Tag Archives: herkimer county historical society

Don’t Despair: Just Write the Post!

Posted on February 1, 2018 by mohawkvalleygirl

This is the kind of nonsense in which I indulge on Facebook lately.  The first I originally typed into this space, then thought, “I can’t start a blog post with this!”  So I moved it to Facebook.  Now I put it back here, just to be that way:

I can’t do it.  I can’t write a blog post about Why I Can’t Write a Blog Post.  And, I can’t write a blog post.

Then I remembered something I had meant to post in my pun group, Punmanship: A Salute to Bennett Cerf and other inveterate punsters.  It is a true story:

I said I would throw my hands up in despair, and my husband said he would like to see that. When I did, he said it did not look like despair. I said, “It was dis pair of hands!” The fact that he laughed explains our long and happy marriage.

Well, that got me up to 15o words anyways.  My choices now are:  (1) make a really short post; (2) throw in a picture or two and get silly; (3) never mind what choice #3 is, I’m going to add pictures and get silly.

Alas, Frangelica, we never knew ya!

Never mind what this originally represented:  these are all players in the murder mystery I am writing for a fundraiser for the Herkimer County Historical Society on March 31.  I worked a little more on it today but have far to go.  I shall give further updates as events warrant.

The Suiter House, home of the Herkimer County Historical Society.

Since the plot of the murder mystery centers around an upcoming exhibit at the Historical Society, I include a picture of The Suiter House. The mystery’s title is Secrets at Suiter House.  I believe I wrote a blog post about that.

Ooh, look at that:  I am up to 300 words.  I guess I could write a blog post after all.

 

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We Have a Title!

Posted on January 19, 2018 by mohawkvalleygirl

One writing chore which has been on the back burner but is quickly moving to the front is the murder mystery I am putting together for the Herkimer County Historical Society.  Performance date is March 31, so I have time. Not oceans of time, but at least a mud puddle’s worth.

Of course I have been quite occupied with my 100 Days of Novel and getting my article(s) together for Mohawk Valley Living magazine, but I have been bearing my mystery in mind.  I have all the character sheets written and a good start on the clue sheet.  Additionally, I have been thinking about it a lot. I know, I know, thinking about writing is not writing.  Still, thinking is at some point a good idea, if not actually required (for example, I do not vouch for the amount of thinking that goes into my average blog post, but I’m sure you knew that).

I got a nudge from the Historical Society the other day when they Facebook messaged me asking for the title and a few details.  Well, details I have many, but a title, not so much.  I asked my husband Steven’s help.  He is sometimes very clever at thinking of blog post titles.  He came up with “Murder on Exhibit,” because the plot concerns an upcoming exhibit at the Historical Society.  The only thing I could think of was “Slaying at Suiter House”  or  “Slain at Suiter House.”  Suiter Memorial Building houses the society’s museum and collections.

While at work today I thought of a few other possibilities:  “Herkimer County Murder,” “Murdering Local History,” and “Museum of Murder,” to name a few.  AND I came up with the one we eventually picked:  “Secrets at Suiter House.”  “Murder on Exhibit” was the first runner-up.

I will share more details of the murder mystery in future posts (preview of coming attractions).  In the meantime, can you keep a secret?  So can I.

 

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I Need a Little Murder

Posted on November 27, 2017 by mohawkvalleygirl

I was going to say Halloween, but I think an episode or two of Snapped or even Dateline would fill the proverbial bill (you can get away with an overly used expression if you add the word “proverbial”).  Steven and I have been watching Christmas movies all day, and I just don’t feel like crying again.  I fully understand why people often become more depressed at Christmas time.  My intention was not to whine about my own melancholy.  Then again, it is Wrist to Forehead Sunday.  Like a Facebook meme says, I’ll get over it; I just need to be dramatic first.

Anyways, I do need a little murder, as my headline says.  The Herkimer County Historical Society has contacted me about putting together another interactive murder mystery for them.  Well, you know I will do almost anything for my friends at the historical society.  And I will write a murder mystery at almost any excuse.  Naturally, I find my mind at first completely blank.  What a good thing they asked me about this months before they want it!  Lots of time to dither and whither, then write the damn thing and get to rehearsing it.

