Magic Elizabeth

One sweet small gift came this summer that meant the world to me. A soft cover book from the Scholastic Book Services called Magic Elizabeth. Thanks to a new friend I met while on the Mad Art Farm tour at Alambria Springs Farm out in the green rolling fields of Lebanon. Her name is Beverly Cholco-Devins, a wonderful writer and librarian from Hamilton NY.
All these years later the one happy thing that I remember about school was coming home with the weekly edition of the Weekly Reader. Each week I would scour over each thin almost transparent newspaper edition looking at the covers of the books for sale and reading the paragraph about them before I would make my choices. My cousin Andrea who lived across the road and I would read and read and swap books. She owned Magic Elizabeth and let me borrow the book but was adamant that I return it. I loved this book and did return it. Now after all these years, I thought the book would probably be gone forever.
After reading a story in the Sherburne Pictorial, written by a local Sherburne woman from the early 1900's named Elizabeth Gladwin Bouton I became enthralled again with all the local history. Elizabeth wrote about writing and publishing a book called Grandmother's Doll! Just the author's name Elizabeth refreshed my memory of the book I read so many years ago.
Over the past ten years or so every time I went to book sales or garage sales I would subconsciously look for Magic Elizabeth but never found it. Just like looking for a needle in a haystack. Well thanks to Facebook! I somehow put it out there that I would love to have this book and Beverly did a inter library search and found it. I couldn’t believe it!
Bev’s path and mine were going in totally different directions so she kindly put the book in a manilla envelope and dropped it off in the Hamilton Library. On my rounds one sunny day not to many weeks ago, I finally got the book I loved so dearly as a young girl. As I slipped the book out of the envelope a tear came to my eyes as the cover was just as I remembered it. On a sticky note Beverly left me with this message stuck to the book in very neat cursive writing ”Hi Pamme, Please enjoy this reunion with your lost friend Magic Elizabeth! Best Beverly”.
My heart simply swelled with joy having a new friend and who was able to take the time to find this book for me. Free of charge even.
I got the book home and read it in several hours and the story was just a lovely and magical as it was when I read it all those years ago. Magic Elizabeth was written by Norma Kassirer and tells the story of an only child named Sally who goes to stay with an old Aunt whom she’s never met. Creepy old Aunt Sarah lives in an old house which is the last old home from a time forgotten left in a growing suburbia o apartment houses and skyscrapers. This grand old house is filled with beaded curtains, tea sets, grand father clocks, a cat named Shadow and an attic where trunks over flow with stories of a generation past. Elizabeth was the doll of a little girl who once lived in this very house and amazingly looked exactly like Sally. The last time Elizabeth was seen was a snowy Christmas Eve many years ago atop of a Christmas tree in place of a star. She simply disappeared much to the other Sal’s dismay. Now all these years later it became this Sally’s mission to find the doll and in doing so her friendship with her old Aunt Sarah bloomed and uncovered the secrete that Aunt Sarah was the little girl who lived in this very house and was nick named Sal.
Norma Kassirer was a genius to be able to take a young reader and put her in the now of the past and the now of the present. On a sea shelled lined garden path of the past to the overgrown weedy apartment enclosed forgotten yard of today.
Magic Elizabeth was written for young readers but the way this story is told would appeal to anyone of any age who loves family and history and has concern for preserving their family’s story.

The Original Music of Emilee Smith

Another fine musician from Smyrna. Fifteen year old Emilee Smith

The Original Music of Matt Nakoa

Sunny Smyrna sure knows how to pump out some great musicians! Enjoy!

