Tag Archives: Ilion NY

Swooning about the DooDah

Once again I almost neglect to make my blog post. In my defense, it is rather a Wrist to Forehead Sunday, maybe a Wrist to Forehead Weekend. I spent some time yesterday swooning around, dramatically posed with the back of one wrist to my forehead, of course.  My couch had to make do for a chaise lounge.  I am somewhat adaptable in that respect.  Does it take two days to recover from my DooDah doings?  Perhaps.

Only a fraction of the parade!

I stood at the beginning and tried to get a shot that showed the scope of the parade.  Then I walked back down the line, taking a few pictures and wondering if I really wanted to ride on a float.  I was quite tired by that time.  Still, riding on a float was my best bet, since I had left my car at Ilion Elks Lodge and caught a ride to the parade’s beginning (it seemed like a good idea at the time).  I could always jump off said float as it went by the Elks.

Who better to appear in the parade?

This is the float of the class of 1976.  They seemed like a fun bunch of people when I chatted with them before the parade.  They had said if they had room, I could ride with them, but they lacked sufficient space.

They were having fun, yes.

I ended up jumping on a float that had not previously offered but just happened to have an extra chair. It was Emrich Land Surveying.  I know the owner, because he is an Ilion Village Trustee.  I met his mother, sister and nieces.  They were so nice and fun!  I was certainly happy to sit down.

I have been sitting or lounging ever since, except for when I have been swooning.  In fact, I feel another swoon coming on.  This does not bode well for tomorrow’s blog post.  Whatever will I do?  Worry about it tomorrow, I suppose.

 

The DooDah Did Me In!

I have been lounged on my couch doing not much of anything today and remembered I did not make a blog post yet.  I went to the DooDah Parade in Ilion, NY and had a fine time.  Alas, I lack stamina and resiliency, but let us not dwell on my petty problems, let us talk about the parade.  For anybody just tuning in, it is one of the grand events of a week of Ilion Days Festivities.

Yay! Ilion Little Theatre!

As I walked around talking to people and taking pictures, I was delighted to see some of my friends from Ilion Little Theatre.  I think I mentioned in a previous post that the club had not participated in recent years, so I was happy to see them back.  They even invited me to ride on the float with them.  In fact, I had a few offers.

I loved it!

I foolishly did not make a note of whose this float was, but I complimented the man driving the pick-up truck towing it.  I told him about the yard in Potsdam that has a large number of toilets planted with real flowers.  I saw it once in person, but unfortunately only in passing.  Perhaps a road trip up North is indicated.

He was a friendly guy!

You can’t really see his cape in this picture.  He told me he was a combination of Superman and Wonder Woman.  It just goes to show you, anything goes at the DooDah Parade!

I’m afraid I spent too much time walking up and down, chatting and having a good time.  My back, knee, and hip are not thanking me for it today.  I wonder if I should change the name of my blog to Mohawk Valley Old Lady.  Hmmm… doesn’t have a ring to it.

 

Do I DooDah?

That title occurred to me as I sat here on my Chromebook contemplating my day and wondering if I would get anything of substance done (spoiler alert: I probably won’t).  One problem is I have to recruit my energies for the DooDah Parade, a highlight of Ilion Days this evening.  I must cover it for the Daily Sentinel.  At least, I never heard back from my editor that she wanted me to cover it, but I covered it last year, so I thought I would submit something.  At least it will make a good blog post and be something for me to do on a Friday other than watch Dateline or Columbo and wish it was not too hot to knit.

I personally am on the Boomer cusp.

This is a picture from last year.  I walked all around the floats and marchers as they waited for the parade to start, chatting up lots of people and looking for Joe White, who is the main mover and shaker behind the parade.  I never found him, but one of the American Legions let me ride along on their float.  It was great fun.

I am back left, with my arm raised, looking a little like the Statue of Liberty.