In the meantime, I need a blog post for today.  I mean to stop that nonsense I have employed about missing a day and posting two the next.  I will write more!  I will write better!  Today, however, I think I’ll just post a couple of pictures and have done with.  Let’s see, murder or Christmas, or a judicious mixture of both?

Who doesn’t love the Muppets?

 

Oh swell, I have to wait till nine o’clock for my fix!

 

“Did she say murder? I’m outta here!”

 

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Wrist to Mystery

Posted on October 16, 2017 by mohawkvalleygirl

They all look pretty suspicious to me.

I am having another Wrist to Forehead Sunday, but I thought I could liven it up a little with a few pictures from last night’s dinner theatre, A G.R.A.V.E. Murder, which was presented as a benefit for the Herkimer County Historical Society.  It was a great success.  The audience was pleased, the Historical Society people were pleased, the actors were pleased, and I was VERY pleased.  And a little relieved that it’s over, but you’ll have that.  The above is a full cast photo, taken after the performance.

Yes, he’s a cutie.

Speaking of being pleased, I was more than pleased that my wonderful husband, Steven, could be part of the cast.  He is such a good actor and so fun to work with.  The other cast members were also excellent to act with.  A delightful time was had by all.

The hottie in the little black dress is up to no good.

 

These two definitely do not trust each other.

 

Here we are waiting while dinner is being served, a pause in the dastardly doings.

There is one more photo I downloaded from the ones the Historical Society took, but my computer is not allowing me to download it and I say, to hell with it. It is Wrist to Forehead Sunday.  I have monster movies to watch.  I hope you will all tune in again tomorrow on Mental Meanderings Monday.

 

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Busy Saturday, Lousy Post

Posted on October 15, 2017 by mohawkvalleygirl

What a day, what a day!  I felt too tired and out of it to make my blog post earlier; why, for heavens’ sake, did I think it would be any easier now?  However, it is now 9 p.m. on Saturday night and I must post or not, and I choose post.

This morning I ran in the East Herkimer Fire Department 5K.  It was fun!  I did not run very fast, but I ran the whole distance and finished in as close as I get to a sprint.  I meant to write a whole blog post about it, but you know how it is.  You get home, shower, eat something, get absorbed in doing other stuff…  Long story, not very interesting, I did not write the post.

Tonight, we put on A G.R.A.V.E. Murder, the interactive murder mystery dinner theatre which benefited the Herkimer County Historical Society.  It was fun!  The audience loved us!  I could write a whole blog post about it, but, what a surprise, I’m tired.  I am dressed in comfy clothes, lounged on the couch with the television on.  I want to watch it and crochet.

And here we come to my main problem in my life as a blogger (oh yeah, like blogging is my life; I assure you, it is not):  when I am doing lots of good stuff to blog about, I am too tired and busy to write the damn post.  Oh well, shit, as they say, happens.  I’ll try for a better post tomorrow.  Happy Saturday, everyone.

 

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Speaking of Blog Posts

Posted on October 12, 2017 by mohawkvalleygirl

I ponder another post before scooting off to rehearsal for A G.R.A.V.E. Murder, the murder mystery we are doing this Saturday for the Herkimer County Historical Society.  I shall not add more information about that, though, because I believe they are sold out (Yay!).  That morning (Oct. 14, by the way), I am registered to run in the East Herkimer Fire Department 5K.  I bet there are spaces available for that fun event, so come join me if you’re into it.

It is what to do in between the two events that concerns me.  I have so many choices!

Earlier this week, I wrote about The Old Barn Marketplace in Little Falls, a very fun place to browse.  Well, this Saturday they are having a Grand Opening and Fall Festival.  There will be food, music, raffles and more, from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m.  Ingham Mills Farm will be onsite with their alpacas.  I love alpacas!  They are so soft and beautiful.

And speaking of Grand Openings, there is also one at Prima Donna’s Boutique, a new business I have yet to write about but mean to soon.  It is a gift shop with jewelry, art, vintage clothing and more.  I stopped in last Saturday and was charmed.  Their Grand Opening starts at 10:30 a.m.  The boutique is located at 411 Canal Place, Little Fall.

