Rev. Gilbert Bilezikian, Guest Preacher at Armenian Memorial Church

Rev. Gilbert Bilezikian, great-grandson of Rev. Sarkis Bilezikian (the first minister of the Armenian protestant church in Marash, Ottoman Empire), and nephew of Rev. Vartan Bilezikian (first minister of the United Armenian Bretheren Evangelical Church of Watertown, Massachusetts), spoke to the congregation of the Armenian Memorial Church in Watertown, Massachusetts, yesterday.  "Being a Christian is not a matter of a one time decision; it is a lifetime commitment."  Rev. Bilezikian, Baptist minister and Professor at Wheaton College, Wheaton, Illinois, was among the founders of Christians for Biblical Equality and has authored numerous books, among them Beyond Sex Roles: What the Bible Says about a Woman's Place in Church and Family.

Fossil Collecting at Calvert Cliffs, Maryland

A beautiful Saturday in June -- sunny, not a cloud in the sky -- and nothing 

scheduled -- what could be nicer than going sailing . . . What?  You don't have a sailboat?

How about yard-sailing!  That's what Marash Girl did yesterday, and the excursion brought her to within a mile of the house where she grew up . . . 

At that yard sale, Marash Girl spied three rocks . . . they looked like heart rocks, but not quite. . . "What are those?" Marash Girl asked the 'proprietress' of the yard sale.  "Oh, those are clam fossils," she answered.  "Where do they come from?" MG asked.  "They're from a beach in Maryland."   "Really?" Marash Girl exclaimed; "many years ago, I gathered fossils of shark's teeth on a beach in Maryland at the base of a cliff."  "That's exactly where I found these . . . while I was hunting for shark's teeth at the base of a cliff on a beach in Maryland.  I used to live in Maryland and we went hunting for shark's teeth all the time!  I have a bottle full of shark's teeth inside.  They're not for sale, but these clam fossils are. . . " 

Marash Girl checked with Matt (a native of Maryland who, by the way, found an Indian arrowhead when he was visiting Wilbraham after the tornado) and learned that the place that both the proprietress of the yard sale and Marash Girl had gone fossil hunting was probably Calvert Cliffs in Maryland, which is where the clam shell fossils you see below were found.

Clam shell fossils from Calvert Cliffs, Maryland, in their new home, snuggled in a flower pot
with a baby plant on Marash Girl's front porch.  Photo by Marash Girl

Through the eyes of an adult . . . JERSEY BOYS - a must see . . .

'Jersey Boys . . . You must see it,' reports Marash Martha. . .  'Any film that Clint Eastwood does is not to be missed! It's about Frankie Valli (who, 37 years ago, at an intersection in Sherman Oaks, asked me how to get to the airport)!'  She writes, 'As I recall, he really wanted to say hi to my three beautiful daughters; then after asking for directions to LAX, he asked, "Don't you know who i am?  I'm Frankie Valli and I am performing in Las Vegas"!  I had no idea who he was, but my three daughters knew exactly who he was and started singing his famous song, SHERIE!'

And more recently, Marash Martha's daughter Ali reports that she often sees Frankie Valli at the supermarket in Sherman Oaks!  What does she say about him?  "He's short!"

Marash Girl must head out to her local movie theatre to see JERSEY BOYS, a film that WBUR's HERE & NOW thought well of . . . well enough to interview Jersey Boys'  star performer, John Lloyd Young (who called Robin Young his "sister") . . . John Lloyd Young, the actor who took Jersey Boys from Broadway to the screen.  Great interview -- listen to it before you head out to see the movie!

Through the eyes of a child . . .

Grandmother:  Stop dirtying that window with your sticky fingers!

Grandchild:  I'm not dirtying the window!  I'm drawing a picture on the window with yogurt!

Along the Massachusetts Turnpike: Newton Corner Rabbit heads for the Briar Patch

                                                                 Photo by Marash Girl

The Solace of Sidewalk Art

                                                                                         Photo by Marash Girl

When utility companies leave unsightly arrows on sidewalks in front of our homes,   little children  respond in a kindly manner . . .

