Tag Archives: murder mystery

Snow, Costumes and Oolong Tea

Well, I am going to try to make my Scattered Saturday post before Steven comes home and we go out to meet good friends for dinner.  For one reason, I thought I would refrain from drinking and typing, as I sometimes do on a Saturday.  At least for my blog post.  About Facebook I make no promises (note to self:  make a Facebook page for Mohawk Valley Girl, in case my readers would like to Like me there).

Mmm… I paused to sip my Oolong tea.  I LOVE Oolong tea.  Why have I not been drinking it every day?  Points to ponder.  Then I paused again, because my laptop told me the battery was low.  Silly me, not plugging it in between Facebook breaks.  I moved to a different chair, plugged the damn thing in, moved my tea, which necessitated moving a piled up lace dress (that I’ll tell you about in a few), sat down, remembered my mouse, went back across the room to get the mouse… I tell you, it’s not easy being me.

We slept in this morning, because Steven did not work till 10:30.  Oh, the laziness of staying in bed till almost seven o’clock!  It was great.  It was after eight when Spunky indicated it was time for his first business meeting.  I put on a bra (do NOT tell me TMI!), my flood boots and my warmest coat.  It was still pretty frigid out, and snowing.  Spunky barked at a neighbor as she came out of her house.  We exchanged good mornings, and I told Spunky he was a silly dog (he already knew).

Steven had sensibly put off clearing the cars since more snow would fall before time to leave, but I saw that we also had to shovel.  After I got Spunky back inside, wiped his paws and gave him a treat, I went back out and started.  Steven soon joined me.  At least the snow was lightweight.  Pushing it worked fine.  Our neighbor shoveled the sidewalk in front of our house and started helping on the driveway!  How awesome of her!  I thanked her profusely, and Steven and I introduced ourselves.  After she left and Steven and I had finished up, I paid it forward by doing the walk in front of the house on the other side.

After showering and getting dressed, I wrote my weekly postcards.  My first stop on leaving the house after Steven was the post office.  Then I gassed up, got some money from the ATM and a drink at the Nice N Easy.  The drink took some debate, since I am avoiding sugar (on a doctor’s suggestion) yet wanted more than mere water.  I finally got Poland Springs Sparkling, black cherry flavor.  That stuff is awesome!  It tastes like soda only not sweet (I often don’t enjoy sweet soda after the first few sips), but there are NO calories!  Score!

I drove to Ilion Little Theatre, where a few people were hard at work on the set for Steel Magnolias.  I hope to show you a photo of the beautifully painted backdrop when it is finished.  I went upstairs to look for 1920s type costumes for the upcoming murder mystery, Rubbed Out at Ruby’s, to be presented by LiFT Theatre Company in Little Falls.  I did not have a whole lot of hope, because I went through every dress in that place when we were doing Leading Ladies and I did not remember anything I thought would work.  However, I was mistaken.  I found a few things I liked, including the lace dress I mentioned some paragraphs ago (was that mention even worth foreshadowing?).

After those exertions, however, I started feeling not too well again.  How stupid of me!  Why can’t I just be healthy?  And why do I have to be such a baby about it?  And here I am, troubling my readers with my complaints.  So sorry.  This is what happens, though, when I’m typing away with one eye on the clock.  I have to plug in the curling iron and do my hair (an unaccustomed chore, to be sure).   Well, I hope you have been moderately entertained by my Scattered Saturday gyrations.  As for me, that Oolong tea has given me my first hot flash of the day and all I can say is, Thank God for menopause!  I have been freezing!  Happy Saturday, everyone.

 

All Kinds of Drama in 2017!

Welcome to the first Mental Meanderings Monday of 2017.  I hope nobody is expecting brilliance (I know, most of you never had such expectations of me) (OK, me neither),  because I feel tired and stupid.  These are not unfamiliar feelings for me, but I do not repine.  I just have to wait and sooner or later I will feel some other way.  That is how it works.