And speaking of Canal Place, while I’m in Little Falls, I could stop by Rochette, a curated hive (I got that phrase from their business card) located where The Mustard Seed used to be at 410 Canal Place.  That is another place I need to write more about.  So many blog posts!  So little brain!

So I guess this post is more of a Preview of Coming Attractions than anything else.  However, for Wuss-out Wednesday, we’ll call it a win.

 

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No Pictures, But Lots of Plans

Posted on September 30, 2017 by mohawkvalleygirl

Well, here I am, after 7 p.m. on Lame Post Friday and no post anywhere in my brain.  So I sit down, start typing, and hope for the best.  Before I started typing, I went to Facebook and looked for an image to download from the show we’re watching.  It is Dateline: Secrets Uncovered on Oxygen.  We watch a lot of Oxygen, because they show a lot of Snapped, one of my favorites.  This particular episode of Dateline was a case that was also covered on Snapped.  I LOVE to see the same crime on more than one show!

Oxygen has what they call “Crime Time Weekends,” where they show LOTS of true crime shows.  I am a well-known addict of true crime.  Um, not committing it. Reading about it and watching television shows about it.  The real documentary shows, not what I call the reenactment-fests.

However, I do not intend to have a “Crime Time Weekend” of my own.  I have plans.  Tomorrow I am going to go running (preparing for the East Herkimer Fire Department 5K Race!)  I may also walk to the post office, after writing my usual post cards, just for a little more exercise.  Later on Saturday, I plan to attend the Flood Relief Benefit for Rocky Rockwell, an area veteran who lost his house to flooding earlier this year.  In between these two activities, I have to figure out what to wear to the latter, always a traumatic experience for me (perhaps that will form the subject of Saturday’s blog post) (preview of coming attractions).

Sunday will be spent watching Halloween movies with my lovely husband, Steven, with a few breaks to work on our lines for A G.R.A.V.E. Murder, the murder mystery dinner theatre we are doing to benefit the Herkimer County Historical Society.  I think I know my lines pretty well, but it is well to be sure about these things.

So this is my Friday Lame Post.  No pictures but lots of plans (would that be a good title for this post?  I’ll ask Steven).

 

 

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My Weekend: Ritz to GRAVE

Posted on September 19, 2017 by mohawkvalleygirl

Me and my disreputable LiFT friends.

I thought if I led with a really cool picture, my readers would forgive me for another post where I ain’t got nuthin’.    Yes, I said “ain’t got nuthin’.”  A double negative, the word “ain’t,” and a phonetic spelling of lazy pronounciation.  Lots of no-nos!  Ah-ha-ha-ha-ha! (That was my evil laugh, in case you did not recognize it.)

I had a busy, tiring weekend.  The above photo is members of LiFT Theatre Company participating in the Ritz and Ragtime fundraiser for the Landmarks Society of Greater Utica.  That was my Saturday night, and I spent a good portion of Saturday afternoon getting my costume back together and generally fretting about it, as I tend to do about such things.  We had a lot of fun and got to see one of the famous mansions at Rutger Place.  I’d like to find out more about the Landmarks Society and participate in future fundraisers.

Sunday was taken up with A G.R.A.V.E. Murder, the murder mystery fundraiser for the Herkimer County Historical Society.  That was a lot of fun, too.  We met at my house, so naturally I had to fix a few snacks.  We had a lot of laughs, too.  Now I must get on with learning my lines.  You might think I would already know them, since, you know, I wrote it.  But not so much.  Anyways, it will be easier than learning Shakespeare.

Expect to hear a lot about this in the next few weeks.

After A G.R.A.V.E. Murder, I may take a break from theatrics for a while (even from being a drama queen in real life, if I can manage it).   Many of my friends shake their heads or laugh and point when I say that, but I really need to work on some other things in my life.  On the other hand, if the Landmarks Society wanted to do a murder mystery fundraiser…

 

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More Fun with my Theatre Friends

Posted on September 17, 2017 by mohawkvalleygirl

I am sitting on my couch in my husband’s bathrobe (oh, don’t say TMI, just be happy I’m not sitting around naked!), waiting till it’s time to get ready for tonight’s adventure, which I wrote a blog post about two days ago (perhaps you read it).  I did accomplish one thing I meant to do: I emailed out character sheets and scripts to the cast of my next theatrical endeavor.