Grapefruit a la 1940's

Watching her husband peel a grapefruit for breakfast, Marash Girl remembered her mother, Jennie, patiently preparing grapefruit for each member of the family. Preparing grapefruit for a family of five was no mean feat at 6:30 in the morning.  There was the cutting of three grapefruit in half (halved so that the surface of each side of the grapefruit resembled the spokes of a wheel) --  Jennie would use a grapefruit knife (have you ever seen one? -- flexible, short, and serrated on each side), to separate the fruit segments from the membrane, leaving the wedges of fruit inside of their little grapefruit pockets, then carefully placing the halved grapefruits in bowls, one for each member of the family. The breakfasters would proceed to sprinkle sugar on their grapefruit halves and eat -- never with a grapefruit spoon with which one could expeditiously serrate the corners of ones lips -- but with spoons small enough to remove the grapefruit wedges that Grandma Jennie (then not yet a grandma) had lovingly prepared.

Plum Island Diner - Service with a Snicker!

In the late 1960's,  Marash Girl and Haig (just off the bus from New York City) took a day trip to Plum Island, a beautiful beach on Massachusetts' North Shore.   Hungry and thirsty after a long walk along the beach, they found a diner at the beginning of the road leading to the southern tip of  the island, (the road that now leads to the federally owned stretch of the beach).  Happy to find a place to quench their thirst, they took two seats at the counter and ordered 2 tuna fish sandwiches (Marash Girl's favorite at the time) and 2 Cokes.  As the young people awaited their meal, they heard the folks behind the counter talking in Armenian -- talking about Marash Girl and her friend in a running commentary that was far from flattering.  Little did they realize that Marash Girl with her long light  hair and long skirt and Haig's long droopy moustache and "hippy" attire did not keep the two "tourists" from understanding the language of their people.  It was all that Haig and Marash Girl could do to keep from laughing.  Finally, having finished their meal, paying the bill, the two turned to the folks behind the counter and said, in perfect Armenian, "Thank you so much for the meal and the compliments!"  

The moral of the story?

Bicycle Built for Two

Save energy . . .  Ride a bike . . . Save more energy  . . . Ride a Bicycle Built for Two!

Peter used to love to sing this song when his kids were growing up . . . and what fun it is to sing!

The lyrics, simple and true, go something like this:

Daisy, Daisy, Give me your answer, do.

I'm half crazy, all for the love you you.

We won't have a stylish marriage.

I can't afford a carriage.

But you'll look sweet, upon the seat of a bicycle built for two.

This vintage sheet music, brand new from a  recently closed century old music store, is available for purchase at OldCornerBooks.com.

Can environment save the self? Can environment damage the self?

'Late in Elizabeth Graver’s eloquent new novel, a therapist warns a very troubled young man against what he calls the “geographic” cure: “You can’t fix yourself by going somewhere else. . . . You’ll always take yourself along.”' [Alida Becker in her 2013 New York Times review of Elizabeth's Graver new novel, The End of the Point.]

Even earlier than that Jon Kabat-Zinn wrote Wherever You Go There You Are!

And even earlier than that, Peter Bilezikian mouthed the same philosophy!  

Marash Girl disagrees!  

Environment can not only change the self, but it can save the self!

Plant your Daffodils among your Day Lilies

Rather than wrapping your daffodil leaves up into a bundle when the daffodils have passed, plant your daffodils among your day lilies -- the daffodils will bloom first, adding vibrant color to the beautiful patch of green leaves, and the always green leaves of the day lilies will hide the unsightly yellowing leaves of the daffodils after the daffodils bloom . . . (Not cutting the daffodil leaves back will allow the strength of the leaves to go back into the daffodil bulbs for the next year's beautiful daffodils). Never again will you worry about the unsightly brown leaves of the beautiful daffodils!  (Thanks to Newton's master gardener Pat Rand for the tip!)

Scratch Your Nasturtium Seeds!

Wandering along Newtonville Avenue, admiring the gardens on a day that was soon to be 85 degrees, Marash Girl chatted up gardening with whomever she saw kneeling in front of their houses  . . . as there were no statues, and no altars in sight, Marash Girl assumed (as it turns out, correctly) that the folks kneeling were gardeners . . . one such kneeler, after talking gardening, offered Marash Girl a package of Nasturtium seeds, cautioning her that she should scratch the seeds before planting. . . Marash Girl thought the kneeler was joking, but sure enough, on the back of every package, Burpee announces, "To aid in germination, rub seed with nail file."  Marash Girl wondered about that.  She had planted nasturtiums aplenty in her childhood, but never thought to use a nail file . . . 

