Tag Archives: Roxy

I Wouldn’t Waste an Axe Murderess, Would I?

Posted on October 9, 2025 by mohawkvalleygirl

Regular readers may have noticed that daily blogging continues to elude me.  Ooh, there’s a slimy passive-voice way to put it, as if I am pursuing the goal, but the goal is too clever for me, when the fact is that it is my own efforts that fall short.  You can call me out on that if you like, but you see I have already admitted the fault.  In any case, having missed posting Sunday and Monday but refraining from calling attention to the fact (till just now), I sit on my couch on Thursday morning preparing to make a Waste Not Want Not Wednesday post.

Full disclosure: I did not look like this when I played Roxy.

You can’t read her name tag, but it says “Roxy.”  It is Roxalana Druse, who famously killed her husband and was hanged behind the 1843 Herkimer Jail in 1887.  I had the honor of playing Roxy in the play of that name presented by the Herkimer County Historical Society and Ilion Little Theatre in 2015 (long-time readers may have read some of my blog posts about it).  This Roxy is in Renewed and Rescued at Mohawk Valley Community Market.  I stopped in briefly yesterday but must return for a longer visit (preview of coming attractions).

Just hanging out!

Here is a friendly-looking fellow I encountered one of the mornings I was out looking for pictures to go with one of my Village Board stories for Sentinel Media.  I adore Halloween decorations!  I should take some more pictures and do a blog post of them (another preview of coming attractions?)

This woman did not kill her husband.

I guess I am veering into Non-Sequitur Thursday territory after an ax murderess and a skeleton.  This is Michelle, one of the bartenders at the Herkimer Elks Lodge wearing my tiara.  I wore it for a play I was in last summer (Four Old Broads on the High Seas, perhaps you read some of my blog posts about it).  I happened to wear it to the Lodge one day, I forget why, and Michelle wanted to pose with it.

Ooh, look at me, over 350 words.  I’m almost through my second cup of coffee too.  Time to go for my run.  The East Herkimer Fire Department 5K is Saturday.  I fear I have not been posting nearly enough about that!  Well, as I said in the first paragraph, I have not been posting enough period, at least by my standards for me.  But I thank you for tuning in when I do.

 

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Roxy Returns?

Posted on May 16, 2025 by mohawkvalleygirl

Wednesday I thought I could not possibly make a blog post but said to myself, “Just try,” and succeeded.  Earlier today that method failed.  The festering beginning of a post lingers in my Drafts in case I can make something of it at some future time.  That time is not now.  However, I will try to come up with something else.

There he is!

Last night I had a real blast from the past.  Friends of Historic Herkimer County showed the DVD of the play Roxy, based on a local historical murder, which the Herkimer County Historical Society and Ilion Little Theatre presented in 2015.  I played Roxalana Druse, who murdered her husband and was hanged for it (oh dear, should I have include a spoiler alert?). My late, dearly missed husband, Steven, played at least three parts.  In the picture above he is Dr. A. Walter Suiter.  It was very moving seeing him on screen like that.  He was such a wonderful actor and enjoyed it so much.

 

Obviously he is axing for it.

That took me a while to find, but here I am in a dramatic scene with my abusive husband and two of my accomplices after the fact.  I was a little worried about watching myself on the screen and in particular hearing my voice, but it was all right.  I went with two of my dear friends, Jim and Kelly.  Jim played the prosecutor who helped get me hanged.

So I guess this is kind of a late Throwback Thursday, maybe even a Non-Sequitur Thursday post.  At least it’s a post.  One does what one can after all.

 

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Memories of Theatre Husbands

Posted on March 28, 2025 by mohawkvalleygirl

What a terrible time I am having getting anything done this week.  And how unbecoming of me to whine about it.  I’ll stop whining and try to make a Throwback Thursday post.  As I mentioned yesterday, I did not have rehearsal tonight (for Prescription: Murder at Ilion Little Theatre, for anybody just tuning in) so was able to cover a meeting of the Frankfort Town Board.  I still have to write my story about it, but I thought making the blog post first might be a good idea.

