The Trivet: Ve get too soon oldt . . .

Marash Girl was so excited when she found this trivet in a church thrift shop in Falmouth on Cape Cod, Massachusetts.  Was her father visiting her again from the next world . . . and laughing? He LOVED to quote the phrase in German-accented English (yes, he had studied German in high school so he knew the accent well), "Ve get too soon oldt und too late schmart!" He probably first saw the quote on this trivet or one very much like this one -- a trivet which graced a dining room table in the 1930's! Or perhaps he knew the original expression in German . . .  We children would often hear him laughing, and repeating in a somber voice, "Ve get too soon oldt und too late schmart!"

NEWTON CORNER NATIVITY: CELEBRATING CHRISTMAS FOR OVER 70 YEARS!

Driving home from the post office on Galen Street, Marash Girl noticed a woman setting up the Nativity Scene on the snow-covered lawn in front of her house.  Marash Girl remembered visiting this very house to see this very scene (although it was always dark with the lights shining when  her mother and father drove her by on Christmas Eve -- a magical moment indeed).  Until the day he died, Peter (Marash Girl's dad) would drive by, or ask Marash Girl to drive him by in those last years, just to experience the magic of it all.  Last week, Marash Girl stopped to chat with the woman of the house, who explained, "My father started this many years ago, and I want to continue the tradition!"
 

There is no "mine" in this house!

It was the depression; the young men were survivors of the Armenian genocide and living and working in Watertown, Massachusetts. Paul had just purchased his first necktie with the earnings from his first job and had set the tie out to wear to church the next morning.  Peter, an early riser, got up to get ready for church, and spying the necktie, put it on.  When Paul came to don his new (to him) necktie, it was no longer where he had left it, but rather on Peter's neck!  Sunday morning suddenly burst out in a cacophony of shouts . . .  The boys' mother, Yepros, hearing the argument, stated the following:  Bu  evi, senin benim yokh. In this house, there is no mine or yours.  You wear the necktie to church this week, Peter, and Paul, you wear the necktie to church next week!

There is no yours or mine in this house! Bu  evi, senin benim yokh. Those words followed Marash Girl throughout her growing years . . .  and to this day.

Sense of Snow

Yesterday afternoon:

Marash Girl:  You think it's going to snow?

Neighbor:  Don't know.

Marash Girl:  Sure feels like it!

Confirming her New England Girl sense of snow, Marash Girl was wakened to the sound of snow plows rumbling past her house at four o'clock this morning . . .  

Camelot at the New Rep Theatre in Watertown, Massachusetts

Camelot at Newton High School?  Is Marash Girl remembering correctly?  Didn't Susan Stone play opposite Irving Krasner, and thus, the two of them became heroes of their class?  Marash Girl played the piano in the orchestra for every rehearsal and every performance, so she couldn't be misremembering, or could she? Probably . . . what was the name of that show?

Those are the thoughts that whisked through the sieve of Marash Girl's memory when her friend offered her center front row seats to Camelot, performed by the New Rep at the Charles Mosesian Theatre in Watertown, Massachusetts.  And what a performance it was . . . . No, not the Camelot that Marash Girl remembers from high school days, but rather an incredible piece de resistance lasting 3 hours of big acting and big singing . . .

Taking their bows, l. to r.  Marc Koeck (as Lancelot), Benjamin Evett (as King Arthur), Erica Spyres (as Guenevere)

The whole cast graciously accepts applause from an enthusiastic audience at the end of the performance of Camelot.

Benefactor Charles Mosesian's photo at the entrance to the Charles Mosesian Theatre

Wikileaks and the Armenians!

Can you believe that we Armenians were worth a wikileaks mention?  Click link below to read more!

http://www.armenianweekly.com/2013/12/03/wikileaks-discloses-confidential-us-report-on-armenian-americans/

Falmouth, Massachusetts: Wind, Fog Horn Moan for Nelson Mandela

Falmouth, Massachusetts: grey seas,  foggy skies,  flags at half mast:
the wind & the fog horn moan  for Nelson Mandela

Hospitality a la Marash & Aintep

Some hints on Armenian courtesy . . . or perhaps it's Marashtsi/Ainteptsi courtesy . . .

All those dishes that folks bring filled to the brim with goodies for the holidays?  Once you empty them, what do you do with them?  Do you remember to return the dishes?  And when you return the dishes, are they empty?

Wrong!

Never return a dish empty of goodies . . . If you have nothing to fill the dish with, don't return it until you do!

