Tag Archives: blogging

Wrist to Forehead After Wine

Who me? Drink and type?  I am hoping I can manage at least a Wrist to Forehead Sunday post, but I confess, I went to the Elks Lodge in Herkimer, NY and indulged in a few glasses of wine. I am in the process of becoming an Elk and have been having a lot of fun going to the Lodge and being sociable.  Regular readers may remember I have been to the Elks Lodge previously to rehearse and present murder mysteries, so I have met several members and gotten a very good impression of the place.

A previous murder mystery at the Herkimer Elks Lodge.

The murder mystery I am currently in rehearsals for is at the New Hartford American Legion.  I hope to be  working on one to be presented at the Herkimer Elks Lodge this spring (preview of coming attractions).  I was working on writing it earlier today but shall not share any teasers at present.

Me being dramatic in another setting.

I have also done Shakespeare at the Herkiuner Elks Lodge with LiFT, Little Falls Theatre Company.  The above picture was not taken at the Elks, but it was of the last play we did at the Elks.  I think LiFT needs to do another Shakespeare play, both at Little Falls and at Herkimer Elks.  I’ll have to work on that.

So this post is at least over 200 words, a little scattered, but you’ll have that.  I think it is okay for a Wrist to Forehead Sunday.  If you disagree, feel free to take me to task in a comment.

 

I Like Art

Sometimes I get a little culture.  For example, last Saturday I went to the Renaissance Pub in Little Falls for a Meet the Artist with Frank Wilcox.   The Renaissance periodically hosts local artists in cooperation with Mohawk Valley Center for the Arts.

I am acquainted with Frank from being in a play with him (Strike Story written by Angela Harris), and I have seen his work in several area venues.  Full disclosure:  my original plan was to write about the Renaissance (or the Ren as it is sometimes called) for Mohawk Valley Living magazine.  I missed the deadline for the February issue, so I will try again for a future issue (unless another writer beats me to it).  In the meantime, I wanted to give the place a shout-out, and give folks a chance to go see some of Frank Wilcox’s paintings.

I can’t quite get a good picture of behind the bar.

Of course I sat at the bar and had a glass of wine.  One must support a venue that promotes local artists.  Unfortunately the kitchen was not open yet, because the food there is very good.

It’s hard to take good pictures of pictures.

I was there early enough that it was not too crowded yet, so I did not have to worry about asking a bunch of strangers if it was OK if they were in the picture.  I did not take too many pictures in any case, because they did not seem to be turning out very well.  Therefore, I encourage all local readers to go to the Ren and take a look for themselves.

Erynn Lowery and Victoria Cheney

I was fortunate enough to get a picture of the proprietress and bartender.  Unfortunately Victoria, the bartender, was moving soon.

You really should go see this one.

I took a picture of my favorite painting.  I was happy to get a chance to tell Frank how much I liked it.  Unfortunately, there are no walls in my house big enough to properly show off a picture that big.  As I type this, I look around at all the nice pictures on my walls now, which include at least a few by local artists.  That was my husband Steven’s talent, hanging pictures and interior decoration.  Still, I could retire a couple of pictures if I acquired any more art.  I certainly hope to attend more Meet the Artists at the Renaissance.

The Renaissance Pub is located at 550 E. Main St., Little Falls, NY, phone number 315-556-1006. Mohawk Valley Center for the Arts is located at 401-403 Canal Place, Little Falls, phone number 315-823-0808. You can Like them both on Facebook.

 

More Curtains for Frangelica!

I return to the blogosphere after an unexcused absence with a Post-Rehearsal Post.  It is in fact, the next day after rehearsal, a day in which I have already overslept and am feeling flustered about several things that I have left undone and cannot quite settle on the order in which to do them.  As I say, it is not easy being me.  Some days it is not even all that entertaining, but you’ll have that.

Picture to denote passage of time while I do at least one thing I should have done yesterday.

This is my wonderful cast from Curtains for Frangelica, the murder mystery we are presenting at the New Hartford American Legion in a scant two weeks, Saturday, Jan. 25.  Yikes, it’s more like a week and a half! The above picture is from when we were in rehearsals to present it at the Herkimer Elks Club to benefit the Herkimer County Historical Society.  We rehearsed at the legion last night, and it went very well.

From the Legion bulletin board.

They did not have any fliers we could take to hang up, but a cast member snapped a shot of the one they had hanging in the bar (it’s a really nice bar, by the way; if I lived in New Hartford, I would totally join that legion!).  In case you can’t read it, the New Hartford American Legion is located at 8616 Clinton St., New Hartford, NY.  The show is Saturday, Jan. 25 at 5:30 with dinner at 6 p.m.  Tickets are $45.  There were still tickets available as of last night.  The legion phone number is 315-736-7041.