He thinks he’s tough now, but…

This is a rehearsal shot from Roxy, which Ilion Little Theatre (ILT) presented in 2015.  That’s me as Roxalana Druse, on the left.  The brute with the ax is my husband.  I kill him later in the scene.  I do not have good luck with stage husbands. There was one in And Then There Were None in 2011 who wasn’t too bad.  Neither of us killed the other, but we also did not survive till curtain call.  I can’t find a picture of that one, unfortunately.  I had a better time with husbands in real life.

There’s the best husband!

Here is my late, wonderful husband, Steve.  He had a few parts in Roxy, and was very good in all of them.

We were an exceptionally cute couple.

And here are Steve and I together after A G.R.A.V.E. Murder, which we put on to benefit the Herkimer County Historical Society in 2017.  I always thought it was so great that both Steve and I loved theatre. The couple that does plays together, stays together!

 

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I Remember Roxy

Posted on June 28, 2024 by mohawkvalleygirl

And it’s another late post, but one can be late on Non-Sequitur Thursday, yes?  Or will it be a Throwback Thursday?  Once again, I resort to my Media Library.

He was so handsome.

I was just thinking about Roxy the other day.  This was a play, beautifully researched and written by Jack Sherman and presented by Herkimer County Historical Society and Ilion Little Theatre in 2015.  Wow, almost ten years ago.  My late beloved husband Steven had several roles.  This is him as Dr. Suiter.  He was such a good actor and had quite a way with a monologue.

He had it coming.

I had the honor to portray Roxalana Druse, who killed her husband with a gun and an ax.  She did not feed his body to the hogs, as legend has it, but tried to burn him up in the stove (the play doesn’t show that part).  She may have had better luck with the hogs, because it was the nasty scent of burning body that first alerted the neighbors that something was wrong.

I thought the poster was cool.

The play had a huge cast of ILT regulars and newcomers.  Things got a little crowded backstage and in the one dressing room, but we all got along, and I made a lot of new friends.  That is the best part of community theatre:  the friends we make.  Come to think about it, that is the best part of life.  Sorry to get a little sentimental, but one might as well say it.

So this is my theatre throwback post.  I often do throw back to theatre memories, because community theatre is a big part of my life.  I need to get back into a play.  And finish writing that murder mystery I mentioned yesterday.  At least I made my Thursday blog post.  A little late, but over 300 words.  Yay me?  I hope so!

 

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I’m Still Here!

Posted on December 13, 2023 by mohawkvalleygirl

Oh dear, it has been ten days since I last posted.  How embarrassing.  I have a few (very few) good Mohawk Valley Adventures to write about, but I feel I should first make an apology if not an explanation of not being here for my lovely readers, which I hope I still have.

May be a doodle of 1 person and text that says 'Please do not accept friend equests from my husband. ...He's been hacked. Mrs. ROXALANA DRUSE,'

These crack me up.

I throw in a picture which has very little to do with anything, but I saw it on Facebook this morning (yes, I peeked at Facebook before logging on to WordPress, judge me if you want to be that way), and it made me smile.  My lawyer assured me he is still working on the appeal.  Longtime readers may remember that I had the honor to play Roxalana Druse in Roxy, the fact-based play about the local murder presented by Herkimer County Historical Society at Ilion Little Theatre.  I wrote several blog posts about it.  In addition to giving me a laugh, I guess it helps me to remember past triumphs.  I trust I shall not continue in the wallowy rut in which I have become mired (what an image!) (and autocorrect seems to think “wallowy” is not a word, but as usual in these cases, it is exactly what I mean).