This is from 2019, when Ilion Little Theatre used to participate in the DooDah.  They had a circus theme that year.  I just draped a few of my lighter shawls around me and put on my tiara, which long-time readers know I wear at any excuse.  I don’t remember what I purported to be, but I feel I looked fabulous.  This year the theme is, not surprisingly, Happy Birthday, America.  I feel I should dress appropriately, although I must remember the weather will be warm, not to say hot.

I keep saying I’m going to join them.

I thought I’d close with another shot from last year.  These are the Happy Hags, a delightful dance troupe that makes many local appearances.  I think they are wonderful.  If my arthritis or whatever it is permits, I may yet join them.  They are very nice.

So I guess I have talked myself into going to the DooDah Parade.  I must figure out what to wear (my Uncle Sam or George Washington costume?), where to park (I know a good spot close to the end but not too far to walk to the beginning), where to go afterwards (there is a good band playing at Ilion Elks Lodge) (preview of coming attractions) etc.  I said in my email to my editor that she might prefer to send a more talented photographer, so I see someone else there from the Sentinel, that will be fine.  I will use my photos for the blog.  As always, I hope you will stay tuned.

 

Not Typical on Tired Tuesday

I am having a rather rough time these days.  I put my crutches aside on Saturday.  It went fairly well, but I clearly need my appointments with orthopedics next week and month.  And a few other appointments as well, but I must not go on about my physical ailments.  It is so tiresome, although I understand it can be typical of women my age.  Oh, how I hate to be typical!

I prefer to be colorful.

I quickly throw in an unexpected photograph.  Who could be uncheered by a drag queen?  Not me, I feel better already. I really do not have much to blog about currently.  Last night I covered the Ilion Village Board meeting.  While there, a trustee asked me was I going to cover the DooDah Parade on Friday.  I emailed my editor at the Daily Sentinel and asked if she wanted me to.  I did last year.

A shot from last year’s DooDah Parade.

I hitched a ride on a float of one of the American Legions.  This is a picture I took from it as the parade started.  It was a lot of fun.

And who doesn’t love a classic car?

Last year’s parade was notable because the Grand Marshal was an exchange student who returned for the 50th Class Reunion.  I got a picture of him in the fancy car loaned for the occasion.  I do not even know what this year’s DooDah theme is.  Ilion Days had completely dropped off my radar, due to my health problems (oh dear, I mustn’t get back on those again!).

At any rate, I am over 250 words. I can bill this as a Tired Tuesday post and drive on.  We shall see what the rest of the week will bring!

 

I Don’t Feel So Good

I’m afraid today is going to be a Blogger’s Sick Day.  I may get to 200 words and bill it as a Tired Tuesday, but we shall see.  I have one of my light-headed migraines and it is doing me in.  It came upon me last night during the Herkimer Town Board meeting, but I managed to make it through the meeting, taking notes and paying pretty good attention.  Really, my light-headed migraines are not as bad as the painful migraines I used to get, and I know other people suffer way worse ones than that, so I must count my blessings.  That said, I am not my peppy, chatty self.  Is my usual self peppy and chatty?  Discuss amongst yourselves while I look in my Media Library for a picture to pep things up.

“I don’t always wear pumpkin pants, but when I do, it’s in a Shakespeare play.”

I have not shared this picture in a while.  It is my friend Tucker, posing as the Most Interesting Man in the World backstage at a performance of The Tempest by LiFT, Little Falls Theatre Company in 2017.  I miss summer Shakespeare, although I would not have been able to participate this year, alas.

Am I casting a spell or conducting?

Just to share another picture, here I am in July of 2018, participating in the DooDah Parade during Ilion Days with Ilion Little Theatre (ILT).  ILT has not participated in the parade in a while, which I believe I have mentioned.  I rode in the parade last year, covering it for the Daily Sentinel.  I do not know when it is this year.  I think soon, and I am about to miss it.  Oh dear.  I guess I am having more than a sick day.

 

Not Just Monsters: Parades and Players!

Well, I did a few posts on Mohawk Valley Adventures, and now I am back to doing a Tired Tuesday post.  In my defense, do I really need to defend myself?  I am just keeping my spirits up as best as I can while attempting to be at least marginally entertaining in my daily blog.  Let us see what I can come up with for today.