I am definitely looking forward to offing Frangelica again!

 

Spice on the Snow?

Lame Post Friday has always been the place for random observations, and today I have one!  As I was taking a walk this afternoon, I looked ahead saw something red on the snow.  Was it blood (obviously the first thought of one obsessed with true crime as I am)?   Had somebody gotten sick on their way home (obviously these things happen sometimes)?  What else could it be? As I got up to it, I saw that it was red powder on a freshly plowed snowy sidewalk.  I have never heard of paprika being used as an ice melt or means of friction.  Who knew?

Alas that I did not pause to take a picture.

Unrelated snow picture.

I just scrolled through my Media Library looking for a picture of snow, since I really have nothing else for this blog post.  I took a long-ish walk today, but I did a Pedestrian Post yesterday.  I stopped at the Herkimer County Historical Society, so I can give a shout-out to them.

The Suiter House.

I will no doubt have more to blog about the Historical Society as time goes on.  For one reason, I am hoping to to a murder mystery for them this spring.  I may do some other volunteer work for them, just to keep myself busy.  I will no doubt get some blog posts about from these endeavors.

In the meantime, this must do for my Lame Post Friday post.  Happy beginning of the weekend to you all!

 

Oh, the Snow!

I have not been going on my usual walks lately, largely because of the dreadful winter weather.  Yes, yes, lots of places are having worse weather, and worse things than weather.  I did not mean to complain; I was merely pointing out cause and effect.  Today I did a bit of walking to run some errands.  Alas, I did not take pictures as I went, so you will just have to picture in your head the blowy snow I walked through, and imagine the fluff to be plowed through and the treacherous ice beneath.  But maybe I can find a few appropriate  pictures in my Media Library so my post will not be completely without illustration.

Random snow picture. 

This picture is from March 2017.  I was actually looking for a picture of Basloe Library, which was my first stop today.  I could not even find an un-snowy picture.  The snow is, in fact, not this deep, especially in my driveway.  For one reason, I have been out shoveling almost every day, so as not to let it pile up, which I have been guilty of doing before.

I could not help feeling that the weather was pretty crappy as I walked to Basloe.  It was cold, especially with the wind chill.  The sidewalks were not cleared, although some had been cleared previously.  I walked where there was some semblance of a sidewalk, especially where somebody had left footprints I could walk in.  Sometimes, however, I had to resort to the road.  Left side, facing traffic!  Most cars were considerate, slowing down and moving over when possible.

My other stops involved crossing Route 5.  Yikes!  But I managed that without too much trouble.  Only I didn’t dare hurry much.  I was afraid if I slipped on the slush and ended up flat on my back, I was more likely to get run over than if I stayed upright.

Another old snow illustration.

I prefer walking over driving when the roads are bad, because I feel more in control.  However, by the time I was headed for home after finishing my errands, I was wishing I was in my nice heated car.  It is funny how much longer walking seems to take when there is wind chill, whether or not you are walking with or against the wind.  But here I am whining again.

Another fairly unrelated picture.

Once I got home, I recklessly decided to shovel the driveway, which I had not done before I left.  I did not go into the house first, for fear I would just stay there and say to hell with it.  I put my purse on the porch, got the shovel, and dug in as fast as I could get away with.  I felt fairly pleased with myself that I had done it, especially clearing a shovel-width on the front walk (I really don’t feel I can manage more than that).  Since I am grateful to people who clear their walks, I try to return the favor.

Perhaps tomorrow I can take a picture of this year’s snow, so we can do a little compare/contrast with previous years, although I fear the similarities will be striking.

 

Operator Error in a Pre-Rehearsal Post

I kind of forgot to make a blog post on Monday but I will try to make a Pre-Rehearsal Post now.  I am soon to go to a rehearsal for our murder mystery Curtains for Frangelica.  It is a revival of the mystery we did last fall for the Herkimer County Historical Society.  One of my actors felt it was a shame to only do the show once, so she asked the New Hartford American Legion if they would like us to stage it for them.  They said yes.

A rehearsal from when we did it  before.

We started talking about this last fall, right after the Herkimer performance, but the Legion decided the end of January would be a better time for the event.  I found my script quite by accident the day we were going to the Legion to discuss the matter, and promptly lost it again.  However, I found it (again quite by accident) a couple of days ago, and all my lines were quite familiar.  Of course a few changes will have to be made.  We can discuss that at rehearsal.

