame Post Friday.

 

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Maybe I Should Have Rehearsed My Blog Post

Posted on March 1, 2017 by mohawkvalleygirl

The operative thing to do one a busy week is to write blog posts ahead of time.  I say this merely as an observation.  I am not offering advice to fellow bloggers nor yet outlining a plan I am capable of following myself.  As the expression goes, I’m just saying.

Theatre loving people such as myself tend, by and large, to be too busy.  If we’re not too busy, we are often looking for some project or other to busy ourselves with.  I feel a little silly even talking about it, because there are other theatre people who are way busier than I am.  I don’t know how they do it, although I suspect, for one factor, they get far less sleep than I do.  And I don’t get as much sleep as I would like.

I suspect some readers are nodding their heads wisely, saying, “Ah yes, this is me, too.”  Others are shaking their heads in a superior fashion, saying, “Well, duh.  Do you think you could find something more obvious to state?”  Guess which one is the critic that lives in my head.

That is what I wrote while on a break at work today.  Then I went back to studying my lines for Steel Magnolias at Ilion Little Theatre.  Second dress rehearsal is tonight.  I have a whole new roster of costumes, which I think will work better.  One advantage will be if I actually remember all of them.  Funny story:  Sunday night I dreamed I got to rehearsal and had forgotten the off-white blouse for Act I, Scene 1. Monday night I made damn sure I remembered that blouse!  When I got to rehearsal I realized I had forgotten the jeans and sneakers for Act I, Scene 2.  As I say to others when they make mistakes, this is why we have rehearsals.

So this is my Tired Tuesday post.  I must soon hurry to rehearsal.  I put most of my costume pieces on the same hanger or in the same bag.  This will work!  And if it doesn’t, I’ll have something else to write about tomorrow. Happy Tuesday, everyone.

 

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Flubbed Up Monday

Posted on February 28, 2017 by mohawkvalleygirl

AAAaaaaand, welcome to a week of All Steel Magnolias All The Time.  I am posting in haste before hurrying off to First Dress.  I can only hope all my dresses are there!

Oh dear, this isn’t very interesting, is it?  I was going to have a Middle-aged Musings Monday, and I even had something to muse about. Oh, it wasn’t anything very good, but at least it was something.  Earlier I was going to take a Blogger’s Sick Day. I’m not sick, but my poor dog is.  We’re a little upset about it.  However, we did manage to get Spunky to come out of the closet (his favorite place these days) and administered another dose of his medicine.  Now he is resting comfortably on his afghan at the end of the couch (I’m sitting at the other end, typing) (as Truman Capote once said, “That’s not writing, that’s typing”)  (one of my favorite quotes).

Where was I?  Ah yes, nowhere in particular.  Steven is nicely making me a sandwich.  Then I shall go down my list of  things to remember and see what I forgot (yes, I remember where I put the list).

Earlier today I looked over all my lines, paying special attention to the portions that were somewhat dicey during the last few rehearsals.  I feel quite sure I will remember everything.  Then again, actors often feel that way just before they flub up big time.  Then again, if I flub up big time, it might make a funny blog post for tomorrow.  As always, I hope you’ll tune in.

 

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Right before Ruby’s!

Posted on February 26, 2017 by mohawkvalleygirl

This may be a very short Scattered Saturday post, because I have not done that much today.  In my defense, I feel I must recruit my energies for Rubbed Out at Ruby’s (all together now:) the interactive murder mystery to be presented by LiFT Theatre Company at the Overlook Mansion in Little Falls, NY… TONIGHT!!!  That is, Saturday, Feb. 25 starting at 6 p.m.  Yikes!

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Kind of a suspicious looking bunch, aren’t we?

This is a cast photo taken at the end of last night’s rehearsal. Yes, that outline is all that is left of our beloved Benny the Bootlegger.  Oh how I shall miss him!  (I did mention that Ruby is a terrible lush, didn’t I?)  Rehearsal went very well, but I cannot help but have a few butterflies before a performance.  Additionally, everybody will know I wrote the damn thing.  I mean, not just you, my lovely blog readers.  My name is right there on the front of the program:  Created by Cynthia Quackenbush.  I am so flattered, but the pressure is awesome.