Jig Saw Puzzling

Marash Girl has the fondest memories of jig saw puzzles -- they bring to mind a big old Victorian summer house built of unpainted weathered wood, a summer house in Wellfleet, Massachusetts, Cape Cod -- few windows made for dark, cool rooms and in the midst of the central room was a "bridge" table covered with a jig saw puzzle waiting to be completed -- a puzzle to be worked on by the summer dwellers when the weather turned cold, the day dark, the clouds heavy with rain .  .  .  Time stretching out with no end . . . Time to dream, time to think, time to walk the beach, time to chat, time to . . .  work on a jig saw puzzle!  There was no television in the house, no radio, no telephone, certainly no computer, nor cell phone.  And one could take such pleasure in the small accomplishment of finding one tiny piece that fit -- the smallest of accomplishments, no witnesses, no praise  . . . just the puzzle and you.

And so it was that when Marash Girl found herself in Stowe, Vermont, at the beginning of a week that promised rain every day, she (as you may have learned from reading her earlier blog posts this month) decided to begin a jig saw puzzle.  Stopping at the gift shop (before, of course, she had tried the local yard sales where she found two jigsaw puzzles "with no pieces missing" -- Hah!), the salesperson commented, "We have one that's 35 pieces . . . How large to do you want it?"  Marash Girl answered, "About 500 pieces?"

"500 pieces?  500 pieces?" scoffed a customer from the far corner of the shop;  "I'm working on one that's 1500 pieces!"

Marash Girl started counting . . . hmmm.  1500 pieces, at 1 piece a day . . . that would take about 4 years and 3 months to complete;  2 pieces a day, 2 years and 1.5 months to complete; 3 pieces a day, 1 year and 20 days; 4 pieces a day, 1 year and 15 days; 5 pieces a day, 300 days to complete; 6 pieces a day, 250 days to complete; 7 pieces a day 214 1/3 days; 8 pieces a day would take 187 days plus 1/2 a day. 9 pieces a day, 166 days plus 2/3 of a day.  10 pieces a day, 150 days . . .  Would that the man had helpers, or a lot of time!  He must have thought that in Stowe, it rains forever!

Long, Long Ago

Long, Long Ago

Appearing magically in a pile of sheet music that Marash Girl had purchased for resale from a century old music store was the original sheet music (without lyrics) "transcribed for pianoforte" of a song that Marash Girl's father used to love to sing, (though admittedly, he remembered only the first verse, more than Marash Girl remembers).   Do you, dear reader, remember the tune?  If so, you can sing along.  Here are the lyrics Marash Girl found on the internet.

Tell me the tales that to me were so dear
Long, long ago, long, long ago
Sing me the songs I delighted to hear
Long, long ago, long ago.

Now you are come all my grief is removed
Let me forget for how long you have roved
Let me believe that you love as you loved
Long, long ago, long ago.

Do you remember the path where we met
Long, long ago, long, long ago
Ah yes, you told me you ne'er forget
Long, long ago, long ago.

Then, to all others, my smile you preferred
Love, when you spoke, gave a charm to each word
Still my heart treasures the praises I heard
Long, long ago, long ago.

"They couldn't destroy the mountain."

On Saturday evening, June 14, 2014, noted historian Richard Hovannisian, presenting at the Armenian Museum of America in Watertown, Massachusetts, commented, "I thought I could never go to the land of my people -- the Armenian people -- it would be too sad for me.  But I finally did go."   Speaking about the once Armenian city of Gesaria and its many villages, villages which surround Mt. Argeos -- a mountain of 13,000 feet, snow-covered year round, Hovannisian emphasized the fact that each village had been a village unto itself -- with its own special character and its own style of speaking Armenian -- yet each village had been connected by its relationship to Mt. Argeos, a mountain that had always been there, will always be there.  Richard Hovannisian paused:

"They destroyed our churches, they destroyed our towns, but they couldn't destroy the mountain."

Newton Parks and Recreation First Annual Plant Exchange

Newton's First Annual Plant Exchange, a free event sponsored by the Newton Parks and Recreation Commission, took place on Saturday, June 14, in Newton Corner, Massachusetts.  A huge success, the event attracted gardening enthusiasts from all over the Garden City, folks  who exchanged plants, pots, gardening advice and plans for next year's swap.