Oh this is swell.  I was looking around my Media Library for a more lively picture of a murder mystery but it seems to be stuck.  No doubt I clicked on something too many times or some such thing.  It is always Operator Error with me.

However, I see I am over 200 words, and I have enough time to look over my lines again before my ride gets here.  I always say a short, dull post is better than no post at all.  I admit I may be wrong about that.  Discuss amongst yourselves.

 

Blogger’s Snow Day?

Why am I so tired so early in the evening?  That is a rhetorical question; I do not really need any speculation or suggestions.  What I need is to make a Wrist to Forehead Sunday post, since once again I have gone a few days blogless.  What the hell, me?

I have not walked up this hill lately.

This is a random picture of snow from my Media Library.  The Mohawk Valley has been experiencing a Snow Event since Friday.  I have not taken any pictures of said snow, but it looks remarkably similar to other times it has snowed around here.  Herkimer has not been as hard hit as other places, but we have gotten plenty, and I have done my share of shoveling.  I have also taken some effortful walks, plowing through marginally plowed spaces and being careful of underlying ice.  Perhaps that is why I am so tired.  It is winter, and my body feels it should be hibernating.

My car has looked like this three days in a row.

Here is a shot from last January, but it shows about what I have been dealing with.  However, I have been shoveling busily and not letting the snow pile up.  For one reason, warmer weather is not predicted.  If I wanted to wait it out, I would have a while.

The winding road ahead.

This is another picture from last year, included for the symbolism. I do not see a straight path ahead of me, perhaps because my current goals are too ambiguous.  I suppose January is a good time to work on that.  Then again, any time is a good time to set goals and make a plan.

In the meantime, I have blathered on for over 250 words.  I guess this is under the heading of At Least I Made A Blog Post.  As always, I shall try for something better tomorrow, and I thank you for tuning in.

 

It Is Still the 20’s

Oh dear, I last posted on Monday and today is Thursday.  I have had no Mohawk Valley Adventures to blog about. I have no profound thoughts to share about the new year, except to perhaps observe we are halfway through the Roaring Twenties and we seem to be wasting them.  Then again, what did I think was going to happen.  Speakeasies and bathtub gin?  It was really not the thrill we make it out to be.  A lot of the illegal alcohol was industrial stuff the bad guys added stuff to that was supposed to make it potable.  Sometimes it did, sometimes not so much.  The thrill, I read, was that you were taking your life in your hands every time you gave the password and ordered a “cup of coffee.”  Yeah, great gamble.  You win, you get a hangover.  You lose, you go blind or die.  Where was I going with this?

Me, pretending it was the ’20s in 2019.

I do enjoy the pretend 1920s, where we wear flapper dresses and listen to jazz music.  Oh why not gloss over all the negative aspects?  We are looking for entertainment not historical accuracy!

Here’s a suspicious group.

These shots were from a fundraiser at one of the Rutgers mansions in Utica, NY.  Look how handsome my husband was (he’s the one on the left, you know, the handsome one).

I haven’t had a chance to wear this dress in a while.

Here is the last year I went to the fundraiser.  I found the dress at a local thrift store.  I fear the headband made me look more That Girl and It Girl, but it was the only way I could make the wig work.

Perhaps I could make one of my murder mysteries this year a 1920s theme (preview of coming attractions).  In any case, I have blathered on for over 300 words.  I’ll slap on a headline, call this a Non-Sequitur Thursday and drive on.  As always I shall try for a better blog post tomorrow, and I thank you for tuning in.

 

Yes, It Is Monday

Here I was wondering what I could offer for a blog post when I realized today was Monday.  Monstrous Monday!  Many of us are confused by what day it is between Christmas and New Year’s.  Others are only too well aware. I cannot worry who knows what.  I can only make what blog post I can.  Full disclosure:  I have had a couple of glasses of Chardonnay before posting.  Judge me if you are so inclined.

Is this how I look to myself?

Since I confessed to indulging before blogging, I thought  this blurry mirror image was appropriate.  In fact, I am not seeing double, in the mirror or as I look in the distance.  However, this is a good monstrous image from Carnival of Souls,  a delightful low-budget scary movie.

Nice side eye!

OK, this does not have a lot to do with the previous picture, but it is a favorite of mine from The Brain That Wouldn’t Die, an excellent cheesy horror movie.

Why are you looking at me?

For a third picture, I show Nosferatu  of the eponymous 1922 silent movie, looking startled that we are zeroing in on him.  Regular readers know I love Nosferatu.

I guess this is not much of a post, which you will have on occasion.  I will try for something better tomorrow. In the meantime, I hope your Monday is just as Monstrous.