Unfortunately, I do not have a picture of the front of the program to share.  In fact, I stole the above pic from Facebook.  I forgot to bring my Tablet to rehearsal.  However, I did manage to steal a picture of the inside of the program for your delectation:

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We don’t look any less suspicious in close-up, do we?

Hmm… this is turning out not to be a Scattered Saturday post after all, but one last plus for Ruby’s.  I don’t see a problem with that, do you?  Happy Saturday, everybody.

 

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In My Defense, I am Really, Really Tired

Posted on February 25, 2017 by mohawkvalleygirl

It is still Lame Post Friday, although I almost never make my blog posts this late.   I know I have previously used the headline Late and Lame (or similar words), so this is not unprecedented.

Steven and I have just returned from the final rehearsal for Rubbed Out at Ruby’s, the interactive murder mystery to be presented by LiFT Theatre Company at the Overlook Mansion in Little Falls, NY (I know I have mentioned it before, using pretty much those exact words) (so nobody needs to point that out, in case anybody felt inclined to do so).  We are all pretty excited about it.

It has been another beautiful day in the Mohawk Valley, although it may be the last one for a while.  I have not mentioned the stretch of gorgeous, spring-like weather we have been enjoying this week.  Well, we have.  Temperatures have gotten up to the 60’s.  It has been so wonderful, I have felt vaguely inclined to burst into tears.  I’m not even going to try to analyze that emotion; I merely mention it, because it is true.

And that raises a bit of half-baked philosophy (regular readers know I like to include a little half-baked  philosophy on Lame Post Friday).  It in not necessary to say something just because it is true.  For example, people with a fat butt (like me) do not need to have it pointed out to them.  For another example, many people do not care to hear whether or not somebody is wearing underwear with holes in it.  Or anything about the last time you did the naughty with your significant other.

On the other hand, some people like to share everything all the time, and I daresay there are others who do not mind hearing it.  This is scarcely a profound observation, but you know what, that is OK on Lame Post Friday, because, as regular readers also know, random observations are the other component I like to include on Lame Post Friday.

So this has been my Lame Friday Post for the week.  Perhaps it has been even more lame than my usual Friday post.  Sorry, folks.  Tomorrow, I’ll try to make my post earlier in the day.  Happy Friday, what’s left of it, anyways.

 

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One Of These Plays…

Posted on February 23, 2017 by mohawkvalleygirl

You know, like “One of these days…”  I thought it was an acceptable play on words.  What else can I do on Wuss-out Wednesday but play a little bit with words?  Yes, Wuss-out Wednesday follows Tired Tuesday as inevitably as… as inevitably as I begin a simile and can’t think of a good way to finish it.

I tried to write a blog post while at work today, but it was only another I Can’t Write a Post post, and I thought, why am I writing such a thing in advance?  Should I not be composing at the keyboard at such times?  So that is what I am doing.

We are doing complete run-through on Steel Magnolias, last night, tonight and tomorrow.  We must be in full costume by Monday, but the director would be delighted to see costumes any time between now and then. With that in mind, I put on the skirt I think will do for me in Act I Scene 1.  I purchased a jacket I think will coordinate with it last Saturday at New 2 You Consignment Shop in Ilion (perhaps you read my blog post about it).

Regarding the rest of my costumes… I’m working on them.  Quite frankly, I thought I had more stuff than I in fact do.  Oh dear, I suppose some of my cast-mates might read this and they will look sternly at me when they see me in.. yikes, less than an hour!  At least I looked over my lines today.  And other people’s.  I learn my own lines first, so for the first couple of rehearsals off book I sometimes say them at the wrong time.  How embarrassing.  Other actors learn their lines and where those lines go at the same time.  I’ll have to try that one of these plays.

 

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