Armenian Night at the Pops, June 2014 . . .

Blue Rondo a la Turk? Albeit a "World Premiere, commissioned by Keith Lockhart & the Boston Pops" (especially commissioned for Armenian Night at the Pops?) -- Brubeck-Brubeck not withstanding . . . was this some kind of a Joke? (Yes, Joke with a capital J!) Aman Asdvadz! 

Melissa Ethridge performing at Armenian Night at the Pops

Marash Girl had been invited to Boston's Symphony Hall to attend Armenian Night at the Pops, and there it was, second piece listed on the program. . .   Blue Rondo a la Turk  . . .   followed by  Stairway to Heaven and finally the Hayr Mer (The Armenian Lord's Prayer). . .  Deliberate? Accidental?  Whatever the intention, Marash Girl was not amused.  With no comment, the conductor verbally muddled his way through, juggling the program, with no comment on, and (gracias a Dios) no performance of Rondo a la Turk, the piece listed front and center on the program of the 63rd Armenian Night at the Pops. After all, it was Friday the 13th in June of 2014, a Friday the 13th with a full moon!

Saxophonist Hayrapet Arakelyan plays Tango Suite for Saxophone & Orchestra

 by Piazzollo-Kerkezos at Armenian Night at the Pops - Photos by Marash Girl

Apology Accepted

This past year, following a seminar on Turkey and Democracy at the Boisi Center (Boston College), Marash Girl was approached by a Kurdish woman, a graduate student at Boston College and a Turkish citizen who had suffered many indignities as a Kurd living in modern day Turkey.  The Kurdish woman hugged Marash Girl and, with tears in her eyes, apologized to Marash Girl for the part her people -- the Kurdish people -- had taken in the Genocide of the Armenian people  (1915-1923).

Coffee Shops of Old, Coffee Shops of New

People used to bring books to coffee shops to read, all cozy and comfy -- now they bring computers and stress!

Exhibit of American Quilts at the MFA Boston - A Must See!

Marash Girl's favorite quilt in the exhibit of American Quilts at the MFA Boston?  The quilt that contained the colors of an Eastern Anatolian flat-weave carpet, of course!!

Marash Nakhush - Embroidery from Marash at the Armenian Museum of America

Having been given the royal tour of the Armenian Museum of America (Watertown, MA) by Curator Gary Lind-Senanian -- as much of a gem as any of the gems in the cases --  Marash Girl was caught by the beauty of the 19th Century embroidery (probably a bed covering) from Marash -- embroidery done on hand woven cloth -- stitched crosses upon stitched crosses upon stitched crosses.  Marash Girl recognized the embroidery, of course, because she has a piece in that very style framed and hanging on the second floor wall of her Victorian home . . . She will picture her piece in a future post -- but for now, here is the piece of Marash Nakhush hanging on the wall of the Armenian Museum of America.

Closeup of a section of Marash Nakhush.

Reverse side of Marash Nakhush 

Marash Girl's photo does not give the piece the justice it deserves!

Embarrassing moments . . . or, All's Well That Ends Well (with apologies to Shakespeare)

At the entrance to Whole Foods, there stood a small boy, a man and a woman, all of whom appeared to be unrelated.  The woman was asking the man why he was trying to shepherd the  child to the store management.  The man explained that the little one was lost.  

"The little boy is not lost; he's  with me, shopping and helping me look for a carriage."

"Looking for a carriage?" said the man. "I thought he said he was looking for his parents!"

Lobster Pots in Marblehead, Massachusetts

Lobster traps getting ready for the season in Marblehead MA

Some local vines have taken up residence in the meantime...

Thanks to Visiting Blogger "La Niña" for the above photos and captions . . .

The Tuxedo Cat and the Wild Turkey

One thing that Stowe, Vermont and Newton Corner, Massachusetts share are tuxedo cats and wild turkeys.

Soon after Marash Girl made the acquaintance of Sam Von Trapp's tuxedo cat (scroll down to see yesterday's post on the subject), she looked out of her window to see that very same cat stalking an unperturbed wild turkey.  She watched the two animals closely; as the turkey was about to enter the forest, it turned toward the cat and "growled" a warning.  The cat literally stopped in its tracks while the wild turkey strolled into its forest.

