Tag Archives: Herkimer Elks Lodge

More Murder on the Menu

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?

 

One Dead, One to Go!

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!

 

I Would Kill for a Good Meal

I failed to take any pictures of last night’s rehearsal for Recipe for Murder Royale, the murder mystery we are presenting Sunday to benefit Salisbury Grange then again May 3 to benefit the Herkimer County Historical Society.  However, I have some fun information to impart.

Mmmm… Hats and Broccoli

Of course I am looking forward to the lunch at the Grange on Sunday, but I have to really hand it to the chef catering at the Elks next Saturday.

A nice appetizing little murder.

The poster does not include the menu, but I saw a copy and wrote it down.  Diners will enjoy Italian Chicken Stew made with real Italians, and Roasted Cauliflower or is it brains?  Main dishes include Baked Chicken (sure… we’ll call it chicken)  and Balsamic Pork (wink, wink).  And watch out for the Sauteed Peas and Pearl Onions; those are definitely not eyeballs!  Dinner will conclude with some desserts to die for.

How fun is that?  I should be so creative!

Here’s an actress to die for!

Here is a shot of one of my actors at the Grange in April 2023, when we did Shooting at the Grange.  She will look different this time out; in fact, she will put the Royal in Recipe for Murder Royale.  I will definitely try to get pictures!

 

Once Again, Technology Eludes Me

Can I manage a Throwback Thursday Post today?  Full Disclosure:  I was at the Herkimer Elks Lodge and had a few glasses of wine.  In my defense, I had to go and answer a few questions about Recipe for Murder Royale, the murder mystery we are presenting there to benefit the Herkimer County Historical Society.  I know, I only could have answered the questions and gone home.  I chose the more fun option.

Oh swell.  I can’t figure out how to get the flier of the murder mystery onto my blog post.  I suppose it is not very surprising  considering my full disclosure.

Here it is!

It is now Friday morning, so I call this a late post and do not despair of making a Lame Post Friday post later today.  I still haven’t figured out how to get a picture from Facebook to my blog on my Chromebook, but I can do it on my phone.  I didn’t think of doing that last night, silly me!

And while I was at it…

I also managed to share the flier from the show at Salisbury Grange, a week earlier.  That makes this NOT a Throwback Thursday post.  Oh dear.  Should I edit the first paragraph or continue in my stream of consciousness way?

This was a fun one!

One throwback, to the original production of Donate to Murder, presented at Herkimer Elks in 2019 (we presented it again a couple years later).  I’m in the feather hat on the left, then Tucker Lester in the Steam Punk goggles, my late dearly missed husband Steve, and Laura Powers.  I would love to work with both Tucker and Laura again, but they are very busy these days, alas!

I see I approach 300 words, which is pretty good for a late post.  I think I”ll bill this as a Non-Sequitur Thursday and drive on.  As always, I thank you for tuning in.

 

At Last! A Post-Rehearsal Post!

I had another rehearsal for Recipe for Murder Royale, the murder mystery we are doing to benefit the Herkimer County Historical Society, tonight and remembered to take a few pictures!  They weren’t the best pictures, but one does what one can.

We rehearsed at Herkimer Elks Lodge.

The setting of the mystery is that we are a group of people putting together a new recipe book, a royal recipe book, with all the recipes tested by royalty.  Our money man is missing.  We do hope nothing has happened to him.

None of us know our lines yet.

We are putting on the murder mystery twice, once at the Elks to benefit the Historical Society, and once at Salisbury Grange to benefit them.  We rehearsed at the Elks because it is closer for all of us.

You can’t tell in this picture, but it is a dramatic moment.

Rehearsals are going pretty well. I think I have a great group of actors this time.  I almost always do.  There is a lot of talent in the Mohawk Valley!

This was actually the first picture I took.

I guess I don’t have too much to say so far.  Can we call this a Wuss-out Wednesday? I fear I am a little tired after my rehearsal.  As usual, I will try for a better blog post tomorrow.

 

Walking into the Weekend Once Again

I’m pretty sure I’ve used that headline before, but perhaps my readers will forgive me.  If not, well that is a silly thing to hold a grudge over, isn’t it?  Oh I know, you’re not mad, only disappointed.  Now I’m getting silly.  I had coffee instead of tea this morning.

Do Not Enter into silliness? Say it ain’t so!

I have been getting out walking almost every day this week, so I thought a brief Pedestrian Post would keep me in the daily blogging habit for another day.  I actually took this picture some days ago.  I was on my way to the Herkimer Elks Lodge.  I joined recently and have met some very nice people.  I hope to participate in some of their projects.  If nothing else, it will make for some good blog posts.

Not as clear as I had hoped.

On another walk, I noticed some bird prints and paused to take a picture.  That extended my walk, because I dropped a glove and did not notice it till I was two or three blocks away and had to go back.