Where was I?  Ah yes, mentally meandering.  I’m expecting my post-Christmas letdown to continue at least for a few more days, with the occasional relapse as the month wears on.  On Wednesday I have a meeting to talk more about the murder mystery LiFT Theatre Company is doing at the Overlook Mansion in Little Falls.  Who could be uncheered by a murder mystery? (That is a paraphrase from Winnie the Pooh, by the way.  I think the real line is, “Nobody could be uncheered by a balloon.”) Thursday I have the read-through for Steel Magnolias at Ilion Little Theatre.

And then I have at least two more murder mysteries to write, in addition to writing articles for Mohawk Valley Living magazine and making a blog post every day. Then there is running, finally organizing my house and life, and of course seeking out new Mohawk Valley adventures.  I hope to also find time to crochet, knit, and watch true crime on cable television, as well as the occasional cheesy movie to write a blog post about (I haven’t done one of those posts in a long time!).

I see that I am over 250 words.  Score!  And never once did I whine about my inability to come up with a blog post for today.  That makes me feel a good deal less stupid than I felt when I typed the first paragraph.  You see, I was right:  just wait and I will feel a different way.  Bring on 2017!

 

Murder Most Different

OK, so I did not write a blog post while at work today, because I spent every break working on a murder mystery.  I LOVE writing murder mysteries!  I feel so clever when I am inventing characters, deciding on their relationships and problems.  When I realize this one wants to do dirt to that one, or the other one loves this one but yet another character knows the dirty little secret of…  you get the picture.

I actually have three mysteries to write with varying requirements for each.  Today I was working on one that is particularly intriguing, because the format is different from what I am used to.  What I usually write is dinner theatre:  the actors mingle with the audience during cocktails then have an actual, rehearsed performance in which all the clues are presented.  The murder I worked on today will be almost completely interactive, with the audience seeking clues throughout several rooms.

I will have to figure out how the murder was committed and, more importantly, how somebody might figure out who did it, how and why.  What clues will be found?  Where will they be?  How did they get there?  Where do they lead?  Can they possibly MISlead?  How about a nice, juicy red herring or two?

However, for me, everything starts with the characters.  I know who will be the victim of the first murder (I think we’ll have more than one corpse during the evening, just to keep things lively).  I started thinking of who the other characters will be.  Soon I had several people identified by roles:  the guy that runs the speakeasy (did I mention that it is a 1920s theme?), the madame of the brothel, the proprietor of a rival speakeasy…   Once I had given everybody a name, things got really fun.

Soon I will have figured out what everybody thinks of everybody else, who hates or loves whom, who did dirt to whom (I do mean “whom” don’t I?  How embarrassing that I am not sure).  I write a lot of random notes then try to organize everything.

Hmmm…  I seem to be babbling on without a whole lot of specifics.  Well, I will give more specifics on these mysteries when I know more about the where, when and how you can get tickets.  In the meantime, I hope I have intrigued my local readers and entertained those farther afield.  If so, I say good work for a Tired Tuesday.

 

Writing and Weather on Wuss-out Wednesday

It is the last day of Summer, and quite frankly it does not feel as if Summer is going anywhere.  I say this in a perfectly neutral manner, because I know that some people enjoy warm weather while others are anxious for Fall.  I say it at all, because, again quite frankly, I got nuthin’ else.  I would say, “Oh, that’s OK: it’s Wuss-out Wednesday,” but I have had so many foolish posts lately, I feel abashed.

I spent part of my day at work trying to think of what I could write a blog post about.  However, I spent more time thinking about the murder mystery I started to write.  I am in the midst of inventing characters and backstories. Murder mystery characters are especially fun to write, because everybody has many secrets.  I’m sure there are people who will pipe up with, “EVERYBODY has secrets!”  Well, I am not going to argue with imaginary people today.  I had fun writing my murder mystery characters, that is all.

As you may guess, I had more success with the characters than with ideas for the blog post.  Additionally, I spent another day with that coating of sweat that has been a permanent part of my wardrobe for months now.  I mention that not in a complaining spirit, but as a continuation of my earlier weather report.  So I have given you a brief report on my weather and my writing.  I find that, and my headline, properly alliterative.  I hope to see you all on the non-alliterative Non-Sequitur Thursday.  I wonder if I can fit in a Mohawk Valley adventure to write about between now and then.

 

One Dead Body, at a Church

I feel I can get away with one more post about my murder mystery, because some readers may be wondering how it went.  Well, it was splendid.