Firstly, Marash Girl didn't know that wild turkey's could growl, and secondly, she certainly never thought that a cat would be frightened away by the likes of a wild turkey.

Chris Poacher, the erstwhile man about the mountain, one who knows all there is to know about wildlife, tame life, and mountain life in Vermont, answered the question.  Wild turkeys, he says, have spurs on the back of their legs with which to attack and do real damage to cats, among others.

No wonder Sam von Trapp's tuxedo cat stopped (thankfully, not dead) in its tracks!

 The Tuxedo Cat stalks the Wild Turkey - Trapp Family Lodge, Stowe, Vermont                                Photo by Marash Girl

The Tuxedo Cat at Trapp Family Lodge

While vacationing at the Trapp Family Lodge in Stowe, Vermont, Marash Girl received an unexpected phone call from the neighbor staying in the villa down the mountainside.  The woman at the other end of the line was desperate.  She cried out over the telephone:  "There's a tuxedo cat here.  Is it yours?  I've called everyone and I can't find its owner.  Somebody has abandoned this cat.  I know it! We summer on Cape May in New Jersey and folks are always abandoning their pets there.  The sea grass is full of feral cats.  And this is Friday; someone has left the Trapp Family Lodge and abandoned a tuxedo cat.  Please come and adopt it, please!"

Marash Girl replied:  "Have you called the main lodge to see if they know whose cat it is?"

Woman:  "No, I don't want to.  They'll send the cat away and it will be put to sleep.  No pets are allowed here!"

Marash Girl:  "I'll be right down to take a look."

When Marash Girl saw the beautiful, black, well-groomed, sleek tuxedo cat, she knew that the cat had not been abandoned, but her neighbor down the mountainside kept insisting that Marash Girl adopt the cat and take it home.  Marash Girl finally convinced the woman to call the main lodge.

The woman called, only to discover that the cat belonged to Sam Von Trapp, who had gone away for a few days and left the cat in the keeping of the lodge.

Thank goodness the woman had been unable to convince Marash Girl to "steal" Sam Von Trapp's beautiful tuxedo cat!

You'll Never Walk Alone

Fully aware of the Christian metaphor, Marash Girl has noticed that today's iPhones have given new meaning to the show tune, "You'll Never Walk Alone!" (from Rodgers and Hammerstein's 1945 musical, Carousel).

From Hussenig to Boston

His father had beaten him for carrying a bag in Hussenig; "That's what the servants are for."

Much later, in Boston, he admonished his daughter for "always carrying a bag" unless, of course, it was a "Designer" handbag!  That was okay!

Overheard at USPS

I'd like to buy some stamps -- do you have any movie stars . . . or nature?

-- Movie stars or nature stars?

-- No, just movie stars or nature. . .  No, I don't like Charlton Heston.

-- Well, who do you like?  Elizabeth Taylor?

-- No!  Audrey Hepburn . . .

The Black Tulip . . . er, The Partially Black Iris

Marash Girl had read about the rarity of the Black Tulip in Alexander Dumas' novel (adventure mystery, if she remembers correctly) entitled THE BLACK TULIP.  Thus it was with awe that she approached her garden yesterday afternoon to see a partially black iris in full bloom.

A Novel After Dinner

Opening a good novel for the first time after a long hard day of work is like being presented with dessert at the end of a full meal.  Do you have the energy, or the appetite, to attempt something that looks so tempting?  A little taste, and then the leap.

Grandpa Moses and his Canary

Grandpa Moses, tough as he was, loved animals. One of Marash Girl's earliest memories - Grandpa Moses' canary flying around the living room (upstairs) at 474/476 Lowell Avenue, Newtonville, and everyone -- very young, very old -- chasing after it, (everyone except for the cat which by that time was no longer with the family), in a vain effort to return the canary to its cage. [It (the canary) finally returned to the cage on its own when it got hungry and tired of giving the family a "run for its money"! ]

In Marash, Grandpa Moses had had his own horse and would ride in the mountains --  ride to protect the sheep herd he was guarding, ride with his pals, ride to protect the Marash version of "wagon trains" from attack by brigands.  Moses was an amazing man.  By the time Marash Girl knew him, however, he was old and silent, sitting in the winged arm chair "upstairs", watching "The Lone Ranger" on early television (around 1948), reminiscing, Marash Girl is certain, of his own past in the mountains of Marash.