Tag Archives: blogging

I May Kill Again

Posted on May 5, 2025 by mohawkvalleygirl

Hello and welcome to Wrist to Forehead Sunday, the day when all I want to do is swoon, dramatically posed with the back of one wrist to my forehead, onto a handy chaise lounge.  There is almost never a chaise lounge handy, but one makes do with whatever is available.  One reason for today’s swooning post is that I am dreadfully tired from last night’s performance of Recipe for Murder Royale, the murder we  presented at Herkimer Elks Lodge to benefit Herkimer County Historical Society on Saturday.

I did want to include this delightful artwork.

This chalk art was done by an Elks member who happened to be at the Lodge that afternoon. I’m sure you can easily understand why I just had to take a picture of it.  This member did not attend Saturday’s performance but offered his services as the dead body for a future murder mystery.  He had a great dramatic sense, saying how he would like a blood pack in his chest, which could bleed out as he staggered around, breathing his last.  He even said he could be dragged offstage, leaving a trail of blood in his wake.

Naturally this started me thinking about the next murder mystery.  It is true that I often end these things thinking I can never manage another one, but I don’t think anybody is much impressed by that.  I will get to writing and see what I can come up with by the fall.

 

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Posting Despite Pre-Performance Jitters

Posted on May 4, 2025 by mohawkvalleygirl

For once I was not too lazy to check, and it turns out I did already use the title, “Oh Crap! I Gotta Make a Blog Post!”  I even went back and read it (it was short).  I was about to go to a rehearsal, after being on overtime at work.  Today I am soon to start getting ready to go to a performance.  Regular readers will know it is Recipe for Murder Royale, the murder mystery to benefit Herkimer County Historical Society.  I had all day not only to make a blog post, but to do something to make a blog post about.  Failed on both counts.

Another suspicious bunch I am proud to be a part of.

I threw in a picture to pep things up.  This is the cast picture from when we did the show at Salisbury Grange on Sunday.  The sequins started coming off my dress, so I think I am going to wear something different.  Maybe somebody will take a picture of me that I can share.

As you may guess, I am getting pre-performance jitters, the more so since I am not so confident in my new costume choice.  I don’t know why I should worry.  Probably everybody will say I look nice, even if I don’t really.  I got plenty of compliments on the green number.  Anyways, it is not all about me looking fabulous.  It is all about me killing somebody for fun and non-profit!

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Blog Between the Raindrops

Posted on May 3, 2025 by mohawkvalleygirl

I typed in that headline and realized I should go to the Wine Tasting Room at Raindrops on Roses Bed and Breakfast in Herkimer, NY and see if they have anything new.  But that wasn’t what I sat down to blog about.  I was just on my front porch, finishing a letter to a friend.  I moved my chair to sit in the shade, and the sun went behind the clouds.  As I finished the letter, I thought it was about to start raining.  I came in the house.  The sun came out.  As I typed that last sentence, clouds again.

Everybody talks about the weather, but nobody does anything about it (said in an airhead voice).

I have walked by this sign a few times this week.

I did not mean to make a blog post about the weather.  In fact, I just thought I could make a fast Lame Post Friday Post, so I wouldn’t break my latest streak.  Once again, I got nuthin’.  Last night’s rehearsal for Recipe for Murder Royale (YES I’m still talking about that murder mystery!) went OK.  Not terrifically, but I guess that’s not a bad thing. It will encourage me at least to go over my lines a few more times.

 

Cheers to Friday!

I was afraid the post was a bit dull, so I looked for a silly picture.  I guess I could do worse than a picture of me with spiked hair and a cheese-eating grin (only I don’t say “cheese”), holding a glass of wine. This is at the Waterfront Grille in Herkimer, another place I’d like to go again. I may hold up a glass of wine later, perhaps with the same grin, but my hair isn’t currently spiked.  Note to self: get a haircut.

 

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Still Talking about That Murder Mystery!

Posted on May 1, 2025 by mohawkvalleygirl

How about one last pre-rehearsal post?  This evening we are meeting one last time before our second performance of Recipe for Murder Royale this Saturday, May 3 at the Herkimer Elks Lodge to benefit the Herkimer County Historical Society.  I wonder if my readers are getting sick of hearing about it?  If so, they c;an always skip this post.  I do have just a couple more pictures.

Oh dear, it’s a little blurry.

This is Carmen Sophronia, our Italian chef, who fancies herself as a singer.

I knew this one was blurry, but who could argue with a queen?

This is Queen Elizabeth Foredore.  When I told one audience member at Salisbury Grange her name, he said that was kind of cliche.  For heavens’ sake, there have been two English queens named Elizabeth in history.  How does that make it a cliche?  Anyways, it is a Queen Elizabeth costume.  I guess no writer likes to be told her work is cliche.  Maybe I’ll kill off that guy in my next script.