Regarding the wallowy rut:  I try, I really do try to do things other than sit around and feel sad, try to sleep, or read books (reading books is great, but it doesn’t clean the house, do the dishes, or make blog posts).  At first the insidious voice in my head said, “I can’t!”  I could sometimes overcome it with a gentle, “Just try”  or “Just do one thing,”  occasionally even specifying an actual thing.  Then the voice switched to, “I don’t care!”  That is more difficult to overcome, but I have had some minor success with, “Do it anyways,” or striving to ignore the voice.

I throw in a Christmasy picture to liven things up (I was sure Christmasy was a word!).

What a dull, self-involved post.  I will play the widow card once again.  This is my first Christmas without my beloved Steve.  I remind myself that it is going to be hard, don’t be surprised by that, just try to do a few things to make the season merry for somebody at least.  I guess I have gone over these thoughts before, but I must repeat them constantly to myself so inevitably impose them upon others as well.

And I see I am over 400 words.  I hope to make a real Mohawk Valley Girl post later today or tomorrow.  I thank everybody who is still reading.

 

 

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A Little More Late, A Little More Lame

Posted on September 23, 2023 by mohawkvalleygirl

I don’t think I have ever made my Lame Post Friday post this late before.  And how bad is it that I am only happy that I can do this to procrastinate doing something useful?  Oh well, one does what one can.  In my defense, I am tired from working all day and being in a play.  Additionally, I have been plagued by headaches.  But enough whining, on with the blog post!

Personally, I am not a night person either.

I throw in a picture to pep things up.  This was a present from my late, dearly missed husband, Steve.  I do not know where the cute little vampire is.  The cup should be in my cupboard.  I must find it.

AAAAAAAAAHHHHHHHH!!!!

I was going to continue with Halloween decorations, but this gem caught my eye.  Don’t you sometimes just feel like screaming, even without a creepy lady curling her fingers at you?

Threaten me with an ax, will ya?

I guess it’s Put In Random Pictures And Talk About Them Day.  This is from a rehearsal of Roxy, a play presented by the Herkimer County Historical Society and Ilion Little Theatre.  It concerned the true story of a local murder of a man by his wife.  Quite frankly, I think he had it coming, but then, I played the wife, so you can’t take my word for it.

I see I am over 200 words, so I guess it is on to doing something useful for me.  I wonder if it would be considered useful to take a nap.

 

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I Should Have Listened to Al

Posted on February 27, 2021 by mohawkvalleygirl

This morning on Today, Al Roker was doing some feature about taking a walk. I did not get to see it, because I had to get to work, but I thought, “What a great idea! I’ll go for a walk after work and make a Pedestrian Post!”

Alas, I did not.

However blog post must be made, meaning, as usual, mine by me. Additionally, it is Lame Post Friday, so the bar is not high for a respectable post. Perhaps I could share a few pictures of walks I have previously taken. It could be a Flingback Friday, to follow my Throwback Thursday. Is flingback a word? My autocorrect seems to think so.

A great view for a number of reasons.

When I went running on Wednesday, I ran by my beloved Herkimer Historic Four Corners. The above is a shot of the 1834 Jail. This is where Roxalana Druse spent what she said were the best two years of her life, waiting to be hung after murdering her husband. Regular readers may remember I played Druse in the play Roxy at Ilion Little Theatre in 2015.

Or I could have gone uphill.

This is upper Main Street in Herkimer, a hill I sometimes run up. I’m afraid not lately, but I am ever hopeful of improvement.

I personally am looking forward to snow free sidewalks.

I was over 200 words before this, but I like to use three pictures. I took the recently when I was walking home from work. Plowing through the snow burns more calories than prancing down bare sidewalks. However, you can have too much of a good thing.

Can I have too many blog posts? I hope not. Happy Friday, everyone!

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Not Wuss-Out, Way Back!

Posted on February 18, 2021 by mohawkvalleygirl

I thought of my title before composing the post for once. In general I prefer Throwback Thursday to Way Back Wednesday, but I can’t fight the calendar. I am also trying to fight my mid-winter malaise. Good God, is it only MID winter? I was hoping we were in the home stretch. But I digress.