Some guys from the press conference.

Just to show you I have not only been taking walks and hanging out with the Elks, I share a picture from a press conference I covered for Sentinel Media Company.  Regular readers may recall I cover a couple of village and town board meetings for them.  I like to pretend I am an intrepid girl reporter from a 1930s or ’40s movie, although I am really none of the three.

I do not know what the rest of my weekend will bring, but I hope something blogworthy.  In the meantime, I approach 300 words and hope I have been at least mildly entertaining.  I wonder if there is any more coffee…

By the way, I fixed the headline.  It originally read, “Walking into the Weekend,” which I had indeed used before.

 

Do I Have a Shot at a King’s Sunset?

How about a Waste Not Want Not Wednesday post?  I think I can find three pictures on my phone that I have not used in a blog post.  I will be happy to make a Wednesday blog post on Wednesday.  It is still Wednesday, isn’t it?

It was pretty tasty.

When I was at the Herkimer Elks Club recently, a member offered to buy anybody who wanted one a shot of Frangelico.  Since I have been killing off Frangelica Inferno recently, I gratefully accepted his generous offer.  Imagine my delight when the shot glass actually said, “Frangelico.”  (I do not know why my Chromebook is underlining “Frangelico,” that is how the liqueur is spelled; I looked it up.)

Which King? Which Court? At least I did not park there.

This is the back of a building on Main Street in Herkimer, NY.  I believe it is behind Mohawk Valley Market.  I do not know what Kings Court used to be.  Do any of my readers?  Please comment if so.

This was the best of three pictures I took.

Here is a picture I took while walking home from the Elks Club one evening.  The colors were much more dramatic in real life.  Perhaps if I had a real camera instead of a cheap-ass cell phone  I could get a better shot.  At least you can see the branches on the tree pretty good, so I shall content myself with that.

I hope to have a couple of Mohawk Valley Adventures as the week winds down, but no promises.  The weather has been not conductive to travel.  Still I might be able to walk someplace that manages to stay open.  We shall see.  As always, I hope you will stay tuned.

 

 

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.

 

Post-Rehearsal Post with Pics

Hello and welcome to a Post-Rehearsal Post.  I have just returned from a rehearsal for Curtains for Frangelica, the murder mystery we are presenting to benefit the Herkimer County Historical Society on Oct. 12 at the Herkimer Elks Lodge.  I remembered to take a few pictures this time!

Big smiles! No suspicions here!

On the murder night, we are all gathered to promote a new play soon to be produced and looking for investors, written by and starring Frangelica Inferno.  Frangelica is a well-known star of, well, a certain type of movie. She is looking to expand her horizons with this new play.  Unfortunately she is absent so far, as is her agent, Teddy “10%” Tardugno.  We do hope nothing has happened to them!

Tensions mount!

I really do not want to say too much more about the plot.  I feel the audience should let it unfold before them.

More clues are revealed!

Rehearsals are always fun, and as we go we often find better ways to present clues, or funnier ways to say lines.  Additionally, rehearsing at the Elks Lodge as we do, I can enjoy a glass of wine at the same time.

Curtains for Frangelica will be presented Saturday, Oct. 12 at 5:30 p.m., with dinner at 6:00.  Tickets are $45, available at the Herkimer County Historical Society.  Catering is by Cacciatore’s Restaurant.

 

Killing Frangelica

Hello and welcome to a Post Rehearsal Post.  It was the first rehearsal for Curtains for Frangelica? the murder mystery we are presenting to benefit the Herkimer County Historical Society on Oct. 12.  Yikes, that’s one month from today!  But I feel confident we will get it together and be wonderful. I have an excellent cast.  Unfortunately I forgot to take any pictures at rehearsal.  Perhaps I can combine a Post Rehearsal Post with a Throwback Thursday and share some pictures from other murder mysteries.  I have done a few, I think.

There’s Frangelica Inferno!

This is not exactly a picture from a murder mystery, but it is my friend Kim dressed as the character Frangelica Inferno.  I am killing off Frangelica in this latest murder mystery.  That will teach Kim to move away from me!

Ah, here’s another suspicious bunch!

Here is a picture from a past killing, A G.R.A.V.E. Murder. The two people in the middle, my friend Jerry and me, are in the current production.  The other three, my friends Chuck and Laura, and my late husband, Steve, were unavailable.

The original Frangelica mystery!

And here is the first mystery I wrote for the Herkimer County Historical Society, Who Shot J.S.? in which Frangelica Inferno was accused of killing local writer Jack Sherman, over a revival of Roxy, a script he had written.  It’s kind of complicated.

In any case, I am over 200 words, AND I made my Thursday post ON Thursday.  I guess this sort of thing is not such a triumph for real daily bloggers, but I must enjoy what small wins I can.  Once again, I thank you for tuning in.