I was reminded of this "rule" when a non-Armenian friend (actually now Armenian, given that she's been married to an Armenian for forever) returned my baking dish, a dish that had been filled with Marash Girl's Peach Cake (and yes, the peaches were from Wilbraham) . . . Marash Girl's friend  returned the dish with a loaf of the most delicious Banana Nut Bread Marash Girl has ever tasted . . .

So, ladies and gentlemen, a word to the wise, in this case, words to the wise . . . .

Oh, and by the way, Merry Christmas!

Celebrating Christmas, Cape Cod Style

Bring the kids (and the kid in you) to the Falmouth Village Green (Falmouth, Cape Cod, Massachusetts) for good old-fashioned Christmas fun!  Even the men setting up the exhibit were excited about it . . . especially as they were putting in the model train (under a protective plexiglass case, not pictured here) that could be made to move around the tracks by the simple push of a button.

  

 

 

Bill Hendel's Christmas Creche Collection featured at Highfield Hall, Falmouth, Cape Cod, Massachusetts

Highfield Hall, Falmouth, (Cape Cod,) Massachusetts, is celebrating Christmas with Bill Hendel's Christmas Creche Collection.  Christmas Creches representing cultures from every corner of the world (does the world have corners?) are set up in every corner of this magnificent Victorian "Historic" house (the house does have corners, and many of them). . .

 

Marash Boy even found a Christmas Creche with the Turkish Crescent at the top!

A Man Before His Time: Theodore Roosevelt wanted to ban football . . .

Even way back at the beginning of the 20th Century, football was seen as a dangerous sport.  Despite his rough and tumble ways, President Theodore Roosevelt attempted to "change the rules" and nearly banned football "due to its undue violence resulting in many player injuries.  This CALAMITY Bank, shown on the cover of a Collectors' Showcase magazine (January/February 1983), "considered among the most desirable of old cast iron mechanicals typifies the popular rough and tumble sport."

Collector's Showcase Magazine, #51610,  available at OldCornerBooks.com

Overheard: Grandma to Grandpa

Overheard:  Ama calling to Baba late one vacation morning: You'd better wake up; it's almost time for your nap!

Don't throw away those broccoli stems!

Listening to the radio before Thanksgiving was like listening to a non-stop cooking show!  Every station had at least one famous chef speaking about what we who have celebrated Thanksgiving all our lives, should  do or not do in the kitchen!  There was one message that caught Marash Girl's attention.

That news? Broccoli stems are not to be tossed but rather eaten!  Wow!  Let's see . . . how many years ago did Marash Girl figure that out . . . and never even thought it worth writing in her blog?  She assumed everyone knew!  So what's the thing with broccoli stems?  If you're preparing  a salad or a vegetable platter, it's the most delicious of all vegetables, with the most interesting of textures, milder than the broccoli flowers themselves and easier to chew and digest.  Marash Girl peels the stems  (was it Auntie Rose that taught her, or did she teach Auntie Rose?) and slices the stems  -- no, don't you cook them! Add the broccoli stems to a salad -- that unidentifiable vegetable -- or place them on a veggie platter along with the carrots, the celery, the peppers, the cherry tomatoes, the radishes, the cucumbers -- with Arppie's secret dip at the center.  Should Marash Girl give you Arppie's secret dip recipe here or in the next blog post?  Okay, because you're curious, here it is . . . very complicated : )

Ketchup (in bottle from store -- no preservatives) of your choice.

Prepared horse radish (in bottle from store -- no preservatives) of your choice.

Complicated procedure:

Add a teaspoon of prepared horseradish to a 1/3 of a cup of ketchup. 

There's your dip! Tastes even better than Shrimp Cocktail Sauce and costs you pennies.

Arppie, who used to be the Director of the UConn auditorium in Storrs, Connecticut, always served a veggie platter (with this dip of her own making) to the gathered celebrities that she regularly entertained at the auditorium, and the dip never failed to wow them . . . (Don't think she ever served them peeled broccoli stems, though.)  So Arppie, here's a big thank you for your simple but delicious dip that family members have been using for eons!

Oh, Those Sweet Potatoes!!!

Roasted sweet potatoes . . . the most delicious treat you'll ever eat, as a snack, a side dish     . . .  for Thanksgiving, Christmas, any time, any day.

Festive or not, a treat that can't be beat . . . a creation that Ahsin has agreed to share with Marash Girl's readers.

Here's how! 