Way Back indeed!

I went to February 2017 and found a really old picture. October 1990. Holy crap, am I getting old! I have been thinking lately about how time flies. My question is: If time is moving so quickly, why isn’t it spring yet?

Abominable!

Here is a shot from 2017. Obviously not as way back, but I wanted to show snow. I actually have not looked at my deck in a while, since I have been using the front door. I just imagine it looks similar.

Do I look like a criminal to you?

I do not remember how old the picture is, but I believe the frame was added in 2015 by my friend, Norm. This was about the time I played Roxalana Druse in Roxy by Jack Sherman, a play sponsored by Herkimer County Historical Society with Ilion Little Theatre. It was an original script about a local, historic murder.

I guess this post jumped around a little, but you’ll have that, especially with this blog. I am just happy I avoided another Wuss-Out Wednesday. Or worse!

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Wrist to Forehead Sick Day

Posted on February 3, 2020 by mohawkvalleygirl

I am sorry if it is tiresome to hear a grown blogger continue to moan and groan about a sinus condition.  Here I am, moaning and groaning away.  And just barely trying to make a blog post.  This will never do.  Maybe I can pep up the post and myself with a few pictures.

“Oh woe is me!”

Here is our skeleton Bonita, in a true wrist to forehead pose.  I don’t know what a skeleton has to get so dramatic about, but then, she may have all sorts of worries to which I am not privy.  I try to give my toys their privacy.

“Oh shame! Oh degradation!”

And here I am, with my wrist to my forehead in a wonderfully dramatic moment from Dirty Work at the Crossroads, an 1890’s melodrama my talented husband Steven directed at Ilion Little Theatre.  Goodness, was it almost seven years ago?  How the time flies.

Threaten me with an axe, will ya?

I was looking for Joan Crawford with an axe, because I have a splitting headache, but I came across this axe pic first (see what I did there?  axe pic, like pick axe?  well, I thought it was funny). This is me and a few others in Roxy, a play about a local historical murder.  For those of you who don’t know, that is my husband (in the play, obviously it’s not Steven) threatening me with the axe, but he is the one that ends up getting chopped.  Good memories.

I will be happy when this sinus infection is just a distant memory.  In the meantime,  I’ll try to make a better blog post tomorrow.

 

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Wuss Out Sick Day

Posted on April 18, 2019 by mohawkvalleygirl

How Wuss-out Wednesday can I get without getting another blog post behind?  Taking a Blogger’s Sick Day would be pretty wussy, I think.  I feel AWFUL!!! I don’t know if it is a cold or allergies, but there is not much I can do right now except feel awful.  Well, I can also spare a little me to feel stupid for being such a big fat baby about what is really a trifling illness.  And to feel guilty about not making a better blog post.  But that’s about it.

“What’s in this drink?”

I thought I would throw in a picture, so this could be also a kind of a Wordless Wednesday.  Doesn’t she look a little like she’s taking some nasty medicine?  I don’t think she is.  It is the lady from The Atomic Brain, one of my favorite cheesy movies.

It’s kind of a cheesy grin, no?

A theatre friend made this frame over a picture of me when I was playing Roxalana Druse at Ilion Little Theatre.  She killed her abusive husband and was hung for it, in case you did not remember the famous case.  Art Wilks, who played my husband in Roxy, is in Morning’s at Seven with me now, but not as my husband.  I find the picture appropriate for today, because when I am feeling particularly ill (you know how these illnesses get better or worse in waves), I keep saying I want to die. Of course I do not. I might miss something.

Here’s a cheery grin for you!

Looking to end on a lighter note, I include this picture of a nice little vampire, in the Halloween pot my friend Marsha sent me.

Now I am going to drink some hot tea with lemon and honey.  Perhaps you will join me tomorrow for Non-Sequitur Thursday.

 

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