I gotta share it one more time!

Two more days for local readers to decide to attend!  It isn’t sold out yet, but while I was at the Elks Lodge yesterday, somebody called and said they were going to stop down Friday and pick up tickets.  I’d best look over my lines again!

 

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Alas, No Tim Curry!

Posted on April 30, 2025 by mohawkvalleygirl

It has been a while since I made a Running Commentary post (of course I am too lazy to go back and check), and I took a pretty good run this morning, so I thought, let’s do it (to paraphrase Nike) (although I did not wear Nike sneakers).  It had been a few days since I ran (judge me if you feel like it), so I had no great hopes, but one has to get through the sucky runs to get to the good ones.

The first thing I noticed was that it was colder than I had expected.  I was in shorts and a t-shirt.  The t-shirt was one from a run in Little Falls, a 2 mile and a 10K.  I ran the 10K.  I am not up to running 10Ks these days, so I thought the shirt would encourage me.  I need all the help I can get.  I ran up a minor hill into the residential area behind Valley Health.  There are a few more hills in that area, but I avoided the big ones.  I was feeling wimpy.

I checked any sewers I passed for Tim Curry dressed like a clown.  I have never seen any of the movies about IT or even read the book, but I am a huge Tim Curry fan.  I was, not surprisingly, doomed to disappointment.  Most of the sewers even had a bar where Tim Curry’s head would have been.  I wondered if municipalities had added the bar after the movie as a precaution.  These are the thoughts that keep me distracted as I run.

After distracting myself for the first mile, I realized that my legs were feeling pretty damn good.  This was awesome!  I could so run!  To make things even better, I got to pet two dogs.  At least, I petted one.  The other was so eager to be petted, she could not be still enough for me to actually pet her.

Adding a picture to pep things up.

I even got to run by a “Do Not Enter” sign.  The sign was looking more beat-up than it does here.  The painted arrow on the ground is faded as well. I guess I am more aged myself, but I’m still moving.

 

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More Murder on the Menu

Posted on April 29, 2025 by mohawkvalleygirl

Here are a few of the “action” shots I took during the mingling portion of Recipe for Murder Royale at Salisbury Grange Sunday afternoon.  We are to present the show again this Saturday, May 3, at Herkimer Elks Lodge to benefit the Herkimer County Historical Society, so this is also in the nature of a Preview of Coming Attractions.

I was supposed to be walking around mingling with the crowd myself, but since my character was an organizer of the event, I thought it was natural for me to take a couple of pictures.

These two are married in real life.

Our French chef and our backwoods boy were both popular characters. I thought it was delightful that BillyBob Bodine wore a bow-tie for the occasion.

It was a spontaneous smile.

In another in-character move, I asked my assistant to place the ballots on the tables.  This was where people would write their guesses as to who the murderer was.  Of course, I didn’t know there was going to be a murder (wink, wink), so I said Albert Graves (unaccountably absent) had said to put out the papers; I didn’t know why.

I dare share it again!

The last I knew tickets were still available, in case any of my local readers is interested.  I personally am looking forward to the dinner.  Italian Chicken Soup made with real Italians, who could resist?

 

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One Dead, One to Go!

Posted on April 28, 2025 by mohawkvalleygirl

Our performance of Recipe for Murder Royale at Salisbury Grange went very well.  They seemed not to notice where we messed up.  Um, I mean, we didn’t mess up!  That is the thrill of live performance.

The unusual suspects.

One of the Grange people took a cast picture after it was all over.  What a great group of people this was to work with!  I must say I have been very fortunate in my murder mystery casts.  I get the nicest, most talented people.  Like the song says, there’s no people like show people!

Big smiles now that it was over!

I guess I don’t have a whole lot more to say than it went great!  Here we are in our costumes!  How dull of me.  I feel certain my readers will forgive me (especially since I refrained from calling them Shirley for once).

Only missing me and the Queen.

I did try to surreptitiously take a few action shots while we were mingling with the audience before the scripted part of the performance.  I may use them for another blog post. I will decide that subsequently.

One more to go!

We will perform the show again this Saturday at Herkimer Elks Lodge to benefit the Herkimer County Historical Society.  I’m sure it will be very fun.  Tickets are still available, in case any local readers are interested!

 

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After All, I’ve Killed Before

Posted on April 27, 2025 by mohawkvalleygirl

I was hoping to make a quick blog post before getting ready for our performance of Recipe for Murder Royale, the murder mystery we are presenting to benefit Salisbury Grange.  We have not rehearsed at the Grange, but I feel that is the least of my worries.  Did I say I was worried?  Say it ain’t so!  But I think many performers get butterflies of one sort of another.