Preheat oven to 415.  Wash the (raw) sweet potatoes and chop into 1-1.5" cubes.  Spread in a roasting pan.  Drizzle with olive oil and sprinkle with sea salt and fresh-ground black pepper.  Mix together with your hands to make sure all pieces are coated.  Roast for 20-25 minutes or until they start to get a little golden-brown.  Check halfway through cooking and stir them around a little to prevent sticking to the pan. 

Can be enjoyed warm as a side dish, or at room temperature as a snack or in a salad!

Asking the Lord's blessing . . .

Despite what she wrote in yesterday's blog, Marash Girl celebrated Thanksgiving by giving thanks for her friends, for her family . . . and how did she do that beyond the simple giving of thanks?  She cooked and she baked and she served . . . and she and her family and her friends now all included within the family gathered together and sang , "We gather together to ask the Lord's blessing . . . "

Happy Thanksgiving for those of us who can celebrate . . .

Black Friday -- irony of ironies -- Thursday, Thanksgiving Day is the day of black, the day of mourning, for the Natives of the Americas  . . .  For years, Marash Girl and her daughter Girol fled the Thanksgiving celebration at their own home to join forces with the thousands of Native Americans who participated in the Day of Mourning held yearly on "Thanksgiving Day" in Plymouth, Massachusetts.

Bulgur Pilaf for Thanksgiving!

Radio stations are brimming with suggestions for Thanksgiving dishes, but none as delicious as our old standby, bulgur pilaf, the food that kept our people alive through the most devastating of circumstances!  

Bulgur pilaf -- Marash Girl's favorite dish, both to prepare and to eat!  And for Thanksgiving, a quick and tasty alternative to potatoes or rice.

How does she do it?  Easy.

Fry up some chopped onions in olive oil or butter or a combination of the two (and if you have the time and the vegetables,  chopped green peppers).  Add a cup of medium bulgur (not fine, not coarse, but medium bulgur -- available at Middle Eastern grocery stores, but usually not in supermarkets where, if you're lucky, you'll find fine bulgur which is used for tabouleh and coarse bulgur which is used for dolma).  Sauté the bulgur with the onions (and peppers, if you've added peppers).  For every cup of bulgur, add somewhat less than 1 cup  of V-8 Juice (yes, V-8 Juice!) and 7/8 cup water, and a lot less if you've added tomatoes. Or use all V-8 juice and no water . . . your taste! Bring mixture to a boil and turn off the heat.  Your bulgur pilaf will be ready in 15 minutes!  A time-saving device would be to sauté all of the ingredients the evening before or the morning of your main event.  Then 15 minutes before serving time, add the V-8 juice.  This is a great and somewhat exotic alternative for those who have vegetarians in the family, but, of course, would not work if your vegetarians or vegans are gluten intolerant!

"What can I bring?"

Marash Girl has to laugh at how many times she has heard this conversation play over the last week--either on a telephone call to herself, in person, or listening in on a conversation being played out on a friend's cell phone . . .

The possibilities offered are always endless . . . and Marash Girl's answer, she being a snob when it comes to cooking . . . is always, "Just bring yourself!"

Of course, playing in the back of her mind is her father's admonition (which she dares not repeat to her friends), "Don't ask, just bring!"

WD40 and the Blackberry

WD40 -- a common household word at the homestead in Newtonville . . . And apparently in Springfield as well.  

Marash Boy recounts the following 21st Century use for WD40.

"Who would think that my ancient Blackberry roller could be repaired by WD40? Stuck only going sideways and down, i couldn't make it roll upward, until I remembered my cousin George and father-in-law's favorite "solution":  WD 40.  My Blackberry roller works perfectly now!"

Slow Cooked Turkey Breast for 10

Turkey cooked in a slow cooker?  Never heard of it, never thought of it, and in fact, it sounded disgusting, but there she was with some interesting ingredients and no time, so why not try it?  She did and she was glad!  Here's what she did:

5 or 6 pound turkey breast
2 large onions, peeled and cut in half
3 large sweet potatoes, washed, unpeeled and cut in half
3 cups organic all natural apple cider
juice of 3 limes
turmeric, curry, cajun spice (or hot pepper), fresh basil

Place turkey and vegetables in slow cooker; cover with spices.  Pour apple cider (or wine, if you have no apple cider) and juice of 3 fresh limes.

Cook in slow cooker on high for one hour; lower to low for 6 hours.

Above was purely experimental.  What to cook for supper?  Look around -- what's in the vegetable bin, what's in the fridge, what kind of time do you have to prepare?