Skyway 2009

Another Skyway has come and gone and I must say this years line up of music was phenomenal!
Tumbleweed Gumbo performers were Merner Koegst on stand up bass,
Steve Blaise on vocals, accordian, acoustic guitar and bodhran, Liz Friedel on fiddle and vocals and Larry Jordan on acoustic guitar and vocals. This fine bunch opened Skyway with their hand clapping, foot stomping, old time cajun folk songs. Bass guitar guru,
Zach Fleitz followed with his masterful technique, looping to his unique fret boarding style to fill out each instrumental.
The colorful swirling skirts of the Adiahakti Dancers in their third appearance on the summer green of the Skyway lawn is always welcomed! What great eye and ear candy with their fine workmanship of face painting, belly dancer attire, jewelry and exotic India music.
Hamilton teachers,Don Miller, Sean Kelly, Tyler Jablonski and Brian Rose teamed up for a classic rock four some and call themselves Commander Cockroach and the Mexican Bus rocking us out and into the set of singer/songwriter Emilee Smith. Emilee is an amazing singer/songwriter at the ripe old age of 15! Haling from Smyrna NY. she began piano lessons merely 3 years ago and is quite composed and accomplished for her age, Her voice is strong, wise and way beyond her years with every note dripping with soul. She has opened for Blue Oyster Colt and her first CD, Hall Of Mirrors has received a fine review from Mark Bialczak of the Syracuse Post Standard. Wow!
Next up was Hamiltons own and quite humorous, David Chlad. I was quite impressed with his acoustic instrumental open tunings and his “on the spot” Skyway song he easily pulled from the air to perform for us. David was quite a sport for that is when the misty rain began to fall! Unfortunately, I had to run around and move sound equipment and didn’t get to enjoy Putter Cox and friends who performed beautiful, lilting folk music with Susan Nolan on hammer dulcimer, Chris Vecsey on lap dulcimer and harmonica and acoustics, Adger Williams on stand up bass and Putter Cox on acoustics and vocals. The vocal harmonies of Putter Cox and Friends were right on and no-one seemed to mind standing in the rain to catch this performance.
While the Putter Cox trio broke down on the right side of the three stages of the Hamilton Bandstand. The Mark Shiner Trio popped up on the right side playing an unplugged set of very classy smooth jazz. I didn’t get to enjoy them at Skyway this year but have heard them many times at the Colgate Inn summer series on Tuesdays. The Shiner Trio consists of some very fine, well known professional musicians, Phil Flanigan, Dave Solazzo and of course Hamilton’s own Mark Shiner.
During the Shiner set was when I then made my trek around town to find a venue to finish up the Skyway day festivities and the Hour Glass eagerly agreed to let Skyway 2009 end there. With the help of my son Nick, we quickly broke down my set of Mackies and hauled it over re-set the stage in the front of the Glass.
Matt “Pryor” Nakoa a Berkeley student graduate and also from Smyrna wowed the crowd with his amazing vocal and keyboarding skills. Matt is the real deal and is one magical performer. He also plays acoustic guitar, right handed and upside down with a Nakoa style all his own. Matt is living in New York city and his music is supporting him nicely.
The night ended with a Colgate band called The Earthman Embassy. With Ben James Taylor on guitar and vocals, George Zeitler on keys/vocals, Michael Petersen on bass, Tommy Crocker on Drums/ vocals and Jeremy Padow on guitar, these young college dudes rocked the glass respectively wowing their fellow classmates who packed the hallowed halls of this long time favorite bar in Hamilton. Across the street, 2007 Skyway performers, The Hook, Jamie Jones on vocals and guitar, PJ Will on guitar and vocals, Johnny Jones on electric bass and Jayson Parker on drums and vocals put on quite a show and people had a great time getting down on Lebanon Street.
Cheryl Darrow won the 2009 Skyway lounger! Talk about the law of attraction at work here! Cheryl is a fine jewelry maker with a booth in the Hamilton’s Farmers market.
Each week she would admire the lounge chair as it sat right across the way from her booth next to my mothers hooked rug booth. She bought but one ticket and hers was the winner. The lounge couldn’t have gone to a better person! She was a good friend of Craig and I’m tickled the chair has a home in Hamilton!
The funds Skyway did manage to raise will be going to the Friends Of Music to help keep the next generation of music in the Hamilton Schools. Jimmy Wunderlich, Meredith and I put in many hours meeting at the Barge sipping lattes and many cups of coffee in the organization of this event. It was a day to remember with the sound of music from the talented musicians of the area echoing through town. A silly thought here folks. But wouldn’t the world be a nicer place if we could somehow replace guns with instruments in the hands of the worlds people. And give them the patience to learn their music well.
Ta La Pamme

The Onion Harvest

Here it is. Fall. The summer rained right on by! Hopefully that ole indian will grace us with some sun here in September.
This years tomatoes got the black spot blight and the slugs and deer feasted on the swiss chard and the hosta. We did grow some nice yellow thin skinned zucchini, carrots and a lovely mix of greens this summer. My perennials did really well! And the onions! Always grow a great crop of onions!