“Now this won’t hurt a bit. Of course I am a colossal liar.”

I don’t know who the two women are, but the man is a young Christopher Lee in Horror Hotel, also known as City of the Dead. Both titles are misnomers, though, because it involves an inn in a village, but it is a pretty entertaining creepy movie.  I have not seen a creepy movie in a while.  I unhooked my DVD player in hopes of getting it worked on, but the place in town that works on these things seems to be out of business, alas.

Any excuse to wear my tiara!

I did not want to make this post all about monsters, so I throw in this from a few years ago.  I am all set to participate in the DooDah Parade with Ilion Little Theatre (ILT),  part of the Ilion Days festivities.  ILT has not participated these last few years, which I find sad, but groups need people to take charge and get these things organized.  My friend Kim was a mover and shaker in days past, but she, alas, moved away. I myself am not much of a mover or shaker currently.  Perhaps that will change, but not in time for this year’s DooDah Parade, I’m afraid.

Another tiara shot!

And speaking of things I’m not up to this year, here is a shot from Four Old Broads on the High Seas, the show I was in with Players of Utica last year.  Will I ever be on the stage again?  One can hope!  In the meantime, at least I made another blog post.  As always, I thank you for tuning in.

 

We Reporters Have to Eat, Too

I decided this morning I would treat myself to breakfast out so I could definitely make a real blog post and plug a local business.  For one reason, I knew I would be out and about, searching for a picture to go with my story about the Ilion Village Board meeting for Sentinel Media (regular readers may recall I have a side hustle covering a few meetings and such in the Valley).  For another reason, an Everything Bagel at Saturday Spreads sounded really, really good.

Great place to stop!

Since I knew I was going to be enjoying a cup of Utica Coffee later (“Wake the Hell Up!”), I sipped a cup of tea while I wrestled with my journalistic endeavors (“Wake the Hell Up” is Utica Coffee’s tag-line; I’m not cussing at you).  Soon I was headed to Ilion in search of illustration.  I failed to get a shot of some soon-to-be-demolished properties, because they were quite overgrown by now.  Also, the neighbor’s dogs started barking at me, and I felt unwelcome.  Finally I got a shot of some re-paving that was also talked about at the meeting.

Central Paving seems to be doing a fine job.

I explained to one of the fellows working that I was not taking pictures for any nefarious purpose.  He told me he thought the mayor was doing a good job, and I agreed.  Of course, it is impossible to please everybody.  Even for Mohawk Valley Girl, if you can believe such a thing.

Finally I was at Saturday Spreads and enjoying my repast.  I got the Utica Grind this time, which I remembered to write down:  Cream Cheese, Heirloom Tomatoes, Lemon Zest, Utica Grind, Flaky Sea Salt.

My writer’s breakfast.

I said to the waitress, “Some people make fun of people for taking pictures of their food, but I’m going to use it in my blog post.”  I really enjoyed it.  I found it quite salty and spice; it make my lips tingle, but they tend to get a little chapped this time of year due to allergies.  I looked longingly at the pastries in the case as I left but resolutely headed out the door.  I need to take off a few pounds for the sake of my knees and back if for no other reason.

Saturday Spreads is located at 264 E. Main St., Frankfort, NY.  You can follow them on Facebook.

 

Murals and Selfies, It’s Waste Not Want Not Wednesday

I planned last week to make a Waste Not Want Not Wednesday post when I came out of New 2 You Consignments in Ilion, NY and saw the mural painted on a wall opposite.

So artistic!

I believe they have had community events in that space.  I will have to watch when they will have more.  It will make for a good blog post.  Having taken one good picture, I had to look out for more.  That was where I didn’t get so lucky.  Then I had an opportunity to wear one of the new earrings I got at The Mustard Seed in Little Falls. Perhaps you read my blog post about them.  As regular readers may recall, I like to wear three different earrings.  It is a thing with me.

I can’t pretend I take a good selfie, but I do my best with what nature gave me.