This is us!

My butterflies are often regarding the pesky details moreso than the performance itself (moreso isn’t a word?  Who knew) (oh I just checked:  it is a nonstandard spelling).  Much like the butterflies I get before a road race:  I am more concerned with finding a parking space and getting to the starting line on time than the actual running.  It is not a perfect parallel, however.  I harbor a few qualms about the performance.  After all, running is a fairly straightforward proposition.  In theatre, you have lines to remember and other actors to deal with.

Well that little sidetrack took my mind off my troubles for a few minutes.

What I have to worry about this morning is getting ready, making sure I have something to eat (not easy since I have not been grocery shopping), getting to the Grange (I’ve driven there before, but regular readers know my propensity for getting lost).  Getting ready is the main thing.  What, oh what am I going to do with my hair?  I was growing it out for Prescription: Murder, and that worked out fairly well, with the help of the wonderful woman who volunteered to do hair and make-up.

I will NOT be able to do this myself!

Well, I will wash it and perhaps blow it dry and see what I can do. Time to look over my lines again, take my shower, get something to eat (not all at once, but no promises about that given my dithery state of mind).  I’m sure I’ll break a leg.  If I forget all my lines, my castmates may break it for me!

 

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Sometimes Lame Will Do

Posted on April 26, 2025 by mohawkvalleygirl

It is early(ish) Saturday morning and I thought I would attempt a Late Lame Post Friday post.  For one reason, I really got nothin’ except perhaps for some half-baked philosophy and random observations plus a couple of pictures from my Media Library to pep things up.  I confess it cheers me up to make a blog post in the morning.  Something about putting words together makes me happy.  I must do it more often and wonder at myself that I do not.  I know, many people wonder about me (you know who you are).  I feel it is part of my charm, but perhaps I flatter myself.

Both missed, but at least I can talk to one.

Here is one of them there pictures to pep things up.  It is my late, dearly missed husband Steve and my friend Kim, who moved to Colorado, at the Waterfront Grille in Herkimer NY.  I have not been there in a while.  It is a bit of a walk for me, although I surely need the exercise (I will call you Shirley if I decide to).  Today it is raining, so I am unlikely to make the journey.

Since I brought up Steve, I will give a brief grief update (didn’t mean to rhyme) (honest).  I slowly find my way to being alone.  I will never be done missing him.  I will always be sad at times.  However, I try not to dwell on it or feel ill-used.  I guess I don’t have much to say about it.  Oh well, it was to be a brief update.  Back to being Lame.

It will look somewhat different this year.

I add this picture to encourage myself.  I said I would have a container garden this year.  I am struggling to get my house in better shape, and I must soon move outdoors, where there is a LOT to do!  In fact, I should get off the computer and get to work.  Well, maybe one more picture.

I haven’t worn those socks in a while.

This is another picture to encourage me:  the thought of relaxing after a job well done.  My relaxing feet on the front porch or back deck may have been more appropriate after the container garden picture, but this one was handy.  Full disclosure:  I spend a lot of time with my feet up, job well done or not.  I’m old and my feet hurt!  Never mind.  I have managed over 400 words worth of a blog post and that is not bad, however lame the post may be.  Will I have a productive Saturday?  Will I relax after a job well done?  For the answer to these and other burning questions (or do I once again flatter myself?) stay tuned to Mohawk Valley Girl!

 

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A Satisfying Sound Indeed

Posted on April 26, 2025 by mohawkvalleygirl

Last night after I attended a Frankfort Town Board Meeting (regular readers may remember I have a side hustle covering Valley meetings for Sentinel Media), I stopped by Fratello’s Pizzeria to enjoy some music with Ryan Quinn.  Oh dear, that sounds like he was my date.  No, no, he was making the music, I was enjoying it.

A very nice young man.

He was playing guitar when I showed up, and he smiled nicely when I went to take a picture.  I told him it was for my blog post.  Later he switched to keyboard, so I tried to get a shot of that, too.

And he is as talented as he is nice.

At first I thought I screwed up, because I couldn’t make the picture come up as I walked back to my seat at the bar (I like to sit at the bar), so I went back and tried again.  This time I took two.  My phone made that little “blb.”

“I’m sure I got it that time,” I said.

“It even made a satisfying sound,” he agreed.

I went to see Phil Arcuri at Fratello’s on a recent Wednesday but neglected to make a blog post about it.  How remiss of me.  In fact, I have not been catching the local music scene as much as I like to lately.  I’ll have to do something about that.

 

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