The answers to those questions resulted in the above concoction which turned out to fill the house with a heavenly aroma all day, and feed the appetite with a most delicious treat at supper time.

Training kids the old country way

The old days may not be as lovely as we would like to think . . .  Many examples, for sure, but the few that come to mind at the moment . . .

In Marash, the folks put soil in kids diapers for absorbing their kid's poop.  

To toilet train early (often by 9 months) a blown out match (or a lit cigarette) would be applied to the child's bottom whenever the diaper was soiled. Hence mothers-in-law felt free to criticize their U.S. born daughters-in-law if the grandchildren had not been toilet-trained before the children had learned to talk or walk!

That's enough of that!  On to tomorrow and more lovely thoughts.

REMEMBERING JFK - 11/22/63

Do you remember where you were at the moment of the tragic news of JFK's assassination? Marash Girl does, as do the 33 other folks who were with her listening to the unexpected crackling of the never before heard from PA system . . .

May God rest his soul . . .

A friend remembers Joan Scully Metz . . .

Joan was a special soul, for sure, tender, fierce, intelligent, caring, impish, funny, authentic.  Life was better for anyone who was fortunate enough to have crossed paths, however briefly(as in my case) but that IS the point of a life well lived. The lasting imprint(s) one leaves on this short journey. 

Need your eyes examined? Look again!

A cruel joke? . . . Administration's way of increasing business? . . . Walking into Visual Services (better known as the eye doctor's office), Marash Girl thought that her eyes were playing tricks on her!  She had never before had a problem looking at prints and paintings hanging on the wall, but here she was in the outer offices of the eye doctors and she couldn't see clearly . .  Now YOU take a look at these prints!  It's not the camera, and no, it's NOT your eyes!

Marking the 150th Anniversary of Abraham Lincoln's Gettysburg Address . . .

All the dignitaries in Springfield had gathered, and as Karoun passed, curious about the reason for all the assembled, she learned that the assembled dignitaries had just concluded a 150 year commemoration of the  deliverance by Abraham Lincoln of his famous Gettysburg Address.

The Gettysburg Address? Marash Girl asked her daughter.  The very words brought to mind standing next to her parents double bed early on Sunday mornings, attempting to commit this unrhyming address to memory.

All the other kids in third grade got to recite cute, short little poems; even Clinton Shaw got to recite Casey at the Bat (which earned him no end of credits with the 3rd grade boys -- especially David Seeley who was Claflin School's "Casey at the Bat" . . . ) but Marash Girl had to memorize the Gettysburg Address because of its historic significance -- the reunification of that which had been almost irretrievably torn asunder.

The Gettysburg Address . . . Four Score and Seven Years Ago . . . Marash Girl still remembers all these years later (although not quite four score and seven years later!)

Dunkin' Donuts, 1950

Having coffee across the bridge yesterday, Marash Boy called attention to the vintage photo on the wall.  "There's still a donut shop that looks just like that in West Springfield, Massachusetts," he said.  "Without the vintage cars parked in front, of course!"

Moon over Copley Square

Waiting for the 504 bus after attending  the Boston Antiquarian Book Fair (which, by the way, has its final day today at the Hynes Convention Center on Boylston Street in Copley Square and is highly worthwhile),  Marash Girl looked up. [Photos by Marash Girl]

A look back at the Boston Book Festival . . . And at RH, books readied to be burned

Copley Square & Trinity Church on the second day of the Boston Book Festival ( October 17-19, 2013).

\

 On the steps of the Boston Public Library:  Bob Oakes of WBUR, and a presenter at the Boston Book Festival,  greets Marash Girl

Bob Oakes of WBUR with his wife at the entrance to the Boston Public Library

Shahan Mufti autographs his first book, THE FAITHFUL SCRIBE, after his presentation at the Boston Book Festival.

Small publishers' stalls were arrayed around Copley Square, providing hope for the yet unpublished writer!

An old timer rests in front of one of the publisher's stalls.

AND ACROSS BOYLSTON STREET, AT RH,  the contemporary coffee table book?  Tear off the covers and the spine, leaving the title page showing, and tying them up with brown twine -- 

What's that?  Looks like kindling to me!  But on closer look . . . 
Books with covers and spines removed, rolled up
and readied for . . . 

What happened to these books?  Are they fodder for the fire?

Was this some kind of a joke?  What interior designer came up with the idea of using books for kindling?

Will Wikipedia have to add RH's contemporary decor to its list of book-burning incidents?