The church, Morning Star Methodist in Ilion, NY, sold more tickets than they were hoping to.  In fact, serving dinners was delayed at one point when they ran out of potatoes and had to cook more.  I told them if they ran short of meat, I could go hungry, but luckily that was not necessary.

I stood by the table of the lady taking tickets and welcomed people.  I warned them they would meet some unusual people but should not be worried about talking to them.  I’m not sure my warnings were needed, but people were very nice about it.  More importantly, I had to be the liaison between the actors and the dinner-servers.  I gave the actors the high-sign to start the performance part.  I told the audience when to fill out their guesses and collected the papers after they had guessed.

As I attended to these duties, I realized my folly in undertaking such a role.  I wanted to be acting!  There are few things more fun for me than to dress up in a costume and pretend to be somebody else.  I love it on a stage with lines, and I love it at a murder mystery when mingling with the audience.

The lucky ones who did get to act enjoyed it quite a bit, and they did a marvelous job.  A few lines were dropped, but I believe only the author noticed (um, you remember that was me, right?).  The audience was full of praise, except for one gentleman with a hearing aid who hadn’t heard a word.  I felt quite terrible about that.  At least he got a good dinner out of it.  Roast pork.  Yum!

I hope Ilion Little Theatre will be asked to present more murder mysteries in the future.  I’m ready to write them and I am more than ready to act again!

 

Engaged to be Tired

So yesterday I promised to do my damnedest to finish the post I started. I bet some of you were sitting there shaking your heads in a superior fashion saying, “She won’t do it.  She’ll have a Tired Tuesday post.  You watch.”

Well, technically we’re both right.  I did try my damnedest to finish that post before giving up and starting the Tired Tuesday nonsense you are now reading (ooh, here are a couple of Freudian slips for you:  I started to type “Turd” instead of “Tired,” and “not reading” instead of “now reading”).

We had rehearsal last night for “Engaged to be Murdered,” the murder mystery being presented by Ilion Little Theatre at Morning Star Methodist Church this Saturday, April 3.  Just to give another plug, that’s at 5 p.m., tickets are $20 and include the performance and a roast pork dinner.  Reservations are required by March 31 by calling the church office at 315-894-4093.

Rehearsal went marvelously.  The actors all brought their costumes and let me tell you, they are fabulous.  Everybody looks awesome!  The performance should be very enjoyable. I’m only sorry I’m not acting in it myself.

Tonight I have another rehearsal for Leading Ladies, ILT’s spring production, which as you may remember I am directing. I’m sure that will go well too. We’ll be missing an actor, but these things happen in community theatre.  We must make the best of them.

In summary, I think I have legitimate reasons to be tired (I didn’t even mention being on overtime at work, but I am).   I suppose it’s no reason not to write a blog post.  Oh wait a minute, I just did.  On to rehearsal!

 

Musings on a Miserable Meandering Monday

I started writing a pretty good post while on break at work today.  Now once again I cannot get to my dashboard on WordPress and it is just so frustrating!  I don’t even know where to go to ask them what to do about it.  Additionally, I am stressed and overwhelmed through my own damn fault so there is no point in bitching about it but it has a real dampening effect on my posting abilities.  That is probably a run-on sentence.

Where was I?    In my dining room, on my lap top, watching the clock, because I have to go to a rehearsal for our murder mystery, and trying to get a post done. I thought I was so smart, writing something while I was at work today!  All I would have to do was type it in, hit Publish and go.

If only I had finished it.  Which, truth be known, I should have been able to do right now.  What on earth is wrong with me that I cannot?  Some would say I could do it, I CHOOSE not to.  I suppose it could be true, but sometimes attempting to do something is so mentally painful as to become physically painful and then, well if you want to call it a choice, I call it a sensible choice.

The question now is: is it noticeably less painful to make a foolish post as I am doing than it was to attempt to finish the other post?  I can’t say.  However, it is shorter (the other was running into some length and I wanted to add at least three more paragraphs).  I shall sign off now and promise to do my damnedest to finish that other post for tomorrow.

I wish you all a most un-miserable Monday.

 

Come See the Show!