They put my name on the flier! I’m really on the spot now!

A G.R.A.V.E Murder is an interactive murder mystery dinner theatre.  I’ve done a few such in the area. Engaged To Be Murdered  and He Laughed Himself to Death at the Morning Star Methodist Church in Ilion were presented under the auspices of Ilion Little Theatre.  Who Shot J.S.?  was produced by and for the Herkimer County Historical Society.   Rubbed Out at Ruby’s was a slightly different interactive murder mystery presented by LiFT Theatre Company at the Overlook Mansion in Little Falls.   So you see, I have the bonafides when it comes to murdering people theatrically (my computer is telling me “bonafides” is not a word, but I don’t have time to look it up) (full disclosure:  I probably do have time to look it up; I’m just too tired and agitated).

Where was I?  Ah yes, A G.R.A.V.E. Murder.  G.R.A.V.E. stands for Ghost Retrieval and Verification Enterprises.  We are a company of ghost hunters, and our fearless leader was recently killed during a ghost-hunting expedition.  Were the evil ghosts he was hunting responsible?  Or was it one of his earthly colleagues?  Hmmmm…..

We begin rehearsals tomorrow (murder mysteries don’t take nearly as many rehearsals as full-length plays).  I have gathered a wonderful cast of marvelously talented people (I don’t say that just to butter them up; it is quite true and I’m sure they would agree with me).

My co-workers have been shaking their heads at me, reminding me that I had vowed to take a theatrical break after The Tempest,  yet here I am, pulling out Ruby’s long cigarette holder (don’t worry; they’re fake cigarettes) and writing murder mysteries.  But these aren’t full-length plays!  Tonight shouldn’t even really count, since I didn’t have any lines to learn.  All right, for the murder mystery I have some lines to learn (I’m not the dead body, after all).  Not too many!  Oh well, maybe after Oct. 14 I will take a real break.  If I don’t, you are welcome to say “I told you so.”  I will be too busy having fun with my theatre friends to worry about it.

A G.R.A.V.E. Murder  will take place at the Mohawk American Legion on Oct. 14 at 5:30 p.m.  Cost is $22 per person and includes a delicious roast beef dinner.  There will be a Chinese auction as well as prizes for some who correctly guess the murderer.  Tickets may be purchased at the historical society at 400 N. Main St., Herkimer, NY, Monday through Friday from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. or by calling 315-866-6413.

 

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Remember Roxy?

Posted on September 8, 2017 by mohawkvalleygirl

So there I was, trying to think of something to make a blog post about that was not whining about how I couldn’t make a blog post today or sharing pictures of monster movies, when I saw that a friend on Facebook had shared a memory from 2015, and I said, “Ah, Roxy.”

I’m being threatened by the guy with the ax, but don’t worry: I turn the tables on him.

This is a rehearsal shot from the play Roxy by Jack Sherman, that was presented by the Herkimer County Historical Society at Ilion Little Theatre in September of 2015.  It concerns a famous local murderess, who was tried in the Herkimer County Courthouse and hanged behind the 1834 Jail. I played the title role.  It was a large cast, and everybody had a chance to shine.  It was quite the theatrical experience for all involved (I believe I wrote a few blog posts about it).  Having downloaded the above photo for inclusion in today’s post, I typed “Roxy Ilion Little Theatre” into the Facebook search box to see what else I could find.

I didn’t really look like this, although I tried.

This is the poster.  The Historical Society also had little magnets of it made up.  I have one on my refrigerator now.

Isn’t he handsome?

This is my wonderful husband, Steven, who played four different roles.  Here he portrays Dr. Suiter, who rather fancied himself as a forensic expert and had a lot to do with getting Roxy hanged.  Thanks a lot, Steve!

That reward isn’t really being offered, so don’t go calling “America’s Most Wanted.”

A friend put this frame on a picture of me.  As far as I remember, no reward was offered for Roxy’s capture, and she wasn’t that hard to take in anyways.  If you want to know the real story of Roxalana Druse, I recommend James M. Greiner’s book, Last Woman Hanged.  I said I was not going to be in any more plays for a while.  Still, if anybody decided to stage a revival of Roxy… well, let’s just say I would take it under consideration.

 

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