Yesterday was the vote for the school board budget.  It is one’s civic duty to vote.  We do not hear much about duty these days, but it used to be a big deal. In the Agatha Christie books I delight in reading, the characters can usually get each other to do things by telling them it is their duty.  So I told myself it was my duty and went to the Junior/Senior High School, where voting took place.  A nice police officer opened the door for me.  I laughed, because there was a Visitor’s Door and a Student’s Door both opening into the same hallway.

“The teachers want us to vote yes, right?”  I asked a teacher-looking person as I walked into a library.  He assured me they did, and I said I would do what the teachers wanted.

“Unlike what you did in elementary school,” he speculated.

On the other side, I was wearing the butterfly earring again.

I took a selfie with my I Voted sticker.  Steve and I used to take an ussie with our stickers, so I thought I would continue the tradition.  I also continued the tradition of putting the sticker in the TV Journal.  Of course the selfie isn’t as fun as the ussie, but one does what one can.

See? Much more fun with two!

This is from November 2018.  Steven and I did have fun.

 

I Find it at New2You!

Tonight is the night!  We present A Revolutionary Murder with a new ending and a new Evelyn Ganache, the put-upon assistant to Reuben Maneuse, organizer of the evening’s festivities.  I play Evelyn, whereas when we presented the murder before I played the evil and short-lived Amaretta VonSchnapps.  Of course I needed a new costume.  I thought I had found a good dress at a rummage sale, but when I got it home and tried it on, YUCK!  It showed up all my figure flaws (and believe me, I have a seriously flawed figure!).

After a few failed thrift store visits, I remembered I had a pair of generic black pants.  A plain blue top, paired with a patriotic scarf I had worn with the more flamboyant Amaretta costume would do.  I made my way to New 2 You Consignments in Ilion, NY, where I had previously found many excellent additions to my wardrobe.

Lots of good stuff here.

“I need a costume, but NOT something fabulous,” I told Robbi, the owner, as I walked in.  It was not long before I found just the right thing.  Phew!

I’m the one sitting down.

Just to show you an example of one of my more fabulous finds.  I actually found this the day of the murder mystery, and I have worn it for at least one other murder mystery since.  I think I look rather fabulous in it, but perhaps I flatter myself.

I’m second from the right.

And here is another fabulous find.  This one I wear as part of my regular wardrobe, not just for murder mysteries.  I do like to dress to impress, even if the only one I impress is myself.

New 2 You Consignments is located at 10 Central Plaza, Ilion, NY.

 

Old Mystery, New Mystery

I am going to have a Way Back Wednesday post but cannot decide if I want to go back to murder mysteries or gardening glories.  OK, my previous gardening endeavors have not been particularly glorious; I was merely going for the alliteration, since one is built in for murder mysteries.  Since I shared flowers yesterday and am concerned with Saturday’s performance of A Revolutionary Murder, I think I will go with the first one.

They are more suspicious than they look.

These are two of the suspects from A G.R.A.V.E. Murder, which we presented in October 2017 to benefit the Herkimer County Historical Society.  I was thinking about it last night, because my friend, Chuck, who is in A Revolutionary Murder, said that was one of his favorite characters, an endearingly gung ho ghost hunter (why in the world is my computer underlining “gung”?  I even looked it up!).  Saturday he plays a wheeler-dealer in charge of the evening.

Here’s the whole murderous crew!

Here is the entire cast of A G.R.A.V.E. Murder.  The second from the right is in A Revolutionary Murder as well.  He played a snotty, snobby fellow in the first but plays a gung ho musical theatre aficionado in the second.

Look at the crowd!

One more shot of G.R.A.V.E.  It was one of our best attended performances, which led to some problems being heard.  I hope we will get good attendance on Saturday and help Morning Star make some money.

A Revolutionary Murder will be presented at Morning Star United Methodist Church, 36 Second St., Ilion, NY, on Saturday, May 16, doors open at 5 p.m., roast pork dinner at 5:30.  It is a good idea to get there at 5 p.m. For tickets or more information call Barb at 315-894-4520.