How about another plug for the murder mystery?  We had another rehearsal today, and it went very well.  We rehearsed in the venue in which the performance will take place, so that was helpful.  The only problem was, did we have the right actors?  My husband, Steven, is no longer certain he has the performance date off from work.  I have another actor who is interested but…

Ah, the trials and tribulations.

Anyways, we all met at Morning Star Methodist Church, on Second Street in Ilion, NY, where the performance will take place.  One member of the church board is a performer in the mystery.  Another is our liaison. The latter was quite adamant in not wanting to witness the rehearsal.  She wanted to see it “for real.”  I say, good idea.

I think the actors are doing a marvelous job at developing their characters and building relationships with each other.  I can’t say too much specific, because, well, I don’t want to spoil anybody’s surprise.  After all, if you already know that A thinks THAT of B, and that C was suspected of THIS… already I’ve said too much.

I said this was going to be a plug, so let me re-iterate:  “Engaged to be Murdered, ” Morning Star Methodist Church,  36 Second St., Ilion NY, Saturday, April 2, 5 p.m.,  $20 for roast pork dinner and show, reservations required by March 31 by calling the church office, 315-894-4093.

Come see the show! It’ll be fun!

 

About that Murder Mystery

Murder is on the menu when the Morning Star Methodist Church in conjunction with Ilion Little Theatre presents “Engaged to be Murdered,” an interactive dinner theatre, on Saturday, April 2 at 5 p.m. at the church located at 36 Second St., Ilion. Tickets are $20 and include the performance and dinner. Reservations are required by March 31 by calling the church office at 315-894-4093.

“Engaged to be Murdered” takes place at the party celebrating the upcoming nuptials of society girl Genevieve Raglan to handsome up-and-comer Luke Donovan.  Representing Genevieve’s family are her elegant parents, Eliot and Marseille (it’s pronounced mar-SAY) Raglan, her glamorous Aunt Theodora, and family matriarch Grandma Nell.  Luke is accompanied by his father, cattle rancher Harry Donovan.  Also present, although nobody is sure who invited her, is ne’er-do-well Cousin Randy Raglan. All of these people have secrets to hide, and the audience will have a chance to ferret out the clues and try to solve the mystery.

That is from the press release I wrote for the murder mystery Ilion Little Theatre is putting together for the church’s fundraiser.  I had meant to copy the whole thing for today’s blog post, but, well, my desk top would not cooperate.  I managed to copy the first paragraph and half of the first sentence of the second paragraph.  Now I am on my new laptop, trying to remember the rest of it.

I think I have included all the relevant information.  My press release went on to toot my own horn as the writer. I figured the papers, if they used the release at all, would cut that part out.  Therefore, I shall feel free to cut it out now.  Local readers may like to come see the performance. I understand the dinner is roast pork.  Yum!

 

Musings Before the Mystery

You know, even when I was in my twenties, I couldn’t party like the other twenty-somethings.  Now that I’m in my fifties, forget it!  But what an appropriate reflection for Middle-aged Musings Monday.

I was not exactly what they call a Hurting Unit today, but I was tired.  What could I expect? Four days of fun and excitement with the best husband ever (well he’s the best husband I ever had!) will take a toll on anyone.  To make matters worse, I don’t get to come home, put on sweats and vegetate on the couch.  Oh wouldn’t that be nice?  Bra off, slippers on, crochet on lap, crime show on TV.  Then early to bed, like an old lady like me ought to do.

This pleasing programme is not what I shall follow tonight, however.  I have theatre commitments.  On hurrying home (staying within the posted speed limits, of course), I had to edit and print out character sheets for the murder mystery I’m doing.  I must tell you all about that murder mystery.  I wrote a press release on it.  Perhaps I could modify that into a blog post for tomorrow.

After I hit Publish on this, I am off to our first rehearsal.  I hope everybody feels that the script is clever and fun.  I hope they enjoy the characters I have invented.  Oh, the tribulations of a playwright!

So I guess I haven’t mused much, other than the first paragraph.  I’m not even sure if I’ve a-mused anybody, but I can hope.  In any case, Happy Monday and I hope you’ll tune in tomorrow, when Mohawk Valley Girl says, “It’s Tuesday and I am Tired!”