Skyway Starting On A Sour Note

Its four days before the third annual Skyway Festival. I received and email today from David Grace asking if Jimmy, Meredith or I moved the sign at the north end of the park. After contacting Meredith and Jimmy and confirming they hadn't touched it. I called the Hamilton Police and reported it stolen. How sad is this! Here we are trying to raise money for a great cause and some idiot has to steal our sign. I can only hope whomever stole the sign that when they sober up will realize what a stupid thing they did and return it undamaged.
The weather is looking like it may be a lovely day! Here is this years poster designed by the adobe photoshop queen LInday Szybist of Van Tine Imaging. And the two signs by David Grace.

The Hush Of Summer

So much has happened this summer it makes my head spin to think about it. I've camped, kayaked, hiked, cooked, performed, traveled and marketed for the past three months in a constant frenzy! Mom has done really well with her rugs in the farmers market and now has her rugs on display and for sale at the Cooperstown Farmers Museum and Fenimore Gift shop.
I also got to spend three days camping with my dearest friend from high school. Once I got her out of her house. We did what ever we wanted. I took her kayaking on the swamp. The last time we kayaked the swamp we only got ten minutes out and had to turn around to avoid a thunder storm that quickly descended up us.
The next day we packed up and camped site 210 on Limekiln. I've known Jen for over 40 years and thought I knew just about everything there was to know about her. I was wrong. I remember as teenagers, I talked her into camping trip with my family on Raquatte. As I remember she came along but wasn't really happy about it and went home early with some friends of my parents as they were there a week ahead of us and had to leave. On this camping trip I learned from Jen that her parents took Jen and her sister camping many times as kids. ON RAQUATTE no less. I never knew that! Anyway Jen wasn't to impressed with Limekiln as its a busy family oriented campground. She said to me she was further out in the wilderness staying home. I chose Limekiln as its close to Inlet and has toilets and showers not know Jen in fact was an experienced camper.
So we got through her hot flashes and since the next morning dawned a blue sky gem we packed up and drove out to Stillwater.
As luck would have it with boy scouts and other boaters and campers buzzing around the pavilion. We got campsite 45.
After a short visit with Luke the ranger, Mother Marion and Joe. We loaded the kayaks and set out for site 45. My favorite place on the planet. It was love at first site for Jen as she stepped upon the private golden beach. She stood there taking in Stillwater's surrounding beauty and tranquility and said, "So how much did you pay for this site? " I laughed and said, "Nothing!" "It's free!" "All you gotta do is get here!" LIke me she walk around setting up the tent and kept repeating. FREE FREE This is FREE!
What a time we had drinking peach champaigne and other spirits. Singing, laughing, kayaking, cooking in the beautiful wilderness of the Adirondack mountains. I will never forget the great time we had. I do regret one thing tho and that is for not taking off my treasured silver celtic rings. I skinny dipped the last night we were there and the water took both rings right off my fingers. I will kayak out on Labor day weekend as the water goes down at summers end and if fate allows, I will find the rings. I keep my fingers crossed.
I lost my dearest friend Ed this summer. His time was coming and we all knew. Aurora came home and found Ed dead in front of the TV on July 31st. I was in Stillwater waiting for Ryan and Julie and the grandchildren. We had Marion's camp for a week. I was sad but we had fun collecting "ED" rocks for the grave site. Bill built Ed a little coffin and buried Ed out back. I see his grave from my kitchen window. I also found a lovely piece of driftwood from the Driftwood God Beach and brought that home for a grave marker. The amazing thing is, is that when Bill dug little Eddies grave, he dug up a horse shoe. Yep! Ed was a lucky dog and we all loved him so. Ed was the Club Ed mascot and chef stow away dog.
His last days tho were not so happy. I'll choose not to remember these and only the good. No more dogs for a while.
Skyway is coming! We have a lovely line up this year and I'm looking forward to is as always! David Grace had painted another lovely sign for the southern end of the park and Linday Szybist, being the Adobe photo shop queen that she is has out done her self again in poster design.
My mother has entered into her 70th year and Malcome his 50th. I helped Nancy and together with the help of her long time girlfriend put on quite a party!
While cleaning out and elderly ladies home, Bill came across of old vinyl records in mint condition and brought them home. I found a record player at BJ's built to look like and old time wooden record player for only ninety bucks and brought that to the party. Everyone had a hoot playing the old records and reading the covers.
I have a really busy weekend upcoming with 3 gigs back to back. The Colgate Bookstore Book Fair, The Colgate Inn then the Clinton Arts and Music Festival the next day. Labor Day I have a private party in Stillwater. The Skyway Festival on the 12th then....VACATION! I miss my empty days to write and record. I have another CD brewing in me. It will be interesting to see what the next batch of songs will come from me.